Later that night, Emilia wandered the dark outskirts of the colony. The shadows of jagged rocks stretched long under the pale moonlight, and the faint hum of distant patrols drifted through the air. Her footsteps crunched softly on the loose dirt, echoing unnaturally in the quiet.
"Why would Vladimir call me out here so late?" she murmured, her voice unsteady. She slowed her steps and looked around the dark clearing. The ground shifted softly beneath her feet. In the distance, the faint movement of patrol ants could be heard as they passed along the outer paths.
"He always warns me not to come out here alone…" she continued quietly. "And now everyone's asleep… except the patrols." Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides as she scanned the area. "Vladimir?" she called, raising her voice. The sound carried across the quiet outskirts. No answer came.
A faint crunch of footsteps reached her ears. Emilia turned quickly, her body stiffening as she faced the sound. She paused, squinting into the darkness. One hand moved behind her and brushed against the rough surface of a boulder. The stone felt cold against her fingers.
"Is someone there?" she called out. No answer came. She blinked and leaned forward slightly, trying to see past the darkness. "It's so dark… I can barely see anything." Several seconds passed. Her shoulders eased a little as she exhaled. "Looks like it was nothing," Emilia muttered to herself, letting out a small, nervous laugh.
As she turned to leave, a rough hand shot out from the shadows, clamping over her mouth. The sudden pressure stole her breath, and a sharp spike of panic shot through her chest. She struggled violently, kicking and twisting, but a suffocating, acrid haze filled her nostrils.
No… is this… stink bug gas? she gasped.
Each breath came out shallow and uneven. Her chest tightened as she tried to draw in more air. Dark spots filled her vision.
I… I can't… breathe…
A familiar voice brushed against her ear. "I'm sorry, Princess Emilia." Vladimir's voice sounded from directly behind her. Emilia froze, her breath catching. "But this is the only way the invasion will succeed," he said calmly. A brief pause followed. "This decision was necessary. You understand that… don't you, Princess?"
Her heart pounded once, then faltered. Her vision dimmed at the edges, colors bleeding into black. Her limbs grew heavy, her body sagging helplessly in his grip.
No way… Vladimir… how could you…
Vladimir bent down and lifted her onto his shoulders with ease. He glanced up at the pale moon hanging in the night sky. "Now then…" he whispered, his voice low and controlled. Without another word, he began walking, each step deliberate, carrying her through the quiet night.
Dawn broke over the colony. Draven stood before Queen Celeste, his antennae drooping slightly, a subtle sign of concern.
"Your Majesty," he began, his voice steady but measured, "the harvest for this winter season is progressing… but more slowly than expected. The food source is too far, and I fear our supplies may not last the entire season."
He shifted his weight, pressing his hands lightly behind his back. "If we send out eight worker ants, at least one military ant must accompany them for protection. At that ratio, we could spare one hundred military ants."
Draven hesitated, his gaze flicking toward the throne. "Also… if I may remind you, Lieutenant Brooks is currently leading an expedition. So I am the one filing his report."
"Alright," Queen Celeste said, her tone calm but firm. "You may proceed."
"Right," Draven replied, his voice grim. "With a group that large traveling such a distance, we'd become a moving target for any neighboring colonies… or other insects. Even then," Draven continued, his tone steady but serious, "the workers would be exhausted before they could complete enough trips. The distance is two to three days from here, which makes this plan unsustainable. And if we deploy so many of our forces, we risk leaving the colony defenses vulnerable."
He clenched his fist, eyes narrowing. If it weren't for that tyrant, Hopp…
"Your… Majesty…" Vladimir's voice cracked, uneven and strained, echoing across the dirt-packed walls outside the tunnel. He staggered into the opening, one hand pressed against a deep gash along his thorax. His exoskeleton was scratched. Draven's eyes widened slightly as he took in the sight.
Queen Celeste's sharp gaze swept over him, narrowing as she assessed his battered form. "Vladimir...What happened to you?" Her voice was calm, but the edge in it cut through the tension. "You look… dreadful."
