Married To The Devil's Son

"If love is your weakness. Then you are extremely strong." -Unknown

*******************

Heaven didn't feel like being herself was enough. Was she strong enough just the way she was? Could she fight her grandfather by just being herself? She wasn't sure. 

"How many children does grandfather have?" Heaven asked Darius. 

"Seven or Eight." Darius replied. 

"And he only has five kingdoms. Then why does he need me?" 

Darius studied her quietly for a moment. "I think you have something that they don't. As ancients, we can sense humans or demons that are special or have something special and you have it. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it. Maybe your grandfather knows exactly what it is and wants it. Do you know what it is?" 

Heaven shook her head. She noticed nothing special about herself.

"Does your mate notice something different about you?" He asked. 

Zamiel was also ancient. He would have known if something was different about her. 

"I don't think so." She replied. 

He nodded. "I can tell there is something about you. Try to ask him. I am sure he will be able to figure it out with the bond you two have." 

"I will." Heaven said. 

She would ask him as soon as she saw him again, but the feeling of sickness came back now that she thought of him. What was happening? She thought everything was alright after last night. 

Pushing the feeling away, she decided to go and see Gina. Thanking Darius for his help, she went upstairs to her friend's room. Hopefully Gina wouldn't scold her too much. With everything that had been going on in her life, she hadn't spoken to her for a while. Maybe that was why she was upset.

Gina was reading a paper when Heaven walked into her room. She looked up, then put the paper away before standing up from her seat. 

"Heaven." She smiled but Heaven could see there was sadness in her friend's smile as she walked over to her. She motioned for her to sit down and they sat on her bed. 

"You scared me earlier." Heaven admitted. 

"Well, we haven't seen each other for a while and you didn't come to see me after you came back. "

"I am sorry. My mind hasn't been in the right place for a while." Heaven explained herself.

"It's alright. I almost thought you were angry with me because of my brother." She said. 

"No! Never! You are not your brother." Heaven would never be upset with Gina because of Zarin. 

Gina looked down at her hands with a sad expression. "I know what he did and I know it is really bad but… I can't hate him." 

Heaven took Gina's hands in hers. "And you shouldn't. He is your brother." 

"He is the worst brother." She said. 

"He is." Heaven agreed. 

"But… I want to help him. I don't know why father is just letting him go. He might never come back." She whispered the last sentence, almost as if afraid to hear it or say it out loud. And she had every right to be afraid. 

According to Roshan and Darius, it was very rare for someone to come back once they joined her grandfather and she knew that Roshan desperately wanted to save his son, but he had to protect Gina as well. 

"You know he listens to you more than anyone. I know I am being selfish and rude to ask you to help him after everything he did but... I am desperate." She admitted. 

Heaven had never seen Gina like this before and never ever had Gina asked her for something. This was the first time, and Heaven felt bad that there wasn't much she could do. She didn't want Gina to do anything rash and dangerous either, so she had to explain the situation to her. 

Taking a deep breath, Heaven looked Gina in the eyes. "I do want to help and I will talk to Zarin, but that is all I can do and all you can do as well. You shouldn't do more than that. I know you care about your brother, but you have to think of your parents as well. Don't make them worry about you too."

  Gina shook her head with a sad smile. She wasn't convinced. 

"My grandfather is trying to separate us by keeping Zarin. He knows we might disagree with each other because of your brother. We can't let that happen. We have to stay together. I know you want to help your brother and so do I, but we can't force him nor can we lure him. That won't make us any different from my grandfather. Zarin has to come back accepting the truth and not a lie."

"So you won't help me?" Gina asked with a grim expression and almost an angry voice. 

Heaven tried to keep her calm. After all the explaining, Gina was still not understanding. 

"Help you with what?" 

"To get my brother back." 

"And how are we supposed to do that besides talking?" Heaven asked. 

"You don't want to lure him, but that is a good idea. We just have to bring him back for a while and then we will convince after." 

"That is not a good idea. That is lying to him and once he knows he will leave forever and never trust us again." 

"We can talk to your grandfather." She suggested desperately. 

