As many of us are aware, ant colonies are established, and nurtured by a queen. Often referred to as a Queen mother, because she literally births the whole colony. In creating The Underground, many true life facts have been interwoven into the fabric of the story. One such fact which we have been faced with is the existence of Kings AND Queens. The predicament is that Kings, at least in our traditional understanding of them, do NOT exist in insect colonies.
Where the Ants are concerned, the old saying ‘King for a day’ can certainly take precedence. The Queen is born with wings, and takes to the air for what is referred to as a ‘mating flight’. Several male ants (also winged) will chase the Queen as she soars through the air. Finally one of the males will make contact with the queen, mate with her, and fall to the ground. While the male disappears after this point, the Queen will discard her wings and tend to her colony-to-be.
For the benefit of the story, and certain themes; Kings have played a role in The Underground. Now with this research in mind, the readers will find that any introduction of a ‘King’ is often short-lived…it simply is not meant to be.