"I need to speak with you immediately, my Queen. This is urgent." Vladimir stepped forward, each movement deliberate despite the wobble in his legs. His exoskeleton was scratched and dented, glinting faintly in the chamber's dim light. He kept his voice steady, calm, and measured, even in his weakened state.
One of the ant servants leaned forward, whispering to a companion, eyes wide. "He looks like he just crawled out of a warzone… no ordinary soldier could inflict such wounds...not on the commander."
"Who could have inflicted such wounds on you? Tell me.."
"The princess… she was taken last night."
The words hung in the air. A stunned silence swept through the area, guards froze mid-step; even the faint scuffle of distant patrols seemed to vanish. "What did you just say?" Queen Celeste's voice trembled, a rare crack in her usual composure. She shifted slightly on her throne, her hand gripping the armrest.
Vladimir lowered his gaze, each word slow and strained from exhaustion. "I was with her during her nightly stroll… when we were ambushed." His voice remained calm, measured, but carried the weight of failure. "An ant… along with a fire ant of exceptional skill… overpowered me and took Princess Emilia."
He paused, letting the words settle. "I have failed you."
The queen's face paled, her eyes widening as Vladimir's words sank in. "No… they took Emilia?" Her voice was tight, each word deliberate, yet laced with panic. "This is… most troubling."
"I suspect the one responsible… is that slave who appeared in the throne room yesterday," Vladimir said. "Perhaps it's his colony's doing…" he continued, tilting his head slightly, "and he's… a mastermind plotting from the inside here along with the fire nation. I mean…" His voice slowed, each word measured. "He managed to convince the Princess to help him escape his cell. Isn't that… worrying?"
"If the fire nation is involved…" Queen Celeste's voice was calm but sharp, "then this could be far more dangerous for the colony's future." She glanced toward one of her servants. "Send a squad of six, led by a Corporal. Relay this immediately...Lieutenant Brooks must return at once. Bring the prisoner here now," Queen Celeste commanded, her voice sharp and steady.
"Use any means necessary to make him talk. We need every piece of information we can get. And I want to know… where he has taken the Princess." Her gaze flicked to Vladimir for a brief moment, then swept across the chamber.
"Right away, my Queen," a warden replied, saluting crisply before hurrying toward the prison. The clatter of his footsteps echoed across the ground of the tunnels.
"Don't bother," a firm voice called from the corner, cutting through the noise.
Lieutenant Valeria, good you weren't dispatch as of yet Draven muttered.
"And why do you say that, Valeria?" Queen Celeste asked, turning her head to meet Valeria's gaze.
"Because he's innocent," Valeria said firmly, stepping forward. "I watched over him all night. He never left his cell. He couldn't have been involved."
Vladimir's eye twitched. An almost imperceptible flare of anger beneath his calm, controlled expression.
The queen pressed a hand to her temple, exhaling through her mouth to steady her thoughts. "Then… we'll have to send scout squads beyond the colony. Draven, dispatch ten squads of five immediately."
"Yes, my Queen," Draven replied immediately with a bow ready to turn away.
"That won't be necessary," came a calm, even voice from across the hall. All heads snapped toward the sound to see Ari stepping forward casually.
"How did you get out of your cell?" one of the ant servants blurted, jaw tightening nervously.
"I released him," Valeria said coolly, stepping closer to Ari. "Got a problem with that?"
"Who granted you permission? You are a lieutenant," the ant servant snapped, voice sharp, antennae quivering with indignation.
"Silence!" Queen Celeste said, her voice carrying across the chamber. She leaned forward on the throne, both hands pressing against the hard armrests. "You will not speak out of turn in my presence." Her lips closed slowly after the last word.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty… it will not happen again," the servant stammered, lowering his gaze and flattening his antennae.
Queen Celeste's attention shifted to Ari. "Proceed," she said. "State what you have discovered."
Vladimir stepped closer. "My queen, do you truly intend to indulge this prisoner? He may be leading us into a trap."
