“Please excuse the guards,” Regina said, waving two of said guards off with a stern look. “They’re new to this and a bit over-enthusiastic.”

  One of the human men ducked his head and shuffled back slightly like a scolded puppy, while the other stood rigidly at military attention. Regina managed not to roll her eyes as she walked past them, prompting the first one to hold open the door and then close it behind her and her friend. You wouldn’t think they’re decorated combat veterans, she thought. On the upside, these details are probably easier to teach.

  “Your entourage does keep growing every time I see it,” Galatea mused.

  Regina snorted. “That’s what you notice about my entourage? The size?”

  “Well, the uniforms are snazzy too,” Galatea said airily, but betrayed her tone with a slight smile.

  “It’s the first time I will be traveling outside of the city since the new royal guard was formed,” Regina explained. “I think they decided to take it as some kind of challenge.”

  “So, Max finally got what he wanted.” Galatea stepped up beside her as they reached the open courtyard where a group of Winged Drone Mounts were waiting.

  “I suppose,” Regina conceded. She glanced at them again, a mix of humans and drones somehow eagerly guarding them despite being professional about it, in new dark-blue uniform jackets with a six-pointed star on the shoulder. “He did have a few good points. An elite unit like this has a few advantages. It gives the regular soldiers something to aspire to. It should help ensure their loyalty — although obviously, anyone assigned to guard a member of the Imperial family will undergo background and loyalty checks regardless. But they’re not just bodyguards, they are supposed to be elite combat forces too.”

  “I see the logic,” Galatea nodded. “If you just take veterans off the battlefield and have them sit around on guard duty where nothing usually happens, they’d stagnate.”

  “Exactly. So they’ll rotate active postings and royal guard duty, ensuring they get to keep their skills sharp, and get Experience and levels. The soldiers we’ve currently sent to Tim will probably all end up in the Star Guard, too.”

  Galatea started hovering slightly, waiting until Regina mounted her current ride. “The name is a bit on the nose, though.”

  Regina pulled herself into the saddle, checking around herself to make sure everything was fine. She chewed on her lower lip, then offered Galatea a sheepish shrug. “It’s actually just a lame pun,” she admitted. “I could have called it the Imperial Guard or something equally bland, but that seemed boring. So, you know, the name is because they guard the Empire’s VIPs, and in the old world, VIPs were ‘stars’. Plus I guess they’re the stars of the Imperial military.”

  “Perhaps next time, you should let Janis choose a name,” Galatea advised. “She doesn’t have the atrocious naming sense of the family.”

  “Oh, screw you,” Regina laughed. “Alright, let’s go!”

  Her mount rose into the air, accompanied by those of her escort detail for today. Galatea was still flying on her own power, not bothering to pretend that she had physical mass or was inconvenienced by it. It still felt a little weird that Max wasn’t among the group, but as the new commander of the Imperial elite royal guard regiment — unit size subject to change — he had too much to do organizing it to go haring off on her trip. And she had reminded him she didn’t need him to keep playing personal bodyguard. It wasn’t like they were going anywhere dangerous.

  "You wanted this trip, though I’m not happy to accompany you,” Galatea noted. She kept up easily and was probably using magic to project her voice, not that she didn’t do that usually, but it was as clearly audible as if they were just sitting together.

  “I thought that, with everything you told me, it couldn’t hurt to try contacting Leian again,” Regina shrugged. “And we can check on the progress of the temple anyway.”

  “Makes sense. And you jumped at the chance to get out of the palace for a bit.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I guess the new guard force made you stir-crazy? Max isn’t even sticking around you as much anymore. Although I doubt he likes that. A bigger guard force would be worth that for him, though.”

  Regina chuckled. “I think Max hasn’t thought it through. He hasn’t yet realized he’ll get a guard detail, too.”

  Galatea echoed her chuckle for a few seconds. “That’s the price of being a prince. I imagine he’ll put up with it, though.” Then she turned more serious, turning her head to watch Regina. “I wonder, though …”

  “Yes?”

  She didn’t speak right away, and they watched the city passing below them, followed by the countryside. “You’re restructuring the military and raising a new elite force. Some people could see it as a sign in terms of policy, reading your intentions.”

  “Oh, God, no.” Regina groaned slightly, letting herself fall back against the back of her mount a little more. “I’m not planning to conquer anyone else, Galatea. I know it must seem like the Empire has an expansionist agenda, but there are no invasion plans, I assure you.”

  “I know,” she said soberly.

  I could if I wanted to, Regina thought. It wasn’t a new realization. She was still pretty sure that was what made Galatea a little uneasy about the situation. And honestly … she appreciated it. Janis would question her decisions, June might as well, but ultimately, they would trust her to know what she was doing and would follow her lead if she decided to follow an expansionist strategy.

  “Are you worried it will come to war against the Western Confederation, or the Esemen? Or both?” Galatea asked.

