The Duke's Slave Daughter

The Confrontation

The tension inside the Duke's study was thick enough to cut with a knife. Daeva, Alexis, and Alec stood before their father, their eyes burning with questions, anger, and something darker that none of them could quite place. The air was still, the usual hum of palace life outside muted by the heavy weight of the conversation that had been brewing for days. Finally, the time had come to confront Azrael.

"I can't believe you did this," Alec’s voice was low but seething with barely contained fury. His usually calm demeanor was fractured, his fists clenched at his sides. "Bringing her back—after everything. She’s a threat to us all. Do you understand that, father?"

Azrael's piercing gaze met his son’s, unfazed by the accusation. The Duke’s face remained calm, as it always did, but his mind was working furiously behind those cold eyes. He had expected this reaction. Perhaps he even feared it. But there was no turning back now.

"It was the only choice," Azrael said, his voice firm. "You must trust me on this, Alec. I had to bring her back."

Daeva’s breath caught at the mention of Urania, her name hanging in the air like a dark omen. She stood at the side, her expression one of feigned shock and hurt, though her heart simmered with something far more dangerous. She had spent days pretending to be frightened by Urania's return, toying with the idea of the fragile, broken girl who had once been her sister. But deep down, she was boiling with rage, her mind working tirelessly on how she could rid herself of the girl once and for all.

“Father, please,” Daeva spoke softly, her voice trembling with practiced vulnerability. "I don't understand. Why would you bring her back? After everything she did to us—to our family?” She let the words linger, allowing her tone to catch, her eyes welling with false emotion. “How can you just let her walk through the halls like she never betrayed us all?”

Azrael's gaze softened as he looked at his daughter, but there was a hardness beneath it, a purpose that would not be swayed. "It was not easy, Daeva," he said, almost too gently. "But I have my reasons."

The two brothers exchanged glances, their distrust of the situation obvious. Alexis was the first to speak, his voice harsh with accusation. "If she really was a threat before, why keep her around? Why not lock her away in the dungeon where she belongs? If we can’t trust her, then we have no reason to keep her alive, let alone near us."

Azrael didn’t flinch. "Because I’m not sure what she is anymore," he said. "The fact that she survived—no, 'why' she survived—is what worries me. Someone is helping her. I’m certain of it. I suspect there’s something larger at play, something beyond our control. And if we don't keep her close, we might not be able to uncover who is behind it."

The revelation hit like a cold wave, freezing the room into silence. Daeva’s expression faltered for a split second, but she quickly masked it, her eyes narrowing with confusion. "So you're saying we should trust her? Bring her into the fold and act like she never tore this family apart?"

Alec, still fuming, stepped forward. "Father, this is insane. She’s a liability. You don’t just bring someone back from the dead like that, especially someone who has caused as much damage as she has. If you think that keeping her here will somehow protect us, you’re wrong. She could destroy everything we’ve worked for."

Azrael held up his hand, silencing them both. His posture was stiff, unyielding. "I'm not suggesting we trust her blindly, Alec," he said, his voice carrying a weight of authority. "But if we don’t keep her close, we risk her escaping, or worse, being used against us. If she truly has lost her memory, we have to play along and make her believe we’ve forgiven her. She will lower her guard, and we will learn what she knows."

Daeva’s heart raced as she processed the plan. She could see where Azrael was coming from, but her mind was already calculating how she could twist the situation to her advantage. If she played her cards right, this could be her chance to rid herself of Urania once and for all, without raising suspicion.

"You mean to say," Alexis’ voice was edged with disbelief, "that we’re supposed to be kind to her? To pretend everything is fine, like she never tried to destroy us?"

"Exactly," Azrael replied calmly. "For now, we keep her close. We show kindness, we play the part. But all the while, we will be watching her closely. We’ll keep her on a leash, so to speak."

