The Spider Queen

(Procyon Star System- Angro Galaxy)

(Planet Lumclite- Private Mansion)

"Oh… where are my manner?!" the Grand Tutor joked as he attempted to lighten the mood.

He snapped his fingers and two maidservants appeared carrying plates of food and refreshment in their hands.

The elderly man picked up one of the glasses that was filled to the brim with a sparkling red substance and handed it over to the prince with careful movements.

Prince Theseus smiled gently as he raised up the glass to his lips and took a small sip of the contents inside.

The taste was incredible.

The drink had a fizzy tang with an underlying layer of sweetness that added to the depth and complexity of the flavour.

"Count Andrei… I must say that your hospitality is truly impressive," Prince Theseus remarked lightly as he placed the now empty glass on the table nearby.

"Please… I rarely go by my noble position… you can just refer to me by the title of my job," the Grand Tutor replied with a grin on his face.

There was an awkward moment of silence as the crown prince stared at the elderly man with an expression that was hard to describe.

He seemed to be looking into the old man's soul. Seeing all the dirty things that he had done in order to keep his position.

The Grand Tutor shivered slightly as he felt goosebumps appear on his arms.

The crown prince had a reputation for being kind and courteous so why was he feeling this way?

Prince Theseus raised up his palm to cover his mouth and coughed twice. He lowered his hand and slowly walked towards the elderly man.

"But you see… you are not longer the Grand Tutor now…" Prince Theseus softly whispered as he stepped forward until his face was mere inches away from the Grand Tutor.

"My father was the one who bestowed on you that position in the royal court but… he is no longer here now is he?"

"Now… you are just a lowly count, and it scares you… after getting used to all that power in the Imperial Palace… do you really want to go back to being an ordinary nobleman?"

"Maybe you should have begged my father to upgrade your title instead of encouraging him to spend his time partaking in wine, women and other insidious pleasures."

"My prince… I…" the Grand Tutor… no Count Andrei stuttered nervously as he felt an overwhelming pressure fill the room.

The floor beneath his feet cracked and he felt as though he was a mouse staring down at the cat who was approaching him with an open maw.

The maidservants dropped the plates in their hands and fled. The crown prince watched them go without bothering to stop them.

He turned his attention back to the elderly man whose body was now trembling violently like a leaf in the wind.

"You see it happening already… nobles who used to flatter you are nowhere to be found… your influence is waning…" Prince Theseus continued to whisper in a sickly-sweet tone.

"All you have left is your Human Purity Faction and even that is nothing more than a den of poisonous vipers too busy fighting amongst themselves to pose a real threat."

"Sophie Peterlor… she has already reached the void stage… isn't that funny?"

"The one you so desperately tried to stop has now become one of the greatest inspirations for hybrids in the entire Federation."

"My lord… I… I can still be of use to you!" Count Andrei quickly replied as he reached into his storage bag and pulled out a tablet.

"On this device… I have reports from the spies tracking the movements of your royal siblings… there is information on here that can aid you in…"

The crown prince raised up his hand and the room fell silent. The former Grand Tutor did not even dare to make a sound.

Prince Theseus scoffed, and his eyes flashed with mocking derision.

He was the only hope that Count Andrei had to return to the political epicentre of the Federation.

And that meant that all the cards were in his hands.

"You do have your… uses… but I am not interested in information about my dear brothers and sisters at this time," Prince Theseus slowly spoke.

"I believe that your years of service to my family should not go without some form of a reward. In fact, there are none who can match your level of experience in the role of Royal Tutor."

Of course, that was a lie.

There were numerous scholars who could slip into the role of chief advisor to the leader of the Federation and tutor to the royal offsprings.

But sometimes a little bit of flattery goes a long way.

Prince Theseus observed the elderly man's face carefully and sure enough he could see a small trace of arrogance appear in his eyes.

Count Andrei truly believed that he was irreplaceable. The crown prince smiled internally at such a ridiculous notion.

"Anything you want I can do it for you, my lord! I will serve the future emperor of the Federation with loyalty!" Count Andrei declared loudly as he placed a hand to his chest and bowed.

He was still afraid of the crown prince, but his ambition was stronger than the terror that he felt when the gentle prince revealed his fangs.

The former Grand Tutor knelt down on the ground and rested his forehead gently on the floor at the prince's feet in a show of submission.

Prince Theseus watched the display with an impassive expression on his face. His master had predicted that this would happen.

Men who got a small taste of power would do anything to experience it again. There was no greater drug in this world.

The feeling of being able to influence others… to command the life or death of thousands if not millions of people…

Prince Theseus shook his head and pushed those rebellious thoughts to the back of his mind. He was nothing more than an imposter.

A man wearing the skin and face of his brother the real crown prince. He was a fake and his master made sure that he knew that fact.

He may one day sit on the throne, but he would not be the leader of the Federation. No… he would be a mere puppet dancing on the strings of his master.

"Get up from the ground… Grand Tutor," Prince Theseus solemnly spoke as he placed one hand on the elderly man's shoulder.

"What I want from you is simple… use your connections to find as much information as you can about a species of Insectoids known as…"

"The Arachnais."