  Regina sighed, turning to face her more fully on her mount, and ignoring the river sparkling below them in the sunshine. “Do you think it will?” she asked after a moment.

  Galatea remained silent for a second. “I’m afraid it might,” she finally said.

  “Me too,” Regina admitted. “I don’t know if preparing for it will just make it inevitable. It could be a self-fulfilling prophecy, letting our fears and anxieties guide our decision-making until we slide into a war. But can I afford not to expect the worst? I have a responsibility to defend the Empire’s citizens.”

  “It’s not an easy situation. But I know you’re doing the best you can.”

  “Thanks.” Regina exhaled, glancing down to the watch the passing countryside.

  They didn’t speak much more after that. Instead, she spent her time dipping in and out of the psychic link, catching up with other drones and checking on the state of affairs of her country. There was a lot of work that she could just as easily do while traveling on the back of a flying drone than behind a desk in her office. The psychic link was useful like that. She’d have a pile of documents waiting for her signature when she returned, but that was nothing new, either.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  In the meantime, Regina managed to take a few minutes to enjoy the trip. She was almost constantly busy these days. It went so far that at this point, her occasional trips to the hospital to help instruct the healers and deal with the most severe cases felt like a pleasant break from the burden of ruling. Not that she disliked healing people before, but still. At least June was taking over some of the burden of teaching the newer psychic students, but Regina also didn’t want to neglect her apprentice’s, or her own, magic education.

  Her own magic felt like it had been stagnating for a while, but she was aware that it probably just seemed that way. Regina had come a long way in just a few years. If she now had to work at a pace that was closer to a normal mage’s, that was fine. Besides, it had always been easier when there had been some kind of external impetus to prompt it.

  Perhaps a new material or location that repelled mana could be one such thing. Regina glanced at Galatea, considering. She’d already told her about what had most recently happened in the south, but it might be better to have a few more details. “Can you go over what happened and what you sensed there again?”

  Galatea turned her head, her expression patient. “Sure. Perhaps I should start at the beginning, if we have time now …”

  Regina metaphorically settled in and listened to the story. Galatea added reports from the others and speculation on what had happened when she wasn’t there. It was more comprehensive and felt like Regina got more out of it than just a few letters and abridged reports. Of course, she still didn’t know what the others had found when they started digging for it. There was always a time-lag in communicating with the expedition, even if she was lucky that Galatea was willing to pass messages in the first place.

  “We’re almost there,” she finally concluded, and Regina ripped her attention from her and instead looked at the ground below them.

  They were currently flying over some low mountains again, and she recognized the area immediately. Arriving like this gave her a slightly different perspective than when she just looked in on it from a drone’s eyes normally, and she took a second to appreciate the view. The construction site was still very obviously a work in progress, but progress had been made.

  The island in the lake had been slightly enlarged, which she knew had been much easier than she’d first feared. There were a few members of her hive with Skills that could just as easily add dirt and stone to something than subtract it, and they’d managed to get it done pretty quickly. The walkway to the shore was still a preliminary scaffold, but sturdy enough to transport materials.

  More importantly, the building itself was taking shape. So far, the roof was still only a suggestion made by a few big wooden beams, but most of the walls were standing, with high arched windows, still gaping emptily, breaking them up. The white stone shone in the sun, even without being perfectly clad in the final layers of its raiment. Someone had already put up a big chunk of granite, roughly hewn, in place as an altar. Regina liked the aesthetic of it.

  “It’s going well,” Galatea noted as they approached and Regina and her guards’ mounts started to bank and descend. “You spent a lot of money on a vanity project.”

  Regina pulled a face, but didn’t immediately protest. I guess that is what this is, she acknowledged, the Empire’s ruler’s personal vanity project. Not that most people would protest, but they wouldn’t see it as bringing a lot of material benefit. A temple for an almost-forgotten goddess. “I’d say it’s more a project by the hive than the Empire,” she said instead. “Many of the workers and most of the materials were sourced by it.”

  The wind rushed past her face as their mounts came in for a sharp landing and set down on the island. Regina jumped down, offering nods to her guards, before she turned to the temple. She only got a few meters before they were greeted by Ina.

  “Mother!” She smiled, falling into step with the group. “Do you want a more detailed report on our progress?”

  “No thanks, Ina, your updates were fine. I just want to take a look around and maybe try and see if we can get any response.”

  Ina nodded and started pointing out details as she led them around the building. It didn’t take long, even with piles of construction materials on the island and groups of other people dodging out of the way, or stopping to stare. Regina listened with one ear, but mostly just took in the atmosphere and look of the building.

  Finally, they stopped inside the main temple building, in the nave or whatever it would be called, looking towards the altar. Regina craned her head back and soaked in the feel of the ambient mana for a moment. “Seems nice, but I’m not sure if it’s enough. It’s a shame we can’t get your acquaintance here, at least right now.”

