"Please don't be upset, I can..." She started to speak before being interrupted.

"Who Odette. Who did you... who's the father. Please. I need to know." He pleaded. But for some reason. He feared he already knew the answer to that question. He hoped to whatever god that would listen to his prayers that he was wrong.

"Reni. It was Reni." She said quietly. She was stunned to see her father break down in tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry Sorne. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Please, please forgive me." He pleaded as he looked towards the night sky.

Odette was confused, she could understand the situation her family was in. But what she couldn't understand was her father's reaction to the news that the father was Rene. And who was Sorne?

"Father, who's Sorne? And why are you more upset than normal? Reni's just a slave." She stated with a hint of ignorance.

Alban took a moment to regain his composure.

"Sorne was, a lot of things to a lot of people. And to me she was a hero. To you and your mother, not so much." Alban stated flatly.

"I don't understand." Odette asked in confusion.

"Your mother was once in the same position that you were in. The only difference was that the Isaure Act didn't quite exist just yet and global sentiment to the slave trade was in a different head space entirely. When your grandparents found out that she was pregnant with a slaves child. They wanted me lynched before you were born as to not sully the family's reputation and bloodline with the likes of witches and warlocks. Luckily news of this reached your mother and her friend Sorne who was an abolitionist at the time, and had a way of helping your mother take some of the slaves the family sold to their clients and helped them escape to countries that didn't recognize slavery. " Alban explained.

"Wait, that doesn't make any sense. I'm not branded so how come I don't have any magical powers?" Odette asked.

"You do. Your grandfather thought it would be best to brand you were no one would notice. Under your tongue. It was then he realized it didn't matter what the size of the seal that was used, only that it existed on the slaves body could it suppress the magic they produced." He said as he held a mirror to Odette's face as she lifted her tongue. At first she didn't notice but the more she focused in on that specific area she barely made it out.

"Why didn't you or mother say anything about this before?" she asked.

"Because I thought that if you knew the truth, that it would destroy your self-esteem. But now looking back. It might have stopped you from becoming the monster you've turned into now." He said coldly.

"Monster!?!" She screamed.

"Yes. As much as it pains me to say it. My own daughter has become a monster." Alban said coldly.

"I didn't even do anything wrong! He's just a fucking slave, why are we acting like all of a sudden that he's a person!?!" Odette exclaimed in frustration.

"The fact the you don't seem to get that slaves aren't just property you can do whatever your want to, whenever you want to is part of that reason Odette. Even I was a slave at one point and you just don't seem to care. You don't care about your own people. And that's just unfortunate." Alban said crossly.

"Just because I had sex with my slave doesn't make me a monster. Mom did it to you and you don't seem to have a problem with it." She retorted.

"Slave's can't consent Odette. They never can given their situation. Your mother learned this after a while and did her best to atone for her mistakes. Even doing what you will eventually need to do and take responsibility by marrying me and setting me free." He affirmed hoping to finally reach his detached daughter.

"I can't do that." She said while staring into his eyes.

"And why is that? I hope its a damn good reason because right now your in some deep shit. All of us are. " He said with a slight growl.

"I can because I took out a lone from the and used him as collateral. I couldn't set him free or sell him if I wanted to." She said mumbled.

"How much was it Odette?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. Besides I'm just surprised they took a slave like him as collateral. He wasn't worth much when we bought him." She said.

Alban was furious.

"Of course they would take him as collateral. He's the son of two renowned abolitionists. He's worth more than the net worth of our entire company and investments combined." Alban said frustratingly.

"But... how?" She mumbled.

"Because of the history of his mother and father. Once they were caught they were punished by giving up their child to the slave trade and death by lynching. The situation was handled so poorly Dyaxis was globally pressured into creating the Isaure Act. And phase out slavery all together." He explained.

"What is we can stop it?" She asked.

"Excuse me?" Alban snarled.

"We don't have to follow the rest of the world. Theirs enough people who are going to be hurt by this that we can start some kind of movement!" She said with excitement in her voice.

"I'm done talking to you for tonight. Let's just get some sleep. We should be in Filito Mont by the time we wake up. Good night Odette." Alban said as he laid down and began to drift off to sleep. Meanwhile Odette spent the night forging a plan.

The next morning Odette and Alban arrived at the estate and was greeted by both Reni and Gabrielle at the front gate.

"Welcome back ma'am! Did you enjoy your trip?" Gabrielle asked Odette.

"Yes. Now if you excuse me, I am feeling unwell so I will be in my room till further notice. No one bug me for anything." She said brashly.

"Very well ma'am. And you Mister Alban?" She asked casually.

"Just Alban is fine." He said kindly to the guardsman. His eye's couldn't help but wonder to the Hyena quietly standing next to her.

"Reni I presume?" Alban asked softly.

