Meeting the parent

Rai looked at the beautiful spider girl in front of him. He wasn't lying, naturally, she had his respect, as all intelligent beings did, and she was quite beautiful... For a... nine year old? He felt quite weird saying that, but he didn't know what else to say. He felt a bit bad for her after all.

Rain did not like leading others on. His beliefs had deep roots in Kant's philosophy. Rain believed that all intelligent life had an inherit value. That he would never use another intelligent being as a means to an end. That should he kill or should someone else kill, that they should expect to be killed. There was obviously circumstances, but Rain would never kill another being without reason, and that reason would never be for pleasure or some bullshit like that. He doesn't tell other people their wrong with their actions, and typically he doesn't judge though he believes it within his right to do so. But he also does not possess the skewed mentality of him being universally right or that he cannot be judged.

Rain would do whatever he wanted, but he would never get angry if someone took retaliation for his actions. Though he would fight back, as within his rights. Even if he wanted to do something, normally he would respect the opinions of others, unless he had a legitimate reason for defying their wishes.

Nevertheless, Rain looked at the spider girl. She seemed to have changed. Before, she wouldn't even raise her head, much less look him in the eyes, but then they seemed to gaze deep into his, as if searching. Now, she stared even deeper and looked at him in his entirety, as if memorizing things.

"You said that you were the son of the king? Son of the lowliest concubine?"

A bit startled by her now direct attitude, Rain responded.

"Y-yes. My name is Mo Rain."

At the mention of his name, Ai visibly shuddered. Getting the name of the person she wanted to possess was more than enough for now.

"Thank you. I will take my leave. I hope we meet again in the future."

Ai attempted to leave, she didn't even try to bow, which actually pleased Rain as it seemed she got her attitude as predator not bowing to prey back. However, if they were going to meet again, he'd like her name.

"Oi, what's your name?"

Ai stopped, froze more accurately. She didn't turn around, but her face showed ecstasy as the last straw of doubt was pulled. She needed him, and she would have him. It didn't matter anymore. She just needed to get stronger and to wait. She just needed to watch.

"M-my name is Ai."

"Thanks."

Ai unfroze and ran, she was going home. She knew she had time before he left the palace. She would use that.

Rain saw her reactions. Just for the record, she didn't make her newfound obsession obvious, so he didn't really suspect or care about her strange reactions. He wouldn't care much even if he did know.

'What time is it?'

Rain knew the party was basically over when Duyi left. He had been here a little while, so he probably didn't have much time. It was time to meet his father.

Rain walked back through the garden, though with a brisk pace. He felt like being late would be ill-advised. Luckily, it wasn't a long walk.

Rain entered the hall. Before him, the rest of his bastard siblings stood before the throne, not close, but not insanely far. They seemed to be making sure that they would arrive before the king returned, he hadn't sat on the throne and had left during the party.

Annoyed glares were thrown at him as he walked in, judging him for his arrival that was dangerously close to being late. Not that they would expect anything less from the worst of them, they told themselves.

However, it didn't matter to Rain. He was free to judge and vice versa. Such was the nature of opinions.

Rain arrived, standing before the throne with the rest. Like the others, who were already going ahead and bending the knee in anticipation, Rain bent it as well. As soon as he did, a sound resounded and a door opened, the same door that the king, queen, and his children originally enter from.

Suddenly, the king was on his throne. Nobody saw him move, but the pressure change caused them to instantly snap their eyes there.

"Good evening, my children."

A smooth voice resounded throughout the throne room.

""Good evening, Your Highness.""

Nobody dared call him father, though technically correct.

"You might be wondering why I called you here... The answer is simple. I have news about the future. The future that might be in store for you, though I guess it all depends on your 13th birthday to decide if this is even feasible. It regards the future of the kingdom and a certain gathering that will take place when my children, and I suppose when some of you, turn 17."

The king spoke slowly and suavely, but his words drilled into the children's heads. This was a matter or power... and a way to prove themselves. They would make sure not to miss a single thing of his following words. This would give them a path... a path to the future.