The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Meri'an)

(Secret Location- Private Estate Of The Crown Prince)

An opulent mansion had been built on top of a vast mountain range with peaks that extended outwards thousands of feet in the air.

This entire planet was located in the center of the Alpha Star System and was not far from an interstellar warp gate that led to various sectors of the galaxy.

Inside the mansion was a large open spaced hall where a long wooden table had been placed in the center of the room.

The table was covered in delicious meals that were cooked by five-star chefs from across the Earth Federation.

Mouth-watering roasted meat, fresh and crisp salads, delectable appetizers, and hearty soups with bits of vegetables floating around.

It was truly a feast fit for royalty.

Light classical music gently echoed through the open hall as a band was playing in the corner of the room.

There were over two dozen princes and princesses in the hall and the atmosphere was quite relaxed and pleasant.

No one sat down to eat yet because the host of this event had not arrived. It would be considered impolite to start the feast without the crown prince.

Plus, all of the royal offsprings in the hall were cultivators so it was not a big deal to supress their hunger and natural urges.

Elsewhere in the mansion, Prince Theseus looked at the security feed displayed on the monitor in front of him.

An elegant smile flashed across his lips as he saw more guests arrive and be led inside the hall.

This was the perfect opportunity to gain more influence and power.

Then his master would….

Master? What master?

The crown prince furrowed his brows as a faint voice began to whisper in his mind once more.

He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red crystal before crushing it in his palm. The crystal melted away into a liquid form which was then absorbed into his skin.

Prince Theseus let out a heavy sigh as the annoying voice in his head disappeared and he felt a sense of clarity and peace.

There was no need to question.

All he had to do was obey…

As more guests arrived, Prince Theseus powered on his wrist communicator and checked the list of invitations that he had sent out.

Obviously not everyone that he had invited had shown up and in fact some were even bold enough to decline his offer.

Prince Theseus felt an unusual amount of rage as he glanced at the messages that politely stated that they would not be attending.

How dare they…. HOW DARE THEY!

Sparks of madness briefly surfaced in the crown prince's eyes as his psyche had long been fractured after months of being influenced by the crystals.

The crown prince gradually got his mood under control and left the monitoring room.

He barely spared a glance at the nervous servants as he walked towards the banquet hall.

His steps were slow, steady, and methodical. He displayed an aura of confidence and charm that one would expect from the frontrunner to become the next emperor.

It was shame that he was nothing more than a puppet.

Prince Theseus eventually arrived at the large white doors that led to the hall and gestured for a nearby servant to open it.

The servant was an elderly man wearing a sharp black tuxedo that was perfectly fitted for his slender physique.

He quickly walked over to the white door and grabbed its golden handles with both hands. With a fierce push, the door opened to reveal the interior of the hall.

"Now announcing the arrival of Crown Prince Theseus! Long live his name!" the servant shouted loudly before retreating back to the shadows.

Prince Theseus warmly smiled as he entered the hall and began to mingle with his fellow members of the royal family.

"Princess Rosie, it has truly been a long time… how is your mother doing? Lady Cox is truly a mechanical genius…"

"Ahh… I understand your concerns. Do not worry… House Webb has little influence in the Hydra Star System. Let me contact some people to help you out."

"Congratulations on your marriage! Duke Ryan is truly a lucky man to have gotten a handsome lad like yourself."

The gentle smile never left Prince Theseus' face as he walked from person to person and talked briefly to them.

He had a great deal of knowledge about their private and public life.

On one hand it made the younger members of the royal family feel important that the crown prince himself was taking an interest in their affairs.

The older princes and princesses on the other hand recognised the crown prince's true intentions.

He was delivering an unspoken warning.

The information that he was casually revealing proved that the crown prince had an information network that should be feared.

Princess Anissa sipped on a glass of wine and stared at Prince Theseus who was currently chatting away with a prince from a backwater colony.

The invitation list for this banquet made no logical sense. It included individuals of great political standing and those with little power or influence.

The princess just could not understand what the crown prince's goal was. The band continued to play in the background as the sun gradually set towards the horizon.

The roof of the hall was a transparent glass dome so one could see thousands of stars winking and blinking in the night sky.

It was a beautiful sight.

Prince Theseus cleared his throat and sat down on the chair at the front of the long table in the middle of the hall.

This was the unspoken signal that indicated that the feast was about to begin. The crown prince reached for a glass and held it up in the air.

"My fellow brothers and sisters. The upcoming fight for succession is a tremendous opportunity to reshuffle the balance of power in the Federation," Prince Theseus calmly spoke.

"I swear to you today that those who flock to my banner will receive untold wealth, influence and power."

"I will always remember my friends and I hope that some of you will consider becoming mine…"

The crown prince finished his brief speech and scattered applause filled the hall. It was not particularly loud and there was a feeling of hesitancy.

Some of the royal children were more enthusiastic than others about the offer of riches and power but if the crown prince was offended then he did not show it.

He simply reached for the nearest fork and began to elegantly cut off slices of meat from the roasted animal in front of him.

The rest of the night passed relatively quietly as the crown prince did not talk about political matters but rather made small talk.

In fact, if it were not for the location, one would even assume that this was a normal gathering among the princes and princesses who loved to eat and have a good time.

Prince Theseus was polite and respectful throughout the night and had made a positive impression in the minds of his siblings.

Eventually the banquet hall finally emptied as the last princess was escorted by a servant to the teleportation room where she would be sent back to her starship.

Prince Theseus gestured at the band members for them to leave, and the music finally stopped.

He walked over to the corner of the hall and leaned against the wall with a cold, inhuman expression on his face.

He felt a light tap on his shoulder and knew without even looking who it belonged to. His puppet master had finally arrived…