An Ming moved to take up position behind Lina. With her hands wrapped around Lina’s waist, she whispered, “Their fruit is ready. They will now pleasure each other so that their waters can mix with the nectar and turn it to wine.”
Lina watched one young woman’s hands disappear under the level of the nectar, while her partner simultaneously arched her back and opened her mouth to let out a sound that was lost in the most recent swell of the pipes and drums. At the same time, she felt the warmth of An Ming pressing into her from behind.
“Watch.” Queen An Ming whispered, her lips poised just under Lina’s earlobe, warm breath tickling Lina’s neck, “Here they go.”
As Lina watched the bodies writhing in the tubs, locked in each other’s arms, she felt the tip of An Ming’s tongue touching the lower end of her scent gland. Lina shivered. One fruit-covered woman was reared up on her knees now, arching her back as her partner in the tub held her fast about the waist and leaned in to clear a tongue-trail of fruit from the other woman’s navel to the base of her neck. Lina felt An Ming’s tongue skipping lightly over the very outer edges of her scent gland, mirroring the winemaker’s movements. She shuddered anew.
“Stay here with us, Lina,” An Ming husked into her ear. “We will rule the colony as one until it is time for me to pass the crown.”
Lina watched the show unfolding on stage from the corner of her eye as she shivered under An Ming’s touch. Lina felt the queen’s hand under her robe, lightly touching and tracing the curves of her body. The dancers on stage were alternating positions, hunched down facing away from the audience one moment, and fully exposed fronts with backs arched the next. The result was a blinding flash, followed by almost absolute darkness, with only a low glow giving any hint as to the location of the stage.
The music was building its intensity in time with the choreography until finally a great crescendo hit like a blast wave. All of the dancers turned outward, with every second one taking up a twirling motion, causing the blinding light over the crowd to pulse. That was when Lina felt An Ming’s tongue plowing straight through the center of her scent gland. Lina threw her head back and shuddered, while An Ming steadied her with a hand at Lina’s hip and another one with fingers splayed, exploring just under her navel. Lina moaned as the feeling overtook her.
“We can do great things, together, Lina,” An Ming whispered. “All you have to do is stay.” She was beginning to scent the mating pheromone.
Lina’s temples pulsed rhythmically with the music. Her nostrils flared. Her eyes fluttered and closed. As An Ming wrapped Lina’s waist with her left hand, she brought the fingers of her right to brush lightly against Lina’s sex. Lina began to swoon. She felt An Ming pulling her tighter, steadying her with a strong hand. She let her head fall against An Ming’s shoulder.
Lina saw the world around her through closed eyes, with only the rhythm of alternating light from the dancers making its way through her eyelids to glow in a deep, pulsing red. The steady humming of the pipes continued assaulting her eardrums, as did a gentle humming now from An Ming. Lina could feel An Ming’s hand cupping her sex as her steady arm kept Lina from falling. Lina inhaled sharply, and her world went black.
* * * *
The humming was still coming through ever so slightly, but much softer and tinged with despair. It wasn’t An Ming’s voice anymore. Lina opened her eyes. She was no longer at the party. She was back at home in her own colony. But it was not the colony that Lina had left. The pier where she landed was littered with debris, and there was evidence of a recent explosion. Lina turned her attention to the source of the humming. She made her way quickly through tunnels, once filled with activity, now without a soul around, searching for the source.
Finally, as she entered the palace grounds, Lina discovered the origin of the sound. The people of her colony were gathered in the queen’s courtyard, dressed in black. The queen was laid out in repose. The dry, withered leaves of the Great Tree lay scattered on the ground all around her. As Lina entered the courtyard, all eyes turned to her. Hands reached out. The humming all around grew louder, more defined. It was tinged with fear. Lina, pressed her hands to her ears to block the sound, but the wailing only increased.
Lina shook her head. “No,” she whimpered. “No.”
The terrible sound never stopped.
“No!” Lina said sharply.
* * * *
“I’m sorry,” said An Ming.
Lina blinked.
“I thought it was what you wanted.” An Ming took a step back and bowed her head. “I never would have…I’m sorry.”
Lina turned and threw her arms around An Ming’s broad shoulders. She laid her head on the queen’s chest as a tear leaked from her eye. “I had a vision,” Lina said. “Of my homeland. It wasn’t good.”
An Ming pulled Lina in close and began scenting calm, familial love.
Chapter 10: The Island of Home
To continually walk the path of righteousness is no easy task. Hidden dangers lie in wait with every footfall, the temptation to stray at every fork. And there will come a time when even the most steadfast of queens will find that her efforts have turned inward to serve herself instead of serving her people as it should be.
It is at this
