The Duke's Passion

[Minutes before Lilou's appearance...]

I had been fighting Zero with everything I could for a long time now. He was strong and I couldn't deny that. If I lowered my guard for even just a split second, it would be over. I would die. 

My people were also fighting the remaining rebels with all their might. Loud yells and cries, low snarls and growls, metals clashing, that had been echoing in my ear for a while now, too. I even felt Stefan's powerful presence inside the estate and caught a small bloodfield somewhere outside the mansion. 

But Zero... Zero... this man...

"Zero!!!" I bellowed until my voice shook, eyes glinting with killing intent. "I will kill you!"

"Haha! My. Your Majesty, how can you lose your composure?" he chuckled while blocking my attack. "When you took out Acheron's heart, I didn't even flinch. Because..." Zero leaned forward with a wicked smirk plastered on his face.

"... because that is what it means to be the person who should stand at the peak. You will lose people and sacrifices were inevitable."

I gritted my teeth as I repelled his sword away. I didn't idle as I instantly bolted towards him like a maniac, getting impatient to defeat this person. While I was getting worked up with my worries for my son, Zero took the pleasure of seeing me in this state. My hatred towards him just continued to increase, but what was frustrating was that he was strong enough to fight me equally. 

'Fabian...' I thought whilst launching a continuous attack towards him. '... please be safe... keep my sons safe...' 

Deep down, I was scared. I didn't mind losing my life in this battle, but not my son. He was too young and too precious. This night would be engraved in his mind forever, and I already felt sorry for him. The least I could do was for Law to survive this incident.

"Sad, isn't it?" Zero spoke casually as if my attacks were all childish tantrums. "Once you have a child, it doesn't matter how wicked a person was or how strong they were. That child's life... will become a weakness. One such as yourself, Your Majesty, will use that despicable means to make one grovel on your feet."

Karma.

My mind froze for a split second as I held my breath, recalling the time I used Tristan, Zero's son, to toy with Zero. I already realized that Zero would hold a grudge against me about that, but hearing it from his mouth gave this sense of dread in my heart. 

An eye for an eye.

That had always been Zero's rule for vengeance. He wanted me to feel the same agony I had caused him in the past. I had regretted my actions in the past when I first met Law, but this... this... I could feel my heart sinking. 

It was my fault. I shouldn't have done that in the past. I shouldn't have played that low-life trick to anger Zero. I was at fault and now... my son would pay for it. 

"No," I whispered as I stopped when he blocked my attack again, not blinking while staring blankly into his eyes. "Not my son."

Zero smirked in ridicule. "Why not your son, my former fiance? It's fine if it's my son, but it's not if I dragged yours in it?"

"Zero, Tristan was already involved in this matter. If you didn't want him to --"

"Lilou, my empress, I bet you understand a parent's heart now that you are one." His voice grew cold and distant, just like his glinting eyes. "That child's father is wicked, who slew every Moriarty. Children, women, men, elders... it doesn't matter if they were just born into this world or already on the brink of death. I killed them all. Do you know why?"

I hopped back, standing still while staring at him. Did I know why? Before, it didn't matter to me whatever reason Zero, this wicked man, had in the back of his head to keep his son alive despite killing his kins. But now... I got the gist of it. 

"Because if you didn't, your son will share the same fate as his father...?" I guessed with a shaking voice, nearly choking at this realization.

Power and greed had always been one factor that ruined every royalty's childhood and life. I never tried to understand Zero in the past because it didn't matter to me. Not that it would change anything or I could change his mind and make him waver.

But... no one was born evil.

How could I selfishly think that I was the only one who was fighting for something important? It was presumptuous of me that what Zero and Stefan were fighting for didn't have the same importance as mine. Although their methods were wrong and disastrous, they terrified me. 

Terrified, not in a way of what they could do. I was scared because I could understand them. That I would also be just like them if I were in the same circumstance. That I... was also capable of being a monster, just like them. It was already proven when I thought Sam died. 

God... just what did we all do wrong to deserve this?

"That's right, my queen. If I didn't kill every person who bore the blood of the Moriarty and didn't hide my son as my shadow knight, all the retaliation against me would shift to him. Just like what you did back then, using Tristan to corner me, you're not the only one who would do such a thing." My grip trembled, as I couldn't argue with him. These things he was spewing were nothing but facts. 

"That is why..." he paused as he smirk in delight, enjoying the sight of my expression. "... we planned to do the same. I can't kill you, since your life is still connected to my son. Your death also means his death, but isn't it more amusing if you live? Living... takes more courage than dying, after all. Especially, if you have to spend a lifetime with a man you rejected multiple times."

"What do you mean..." I trailed off as my eyes dilated. An eye for an eye; that word suddenly hovered over my head once again.

"It seems you finally realized that now, my queen." 

"No." I turned my dilated eyes towards the estate while holding my breath. With a snap of a finger, I bolted towards the mansion and Zero let me be while laughing maniacally. As soon as I came closer, I saw Fabian about to slash Stefan's back while the latter was keeping his back open.

PANG! 

Shock instantly dominated Fabian's face as I stopped his attack in the nick of time. An eye of an eye. That meant... just like my circumstance with Tristan, it was the same with Stefan and Law. What happened to Stefan... my son would share the same fate. 

"Get your hands off of him, Fabian."