Lady Dhampir
Chapter 132

The Orchestra began playing exactly as they made their first step. Every dance began the same, but this time, every pair of eyes in this room were focused on them. Milena was too self-conscious to ignore that simple fact. Each movement after each movement, she put into practice years of dancing lessons. It wasn't her first time with Rayan as a partner, and she knew how he liked to lead. There was something a bit comforting in the fact that she could rely on his skills too. Their duo was fluid, elegant, and natural. They made it look effortless. Milena was trying not to think too much about it, and focus on her husband, but she could hear the appreciative whispers. She could hear people compliment how surprisingly good the couple looked together. It wasn't so unexpected. Few people had ever seen her and Rayan together before. It may have come as a surprise for the two of them to be engaged, but now, they would have to prove themselves as a couple.

As the dance continued, her worries gradually disappeared. She was getting used to the weight of her dress, and her legs were following the movements without her thinking about it. Hours of practice were showing up as she needed them, guiding her steps. Naturally, Milena began lowering her guard a bit, and relaxing in Rayan's arms. He caught on to it, and although they were both dancing gracefully and silently until now, a smile appeared on his lips.

"I expected something to feel different," he suddenly whispered.

"What should be different?"

"Dancing with my wife, compared to dancing with the young Duchess De Crescent."

Milena chuckled.

"Well, it isn't like a couple of vows and rings will suddenly change us. What were you expecting?"

"I am not sure. Although, I do hope our relationship will get even better from now on."

"Better in what way?"

"Spending more time together, for example. I feel like I hardly get to see you, except for ceremonies."

"Well, my Prince and I are both very busy people. I will try to arrange my schedule, though."

"Will that be all right?"

"I've never been much of a morning person anyway, no one will complain if I do begin the day later....When do you usually sleep?"

"During the day, if I can. I wake up around four or five in the afternoon, and I stay up until ten or eleven the next day."

Milena frowned. Herself usually woke up at eleven in the morning, and went to sleep about three hours after the clock in her office struck midnight. It meant they would have the most time to spend together during the evening and a good part of the night, but Rayan was actually up so late. That schedule barely allowed him six hours of sleep at most!

"My Lady is frowning. Concerned we won't have much time together?"

"No, but... you do sound busy."

"I promise I'll make time for you."

Milena blushed, and spinned on herself, happy she had an excuse not to look his way at that moment. There was still the matter of their nuptial agreement... She didn't doubt Rayan would replace ways for them to be together, but still. She was probably going to have to get used to a cold bed, and that wasn't about her husband being cold-skinned.

"We should enjoy the honeymoon period," he said when she went back to him. "Everyone will be busy organizing my brother's wedding... They wouldn't mind if you and I got a bit lazy."

"I've been a princess just for a few hours and you're already suggesting we slack off?" Chuckled Milena.

"Honeymoon period," Rayan shrugged. "I mean, we should enjoy this as much as we can before it gets busier, right?"

Milena nodded. He was right, of course. Things would get twice as busy after Ellias' wedding. First, the competition would start anew. Although Milena didn't care about winning over Philomenie anymore, she knew there was still the discussion about the Crown Prince pending. Eventually, it would come down to the two couples. Everyone would have their eyes on them until the King selected one of the twins, and he would have to pick soon. From what she had seen, Milena could tell that the King's disease was going to precipitate a lot of things...

Finally, enough time had passed for more dancers to join. The first dance of the new young couple deserved a few minutes where the two would be in the spotlight, but then, it was socially acceptable for more young couples to join.

Ellias and Philomenie were one of the first ones to join. As an engaged couple, members of the royal family, and supposedly closest to the new couple, it would have been strange if they waited. Because of this, the two couples danced together, following opposite steps, mindful of each other, yet without once exchanging glances. Milena made a point to keep her eyes on Rayan, and although he was obviously conscious of his twin and his fiancé being there too, he did the same. The two couples continued dancing under the bystanders' eyes, not giving anything away. A lot of people were probably curious about the relationship between all four of them. The rivalry was no secret, though.

The next couples joined the dance floor, relieving a bit the tension in the air. The movements became more natural, more joyful, as the music changed into something a bit happier. The rhythm increased a bit also, but this was still one of the easiest and most common dances. Milena spotted Valentin and his fiancé, and then Tiphania dancing with a young gentleman from the Allendor family. It looked like most of the dancers at the moment were young people, but surely, every available spot on the dancefloor was getting filled quickly. Milena was a bit curious as to why, and she understood when the next dance began.

