Civil War
Dear journal,
Today I had my first meeting with the other queens. It didn't go so well. I am so tried of arguments, since that is all I heard today. Mother taught me to be neutral in any disagreement between the minor queens, but how can I be neutral when all four hundred of them are arguing? Anyways, this is what happened…
I am walking to the meeting on our homeworld, Iratius. It is a large planet just big enough to accommodate all of our hives, though usually there are no more than five or six on the planet at a time. We have built a great city on this planet, where our people can come to exchange knowledge or just to relax. Now, though, the place is a buzz with rumors and wraith rushing around trying to secure a place on the ships since we have awakened early.
I walk into a large cylindrical room with rows of seats sitting one on top of the other about twenty feet in the air. In the center is a raised platform. In the seats sit all of the queens. There are two groups of queens, the militant and the deceivers. The mill ants believe that we should unite and conquer all the planets in the galaxy. They will use force to get their point, but there are only about fifty of them. The deceivers are a quiet group whose main philosophy is to trust no one. They can, however, put aside their differences and unite for the common good. The groups are easily distinguished by their clothing. The militants always wear black no exception. The deceivers wear all colors but black.
A hush falls over the room as I am noticed. Many of them scowl at me. One of the militants stands up and says, "Who are you?"
"My name is Matia; I have taken over my late mother's position." I answer.
"You? A child ruling queen?" she laughs
"Yes," I say lowing my head humbly.
"I will not be ruled by a child. Especially one who opposes my views" she growls. "She is the rightful air of the throne." Says one of the deceivers. The room erupts in arguments.
"Silences!" I yell over the roar. The queens stop and stare at me. Three of the militants get up from their seats.
"I and my sisters refuse to be ruled by you or any one else. We shall leave now. Any of you may join us." One says as they leave.
"Any one else want to leave?" I ask. None leave.
"No," says one of the older queens named Kelata, "But we do have our reservations and questions about you."
"It's more than that, Kelata," says another queen, "I and many of sisters believe a child such as you should not rule. And if you do we will fight you."
"She can not choose her age or her birth, Tysha," growls Kelata to the other queen, "She is our ruler by right."
"Well, I think it is time to change those laws" growls Tysha. The room erupts in more arguments.
I cover my face with my hand and sigh. I don't know how much more of this I can take. "Silence, silence please!" I shriek over the bickering. "Now, I do not wish to break apart our great empire, so I am willing to step down for the good of our people. If any of you can help I am open to suggestions." Kelata walks up to me.
"I shall address the assembly. You may take your seat." She says stepping onto the platform. I walk over to my seat on the first row. "Now, how many of you want to be ruling queen?" she asks. About twenty queens stand up. They are all young and deceivers. "Matia, would you care to tell us what it is like being ruling queen."
"Well, you have your normal duties." I begin, "Then you have to keep all the subordinate queens happy. When they have a disagreement you have go and fix it. Those are most of your duties of course others come up but they can be just about anything. But there is a lot of responsibility involved. If some one important dies you should have done more to protect them. If one of the hives is attacked it's your fault. It is even your fault if the humans have not reproduced well."
"Thank you," says Kelata smiling at me, "Now how many of you want to be ruling queen?" The five youngest queens stand up. "How many of the rest of you would want one of these ruling us?" Only one stands, the mother of one of the candidates. "Just as I thought," says Kelata, "How many of you would prefer Matia?" Twenty queens stand up, much older ones. "Matter settled." She says with a sigh. The room erupts in arguments yet again. This time even the quiet militants get involved. Kelata shakes her head her midnight hair sparking.
"Quiet, quiet what complaints do you have, and one at a time please!" she growls, "We will solve nothing if this keeps up."
An older queen crosses her arms and says, "Matia is still a child, perhaps we should help her in her duties."
One of the older militants quickly stands up, "So you can influence her! I propose we have no ruling queen that we are all equal."
