Lady Dhampir
Chapter 276

Milena took a deep breath in. She had been prepared for this, but still... The mere thought that Raphael had forgotten everything about her, about their family and their bond made her want to cry. She couldn't believe that over twenty years of memories had just been wiped out like that. The one thing that had her calm down was the fact that Raphael was much more distressed. He looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, crying silently and holding his head. "Don't," he muttered. "Don't be sad like that, please..."

"I'm alright," she said, a bit confused. "I am glad you're alright. You're my big brother, nothing is going to change that. Your name is Raphael De Crescent. You understand?"

"I know," he nodded. "I know that name. And... Milena."

"That's right. That's my name. I'm your little sister, and this is your house. This is your bedroom."

"My head hurts," he muttered. "Stop crying, please. It's painful..."

"I'm not crying, Raphael, you are. Do you... Do you need anything? Are you hungry, or thirsty?...Do you want blood?"

He finally nodded, making her a bit relieved. At least, something she could actually do. Milena got the blood from his bedside table ready in a minute, handing him the glass. She was surprised about how fine he seemed, for someone who had been in a coma for weeks... Raphael grabbed it, and began drinking very fast, visibly replaceing his thirst at each gulp. Milena even had to give him more, twice. At least, his tastes hadn't changed. She watched him finish a full bottle in minutes, sitting on his bed while trying to think what to do next.

"Who is Millie?" He suddenly asked when had drunk to the last drop.

"...I am," said Milena, confused. "Do you remember something?"

"No, I have... I have that name in my head, and it's coming back. Again. That, and the rats, and more sounds coming up. And... I think... I can hear somebody sleeping." "Someone sleeping?"

His sentences barely made any sense. Was that part of his new condition? Milena felt like she was walking on ice... at least, it definitely was still her brother. Raphael had kept his physical mannerisms, his way of speech and his tastes, which made her feel a whole lot better than if she had faced a complete stranger.

"Yeah, but... They... They're dreaming, I think. About another place..."

"You hear someone dreaming? Raphael, I don't understand... Do you need anything? Tell me, what can do?"

He suddenly looked up, with those dark-gold eyes of his. Milena was confused. Didn't they seem lighter before...? Or had she seen wrong? They now looked almost brown. Would the color change even more over time? This was still pretty close to their original vibrant red... Before Milena could react, he then grabbed her hand, holding on to it with a serious expo, frowning as if he was listening in to something. Milena let him do so. She had no idea what could help him right now, but she was willing to do anything. Now that Raphael was back, she just hoped he was going to be alright, and they ought to handle this the best they could, together. Seeing he didn't seem to fear her touch, she gently brushed his now white hair past his ear. He seemed to not hate it, which made her feel a bit better too.

"I think... I can see it," he muttered.

"What?"

"Me. You. Our childhood... Is that me? The one with blue eyes?"

Blue eyes? Milena was confused, until she looked at their joined hands. She tried to understand. He was obviously seeing something she couldn't... Then, it hit her. "Raphael, are you seeing my... memories?"

"I don't know. It's... Far away."

Milena took a deep breath, and calmly, she tried to bring one of her memories to mind. One of her favorites, the four of them together, when she was younger. It was a few months after she had returned to the Manor, when a little accident had happened. She couldn't remember what she was sad about back then, but her big brothers had done their best to comfort her, staying with her all day and neglecting their duties and sleep hours to bring her spirits back. Valentin, Raphael, and Lucian. All three brothers had spent a long time playing with her, taking her out shopping for a doll and comforting her. He smiled along with her at the memory.

"Yes," he muttered. "I think... It feels familiar. You picked... One with a black dress."

"And Val made them create a doll with purple eyes, just for me," Milena nodded.

"You're our little sister," Raphael repeated, as if trying to memorize it. "Right now, you're... worried, and missing your husband, and... your children? You have children?"

"Yes! ...You were there when they were born," she said, relieved. "Raphael... I think you can read thoughts."

He suddenly let go of her hand, looking almost scared, as if he had suddenly been shocked by something. He shook his head, and rubbed his temples.

"It's gone," he sighed. "It stopped... But I can hear... the others. Why are they calling your name all the time? Here. I hear it again!"

Milena was confused. It seemed as if he could hear her thoughts just from touching her, but now that their hands had parted, he was still hearing somebody else? She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. The little she knew about Silver Ones was just not helping at all. Each one was too different... She had tried to prepare herself, and while she was glad Raphael was somewhat able to hold on to his past, she was worried about what that new ability of his would mean for them. "Is your head painful?" She asked. "Do you need medicine or something?"

"No, no... I'm... fine. I'm just cold. Why is it so cold in here?"

