This episode contains conversations about child grooming and other disturbing topics, due to the villians being evil. Ignoring the forms evil takes does not make it go away, hence it's presence in the story, though nothing happens to the children. As of writing this there was nothing in Mature Rating options to flag this. You have been warned.

 Tiken stood before his Mother/Queen again, having been summoned to her presence. On the floor lay the thing that he had come to know called itself 'Yukie' and the adult that was caring for Thunder. Both were halfway through being changed into Sub Queens. The older one kept attempting to escape with the infant, the younger seemed to be excited about becoming Pure. Both were currently sedated and barely sensate.

He waited silently to be addressed, trying to ignore the Impure and acutely aware of their unwelcome presence.

“Tiken.” His mother said, her voice washing over him like a calming balm.

“Yes Mother/Queen?”

“Of these two, which do you wish to mate with?”

He hesitated at the question, then answered.

“They are both Impure.”

“Of the two, which do you wish to mate with?” She asked again, a subtle warning in her tone.

Understanding he would have to one way or the other he gave the answer he thought would delay it.

“She is as yet too young.”

“Ah. I see... And how long do you believe that it will be before she is old enough?”

“By my understanding of their growth... At least a few years.” Then he added quickly, “Eiken would know the exact number of years as he is in charge of their conversion.”

“Then it is a good thing that he is here. Eiken, how long?”

“Given her age and rapidity of development... I would say no sooner than, perhaps... Roughly four years from now. Double that would be better.”

“Mmm... I see. Speed up her development and harvest her ova... But leave her alive. Take them both and leave.”

“As you command.” Eiken answered.

With a gesture from him Caregivers came out from the shadows and picked both of the Impure up, removing them from the room. Tiken barely refrained from letting his relief show.

“Tiken.”

“Yes, Mother/Queen?”

“Do not fret; I have no intention in letting you mate with either of them. I have other plans for those two, but you will have to tolerate acting as the younger one's teacher and guide. Given how eager she seems to be and how attached to you, I am going to have you pretend to be the sire of her offspring if they are viable. You will have your duties, but mating with her is not one of them.”

“Yes, Mother/Queen.”

“In the meantime, our little Human pet will have to make do with broken toys. The Unnaturals will be used as her weapons and you and she will command them. However the girl is not to die and you will have to give her... Preferential treatment. Make certain that she feels more attached to us, you in particular, than to the Humans. Hm... Perhaps... Take the infant and give it to her. See how she responds. Tell Eiken that the other one is to be harvested once she's undergone the next round of changes and then to dispose of her.”

Tiken took the long way through the corridors to settle his emotions. The thought that he would have to play Hive Father to the little one made skin crawl. She was too young and she was an Impure. But Mother/Queen's orders were absolute. He worried that once she was finished developing Mother/Queen would change her mind and he would be ordered to be an actual Hive Father to the younger Impure.

He wanted to tear his skin off at the thought.

Why? He wondered.

He understood that the Impure were more expendable and that it meant Mother/Queen wouldn't have to expend as much energy to create even more offspring, but why was she doing this to him? Toying with him and taunting him?

“Your thoughts are troubled brother.”

Ah. He had arrived; that was Eiken's voice.

Looking around he noticed that Yukie was missing.

“Where is the girl? Mother/Queen wishes for her to be Mother/Queen to the Impure and Thunder. She has ordered that the other one's ova be harvested after her next round of changes and then to be disposed of.”

“I see.” Eiken said after a moment.

“Do you have a contention with Mother/Queen's orders?”

“No...” Eiken answered slowly, “I was simply enjoying my time experimenting. As to the small one-”

“'Yukie'. Mother/Queen wishes for her to become attached to us and has ordered preferential treatment... Particularly from me.”

“Aaahhh... I see. So that is what troubles you. Yukie- actually... Perhaps we should give her a Pure name?”

“Such as?” Tiken asked in a hard tone.

“'Eshkrae'.”

'Eshkrae' meant 'winter'.

“...Very well.” Tiken accepted grudgingly.

Eiken smiled, enjoying his discomfort.

A pity about the older one... I liked her. He thought as he watched Tiken's reactions carefully.

An annoyed sound from Tiken, then, “Where is... 'Eshkrae'?”

“In an incubation cell.”

“Which one?”

Realizing that he was pushing his luck Eiken took him to the door to the next room, opened it and led him to a cell near the floor, on the back wall. Inside of a cell glowing red was the small one. 'Eshkrae'. She turned towards them like Mother/Queen and he felt a lurching, jarring feeling. An uncomfortable something bordering on fondness, or affection.

It unnerved him.

When he looked over at Eiken he was certain that he saw on the other's face what he had felt. He gestured for Eiken to follow him out and led them back to the next room over. The door closed and locked behind them.

A silence.

Eiken spoke.

“I... Might be able to make her Pure-”

“Her soul will still remain Impure.”

“Perhaps not.”

Tiken rounded on Eiken.

“It is possible that... A Pure soul could be born to... The Impure if there was no other means for them to be born...”

Tiken hadn't thought of that, but perhaps Mother/Queen had?

A year and a day. That was what the thing had said.

What are they doing with those girls?

The thought came unbidden, the first glimmer of a conscience long since silenced whispering to her.

Uneasy, Enfys new that there was nothing that she could do now; what's done is done.