Spider Queen (Completed)

1 (Undecided Song)

It was exactly a week after the sentencing. The bandages were still on Ruby's wrists. Ruby was back at Silkwood, she was sitting at the small wooden table in the kitchen having mushrooms and milk.

Amore, 1 and Roxanne were having a light breakfast with her. Amore was assigned to look after Ruby after the failed suicide attempt. Amore had apologized to Ruby for not reporting Argon to the authorities. It had been difficult but Ruby had forgiven Amore.

1 had joined Roxanne to countersign on all the paperwork finishing up all the legal obligations between Roxanne and Ruby. "I am glad you're finished there" 1 said. Ruby just said "I learnt the magic 1, being a courtesan isn't frowned on anymore is it?" Ruby countered.

Roxanne didn't care at all, she kept her books clean and followed the law. Ruby hadn't spent a cent of her earnings in her 19 years, 7 months, 2 days and a few hours.

Ruby had smiled a few times during the breakfast, Amore realized Ruby was literally back from the dead, the dead of a broken soul. Amore also realized the happy pills were definitely helping Ruby. Amore had four more weeks of monitoring Ruby before Amore had to return to the hospital.

"Oh yes" Roxanne said "there was one thing I didn't include in the books". Roxanne leaned over and whispered in Ruby's ear, she whispered for about a minute then sat back watching Ruby's face.

Ruby laughed, "No way it's that easy".

"Try it" Roxanne suggested.

Ruby focused, her heart turned into an emotionless stone, her face went blank. Ruby waited 30 seconds then unchained her heart from the emotional blank. Ruby's face went back to normal. Ruby actually laughed and asked Roxanne "Why didn't you tell me at the start when I joined you"?

"Then you wouldn't have learnt the lessons would you?" Roxanne answered.

"Then why do you keep yourself emotionless" Ruby asked Roxanne.

"Profit" was Roxanne's cold answer, "If you like I will turn my emotions on one weekend and we can go out, then you can get to meet the real me".

"Deal" Ruby said, she lifted her wrists and turned them to Roxanne and showed her the bandages. "As soon as these are healed and I am off my happy pills" Ruby giggled. Amore and 1 laughed, the good times were coming back.

"I have to go" Roxanne said, "Call me".

After Roxanne left Amore offered Ruby more mushrooms, "Please" Ruby answered. 1 asked if he could talk about Hegemon and Ruby said "Go for it".

1 told a story.

My father was a cruel and brilliant man. He ruled over all mankind and none escaped his shadow. All resistance was crushed and peace reigned for hundreds of thousands of years. In the time of peace he designed a system of control; he had all the brightest and best mages working in secret. It was to be the ultimate system to control everything, and by everything I mean everything.

The first thing he changed was his title. His title was Hegemon. When anyone talked to him they had to call him Hegemon, not king Hegemon, we weren't even allowed to call our own father 'father', he had to be addressed as Hegemon. It took a long while to get used to.

Hegemon then changed all our words, certain words were banned and removed from dictionaries and even common use. Hegemon had calculated if certain words were removed and their meanings lost in time then people would forget about certain things. Hegemon had designed a system of control by using our own language against us. Words like 'rebellion' and 'rebel' were charged with negativity, so what I am trying to say he used language as a weapon and made certain words positive and others negative. The laws would always force mankind in a positively controlled direction.

Then came the night of swords, when his system of control was put into place. First on his list was my mother, she had to submit to him and agree to be his slave, she would have to even be willing to take her own life should Hegemon require it.

She refused, Hegemon cut her head off there and then.

Then Hegemon went to his children, I was his first born, I submitted to be his slave. In all honesty I was heartbroken about my mother but in my shame I loved life more than I loved my mother. Thus I was tattooed with the number 1 on my neck.

I lost two brothers that night, they refused to submit, my other brothers got their tattoo's, 2, 3 and 4. All my sisters submitted, they became 5,6,7,8 and 9. From that day our names were taken away and we were addressed by numbers.

Hegemon gave every single being a number, including cattle, even our hounds had numbers.

So if you were in public you just had to look at someone's number then you could see if you controlled them or they controlled you.

Ruby, your mother was one of my mother's ladies in waiting, I know she always keeps her neck covered but take a look if you can, her number is 1379. Your mother was the daughter of one of the most powerful nobles in our kingdom. Your father's number is 20769, he was a battle mage and a scientist, he was forbade from marrying your mother because he was lower down on the slave scale.

Of course the numbering system became more and more complicated when they started adding hyphens and commas and all such odd things.

After the first clan rebelled we thought we were lucky, we grabbed our things and flew away. I only realized after thousands of years that Hegemon had engineered our rebellion. The rebels would follow his system, so as I sit here Hegemon is still in control. We follow his system, we don't know even how to rebel properly. That's why I am so lenient in a lot of things and why we started changing our way but as a whole we still follow his system.

"Why did you tell us that" Ruby asked?

1 answered, "because it has to explain the law on wild shrooms and how cruel Hegemon had been".

1 continued:

3, my brother overdosed on those shrooms. Hegemon was heartbroken although he never showed it, Hegemon could be as wise as he was cruel. He instated law 37 of book 379. The culprit was nephew of mine, 413 if I remember correctly. 413 begged for mercy and the clause of forgiveness was added - the second law. Ruby, it is within your right to execute or forgive Argon. Argon broke a sacred law and may have to die for it. What I ask is you look deep into your own heart when his 1000 years are up, I will not judge your choice at all.

"So did Hegemon let 413 go free after the 1000 years" Ruby asked.

"No, Hegemon strangled 413 with own bare hands" 1 said.

"I will make my choice when his 1000 years are up" Ruby said, she moved her hand and held 1's hand, "At the moment it wouldn't be fair".

"Thank you Ruby" 1 said softly.