Lady Dhampir
Chapter 129

"Are you nervous?"

His question baffled Milena for a moment. Was she? It was a simple question, but it took the future bride several long seconds to properly analyze how she was actually feeling at the moment. After a while, she slowly shook her head. "I don't think so... It feels almost as if we have been married for a little while already."

The vampire Prince chuckled, but then he put on a little frown.

"I understand what you mean, my Lady, but I hope my future wife doesn't forget another, most exciting part that comes with marriage."

Milena blushed and slapped his shoulder, a bit annoyed. She hadn't forgotten that part of their nuptial agreement, of course, but it still made her a bit ashamed every time she thought about it. It had been a little while now since she and her fiancé had gotten intimate. She wasn't scared of the act itself; since a couple of generations ago, all noble young men and women were usually given a couple of s****l education classes before they reached marriageable age.

It wasn't any big secret. In a big breakthrough a few decades back, an anonymous noble lady, raised withou Although it had been a huge scandal at the time, as it included some prostitutes' advice, a lot of peop the number of divorces and a rise in births registered. It was a given that all young noble people, thes However, Milena was more anxious about becoming intimate with Rayan, even more intimate. Knowin Of course, they had some little experience together before, but she knew it couldn't compare to the a Yet, the Prince wasn't acting pushy or anything. He chuckled at her embarrassed expression and gave "Don't worry my Lady, I'll be a gentleman."

"What gentleman..." muttered Milena.

any guidance on the matter, had suddenly published a paper about the importance of educating young people on "matters of the bedchambers". criticized it as extremely vulgar. The said paper had been sold out within a couple of weeks. Moreover, the next three years had seen a significant drop in ,were educated at least a few months before their weddings...

one thing, doing the act was another. She wasn't comfortable with showing her vulnerable self or, not controlling a situation and this matter involved both. *** intercourse... quick kiss.

Although she knew he wasn't lying, it couldn't keep her from being a bit embarrassed and nervous. She played with the deep red silk of his cravat between her fingers, keeping him and his playful eyes close. Milena was a bit nervous, but this was nothing. They should have been married ten days ago. Now, she was just hoping everything would finally end well and without any more big commotion. It seemed as if each of her meetings with the vampire Prince had ended in the most brutal and unexpected ways recently. "Your Highness! My apologies, but you shouldn't be here!" Suddenly exclaimed Yasina's voice behind

"It looks like we've been caught already," sighed Rayan.

"You've been caught," retorted Milena with a smile. "I wasn't doing anything wrong."

The Prince chuckled and grabbed her waist to kiss her a little bit more, completely ignoring the ladies who had just walked in. Yasina's jaw dropped, while the maids turned their gazes away, a bit embarrassed. Even Olivia shook her head with a little smile. If anyone dared to say those two weren't matched right, they needed to get their eyes checked for sure!

Milena was happy to enjoy these stolen seconds with Rayan. She had missed her fiancé. She felt a bit more confident, now that she had seen him and gotten an opportunity to chat a little bit before the actual ceremony. As Rayan had mentioned earlier, they probably wouldn't have any time alone together again until much later that night...

Finally, the Prince had no choice but to leave as Yasina almost threatened to call the guards on him. She was even mad at Lucian for acting as a decoy, but Milena internally thanked her younger brother once again. She had no idea how those two had come together to organize this, but she really liked her surprise.

After that though, she didn't have another break.

Yasina was like a conductor, giving orders left and right and arranging absolutely every single thing. Strangers and maids kept coming in and out for the next two hours, bringing accessories, make-up, and asking questions about some details, and for the most part, getting yelled at a lot by the Baroness de Cictrin. Even Milena felt clueless about a lot of things. She wasn't fond of organizing events, but for her wedding, she had tried to get as involved as possible. Even then, she felt like a lot of things was happening that she had no idea about. Apparently, Yasina had not only made sure to coordinate with the Royal Designer about the outfits, but also those of her Brothers and Father, and anyone else who was to stand in the front row.

"Thankfully, it is a small wedding," Milena sighed after a poor maid had almost been kicked out for suggesting to add some flowers in the arrival hall.

"A small wedding? As if a Royal Wedding could be small!" Retorted Yasina.

The young Duchess tried hard not to roll her eyes. She had tried her best to keep the guest list at a hundred, but it had become an absolute war between the Noble Houses for seats. They had had no choice, but to double that number, until her Father had intervened. The House De Crescent had actually never been so popular. Milena was the first woman to marry into the Royal Family since her Great-Grandmother, but it didn't change the fact that her family was wary of everyone else. The sudden increase in invitations since her engagement ceremony was so much that not even Digory could cope. It looked like this wedding was really going to happen and it would only get worse from then on. She wished good luck to the Royal Secretaries...

