Atropa Prunus (The C✿urtesan)

BEAUTIFUL. INTELLIGENT. DEADLY, BUT RESTRAINED.

  All perfectly good words to describe The C✿URTESAN. All reasons that made her the CARETAKER of the EMPRESS' only LANDLOCKED IMPERIAL HIVE. 

  She was the highest blood caste possible for a LAND-DWELLER, but unlike MOST of the PURPLES, she wasn't a follower of the SUBJUGGLATORS. Such mirthful servants of the crown are good at terror and murder, but not so much at MAINTAINING A HOUSEHOLD or ENTERTAINING IMPORTANT GUESTS. After years of expensive cleaning bills and dead diplomats, the Empress decided someone a little more LEVEL-HEADED was in order. 

  Not to say that she wasn't as violent and vile as her caste dictated, but she had enough decorum to interact with POLITE COMPANY. She spent many long hours in her GARDEN; caring for the Empress' WATERLILIES, her own LUSUS, and MAKING POISON TO ASSASSINATE TROLLS THE EMPRESS DIDN'T LIKE. Such status was envied by all land-dwelling members of the court. She had risen so far above them.

  So far and no farther. So far and still she wasn't respected by the sea-dwellers. She was nobility, sure, but not royalty. No fins. No gills.

AMBITIOUS. UNDERHANDED. CHARISMATIC. RESTRAINED.

  The Empress didn't really care about this hive. She was never on land when she could be in the water or on a battleship. It was the C✿urtesan's to do with as she liked. No one noticed if, after she had to order repairs following a visit from the subjugglators, the carpenter droids stayed for a bit longer. No one noticed the tunnels she was building, the medicine she was brewing, the rebels she was helping.

  She had more sweeps than all these low-blooded tryhards put together. They'd either win, and overthrow the Empress, and then die out fast enough for her to take power. Or they'd take all the blame. 

  No one was ever going to disrespect her again.