Drucilla B. Queen packed the last of her things together with a strange feeling of sadness. The royal living quarters of the insect hotel had hardly been comfortable but life had been easy for her here. She had little to do as queen, since the hotel had its own management. That would change today. As soon as she entered the new beehive, she would be Queen Drucilla again. The grand bee sighed when she thought of ruling again. It was very rare that a queen bee could give up her responsibilities and retire.
She smiled as she Drucilla carried her box out into the corridor in front of the royal living quarters. No one would dare let her carry her anything in the beehive. As she put the box down on the floor, she noticed an unusual piece of brown paper sticking out from under a wooden stool on the other side of the corridor. She was just about to see what the brown paper was attached to, when Dalton rushed in and snatched a rather large package away from her before she could get to it.
Incensed at her son’s rude behavior, Drucilla drew herself up to her full height. Towering over him, she waved her feelers and stomped her foot on the hardwood floor. “What is the meaning of this, Dalton?” she hissed. “Things may have become a little more relaxed since we lost the beehive, but I will not allow you to treat me like a common worker bee!”
Dalton turned to her in surprise. “M-my Queen! I-I-I beg you to f-f-forgive me. I had n-n-no intention of being r-r-rude. I-I-I was only reacting to w-w-what I saw.” Dalton flushed a deep rosy pink as he fidgeted with the package in his hands, torn between wanting to hide it from the queen and wanting to give it to her with an air of celebration.
Drucilla wondered if the captain of her royal guard was feeling well today. She had never seen him blush before and she had certainly never heard him stutter. He resembled a child caught in the act of stealing a bite of gelee royale. “And just what did you see, Dalton?”
Dalton took a deep breath and sighed. He could not hide this from the queen any longer. He was just about to explain what was in the package when they heard someone coming down the long passageway leading into the corridor.
“Am ge’n maridinthemonin! Din-don! The bells ah gonna chaaam!” The singer was so happy, he danced to his own music, leaping from one foot to another without paying any attention to the earthquake he created in the hotel. With every new leap, the quake gained momentum. Drucilla was too shaken even to glare at the man who rounded the corner and stepped into the corridor. He beamed at the queen with such joy that her irritation vanished for a moment.
With a cheerful whoop, Frank scooped up the queen in his arms and kissed her on her royal proboscis. “Ihn’t it a gran’ day, Drucilla?”
“Put me down, you big ox!” Despite her agitation, the queen could not help noticing how well Frank could speak now. But he still needed to learn a few things about behavior in the royal court before she could pay him a compliment. “I am not a puppy you can just pick up and play with!”
“I should say not!” Dalton chimed in as he doubled over in laughter.
Frank beams were only slightly muted as he gently set the queen down on the floor.
“What is wrong with you two? Has someone knocked out the thinking part of your brains?”
Drucilla was very curious to know what could make her son laugh with such glee. Before she had the chance to ask him, Frank sat down on the floor and pulled on the queen’s wing to get her to sit next to him. “Unhand me, you mongrel!” cried the queen fearing he might rip her wing off in his current state.
Frank stopped laughing and stared at Drucilla in a way that filled her with regret. Drucilla wished desperately she had not called him a mongrel. Why, she was no better than that horrible man who created him without even bothering to give him a name. She bowed her head in shame.
When Frank saw how sorry the queen looked, he took a deep breath and spoke even better than usual. “It’s alright, Drucilla. You can’t make me sad.” Once again, a smile lit up his face. “I don’t think anyone can ever make me sad again.” Frank opened his mouth to say more, but nothing came out. His mouth worked as if chewing gum that burned his mouth.
“What’s the matter with him, Dalton?” asked the queen.
Instead of answering, Dalton clapped Frank on the shoulder. “Tell her, Frank!”
Frank’s mouth worked harder but still no words came out.
Drucilla wanted to clap him on the shoulder as well but thought it was not quite the proper thing for a queen to do. Instead she laid a forefoot on his huge hand and tried to look encouraging. “What do you want to tell me, Frank?”
This time, Frank managed to open his mouth. “AH WUV AH!” he drawled as he scooped the queen back up in his arms again.
Drucilla wondered if she should call the hotel doctor. A lightning bug might know what to do with this creature who just couldn’t stop himself from picking her up and kissing her head every five minutes. She tried to signal Dalton to help her, but he was laughing so hard, his eyes were closed.
Drucilla thought the entire world had gone mad when Helen rounded the corner counting something on her fingers and muttering to herself. At first, she didn’t notice she wasn’t alone. Then she recognized the bundle Frank was holding to his lips.
“Oh, Frank, she said ‘yes’?” Helen’s eyes lit up a witchy red and she started to dance in circles. “She said ‘yes’!” Helen was so ecstatic, she couldn’t speak anymore.
Frank joined her, still carrying the queen in his arms. He leapt and spun around with such exuberance, Drucilla was sure the hotel would split in two. To make matters worse, Dalton joined them, grabbing Helen around her waist and charging with her down the corridor. At the end of the hall, Helen spun Dalton around and lead him back with her arms around his waist.