The last part was the make-up. Milena simply had to stand in front of the mirror while two pairs of hands, professional beauticians, worked on making her look perfect. As they kept complimenting her excessively, Milena stared at her own reflection, feeling a bit strange inside. She had so many feelings intertwining together, she had a hard time settling on anything in the mirror.

The saddest feeling was nostalgia. There wasn't a woman left in her family to accompany her. If her mom had been alive, she would have stayed with her the whole time, chatted with her, and reassured her. Maybe, Elizia would have told her some secret story from her own wedding... Milena repressed the urge to cry by grabbing her cup of tea, despite the grimace of the woman who had just applied her lipstick. She just needed something to swallow the knot in her throat.

Taking a deep breath, Milena looked back at her reflection and found herself beautiful. She had always been confident in her appearance overall. Not only because of the compliments her maids often threw at her, or the glances of the noblemen she crossed paths within parties. Milena had learned to love herself. It was actually, her purple eyes had made her realize that, before anyone else, she had to love herself. The foundation of her self-esteem was her own appreciation. She could have the pride of a Queen because she was confident in herself. It wasn't just physical, Milena knew she had to be her own ally, supporter, and master. Now, looking at herself, looking absolutely stunning with deep red lip gloss, those ravaging eyes, and her perfect pale skin, she was happy with what she saw. Hence, she wouldn't let anyone bring her down today. She was about to be crowned a Princess and she certainly felt like one already.

"You're all ready, and stunning, my Lady," said Yasina, her smile going from one ear to the other.

Indeed, when she stood up, all the maids were in awe at the young Duchess' beauty. She was perfectly ready and on time for the ceremony. The accessories made from her Great-Grandmother's brooch had been added to hold and lift a few her curls, although most of her hair was cascading down her back and shoulders. In addition, Milena was wearing her Great-Grandmother's ring on her middle finger. The rest of her jewelry had been custom-made for the day though. Of course, her Prince had gotten her as many rubies as she wanted. Several of them were now displayed on Milena's delicate neck, in an exquisite, modern necklace design.

Yasina took a deep breath, holding the little veil and ready to pin it on Milena's head. It was a very soft and small one compared to most. This one would barely cover her chin.

Suddenly though, someone knocked at the door, and the Duke entered. Milena almost gasped, happy to see her father, and walked to him.

"Good Morning, Father," she said.

Her father remained silent, simply staring at her. Although the Duke remained expressionless, Milena could see his dark red eyes going all over her appearance, something very deep shining in them. She smiled.

"Am I pretty, Father?" She asked softly.

"... Of course."

Those two words were all she needed. Milena put on her brightest smile, happy. The Duke wasn't one to show his feelings so easily, not in public, but it was obvious for his only daughter. She could tell by the way he took a deep breath and kept himself from hugging her too strongly, to avoid undoing her delicate hairstyle or fold the veil.

"...You really look like your mother, like this," he whispered against her ear.

No other words could have made the Princess happier. As a result, she allowed herself to hug her Father a bit tighter, being his little girl just for a few more seconds. She took a deep breath too as they separated, feeling a bit more confident. "Father..."

"What is it?" He asked with a little frown.

"...Thank you for replaceing me."

Milena was almost choking up saying those words. She felt like she could never have done enough to thank her Father for taking her back home. She was happy with the life she had led until then. Perhaps, she would have been dead long ago if it wasn't for her Father's desperation to replace his daughter. No matter the hardships she had faced until then, Milena was just grateful at that very moment.

He slowly nodded, but she could tell there was more stuck in his throat. She was alright with not hearing it though. She knew her Father. They both silently glanced at each other, as he finally offered her his arm to walk out.

The corridors of the Castle were strangely empty as they walked slowly. The Ceremony had probably started in the Great Hall. Milena felt a little bit sorry that they couldn't have held this ceremony at the De Crescent Manor, but the circumstances were quite unique after all.

She wondered how many people showed up and her nervousness spiked, again. So many people would have their eyes solely on her. There would be glares, people unhappy about this union. No, she had to stand strong, show them she wasn't simply a Princess, she was one with the real potential to be a Queen someday.

They finally arrived behind the large doors of the Ceremonial Hall. These doors were really tall and large. Milena had seen them before, but it only seemed to strike her now, how imposing they were. She felt a bit dizzy for a second. So many people were waiting for her behind that door. She shivered, but just then, a hand came onto hers. "Milena."

She raised her eyes towards her father, holding on a bit tighter to him. She could feel all the power of his gaze. Not just because he was the Duke De Crescent, but because her father was a man with incredible strength and willpower. His red gaze could have lit a fire. "Never forget, you're a Daughter De Crescent. Our family's pride is yours."

