The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Underground City- Peterlor Estate)

Sophie enjoyed the quiet and peacefulness of the mansion.

She stood still the middle of a long corridor and looked at the portraits hanging from the wall.

When her father was chosen as the head of House Peterlor, he had done quite a bit of remodelling of the family\'s main house.

All the portraits of her ancestors were removed and many of the opulent decorations and gaudy statues were no longer present in the mansion.

The paintings that now hung on the walls were ones that Sophie had picked when she was a little girl.

There were paintings of flowers, forests, grasslands and quite a few pictures of the father- daughter pair smiling broadly at an unknown painter.

Sophie stretched out her hand and touched one of the paintings. It was a portrait of her when she was only twelve years old.

A lifetime ago considering all that had happened.

Sophie felt a twinge of sorrow in her heart as her gaze drifted towards the ring that was wrapped around her index finger.

She was now the duchess.

It was a fact that she was still trying her best to wrap her head around. There was a sense of finality to the ceremony…

As if… as if her father was well and truly gone.

No… don\'t think like that… you are just a temporary stopgap measure… he will return… HE WILL RETURN.

Sophie closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths.

The bursts of pain that occasionally flared up inside her body were getting more infrequent over the last few weeks.

The hybrid girl wasn\'t sure what that meant but hopefully it was a signal that it would not be too long until she fully crossed over into the void stage.

Then she would be able to see her mother. Her mom was her only hope to find out what happened to her dad.

But did she want to know the truth?

Sophie let out a heavy sigh as she opened her eyes and walked down the corridor towards the open balcony.

She parted the curtains covering the entrance and took a step outside. The artificial light that illuminated the underground city fell down on her body.

Gusts of wind brushed against her skin as Sophie reached the edge of the balcony and leaned against the railings.

She just needed some time to clear her head.

This… this was all just too much.

And if she didn\'t have enough to worry about, the crown prince and the mysterious scientist were suspicious about her Insectoid heritage.

They had no proof for now but… how long would that last?

Sophie knew that the Arachnais tribe were hidden deep inside the Insectoid Empire but as the war raged on there was a chance that they would join the main war effort.

Visually it was clear that there was a similarity between herself and the Arachnais and should one be captured…

The genetic analysis test would be the nail in the coffin.

But how could she prevent that future?

It was impossible to change her species and unless a conflict that spanned millennia ended overnight…. hoping that the war would end was just a fantasy.

Killing the crown prince wasn\'t an option since even a duchess could not afford to assassinate or murder a member of the Imperial Family without due cause.

Sophie placed her arms on the railing and let out another sigh. She just didn\'t know what to do about the situation.

Even if she somehow managed to kill the crown prince and the scientist, it may only be a matter of time before another person made the connection.

The hybrid girl remained on the balcony for a few more minutes with numerous thoughts and worries running through her mind.

Finally, she moved away from the railings and head back inside.

Her wrist communicator buzzed slightly, but Sophie was not in the mood to read any messages.

As she walked through the corridor the only thing that she felt was tiredness. She needed a nice long sleep after such a rough day.

Sophie headed towards her bedroom but was pleasantly surprised to bump into a soft female figure on the way to her room.

"Sophie!" Cleo excitedly spoke as she walked up to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around the tall hybrid girl.

The princess squeezed tightly with all the force that she could muster and buried her head into Sophie\'s voluptuous chest.

"It\'s good to see you as well," Sophie replied with a soft smile.

The ceremony had ended around three hours ago, but Cleo had stayed behind to mingle with some of the nobles and get a feel of the political atmosphere.

"So… the duchess of House Peterlor…" Cleo\'s voice trailed off as she stared at Sophie with mischief twinkling in her eyes.

She broke away from the hug and took a few steps back. The princess then bent her knees and performed an elegant curtesy.

"I greet the esteemed and noble Duchess Peterlor," Cleo teased lightly as she politely bowed her head respectfully.

"Oh, stop it," Sophie laughed as she walked towards her girlfriend and grabbed her by the arm to pull her up.

"Be careful with the teasing or I\'ll lock you up in my dungeon for crimes of disrespect…"

"Tyrant!" Cleo shouted in mock anger as she struggled and tried to escape from Sophie\'s iron clad grip.

The two girls laughed together, and a light and bubbly atmosphere formed between the pair.

Sophie pushed back her worries to the back of her mind as she tried her best to enjoy this moment with her girlfriend.

"Want to get something to eat before we go to bed?" Cleo suggested gently as she raised up her palm and lightly touched the side of Sophie\'s cheek.

"Need the energy for later tonight?" Sophie purred softly as she leaned in closer and pressed her lips against Cleo\'s own.

The kiss was soft and lingering with no trace of Sophie\'s usual lust and desire. Cleo closed her eyes and melted away into her girlfriend\'s embrace.

The pair remained frozen in place until Sophie tilted her head back and a thin thread of saliva was all that connected them together.

"I love you," Sophie whispered gently as she stared at Cleo.

"Thanks for being there with me today."