The Spider Queen

(Planet Cthelen- Hive City)

(Subsection Delta Quadrant- Fighting Pit No.45)

Cleo looked over the edge of the balcony and tried to ignore the bloody scene on the ground below.

All around her she could hear the whispers and voices coming from the nobles who watched the spectacle with glee.

"Ahh shame… was expecting princess Kallista to put up more of a fight…"

"Tell me about it… she was in the qi tide stage, right? Could have sworn that she was tougher than that…"

"Oh well. Who's in the next fight? I think I want to place some more bets…"

Cleo let out a heavy sigh as she continued to lean up against the sides of the railing. She glanced at her left hand and stared at the thin white envelope held between her fingers.

An invitation.

It had been an unexpected and sudden encounter.

When she had left Sophie to explore the rest of the venue, a beautiful woman with piercing green eyes approached her.

She wore a vibrant coloured dress with a long and flowery tail that trailed on the ground as she walked.

Layers upon layers of ruffles fluttered magically with every step that she took and the golden tiara resting lightly on her forehead completed her otherworldly aura.

She bore a striking resemblance to a fae princess from a fairy tale.

Cleo knew who she was.

Princess Victoria.

A cultivator in the void stage who had decided not to participate in the succession ceremony despite her high cultivation level.

Cleo did not know her personally but as far as her siblings went, princess Victoria had a fairly clean reputation.

Her sister walked over and exchanged some basic pleasantries with her and handed over an invitation to a private gathering that she was hosting tonight.

Then just as quickly as the conversation started, princess Victoria excused herself and disappeared back into the crowd with just a simple goodbye.

Honestly the entire affair was quite strange.

Cleo suspected that it might be some kind of trap but that didn't really make sense. For one the invitation seemed like a whim or a sudden spur of the moment decision.

And there was the fact that on this planet it would be impossible to injury or maim someone outside of the fighting arenas.

This was a fact that Cleo knew all too well.

Nothing could escape the watchful eye of the Guardian even void stage cultivators were nothing but ants when compared to his immense strength.

"Penny for your thoughts?" a soft voice interrupted Cleo's musing.

Sophie walked up to her girlfriend and placed a gentle arm around her shoulder.

She drew the princess in closer for a tight hug and leaned over to plant a kiss on the top of her head.

"Penny for my thoughts? Is that a real saying from the ancient Earth era or are you just messing with me?" Cleo asked curiously as she snuggled closer to her lover.

"Real. It sounds kind of silly, but it means err… a coin for your opinion? Actually, I'm not sure… it wasn't an expression used often," Sophie replied after a long pause.

"But seriously why do you look so down?"

Cleo hummed softly under her breath but did not reply. She lifted up her left palm and handed the envelope over to Sophie.

The hybrid girl raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend's lack of an explanation but still took the envelope and opened it.

[You have been invited to a gathering hosted at the Sky Gardens Nightclub]

[Bring only one companion and enjoy a night of free drinks, refreshments, dancing and so much more…]

[Only those with an invitation will be allowed entry!]

"We're going partying? Wait… who gave you this?" Sophie asked with concern evident in her voice.

"One of my sisters… princess Victoria. She approached me and exchanged a few words before inviting me to a private suite in the nightclub," Cleo replied softly.

Sophie took a moment to gather her thoughts and then opened her mouth to express the confusion that she felt,

"You aren't seriously thinking about going right? Remember that weirdness with the red crystals and the danger that I sensed coming from your siblings on planet Gaia?"

"Not to mention the kidnapping attempt! And the crown prince who had a grudge on me for some reason!"

"This is definitely a trap!"

"I don't think so… for one it would be incredibly foolish for someone to try something within the range of the Guardian's spiritual senses," Cleo rebutted calmly.

"But… you're right. I don't know princess Victoria and it is always better to be safe than sorry. Especially when dealing with my siblings."

Cleo took the envelope back from Sophie and placed it in her storage bag.

She stared off into the distance and the wind brushed against her curly hair causing it to cascade down her shoulders like a waterfall.

Sophie could tell that her girlfriend was in a low mood. This was a combination of multiple factors over these last couple of days.

Being on this planet… was not a pleasant experience for Sophie but it was an even worse time for Cleo.

Having to see genetically modified humans stripped of their free will, watching her siblings kill each other for power and having to be on guard against the ones who didn't.

Maybe it was best if they left this place early.

Sophie knew that it probably wasn't the best move politically, but she wasn't in the mood to keep staying in this den of vipers of smiling psychopaths.

Still was there something that she could do?

Wait…

"Hey… why don't we try something different tonight?" Sophie suggested with a playful glint in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Cleo asked inquisitively.

"Well, there is new VR game out… where you can…" Sophie lowered her voice to a mere whisper and quietly talked in Cleo's ears.

Her girlfriend began to blush furiously as Sophie continued to describe the new R-18 game that she had downloaded that could be played as a multi-player.

Sophie teased Cleo some more and then took her by the arm and escorted her away from the balcony and towards the exit of the stands.

It was best just to return to their private suites and enjoy and relaxing day by the pool instead of staying here and watching bloodshed.