Lady Dhampir
Chapter 30

"Jeremiah, Lukas. We're leaving," she said in a cold voice.

Milena turned around to avoid Rayan's red eyes and got on her horse's back in a swift movement. She had to get out of there.

Black Bella knew the way back. She rode fast in the direction of the De Crescent's lands, despite the cold wind. It was a beautiful horse and a strong one at that. She distanced the knights' mounts effortlessly and understood any command Milena gave her. They rode across the icy forest, with thin, leafless trees and little icy pounds. Milena liked this area because of the eerie color of the wood, which turned almost grey under the ice, creating a landscape all in white and grey. "My Lady, please wait for us! It isn't safe for you to ride alone ahead."

"Are you riding a donkey or a horse, Jeremiah?" Asked Milena, a bit impatient.

The man behind her couldn't help but roll his eyes over. Really, the young Lady was too much sometimes... Did growing up with three brothers made her fierce like this?

Milena indeed arrived first at the Manor, where her maid Dinah and the Butler were waiting for her.

"My Lady, welcome back! How was your trip?" Asked Dinah, helping her down.

"Faster than Jeremiah and Lukas..."

Indeed, the two knights arrived shortly after, greeted by a glare from the Butler.

"How shameless. Letting our young Lady ride by herself."

"Sorry, but Black Bella is just too fast!"

"Are you blaming the horses? Back to the training grounds! I'd love to let the Captain deal with you on this matter."

With a sigh, the two men turned around to go back to their quarters for a scolding. Milena chuckled.

"Don't be too harsh on them, Digory. I did speed up."

"My Lady's love for the competition shouldn't keep our Knights from doing their job right, my Lady. Also, please let me remind you that leaving with only two of them is not quite enough. Your father will be displeased." "Father came home?"

"Yes, my Lady. An hour ago, quite exhausted. He went upstairs right away for a well-deserved day of sleep."

"I see, good."

Blanche came down from the sky, following her as a howl while Milena walked into the Manor. Dinah, following her swiftly, helped her take her coat off, and Digory followed as well and kept talking.

"Master Lucian was training earlier, Master Valentin is still at work, I presume, while Master Raphael is of course sleeping. May I suggest for the Doctor to take a look at your injury, as well as a short nap, My Lady? You have been quite busy these days, and that ride surely..." "No and no, Digory. Has my mail arrived yet?"

The Butler sighed, but he still had a trump card to play.

"It has, my Lady. It has been sorted out per your orders. May I suggest you review it over a good bath, then?"

He sent a glance at Dinah, who immediately understood his intentions.

"A good bath would do you some good, my Lady!" She said. "How about I make your favorite, with rose and vervain scents?"

Milena stopped, hesitating for a second. The two servants held their breaths.

"Fine. Let's have a bath before lunch."

Digory let out a sigh of relief. The only way to have Milena take a little bit of rest these days was to offer her a scented bath. The Duchess hated napping, but she very rarely said no to a bath.

As decided, Dinah did her best to prepare a hot, nice-scented bath in Milena's room, while Digory brought over her pile of mails on a little table, as well as a tray she could put over her bathtub, with some hot tea and hot blood. Milena frowned. "Blood before lunch? Aren't we being fancy today?"

"I thought my Lady could use some extra. The Archduchess noted you've gotten thinner, and was displeased with it." "Grand-mother is worrying about me, it seems."

Digory only nodded. He really liked the bond between Milena and Maribella. Both women were very alike in many ways, and he always thought Milena would be a fine successor to De Crescent's feminine line. He left the room while Dinah helped her mistress undress and get into the bath..

As a Dhampir, Milena liked her bath lukewarm, hence it was fast and easy to prepare. Once she was in, she let out a long sigh of relief. The Butler walked back in, with a little notepad, a feather, and ink. Blanche came down in her cat form to hiss at him, but he ignored her. He was used to the shape-shifter not being friendly to anyone but her mistress and didn't mind her attitude.

Digory would open the letter with a little knife for her, and Milena would read one letter after another, classifying the one she needed to respond to or not, whether they were urgent or not. She often talked out loud, to sort out her thoughts. "The price of the wheat is going up again... Another party invitation... From Lady de Tanzan?"

"You missed the last one, my Lady. I believe the Lady hopes you will get acquainted with one of her sons."

"She can keep hoping. I met the Elder Count though, today. Send her a polite response on my behalf." "Noted, my lady."

"You're so popular, my Lady," said Dinah, "all the noble families hope to see you get married or befriend their heirs!" Digory frowned.

"They should know their places better. Our Lady is a Queen Candidate, she cannot possibly agree to marry a low Baron." "Never say never, Digory. I might replace a diamond among the charcoal..." said Milena mindlessly, grabbing another letter. "My Lady, you can't the Archduchess would collapse!" Said Diggory, going white.

Dinah chuckled.

"Look at you, Digory. Don't you know our Lady is already infatuated with..."

"Dinah, shut up."

Milena's cold voice had her maid blush, realizing her mistake. Digory and the cat Blanche glared at her also.

"Dinah, you should know better by now. Get out."

"Yes... I'm sorry..."