Drucilla felt a headache coming on. But at least Frank put her down again after this emotional discharge. He didn’t seem quite as joyous as he had a few minutes ago.
“Hey! Wha ou do wit mah gal?”
Dalton sobered up quickly when he saw the look on Frank’s face.
“You mean your fiancé, don’t you?” said Helen.
Drucilla waved her feelers in agitation. “How about that? Frank throws me all over the place and wants to know what Dalton is doing with his fianc- … his WHAT?!” she thundered loud enough for every resident of the insekt hotel to hear her.
Helen, Frank and Dalton stared at Drucilla in silence. No one moved a muscle. The queen inspected the nervous group, slowly straightening her proboscis and rolling it up again. Dalton knew this was a bad sign.
Drucilla drew herself up to her queenly height. Only Frank was still taller than she was. “Alright! Who is going to tell me what’s going on here?”
Helen whispered to Frank, “I thought she said ‘yes’.”
“No,” Frank whispered back.
“She said ‘no’?”
“No.”
In her confusion, Helen forgot to whisper. “So, did she say ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”
Dalton shook his head to tell her not to talk now, but Helen had never learned proper court behavior since she had never lived in the beehive. She now turned to Dalton, “She said ‘no’?!”
“Helen, dear,” the queen’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “If you want to know my answer, then why don’t you ask me the question?”
Helen looked back to Frank. “You didn’t ask her?!”
“Silence!” the queen bellowed. “How dare you speak to others when I have asked you a question! This is cause for expulsion from the beehive!”
Helen’s jaw dropped open. “But we are not in the bee-“
Dalton clapped his forefoot over Helen’s mouth before she could finish.
“Hey! Wa ou do wit-“
Frank stopped when he saw Dalton shake his head violently.
Drucilla tipped him on the shoulder. “Frank, I believe Dalton is trying to save your girlfriend. I would let him do it, if I were you.”
Frank hesitated, uncertain what to do.
Drucilla stepped back from the other three and pointed to her right. “Frank, you stand over there and don’t say anything.” She pointed to her left. “Dalton, you stand over there.” Both did as she commanded. “Helen?”
The witch’s green cheeks blushed berry red. She looked helplessly from Frank to Dalton and back again.
“Look at me, dear,” commanded Drucilla. “And tell me exactly what this is all about. What should I say ‘yes’ to?”
“I’m sorry I-“
“No-no-no-no-no. Just tell me!” Drucilla sat down and waited.
Helen forehead was damp with sweat. “Well, you know, I mean, Frank and I … are good friends.”
Drucilla nodded.
“And-and we like each other … a lot.”
Drucilla nodded again. “Friends usually do.”
“Well, well, and so, you see, um, Frank has asked me to marry him … and I said ‘yes’.”
The silence seemed to last for an eternity.
When Drucilla spoke again, her voice was calm. “But dear, where will Frank go?”
Helen blinked. “Where will Frank go?
“But you must know that if Frank marries you, he has to leave the beehive.”
“Ou tro ma at?!” cried Frank. His good pronunciation was gone again.
Drucilla gave him a strange look. “No one is going to throw you out, Frank. But everyone knows that no married drones are allowed to live in the beehive. After their wedding flight, they must leave the hive forever.”
Helen shrugged sadly. “At least, we’ll be together.”
Drucilla shook her head slowly. “No, you won’t.”
“Why not?!” In their confusion, good court behavior was forgotten.
Drucilla was amazed this witch’s ignorance. “You will stay here and run the beehive.”
“Me?”
Drucilla sighed. “You will be the next queen.”
Frank and Helen stared at each other speechless.
Dalton stepped forward. “Excuse me, your Majesty, I think there is a misunderstanding here.”
The queen sighed again. “And what would that be, Dalton?”
“Frank and Helen don’t want a bee marriage. They want a human marriage.”
The queen waved her feelers. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means they want to live together and take care of each other for the rest of their lives.”
“Good Heavens! Why would they do that?”
“We love each other,” said Helen without waiting to be asked.
Drucilla dismissed her argument with a wave of her forefoot. “Yes, dear, everyone knows that. What does that have to do with a marriage?”
Both Frank and Helen opened their mouths to speak but neither of them knew what to say.
Dalton came to their rescue. “Your Majesty, I don’t entirely understand it myself. Couldn’t we make an exception and let them do it their way this time?”
“Am I to allow a married bee to stay in this hive? Do you know what kind of trouble this is going to cause?”
“Frank’s not a bee, my Queen.”
Frank and Helen held their breath while Drucilla considered this argument. Finally, the queen spoke. “Helen, Frank, do you really want to do this?”
“YES!” they answered in chorus.
“And do you honestly think you can live together for the rest of your lives?”
“YES!” Helen’s and Frank’s hearts banged in their chests.
“Well, then do it your way. Permission granted.” The queen smiled at the happy couple. “And now, I don’t wish to be disturbed.”
Without saying another word, Drucilla disappeared into her sleeping chamber, leaving Dalton, Helen and Frank to sort the rest out themselves.
You have such vivid imagination!