Kiara Lyns cursed herself for a fool and berated herself for having expected better. She should have known it would not have come as she’d hoped, that she had not come far enough.

She paced lines into the wooden floor and thin carpet of her room, then threw an empty inkwell at the wall and then took off the necklace she had been wearing and threw it onto the bed. Then she picked it up, gingerly, and stowed it safely in her jewelry box. She might miss it; it had been a gift.

I wish Janis was here, she thought, surprising herself. It was the first thought she had that wasn’t tinged by anger or bitterness. Just a touch of sadness.

She was not going to marry some prancing Esemen boy prince, she swore to herself. Not ever, and especially not when she had Janis waiting for her.

She supposed, if she set her anger aside for a moment, that it was a good thing her father wanted to marry her away instead of removing her by another means, more permanently. At least their relationship had not quite deteriorated to that level. Assuming it stayed like this, at least; she couldn’t rule out that he wouldn’t change his mind, that something her supporters did or just his own thoughts wouldn’t push him to take a step further, to be sure.

Either way, she didn’t think she was safe here.

And if something happened to her, what would become of June? She’d be the new threat, the long-hoped-for prince’s older sister. And June was with the Hive, when it was evident her father didn’t like their ‘influence’.

Kiara snorted, running a hand through her hair. Independence was all well and good, but he was chasing it like a storybook firefly leading him into the swamp. June had told her what Regina had said, and even if Kiara had misgivings, she knew her sister made a good point. If her people were happier, did ink on maps and symbols on banners matter? If her people were happy, did her own goals matter in comparison? She paused at the thought.

Her father clearly did not care for his people’s well-being as his priority. She’d hoped and denied it, but now the scales had been ripped from her eyes; his first guiding star was his own ambition. He didn’t want to risk the war in favor of their health and hunger — no, actually, he didn’t want to draw out his war, or risk doing so, because he wanted a triumphant conquest, a quick coronation.

There was a question staring Kiara in the face that she’d diligently avoided seeing since the start of all this. Was her father, Marquis Nicholas Lyns, truly the best person for the throne? It had been easier when they were fighting King Nicholas, who everyone knew was a bit of a tyrant and even less concerned with the average peasant’s wellbeing. Now, though …

She supposed it was a good thing if self-interest and moral compunctions pointed in the same direction. No, self-preservation, even.

Her thoughts continued to run in circles until she finally changed her clothes, checking as always that she wasn’t being watched by mundane or other means, and fell into bed. She thought it would take her hours to fall asleep, but the stress and emotional exhaustion had tired her out; she was asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes.

Kiara woke up early the next day. She felt surprisingly refreshed, despite the early hour. Not that she had a clock or a Skill for telling time, but the sunlight just barely beginning to shine through the window to the east made it evident. She indulged in lying in bed for another minute, before she stood up and picked out her clothes for the day, starting her morning ablutions. She didn’t spend as much effort on it as she might have on other days, not simply because her store of cosmetics was running low, but she did take care to make herself presentable. Hopefully, it would be needed, if all went according to plan.

After that, Kiara spent a portion of her day which was probably too high pacing around the room again. Once, she was almost certain she heard the sounds of fighting drifting in through the window. By the time she had managed to get it unlatched (it was getting too cold to keep windows open), though, they had already faded into the general bustle of the army encamped around her. It was supposed to move out today, but evidently her father had decided to push it back, using that time, or the preparations, for other ends.

She judged it was almost lunchtime when the general boredom was finally broken. Kiara started as she felt what sounded like a knock, although she realized a moment later that something was off. She cocked her head, frowning, and listened hard. It was like it hadn’t truly sounded from outside the room?

Then the sound came again, a bit more strongly, and this time she realized it did not sound like a sound, for lack of a better term. She might not know how to describe it, but it did feel faintly familiar, tickling something at the edge of her memory.

On instinct, she tried to cast her mind out, and as she did, it was as if she relaxed something that had been tightly wound in on itself.

Lady Kiara? she heard a voice without hearing it; only in her mind, she recognized after a moment of confusion. They were thoughts more than spoken words.

Madris the Delver? she asked, recognizing her.

Yes, it is I, the dark elf agreed. Now that Kiara was receiving more information, presumably from a closer connection, her mental voice was clear and distinct, and strange in a way she would not have expected from anyone she knew personally. There was a weight to it, or the impression of one, although she was unsure whether it was a weight of experience or the sign of a strong mind.

Have you contacted me on Regina’s orders? she asked the Delver, trying to contain her excitement.

In a way. The Hive Queen did tell me to come here and ascertain the situation, to gather information and give her my impression. I do not think I was intended as a primary point of contact, however. Still, speaking to you is easy enough; and please do try not to let on that it is happening, in case you are being watched.