She left them, and Blanche jumped to stand at the border of Milena's bathtub. She caressed the cat, sighing, closing her eyes and resting her head back.

"She's still quite unexperimented..."

"She's young," sighed Milena. "She has room to grow..."

"My Lady, there's one more letter... I was waiting to give it to you."

Milena frowned, and took the black letter he was handing out. She had never seen a black letter, nor the symbol in the red wax that sealed it. She opened it slowly. It had an odd smell... A smell of blood. Blanche hissed at it while Milena read. "The Society of Vampires?" She whispered, confused.

"It appears to be a very ancient gathering, My lady. Your Father is aware of its existence, and your great-grandmother used to be part of it. They are inviting you."

"Why would a gathering of old vampires want with me?"

"This might have to do with your earlier words about the Supremacists, my Lady. They may want to see who your allegiance goes to..."

Milena frowned, turning the letter over and over in her hand. It was a simple, formal invitation like one that could have come from any party. This one started in the middle of the night, though, and mentioned a castle in a location totally unknown to her. "Interesting..."

"Will you attend, my Lady?"

Milena gave him back the letter, caressing Blanche.

This letter meant a lot of things... The Vampire factions had never given her much interest before. Milena was a Dhampir, a genetic curiosity, not to be considered as a full-fledged vampire. Why now...?

Suddenly, there was a shy knock on the door.

"My Lady? Lady De Winter and her older brother Young Count de Winter just arrived here to see you..."

Milena rolled her eyes over. Really, now? She sent a glance in Digory's way. The Butler was frowning as well.

"My Lady, do you want me to have them wait in the salon?"

"Why have them wait? They came here all so fast..."

Her voice wasn't happy in the slightest. Milena stood up, and Digory handed her a thick bathrobe as she stepped out of the bathtub. The butler, swift and efficient as usual, helped her put her hair up in a braided bun. Milena didn't even bother to get dressed and ignored the shoes he presented her to walk barefoot on the soft carpet.

She left her room, going down the stairs where Dinah came back, looking down and apologetic. Both Milena and Digory didn't spare her a glance. Blanche ran ahead, shape-shifting into a white feline, something between a leopard or a puma. She was growling at the visitors already when Milena arrived in the large entrance Hall.

Down the stairs were Philomenie, in a beautiful pink winter gown, and a step behind her, her older brother, Older Count Arseus de Winter. As soon as she saw Milena, she stepped forward, looking sorry.

"Oh, Milena! I am so sorry about today's events! I ran here as soon as I heard. I've been so foolish, haven't I? Lady de Bertrilly told me about today's events, and I..."

"Why are you here for, exactly?" Asked Milena.

Philomenie took a deep breath in, and bowed her head.

"To apologize. I should have known better... Mother has been teaching me to be kind and generous to others, but I ended up causing more harm than good in the end. I'm really not smart enough, I..."

She had raised her head, and finally realized what outfit Milena was in, certainly not appropriate to receive them. Behind her, her brother Arseus blushed slightly, though he did not look away. Blanche growled a bit.

"Oh, you were busy... Ehm, shall we wait for you to get ready?"

"Who said I had any time to talk with you?"

"You should receive your guests properly, Lady de Crescent," said Arceus, annoyed.

Milena crossed her arms.

"Guests do not invite themselves in someone's house. I'm afraid I missed your notice."

The De Winter siblings looked at each other, a bit embarrassed. Indeed, Philomenie had rushed here without warning, and her brother had insisted to come along, both without thinking how inappropriate it was to show up without any kind of invitation... It also explained why Milena hadn't bothered to dress up at all.

"May i suggest Lady de Winter and Young Count de Winter come with a formal invitation, next time?" Said Digory.

"Oh, of course! I'm really sorry, Milena. Would you come over to have tea sometime?"

Before Milena answered, Digory spoke first?

"Lady de Winter would be happy to receive a formal invitation, next time."

"Or not!"

Right behind them, coming from the outside, Lucian was glaring at the De Winter, in his combat uniform. From the mud on his boots, her brother had been training for a while.

"Milena, do you really have to be going around in your bathrobe?" He sighed.

"You're spreading mud on the carpet," retorted his sister.

Lucian looked at the brown stains under him, and the Butler was indeed making a long face. He frowned a bit.

"Ehm, well. Anyway, as my sister said, you were not invited to our house. Please leave the grounds and come later, at a better time."

"I understand, Young Count," said Philomenie with a polite smile.

"But...!"

“Come on, Brother, let's go home. Our friends are right, we are indeed crossing the line a bit here."

The siblings De Winter left, and Lucian walked up to his sister, watching them leave together. He frowned.

"You may have been a bit rude to the young Lady de Winter, Master Lucian," said Digory.

"I don't care much about her, but her brother irks me. Have you seen the way he looks at Millie any chance he gets? I bet he's got his eyes on you, Millie. Please don't marry a jerk like him."

Milena snorted. Arceus was about as annoying as his younger sister. She had never liked Philomenie, and not only because of their rivalry. Her holy and pure character was truly too much to handle for Milena. "As if. Now, if no one as objections, I'd like to resume my bath."