The Spider Queen

(Planet Cthelen- Hive City)

(Subsection Delta Quadrant- Fighting Pit No.45)

"I must say duchess Peterlor… you are absolutely delightful," a high-pitched voice tittered with a hint of laughter in her tone.

Sophie politely smiled and tried not to show the discomfort on her face as she got a whiff of expensive perfume that smelled like sandpaper mixed with jasmine.

The woman next to her wore an elegant evening gown adorned with intricate embellishments and glowing jewels that shone with every graceful movement that she made.

The fabric of her dress was a rich blend of satin which cascaded around her and pooled on the floor of the stands.

However, there was one aspect of her appearance that stood out the most. 

Her face was completely covered in heavy makeup to the point where it was hard to distinguish any of her facial features amidst the sea of powder.

And the odour surrounding her body… was not pleasant.

"Countess Maria Von Decruz … the pleasure is all mine," Sophie smoothly replied as she stretched out her hand and the woman grabbed it for a firm handshake.

"It is always a delight to meet a member of the Centurion Star System… tell me what it is like to live in a developing region?"

The countess\' eyes lit up and Sophie knew that she had made the right choice.

Countess Maria opened her mouth and excitedly began to speak,

"Well, we\'ve recently been terraforming some moons orbiting a local gas planet, my darling husband Walter is in charge of the project, but you know how men can get…" 

"The gods only know how that man has survived for so long without being able to look after himself."

"Sigh… the only downsides are the workers… there is only so much you can push them before the mercenaries have to be hired to maintain order."

"And of course, those expenses add up…"

She continued to talk nonstop while Sophie occasionally nodded her head and pretended to be interested.

This was an incredibly boring situation, but she had no other choice. 

During the intermissions between the fights was the perfect time to expand her family\'s connections.

This was honestly the perfect opportunity. 

Nobles were gathered in one central location from all across the Federation.

If she could make a few trade deals, informal alliances and get the contacts of some of these foreign nobles then this entire affair would be worth it.

Sophie entertained the countess for a ten more minutes that felt like an eternity and then moved on to another part of the stands.

"Duchess Peterlor," a hoarse masculine voice called out.

Sophie turned in the direction of the sound and saw a slender young man with soft feminine features that enhanced his androgynous beauty.

He wore a simple black suit with a white tie loosely hanging from around his neck. 

Next to the man was a massive hulking Mendolesa female who stood out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of nobility.

"Ahh… pleasant afternoon to you, my good sir. I don\'t believe that we have had the pleasure of an introduction," Sophie put on a friendly smile as she stretched out her hand.

The young man looked at her outstretched palm for a moment and then gave her a quick shake before retreating his hand back into the pocket of his jacket.

"Yes… I am Arthur Solaris of House Solaris… this is my fiancée, Ingrid Ashford. She is a future member of my house," the young man quietly spoke.

"It is pleasure to meet you both," Sophie replied calmly as she looked at the pair with a bit more goodwill.

It was rare to see a union between humans and Mendolesas at least in noble high society. 

In regions like the Hydra Star System there was a decent population of hybrids but ninety nine percent of them were commoners. 

House Solaris… where had she heard that name before?

Within just a few seconds Sophie mentally accessed all of her memories and quickly recalled all information that she possessed about that house.

This was just one of the many benefits of being a void stage cultivator.

Oh… wait…

Huh?

Sophie furrowed her brows slightly as she finally placed the name with the noble family in her memory.

House Solaris were an aristocratic clan who had risen to the position of upper nobility within the span of three centuries.

That may seem like a long time but in the era of interstellar exploration it was nothing more than the blink of an eye.

"So, miss Ingrid, how are you enjoying the succession ceremony so far? I know that it must seem eerily similar to the Bl\'aek rituals on planet Eleron," Sophie lightheartedly joked.

"Thank goodness those traditions were stopped a few hundred thousand years ago otherwise…"

"The halting of the Bl\'aek rituals was a mistake," Ingrid interrupted Sophie with a low growl as her tail lowered towards the ground.

"Warriors are forged from blood and battle. There is not greater hardening of the heart than the experience of killing one\'s kin."

"I disagree. The Bl\'aek rituals just like this succession ceremony are a waste of talent and precious resources," Sophie coldly responded as she saw irritation in Ingrid\'s eyes.

"You are right that warriors are forged in battles but with the technology and runic magic available in modern times practice spars should not end in death."

"Then you are soft as well," Ingrid scoffed mockingly.

She turned to Arthur to whisper something in his ears when her entire body froze. Sophie took one single step forward and all the hairs on Ingrid\'s body stood up on end.

The edges of Sophie\'s golden eyes were stained by a faint crimson mist which spread rapidly until they were completely covered.

An apex predator.

A monster.

A killing demon.

Ingrid\'s legs trembled violently as she collapsed on the ground with her butt slamming against the cold tiles that made up the floor of the stands.

The commotion caused all the nearby nobles to look in their direction. Ingrid shivered as she heard a sweet voice call out to her.

"Are you okay? I think someone spilled a drink there," Sophie gently spoke. She grabbed Ingrid by the arm and pulled her up.

Ingrid looked at her in shock and horror since Sophie\'s eyes were now back to their golden hue and no trace of the monstrous killing intent that surrounded her just moments ago could be felt.

"I… I… sorry… I…" Ingrid stammered as she fearfully withdrew her hand and took several steps backwards before fleeing.

"Darling?" Arthur exclaimed in shock. He had no idea what had gotten into his fiancée for her to act so strangely.

She had embarrassed him in front of Duchess Peterlor!

"Don\'t worry… sometimes being in crowded spaces can get overwhelming," Sophie spoke in a sympathetic tone masking the sadistic glee that she felt in her heart.

"Your fiancée appears to need a short break to rest."