"We tried that once after the Great War and I failed miserably. There was a civil war. This has been our method of rule of a thousand years, it is tried and true." Says Kelata.
"If civil war is what it takes, then I am willing to fight, so long as I am not ruled by a child." She retorts back receive a large shout of support from the other militants.
"We shouldn't be fighting each other we should be fighting the Atlanteans." I shout back. They all turn and laugh at me.
"Just because your ship was attacked by a small group of genii does not mean there are Atlanteans." Laughs one of them.
"But I have proof." I growl.
"What is this proof, Matia?" asks Kelata.
"This," I say holding up the life signs dictator. They all gasp.
"It appears that young Matia has the edge above all of us. Tell us what they did Matia." Kelata tells me.
"We received a signal from an Atlantean tracker. When we culled the planet, we found five men in those captured who we not of the indigestions people. When my late mother interrogated one, she was attacked and killed by another. He had this. When our darts took chase they found a Round ship just like the ones from the Great War." I finish.
"The Atlanteans have been gone for ages, why return now?" says on of the militant, "Unless they came because of Matia."
"How dare you! I would never call them. I was blindsided the same as you. Besides, what could I gain from such a treachery?" I hiss back my fists whiting with rage. .
"None of use called the Atlanteans we all know this." says Kelata, "And blaming Matia for something she had nothing to do with does not help. Now if Matia is not queen than who is?"
"We have yet to decide if we want a queen or not." Growls my accuser.
"Very well, how many want a queen?" asks Kelata growing tried of this bickering. All of the deceivers stand up and about half the militants.
"If this is your choose I and my sisters shall be leaving. Do not encounter us, if you wish to live." Growls the leading militant. She and the other half get up and leave.
"Alright, anyone have a nomine for queen?" There are three candidates, me, Kelata, and another young queen named Lysa. "I am honored, but I do not wish for this responsibility, besides I am old. This responsibility is for the young."
"I wish for neither to become ruling queen, but I wish for a queen." Says one of the remaining militants, "Therefore my sisters and I must leave. We will begin our own clan." Now only the deceivers remain.
"How many want Matia?" asks Kelata. Only about forty stand up. "How many want Lysa?" Only twenty stand. The remaining two hundred twenty stay seated both times.
"I and sixty of my sisters will be leaving now. None of you are welcome in out feeding grounds." Says one queen smugly. Three similar things we said until only I and the forty-five who had chose me remained.
I bury my face in my hands. How could I fail so horribly? Now, instead of fighting the Atlanteans, we will fight each other. When we need each other the most we turn on one another. I am a failure! The others were right. I can't rule. All I do is fail. I feel a soft hand on my shoulder. I glance up. Kelata smiles regretfully at me.
"Do not blame yourself Matia, this was enviable. We are already divided into two groups who would have fought one another eventually. Circumstances beyond your control merely brought it on soon." Says Kelata comfortingly.
"But maybe I could have postponed it for a while? What if I did something wrong? I have failed my mother. She left me with this responsibility." I moan.
"Child, there was nothing you could have done. I have lived a long time and I have never seen someone with such potential as you. You will end this war and be a wonderful queen. You have done what you can for now. Now, you must prepare your forces for battle. I and my sisters are loyal to you." Kelata advises.
"You are right, it is just I was hoping it would not come to this." I say quietly.
"There is always hope, Matia. Even now there is hope. Lysa will not make a good queen and her forces will join you soon. Even if she doesn't you will win this war. It is your right to rule." Kelata says.
"Right? Why am I chosen?" I ask.
"You know the answer to that child. It is here." She says touching my crystal, "You are here for a reason as all of us are. Trust yourself. You are stronger than you think. Your heart will guide you. I must return to my ship now, but contact me if you need to talk." She says getting up.
I leave also. Here words get me to think. Can these old proverbs really hold the key? Why is it better to trust your heart and not technology? I have always been taught that emotions are for humans, how can they help me make better decisions? Perhaps in time I will find the answer to theses questions.