The Spider Queen

(Planet Gaia- Vermillion City)

(St. Rosa Shopping Plaza- Rising Phoenix Designer Emporium)

"Right this way please," the salesgirl smiled before leading Sophie and Katarina through the store and towards the private rooms hidden in the back.

Sophie did not want to give off the impression of being unaccustomed to luxury, so she restrained herself from openly gawking at the magnificent dresses on display.

Clothes could be made from a variety of materials found across the universe and only simple dresses in the style of ancient Earth would use threads.

Some examples of different materials used would be clothes were made from feathers or others made from rare metallic jewels that could be stretched and molded like rubber.

There was even a fashion trend a few centuries ago where hologram dresses were in fashion for the more adventurous nobles.

Simply place an emitter in the middle of the chest region of the customer and the image of a dress or a suit would be projected outward.

The main drawback was that you were essentially naked and after a few high-profile incidences of public indecency that happened when an emitter ran out of battery….

These types of clothing were eventually banned.

Each article of clothing on display could sell for upwards of one million Enas and yet they were far from the most expensive items in the shop.

The truly wealthy would order custom made pieces that were designed by world renowned fashion experts.

Of course, the cost of hiring these tailors and artists was quite high but for the V.I.P customers it was a paltry sum.

Sophie saw a beautiful fountain in the middle of the store that had a statue of what looked like a bird rising into the air.

What was unique about the fountain was that instead of water, fiery molten lava flowed and oozed out of the crevices.

The fountain was covered by a localised forcefield, so the intense heat did not spread out and raise the overall temperature of the store.

After ten minutes of walking through the shop, Sophie noticed that they had arrived at a towering wall with multiple wooden doors.

The salesgirl carefully inspected each door and eventually led them towards an inconspicuous door at the far-right corner of the wall.

Knock! Knock!

She rapped her knuckles twice against the wooden frame and a deep melodic voice on the other side muttered something in reply.

"Just enter inside Miss Peterlor," the salesgirl nodded respectfully and then opened the door for Sophie and Katarina to enter.

She would not be following them inside as Mr. Denver did not approve of noncustomers entering his workspace.

Adam Denver was a cut above the rest and his high reputation was well deserved.

He would not accept orders from anyone without a recommendation.

The demand for his clothing far exceeded the supply and Adam had no need for money because fulfilling a single order would allow him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

The first thing Sophie noticed when she entered the room was how cozy and warm it seemed.

There was a roaring fireplace in the corner of the room and the floor was covered in a thick furry carpet.

Mysterious paintings lined the sides of the wall and Sophie was shocked to discover that each was painted by a famous artist.

The value of the paintings in the room could not even be measured!

"Absolutely stunning!" a joyful shout came from the center of the room as a young man dashed towards Sophie.

Katarina unconsciously stepped forward and placed herself between the overenthusiastic fashion designer and her young miss.

Adam crashed into Katarina's lean frame and fell to the floor with a dull thud.

Sophie stared wide eyed as she could not comprehend what just happened.

"Sorry I sometimes get excited when I see a new muse," Adam sheepishly got up from the ground and stretched out a hand.

Sophie shook it tentatively and took the opportunity to get a closer look at the man known as the 'Fashion King.'

Adam was a scrawny man in his early thirties with fair skin, hazel eyes, and a scattering of freckles across his face.

His body did not have a trace of muscle or fat and his physique seemed almost skeletal-like. He was dressed in a plain black shirt and a pair of track-pants.

It was not an extraordinary handsome visage that would draw the attention of anyone seeing him for the first time as Adam was a fairly ordinary looking man.

His eyes however glowered with an expression of equal parts madness and fanaticism that made Sophie realise that he was slightly…. off.

"Nice to meet you. I am Sophie Peterlor, and this is my bodyguard Katarina," Sophie shook his hand and introduced herself politely.

"Yeah… yeah…. let's skip the formalities," Adam waved his other hand dismissively in the air.

"Let me get my babies!"

He turned around and ran towards another wooden door that was connected to the back of the room.

"He is an interesting one," Katarina could not help but whisper in Sophie's ear as the pair saw the figure enter the side room and disappear.

"I think so as well but I trust dad's judgement," Sophie replied.

Soon Adam returned with an armful of measuring tapes, scissors, various fabric sheets and some other strange devices.

Before Sophie could even say a word, Adam immediately rushed over and started measuring her various sizes.

This time Katarina moved aside and let the genius tailor do his work.

Adam measured every part of Sophie's body from her long slender legs to the four blade-like appendages jutting out of her back.

He would use an old-fashioned measuring tape to record most of the measurements but for the more private areas he would use a handheld body scanner that did not require direct contact.

"I have seen many models in the past, but you are simply a work of art!" Adam could not help but stare in appreciation as he eagerly jotted down some notes on a small tablet.

Sophie Peterlor was truly a gorgeous young woman.

Standing at an imposing seven feet in height but with a curvaceous body that would be the downfall of many eager admirers.

Her facial features were stunning, and her beauty had an air of seduction that hid the dangerous predator beneath.

And yet a hint of her savage nature could be seen in her golden eyes that shone with a resplendent luster.

"So, what style do you want?" Adam kept writing on his tablet and started to fire off questions.

"Recently there has been a trend towards softer colours and plain dresses in order to emphasis delicate beauty."

"Do you want a dress in this style?"

"No," Sophie refused without hesitation.

"I want a dress that makes me feel intimidating and powerful. Use my hybrid features as a weapon to silence anyone who wants to mock me."

Adam paused writing his notes as a barely noticeable trace of a smile crossed his lips before he continued to diligently draw his initial draft.

Sophie Peterlor was completely unsuited to portray the image of a delicate beauty, so the only option was to go completely in the opposite direction.

She was suited to become a rose.

Beautiful and stunning but one needed to beware the sharp thorns hidden just below the surface.