Copyright-Janet Webb
“There is much to be learned from the female wasp… Great lessons on power.” Harere told her young niece at bedtime. “She who eats her rivals’ eggs while ensuring that her own survives becomes queen.”
Irisi’s eyes widened. “Are you queen?”
“Not yet,” Harere smiled. ”Your mother is. Because she has you… the king’s heir.”
“But I might have a brother soon.”, Irisi looked at Harere’s pregnant belly.
Harere nodded, her fingers caressing the dagger concealed underneath her kalasiris.
“Aunt?”
“Yes?”
“Another lesson from wasps…” Irisi whispered, as her blade cut deep into Harere’s womb, “Never underestimate the little ones.”
© 2013 K.Z. Morano
The Eclectic Eccentric 
I took a week off from death. Glad to see you’re keeping the body count ticking. Good one!
can’t let this week go by without killing someone 🙂 thanks
Good twist!
Well done kz
That young lady is a little too precocious for my tastes!
janet
Ah… that little lady will sure make it.
Love the ending…such an endearing story and then wham!
All is well for her, unless that lesson is taught to a further rival… This tale could go on – great!
Cutting edge story and comments. Great tight writing.
Never trust an aunt or a niece with a knife.
Sadly in royalty what you write was the truth in many cultures. Well done!
I always like the ending of your story, Kz
thank you, chris 🙂
Hot Damn! I love this one, KZ. Perfect last line!
Ohhhh SNAP! That was coming BIG time! Great story!!!!! Congratulations!
ohhh.. that was painful !
Oh, dear! Smart and vicious. Unfortunately, a winning combination in human hierarchies. Nicely written!
Yah! That’s a nasty-sounding place. Whomever is king and queen better be very, very careful.
Ooh, I like this a lot. That double whammy at the end cuts like a knife (pun intended). Excellent, taught writing. This is my fave so far.
Nice twist! It’s about time that a royal child struck back. They’re always getting killed but never take out those who threaten them. Good one!
Its the way she did it, the ‘deep’, her words afterwards, that are so galling – and it’s your wonderful cultural references in all your stories that sets you apart..with you we really travel..but most of all, what is disquieting is the way you always ensure the blade is ultra, ultra sharp…
Ouch. I remember reading about how in another culture orphans from different countries where used to build the kings ‘stable’. And yet unplanned alliances were able to topple the best laid plans…
Chilling. Grisly two edged story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
It is amazing we are even around after the royalty finishes.
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/friday-fictioneers-4192013-genre-sci-fi-pg/
the aspirations of the young
very good sting to your story
oh man KZ — you are making me afraid of females! Good one!
Now that WAS a variation on the old ‘grasshopper’ theme. Totally horrifying twist! Well done.
My golly gosh! Let’s not get on the wrong side of KZ!!! LOL good writing M’Lady. 🙂
A lesson in wasp behavior. Kudos 🙂
oh! Vicious story this week, kz!
Neat take on the prompt!
KZ! Yikes! Now that’s a bedtime story with a twist and a twist AND a twist! Powerfully good! 😀
Awesome tale! I felt swept into a mythology.
Oh my! Wow – fabulous flash- it’s all packed in there, even a twist, masterful.
Very cool ending! Thanks!
Oohh, unexpected twist, kz. Nicely done!
What a happy family! And was Harere getting ready to finish off her niece, with her hidden knife? A cleverly written, startling story – very nice, KZ!
Ooh I just knew you were going to kill one of them.Harere was far too slow, cleverly done and well written kz – as usual
Dee
Great story! What a perfect ending. That girl was obviously born to be queen.
Sick!
Great story with a terrific ending. Well done kz. 🙂
You consistently deliver clever killings, Kz 🙂
haha thank you ^^
Oh wow, that’s fantastic. Clever little Irisi, if a little devious.