The Duke's Passion

"It is the emperor's flag. No question mark. Haha!"

When Sam's voice caressed my ears, I almost didn't believe it. How would someone who was supposed to be in the capital be in here? Even at the sight of knights marching and the raised flag of the imperial knights, I doubted my eyes. Was I hallucinating just because I felt helpless? 

My eyes landed on Stefan and, to my surprise, his eyes gradually widened as he looked behind me. Why, Stefan? Why would you look so shocked? Were you having the same nightmares? Out of instinct, my gaze veered towards Zero and he had his eyes narrowed sharply. 

'Sam... is he really here? Are we... saved?' I asked myself, trying to suppress the sliver of hope that peeked through the clouds in my heart. 'Did he really...'

TAK!

I snapped my eyes as the time that seemed to stand still for a second returned to its normal pace when an arrow landed near Stefan's feet. An arrow that would penetrate a concrete, causing cracks around it because of the strong force could only be shot by that person. 

Charlotte. 

I gazed at the arrow as I held my breath. Did they really come? My eyes blurred as tears rolled down my cheeks, turning around to see what Stefan and Zero were seeing it. 

There, among the people, I saw Sam squatting down next to Law and Bey. He was wearing a red and gold uniform, fitting for the emperor with the royal mantle draped over his one shoulder. I blinked, wiping my eyes with my arm to get a clearer view of him. 

"Fa — Father?" Law gazed at Sam in disbelief, breaking down after a second when he saw Sam grin brightly.

"See? I told you, my son. Just call my name and I will come because I am a hero." Sam boasted arrogantly, grinning from ear to ear as if he was unaffected by the pitiful sight of his son. "You should've called for me earlier, though."

"Father..." this time, Law finally escaped Bey's loosened grip as the latter was shocked at Sam's sudden appearance. My son rushed to his father's embrace whilst bawling his eyes out.

"Father! They are taking away Mother with them because of me! Please save Mother! I don't want her to leave us!"

Sam stroked Law's back, unfazed by the blood staining his uniform. "My goodness, son. Why are you crying so much? I was only absent for a few weeks and you've become a crybaby?"

"Father..." Law didn't mind his father's usual teasing as he tightly embraced the latter's neck. "... please save Mother."

"Of course. I won't let anyone snatch my wife away." Sam planted his hands on Law's shoulder, pushing him lightly to look at him in the eye. "Stop crying now. Your coward of a father will finally let you in my secret. Did you know? I'm actually quite strong."

Law didn't shut him down like usual as he hiccuped. "They killed Mister Fabian."

"Oh?" Sam glanced back in Fabian's direction and sighed. "My... they actually took out his heart."

Unlike my expectation, Sam didn't react strongly to Fabian's death. It was almost impossible for my eyes to believe what I was seeing and hearing. Fabian had served him for a very long time. So, I was expecting Sam to lose his composure, but he didn't. It wasn't an exaggeration to say Sam was rather... indifferent about it. 

"It's alright, son." Sam ruffled Law's head and smiled, gazing up at the people behind them and his eyes lingered on Adam. "Father is already here. Put your worries away for I planned to end this fragment of the past for your future."

"Sir Roux..." Bey called in a shaking voice, studying Sam and his clothing. "... why are you... in a royal mantle?"

"Oh, dearest Bey and my wife's friend, is that important?" he chuckled and shrugged. Only then did Law also pay attention to his father's unusual appearance. Although Sam had kept himself neat all this time as Samael Roux, he had never worn something that gave an indicator that he was a man in power. 

"The royal mantle..." Law muttered, clutching his hand close to his chest.

"Yes, the royal mantle, because I'm the emperor, you see. Hehe." Sam let out a low chuckle while pointing at himself. His tone was light that one would doubt his claims. Couldn't he reveal that in a more appropriate way?!

"Father..."

"Oh, goodness, Law. Don't think about it too much!" Sam finally grumbled as he patted our son's head, smiling reassuringly. "Use that remaining energy in resting. I'll take this from here, alright?"

Law peered at his father for a moment before he nodded. So Sam smiled and patted his head more. 

"Good. Behave now. Let Bey give you first aid while the doctors I brought are on their way." Sam remarked before he placed his hands on his thigh, pushing himself up ever so slowly. As he did so, I held my breath and felt Stefan's grip on my wrist tighten. was he planning to break my hand?

Sam flung his cape as he turned around, setting his crimson eyes in our direction. My son and everyone behind him gazed at him, wide-eyed. He just stood there, but my heart felt relief. Could my son and those people also feel the same way?

Unlike his gentle eyes when reassuring Law, his eyes that landed on us were sharp and intimidating. He hadn't pulled an aura yet, but I already felt suffocated under his gaze. He had hidden it well in front of Law, but Sam... no, Hell was pissed.

I swallowed down a mouthful of saliva when I considered him as Hell. That gaze that could penetrate one's soul was enough to recognize the difference. 

Death. 

That was what his eyes told me. My shoulders even tensed up as I fought my shaking knees. I knew Sam wasn't my enemy, but it felt otherwise. Was it because I was standing right next to his enemies? Until now, I had stood beside him and fought alongside him. Hence, I never realized how threatening it was to stand on the other side. This may be a random and out-of-topic thought, but I commended Stefan, who had always stood on the opposing side of my husband. 

"Rufus, Dominique, Jayden, Ramin, Charlotte," Sam called calmly, and yet, his quiet voice sounded loud and clear in this stifling silence.. "No one… from the wretched kingdom of Spade and the mainland will leave the Labyrinth… alive."