Lady Dhampir
Chapter 138

As soon as she stepped out of the room, Milena let out a long sigh. Was she ever going to feel at rest? She put her hand in one of her skirt's pockets, and took out Blanche, who shape-shifted into her cat form quickly to ease her mistress. She patted her white fur for a little while, trying to calm down. "...You're trying to make a bird bark," said a voice behind her.

Milena turned around to replace Rachael De Nova standing there. The Young Duchess dressed superbly in attire made of brown leather and black velvet. The Duchess bowed, since their statuses were now different, but she immediately crossed her arms once the formalities were done.

"Your Highness," she greeted Milena.

"...Duchess De Nova. Were you eavesdropping?"

"I heard your voice, that's all," shrugged Rachael.

Milena sighed. Indeed, if she had been shouting, she couldn't blame it on the room's lack of sound-proofing. Milena began walking back towards her apartments, Rachel getting the implicit permission to follow her. "What brings you here?" "Business matters, as always."

That answer was too short. Milena frowned, knowing something was definitely up. Rachael wouldn't have come to replace her during the day, at such an hour, for something as simple as business matters. If it was really just a business issue, Rachael would have come to replace her at least in the evening. Her outfit, too, was one made for riding, not for having a casual business chat with the princess. All of this suggested she rode here quickly without taking time to change. Her boots were even still wet. They quietly walked back to her office, after which Milena sent away the royal maids and locked the door behind her, making it clear to the servants that no one shall be permitted to enter. She then let Blanche down and walked up to pour them some tea. Rachael's eyes followed the white cat. She already had a hunch about Milena's strange pet that followed her everywhere, but it wasn't the matter today.

"What is it?" Asked Milena.

"... The Oracle was spotted," announced Rachael, leaning against one of the tables.

"What? Really?"

Rachael nodded, and crossed her arms.

"Some of my men went hunting towards the southeast, and they heard rumors in a village they stopped by that a white-haired woman came there to buy food supplies." "That's a bit thin," frowned Milena.

"A young white-haired woman with strange eyes and a vampire baby girl with her?"

Milena sighed and nodded. Now, that definitely sounded like Ora. What was she doing there, though? Southwest? Trying to stay away from the capital? Milena brought her cup to her lips, checking the color of her silverware before sipping it. Rachael hadn't moved to take the other.

"I sent my men after her, but I wanted to ask you what to do once we found her. I'm aware that woman has some strange connection to you... and that thing that follows you everywhere." Blanche turned her head towards Rachael, but ignored her and jumped on one of the shelves to curl up and stare at them from a higher viewpoint. Milena's eyes went to Blanche, too. "... Did you tell anyone else?"

"No, but I will have to. The Royal Guard will be involved sooner or later. You do know that woman probably killed the Queen and stabbed your brother?"

Milena sighed.

Indeed, Ora was the main suspect in the first case, and definitely the culprit in the second. Yet, Milena had her doubt on several things. First, the Oracle's motivations were unclear. Why would she have to poison the Queen? What was she trying to do by fleeing with Rowena? She could have asked Milena to help her hide or something along those lines, but instead, she had attacked the De Crescent family. Something felt wrong there. It was as if she had felt the need to cut their ties before fleeing... "Track her, but try not to kill her. And I want my niece back," said Milena. "Rowena is a daughter of the De Crescent's house, make sure her safety is the priority."

"Got it."

"And..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Milena felt strangely dizzy. It hit her all at once, like a wave of horrible nausea. As if she was leaving her body. Black spots appeared in her field of vision, and she felt herself stagger. The vertigo was so sudden, she felt her strength leaving. By reflex, she held on to her desk, and f****d herself to blink.

"De Crescent?" Asked Rachel, looking perplexed.

Milena tried to take deep breaths, and glanced at the tea she had just drunk. Cold chills overtook her body, and fear crawled in her mind. She had been drinking that tea all morning. The taste was the same....or had they replaced it? She tried to keep breathing and not fall focusing on staying conscious. Rachael ran to her side, helping her sit down. Down on her knees, Milena grabbed a little sachet hidden in her sleeve with trembling hands, and gulped down the contents in one go.

"Are you alright? Milena?" "N-no..."

Milena waited for the antidote to work its way to her system, fighting to stay conscious. The powder had tasted disgusting on her lips, but now, her stomach was uncomfortably convulsing. She felt horrible.

She had been careless. Dinah was worried about leaving her alone for a reason, the number of people who wanted her dead had been rising recently. The silver hadn't changed colors and the pot was lukewarm, so Milena hadn't thought the tea could have been changed in the short while she was out... "Those bastards," hissed Rachael. "You really can't catch a break..."

Letting the princess lean on her, she helped Milena to the sofa, making sure she was still conscious, and helped her lie down. As soon as she could, Rachael walked up to the teapot to sniff it. She frowned. She really couldn't detect anything unusual, but the tea's fruity smell was so strong, maybe it covered something else.

