The Duke's Passion

Once the rain stopped, Sam and I returned to our chambers, leaving trails of water on the way. 

"Oh, my! Your highness!" Lena gasped and rushed to me as soon as she saw the two of us drenched in water. "How! I will get you a towel and some hot milk. Please stay inside."

Lena beckoned to assist me inside, completely ignoring my husband. I halted in front of the door as I looked back. Sam was just standing several steps away from us, running his fingers through his hair before setting his eyes on me.

"I will come back later," He said with his usual playful smirk. "Don't catch a cold."

Sam gave me a slight nod before waving, gesturing for me to go inside. I pursed my lips and took a deep breath.

"Sam," I called, making his brow arch. "I… nothing." 

I wanted to tell him tons of things, but I couldn't. 

"Blood never lies, love." His lips stretched wider until his eyes squinted.

Does blood never lie? Sam would always say that, but only now did I truly comprehend what it meant. So, I decided to not say anything and went inside with Lena's assistance. Lena had already prepared a warm bath, so I immediately bathe in the tub while Lena prepared hot milk and just about anything to warm me up. 

"Blood never lies," I murmured, bending my knees closer to my chest with my chin over them. "Our blood really doesn't lie." 

He only meant that whatever my plans were, he'd rather not hear it. After all, there were powerful vampires who could absorb someone else's memories by sinking their fangs into that person. If by chance, Sam fell into the enemy's plot, he wouldn't be able to reveal my plans. Although his reasons for not telling me his plans might be different, I knew he trusted my judgment.

"Until now, he still thinks of me." I closed my eyes and sighed, resting my forehead on my knees. "What should I do, Sam? Our blood never lies, and our blood's will is absolute."

I remained silent for as long as I could remember, taking deep breaths and just mulled over which move I had to take. After some time, I raised my head with my eyes glinting.

'I know what to do.' I thought before Lena arrived to scrub me and help me dress up.

****

"Fuck you!" Klaus yelled at Fabian, who was gazing down at him while stepping on the former's back, holding his wrist back. "Have you really gone mad?! I just added my own seedling to that flower bed! What is wrong — ah!" 

"I told you not to touch my garden," Fabian pulled Klaus' wrist while staring coldly at him. "How dare you plant sunflower when that's not the motif of the garden I'm planning to see?"

"Uncle said because he wants to eat the sunflower seed, Mister Fabian." Claude chimed in, staring at Klaus with no trace of pity in his eyes. "I think after getting buried many times, my uncle's brain shrunk in size from suffocation."

Kristina let out a sigh as she shook her head, watching Klaus get bullied by a butler. After spending some time with them, she slowly got used to this already.

"Mister Fabian, about Ramin…" she trailed off as Fabian suddenly cut her off.

"He'll be fine," Fabian reassured. "People had been diverting their eyes in this little meeting place. Are you sure you want to risk this, Lady Monroe?" 

"I do not mind." Kristina immediately answered as she had already decided to side with Samael. "But Ramin, he's still a Remington. I'm afraid the Remingtons…"

"Don't worry about the Remington's," Fabian uttered while pulling Klaus's arms, making the latter wince in pain. "Just focused on the task given to you."

"Ahh! Stop! Are you trying to break my shoulder?!" Klaus complained through his gritted teeth.

"I'm trying to severe it," Fabian corrected, pulling it a bit more until he heard Klaus' shoulder cracking.

While Klaus writhed in pain under Fabian's sadistic punishments while the other two just watched from the sidelines, their attention shifted to the person approaching them. Fabian dropped Klaus's wrist as he faced the approaching Samael.

"My lord," greeted Fabian, gazing at him from head to toe. "Why are you here?"

"I poked all the eyes around." Samael lifted a finger, revealing some blood in it. "We have a problem."

Kristina, Klaus on the ground, Claude, and Fabian furrowed their brows. Until now, they had all possible problems under control. So, for Samael to personally come here in a rush, they could only expect the worst.

"That rose had bloomed." His vague announcement baffled Klaus while it made Claude and Kristina parse what it meant.

Meanwhile, Fabian's eyes darkened as they glinted. "Prematurely?" 

"It's deadly. I advised you to keep your distance from it and stay vigilant about its thorns." 

"Your Grace, I don't…" Again, Kristina paused as a chill ran down her spine upon meeting Samael's pair of menacing eyes.

"Figure it out yourself. You've been with us. This will be an easy riddle." Samael encouraged, before scanning everyone's faces before setting it to Fabian's smirk. "You know what to do Fabian."

"Yes, my lord." Fabian bowed with his palms across his chest. No one could see the thrill flickering across his eyes.

"As for you, Lady Monroe, we have some seedlings that need to grow somewhere in this west palace. Don't let them wither away while Fabian is away." 

Kristina furrowed her brows for a moment before she bowed. "Yes, my lord." She was certain the details would be given to her later.

Samael nodded, pleased that Kristina immediately understood his orders about those children. He then shifted his eyes towards Claude.

"Little crumb."

"I know, Uncle," Claude answered, even though Samael hadn't said a word yet. "Leave it on Auron."

"Good." Pleased, Samael nodded as he took a deep breath, planting his hands on his hips. Although they had considered Lilou, recovering her memories in the past, no amount of preparation was enough.

"Brother, how about me?" Klaus scrunched his nose up as it seemed he was the only one who didn't have a special task.

Samael glanced at him nonchalantly. "Just stay cute, brother," he uttered, making Klaus gasped in disbelief. "We hadn't prepared for this as much as we could, but I trust you with this."

He turned his back on them and started walking away, hearing them (except Klaus) say in unison. "Yes, Your Grace." 

"We've all experienced Hell, so everyone was prepared for him…" Samael murmured as a glint flashed across his eyes while his hand curved into a tight fist. "… but no one had met the she-devil this land nurtured." 

In other words, Lilou, taking part in this party individually, would definitely change everything. Samael had seen how Lilou in the past. She was as sadistic as Fabian, as risky as Samael, and as scheming as Stefan. 

"I wonder who were the other pieces the Bloodfang left..."