It was a group dance that included regular exchanges of partners. She dreaded the minute she had to part with Rayan, but her new spouse was amused, and sent her a little wink before they moved on to a new dance partner. Just like this, Milena regularly changed arms, meeting new young men who had been eager to meet her. If this wasn't her wedding ceremony, she would have been very suspicious of their flattery. However, a lot of them were simply trying to put their family in the new Princess' good favors, or push their wife or sister into one of the seats of her ladies-in-waiting. Milena stayed as polite as she could, but she knew just remembering all those names would be a struggle in itself. Moreover, her list of ladies-in-waiting was already complete. Of course, she didn't share that information, and just kept on smiling politely and dancing. It wasn't as easy as with Rayan, though. A lot of those young men were too busy chatting and forgot steps, or were late following the music. Milena was annoyed. How could one be so unprepared as to not be able to do both? She knew she would have been able to hold a long and complex conversation on any matter with Rayan, and still complete a dance impeccably. Maybe she was just annoyed she had to dance with strangers instead of her now husband, but Milena couldn't help but realize how different those young men were from the vampire Prince. She was surely a bit too accustomed to the level of the Princes, but those young men's conversation felt dull and boring no matter how hard they tried. The partners changed again, and this time, she landed in familiar arms, strong hands catching her solidly.

"Evening, little sister. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Valentin."

They kept dancing like this, and unlike what she imagined, there was no sign of awkwardness between them. She had partnered many times with Valentin to dance before, during her lessons or at official events. It felt natural to dance with her older brother. This way, she didn't have to think too much about anything else. However, there was still a matter lingering between them. Milena didn't dare bring it up. She didn't want to get mad at her elder brother, not tonight. It was her wedding ceremony, probably the worst occasion to be at odds with her family...

"...I apologize."

She raised her eyes towards him, surprised.

"About Olivia. I know I should have come forward much sooner, but... I truly didn't know how I should handle this. It may sound silly to you, but I was afraid you'd be truly mad at me."

Milena nodded slowly, did a few steps and another spin, and went back into his arms.

"I was... for a little while. I felt like my older brother I was always looking up to had betrayed me." "Milena, I really didn't mean to..."

"I know."

He frowned, but Milena's voice was surprisingly calm, and her expression without an ounce of anger too. Instead, the young Princess was smiling very faintly, more to keep up the appearances than out of reflex. She breathed calmly, letting Valentin lead her around the dance floor.

"It took me a little while, but no matter what, I didn't want us acting like strangers. I thought you would come to me first and apologize in some way, but since you didn't, it made me a bit angry for a while. As if you weren't owning up to your mistake. Then, I came to two conclusions. Either you didn't think it was a mistake, or you didn't feel like you needed to apologize to me. Either way, it meant you weren't sorry for what you did." Valentin remained quiet. As always, his little sister was disturbingly right on the nail. Milena had seen right through him, and he didn't want to lie either. He sighed a bit.

"It's true. ...I don't feel sorry for asking Olivia to report to me, but I do feel sorry for letting this escalate. For not coming to explain it to you sooner."

"...Is it because of my position?"

"Among other things, yes. Although you are my little sister, and nothing will ever change the love I have for you, Millie, you and I are bound to take different paths. I have to take the Head of the House De Crescent, and you'll become... I mean, you are a princess from now on. Our interests may come to differ one day."

"Is that why you ordered Olivia to spy on me? You were afraid I'd... turn against you?"

"Not that much, to be honest. I was more worried you'd make a mistake somewhere, that you'd come to trust the wrong person, and fall, despite yourself, to another... side."

In other words, if Milena had been betrothed to a Prince they couldn't support. It suddenly hit Milena. Although her father had always given her the liberty to choose, Valentin had already made his choice. Which Prince that would prevail for the House De Crescent, and it probably wasn't Ellias. In a way, Milena realized she would have committed twice the amount of mistakes if she had chosen Ellias. Her family had always been half human, half vampire. Which basically meant pro-vampire. Having Ellias as Milena's husband could have worked against them, in the long run. Maybe not in the upcoming years, but in the future, no one could tell what would happen. Milena had to follow her husband's decisions, or at least that was the general expectation. It would be hard for her to go against Rayan later, even if it meant going against her own family... A chill went down her spine. There were countless examples of Princesses or Queens, who had to go against their family's schemes. Lyriana, for example, had been at odds with the Boreal house for a few years. In the end, the Queen herself had been quite isolated. Even if it was partly her choice, Milena wasn't sure she could bring herself to such a situation one day. She couldn't imagine herself giving the cold shoulder to Valentin, Raphael or Lucian. "...I understand," muttered Milena.