She felt those words strongly, burying into her heart, and nodded. It felt almost as if her Mother, her Great-Grandmother, and all the De Crescent who had passed were suddenly standing behind her, making her stronger. Milena held her head high, ready to take on the world. The doors opened.

She was blinded by so much information all at once, but only for a moment.

It was one of the largest rooms in the Castle. There was a very long carpet laid in front of them that led all the way to the altar. The large glass windows were gorgeous, sending multi-colored reflections throughout the Hall. Although the walls were of dark brick, the colors of the clothes of the guests were enough to make the room suddenly look a lot larger. Every noble present had put on their best outfits, Milena could tell. Of course, each was wearing the Noble House's color, but also some hints of red, as to honor the House De Crescent. It was as if a theme had been given for that wedding and Milena liked that very much.

At an invisible signal, her father began walking and Milena let herself be guided. She had no idea how she was putting one foot in front of the other, but she was focused. She stood tall and elegant, trying to put on a calm demeanor and hide her inner turmoil. Her heart was beating like crazy under the red embroideries. She tried not to look sideways to avoid all the gazes. She looked straight forward, where she could catch a glimpse of the King, the altar, and, of course, her future Husband.

Although it felt like he was miles away at the moment, Milena felt just a little bit better by the sight of him. Rayan was, strangely, not smiling. He was just standing there with a calm expression. He had a very faint smile on, but the fire in his eyes was all she needed to know. He was ready, too.

Milena had never felt so sure than at that very moment. This was her future husband, someone who could give her all the courage she needed in one glance. Someone she could trust and rely on. The path to the Altar seemed to light up in front of her. With each step, she felt a bit more confident, a bit more beautiful and stronger. She could hear the gasps, the whispers of admiration around her. Those people could say whatever they wanted. Just like Maribella had once told her, if she wanted to be Queen, she should act like one.

As they arrived on the little platform, Rayan and Milena exchanged a glance, both had a faint smile on. Milena was reminiscing of their exchange from just a while ago. It was no stranger waiting to take her hand.

The vampire Prince suddenly turned his gaze towards her Father and, very respectfully, bowed. A lot of people gasped around them. Normally, at a Royal wedding, the Duke should have been the one to bow, not the other way around. It was considered an honor for the Noble House De Crescent to marry their Daughter into the Royal Family. Yet, Rayan was clearly making a statement here, changing the meaning entirely. Milena's Father didn't look surprised for a single second and didn't bother to reciprocate. It felt like a silent agreement between the two. No words were exchanged, there was no need for it.

"W-well," said the King after the long silence. "Let's begin this ceremony."

Gently, Milena's Father undid her hand around his arm, and let the Prince take her hand. Milena felt the weight of her Father's presence leaving her, and suddenly, she realized what it truly meant to be an adult.

Yet, Rayan was holding her hand. Gently, but firmly. He was there to not let her feel alone. She nodded subtly, still holding his hand, they turned toward the King. Although he was giving a long speech about marriage, responsibilities, and partnership, Milena wasn't really listening. She had heard it all already and was more concerned about the King's appearance. He was seated in a large and comfortable chair, but she realized that meant he probably couldn't stand. His complexion was a bit grey, too, the dark circles under his eyes spoke for themselves. Milena was incredibly grateful for her father-in-law to be there, to officiate this wedding himself.

She felt a little pressure on her hands and turned her attention back towards her fiancé.

With just a little glimpse, the Prince transmitted his feelings. He wanted her to pay attention to him too. Milena smiled gently, a bit amused by his childish antics. She nodded again, trying to contain her smile a bit. She could feel the pressure of hundreds of eyes on them, but at that moment, the Duchess didn't care. This was her ceremony. She knew her Brothers were there, behind her, watching with her Father. They were all she needed.

She patiently listened to the very long speech of the King, waiting for the final moment.

"...and everywhere in the Kingdom of Solaris, it shall be known that the Duchess Lady Milena De Crescent, Daughter of Duke Anton De Crescent and Lady Elizia De Crescent, as of today, is the sole spouse of Prince Rayan De Solar, Son of Queen Lyriana and my humble self. It will be recorded as such in all of the History of the Solaris Kingdom. Duchess, do you agree to these terms?"

"I agree, your Highness," said Milena.

"Rayan De Solar, my dear Son, do you agree as well?"

"With utmost joy, Father."

"Well then, as the King and Officiant of this superb union, it is my delight and privilege to officially announce this wedding is proclaimed, inexorable and sacred. Congratulations, my children."

As waves of applause began behind them, Rayan chuckled and raised an eyebrow.

"I think you're forgetting the most important part, Father. May I kiss the..."

However, before he could finish his sentence, Milena grabbed his necktie, and kissed him.