The Duke's Passion

"Never again, Lexx."

Stefan's pupils dilated, stunned at my call. I had thrown away my previous desire to settle a score with him after abandoning me. The reason was that Sam was far more important than vengeance.

For my beloved husband, I was willing to forget the past and live in the present, where we would create our future together. But they took away that future by ruining the present in a blink of an eye.

It was supposed to be painful, but strangely, all I felt was numbness. I just… couldn't absorb or accept the spirit of grief right now. 

All I'm trying to do was protect the people who stood by my husband's side until now. Sam would be disheartened if this madman would take away these children my husband had protected.

"You've… regain your memories?" he asked after a long silence, eyes squinted into slits. 

"Surprise, surprise?" A ridiculing chuckle slipped past my lips, bending over to pick up my husband's earring. "How funny that those were the first words you will tell me."

"Since when?" that was his question as I put on my husband's earring, standing upright, and set my eyes back to him.

"Does it matter now, Lexx?" I quirked a brow, feeling my lungs constricted as this felt suffocating. "When or how I retrieve our bloody time together, are they really important questions right now?"

Stefan stayed quiet and his eyes never left mine. "You're right. It doesn't matter. Actually, this turns out to be more interesting."

"Interesting, huh?" I chortled softly, glancing at everybody around. Oh, dear. Those three seemed flabbergasted. I mean, Yul's expression was more worried than shock.

"We will concede, Your Majesty." I continued, causing an uproar from those three. 

"Are you out of your mind?! Are you trying to insult us, and Hell, by doing this?!" Klaus was the first one to bark, followed by Silvia.

"Lilou, we can't back down now. If we concede and play along with him… he will kill us all. How are we supposed to face Hell in the afterlife?"

Yul remained silent and only hung his head low. He knew me and would follow my decision; my brother would die alongside me if that was what I chose.

'How could I choose death if I didn't completely accept my husband's death, though?' 

"Hah… interesting, indeed." Stefan chuckled, nodding in approval. "Seize them." 

"What —!" Klaus and Silvia raised their guards, but Yul dropped his weapon and raised both his hands.

"I surrender." Yul voiced out.

"Yul!" Klaus grumbled, grinding his teeth as he seethed.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them, a glint flickered across my eyes as I locked my gaze with Stefan.

"I said, we will concede, and that means we will retreat, Your Majesty," I said tonelessly. "I warned you not to touch my people because if you do, I will mess with yours."

"Even if you regained your memories, just how are you going to protect your people with mere empty words, sweetheart?"

I heard a snicker from Alistair, so I glanced at him and smiled. Alistair's expression change when he barely dodged Lakresha from attacking him. His eyes dilated as he touched the blood that suddenly appeared on his cheek.

"That was… amusing. Lakresha follows your orders on its own." Stefan mused, but his tone dropped.

"I missed, purposely… I bet you know that, Lexx."

"You baffle me. You concede and yet, raise your weapon the next second." He chuckled, shaking his head. "What is it that you want, sweetheart? You know I can only make an exception for you. Those three… and all the people who allied with Hell will all pay the price."

"Take me." I didn't beat around the bush and took him by surprise. "Let them all go, and just take me."

"Lilou!" This time, Yul couldn't keep his silence anymore. 

"Haha. You know I can't do that, my sweet Lulu." Stefan raised a hand, playing with the tip of my hair. "They had committed a grave sin punishable by death."

"Then, imprison them." These three would probably need some rest and time to think, I thought. "Lexx." I paused, walking over my husband's body and clasped his collar, pulling him down to my eye level.

"You need me, but I don't," I whispered in his ear, tilting my head as my eyes landed on the throne behind him. "If you want me to cooperate, you better start treating my people right."

His low chuckle tickled my ears. "Welcome back, sweetheart."

I let him go and drew away. Stefan and I had made it this far. Hence, acting out of a personal grudge now would benefit no one.

"If you three cooperated, no one will get hurt." Stefan peeled his eyes away from me to the people who stood behind me. "You will undergo trial. Seize them, but don't resort to unnecessary violence."

"No!" Klaus immediately refused, and I spoke.

"Klaus! Concede now and don't get hurt." My voice shook without looking back at them. "Fighting more will result in more casualties, let's not do that."

Strangely, Klaus kept quiet, but I could feel his frustration even without looking at him. They were all upset and I could understand that. However, their brother just died… and I would like to give them the liberty to mourn for their loss.

"Trust me, brother." I turned around and finally faced them. Klaus and Silvia's eyes were bloodshot, reluctant to accept this outcome.

"I will get you all out of here. Use this time to mourn for you had lost a brother whom you respected." I nodded my head encouragingly and watched the tears spill from Silvia's eyes. Klaus ground his teeth before hanging his head low.

As if on cue, the knights carefully seized them without hurting them. They bound their hands and confiscated their weapons before assisting them out of the throne hall.

Jayden, the twelfth prince, Luther, the king's advisor, also stood before me to seize me. I darted my eyes to them before facing Stefan.

"You know what I want, Stefan," I smirked bitterly, licking my chapped lips. "Do not touch my people and a funeral for my husband, my knight, and my butler."

Stefan chuckled as the two started restraining my hands. "I will reconsider."

"No, you will do it," I muttered as Jayden tugged my bound hands with him, and I followed voluntarily. "I will see you… soon, Lexx."

******

In the palace where the delegation of the Cross Kingdom stayed. Beatrice laid on her side, assisting herself with her elbow as the quilt fell down on her bare bosom.

"The dark field is gone," she muttered, staring at the window as the darkness covering the entire palace cleared up. "How sad."

Beatrice arched her brow, rolling to her other side and set them on the man lying on her side. "You look sad, Al. Should I mount you to make you feel better?"

Alphonse stared at the ceiling in silence, his hand under his head. He kept quiet for a long time, ignoring Beatrice.

"Of course you are." She snickered weakly. "Hell is the only brother who treated you as a family. Now, he is gone and there's no reason for you to keep the sentiments you have in this land."

"Samael… what a pathetic death." Alphonse let out a weak scoff.

"Were you watching? Well, that hurts. I thought I kept you occupied all night."

"He died just because he got distracted for a second. It's pathetic." He clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he dragged himself to sit up. "I can't kill him for centuries, and he died just like that. What a fool."

"Are you disappointed in how he died or were you disappointed that he died before you?" she asked with an arched brow, watching him get out of the bed and wear his trousers.

"Both." Alphonse slid his hand inside his undershirt and then the other. "But more than that, his wife didn't disappoint."

"Well, she is a Bloodfang, after all. A person nurtured by those detestable, but undoubtedly remarkable individuals."

He kept his silence until he was fully dressed up. Alphonse then set his eyes on her, smirking. 

"If I were you, stop thinking like that." He hinted, waving as he walked away. "She is, after all, someone who had nothing to lose anymore."