Her feelings were shaken up quite a bit by this revelation, but she also understood. No matter what, Valentin was bound to his position of first born. He was raised with the idea that he had to protect the Duchy De Crescent at any costs, and his younger siblings didn't have that amount of pressure on their shoulders.

They kept dancing a few more seconds, but, as they were supposed to change partners, Valentin made Milena do an extra-spin to keep her with him, sending a cold glance to the young man who had to step away with an embarrassed expression. "Val?"

"I'm not done talking. I didn't just do this... to go against you, Milena. You're my little sister, and you'll always be a De Crescent. It wasn't just about... making sure our goals align. It was about me trying to protect you, too."

She slowly nodded. She understood that easily. It was so like Valentin, to try and protect everyone in silence. Unlike Raphael or Lucian, he was never the type to voice out his feelings. That was one thing he and Milena had in common. They did a few more steps, but in her mind, a decision was slowly made.

She would always be a De Crescent. Just like her father had said, Milena would never deny that part of her identity, she held onto it too dearly.

"Valentin, can you promise me one thing?"

"What is it?"

"If I ever... do or look like I might do something that goes against our family's interests, please tell me. Warn me, in some way."

"Millie..."

"I'm serious. I know it's not... conventional, but you're my older brother. I've always looked up to you, and I know you are fair and loyal. I don't want something like this to ever happen between us again, but I also understand why you did it. However, next time we should be honest with each other. We are not strangers, and I never want us to have to act as if we are. You are right when you say our paths may not align in the future, but I still want my older brother to guide me and support me. So... please, if you ever feel like I'm going on a different path, let me know."

"...All right. I promise I will."

Milena smiled, genuinely this time, feeling a bit better. Valentin smiled too, looking relieved.

At the very same moment, the dance ended, letting those who wanted leave the dance floor go. Milena felt a bit of relief. She couldn't tell how long she had been dancing, but her legs were starting to feel tired. Valentin gently offered his arm and escorted her off of the dance floor. She appreciated him staying by her side, otherwise young nobles would have flown to her like moths drawn to a flame.

As Valentin's fiancé joined them for a chat, Milena used this little break as an excuse to finally eat. She had to remain elegant, but she felt like she could have engulfed the whole buffet at that very moment. When Lucian joined them, her level of happiness grew a little, and she was happy to replace time for a dance with her other brother. Raphael wasn't able to join, and had returned to the hospital as expected. Milena's Father was the next one to take her hand. It was a very sweet and slow dance she exchanged with him. Milena wondered how her mother had felt, more than twenty years ago, dancing in the arms of that man.

No words were spoken between them, but she enjoyed two dances with the Duke, with no one daring to disturb them. The truth was, her father was a terrible dancer. She had to lead discreetly, and he danced with no one but her. Not even Eugenie dared to approach.

After that though, Milena couldn't dismiss her social obligations any longer. She had to endure the greetings, congratulations, compliments and the wave of young people. Although, all her future ladies-in-waiting did their best to keep a perimeter around her, filtrating the flux of people. Still, Milena was happy to see all of her friends here for the joyful event, and to be the first ones to congratulate her. Prudence was even on the verge of tears, and Yasina didn't stop boasting about the wedding dress until Briseis begged for her to stop. Even Rachael, wearing some strange, a bit too avant-garde dress, came to congratulate her. Although she had also obviously waited to do it so she could leave the party and avoid more dancing with young strangers. "...How is my lady surviving the political herd?" Whispered a voice next to her ear.

When she turned to her husband, she had rarely been that relieved to see him. Her smile appeared immediately, making him chuckle, although he could tell she was tired too. He wrapped his arm around her waist, dismissing everyone at once.

"I feel like it's been hours since we last exchanged words," she sighed.

"It has. I was starting to worry you may have found another man in the meantime."

"My ring is still there, and I don't think anyone would be ready to handle my family like you, anyways."

"Fair enough," he chuckled, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead, as if there weren't dozens of eyes on them. "Should I kidnap my young wife then? Is this when we run away?"

"...Can we do that?" She whispered.

"It's my favorite sport, darling. Come on."

Making the Princess chuckle, Rayan took her hand and guided her out of the ballroom. A lot of people looked confused as to where the young couple was going, their guests left behind with baffled expressions. Only their families and Milena's ladies-in-waiting smiled.

"Are they eloping?" Asked Prudence, her eyes sparkling.

"They are just being childish," sighed Briseis.

"Oh, let's let them enjoy it. After this, they probably won't have many occasions like these..."