The Duke's Passion

"No fucking way..." Klaus mumbled as they stood in front of Noah and Kristina. My eyes shifted to Silvia and Yul, who bore the same appalled expression.

"You two are here? In Grimsbanne? All along?" he queried in disbelief, setting his eyes back to me.

I raised my hands, raising my brows briefly. "I told you... to let you in a secret."

"Your Grace, why did you...." Noah's breath hitched, balling his hand into a fist. "This is dangerous."

"What do you mean, it's dangerous? It's already dangerous that you people are being sheltered in Grimsbanne. This place might be clean, but there are still rats that were walking down the street of Banse." Yul's eyes darkened, not pleased at meeting them. Well, he wasn't very fond of them, to begin with.

"And you think you three staying in Grimsbanne will make it less dangerous?" Kristina scoffed in disdain, taking a step forward with her chin up. "The King had pardoned you three because Her Grace sacrificed her own. Do you really think the king will just let it go? He might keep quiet all this time, but I think you're all aware he is not the type to let things go."

"We are aware of that, but even so, he knows that we're here. You're all branded as the enemies of the kingdom, and if anyone got wind of this? Stefan will have a reason to set his foot in here." Silvia argued back, taking a step forward.

The air between them thickened as their enmity against each other increased. A heavy sigh slipped past my lips, standing in between them while raising my hands.

"Can you all calm down?" I gazed at Noah and Kristina, then to Klaus, Yul, and Silvia. "You are all here because I want you to be here. Like it or not, you are all important people to me and you must set aside your personal whims... that is, if you truly wish me and all of us to survive." 

I studied their expression before they dropped their guards and looked away from each other. They were like children, but I understood their reasons. The third squadron, including Noah, still saw the three as La Crox. The latter still see them as failures as they were bearers of the Order, but couldn't stand up to Stefan.

"So, this is your secret?" Yul was the first to break the silence, peering at me. "You kept these people under your wing in secret?"

"They are my people, Yul. The third squadron did nothing wrong."

"They killed Hell." Silvia chimed in with a bitter voice. "If they did their job properly, Hell wouldn't die... and so is Rufus."

"Same goes to you, Your Royal Highness. If you just fulfilled your duty as the king's wife, he wouldn't probably seek another woman's embrace." Kristina clapped back, making me pinch the bridge of my nose in distress.

"You..." Silvia hissed as the tension between them returned.

"Stop it, Kristina." Noah suddenly intervened. "Arguing right now no matter how we dislike each other will do us, nor Her Grace no good. We are all in the same boat, so if we all wanted to survive and attain the things that we're fighting for, let's be more open."

Noah widened his eyes to Kristina, and the latter rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Silvia just looked at Kristina but didn't speak anymore.

"Thank you, Noah." I smiled, closed-lipped. "I actually planned a picnic. Why don't you all set it up so you all get to know each other?"

"You got to be kidding me," said Yul, but I shook my head.

"I hope I am, but I'm serious. Get Chalie and Ra..." I trailed off, casting Charlotte a look, who was exiting the house. 

"Charlotte, I plan to have a picnic. Come help us and call Ramin too." I called, waving at her as she raised her head to us. To my puzzlement, Charlotte scanned everyone and furrowed her brows.

"Noah... what are you doing here?" she asked, blinking in disbelief, which baffled every single one of us. 

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm always here." Noah's voice was laced with confusion as we all studied her shocked expression. 

Instead of answering us, Charlotte suddenly kicked the door open, yelling. "Ramin!" 

As soon as the door opened, I caught Ramin's figure and another figure whose back was facing us. There was another person... my eyes widened at my realization.

"Oh, Charlie. What's..." Ramin trailed off, tilting his head to see us outside. His eyes lingered on Noah, which made it slowly widen.

"Oh... I think I got busted just right before it gets cooked," said the intruder, reaching for something to wear and cover his head with a beaked mask. He slowly turned his head and faced us, bowing.

"My apologies. I do not have enough utensils to cook for tonight's dinner. Hence, I came here hoping I can prepare something decent for once." he explained calmly, rendering us all speechless.

It didn't seem he came with an ill intention. However, for him to intrude on this place without being noticed alarmed me. It even seemed he was having a friendly conversation with Ramin! This had shocked us all, as we couldn't somehow react like usual.

"Anyway..." He raised his hand and took a step back. "... please don't mind me and continue with your plans about the picnic."

And with that, he sprinted away, using the back door. I blinked my eyes as neither one of us came running after him. Instead, we just looked at the back door like fools.

"Oh, right, you can have that one in the pot. I'll be taking these sandwiches. They look like proper foods." As if he hadn't shocked us enough, his voice came from behind us, making us all turn in his direction. He had carried two baskets, raising them at us before leaping away.

The whisper of the wind whistled in our ears and only then we realized the situation. I blinked my eyes, hearing Klaus yelling to go after him, but I stopped them.

"It's fine, Klaus…" I raised a hand, staring at where the man wearing a beaked mask left. "They must be famished as well... the food he was cooking smells good."

"What?! We will just let him get away?! Just like that?" KIaus' complaints started to fade in the background as I chuckled weakly. The smell of the food and the man's voice... even though he was trying to change his voice, I discerned the familiarity of his voice.

Fabian.