Lady Dhampir
Chapter 86

Milena hesitated. She certainly hadn't expected the human Prince to suddenly question her. What to say? This was definitely one of those crucial moments... She took a deep breath. She didn't want to give anything away. Milena already felt like her bet with Prince Rayan was some sort of cheat. However, she wanted to play fairly towards Ellias. If the young Duke didn't betray her expectations, they could still... She chuckled nervously.

"It is true," she answered. "His Highness has shown much interest, and I cannot simply ignore a Prince can 13

She was playing her most innocent card, but that only flustered Ellias even more. He wasn't smiling at all, looking troubled by her words. In a strange way, Milena felt almost too happy to see him flustered like that whenever either of them brought Rayan up. Somehow, she was well aware that Ellias always seemed to take her for granted, and Milena did not like that She liked much better the idea of making him strive and struggle back. Milena was tired of her own bickering between the two princes while both of them seemed to take her for granted. She had certainly seen Rayan's red eyes glowing while she walked away with his twin as well.

Ellias sighed and shook his head.

"Alright, I understand it is my fault. I haven't been totally clear with you, and I was certainly too rude last time. I'll apologize for that, Milena. I am just so stressed about everything going on. Either I or my brother will be sent to war in a few months' time. I...” "Excuse me, Your Highness, I thought this was an apology," interrupted Milena, turning to him. "Why is all I hear your complaint about yourself right now?" Ellias chuckled and nodded.

"Indeed. I'll apologize properly this time. You're probably more stressed than I am right now."

Milena didn't tell him how wrong he was. It was better that Ellias thought she was still striving just like before. If she had promised Rayan not to tell him about her new alliances, she couldn't seem to be doing too well either. Moreover, it would be easier to see if his apology was sincere when he thought she still wasn't getting along with the other candidates.

"Apologies accepted," she said. "Though I won't forgive you a second time if you insult me again. You know how awfully petty I can get when my pride is in the line."

"I know, and I shouldn't have used you like so. I know you're probably doing your best, and I saw how you interacted with Lady Rachael earlier. It surprised me, actually. Even Philomenie didn't get to her! I'm glad you seem to be doing better, Milena."

Her heart went a bit colder. So that was why... He was curious about her relationship with Rachael. Milena felt annoyed. Despite his apology not a minute ago, things were still exactly the same. She wasn't so blind as to think he had come to apologize out of the blue. Now she had a reason for this speech of his.

Milena still decided to play dumb. After all, it was his decision, and she couldn't blame him for trying to gain new connections either.

"I think you're mistaken, your Highness," she said.

"Mistaken how?"

"Lady de Nova is close to your brother. I don't think she likes me much."

Though that wasn't a lie, Milena had been careful about her words. She carefully observed Ellias' reaction, too, but he only sighed longly and kept walking with his hand on his sword's handle.

"I... I won't push you any further with that. However, I'll stand by my words about my brother, you know. You should be wary of him. Rayan is extremely cunning, and..."

"Your Highness, if you have a point to make, please get to it," said Milena, turning towards him with a cold expression.

Ellias was stunned by her sudden reaction. It was the second time Milena was getting mad at him a second time, in a very short while. Moreover, the subject seemed to be exactly the same. The Prince hesitated for a couple of seconds, then his expression somewhat turned sour.

"I just wanted to warn you. If you're thinking about befriending my brother, think twice. I know you think any connection would be good, but just Rayan is..."

"Cunning and manipulative, I get it, your Highness. However, we both know I'm not an idiot, so what I think is that you really don't like my new connection to your brother and you are trying to keep me away from Prince Rayan."

"All I want is to look out for you, Milena. You are and will always be my dear friend, and I..."

"How is that looking out for me, exactly, your Highness? You're keeping me at a distance from yourself, and now you're trying to keep me away from your twin brother. It is alright for me to make connections to anyway but Prince Rayan. Have you ever thought for a single second that I need to look for myself too? Or are you expecting me to do everything solely for your sake, perhaps?"

