She isn't just Entitled.
No, his new master isn't quite that simple. She is Jupiter of House Abrasax, the Recurrence of Seraphi Abrasax.
A cool little majesty with a wrinkled face and wrinkled hands, eyes sharp despite the bent nature of her appearance.
"Is it not beautiful, skyjacker?" she asked, eyes on the projection in front of her.
Caine startled, nearly jumped in place at being suddenly addressed. She hadn't even turned to him when she spoke, so it wasn't as if he had gotten any warning. He isn't even sure if the Entitled Queen had ever looked at him directly.
"Your Grace?" his voice that is calmer than he really is, submissive and polite as he can make it.
Cool eyes, hidden beneath folds of age turn to him. She turns, a little shuffle of arthritis making the movement a hobble.
"This planet," she continues, and her thin arm raises to gesture at the planet projection, "Isn't it beautiful?"
Caine stares at it. It seems like a smaller Harvesting Planet, the whorls of white clouds typical, the land formations not in any particularly attractive shape. Most of the water doesn't even seem to be drinkable. Say something normal, say something she'll like-
"Not particularly," he said instead.
Fuck-
The Queen laughed. Laughed softly and strangely clumsily.
"Is that so? Why do you not think it is beautiful?"
Caine licks his suddenly dry lips. Flinches at the exposure of his teeth, knowing it might seem like an aggressive move if anyone takes into his DNA.
"There doesn't seem to be anything special about it," he tells her, mentally berating himself.
The Queen smiles.
"No, I suppose it does not."
She is a Queen. Royalty of the highest tier and she isn't millions of years old. Rather, Jupiter is just twelve-year-old, just having claimed her inheritance. That's why Stinger had her dig him out of Exile. The little Majesty needs good people at her beck and call, good people to keep her alive. Because she has taken away a good portion of House Abraxas in her little coup of rising to power. Now, the Great, late Queen Seraphi had three heirs turn into four.
Stinger explains this all, the next morning.
Caine had not rested. He expected it, any minute. The catch. The reason why he was needed. Caine stares at what is essentially the head Guard of a new Sovereign, a literal baby in terms of the Immortals that ruled them all. And he wonders how had Stinger been assigned with this girl.
And who the hell wanted Stinger dead.
"Half the Verse will be gunning for her head," his voice is flat but honest.
Stinger actually bares his teeth. His wings buzz in agitation.
"I know. We've kept ahead of them all, making hops and arranging her affairs as neatly as we can. I would have come for you sooner… But her Majesty's safety is paramount. No matter what she said."
Why come for me at all?
"Who are we really working for?"
Stinger gives him a confused look, before comprehension dawns.
"Her. We work with Jupiter. No one else."
"A twelve-year-old is making the decisions?"
Stinger shifts, uncomfortable. Caine can smell the coming lie.
"She is my Queen," he said, dodging the question altogether.
Caine shouldn't feel hurt. Shouldn't feel the ache of the obvious deflection but he knows nearly two hundred years have passed since he had been sentenced to Exile and if Stinger doesn't want to tell him who their real Owner is, that's something Caine is going to have to live with. Caine survived because he had nothing better to do. And now he would try the same here, and try to keep that young girl alive. But… Stinger deserved better than this.
"Can you get out of this Assignment? Be reassigned by the Legion?"
Caine would stay if he could save Stinger and Kiza from being attached to this death trap. If he could save them... The better he would feel.
"I won't leave her Majesty."
Stinger had little love for Humans. He respected them. He understood the order of the beings above him, he was a Bee Splice after all. He understood hierarchy. He had no love for them, he just kept his damn head down and did his job.
But in his voice now, there was something. Something in his infliction that was how he talked about Kiza.
"She's different," Stinger says, a seriousness to his gaze, "And I won't leave her Caine. I can't."
Caine understands. Stinger has claimed her as pack, or as part of his Hive, as it were. But Stinger isn't really sentimental for many people. But this little Queen has become one of the lucky few, just as Caine had. And no matter who is really pulling the strings, Stinger is here for her.
Caine wonders if like him… If the Queen is really worth it.