Lady Dhampir
Chapter 73

Milena hadn't been asleep for long when Blanche's movements woke her up. It was part of her trainin opening, or him coming inside. Thankfully, Blanche's senses were much better than hers. When she fe eyes. She really was tired.

"Aren't you going to ask your pet to stop growling at me?"

"Aren't you ever going to use that damn door?" Sighed Milena.

The Duchess caressed Blanche until her friend crouched down on her legs and calmed down, but the couldn't attack a Royal Prince anyway.

"I did say I would see you later, didn't I?"

"I was expecting a more formal visit."

"It is night time. Any visit is a formal one for a vampire..."

"So you visit everyone climbing up their windows? I wonder why they bother building doors for."

able to sense movements around her, even when she was asleep, but the vampire prince was also good at sneaking in. She hadn't heard the window riend shape-shift and stand above her instead of attacking directly, Milena already knew what was going on. Truth was, she didn't even felt like opening her

olf was still glaring at Prince Rayan. He chuckled, walking closer to her bed anyway. He obviously wasn't scared about Milena's bodyguard. He knew she

Rayan smirked. Milena was even wittier when she was annoyed. Nevertheless, the young duchess was already sitting up in her bed, and that candlelight meant she wasn't going to ignore him. He sat at the end of her bed despite Blanche's warning. "Alright. I was curious to ask you what my foolish brother had said," he declared.

"I am so tired of being between you and Prince Ellias," retorted Milena. "Do you two ever discuss at al "Oh, the last one ended as quite an argument."

Milena reacted to that. She knew Ellias wasn't one to get into an argument, and usually, both brothers forward, pushing Blanche a bit for her friend to stop growling and lay by her side.

"What argument? What did you do?"

"I may have led him to believe that I could pick his precious Philomenie de Winter in a few days."

Milena scoffed. This was unbelievable, but it explained Ellias' concerns earlier. There was no way Raya

interacted with each other. Not only their personalities were different, but because of their different natures, their schedules didn't fit at all. She leaned

d ever pick Philomenie to be his wife, but the Vampire Prince was smart enough to trick his brother into thinking so.

"Have you gone mad? Why would you want Ellias to think that! That will only make him want to pick P..........hie first, and..."

Milena realized in a split second. Why Rayan would do such a thing. However, she couldn't believe it. It seemed insane... Insane, selfish, and stupid. She froze for a little while, trying to get her thoughts in order and be careful about what she was going to say. "Prince Rayan, don't tell me you... You're misleading your brother so he won't pick me? Tell me this isn't it."

Rayan shrugged.

"I have said what I have said. It isn't my problem what Ellias thinks and what he decides."

"You're tricking him into marrying Philomenie de Winter so he won't pick me! Are you insane!"

"Insane? Who is the most insane here?" Rayan suddenly retorted. "I am only pushing my brother to make a choice he had already done, Milena, and we both know that. Don't pretend you haven't understood, by now." "Your jealousy towards each other is ridiculous."

Rayan rolled his eyes.

"Don't act like this. You already knew Ellias was only going to pick you if you were the best option."

"Ellias loves me," whispered Milena.

"How much, exactly?"

Rayan's cold voice and cold glare took her by surprise. His usual demeanor was so cunning and flirty, she wasn't used to him getting all serious or even mad at her. However, now, Rayan seemed really pissed. Milena was so surprised, she didn't even know how to

react.

"How much does Ellias love you, to be able to throw you away and curry favor to De Winter? Stop blinding yourself, Milena. This isn't like when we were children anymore. You know exactly what Ellias has been doing with you. He is just playing so many games at once, he puts you in the same basket as De Winter. Are you fine with that?"

Milena went white. Even if she already knew, hearing it from Rayan's mouth was even more painful. Of course, she was well aware. Her earlier conversation with Ellias had confirmed what she had been fearing. He had confessed that no matter what, he would pick the best candidate for himself, and keep her as his dear friend, a back up he could use, a trump card. Milena wasn't fine with being a trump card. She wanted to stand by Ellias' side, as his Queen.

"You're the one who pushed him to consider de Winter," she coldly replied. "You did it on purpose."

"Yes, and I am not sorry about that," retorted Rayan.

He sat closer to her on the bed, and Milena became a bit tenser. Anytime the vampire prince would come close, she'd react, feeling a bit strange. Like a prey in front of a predator. Her body remembered Rayan's touch, the way he had bitten her not so long ago. And his lips... "Milena, Ellias will betray you. You already know that. My brother wants the crown, and he will do every choice he needs for that, even if he has to reject you."

"You're the same, aren't you, Rayan? You want the crown so much, if you had to pick between becoming King and me, what would you pick?"

"I'd pick you."

Milena was baffled. She stared at his red eyes for a second, those two rubies glowing with the candlelight, wondering if that was a lie. Rayan remained immobile, and she could not read his expression. "...You're a liar," she whispered.

"What do you think?"

She had no idea. From the beginning, Milena had been wary of both brothers. The rivalry between the twins was as old as them. It was a given. Two boys, a human and a vampire. Every single of their moves had been scrutinized since their birth, every choice, every relationship, every word was analyzed by their enemies. Now, they were days away from finally replaceing out who was going to be the King. Milena hated that she was nothing but another prize for them to bicker about. Milena closed her eyes for a few seconds, taking a deep breath.