Understood. Kiara made an extra effort to keep her face expressionless. Why are you speaking to me now, then? Why today?

She heard a mental sigh, and something in Madris’ presence sharpened. Because your father has started to suppress your followers. He’s tightening his grip and I am fairly sure he is trying to consolidate power in this army. Which is supposed to move out tomorrow, by the way.

Kiara bit down on the urge to curse loudly. He’s trying to rip out my power base, isn’t he? In preparation for sending me away, or worse. How bad is it?

Well, your stronger allies like Duke Bluegrass should be safe enough, but I would not be surprised if there are a few cases like that unfortunate knight among your weaker followers, or their key people.

Kiara stood up and started to pace again, trying to work off some of her energy. That really did not sound good. She was grateful for the warning, but she hated that she was stuck in here and had to rely on Madris’ goodwill to get the news at all. Can you give me details of what you’ve seen or heard? she asked.

Madris obliged, and over the next ten minutes, they ran through a list of people Kiara considered to be her political allies, or people who had wanted to be, and what the marquis was doing and appeared to be planning. He’d held several meetings today already, and more of his handpicked men had been stationed in key areas of the army’s encampment, as well as the town they were using as a base. It did sound like Madris was right, she concluded. And this is after yesterday, she thought to herself. Did my obvious negative reaction cause him to try and make sure of things, or was he planning something like this already? And what about the effects on his precious war?

Most likely, he did have plans in the works already, Madris commented. Kiara started as she realized the Delver must have been able to read her previous thought.

I apologize, I did not mean to pry. If I may offer a last bit of advice, though, I do not think you are safe here. Madris paused. I’ll keep an eye out.

Kiara nodded, then sighed and slumped a little as she felt the dark elf’s mind withdraw.

She paced back and forth for a minute, gathering her nerve. She took the last chance to consider what she was doing, but found that she could not turn back. It might be risky; she didn’t care. It might even make things worse for her allies that remained if she escaped now, but she had to believe that in the long term, it would be for the best, for all of them.

Then she stepped over to the window and carefully levered it open. She felt the prickle of the ward line against her skin, evidence of the wards her father had had one of his mages place there. Unfortunately for him, she was not just any Arcane Knight, and her magical senses were at least as sharp as whoever he had ordered to do it. And sensing, as always, was the first step in bending it to her will. Knowledge is power, she thought, activating the trickiest and most powerful of her Skills, a rare one she had never seen from anyone else. She hadn’t even told her father about it, letting him believe she had simply gotten a Skill to help her sense and manipulate magic she had cast previously.

In truth, it wasn’t as limited as that.

It took ten minutes of focused work. Kiara gritted her teeth and had to wipe drops of sweat out of her eyes at the end. But she succeeded. She had managed to open a hole in the wards and sensors the Mage had placed around her residence, and she was confident she had managed it without alerting him or anyone else to the security breach.

She quickly climbed out the window, moving before she could second-guess herself. Hanging on to the windowsill, she drew on a bit of magic as she looked down. She was at least five meters off the ground, but with a bit of air magic the fall shouldn’t be too bad. She sent a gust of wind, since without a Spell from the System there wasn’t much more she could do, and let go.

Right then, a sharp pain bloomed from her shoulder. Kiara bit down on a scream, tasting blood on her tongue. She twisted in the air and fell to the ground with a thud, her knees buckling under her. She barely managed to roll to the left to disperse her momentum, her left arm shooting forward to bleed it off, but the pain in her shoulder still redoubled and it felt like something scraped against her bone.

Blinking against the glare of the light, she saw a piece of wood sticking out of her right shoulder, which was already soaking her tunic with blood. An arrow. Someone had shot her. She flinched upwards and glanced around, but wherever the archer had been, she couldn’t see him from here. Father must have had someone hidden watching my window.

She didn’t stop to think about it, just pushed herself up and staggered forward, moving as quickly as she could around the corner of the building and into the mouth of the alley leading off it. The world swayed around her - probably the blood loss - but she forced herself to continue. They actually shot me. A few centimeters to the side and this could’ve killed me.

Kiara was just about to lean against the house wall when she staggered to a stop, blinking again. A Hive drone was waiting for her. War Drone Mount, the System informed her — she hadn’t known there was such a Class — and a higher level than her.

While she stared, the drone approached her. She hissed in pain as it bumped into her, but held on to it, her fingers scrambling and hooking into small protrusions and grooves that seemed to be made for it. She pulled herself up and it hooked its extra limb under her legs to keep them in place.

Then they were off. Kiara forced herself to keep her eyes open and mark the route they took through the encamped army, despite the pain and dizziness. Clearly, whoever controlled the drone tried to avoid the widest and most obvious paths and used a circuitous route. Soon enough, though, they approached a part of the camp she’d been in before.

