The Duke's Passion

"Your name is Roscoe?" 

Rufus stared at the clear blue sky as a man's voice caressed his ears. The weather today was great, he thought. He couldn't help but adore today's weather despite he was littered with bruises after his fistfight with this stranger.

"Robert?" the man, who was lying on the same ground as Rufus, tilted his head to recall his name. Unlike Rufus, who was busy admiring the weather, this person couldn't even bother.

"Ri... Ricardo?"

Rufus took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Rufus."

"Ahh... right! Rufus! What an odd name, Rufus." The man furrowed his brows as he thought of his name. "Why are you named Rufus?"

"Who knows... I'm not the person who named myself." 

"You have weird parents." 

Rufus chuckled weakly. "And you?" he inquired, recalling that he didn't ask the person's name even before they fought each other. 

"My name?"

"Mhm."

"I'm... I actually don't want to have a name."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be remembered?"

Rufus furrowed his brows. He already knew this person was an odd one — just like his missing little brother. But his answer was odd. Who wouldn't want to be remembered? Who wouldn't want their names to be so renowned that they would reach even heaven?

"You're an odd one," he remarked under his breath. "Even felons want their name to be known to others."

"You're right. Even so, I don't like to be remembered. I hate my family name and the name they call me. They're all bullies for giving me a damn nickname," the man grumbled. 

After the man released his complaints about his family, silence enveloped the two of them. They just lied there on the ground, both covered with bruises and a bit of blood. Despite how exhausted their bodies were, they couldn't seem to pass out. 

"How many days did we fight?" asked the man out of plain curiosity. All he knew was that they fought for a few nights and days without taking a break. 

"How many days... I lost count on the third day."

"Man... I'm hungry." The man grumbled as he pulled himself to sit upright. Rufus shifted his eyes when the man turned his head to him. Silver hair and crimson eyes were squinting because he was grinning. 

"I lost," Rufus muttered after a few seconds of staring at this stranger. 

"Huh?" 

"You got up first. I lost." He admitted while seeing the confusion in the man's face. After fighting this man for days without break, Rufus couldn't even lift a finger. He was exhausted and his bones felt wobbly. But this man... although he collapsed at the same time as Rufus, he still had the energy to stand up after hours of lying down.

"It's not like I have a chance if you bare your fangs." Rufus peeled his eyes away from him to the sky. "Why didn't you bare your fangs or use that vampiric ability? If you do, it will not take that long... ah."

Rufus nodded his head in understanding as a sudden thought crossed his head. "So, this is how you toy with people, huh? You will make them fight for days to the point they can't even lift a finger before killing them."

"Hey... you're being too much. Do you think I am someone who has a home to take you home where I can torture you?"

"Who knows what kind of maniac you are?"

The man clicked his tongue in irritation. "I don't have an appetite anymore." He collapsed on his back with a frown.

"They said you are the strongest one in this place. So, of course, I am curious to see how strong a human can be. I will not be able to test that if I used my vampire abilities," he explained after a minute of silence. 

"Why do you need to test it?" Rufus inquired out of plain curiosity. 

The man remained silent for another minute before his lips curled up into a smirk. "Because... I need someone strong to sit on somewhere."

"Huh?"

"Hey!" the man rolled to his side, propping his temple on his knuckles, eyes on Rufus. He waited for Rufus to look at him with an arched brow. As soon as their eyes met, the side of the man's lips stretched into a grin until his teeth showed.

"Can you help me with something?" Rufus's brows furrowed at the man's request. "Can you be the king?"

Rufus thought he had heard all ridiculous things a person could speak of. But he thought wrong. The man's request was the most ridiculous he had heard. Little did he know that time that he would hear that again several years later from a woman's lips. Neither did Rufus think that someday... he had to decide to give the man's an answer.

*

*

*

Many, many years later, Rufus stood behind that same man he had a fistfight with until they both dropped many years ago. His hand holding his wrist on his back gripped it tightly as his jaw locked. Right now, Samael was holding a private funeral for his brother, Alphonse, and Alistair. 

No one was around the palace's chapel aside from the two of them. No one... was witnessing Samael grieve aside from Rufus. Just like always, Rufus was the only one who was witnessing everything. The only person who was allowed to see this side of this monstrous man.

"Ru, do you remember my question before?" asked Samael while staring at the coffin, hands on top of it.

"Yes."

Samael remained silent as he took a slow breath. "Lilou asked you before, but obviously, our preparation is not enough. But... what is your answer?" 

"..." Rufus hung his head low because, until now, he didn't have an answer. 

"Don't worry. You have time to answer that because for now..." Samael slowly pivoted on his heel to face Rufus with dead eyes. "For now, I will fill that role to put the people in their rightful place. Ru, while I take this role, I will have to use you at my own disposal. You can presume I will drive you to insanity and create a maniacal beast everyone will fear."

Samael paused as he held his gaze. "You might lose sight of what is right and wrong; what is honorable and abusive, and you might forget who you are and what you are fighting for. If you leave now, I will not seek you or send people to drag you back. You better make your decision now, for I will stop at nothing once I walk out of this door and meet those fools in the throne hall."

Rufus stared at Samael for a long time before he marched towards him. He then knelt on his one knee, reaching for Samael's hand and guiding it until it touched his forehead.

"I, Rufus Barrett, swore my unbending loyalty and life to Samael La Crox. At His Majesty's behest, I shall follow your decree." 

"Then, from now on, Rufus Barrett, I expect you to make your name known that even heaven will hear your name and the devils underground will fear." Samael took a deep breath as his eyes glinted. 

"Your wish is my command."

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NOVEL FACT:

Did you know? Some of the characters are inspired by songs? For example, Fabian is actually inspired by the music collection Slenderman's Lullaby - Robert Austin - music box collection.