Was Hornet Always Named "Hornet?"
Act 3 Spoilers Ahead:
That was actually explicitly stated in a reddit AMA (as in, the idea behind Hornet's name was that that her name started out as a nickname from Vespa), but back then they hadn't decided if Vespa being Hornet's mentor was still canon. (as corresponding content didn't make it into the finalized game)
They clearly have canonized it now, so yeah.
As for what she was known as before, my guess would be that it was probably "Pale Gift" (Midwife refers to her as such once).
Getting into headcanon territory now, but - I like to think the King picked something according to the conventions of his own kind to signify that she's not of any lesser status for not being his wife's offspring & to be respected as much as he is (lest some nobles/ court members inclined to look down on the surrounding tribes etc. not get that memo) but alas/ unbeknownst to him it ended up being the equivalent of sending her head-first into a saw trap as the Weavers (whom she'd be spending most of her early childhood with) are of course none too fond of Pale Beings due to the awful experience with their creator - you might as well be calling your kid Osama & sending them to live the united states.
Probably always wished she'd have more of a mortal-style name (also just due to generally resonating with that more) & jumped at the chance when Vespa suggested one. (also, if the Hive grants her an honor as a 3rd party it won't be taken as a slight/ diplomatic incident)
I also think it's possible that she assumed the title-name convention was followed with Lace when it actually wasn't. (she doesn't actually seem to find out her name at any point & refers to her only as 'the white knight', we only know from the title screen.) - one assumed introductions were in order on their way up from the abyss.
Ahh, thank you for this delicious knowledge, o' silken scholar! It's a testament to Team Cherry's world-building that it's possible to intuit the canon from only in-game hints.
But poor Pale Gift! Feared by the Weavers for being half-wyrm, and feared by the courts of the White Palace for being half-beast! After all, the Hunter's Journal makes it clear she was born with a hunter's instincts: prone to creative cruelty and violent urges. Imagine how terrifying she would have been to the Pale King's subjects: your god-king's demigod-princess, who stares at you like a predator waiting for you to turn your back.
Indeed, perhaps that is why she was originally sent off to the Hive, an isolated place of rigid order with no fear of beast or wyrm. There she learned the chivalry, restraint, and decorum we see her cling to all throughout her travels. The Hive became her true home, detached from the courts of her mother and father, where she could find an identity all her own: Hornet.
(Do you think the Hive Knight was like a big brother to her??)
