Chapter Text
"My root...it is time."
The wrym approached his wife carefully and took hold of her hand, rubbing the back of her palm and reassuring her that this was the right choice. That there was no other way. He knew it was a lie, and he knew that she was well aware, but he still arranged the date and time that they would let go of their offsprings forever.
Ah, so this is it, then? This is when I have to say goodbye. What a shame...I couldn't even name one of my children. Oh, what am I talking about? My wrym is right...there is no cost too great. This act...it was for Hallownest, not us. I should be more understanding...I should set aside my own desires as this kingdom's Queen. The root thought to herself as her husband kept telling her promises of more children.
"Of course, my wrym. I will get the eggs ready."
Would she ever get the chance to become a mother again? No, that would be selfish. Thinking of saving even one of these children for herself was selfish. This deed...it was done for Hallownest. There was no way the Pale King would ever do anything without a reason, the White Lady knew that.
...
And yet...she still felt sadness. Sadness for her children? Or perhaps sadness at the missed opportunity of becoming a maternal figure? Even when her wrym held her hand, she felt a wave of sorrow wash over her roots when the first egg was dropped. Farewell, children were her first thoughts.
...
There was a short pause. Then, a faint crack from the very bottom. The White Lady's mind was filled with the image of tiny, wrym-like children spilling out of the egg, their little bodies being flooded with void and having their will overpowered by the substance's. It was a terrible sight, but she couldn't get it out of her mind.
Second egg, crack, more children gone.
Third egg, the image intensified.
By the fourth egg, the White Lady couldn't take it any longer. She left the platform of the abyss, leaving her wrym and making him do the dropping. Every crack that came from the abyss' bottom meant lesser eggs each time.
When the second to last egg was dropped into the pit of nothingness, the root felt more sorrow wash over her. It was unbearable to hear that final egg be dropped, so she left the room entirely and retreated to her safe space in the White Palace, for her retreat in the Queen's Garden was infested with mantises that had given into that damn Infection.
"Good evening, your Majesty. How's the incubation going?"
Incubation? What incuba-...ah, right, she and her husband had told the bugs of Hallownest that the Queen's eggs were to be incubated by a 'kind bug'. Only the Dreamers, weavers of Deepnest and some high ranking bugs in the City of Tears knew the real plan. They hadn't told the Five Great Knights...
"The incubation...it is going well. Thank you for asking, Ogrim." she lied, fighting the urge to tell him the truth, "How are the other knights? Is Dryya doing well against those mantises? Are there any updates on Hegemole? Did Isma succeed in her plan to spread life in the Waterways? Why is Ze'mer so down lately?" each question felt like a weight being lifted off her shoulders.
"Dryya's doing just fine! They don't call her fierce for nothing! Hegemole is still injured, the Battle of the Blackwrym really messed him up...As far as I know, Isma has seen great success in the Waterways! As for Ze'mer...well, she stays as mysterious as always. Though, she may be a bit saddened by Dryya taking the task of exterminating the mantises? I don't know. Any more questions, your Majesty?"
"No, it is alright now Ogrim, thank you very much for your answers."
...
"Wait, I have one more question...how is Herrah and her child doing? Has she given birth yet?"
"Oh, the Beast? Yeah, she's given birth alright! The little spider has to be the angriest baby I've ever seen! Her daughter looks so much like the King, but..." Ogrim talked on and on about Herrah the Beast's newborn child, and the more the White Lady listened, the more envious she became of the Dreamer.
Some days passed, yet the root higher being could only think about her own babies. She had grown a little distant from her husband, but she knew deep down that sacrificing the eggs were the only way Hallownest would find peace. Today, she was absentmindedly walking around the White Palace when she bumped into one of the Dreamers
"Ah, apologies, Monomon." she said,
"No worries, my Queen! I was just looking for Quirrel, he has ran off again, but the King is requesting a meeting regarding the Black Egg so I don't have time to look for him! If you find the little pillbug, can you please look after him until the meeting is over?" before the White Lady could respond, Monomon the Teacher ran off in the other direction, leaving Hallownest's Queen aline once again. At least, she thought, I have a task now. I need to find a little pillbug named Quirrel...
She walked aimlessly around the Palace, looking for a sign of the Teacher's pupil. Finally, she found him. Though instead of causing mischief or hiding like she thought he would, little Quirrel was actually trying to catch a small, wrym-like child.
Herrah's child.
"No, no, no, little spider! You can't eat all the cookies here! This is the Royal Kitchen, I don't think we're allowed in here! We should-"
"It's alright, Quirrel. You may go back to the Teacher, I will deal with the weaver."
Upon hearing the White Lady's voice, Quirrel turned around and immediately bowed to her. "Thank you, my Queen!" with that, he scurried off, searching for his mentor.
The White Lady stood there staring, silently wondering how her own children would look. Then the silence was broken by the spider in red.
"Hey, you're the Lady that mama always talks about! Mama says that I will go with papa when she goes to sleep, so does that mean you're my second mama?"
"I will try my best to be as good as your mother." was the only thing the root higher being could think of, shocked that Herrah mentioned her to the little one.
"Oh, okay."
...
"Second mama, do I have any siblings? Mama says papa had more babies with you. Does that mean I'm a sister?"
"I-...yes, little weaver. You are a sister. Though, I don't think you'll be able to interact with your siblings that much...they're far, far away from here. We can't retrieve them from where they are..."
"Why can't we save my brothers and sisters? If they're far away, let's go and get them!"
Save the vessels...? What an absurd thing to think...how does one grab thousands of children in the abyss and climb back to the top without any help? Unless...
The White Lady thought for a while, her mind planning out the rescue. Her wrym hadn't sealed the door to the abyss yet, he told her if one of the vessels were able to climb out and prove themselves worthy and pure, then he would close the door to prevent other vessels from escaping. Interfering with her husband's plan seemed like a betrayal of trust to her, but if planned strategically, it could seem like nothing ever happened. With a reluctant nod, the White Lady agreed with the spider in red, ready to gather the Knights and anyone else willing to help.
"You are right, weaver child. Let's get to work saving your siblings...promise me you won't tell anyone? Especially your father?"
"I promise, second mama!"
"Then it is decided."