Duke Aurelius was sitting on his stool and contemplating this and that, every time he shifted his weight ever so slightly the stool creaked in pained protest.
Suddenly two hands landed on the shoulders of Duke Aurelius.
“Gotcha!”
“Ah?!”
The tired legs of the stool broke off making Duke Aurelius collapse to the floor with a loud thump.
“Spider King?!” He said indignantly while lying on the floor.
“You didn’t see me coming did you?” The Spider King asked with a broad grin.
“No, I didn’t.” Not that he was looking anyway.
“It’s Camouflage, I waltzed in straight through the front door.” He said way too happy about it. “By the way, you need better security. There are barely any guards here.”
There were none. That’s the point of them when the spiders can walk the shadows and pop in his bedroom at night whenever they please? And anyway, he had all the protection he needed under his robe, a very thick tome.
“I’ll think about it.” Duke Aurelius said without committing. “So, Camouflage, that’s how you slipped past my greeting party!” He said in realisation.
“Oh? Did you send someone to meet me? Sorry about that, I was preoccupied with something else. Anyway, I’ve dealt with the Empire’s Army, they shouldn’t bother you for a while.”
“What really? What did you do? No! Wait… I don’t want to even begin imagining.” He collected himself off the floor with a grunt.
The Spider King offered a helping hand, but Duke Aurelius didn’t take it being too proud.
The Spider King replied. “What do you think I am? Some Demon Lord? I had a pleasant conversation with Radiant Sword and she turned the army around for me.”
“What? Really?” Duke Aurelius repeated again just as surprised.
“Yeah, but they will be back eventually. So I advise you to prepare properly this time.”
“You won’t lend me your spiders?” Duke Aurelius said with clear worry.
The Spider King had a thoughtful look for a moment. “This is your war to win. Did you think that you becoming my subordinate and submitting the Aurelian Kingdom to me absolves you from all responsibility?”
“Of course not!” He said collapsing to his knees. “But the Aurelian King… Aurelian Dutchy is too small to fight an entire Empire. We’ll be wiped out!”
“I know. That’s why I will provide you with aid. I’ll give you the spider builders and the spider engeneers, the magic scrolls and all the potions you need. But the victory will rest entirely on your shoulders. Oh, and I won’t allow any of the spiders to participate in the attacks.” The Spider King laid some preliminary rules.
“I understand. I still need to prove myself. To prove that I am worthy to rule my people.”
The spider King Nodded. “Yes, incompetent rulers are the most useless people. So, I advise you to seek talents and surround yourself with them.”
“Then… can I rely on Lord G Bling, just for a bit?”
“Oh? It seems he’s already an integral part of the Aurelian Dutchy. I don’t see any problem with that.”
Duke Aurelius grinned upon hearing that sentence. “Then, I’ll do just that.”
“Hmm… Even so, I want you to make your own decisions.”
“I understand that, my King.” Duke Aurelius bowed. “I won’t disappoint you, or my people.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.”
“One more thing. I assume you will grace us at the evening party, yes? Even if we spoke now, it’s best if you attend. And tomorrow we can make things official with a big celebration.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m here. To get a feel of your friends and allies, please give me a rough outline of your guest list and why you invited them. Also, the official celebration will have to wait, I need to wait for my wife.”
The Spider King explained that the Lamia and most of the spiders will be coming in a few days’ time. And the Duke Aurelius briefed the King about the guests.
…
The evening party went through smoothly and there is no need to go into the small details. Of course, there might have been some misunderstandings like the Centauri Champion being the Spider King’s second wife and such; but those little misunderstandings were smoothed in the end.
For the following two days, the Spider King explored the Aurelian Capital further. All the people he passed and talked with, despite their obvious Obese status, were otherwise healthy and full of energy. The sight of broad warm smiles told everting you needed to know about how they felt. The Aurelian people went through a lot, but not even a single person expressed their discontent about their current Aurelian ruler, actually, they called him endearingly as Aurelius the Great. If people held Aurelius in such high regard, he must have been doing something right.
Which in its entirety was slightly odd. Aurelius didn’t hide his dark side from the people. He was known to be responsible for the complete destruction of the Fertile Kingdom’s capital. He was behind the brutal cleansing of the majority of the local nobility and other houses which opposed him. He brought some very strict and oppressive rules. He was the one who opened the capital to spiders and other monster races. All of the above implied that by no means Aurelius was either kind or benevolent, or even all that smart. But even still, in the end, the people loved him. The hearts of common men were hard to understand.
On a side note, the spiders seemed to be an integral part of the Aurelian Capital. And the best of it was that the people now welcomed them. If anything, it seemed that there was a demand for more spiders. The spiders were just too useful! They were too hard not to have around once you got used to their presence.
But one problem remained, the Aurelian people were wilfully ignorant. The danger of the Holy Empire was just at the border. The Spider King had long decided that it was best to inform them about that, after all, they will need to prepare. This was their fight, and the spiders would only help from the side-lines.
