Lady Dhampir
Chapter 14

Milena thought about it a long time, but she didn't remember ever hearing about an Oracle, even in the few books she had read about religion. Raphael nodded.

"She doesn't show herself often, but she is close to the Royal Family, especially her Highness, the Queen. Many say that's the main reason Lady de Boreal was selected as Queen... Because the Oracle had said she would be the King's first and last love." "Is it real?" "Well, everything she has predicted as turned to be true so far... Like the Disaster from three years ago or the death of the Queen Dowager. Her prophecies are always very blurry, though, so you may not learn anything at all."

As a rational person, Milena wasn't sure she believed in such things as prophecies. Her faith was much heavier for science and what she could see with her own eyes. She had never even prayed or went to church. "Is she a Saint?" She asked her brother.

"No. Funny enough, she hasn't been recognized by the Church. The High Priest doesn't seem to like her..."

Now, that was something interesting. The Church was always looking for more ways to promote the Faith and gather believers, but they ignored the existence of an Oracle? She looked in the direction, but there was a bit of a crowd. Her Brother smiled. “Come on, Milena, let's listen at least. We might get some interesting information, right?"

Milena wasn't particularly fond of gossips, but she couldn't help but be curious about the Oracle. Especially since the Royal Family did believe in the prophecies. Was it real? If so, what could be predicted? Why wouldn't they rely on those prophecies all the time? With a bit of nervousness, Milena followed her brother to join the little crowd.

People let them through as soon as they recognized the Young Duke, his hand on his sister's shoulder, giving them polite bows and reverences. Milena only replied with due politeness, but she was more eager to see the so-called Oracle.

Next to the Queen, a young woman was standing. Actually, she only looked a bit older than Milena was, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old. However, she felt very different from any other child or adult standing in the room. First, her hair was as white as her skin. She gave off an odd feeling like she was out of this world. She had freckles all over her face and skin, and brown, mesmerizing eyes. The traditional, classic noblewoman dress on her didn't feel right like she was stuffed in it. She didn't wear any jewelry, either, and her hair was very simply braided.

She clearly didn't belong to this world of nobles and riches. Yet her highness the Queen was right by her side, her hand on her shoulder. Milena wondered if this was a benevolent gesture... Or a possessive one.

She stepped a bit closer, without putting herself in front, her older brother Raphael following her close like a shadow. He had a hand on her back too, and watched around them like a hawk. Milena felt like he was looking for some potential danger, though she couldn't understand why would something happen with half the Royal Family present... "How have you been, Oracle? It's an honor to witness your heavenly gift..."

"You'll have to forgive me, I'm quite shy and too sickly to wander around," answered the young woman. "It's only because her Highness is generously taking care of me that I can appear like this before you, Countess."

Indeed, she didn't look healthy. She was unbearably skinny, her hands trembled slightly and she seemed like she could break at any moment. Milena noticed she wasn't standing or sitting like everyone else, but in a wheelchair. "The Oracle will always be looked after," assured the Queen. "After all, we owe you so much, Dear."

She gently smiled at the Oracle, and for a moment, they almost seemed like a mother and daughter. Then, the Queen turned her attention to the small group surrounding them. Playing with her fan for a while, she then smiled at a woman that was standing a bit further and looking down.

"Marquess Farsein. Why don't you come a bit closer and let our friend show her talent on you?"

Immediately, a horrified expression appeared on the woman's face. She looked at the Oracle like she would have looked at a monster. Milena couldn't remember anything notable about the House de Farsein, except maybe something related to arts. Even the woman's clothes didn't appear very fashionable, or expensive compared to the others. She hesitated for a second, then showed a very weak smile.

"I'm afraid it would be... a... waste of the Lady's abilities on someone like me, Your Highness..."

"I insist."

Queen Lyriana's sentence was cold and final. Milena wondered why was that woman so terrified of the Oracle, and what she had done to be punished like so by the Queen.

