The Duke's Slave Daughter

Cold Welcome

The palace had always been a place of grandeur, its marble halls echoing with the voices of nobles and servants alike. But today, there was an undercurrent of unease that rippled through the corridors. As Urania walked through the palace with her wolf by her side, a chilling silence seemed to follow her, broken only by hushed whispers and glances.

Her white hair caught the light, an unnatural stark contrast to the dark stone walls of the palace. Her eyes, once a striking shade of violet, were now blood-red, the color of deep, unsettling crimson. She moved like a shadow, her pale figure seeming almost ethereal as she passed by the servants who had once served her. Now, they shrank away, unsure of how to behave, unsure of what had changed in the girl they once thought they knew.

Two maids stood in a corner of the hall, their voices barely above a whisper.

“Is that really Lady Urania?” one of them murmured, her eyes wide in disbelief as she watched Urania pass by. Her hand instinctively reached for her mouth, as though trying to stifle a gasp. “She looks like a ghost.”

Her companion nodded, her expression one of genuine fear. “That’s what happens when someone’s been to the brink of death, I suppose. She’s… different. I don’t know if it’s her, or something else. Her eyes—look at her eyes. They’re not the same.”

The first maid shuddered. “But the Duke, he brought her back. After everything she did... How can he?”

“I don’t know,” the second maid whispered, glancing nervously around. “But I don’t trust her. She doesn’t belong here anymore.”

They fell silent as Urania passed, the sound of her soft footsteps swallowed by the vast, empty space. The servants exchanged looks, their unease growing. The girl they had once known was now a stranger, and they didn’t know what to make of her return.

The main hall was filled with servants and mind, each one talking amongst themselves in low voices as they awaited the Duke’s arrival. When the grand doors swung open and the Duke entered with Urania at his side, an uneasy silence fell over the room.

Urania’s appearance did little to reassure anyone. Her face that looks dead, her wild, unkempt white hair, and the eerie calm that seemed to radiate from her unsettled the entire room. The nobles exchanged looks, their eyes filled with suspicion and fear. There were murmurs of disbelief, some with genuine concern for the Duke’s mental state.

“What is the Duke thinking, bringing her back after everything?” a noblewoman muttered to her husband, shaking her head in disapproval. “Does he not remember what she did?”

Her husband, a tall, broad man with a sharp face, looked over at Urania with a frown. “The Duke must be desperate,” he said quietly. “Why else would he allow this… this creature back into the palace?”

Another noble, overhearing their conversation, leaned in. “I heard she’s been changed. Not just physically, but something about her—something about the way she carries herself. It’s unnatural.”

They all stared at Urania, some with outright disgust. The past scandals surrounding her were well known. No one had forgotten the chaos she had left behind, and now she was standing before them, her expression blank and emotionless, like a specter come back to haunt them.

One of the maids whispered quietly to her companion, her voice laced with concern. "The Duke spends almost every day with that girl. Doesn’t he realize what this might do to Lady Daeva?" She glanced nervously around, making sure no one was within earshot. "It must be tearing her apart, seeing how much attention her father is giving to Urania, especially after everything that happened."

Her companion nodded in agreement, her face tight with worry. "It’s not just Daeva. The way the Duke is acting, as if nothing ever happened… I don’t think he sees the trouble he's causing. Bringing her back here, of all places, after everything she did... it's almost like he's forgotten everything."

The two maids exchanged uncomfortable glances, both knowing that the Duke's unexpected favoritism toward Urania would only make things more complicated for everyone involved. The tension in the palace was growing, and it was clear that Urania’s return had already begun to unravel what little peace remained in the Duke’s household.

-----

Later that afternoon, Urania took a quiet stroll through the palace garden. The air was thick with the scent of roses and lavender, but the peaceful surroundings did little to calm her.

As she wandered through the flower beds, she passed a group of servants tending to the plants. At first, they did not notice her, but when they finally looked up, they froze in place. The woman they had once known was unrecognizable, and the aura around her sent a chill through the air. The sight of the large white wolf by her side only added to their unease.

The head gardener, a stout man with graying hair, was the first to speak. “She… she looks so different,” he said, his voice trembling. “Like she’s not even the same person.”

One of the younger servants, a girl barely out of her teens, nodded frantically, her hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe it. How could she come back after everything? And look at her… those eyes. They’re terrifying.”

The gardener stepped back, wiping his brow with the sleeve of his tunic. “I don’t trust this, not one bit. The Duke has lost his mind, bringing her back here.”

“But what can we do?” the younger servant whispered, her voice shaking. “If we anger her, we might suffer the consequences. Just look at the wolf.”

The wolf, sensing their fear, lifted its head and growled low, its eyes narrowing. The servants flinched, stepping back as they realized how close they were to the beast.

“Let’s not attract her attention,” the gardener muttered, his voice now a mere whisper. “It’s best to stay out of her way.”

They returned to their work, but their minds were not on the garden. All they could think about was the girl who had once been their mistress, now returned as something altogether more dangerous.

From the shade of the courtyard, Daeva watched the scene unfold. Her face was hidden from the group of servants, but her sharp eyes took in every detail of Urania’s strange and unsettling behavior. She could feel the unease rising around her, the servants' growing fear and whispers only serving to feed her own resentment.

Daeva smiled to herself, a cold, calculating smile. This was her chance, her opportunity to strike. She approached a small group of servants who had gathered at the side, clearly nervous as they continued to glance at Urania.

“Did you see her?” Daeva asked, her voice sweet and soft, as though she were concerned. “I can’t help but worry for my safety. After all, we all know what she’s capable of.”

The servants turned, startled by her sudden presence. They immediately lowered their heads, afraid to speak out of turn. Daeva noticed their fear, and it pleased her.

“I know,” she continued, her tone turning pitiful, “she might not remember everything, but I fear that she might still see me as a threat.” She cast a quick glance at the other servants, her eyes pleading. “She’s might be jealous of me, you know. She might think I stole her place in my father’s heart.”

One of the maids, who had been quiet until now, spoke up hesitantly. “But… she’s different now, isn’t she? She doesn’t seem the same.”

Daeva nodded slowly, her face filled with sorrow. “I know. But it doesn’t make me feel any safer.” She cast a worried glance at Urania in the distance, her eyes narrowing. “I can’t help but feel that she might hurt me… again. Please, keep your distance from her. For all our sakes.”

The servants nodded, clearly relieved by Daeva’s apparent concern. Daeva, satisfied with the seed of doubt she had planted, turned and walked away, a small smile on her lips.