Cold? Milena was taken by surprise once again. Raphael had never been cold in his life as a vampire, yet now he was cold as a White One? She glanced back, but the fire was still in the chimney, and warming up the room nicely. In fact, even she wasn't cold, and she was only wearing a couple more layers! Still, she jumped out of the bed and grabbed a thick blanket from the wardrobe, going to put it over his shoulders. Yet, when she tried to lay it over him, Raphael pushed it away with the back of his hand, his eyes alert again. "What is it?"

"I don't know, there's... I feel danger. I feel... Damn, so many things. Can I get out of here?"

He was already pushing her out of the way to step out of the bed, barefoot in the black silk pajamas the servants had put him in the previous night. Milena realized his white hair had grown longer than she remembered her brother's hair to be, past shoulder length. Even he seemed to replace it annoying, as he brushed it back, looking around, suddenly out of breath.

"You're Millie, right?" He asked again.

"Yes! I'm Milena, Millie, you're little sister? Raphael, talk to me, what is going on? What do you hear?" "Your name," he shook his head. "She's calling your name again."

"She? It's a she?"

He suddenly lifted his head again, and Milena almost jumped back, in shock. His irises had changed color, turning into a glowing gold color. There was only one person in the world she had ever seen with that precise eye color. Yet, right now, it was Raphael her eyes were on. The same, so similar to...

"...Blanche."

Milena quickly put her hand into her pocket, before remembering Blanche had left earlier for her morning patrol, as usual. If she thought Milena was safe in the Manor, her companion liked to go out a bit before sunrise, to hunt by herself and stroll around the domain. She usually came back right before breakfast...

Milena ran to the window, and opened it wide, before putting her fingers at her lips to let out a long, high-pitched and loud whistle. Despite the heavy snowfall, she heard the echo carry far enough, before being f****d to close the windows again. She turned to Raphael. "Where is she?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Is she fine? Is she hurt?"

Seeing how upset Milena was, Raphael seemed to seriously ponder about her question, frowning and focusing, his eyes staring in an imprecise direction for a few seconds.

"N-no, she's fine... She just sounds like she's worried..."

Milena let out a faint sigh of relief. Blanche probably had spotted the Royal Carriage, too. Her friend was smart and stealthy enough to stay out of trouble's way. Especially on a snowy day, she would be unnoticeable if she wanted to. No doubt she was already making her way back to the Manor. But then, how in the world could Raphael hear Balnche's worries if she was outside?

"... Is she the only one you can hear?"

"I'm not sure," Raphael shook his head. "N-no. There's someone else, but it's more... faint. It's hard to tell..."

He had just woken up; Milena couldn't blame him for not grasping his new condition fully. Blanche, too, had only been able to shape-shift into a handful of different appearances until she got a bit older. Perhaps could Raphael hear another White One that was further away... The De Winter Manor was far from there, so she doubted this was about the Saint, but they had already established there was potentially more than one White One. Although, it did mean he could probably hear his peers without having to touch them, like he had done for Milena. She remembered both the Saint and the Oracle claiming their own powers had different effects on their own kind, so this didn't come as too much of a surprise. Whatever was going on with Raphael at the moment was surprising and strange for sure, but considering things, she had expected a lot worse and was glad she'd been wrong. At the very least, her brother seemed alive, and well. A bit tired and underweight, but his overall condition seemed decent, and the mere fact that he could potentially remember his previous life was already a huge blessing.

"A-alright," she said, trying to think about the next thing to do. "Raphael... Can you stay here, please? Olivia will stay with you, but please, stay in your room for now, alright?"

"Why?" He asked, suddenly grabbing her hand.

The contact of her hand looked like it acted like a violent shock on him, his eyes opening wide, and his hand letting go right away. "You're worried... You're in danger!"

"Yes, story of my life," Milena sighed. "It's alright, Raphael, I'm used to it but please, you stay here until I come back, alright?"

She was getting more and more worried about her father and the situation downstairs each minute. Raphael's awakening had come at the worst possible timing, and she was worried things would get out of hand at the entrance of the domain if the King really had come in person. Not only that, but there was no way no one would have noticed the Royal Carriage on its way to the De Crescent Lands. Just Ellias coming here could be enough of a spark to light the fire to a much bigger problem...

Milena left the room, unable to stop glancing back at her brother until Olivia stepped inside.

"Olivia, stay with Raphael and his personal servants here until I come back, alright?"

"Yes, my Lady."

Milena nodded, and closed the door behind herself. She trusted he wouldn't do anything reckless, and she was sorry to leave him right away, but she really ought to check on their father. Of all the House De Crescent's members, he was the one with ice-thin patience when it came to the King...

She rushed down the stairs, surprised to not run into any other servant on the way. Everyone had probably either gathered downstairs because of the Royal Visit, or cleared the area out of safety. The staff had received strict orders lately, and none of them ignored how tense the situation was for the past few days. Still, the silence and tension she could feel in the air made Milena more and more nervous as she hurried down the stairs. She hoped Blanche would be back by her side, soon; she wasn't confident in being able to stop whatever was going to unfold alone...