"I... I want what is best for my family. Whether I become Queen or Princess, I need to be picked."

"Milena, I'll choose you."

"You can't say Ellias won't choose me too."

"I'm ready to bet anything you want. However, that is on the condition you do not tell him about your newly formed alliance with Rachael de Nova."

Milena was speechless. He already knew? She had just started talking with Rachael no less than two days ago, how could Rayan already know about their relationship! She was completely shocked, and tried to think about how he could have known. If it was spies like the maids inside the Castle, Ellias would have known, too. However, the Human Prince had no idea when she talked to him earlier. Milena suddenly realized.

"You're the one who talked to Rachael. You convinced her?"

Rayan chuckled.

"Not exactly me, but I may have used a few of my connections to convince Lady de Nova to see you in a better light. However, it appears that you gave her the final push with quite a nice little speech you gave at one of my mother's dinners." "I can't believe it," sighed Milena. "You're really..."

She didn't know if she should be mad about Rayan being behind all this. That was a huge advantage that had come her way, but to think the Vampire Prince was the one behind it! She took a deep breath.

"Why? If I had told Ellias about my new alliance, he would pick me immediately. I would be much more influential than Philomenie with two of the ducal houses behind me. If I had told Ellias, you would have lost that alliance, and your brother..." "But you didn't tell Ellias," said Rayan with a smirk. "Truth is, that was a bit of a bet. I wondered what kind of decision you would take after hearing him, but it seems like my brother was no good advocating for his own cause..." "How could you know I wouldn't! That was crazy of you to simply trust I wouldn't tell him..."

However, Rayan slowly raised a finger and pointed out to Blanche. The wolf started growling again, but Milena calmed her down, caressing her fur.

"You haven't told him about your pet. You were discussing a long time with my brother about the wendigos, the Oracle, and the Saint, but in all those years, you never told him you had one of those rights by your side. I wonder why you would have missed your chance to impress my brother, and then I realized that maybe, maybe you didn't trust him enough to tell him about this yet. So I decided to take a chance..."

Milena was speechless. How far ahead was Rayan able to plan and anticipate? It felt like he was inside her head! She glanced over to Blanche. Much to her annoyance, Rayan was right. Since a while ago, Milena had never been able to trust Ellias enough anymore. She couldn't tell when it had started. Was it because of the white roses? Or maybe it was even older, because of the Prophecy. She had several ideas on what it could mean, but sadly, she was slowly starting to think that this prophecy didn't see her marrying Ellias... She took a deep breath.

"Alright, then. I'll take your bet. I won't tell Prince Ellias about my relationship with Rachael. It seems I already owe it all to you anyway... But then, what do you want to bet? What's in for you? Even if Ellias doesn't pick me, if he picks Philomenie..." "We will have a fully human couple, and a half-vampire, half-dhampir one. Aren't you curious to see who will my father pick?"

"You're crazy", whispered Milena. "The war is coming, Rayan. If you're not picked King, you will be sent to war!"

"Are you worried about me now, Duchess de Crescent?"

Milena was flustered. For the first time in a while, she blushed. She didn't want any of the brothers to be sent to war! However, Rayan was now staring at her with those deep red eyes, and that little annoying smirk. She couldn't help but feel flustered and try to avoid his eyes. Somehow, he was disturbingly good at guessing her emotions and making her crazy.

"Milena."

She finally looked at him, unsure what to think, what to feel. Rayan moved to sit a bit closer on the bed, making her tense. Milena was already sitting against her cushions, unable to retreat anywhere. He was so close that she could see the details of his scar, the embroideries on his shirt. She tried to breathe more calmly. His cold fingers gently took her hand, making her shiver a bit.

"You're crazy..." she muttered. "Rayan, if you're no picked King, you will be sent to war. And if you pick me, you will never become King. There are too many things going on... The senate has a lot of vampires already, and the Church..."

Without answering, he gently picked up her hand, and kissed its back slowly, making it hard to breathe for Milena. Her whole body shivered to the cold feel of his lips against her skin. Yet, a part of her was insanely warmed up by that contact. She was speechless. She couldn't understand his crazy actions. What was he thinking? She had never seen Rayan be so irrational before, or even willing to actually lose to his brother...

"I don't understand..." she whispered.

"I told you. I'll pick you. I'd pick you over anything in this Kingdom, Milena de Crescent. I made up my mind, long, long ago. This is the one thing I will never, ever lose to my brother about. It's his loss if he can't see through my schemes, or how much I've always wanted you. And I don't care about your feelings for Ellias, either. There is no man around who wants you as much as I do."

Milena felt the blood rushing through her veins, and her heart beating like crazy. What was he doing? Why now, why tonight? He had said himself he didn't love her! She had enough of his lies, of his manipulations!

She stayed speechless for a while, unable to react. Something was different between them that night. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, his words, or his gestures. Milena couldn't run away, she couldn't leave him. She was just stuck there, trapped in his ruby eyes left to understand what he meant.

"I don't understand what you're doing," she whispered. "This is not... what we should..."

"Milena, forget about all the politics. I want you. I swore I would never betray you, and I won't. If it takes for Ellias to betray you for you to forget completely about my brother, I have no problem showing you that either. You know how cold I am. I don't care about breaking your heart, or ruining my brother, as long as I get to have you."

"You're so... despicable."

"I know," he said with a smirk.

Just like that, he leaned over, and kissed her, passionately.