"It's because of a… prank?" I gasped in disbelief.

Unbelievable. Incredibly beyond belief!

Fabian chuckled because of my tone and expression. I'd laugh as well if I were in his shoes.

"It was a joke that could possibly be a threat, my lady. The Duke may be a bit… blithe, but he is not someone to be taken lightly." Fabian said with a smile.

Deep down, I'm aware of that. The Duke wouldn't get so much recognition and respect from his people if he was to be taken lightly. I respected him, not just because he'd be my husband, nor because of the title in his name.

I respected him because of his noble actions.

"If only the Duke vied for the throne, he would be the King despite any opposition." Fabian affirmed, which caught me off guard.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked. Sam? As the king?

I wouldn't say that would be a terrible thing with how Grimsbanne now. However, just thinking of such an ambitious thing felt… appalling.

"Before they banished the Duke from the capital, they were talks about the third prince being the perfect candidate for the throne. Despite having a crown prince, the princes could challenge the crown prince if they see themselves fit for the throne."

Fabian explained, enlightening me about the complex rule of the monarchy.

"In terms of strength and wits, Lord Samael didn't pale in comparison with the former crown prince. We can all say, Lord Samael was gifted with natural abilities that perfectly suited for a king."

"Even if Sam, I mean, the duke didn't want to be the king, why are the nobles wary of him?" I asked out of curiosity.

Fabian smiled once again. "No one wants an unpredictable ruler, my lady."

Oh… why, though? I couldn't understand what were the nobles thinking, really. They're too complicated to comprehend.

"An unpredictable ruler is like the constant change of the weather." Fabian looked up at the clear blue sky. "One moment, the sky was all calm and benevolent; and then, in a blink of an eye, it was all woollen grey. No one can control it."

Fabian then retracted his gaze from the sky and shot me a look. I flinched slightly upon meeting his gaze.

"My lady, the Capital is not the same as Grimsbanne. It is a far different environment that may surprise you beyond words." Fabian smiled.

Upon hearing his remarks, I bit my lower lip. I could hear my heart pound against my chest.

I already figured after hearing all that. Still, Fabian didn't clear up one thing.

"About the massacre…" I trailed off carefully, raising my brows, hoping he would understand my hint.

"Right." Fabian chuckled, mixed with a sigh, as if he regretted ever mentioning that.

Did he regret telling me something he shouldn't?

"The current king didn't let the public know about the late king's death for his own many reasons. Aside from his plans, he was waiting for someone to return."

"The Duke?"

Fabian nodded slightly. "Yes, my lady. When the duke returned, the news about the king's death was known to the public. Within the castle walls, the current king also informed the Bloodfang of the crown prince's defiance."

He paused as he recalled the correct sequence of event. Fabian continued.

"Still, with the Duke's return, the Bloodfang had to take a step back and make a thorough plan."

"Sam is that strong? I mean, the duke?" I blurted out, surprised at Sam's impact on the other pure-blooded vampires that weren't even wary of the current king.

"Haha." Fabian chuckled and nodded once again. "Yes, my lady. What I'm saying, although the Bloodfang took a step back, their grudge towards the royal family grew deeper. So when the time came, they officially challenged the monarchy."

Oh… I nodded, as that was to be expected. Now, the timetable made sense. Sam had built up Grimsbanne while the Bloodfang schemed.

"With this brewing war, the king had summoned his supporters — including Lord Samael. However, amidst the war, Grimsbanne, which was far from the battlefield, was attacked. Obviously, it was a trap from the enemies to split the duke's attention."

As Fabian looked down, I furrowed my brows and murmured. "What a foul and desperate method to win."

"There's no fair or foul method in a war, my lady. So, despite the current king's disapproval, the duke rushed back to Grimsbanne to save whatever he could."

My heart ached, imagining Sam's desperation and determination. Sam truly loved Grimsbanne; he had turned his back on the monarchy.

"When the duke reached Grimsbanne, everything was on fire and he…" Again, Fabian paused. But this time, it was rather long.

I tilted my head a little to the side to peek at him. To my surprise, Fabian sported a conflicted expression in his eyes.

"The duke had lost control upon seeing that they massacred his people."

When Fabian continued, I felt the heaviness of his words on my shoulder. I couldn't imagine the shock and pain Sam went through during those times.

Sam…

"The results were quite uncanny. The duke wreaked havoc. The numbers of the corpse in Grimsbanne piled up, scattered everywhere in this very land. Yet, even after annihilating the enemies, the duke's blood lust couldn't be satiated. Hence, he returned to the Capital." Fabian sighed, shaking his head.

"I heard the numbers of casualties tripled as he attacked both sides. No one knew the details of how the duke returned to his senses aside from the Duke and those who had witnessed the end of the war. But after that, the Duke returned to Grimsbanne, rebuilt it, and entered his slumber."

"We all knew that the duke would wake up one day. Thus, we held a banquet annually just in case he would return as the Lord who built Grimsbanne or someone else."

Fabian ended, clarifying the question I had from the very beginning. We remained silent momentarily; neither of us talked.

I gazed down at the lush grass under my feet. Back then, I asked Sam why he slept for hundreds of years. He told me because it was tiring.

I remembered feeling very disappointed at what I heard. But now, I understood that his reasoning was not even close to shallow.

"What if the Lord returned as someone who wreaked havoc?" I asked, sounding almost like a whisper.

"You're truly amazing in details, my lady." Again, Fabian praised my attentiveness. However, I believed I only paid attention because it was about Sam.

"We would follow the Duke's last orders before his slumber."

I raised my head, blinking, waiting for him to enlighten me. The corner of his lips curled into a bitter smile.

"We would have to kill him ourselves."