She finally reached the top of the stairs down to the entrance hall, and the sight she saw below was not great indeed.

Her father and Ellias, facing each other with so much hatred and anger, the whole room seemed to be shaking. Or perhaps was it the two rows of knights behind each man, swords out and visibly ready to fight. Surprisingly though, the area was so still and quiet, one could have thought they were simply staring at a painting, if not for the cold wind and snow coming in from the wide open doors. Milena frowned, and wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders, a bit annoyed for people who had no consideration for the cold. She made sure to make noise, too, as she set foot on the first stair, looking down on the scene and the men gathered.

"...Your Majesty," she scoffed. "Once again, no word of your visit? Seems like good manners really are getting lost."

When Ellias finally raised his eyes on her, Milena got a shock.

They hadn't seen each other for just a few days, and yet, the King looked like he hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep since. He looked like he had dropped some weight, too, his eyes red and his skin looking a bit grey. He looked almost more of a vampire than the Duke facing him. At least, far less healthy. Even his previously gorgeous golden hair had lost its shine, and his green eyes seemed to belong to a twenty-years older version of him. From where she stood, Milena could even see the beginning of a poorly attended beard on his jawline. She frowned, and slowly began to step down.

"Grand Princess Milena, you're under arrest," he muttered with a raspy voice.

"You are not taking my daughter," said Anton, as if he had said that sentence ten times already.

"It's your King's order," retorted Ellias, with a surprisingly calm and cold tone.

Milena frowned, truly surprised. Something had changed about him... Something felt off. From the anger he had displayed last time, this Ellias felt completely different. She kept coming down the stairs, staring at him with an odd feeling. She just couldn't pinpoint it, but there was definitely something wrong. He looked like he had gone through hell in just three days, not like a King at the top of his power.

"...This sounds surprising," said Milena, cautious. "I did not expect His Majesty to come in person."

"You've been strangling the Kingdom for days, and you expect me to sit back?"

His words were cold as ice and sharp as a blade. Milena was even more shocked by the hateful way he stared at her, too. As if he held nothing but pure hatred towards her. She clenched her fists, ready for the worst. Milena wished one of her brothers had been by her side, at least. She had an ominous feeling about this...

"I won't bother you to detail the reasons for my arrest," she said. "I'm sure they are all empty and shallow."

"You're accused of great treason against the Kingdom," retorted Ellias. "Embezzlement of the Royal Funds, bribes, a***e of your power, manipulation of-"

"Empty and shallow," Milena retorted, annoyed. "I'm sure your empty Council wasted much time coming up with all of these, although every one of us knows they don't matter. They only used your crown to get rid of the biggest problem at hand, which is me." "You've become a problem," said the King, almost sounding like he was reciting a text. "Your actions are causing damage to the very balance of this Kingdom. The Nobles are rioting. The current financial state of the Kingdom is..."

"Oh, what?" Scoffed Milena. "Are all of them worried sick for their wallets and secret safes now? That was exactly my point, Ellias. One tenth of our Kingdom is living with ninety-five percent of all riches. It's not that they can't handle the struggle; They are just upset we're hitting where it hurts. Their privileges."

"That's easy to say from the comfort of your Manor!"

"My manor was paid off by my family ages ago, and unlike many of your friends, we do pay our taxes. The Nobles whining right now are those who are not used to having to spend a cent for anyone but their own, Ellias. I do not care. The real question is whether or not you will arrest me, and start a Civil War. We both know what's going to happen if you proceed."

The King slowly shook his head.

"You're as arrogant as ever, Milena. You do not care for anyone but yourself."

"Wrong. I am doing this for everyone else, but myself. Do you think I had no idea that you and your bunch of speaking dogs would come up with my arrest?"

Unlike her expectations, he didn't even seem to get mad at her for those words. Instead, he simply stared, taking a deep breath.

"...This is your last chance, Milena. I'm tired of arguing with you, and I don't have time for this."

"Why is it about time all of a sudden?" Milena tilted her head. "...What is the emergency Ellias? Nothing happened for days, why is it suddenly so urgent that you take me now? ...Why now?"

"Quit stalling!" He suddenly shouted. "I'm tired of constantly being taken in by your mind games! You're the worst of witches! It is your last warning, Milena De Crescent, if you don't comply and come now, we will use force!"

"I dare you," hissed Anton, pointing his sword at the King.

Ellias' green eyes suddenly shifted to the Duke.

"...You should get out of this, Duke De Crescent. I'm only taking her. Don't get in my way."

"The House De Crescent never feared the Royals, and it's not going to start today!"

A few seconds of silence passed, and in a split second, Milena saw everything happen very quickly. Her father's sword moving. A g*n coming out of the King's coat. A dash of Silver White jumping in.

The gunshot pierced the silence of the Manor.

"DAD!"