Soon enough, the Lamia Queen and the rest of the spiders found their way into the capital. Even then compared to the landing of the Galleon Whale, their entrance was grand and hard to miss. And it was obviously intentional since the Lamia Queen enjoyed that type of attention. Even the Spider King himself was left speechless at his wife’s entry.
The spiders wore luxurious blue robes and marched with heads held high while matching their steps perfectly. Mind you, there were a lot of spiders, an entire army, so to say that this was a parade won’t be wrong. In between the ranks of spiders were open carriages pulled by equally well-dressed Centauri. Sorry girls, you were reduced to the beasts of burden! But for whatever reason, Centauri had looks filled with pride, understandably they took this task with great honour. And no one really looked down on them since they had this noble aura of magnificence about them. Unavoidably, quite a few young men were left standing at an awkward posture and the married women had to shield the eyes of their husbands. The Centauri weapons were barely contained by thin blue cloth making them sway and move as they pulled the carriages. The threat was real!
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
The subjects of the Lamia Queen also wore beautiful blue dresses, however, much less revealing than the Centauri did. Admittedly, due to their sensitivity to the sun, they were mostly covered in cloth and even their faces were hidden by a thin veil. However, that only added to their mysterious charm. It was hard not to wonder what was behind all that cloth, it was hard not to want to remove it, It was hard not to desire to rip all of that off and… well let's not submit ourselves fully to that natural Charm of the Lamia.
The obvious jewel of the Lamia people was the Queen herself. Much like her subjects, her body was hidden by cloth. However, it was much finer and thinner, the fabric clung to her natural shapes leaving little to the imagination. The blue dress was encrusted by polished gems and patterns of golden thread, giving it that feel of royalty. And like all royalty should, she held a symbol of power – a massive sceptre. The sceptre pulsed in purple light sending the equally pink motes of light towards the people. The Lamia Queen was simply dashing and irresistible, she stole the eyes from men and women alike.
The ongoing parade didn’t display much military might and power, but instead, it showed the splendour and unity of the Spider Kingdom. But also, for some hard-to-explain reason, all the females in the Spider Kingdom had that undeniable aura of allure and sexiness. It was an unexplainable phenomenon.
The parade processed slowly through the capital until it reached a stop at the slightly unkept and decrepit Royal Palace. There the Lamia Queen joined the Spider King on a balcony.
The balcony overlooked an incredibly large gathering of people. Undoubtedly, every single person from the Aurelian Dutchy was here, plus all the spiders and sexy monster girls. There, overlooking the people, was the Spider King. He was surrounded by his aides. On the right was his wife and on the left was the current host - Duke Aurelius. Behind the three were the Centauri Champion, Lord G Bling, Crimson Alchemist, and Captain General of Aurelian Order. The latter human had just ascended to the position yesterday but was included as a show of trust.
As far as the Spider King could see there were figures of the people. There must be, what? A million or two of them. To address a mass like this Aurelius had kindly lent a special device from the Royal Treasury. It was a large ivory horn encrusted with bands of gold and enchanted with Wind magic, Aurelian Horn of Resonance was its name. Apparently, it hasn't been used in ages and the actual viability of it wasn’t yet tested by the Aurelius.
But here it was, mounted to the balcony and ready to be used… shouting ‘Testing! Testing! 123!’ seemed hardly appropriate.
The Spider King cleared his throat to begin his address. “Hello, Aurelian people.” The item worked as intended. “Today is a joyous occasion, as we gather here to welcome you, the Aurelian people, into my glorious Monster Realm.” Everyone cheered and clapped seemingly unperturbed by the ‘monster’ part. “Thank you, thank you, I am humbled by your warm applause. I’m so happy to see that the opinion of my spiders has changed so drastically.” He cleared his throat again wishing to go back to the ‘script’. “For those who don’t know yet, even though I hold many titles, I am best known as the Spider King, and from now on I stand here as your new King.” He looked at the crowd with a tinge of worry.
He didn’t need to do so because the crowd once again cheered in ovation.
“Ah, you all are so lovely and welcoming, I hardly deserve to rule such good people as yourselves. Thus, as you might know, you will retain Aurelius the Great as your representative. Today he gains a very important title, he becomes Duke Aurelius of the Monster Realm, or simply a Monster Duke. This is a title first of its kind! Please give your cheers to the Moster Duke Aurelius.”
Aurelius stepped closer to the balcony fence and right next to the Spider King. The people raved and roared, understandably much louder than they did for the Spider King.
The Spider King wasn’t quite finished. “What an unexpectedly strong response, very admirable. Duke Aurelius, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for you choosing to join my Monster Realm. Your decision to do so is a testament to the trust and confidence you have placed in my vision. A vision where spiders and humans can coexist in mutual prosperity. A vision where we grow stronger together.” He was back on his ‘script’. “I call upon all of you, Aurelian people, to extend a warm welcome not just to the spiders but other races which might want to live here in the future.” He motioned at the cluster of Lamia and Centauri. “Let’s open our hearts and minds, forging bonds of friendship and understanding. By working together, we shall build bridges that connect different races, forging a sense of shared purpose.”
