The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Volix)

(Underwater Base)

The sounds of classical music filled the air as dozens of guests moved around a slightly crowded hall.

These men and women were some of the most powerful in the Federation.

They belonged to mid to upper ranked noble houses and held great influence over their territories.

A few servants dressed in sharp black tuxedos walked through the crowd and handed out light refreshments and drinks.

There was quite a bit of small talk and light-hearted conversations going on between the guests at the banquet as they gossiped about the latest scandals and power plays.

Still there was one star at the banquet who shone the brightest.

Crown prince Theseus.

An extremely handsome young man with dark curly hair, perfectly sculptured facial features and a muscular physique that was evident even though he was wearing an expensive black jacket.

His eyes were a piercing green colour.

They say that one's eyes are the windows to the soul and the crown prince displayed nothing but warmth and kindness.

He was the ideal noble.

He was courteous, polite and yet there was a subtle authority to his words that made him very hard to ignore.

In addition, his wit and charm was enough to make the other aristocrats that surrounded him occasionally break out in laughter.

"My dear friends… it has been quite some time since we have gotten the chance to relax," Prince Theseus joked as he gave a playful wink to the crowd.

One of the noblewomen in the audience placed her hand on her chest and let out an audible sigh of excitement.

The crown prince stretched out his hand and reached for a glass of wine that was held in the palm of the servant next to him.

He raised up the glass and then took a few small sips of the golden liquid inside. The wine was smooth and had a buttery aftertaste that lingered in his mouth.

"It is a pleasure for us to be here…" Count Padmert quickly chimed in as he moved his body closer towards the prince.

"Hear! Hear!" a gorgeous woman dressed in a fiery red dress spoke up as well. She wore expensive jade jewellery in the form of rings that adorned each of her fingers.

"It is an honour for us to be in the presence of the future emperor!" Baroness Oolwa seductively purred as she glanced at the prince with and desire in her eyes.

"Emperor? You flatter me my dear…" Prince Theseus smiled and one could see a trace of ambition in his steely gaze.

"However… it is only a matter of time. The Imperial Ceremony will held soon and my siblings are no match for my cultivation prowess."

"But regardless of my personal strength… I would not be able to rule without the help of my loyal supporters."

"I am grateful beyond words, and I promise you that you will all be rewarded for your assistance and loyalty."

Thunderous applause echoed through the hall as the nobles surrounding the prince placed their hands together and clapped loudly.

The crown prince raised up the wine glass and the applause got even louder. A small smile flashed across his face as he handed the glass over to the nearest servant.

The music had now changed to a more gentle melody and one could hear the sweet sound of a violin being gently played.

Prince Theseus stretched out his hand and took one of the noble ladies to the dance floor. The others who were not chosen looked on with jealousy clearly visible on their faces.

Hell… even some of the noblemen looked envious!

Hours passed and the guests slowly began to depart one after the other. Prince Theseus personally escorted them to their ships and told them goodbye.

It was this simple act that made the nobles feel even more strongly about supporting the frontrunner to become the next head of the Imperial Family.

Prince Theseus was someone who cared. He made them feel special, wanted, and needed.

This was the first time that many had been to a banquet where the host had escorted both the upper-class and lower-class nobles alike.

Finally after the last guests had departed, the prince allowed himself to take a moment to breathe and relax.

He sent out a few messages to the servants informing them to clean up the banquet hall and then strode towards a narrow corridor.

The underwater base that he owned was an enormous structure built below the Virean Sea.

It was hundreds of miles long and in some cases more resembled a naval fortress than a vacation home.

The crown prince walked through a series of long and winding corridors until he finally arrived at the entrance to his private suite.

He placed his fingertips on the door and a green light scanned his palm twice.

A keypad popped out from the wall next to the door and a series of numbers appeared on the screen.

Prince Theseus quickly rearranged the numbers into the right combination and the door swung open.

He stepped inside his bedroom and the lights automatically turned on. The crown prince's bedroom was in one word…

Simple.

There was a single white mattress in the centre of the room, a long person- sized mirror attached to one of the walls and that was it.

No furniture, no carpeting, no bright colours… nothing.

The crown prince let out a heavy sigh and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small ruby-like gem that shone eerily in the palm of his hand.

A Kry'en crystal.

Well… something that looked like a Kry'en crystal. The truth of this strange mineral's origin was far more darker.

It allowed one's mind to be controlled and in a way that made the person affected unaware of the changes to their personality.

His master loved to use these crystals and he was the messenger who would deliver them. One simple touch was all that it took.

Then their minds would be spellbound… until the effects wore off.

Prince Theseus looked at his reflection in the mirror and raised up his fingers. He touched the side of his face and smiled widely.

His smile appeared fake and unnatural.

"You look hideous," the crown prince muttered to himself as he began to stroke, touch and play with his own face.

It was a bizarre sight. The prince continued to talk to his reflection in the mirror as if he was speaking to someone else.

Prince Theseus turned away from the mirror and walked towards the mattress. He removed his jacket and sat down on the bed.

There was complete silence in the room so there was nothing to distract the prince from the thoughts going through his mind.

What was his master's plan? Why did he have to replace the original Prince Theseus?

And what was the role that Sophie Peterlor needed to play in all of this?

The crown prince leaned backwards until his body fell down on the mattress with a heavy thump.

The face of the hybrid girl with her sharp golden eyes and four blade-like appendages flashed across his mind.

His master had told him that she was a Human- Insectoid hybrid but Theseus did not know what was the point of telling him that information.

Sophie Peterlor was the leader of House Peterlor, but they were just one of many upper ranked noble houses.

Maybe… the reason would become clear eventually.

The red crystal in the crown prince's hand got brighter and brighter as if responding to his thoughts.