The Duke's Passion

Lilou's eye softened as it started to return to its original color upon meeting those deadly pairs of glinting crimson orbs. 

"Sam," she whispered before her eyes closed and her head hangs low, resting on his chest.

Samael snickered as he ground his teeth in annoyance. The reason he ran late was that he knew this would happen, eventually. Hence, he came to check on something first.

"Hell, have you lost your mind?" Dominique seethed, as everything had finally registered in his head. "Is she really Lara's daughter?"

Everyone was shocked into silence because none of them expected this. A daughter of Lara and someone in the Bloodfang clan? 

"You've all gone mad, did you?" Dominique scoffed in disbelief as he glanced at his brothers. "To think the Bloodfang Clan started a revolt and sacrifice their lives as a mere facade to birth an existence, whose blood falls into the highest level in the blood hierarchy."

The expression on their faces darkened as blood for them held more value than official titles and lands. In simple terms, every single one of them knew where Lilou stood.

The reason they only watched her sit on the throne doing nothing was that the blood running in them recognized royalty. Someone who suddenly had the rights for the throne. 

"That woman… Hell, did you agree to the Bloodfang so you can use a scapegoat to sit on the throne?" Stefan quizzed under his breath. "Did you think if someone who can have a right in the throne appears, you'll get all those annoying bastards off your back?"

There was no other reason for Samael to agree to this plan, if not for that. Samael had been being forced to fight for the throne, and he had massacred a lot of them. However, vampires were much more loyal and persistent as their blood's will was absolute.

"Bastard…!" Hanz barked, clasping his hands tightly with his eyes glinting with killing intent.

Silvia clenched her teeth as her shoulders trembled. "If she fights for the throne, do you think we will all live?! Do you even know the will of her blood? She will massacre the La Crox Clan, Hell! What were you thinking?!"

The heat and thickness in the air continued to build up, but Samael remained silent while gazing down at Lilou. Everything his siblings said was all true. He couldn't deny that — there's no point even if he did.

It had been Samael's plan, that's why he agreed to it. To get rid of those nobles off his back, divert the attention of the La Crox and leave him alone, and that none of them would live if Lilou would ascend the throne. Everything was true.

Samael raised his hand and placed it on the back of Lilou's head.

He had known about this even before he met Lilou. He was completely aware of the reason he could hear her in his slumber. It was because the perfect vessel for the core was finally born after centuries.

'I knew all that and yet…' He trailed off as he rested his chin on her head. '... I fell in love with her the second I laid my eyes on her.' and all his plans suddenly felt wrong one way or the other.

"Come here, wife. It must be so exhausting for you," Samael muttered as he cradled Lilou's tiny body in his arms and carried her in his arm, heading back towards their quarters.

Samael glanced at Dominique when the latter jeered. "You won't talk?" He said nothing in return, but the shroud behind Samael had reached his dear brother. 

"No one knew about this aside from all of us," Samael spoke as he trudged slowly towards the exit. "I'll keep our deal, Your Majesty. I'll lead the case about the Undead." He stopped when he was by the door and turned around. His eyes immediately fell on Stefan.

"Be it now or then, I refuse the crown. However, if anything happens to my wife because of this, this entire kingdom will cease to exist."

His expression bore determination as his eyes never left Stefan, tightening his grip around her as Samael pulled her closer before he resumed his stride. The La Crox, although full of bloodthirsty vampires, they were wise in this matter. 

"Consider yourselves warned," He cautioned and walked away completely.

If a word went out about Lilou, not only she'd be the center of attention, Stefan's unstable position as the king because of Samael's existence would shake even more. If that happened, power strife was the least of their concern.

Samael would just destroy the entire system. He had done it once, he wouldn't mind doing it again or even worse, once provoked.

'This is the only thing I can do for her.' Samael thought internally as his eyes glistered in determination.

*****

"Damn it!" Hanz fumed in frustration and he ground his teeth. "What else did he plot in the past before his slumber?"

It was not a secret that Samael was cunning and evil. A true villain who just wouldn't die, even if Samael would attempt to kill himself, he wouldn't die. That's just how persistent he was. But this turned out to be something truly unexpected.

"He doesn't even have so many people with him and yet." Dominique paused as he watched Rufus and Fabian follow behind Samael. "The ones who are, are already troublesome to deal with, now this."

Stefan remained silent, as Samael had given him a clear warning not to touch his wife. 

"Dominique, silence everyone who witnessed everything tonight. Silvia, erase and change the memories of the important witnesses, and Hanz, help Hell's butler to bury the bodies since that devil needs something to do to get a hold of himself."

"Your Majesty," Hanz called out as Stefan was about to leave after giving them his orders. But said nothing after meeting the fiery pair of crimson eyes.

"You're lucky, Hanz. You could've died if I was a second later."

Hanz gazed down while gritting his teeth. If Stefan said such words, that only meant it was legit.

"Don't touch her again," Stefan cautioned. "I'll end you myself before Hell does."