Chapter 71: YOU ARE MEANT TO ACCEPT THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Uriel considered this, his mind working through the possibilities. "We strike during the meeting. But we do it cleanly. No explosives, no chaos. Precision strikes only. Each target eliminated quietly, without drawing attention until it is too late."
Rakesh leaned forward, his snow leopard eyes sharp. "That requires inside operatives. People who can get close without raising suspicion."
"We have them." Uriel looked at Magus. "The spies we planted years ago. It is time to activate them."
Magus made a note on his tablet. "I will send the orders tonight."
Uriel turned to the rest of the council. "I want each of you to review your sectors. Identify any weak points in our own security. If we are planning to infiltrate Zephoros, we must assume they are trying to do the same to us."
The council members nodded, rising from their seats.
One by one, they filed out of the command center, their voices low as they discussed the task ahead, the weight of what they were about to do settling over them like a shroud.
Magus lingered.
The room was empty now except for the two of them and the fading glow of the holographic display.
"Uriel," Magus said quietly, stepping closer. "Your father will eventually learn the truth about Triton. You cannot keep this from him forever. The council will talk. The families of the fallen will ask questions. Secrets like this do not stay buried."
Uriel stared at the list of names still floating in the air, Triton’s name glowing at him like an accusation. "I do not need forever. I just need enough time to end this war before it starts. Once the Zephorian leadership is gone, once their people have a chance to rebuild, the truth about Triton will be nothing more than a footnote. A sad story about a man who lost his way."
Magus studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded slowly. "I hope you are right."
He turned and walked out, his footsteps echoing on the stone floor.
Uriel stood alone in the command center, the weight of the room pressing in on him. The holographic display flickered, the names of the Zephorian leaders still visible, still waiting.
Triton’s face stared back at him—the man who had once held him as a child, who had called him nephew, who had taught him that loyalty was everything.
It was in their human nature to betray.
Uriel reached out and closed the hologram. The room plunged into darkness, lit only by the faint glow of the emergency lights along the walls.
He turned and walked toward the door.
Uriel arrived at the estate, hours after Lin Yue and the others had departed.
The house was awfully quiet, usually Mira or Lin Yue would have appeared by now.
Maybe they were upstairs, he thought to himself.
Upstairs was just as quiet. The room and the nursery had no signs of Lin Yue or Auriel.
Where did they go?
He came downstairs again, they couldn’t just disappear in a house full of guards.
"Hey, where’s my wife and son."
The man bowed, keeping his head down as he spoke.
"Good morning, Sir. The madam and the prince left the estate a few hours ago. They were accompanied by Ben, Jack and Mira. Something about scouting new staff."
Uriel bit his lips, Lin Yue had asked him to accompany her and clear his schedule yesterday but now he was even busier and she had to go without him.
"Very well. Have Ben report when they return."
He went back upstairs, took a shower, had a change of clothes and headed to his study.
They had decided to mirror down the kill list.
They could kill the leaders the minority couldn’t overpower, they were going to level the field.
As for Triton, he should have just remained dead.
The workload was becoming increasingly alarming and he was getting a migraine on a daily basis.
He rested his head on the desk, he just needed a moment to breathe, he didn’t need another thing to raise his blood pressure.
The knock on the door broke him from his reverie.
"Arbam? What is it?"
Arbam bowed before he spoke. "Sir, the madam has returned but it seems she brought halflings along with her.."
-_-
"She did what?" Uriel took a deep breath and stood up, humans were such empathetic creatures.
"Let’s go down.."
Uriel stepped out of his study and descended the stairs, his jaw tight, his temples throbbing. Halflings. Of all things, Lin Yue had brought halflings into his home.
He could feel the eyes of the staff on him as he walked, their whispers barely concealed behind their hands.
The entrance hall was crowded when he arrived—Ben and Jack standing near the door, Mira off to the side with a stack of bags, and in the center of it all, four figures that did not belong.
They were thin, ragged, their clothes newly purchased but their faces still hollow.
A stag with tired eyes, a doe with her antlers just budding, a mushroom creature barely five feet tall, and a butterfly hybrid whose wings shimmered like mercury. They flinched when he entered, pressing closer together.
Lin Yue stood in front of them, Auriel strapped to her chest, her chin lifted.
Uriel stopped a few feet away. "What is this?"
Lin Yue met his eyes. "They are halflings. They were being sold in the black market. So I bought them."
"You bought them." His voice was flat.
"They were going to be killed, Uriel. The man had a blade to his throat. What was I supposed to do? Walk away?"
"Yes." The word came out harder than he intended. "You were supposed to walk away. You were supposed to be scouting for staff, not bringing halflings into my home."
"Your home?" Lin Yue’s eyes flashed. "Our home. And they are staff now. They need work, and we need workers. It solves both problems."
Uriel stared at her. "You cannot be serious."
"I am completely serious." She did not back down. "They will work, they will be paid, and they will be treated like everyone else in this house."
The hall was silent.
The guards shifted uncomfortably.
Mira kept her eyes on the floor.
Uriel lowered his voice. "Lin Yue, you do not understand. Halflings are not—"
"Not what?" She stepped closer, Auriel snug between them. "Not human enough? Not beast enough? They bleed, Uriel. They breathe. They have hearts and minds and hopes just like everyone else. Just because they are different does not mean they deserve to be treated like animals."
Uriel’s jaw tightened. "It is not that simple."
"It is exactly that simple." Her voice rose. "You are a prince. These are your people. Every single person on this planet is your responsibility, whether you like it or not. They should not be sold like livestock. They should not be killed for being born different. Our blood is all red, Uriel. You are meant to accept the good, the bad, and the ugly. That is what leadership is."
