The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Imperial Palace Complex- Main Throne Room)

The atmosphere was completely silent save for the soft melody that accompanied the men and women walking into the throne room.

The grand hall had been thoroughly cleaned and polished until one could see their own reflection on the golden floor.

Large statues of dragons were scattered across the room and the colours of the imperial family a brilliant purple mixed with traces of gold could been seen on the banners that hung on the walls.

At the end of the hall was a raised platform. On the platform with a simple throne made from iron and steel.

The throne was plain and uninteresting.

No extra materials. No ornaments or decorations.

Nothing.

This throne had been carved in the likeness of the first throne used by the Imperial Family. Back during the era when humanity was still finding its footing in the universe.

During those early years of the Federation, humanity was surrounded by enemies both from outside and within.

Racial tensions were high between the various species that made up the Federation once the Draxi Empire had crumbled.

The Servie Rebellion… the Mendolesa Uprising… the Quafes Independence movement... Humanity's expansionist ideals…

The Earth Federation may have seemed like an inevitability now but at the beginning there was a very real threat that the races that made up the alliance would go their separate ways.

At that time the first leader of the Imperial Family a woman by the name of Empress Qlpatra Sisrelis stood tall and restored order.

She united humanity behind a single cause and sought out peace treaties with the other species of the Federation.

She played an important role in maintaining diplomatic ties and is often credited as one of the key founders of the Earth Federation.

Her nickname was the 'Unbroken' and her throne reflected her stubborn personality.

Sophie glanced at the throne and then turned to her girlfriend who watched the proceedings with a neutral look on her face.

The nobles in the throne room were separated into two halves with one group on the right and another on the left.

There was a wide pathway in the middle of the groups that led directly to the throne.

Several masked figures wearing plain white clothes entered the hall and approached the throne with slow but methodical steps.

The entire process of choosing the next leader of the Imperial Family was steeped in tradition and cultural practices.

From the opening ceremony to the final selection… order must be maintained and there was a specific chain of events which had to be carefully adhered to.

No one dared to make a fuss.

Especially considering that the guardian of the Imperial Family was quietly standing behind the throne and watching the entire proceedings.

An Ascension stage cultivator.

A person with the power to wipe out entire planets and was treated as a national weapon.

No interstellar empire would dare to use them in war because unleashing one would guarantee mutually assured destruction if the other side also possessed a cultivator of that level.

The masked figures stepped up to the iron throne and then proceeded to take out knives from their robes.

The melody filling up the hall suddenly shifted to a more violent tune.

There was not hesitation in the masked figures movements as they lifted up their hands and then proceeded to slit their wrists.

Crimson red blood splattered on the throne and the liquid was somehow absorbed into the material.

The masked figures' once white robes were now stained with blood. Their hands glowed slightly and then the wounds closed.

A healing technique?

Sophie narrowed her eyes and tried to get a better look.

She saw the flesh on their wrists stitch back together as if the wounds had not existed in the first place.

Not even a single scar remained.

The masked figures then formed a single line and walked out of the room with slow and unhurried steps.

"That was pretty creepy," Cleo whispered softly.

Sophie lightly touched her girlfriend on her arm and shot her a small smile.

They were not the only ones unnerved by the strange sight and several other nobles muttered quietly amongst themselves.

The doors leading to the grand hall swung open again and this time a steady stream of women wearing expensive clothes stepped into the room.

The former emperor's concubines and wives. This was just a small fraction of the total number but there were at least three hundred women.

Each held a single white rose in their palms.

Sophie had to admit that the emperor had good taste because of each of these women was an outstanding beauty.

The first woman approached the iron throne and muttered a few words before placing the white rose on the seat.

She stepped back and then walked out of the room with her head held high. There was no trace of sadness in her eyes.

The woman next in line was gorgeous middle-aged woman with eastern features and long silky black hair that fell down to her waist.

She cried tearfully as she approached the throne and gently kissed the white rose in her palm before resting it down next to the first.

This process continued for the next several hours as each woman got their turn to place a rose on the iron throne.

Sophie had to fight off the urge to yawn.

It had been somewhat interesting at first to see the various reactions of the former emperor's concubines but now… she just wanted to get some sleep.

She was sure that the other nobles were bored as well but no one wanted to be the first to commit such an enormous faux pas.

Finally, the last rose had been placed and the iron throne could no longer been seen under the enormous pile of flowers that buried it.

A man wearing an iron mask emerged from behind the throne and Sophie wondered if he had been hiding there the entire time.

The man stretched out his palm and a dark purplish-black flame danced along his fingertips. He gently pressed his hand against the pile of flowers, and they began to burn.

This was supposed to symbolise the destruction of the connection between the former leader of the Imperial Family and the throne.

Sophie watched as the flowers wilted and then burned under the intense heat.

A fragrant scent filled the hall as the flowers released a sugary sweet odour as they ignited under the flame.

The mysterious man knelt down on the ground beneath the throne and then proceeded to rest the tip of his mask against the floor.

All the nobles in the hall got down on their knees and faced the direction of the throne. Sophie lowered her head along with the rest of aristocrats next to her.

There was a brief moment of silence that was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Eventually the man wearing the iron mask rose up from the ground and returned to his position in the shadows behind the throne.

The nobles continued to kneel until the melody echoing through the hall switched to a lighter and more upbeat tune.

Sophie held out her hand and helped Cleo to her feet. It was a good thing that the floor had been cleaned because her girlfriend was wearing a peach dress.

"Thank you all for being here today," a soft but masculine voice echoed through the room. Sophie turned in the direction of the sound and saw the Ascension stage cultivator step forward.

He wore a thick and heavy brown robe that concealed much of his features, but one could make out wrinkled skin beneath the fabric.

"The ceremony to choose the next leader of the Federation will begin shortly. I know that you all will pledge your loyalty to the chosen one who will guide us," he slowly spoke.