Kiara closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they were inside, and the drone came to a stop. Several sapient drones were right there and heaved her down from the mount.

“Via?” she asked, recognizing their leader. “I -“

“Ssh,” Via interrupted her, then laid a hand on her arm, near the wound, while the others carried her inside. Somehow, they managed to do it in perfect coordination without getting in her way. “I’ll heal you as best I can.”

And she did. The others, who she recognized as two other healers the Hive Queen had sent to help the army, laid her down on some sort of cot, and Via pulled out the arrow. She’d already started the healing, so it barely hurt. Kiara watched the interplay of her magic keenly. She knew it had to be the Spell Heal or Greater Heal, but the way Via applied it was interesting.

Finally, Via removed her hand and Kiara exhaled a deep breath in relief. The pain was gone, and she could see the wound had entirely disappeared, replaced by smooth skin. She still felt a bit woozy, likely due to the blood loss, which she understood was a hard issue to heal. But it was much better than before.

“I thank you for the help,” she said, giving Via a tentative smile.

The Hivekind healer returned it, but she quickly turned around, going to the back entrance of what she now recognized as a large tent the Hive had erected.

“You’re welcome.” She seemed distracted. The other two had already left.

“Is something else happening?” Kiara asked, a bit anxiously.

Via sighed and turned her head to meet her gaze, even as she started pulling back a flap of the tent. “They will be looking for you here soon,” she said. “It appears your father is already scrambling his men to start the search. You can’t stay here.”

Kiara clenched her teeth. “Of course, I understand.”

“Come on.” In a split second, Via was back at Kiara’s side and pulled her to her feet with surprising strength. She maneuvered her through the bare room and out of the tent.

Kiara bit down on any questions as she saw what waited outside. Instead, she looked wide-eyed at the drone crouched near the tent, in the bare open space behind it. A Winged Drone Mount. Those she’d seen before.

“It won’t hurt you and it’ll follow your lead, although I recommend you just let it fly as it’s directed to. Now come on, let’s get you up.”

Kiara nodded and carefully climbed onto the drone, not protesting when Via grabbed her again and pushed her onto its back. She had other worries than potential indignity. Once she was settled, Kiara carefully stretched out her legs and wrapped her hands in the leather straps someone had thoughtfully already set up.

Before she had the time to ask Via further questions or respond to her simple “Good luck”, the drone crouched down lower and then jumped into the air. Kiara’s grip tightened and she gritted her teeth to not let out any sounds.

Then she relaxed into the sensation of the wind playing in her hair and carefully leaned a little to the side to watch the town disappear beneath her as the landscape seemed to shrink. She’d always liked flying, even though she rarely got the opportunity for it.

As the drone turned to head west, she closed her eyes and slumped forward on its back, huddling into the remains of her tunic — the large hole did not make the cold easier to bear — and tried to conserve her warmth. Her thoughts raced, going over everything that happened. She tried not to dwell on what else she might have done. It’s useless now, and Father was never going to give me much of a choice. She hated to admit it, but the arrow had shaken her. She’d come closer to death before, but not from someone who should have been an ally. At least they appeared to be alone in the sky. Kiara squinted and swept the blue expanse with her eyes, but she saw few other fliers and those simply seemed to be birds. The Hive must have managed to cover her escape and make her appear unremarkable, she supposed.

Shortly, the sun disappeared behind a growing bank of clouds to the west, making it difficult to gauge the passage of time. But after they had flown for some time, the drone started to slow down and lose altitude. Kiara blew on her fingers, relieved the trip seemed to be over. She glanced down. It took her a second to recognize Forest’s Haunt. The village had gained quite a few plants and there was another collection of buildings rising out of the ground just beside it. It was this complex her ride appeared to aim for.

She held on as it suddenly dropped much more quickly. Spreading its wings to cushion her impact, it set to the ground in a small yard, which was filling with a crowd of people, mostly Hivekind. A small group waited for them just by where her mount landed.

Kiara slid down the side and stumbled to a stop, then let her legs give in to their demand and sank to one knee. She looked up at the person standing in front of her, set apart from the rest despite being Hivekind, too. There were others to the side and behind her, but only she mattered to her right now.

“Hive Queen Regina,” Kiara rasped, “I beg sanctuary.”

Regina regarded her intently, her eyes seeming to pierce right into her mind. Then she slowly nodded and smiled slightly.

“Kiara Lyns. You are granted asylum with the Starlit Hive and sanctuary under my personal protection.”

Kiara closed her eyes for a moment in relief, slumping forward further. Regina caught her and lifted her to her feet again. “Now let’s get you warmed up and let me heal you fully, Kiara.”