Marquess Farsein stepped forward, very reluctantly, and presented her trembling hand to the Oracle. The young woman smiled and took it. For a second, everyone held their breath, and Milena wondered if something spectacular was about to take place. However, the Oracle smiled, and let go of the hand. She took a deep breath.

"A mother with the heart of Wood, The new Lord and the whispered prayer. In the night the capes will fly, but for the tears, the blood will spill. Grab the gold and the lies, the iron will strike at dawn."

People gasped, looking at the Marquess. Milena didn't understand anything that the Oracle at said, but it visibly shocked the assistance. The Queen was staring at the Marquess like a cat watching her prey.

"How interesting, Marquess. Would you care to comment on that?"

"N...no, Your Highness..."

Queen Lyriana smiled at her, but there was nothing nice or warm about that smile. Instead, a cold chill fell around, and the Marquess took a step back. "E...Excuse me..."

She left the scene, almost running. As people suddenly started muttering and chatting about what had just happened, Raphael leaned over her shoulder.

"The House de Farsein has been suspected of counterfeiting a lot of art pieces to make money, and be part of a dark sect's activities..."

Milena finally understood. The Queen wasn't just using the Oracle to see the future, she used her to replace her enemies as well. How scary. No matter what, the Marquess probably wasn't going to leave this Palace free and alive... Milena thought she didn't want that Oracle to read her future. Who could tell what was going to happen in the future? She could be held responsible for things she hadn't done yet, wasn't that too scary?

Just when she thought that, Philomenie de Winter suddenly stepped forward, bowing to the Queen.

"Your Highness, my Lady, I'm so happy I could meet you today."

"Young Duchess de Winter, weren't you interested in our friend's talent?" Asked the Queen.

Her attitude to Philomenie was totally different from the cold she had shown to the Marquess just a moment ago. Instead, she was polite and friendly to the young girl, inviting her to step even closer. "Very much so, Your Highness. Do you think I could request for your grace on my humble person?"

Just like she had done before, the Oracle smiled and took Philomenie's hand. After a few seconds, she let it go, and the young Duchess waited, totally impatient.

"A daughter with the Angel's fate, The Saint and the White hand. With sunrise the roses will bloom, but in darkness, the heart weeps. Break the chains and the promises, the gold crown shall rise at dawn."

Immediately, a wave of whispers and exclamations surrounded them. There was no way anybody could ignore what had been said. The gold crown shall rise at dawn. Milena couldn't believe her ears either. Didn't that mean Philomenie would eventually wear the gold crown...?

She exchanged a quick look with Raphael. Now more than before, she didn't want the Oracle to touch her. What she could say was too uncertain... Milena turned to look at Philomenie, who was radiating with happiness. She couldn't hide her red cheeks and excitation and bowed.

"Thank you for your grace!"

"It is a quite interesting prophecy we have heard here, young Duchess," said the Queen with a benevolent smile.

"Yes, your Highness!"

Milena suddenly had an odd feeling, watching the Queen. What could that woman be thinking at that moment? Was she wondering if Philomenie would really become her future daughter-in-law? Or was she trying to replace out the blurriest parts of the Prophecy? A lot of the Oracle's words were very enigmatic. What was the White hand? Who was the Saint she mentioned? That Prophecy was obviously following a precise pattern, compared to the previous one.

Staying a bit on the back on purpose, Milena listened to a bit more prophecies, trying to remember and understand them. Indeed, they all had the very same pattern. Three sentences, and always ending with "at dawn"... "Come, Millie."

Raphael grabbed her hand and took her away from the crowd. As they stepped away, Milena inadvertently crossed eyes with the Oracle. It was only a brief second, yet she felt like the young girl smiled at her.

They had lost sight of Lucian, but Raphael took Milena aside, where they could sit together and speak without being heard by anyone nearby.

"What do you think? Of the Oracle?" Asked Raphael.