Ellias looked like she had slapped him, his eyes wide open in surprise. Milena wasn't holding back her words, but she wanted to play fair, and this situation was just not something she wished to handle anymore. She took a deep breath, putting her coat properly back on.

"My Dear Friend," she said. "It seems to me that you have lost sight of what a friendship is. A Friendship is meant to go both ways. However, I have yet to see you do anything to support me as of now. Your mother is trying to push me away and I'm pretty sure we both know who her current favorite is. I think Philomenie de Winter is your favorite too, and I am not going to be your faithful dog waiting in the sidelines."

"You think I feel anything for Philomenie?" Retorted Ellias, suddenly looking pissed. "Milena, this is all politics! The Church is the only power than can counterbalance the Vampire Faction, and I need to make sure the humans get represented! Rayan is a vampire, he doesn't care about humans! If my brother gets the throne, this will be the end of the balance between the two species. If he could, he would probably marry Lady de Nova!"

Milena scoffed. Rayan, marrying Rachael? The mere thought of it disgusted her, but she was even more annoyed by the fact that Prince Ellias was justifying all of his actions with politics, again and again... He stepped closer to her, and Milena had to fight the urge to step back, which surprised her. Since when had she felt like this towards Ellias? Since when had she stopped being comfortable around him? Her fingers grabbed her little diamond at her neck like some talisman while she tried to calm herself. However, Ellias, too, slowly calmed down and resumed talking before she could say a word.

"Milena, nothing has changed and nothing will change between us. This is all just politics, I promise. No matter what is done, I will always be your Dear Friend, your ally. You're the one I really have in my heart, Milena. That's all we need, don't we? You and I both know that those schemes are not who we truly are."

Milena closed her eyes for a second and suddenly re-opened them just when the human Prince was about to take her hand. However, Milena stepped up on the first stairs to the Castle, turning around to stare at him from above.

"A person's feelings cannot be toyed around in the name of politics, Your Highness," she said very calmly. "For you, it may mean nothing, but Lady de Winter and I are not just puppets you can play around with. Putting aside everything I think of her, Philomenie de Winter is just serious as I am. There is not one Milena de Crescent for politics and your Dear Friend for everything else. ... Do you know why Lady de Nova won tonight? Because she is a woman smart enough to not wait for any man to take her hand and lead her. She needs no crown and no prince. And maybe she isn't the only one."

After those words, Milena didn't leave the Prince any room to add anything else. She turned around and angrily walked back inside.

Rushing through the corridors, Milena ignored the servants giving her terrified stares as she walked back. Her eyes were glowing, an iridescent purple that didn't belong to this world. Milena did not care. She finally got to her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. Only after she had checked that she was really alone did she let out a long sigh, and fell down. She didn't just sit, she literally laid herself on the floor, and closed her eyes.

The snow accumulated on her dress slowly melted around her. This position actually wasn't so comfortable because of her corset and the layers of her skirt, but Milena didn't have the strength to move a muscle. She felt Blanche shapeshift and move under her, but she didn't open her eyes.

She heard her walk to the curtains and close them, double-checking that the windows were closed.

"No naughty Prince tonight," declared her friend.

Milena nodded, but she didn't bother to answer. She felt Blanche slowly taking her jewelry off, piece by piece. It was in those moments that she liked Blanche the most. Even if she had trouble speaking her language, her friend understood her the most. She helped her get out of her shoes, corset, coat, Blanche shape-shifting several times to replace something most helpful for her. At some point, Milena even felt her whiskers tingling against her cheek, and grabbed Blanche to snuggle despite her protests.

"I love you the most, Blanche..." she whispered.

"Blanche loves clean Millie better."

Milena pouted a bit and opened her eyes. Blanche was sitting up next to her with a frown. Milena sighed.

"Do I smell that bad?"

Without answering, Blanche stood up to shape-shift again, flying to the bathtub as a little bird. Someone had gotten her bath ready ahead of her arrival, probably expecting that she would need one after the hunt. Milena sighed and used her last bits of strength to undress completely and get in. Blanche took her cat form and went right behind her head for Milena to rest her neck on her back.