"What the hell did they put inside it..."

Worried, Blanche jumped down from her spot and after a quick whiff of the teapot as well she ran to Milena's side, meowing loudly. However, her mistress couldn't answer. Milena was feeling weak, her strength was leaving her. "Guards!" Rachael shouted.

Immediately, three men ran inside the office and put a knee down.

"Find me who the hell prepared this tea, and have a doctor come here immediately!"

"Dinah prepared it," mumbled Milena. "It's... lukewarm... no one..."

She felt too weak to finish her sentence. She could barely stay awake.

However, Rachael had understood what she had been trying to say, and frowned.

"Someone put some s**t in this anyway. Find who else entered this room since this morning, and bring them to me. And call a doctor here as fast as possible!"

For a while, a ruckus occurred in the office as people ran in and out. Orders were shouted, and within a few minutes, the whole floor was agitated. Milena couldn't really pay attention, but she could hear Rachael unleashing a storm above the Royal Staff. She was grateful for the duchess who didn't leave her side, and watched like a hawk whoever dared approach.

A Royal Doctor finally came in, completely out of breath, and immediately ran to Milena's side. He checked her pulse, inspecting her quickly and efficiently, giving a detailed report of her condition to Rachael and the maids present. Milena was barely awake, and couldn't understand a thing he had said, but she was moved to a close bedroom, on the brink of collapsing. Someone gave her something to drink, and after a couple of seconds, her stomach turned. She vomited horribly and loudly. It felt like her whole gut was about to come up. She was feeling terrible, and she hated having no idea what was going on.

"Milena!"

Hearing Rayan's voice took it away from the half-asleep state she was falling into. She opened her eyes. She had her body hanging on one edge of the bed, as one of the maids patted a wet cloth against her lips. The room was crowded with people, even in the dark. "What happened!?"

"I believe the princess was given a s-small dose of medication, Your Highness..." Muttered the Doctor.

"What? Medication? Not poison?"

"W-we are still analyzing the mixture that was p-put in her tea, Your Highness. However, as we have already tested it, it doesn't seem meant to t-threaten one's life directly. The maid didn't react at all... It is most likely the princess had a bad reaction to... to something in the mixture, and thus, her body reacted like this. It looks like we may not have even noticed something else was added in her drink otherwise... it may have saved her life..."

"Are you suggesting because no one has died, my wife is lucky? Do you want me to hang you by your tongue!?"

"My apologies, Your Highness!"

"Find out what was added! Right away!"

Milena heard people running out of the room, but she was too exhausted to care. She had a fever, and they had f****d her to take some more medication that tasted bitter.

She felt a cold hand on her forehead, and that was all she needed at the moment. Rayan's gentle lips kissed her temple.

"I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault," she groaned, her eyes closed. "I've been... careless too..."

"Sleep, Milena. I shouldn't have let you work so much. Don't worry about anything for now, My Princess. You should just..." "Lady Milena!"

If she had the strength to, Milena would have rolled her eyes at Philomenie's crying voice.

"My God, how... how could such a thing happen... Are you all right?"

The only thing she wanted at that very moment was to sleep, and Philomenie's whining was just too annoying. However, Rayan's cold hand caressing hers was making her feel better already. Milena could feel her sore body indulging into the sweet opportunity to sleep. The fever was winning her over, and the other princess wouldn't dare approach as long as her husband was by her side. Milena had no strength to care.

"I-Is Lady Milena all right?"

"What do you think?" Retorted Rayan's cold voice.

From the way the room suddenly became silent, his stare must have been quite intense.

"I-I'm... sorry..."

"Unless your apologies are going to be of any use in this situation, I suggest you leave so my wife can get the rest she needs, considering the insane amount of extra work your uselessness has given her these days."

Milena heard Philomenie leave, probably to go and cry somewhere. In her current state, she didn't really care about her husband scaring her sister-in-law. She just wanted to hold on to his cold extremities to break down her fever, and to help her calm down. "Don't... leave..."

"I won't leave you," he whispered to her ear. "I swear, I'm not letting anyone else near you again..."

Milena probably nodded, but she wasn't sure herself. She was just too tired to move a muscle. She allowed her body to lie down, and only focused on Rayan's hand, caressing her nape. Strangely, despite how tired she was, she couldn't really sleep. That fever was giving her a headache, and her stomach was painful too. How could one fall sick so fast? She couldn't understand, it felt like her body was breaking down... "How about you get the hell out of here now?"

Rayan's voice woke her up. Milena was so tired, but she could tell she was still in the same position as earlier, and her clothes had been changed into some nightgown. She could feel the silk sticking to her sweaty skin. She relished in that cold hand on her nape, gently caressing her. As promised, he hadn't left her. She had no idea how long it had been, the room was completely in the dark.