"Enough, Vladimir." The queen's tone was calm yet unyielding. "I will hear him speak. Speak, ant."
Ari stepped forward, posture straight, antennae flicking as he met the Queen's gaze. His expression remained unreadable, but his chest rose and fell rapidly. Each pulse throbbed sharply in his temples.
I have to stay composed. My life...and the lives of this colony depend on it.
"Princess Emilia… she could not have been taken far. Sending scouts beyond the colony would be a waste of time," Ari said. He drew a quick breath, antennae flicking. "Valeria and I spoke with the patrol ants last night. They confirmed the princess was roaming the colony grounds until late," he said.
Queen Celeste's eyes narrowed. "Go on," she commanded, voice clipped but expectant.
"If she vanished between last night and this morning," Ari said, eyes on Vladimir, "it would be impossible for her captors to have taken her beyond the colony. She must still be here… within the walls. Vladimir, you claim you were ambushed. Should the patrols not have noticed? And why did you not signal for help?"
Vladimir pressed a hand to his side, jaw tight. "My priority was to protect Emilia. There was no time. Even if I had acted, their deaths would have been on my hands." He lifted a hand to his chest, the exoskeleton along his thorax marked with bruises and scratches. "And… how can you accuse me? Look at my wounds."
Ari's gaze hardened. "For the colony's so-called strongest, you were careless. Your wounds… they are self-inflicted." He paused, letting his words hang. "If another insect had done this, the angles would be different. You wanted them to believe you struggled against an enemy but you staged the entire thing. You kidnapped Princess Emilia."
Vladimir let out a low, rough laugh. Ari's eyes widened. Valeria stayed still, watching. "Interesting theory," he said. "Would I hurt myself like this? You sound insane. And why would I take the princess?"
"Two reasons," Ari said. "First, when the Queen ordered Valeria to double the patrols, it disrupted your plans with the other colony. By taking Emilia, you forced the Queen to make an attempt to send out scouts, thinning their defenses and easing the path for an invasion."
Ari held up two fingers, voice low and steady. "You likely planned to ransom the princess for food and resources. You would not risk her life because you care for her. That's why she wasn't taken far. You wanted her hidden, but unharmed."
This ant… from that report just the other day, I knew he was not like the others. But it seems I underestimated him, Draven thought, antennae flicking slightly.
Queen Celeste rose slowly from her throne. The chamber went silent. Her gaze fixed on Vladimir. "It all fits, the strange occurrences, your suspicious wounds, the timing of your claims," she said. "Vladimir… answer me truthfully: did you take her?"
Vladimir took in a deep breath before meeting her gaze. "It is vexing that you feel that way, Your Majesty," he said.
"Seize him."
The wardens and servants moved swiftly, closing around Vladimir. Queen Celeste looked down at him. "You are stronger than these guards, Vladimir. Yet in honor of your years of loyalty, I expect you will not resist. Until your innocence is proven, this is my order as your Queen."
Draven stepped forward, stance rigid. "I will escort him to the lower cells, Your Majesty. Given his strength, I will oversee it myself."
"Do so," the queen replied, her gaze unwavering. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Vladimir?"
Vladimir remained still. "If that is your judgment… then I have nothing more to say," he said quietly.
When Vladimir was taken away, the chamber remained silent for a moment. Then the Queen spoke, her voice low but steady. "Thank you. Your actions may have saved us all."
Ari let out a small breath, his shoulders easing slightly. "However, do not think I have forgotten your past," she continued. "If there truly is an invasion, it will prove whether you are a scout… or not."
"If I'm being honest… I didn't try to warn you because I wanted you to set me free. The only reason was for my survival…" Ari mumbled the last three words, and nothing else.
The Queen observed him for a moment, antennae shifting slightly, then nodded. Her gaze turned to Valeria. "And you… we will discuss your insubordination later."
Valeria smirked, jaw tilting with quiet defiance. "If it means saving the colony, I look forward to it."