  “I’m not sure why that’s your priority, but perhaps we could arrange something if you really want to,” Galatea commented quietly.

  “To consecrate the temple? Isn’t that what you do with houses of worship?”

  “Oh, right.” Galatea paused, looking around with a visible frown. “Well, I’m not sure if it makes much of a difference or not. And I’m also not sure if you need a sacrifice.”

  “We’re prepared, as you ordered, My Queen,” Ina spoke up.

  Regina turned to her and smiled. “You found a good monster?”

  “A mana-beast with the highest level the hunters could find,” she confirmed. “We also had a few mages Conjure some precious stones, cooked some food, and a few of us tried our hand with some poetry.”

  “I’m not sure all that’s necessary,” Galatea said, clearly stifling a laugh. “You can leave any inert materials out, unless they contain mana it’s unlikely to matter. Food might be worth a try and I suppose reciting some hymns wouldn’t hurt.”

  Regina nodded, then delved into the psychic link to arrange things.

  They had everything prepared in a remarkably short time. Ina sent the other workers away from the walls for now, and dragged in the Mana Beast, which someone had thoughtfully tranquilized. Regina supposed Galatea felt a bit bad about killing it as a sacrifice, judging by her look, although as much as she tried, she was unable to muster up much of the same emotion. It reminded her a little of Arcanis, but she pushed that thought away quickly. Her tamed mana beast was safe and happy in the outskirts of the Great Forest, being used to secure their base there.

  Instead, Regina dragged it before the altar and waited for Ina to set up some buckets and simple wooden slates to drain its blood. She glanced at the others, mostly Galatea, who raised an eyebrow. Then she lit a brazier standing beside the altar and started throwing in the food items the drones had prepared — mostly hard cakes and the like, what seemed like traditional offerings.

  Regina turned to the monster, hesitated for a moment as she realized she’d forgot to bring a knife, then resigned herself to using her claws. Extending her index finger, she carefully drew it across the beast’s throat, deeply enough to kill quickly, then set it upright to drain the blood, and knelt down before the altar. She bowed her head, licking her lips.

  “Leianaleine?” she began. “Or, I suppose, Leian.”

  “Leian Blue-White of Agialsis,” Galatea cut in.

  Regina blinked, cleared her throat. That must be her original name, then? “Right. O Leianaleine, also known as Leian Blue-White of Agialsis … the Last Aishan, She Who Remains … former goddess of transportation on Haven. I invoke you, I beseech you to turn your attention to me. Please grant me your ear, and your presence. There are matters on which I would seek your guidance.”

  She finished and snapped her mouth shut. Everyone was quiet, and they listened to the silence for moments that seemed to stretch out. Regina clenched her fists.

  “I feel your religious devotional needs a little work, Regina, but I applaud the effort.”

  Her head jerked around, to where a figure had appeared behind them, now walking up to the altar with casual grace. She looked almost as she had the last time she’d seen her, but it was hard to pin down the difference.

  “Leian.” Regina scrambled upright, feeling less willing to be on her knees before a goddess now that she was actually here.

  “I assume you didn’t go to this effort for the sake of worship,” Leian noted, leaning against her altar.

  “No,” Regina admitted, straightening up further and folding her arms. “Are we able to speak freely here? There are a few things I’d like to discuss with you. Particularly a find Tim’s group has made in the south.”

  “The other gods might still listen, but it would take some effort and I’m likely to sense it in my own temple. Now, what is it that they found? I have been … out of touch until just about now.” The goddess tilted her head, looking contemplative, and Regina wondered if she was checking something via the System or something like that.

  “An old Hivekind base,” Regina answered. “At least, we’re pretty sure. It’s in the south, close to Iliyan and Iliucin. And there’s clearly something special to it, although we found no remaining technology of note, but …”

  “I see,” Leian murmured, frowning consideringly. Her eyes seemed to gaze into the distance, until suddenly they fixed on Regina. “That’s not possible.”

  “What?”

  “Describe what your people found there,” she commanded. “Underground.”

  Regina blinked and looked at Galatea. “I wish I could, but we don’t have much information yet. Just hints that it’s something refusing mana flows.”

  Leian stared hard at both of them for a moment longer, and Regina suddenly wondered if all this had been such a smart idea.

  “Then we will simply have to go and look at it,” Leian finally said.

  Regina exchanged another look with Galatea. “Okay? What do you …”

  She trailed off, feeling a sudden buildup of mana. It was clearly some kind of spell, but like nothing she had ever felt before … although, it did remind her of her first trip to the Mirrored Halls with Leian.

  Then Regina’s thoughts scattered and she instinctively tried to grab and hold on to the stone in front of her as the world dissolved. Her surroundings turned into strings of light and with a lurch in her stomach, she was suddenly elsewhere.