- "So my mother was lying about the Book, too. And so was my sister. Both lying, in fact, about the fact that my sister Cochineal had to be queen. I suppose Mother realized she was always a much better liar than I was. The most essential quality for a queen who had to rule by deceiving her entire tribe about their most sacred artifact. What a lovely, lovely royal family we are."
- — Scarab to Cricket about Cochineal, The Hive Queen
Cochineal was an elderly female HiveWing who was mentioned in The Hive Queen. She was Scarab's sister, the mother of Ex-Queen Wasp and her seven sisters. She ruled as queen of the HiveWings before Wasp took the throne.
Personality[]
Cochineal was described by Hawthorn as deceitful and power-hungry,[1] while Lady Scarab stated that she was an expert liar.[2] However, Cochineal was not as bad as Queen Wasp, or in Lady Scarab's exact words, "was [not] any picnic as a ruler, but at least she wasn't a dictatorial zombie-making maniac."[3] Lady Scarab stated to her niece that Cochineal would have hated to see what Wasp had done to the HiveWings and would have disapproved, if not hated her daughter's tyranny, suggesting she greatly loved and cared about her tribe.[4]
Cochineal was also said to have respected the other tribes' monarchies,[1] meaning she also was most likely fine with just ruling only one tribe and was not power-hungry enough to go to war for more power. This also may mean she had a good relationship with her sister and had been trusted by her mother to take the throne from her.
Biography[]
The Lost Continent Prophecy[]
The Hive Queen[]
Lady Scarab mentioned Cochineal in a conversation with Cricket, saying that she was told that the Book of Clearsight said that Cochineal must be the next queen. Lady Scarab also said that her sister was a much better liar than she was, which was likely why she was chosen by their mother. According to Lady Scarab, Cochineal's daughters and Lady Jewel could not be mind-controlled by Wasp as they were hatched around the same time as Wasp.
The Poison Jungle[]
She was mentioned briefly by Hawthorn when he was recounting the events of the Tree Wars, comparing her to Wasp.
Family tree[]
| Cicada | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Several Generations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unknown | Cochineal | Scarab | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bloodworm | Cicada | Hornet | Mantis | Jewel | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tsetse | Vinegaroon | Wasp | Yellowjacket | Unnamed Dragons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Poison Jungle, page 211
- ↑ The Hive Queen, page 181
- ↑ The Hive Queen, page 185
- ↑ The Hive Queen, page 173
| HiveWings | |
|---|---|
| Queens | |
| Royalty |
Bloodworm • Cicada • Hornet • Mantis • Scarab • Tsetse • Vinegaroon • Yellowjacket |
| Other Dragons |
Aphid • Bombardier • Bumblebee • Cadelle • Carabid • Chafer • Cricket • Dragonfly • Earthworm • Earwig • Inchworm • Grasshopper • Hawker • Glowworm • Katydid • Librarian • Lubber • Malachite • Midge • Pinacate • Rootworm • Sandfly • Treehopper • Weevil |
| Kingdom |
Bloodworm Hive • Cicada Hive • Hornet Hive • Jewel Hive • Mantis Hive • Tsetse Hive • Vinegaroon Hive • Wasp Hive • Yellowjacket Hive |
| Society | |