Heaven shook her head. "We could, but to what end? Unless you make a deal with him, he won't agree to anything you say. Or... he might pretend to agree and make you believe all the lies he tells you. Don't do that!"

Gina stood up hastily. "I have to do something." She said frustrated. 

Heaven stood up as well. She knew Gina wasn't thinking clearly and being emotional, but she couldn't help being a little harsh with her words. 

"Yes. Why don't you go ahead? Come up with a plan or a lie to bring your brother back and my grandfather will know before you even execute your plan or tell the lie and he will use that to turn your brother against you. He will make you look bad and you will ruin the little chance there is for your brother to come back. And your parents will have to worry about another reckless child." Heaven didn't breathe once between the sentences. 

Gina stared at her wide eyed. She had never seen Heaven speak like that before. 

Heaven took a deep breath, then tried to speak calmly. "All I am saying is, you can't make someone do the right thing by doing wrong. You have to do what is right." 

Gina kept staring in shock, and then she spoke. "You have really changed." 

Oh no! The last thing she needed right now was for her friend to see her differently. 

"In a good way, I mean." She added. "You seem stronger." 

Heaven let out a breath of relief. She didn't feel strong, but she had to pretend to be. "Everything is going to be alright." She told her giving her a hug. "Please, just do nothing without telling your parents. We are all going to talk to Zarin." 

Gina nodded at last. 

They spend some time together after and Heaven told her about everything that happened with the mission and Zamiel. Gina was excited for her as usual and told her about her own adventures in her grandfather's business world. Heaven felt proud that Gina had accomplished so much already. She had really missed her friend. 

Before going back home, she went downstairs to say goodbye to Roshan and Klara. She came across Roshan in the hall, and he seemed to regret what he said to her earlier. Heaven could see it in his eyes, even if he didn't say it out loud. 

"I never congratulated you for doing well on your mission." He said. 

"Well, I didn't succeed." She shrugged. 

"But you impressed many. You were clever." He told her. 

Heaven felt pressure when people complimented her because she really didn't think she did that well. Had she gone there with a plan and executed it, then she would feel proud, but she had only been lucky so far. An opportunity presented itself, and all she did was take advantage of it. 

As a general she would have to know how to plan ahead, so she wasn't angry about not getting the general title yet. She still had a lot to learn. 

"I was able to do it because of everything you and Klara taught me. I learned more from you than my own parents. I am sure Zarin has learned too and he will come back because he has parents like you. He won't be able to find what he had here anywhere else." 

Heaven hoped her words would give Roshan some comfort.

Roshan smiled and stroke her hair, like he used to do when she was little. "You have matured so well." He said. 

"Heaven, are you going home?" Klara came to the hall. 

"Yes." 

"Why don't you stay for lunch?" She suggested. 

"Maybe some other time. I have a lot to do today." 

"You need to eat and rest. You have lost weight." Klara pointed, looking worried.

Heaven smiled. "I will." She promised. 

Giving Klara a hug and saying goodbye to both, Heaven went back home. Now, she wouldn't worry about her grandfather. She would live her life as usual and prepare to become a general. She would go back to her lessons and then find a plan to help the poor. 

Her teacher was an old, very clever man. He had a strong sense of justice and was very passionate about teaching. He had once given her a book about being a just ruler and creating a stronger civil society that helps and gives more power to the weak. Heaven needed to find that book and read it again. It was probably in her father's study. 

On her way to his quarters, Heaven found Zarin in the main garden. He was sitting alone on a bench and seemed to be lost in thoughts. Heaven halted and watched him for a moment from afar. His shoulders were hunched and at one point he buried his face in his hands. He seemed disturbed and confused. Maybe her parents spoke to him. If they did, then their words clearly had an impact. 

Heaven hoped he would think deeply and make the right choice. As much as she wanted to go over and slap him, she decided to leave him alone and let her parents' words sink in deeply. 

Punches and kicks had no impact on him, anyway. If he ever came back, which she hoped he would, then she would make sure to stab him with the daggers she got from his father. 

Where would it hurt the most to be stabbed?