"...Don't you dare take one step closer, Ellias, I'm warning you."

"What? You think I'd hurt her?"

"No. I think I'd hurt you."

Milena wished she could open her eyes, to understand what was going on. The cold chill in the room had nothing to do with her fever. She had rarely seen the twins together... or heard them even. Just by how his fingers moved on her skin, she could feel her husband's anger.

"What are you saying? You don't think I'd seriously do such a thing?"

"Someone slipped an abortion potion into my wife's tea, are you sure it has nothing to do with you, Ellias? Who else's purpose does it serve if Milena loses a child?"

"You're being ridiculous. What child? She wasn't with child anyway!"

"What if she had been?"

She heard a snicker.

"...How unlikely is that, anyway?"

"You don't know. No one does, Ellias."

"Really? Weren't you the one in such a hurry to get her pregnant? Why else would you include such a thing in your prenuptial agreement? Aren't you the one putting Milena in a difficult position? People know you sleep every night together, they are all waiting. This kind of thing happening is by your own fault, because you basically announced to the whole world you wanted to get her pregnant! Face it, Rayan. You want it all. Milena, an heir, the throne. You're the greediest vampire alive, selfish as hell." "Why? Because I didn't give up on her like you did?"

"I didn't give up on Milena!"

"Then who is sleeping in your bed?"

A long heated silence followed. She heard her husband chuckle, and his fingers moved to gently brush her raven locks out of her face.

"Focus on the throne, Ellias, and leave my wife the f**k out of this."

"I told you it wasn't my doing!"

"I do not care. You have enough power to stop whichever pawn of yours is trying to poison Milena."

"...You're being ridiculous, Rayan. She wasn't poisoned. It was an abortion potion.... Is that why you're so mad? Because you almost lost your chance to guarantee yourself the throne?"

"Guarantee the throne? You think this is all it's going to be? A race to make our wives pregnant?"

"Don't play dumb. Father is going to pick which one of us goes to war soon. He's dying, we both know that. Now it's..."

"Shut up, Ellias. I know how politics work. It's too bad you can't see beyond your petty little chess game."

"...Again. Acting like you're so innocent."

"Says the one who manipulates everyone."

"Don't you, perhaps? Do you think I don't see your motives? Acting like you don't care about politics, yet you've got pawns everywhere? If you truly didn't care about the throne, things would be so much easier. Even for Milena!" Rayan remained silent. Milena once again wished she had enough strength to partake in this discussion, or fall back asleep so she'd be completely left out of it.

"I'm not going to have them stop, Rayan. I don't care what you think, but I'm not backing down. I lost to you once already, you won't have it all."

"Ah, so that's what it is. You're so bitter you didn't get what you wanted in the end, aren't you?"

"It's just unfortunate we both fell for the same woman, Rayan."

"No, no, don't say such things, don't lie," hissed Rayan. "You never fell for Milena; you just wanted what was mine, once again. You had all of our mother's love, everyone's attention for all of our childhood. All I had was Milena and the Duchess. Yet I lost them, and I rivaled you to forget about my pain. I drowned myself in work, but you couldn't stand it, could you? I was better than you, Ellias. Better in everything, and it scared you that I'd finally get my share of the attention. So when Milena reappeared, you wanted her, too. Like always, you, the little Prince, couldn't accept that someone would actually choose me over you. Isn't it all about your goddamn little ego, in the end?"

"...I don't think you're thinking straight, Rayan. You're just mad at me because she got sick. I'm not jealous of you, what's between her and me, is real."

"What was between you and Milena was motivated by nothing but your arrogance, Ellias. And that stops today."

"W-what?"

"I said, you're going to leave Milena alone."

"I didn't do anything!"

"You said you wouldn't do anything to stop it, would you? Then I won't do anything, either. I won't stop people trying to murder your wife. I won't stop people trying to kill you. I won't stop people trying to have her abort your children." "Rayan! Enough! Do you realize what you're saying!"

"I've been playing nice so far, Ellias. I gave you the benefit of the doubt because you're still my brother, my blood. Yet you have the f*****g guts to come in here and say you won't have your people leave Milena or our children alone. I won't watch her suffer again, Ellias. If you can't even control your dogs, just you wait until I get rid of them myself."

"What are you saying... You don't know who did that!"

"I'll know, Ellias. Trust me, I'll replace out. I'll get a name, a face, a house. I'm not going to allow anyone to play dirty like this ever again. I swear, I'll s*******r anyone who doesn't play by the rules."

"You're crazy, Rayan... You can't do something like this."

"Just watch me. I'll have everyone in Solaris know what happens when you touch my wife. Milena is mine, Ellias. Mine. It's f*****g time some people realize I am not playing nice."