Daeva nodded as if in agreement, but her mind was already working out how she could use this plan to her advantage. She had to be patient, to make sure no one suspected her true intentions. She would use this opportunity to get rid of Urania for good, to ensure her place at the Duke’s side was secure. She couldn’t allow this unwanted ghost from her past to haunt her any longer.

Alec, clearly unconvinced, shook his head. "I don’t like this, Father," he said, his voice sharp. "We can’t afford to play nice with her. She doesn’t deserve any of our kindness. What if she’s playing us? What if this is all a trap?"

Azrael’s eyes softened, but there was a determination in them that his children knew well. "I understand your concerns, Alec. I share them. But this is the only way we can get answers. We have to understand what’s really going on with Urania. If she’s truly lost her memory, then she’s harmless—for now. But if she hasn’t… we have to be prepared for whatever she’s planning."

Alec still looked unconvinced, his jaw clenched tightly. He didn’t trust Urania, and he never would. He couldn’t stomach the thought of letting the girl who had nearly destroyed their family back into their lives, no matter the reason.

Daeva, on the other hand, was already calculating her next move. "I’ll do it," she said, her voice sweet but deceptively calm. "I’ll be the one to keep an eye on her, to make sure she doesn’t cause any problems. Father, you’re right. If we’re kind to her, she might trust us enough to reveal something we can use."

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Daeva?" The Duke asked, his tone skeptical but hopeful.

"Yeah, Dev, you don’t have to take this burden on yourself," Alexis added, his voice filled with concern for his sister.

Daeva gave them both a soft, reassuring smile, her eyes wide with faux innocence. "I’ll do it, brother. Besides, I might be able to make her confess without resorting to violence. That would be the better way, right? If it turns out that someone is behind her, using her... well, I pity her situation."

Her words were laced with feigned sympathy, the perfect act to mask the darker motives simmering beneath the surface. She wanted them to believe she was just concerned for Urania, that she was doing this out of kindness and a desire to help. But in reality, she saw this as her chance to manipulate the situation to her advantage and eliminate the threat Urania posed once and for all.

Alec, who had been silent until now, shook his head slightly as he regarded her. "Daeva, whatever the case, it's still Urania’s choice to do what she did. If you're determined to go through with this, just... be careful. You don’t know what she's capable of, and we don’t know her true intentions."

He reached out and gently patted her head, a gesture of sibling affection that only slightly masked the worry in his eyes. His tone was protective, but there was an edge to it. He didn’t fully trust Urania, and he certainly didn’t trust Daeva’s intentions in this matter either.

But Daeva merely nodded, her smile never wavering. "I understand, Alec. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it."

Her words were calm, almost too calm, but beneath them, a storm was brewing. She had made her decision. Whatever it took, she would make sure Urania’s return didn’t disrupt her carefully constructed plans. She would play the role of the concerned sister, all the while tightening her grip on the power she so desperately desired.

Azrael nodded, his face unreadable. "I knew I could count on you, Daeva."

The two brothers exchanged a glance, clearly troubled, but they didn’t argue further. Daeva’s mind was already far ahead of them. She would play the part of the concerned sister, the one who worried about Urania’s return, while secretly plotting her destruction.

Alec and Alexis might be too principled to go along with their father's plan, but Daeva knew that if she played her cards right, this could be the opportunity she had been waiting for. She would not let Urania destroy everything she had worked for. Not again.

"I’ll make sure to keep her in line," Daeva added, her smile almost too sweet. "We can all rest easy knowing that Urania will never be a threat to us again."

Azrael regarded her for a moment, his expression softened with approval. "I’m counting on you, Daeva. We need to move carefully now. Everything depends on it."

The conversation ended, but the seeds of betrayal were already sown. Daeva’s true intentions, her dark desire to rid herself of Urania once and for all, remained hidden behind her calm demeanor. As the Duke dismissed them, Daeva left the study with a determined smile, her mind racing with plans. She would play the game. And she would win.

For once and for all, she would make sure Urania’s return would be the end of her.