"Yes sir!" Reni said anxiously.

"It's very nice to see you again after all these years."

"Likewise Mr.Alban sir."

"Would you care to join me for some tea? I have something I would like to discuss with you about. Don't worry, your not in any trouble." Alban assured him.

"Sure thing." Reni replied.

Alban and Reni walk into estates kitchen and Alban takes a seat at the table while Reni prepared the water.

"Would you like Big Red Robe , Black or hibiscus? Sorry about the limited choices I haven't had the chance to go to the market this morning." Reni said sheepishly.

"Hibiscus would be fine. I need to watch my cholesterol. I'm not as young as I used to be." He said casually.

"That's' understandable." Reni said as he set the sipware and tea on the table and sat down.

"Well... now that were both situated. I've been meaning to ask, how have you been holding up these days?" Alban asked.

"I'm... doing fine I guess. Things have been kind of stressful lately. But it's nothing I can't manage." He said timidly.

"Reni, please. If anything is bothering you you know you can tell me right? I know what it feels like to be in your shoes." Alban softly said to Reni as he showed him his branding mark.

It's been years since he's seen another slave's branding mark. Especially one as old as Alban's. It was strangely different yet similar in design to his.

"It's gotten a bit harder over the year Mr. Alban. All the other slaves were sold off and I'm the only one left. And Odette doesn't seem to care. She just tasks me with more and more work and punishes me if I don't finish it on time or get help from Guillaume. I'm stuck and I just don't know what else I can do. I love it here and I'm sure if she got rid of me I wouldn't have a master as kind as her." Reni replied.

Alban was concerned, not for the state of the families business but for Reni's perception of the situation and his strangely positive perception of his daughter. Especially given the disturbing circumstances.

"Reni?" Alban asked softly.

"Yes?" Reni responded.

"I'm just going to be direct with my question. Do you enjoy being a slave?" He asked the hyena.

Reni took a moment to think about his question. Being a slave was a life that he had always known. He couldn't even fathom being anything else but a slave.

"Not really. No." Reni murmured.

Alban figured as much.

"Then why haven't you tried to escape Reni? It's not as if we have the resources and support to track you down from anywhere. The most we could do is conduct a search for at most a week before canceling the search off entirely. You would be a free man. Especially if you fled to Galos or any of the other counties that have immigration programs for runaways." Alban explained.

"I... I don't know. I just don't think I'm smart enough for something like that. Besides if I got caught who knows what would happen to me." Reni rationalized.

"Reni. I want you to listen to me. I know you may not understand this, but let me tell you. You are more than capable of handling these things alone. And you are smart enough to escape this place, as long as you start believing in yourself. There are people out there who do care about you and want you to live a happy and fulfilling life. Not for anyone else, but you. " Alban reassured him.

"I think you might be overselling my abilities sir."

"Reni. I've watch you grow up for a damn good portion of my life. You may be slower at a lot of things than a lot of the regular people in this world. But that isn't because your stupid. It's because you never gotten an opportunity to show anyone, including your self, what your capable of. I just hope that one day I get to see you do that. For your own sake." He said warmly.

"I really doubt that." Reni replied.

"I guess..." Reni said as his mind drifted somewhere else.

Alban got up from his seat at the table and put his remaining sipware in the sink.

"Well, as much as I enjoyed our little chat. I figure I best get going. I need to keep an eye on Odette for the next few months so I will be staying in one of the guest rooms here." Alban said causally.

"Why? What's going on with Odette?" Reni asked confused.

"She's just having some medical issues at the moment. The doctor told her that after the four months she should be back to her normal self." Alban reassured him.

"Okay. I was just curious that's all." Rei replied.

As Alban headed out the kitchen, he remembered that he need to ask Reni.

"Reni?" He asked casually.

"Yes sir?" Replied Reni.

"Could you do me a favor and try not to interact with Odette for the next few months? She really needs the time to rest and think about some of her choices." Alban asked softly.

"Yes sir. That won't be a problem at all." Reni responded.

"Thank you Reni. For everything you've done for this family. If you need anything from me don't hesitate to ask." He said to the young hyena.

"I will keep that in mind." Reni said to the departing lion.

Alban left the kitchen feeling a bit relieved that Reni was at least considering his situation in terms of making a better life, and claiming his freedom for himself. But there was one thing he wasn't to sure about. Would he want to take his child with him if he was to escape. Or will he leave it alone with Odette. Odette was not the best person to raise a child. Not in the slightest.

"FATHER!" she screamed as she was suddenly hit with intense pain. It was time.

"Hold on, I'm going to get the midwife. Just stay calm." He said in a hurry while making it to the midwifes clinic. By the time both Alban and the midwife arrived only to find that Odette had already passed out with a baby in her arms.