"The Queen seems very confident in her abilities..."

"I told you, pretty much everything she predicted so far has turned out to be true, sooner or later. Many people say the Palace even keeps records of everything the Oracle says..."

"Wait a minute brother... You said the oracle helped the Queen come to her current position? How old is she exactly?"

Raphael sighed.

"That's another mystery. No one knows. She suddenly appeared by Queen Lyriana's side, and people whispered she was a bastard child of the old Duke de Borea, but I don't think anyone knows who she is exactly. Moreover, her Highness keeps all lips sealed, so she is probably the only one who does know."

Milena was truly captivated. A mysterious Oracle, with an odd power for prophecies and a secret identity? Even in her books, she had never read about something so intriguing! Yet, Milena also felt this was too scary. That girl could influence someone's fate and the Queen's mind with merely three sentences...

"Anyway, stay away from that girl for as long as you can, Milena. I have a bad feeling about this. Did you notice, earlier? The Queen's reaction to Lady de Winter's prophecy wasn't too good..."

"I thought she seemed happy though?"

"She's the Queen, little sister. She's too good at hiding her true emotions."

Milena took Raphael's words in and nodded. Indeed, one couldn't be too careful and restless in front of her Highness. She was a woman who had climbed all the way to the top and was implicated in political intrigues daily, after all.

"I understand, big brother."

"Come, I'll introduce you to some of our family's friends, we can't stay aside for too long."

For a while, Raphael indeed introduced Milena around, keeping a protective hand on his little sister's shoulder, making sure she was known to anyone she needed to. Most of the names were very familiar, but Milena was happy to finally put the right faces on them. The Nobility of the Solar Kingdom, aside from the four Ducal Houses and nine County Houses, counted twelve Baron families and more than twenty Marquess families. Added to that were the branch families and extended families, so for each House, there were at least twenty core members she had to remember the names from. if she hadn't studied most of those in the previous months, Milena would have surely been unable to keep up with all of the names and titles she heard that evening.

About two hours later, she could finally sit down and breathe a little. Her feet hurt, and she was starting to be a bit hungry. Raphael sat beside her, frowning. "Are you fine?"

"My feet hurt... I didn't want to complain, but I want to go home soon. I really hate heels."

Unlike the other young girls here, Milena was not used to wearing those little heels. She had spent most of her childhood with her feet bare... At least while sitting she could rest her painful feet for a bit. Her older brother chuckled. Seeing Milena act a bit wilful or complaining was truly a rare sight. Their little sister truly was too mature for her age. He wouldn't mind if she had a few whims from time to time.

"We can go home now if you want. Father said we should be out too late, anyway, Lucian will be tired too. We've greeted everyone we needed too, and I don't like the looks some people are giving you."

Milena had noticed them, too. Despite their attempts at being discreet, it was obvious some of the nobles were glancing their direction. She knew her strange appearance was a topic for gossips but had managed to ignore it so far. She expected as much. She was the long-lost young Duchess of one of the noblest and wealthiest houses and more than that, a Dhampir. It was impossible to ignore with her unique, striking purple eyes. "Let's go, then," she sighed. "I'll say goodbye to my friends and her Highness."

As a Duchess, Milena only had obligations towards the Queen and Host of the Party, and when she went to say goodbye, the Queen was busy, so they kept it very short. It was impossible to know what that woman thought of her.

Milena then went to replace her friends, but some of them had already left the party previously, so it was quite short. Only her cousin made her promise to come over for tea someday. Milena found Lucian, and together they headed to the main corridor to reunite with Raphael. As soon as they left the Winter Garden, Raphael picked her up.

"Big brother, I can walk by myself!"

"Didn't you say your feet hurt? I can carry you to the coach at least."

"But it's embarrassing..."

"You should appreciate the kindness of others, Duchess."

The three siblings turned back, and to their surprise, the Oracle was standing there, alone.