Finnakynne hovered over the Pit Trap with her arms crossed, looking down with a serious expression as Belissar manually triggered the Sticky Honey Trap at the bottom.
“Ohhhh, so, by honey trap pit you meant…a pit trap that uses honey…”
She sighed and shook her head.
“That’s…not what I thought.”
A moment later, she opened her eyes and tilted her head.
“Though…why do you have a honey trap at the bottom of a pit trap? That doesn’t seem like enough to drown them or anything…”
“We used to trap shades down there and set them on fire. The honey helped with that, and helped keep them down there, especially since we use the maddening honey. Well, recently most of the shades just crawl or fly over it, but we get one every now and again.”
Finnakynne began to snicker.
“I’m well aware, daughter. So, did you at least verify if there was anything beyond our expectations?”
Finnakynne gave a salute with a grin.
“I sure did! Just honey and bees, if magical! There was nothing…bee-yond your expectations mother, all was as you predicted!”
Queen Vanieskon made an exasperated sigh.
“How many times have I told you, daughter? Puns are the crudest form of mischief and beneath us.”
Finnakynne kept grinning.
Quenn Vanieskon shook her head.
“Your father would be the very first to admit he is no role model. I truly will need to reeducate you from the start, won’t I? Tell me you at least got a sample of the honey?”
Finnakynne nodded. Queen Vanieskon lifted her cup. Finnakynne puffed her cheeks and shook her head, but Queen Vanieskon just raised an eyebrow. With a sigh of defeat, Finnakynne pulled out the honeycomb, flew over, and scraped some of it into the teacup. Queen Vanieskon rolled her eyes as she stirred her tea.
“Tempting, but Nenavann should know better. I’ve tasted mana honey before, he’s foolish if he believes I will come at his beck and call for that alone when I could gain so much more from all this. I suppose we shall see how committed to this human he truly is, if the human was worth giving up one Heart of the Forest, then what is two? Or, perhaps the Forgemaster’s will is stronger? Ughlarer would stop at nothing to…”
At that moment, Queen Vanieskon lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. She immediately froze…and then began to groan, drawing the attention of all the pixies in the area. Finnakynne began to snicker, clutching her stomach to try and control her laughter unsuccessfully.
It took a bit, but eventually Queen Vanieskon gathered herself and glared at her daughter.
“Finnakynne, what was that?!”
Finnakynne couldn’t help a smirk, despite knowing she would pay for it. Her mother’s reaction was totally worth it.
“Oh, that? Turns out our little bee dungeon master wasn’t content to stop at the usual mana honey. He and his bees are pushing the limits, evolving new types of bees as suits one blessed by the God of Bees herself. And, naturally, new types of bees means new types of honey.”
Queen Vanieskon slowly moved her gaze down to the cup in her hand. Her eyes opened wide and her hand started to tremble slightly. Finnakynne’s smug grin grew even wider.
“Get why I didn’t want to risk glamouring him now? So, mommy dearest, what kind of benefit do you think you want out of this whole situation?”
For the first time Finnakynne could remember, her mother was rendered speechless as she gazed down at the cup in her hand. She couldn’t help another snicker. Yep, this was totally worth it!
Nenavann sat in his office once more. Tarwantrad had returned to report on Belissar’s meeting with the pixie princess. Tarwantrad’s face scrunched up.
“So, she agreed to help but…she knew what our plan was from the start.”
“Well, that was to be expected.”
Tarwantrad’s head shot up and she gaped at him.
“Wait, you knew that she knew?!”
Nenavann made a helpless smile.
“It’s foolish to think we can outmaneuver Queen Vanieskon just like that. I’ve never been a match for her in schemes or speech.”
Tarwantrad blinked and then frowned.
“Then…what are you going to do? Princess Finnakynne said she’d help but…I don’t know if we can trust her.”
Nenavann leaned back and let out a sigh.
Nenavann knew all this wouldn’t be enough to convince the pixie queen and she would know that he knew that as well. Belissar's honey might convince her to treat him as more than simple prey, but she would almost certainly want more. Nenavann would just have to beg for her help, nothing more complicated than that. Queen Vanieskon would now consider how she would best benefit from the situation, while Forgemaster Ughlarer would almost certainly make her a counteroffer once he became aware of Nenavann’s plea. So, he and the Forgemaster would now have to compete for the pixie queen’s favor, all while she toyed with them both.