This was time to reveal some special news, which many would surely find shocking, because even he was.
“Actually, we already have two people who embraced these ideals. A human and a spider came together, and despite their differences, they fell in love. These two are prominent individuals so I’m sure you heard of them. Crimson Alchemist and Lord G Bling, please step forward.”
The two did as told so that people down below could see them better.
“I, the Spider King, bless your marriage. May your love blossom and set an example to others.”
The crowd was somewhat confused but even then, they cheered and clapped. There was the bit that the Lamia Queen wanted him to announce in his address. A rather important problem actually.
“Oh, and since we are on the topic. Our beautiful Lamia.” He pointed again at the group. “Are looking for good husbands to take back to the Spider Kingdom, so please, don’t be hesitant to approach them later.”
Yeah, since Gareth abandoned them for the Dark Fortress they were feeling lonely. A number of curious gazes fell on their sleek serpentine forms. The Lamia waved invitingly at their potential suitors.
“There's more which I need to say.” The Spider King gathered the attention back to himself. “As your King, I assure you that you shall be provided with the necessary resources needed for you to flourish. I shall increase the shipments of TomGrape making it ever so cheaper. I shall open not two, not four but ten more Spidery Delicious. I shall send more Blue Cloth so that you can stay ever so fashionable. Oh, how it’s so splendid to see everyone wearing blue and enjoying spider cuisine, aren’t we already so united? Also, the knowledge of my spider builders and engineers will be at your disposal. Surely, the capital will grow in size and splendour. Those who still need housing will have it here for free! Everyone can settle in the Capital!”
Once again, the people roared in excited agreement.
“May the bonds we forge today be everlasting, and with our collective efforts may the Monster Realm expand and grow stronger. I, the Spider King, stand before you, humbled and grateful, ready to guide us to a future filled with promise and greatness.” The people responded just like they did before. “However, there will be people envying us and our prosperity. Bitter and jealous people who are dead set on destroying that which is good. I’m sure you know what I speak of. Yes, the Holy Empire, entirely unprovoked, had declared war on the Aurelian Dutchy.
The people gasped in shock.
“Their intentions are clearly evil. They want to kill all the spiders!” Everyone gasped again. “They want to take away all the good things you have here. They want to destroy the way of your life. And why you might ask? It’s because they see spiders as twisted demons. That’s it. That’s reason enough for them.
People began shouting and cursing at the Holy Empire. It was an unspoken taboo to offend a spider.
“Yes, I know. They just don’t get it, do they? But even still, we will have to protect that which is most precious. You will have to fight, but fear not because our Aurelius the Great will lead you and you will have my spiders to assist you.”
The people talked in hushed tones between themselves, understandably not too excited about the idea of fighting.
“Please have more faith in yourself. If anything, you have already displayed the strength of the Aurelian people. All of you being here is a testament to your unity. And unity is strength!” The Spider King pointed at the humans as a group. “You have good hearts and it’s always the good men who win and prevail against the evil. Fear not, we will persevere and show them that the Aurelian Dutchy is not to be messed with.”
Duke Aurelius jumped in to add. “Yeah! We’ll crush them like we did the Fertile Kingdom!”
The crowd roared at the words of their Duke.
“See! That’s the spirit. But for now, let’s forget the unpleasant things. We are here to celebrate! So let’s celebrate! Long live the Monster Realm, Long live the Aurelian Dutchy!”
“Long live the Monster Realm, Long live the Aurelian Dutchy!” Duke Aurelius parroted but with more vigour.
The same line was repeated by the people again and again sending the thunderous roar far and wide.
[Congratulations! The Aurelian Dutchy joined the Monster Realm], thus the area governed by the mysterious power of the Spider King expanded.
In between the roaring cheers Duke Aurelius leaned closer to the Spider King’s ear for a whisper.
“Huh, I didn’t expect the system message… and it says I can Evolve? ?
Apparently, everyone received the announcement. There was nothing more official than the System recognising it.
Still, the Spider King had to remind something important to the Duke Aurelius. “It means that now I can change your race permanently. Into something else, like I did with Radiant Sword.” He had talked about that event with Aurelius the other day. “I warn you that you will stop being human. You’ll become something else entirely.” He said that while waving at the people beneath and retreating further away from the balcony.
Aurelius had a broad grin stretching from one corner of his face to the other, his desire to abandon his own humanity so readily was almost obscene.
However, a certain approaching light had caught the attention of the two. It was only a radiant speck in the horizon but it was growing quickly. Soon the form was close enough for the Spider King to tell what it was.
“The Angel? Why is she here?” He uttered.