"I just realized, we won't be able to sleep together anymore once I get married," she sighed. "I forgot about that when I made that agreement with that naughty prince..."

Blanche started purring, and Milena wondered if she didn't care much. Actually, saying that Blanche slept with her was a bit of an overstatement. Since she was a child, the shape-shifter had been watching over her nights.

Milena still remembered the countless nights filled with nightmares. The monsters that haunted her nights for many, many nights after she had returned to the De Crescent Manor. She had woke up so many times in cold sweat, screaming and crying. She didn't want the maids to know. She had often muffled her tears in Blanche's fur. Her best friend always found the biggest, strongest form for Milena curl underneath and feel safe with. Over the years, she had taken the appearance of smaller animals as Milena had stopped crying during the nights. Blanche was still there anytime she opened her eyes, but she knew her friend only went to sleep very late at night, and not far from her.

How would things change once Milena was married to her future husband? Only one day and one night to go. Then, her fate would be sealed. Was she going to regret her decisions?

She had lost the faith she had in Ellias, and still couldn't trust Rayan fully. Her heart was torn between both Princes, but her body had clearly chosen for her. Milena sighed. Sometimes, she wished she was a normal seventeen-year-old girl, not a lady who had to act older than she really was... One thing Milena regretted those days was not getting any more time to read. Somehow, her favorite hobby had been buried under the politics, her glass business, and everything she had to manage in her tight schedule. It would probably not get any better once she would be married, sadly.

Enjoying her lukewarm bath, Milena tried to ease her sore muscles, and imagine what the ceremony was going to be like. This was quite a unique event, as there weren't any recordings of a similar situation in the past. She could easily picture the twin brothers in their outfits, the stern Royal Couple behind them...

Milena remembered Rayan's words. The King and Queen never liked each other. She thought this was quite sad, though she also easily understood being a couple brought together only for politics... Was that why the Queen was so bitter? She certainly didn't look like a happy woman. She was prideful and stern. Her great-grandmother's words reminded in her head too. Milena should make the best of what her generation had to offer.

The truth was, Milena was perfectly free to reject both Princes if she had a choice to. She could go home, her head high but away from all the politics. It wasn't her type, though. Running away would probably feel much like a defeat, though... She couldn't imagine what would come after the ceremony. Would she have to live in the Royal Castle right away once she was engaged? She would most likely be given the choice...

She felt Blanche leave her spot and sit next to the bath, crossing her arms on its edge with a frown on.

"Will Millie have baby?"

"I guess I will be expected to. Why?"

"Mh... I think I want to see mommy Millie with baby."

Milena was surprised. She hadn't given much thought into becoming a mother, even after her fertility had been questioned. Moreover, she had never suspected Blanche would ever have any interest in that kind of topic. "Really? You like children, Blanche?"

"Not sure. Blanche liked young Millie. I can sleep with Millie baby too."

Milena chuckled and nodded.

"For sure. You'll definitely be his or her favorite plushie..."

Her friend was the best at making her feel a bit better. Milena hadn't yet given much thought on becoming a mother. She sure didn't want to become one like the Queen. She never displayed any affection towards either of her sons... Milena didn't want to become one of those noblewomen who would have children because they were required to and abandoned them for a nanny and some tutors to raise to go and live their own lives.

She sighed. Maybe she would like that. Having children to raise... Regardless of who their father was. She didn't have memories of how her own mother used to interact with her, but Milena had always imagined her as a gentle, caring mother. Would she be able to have a good family, in the middle of all this? With everything going on, it felt a bit strange to imagine herself with children. Maybe her husband would be sent to war before she could conceive... Regardless of their beliefs, it might truly be harder for Rayan and her to have children. Milena was a bit afraid of that; What if she actually couldn't fall pregnant? It would be such a disappointment...

When she looked like she was about to fall asleep in her bed, Blanche f****d her out and helped her get in her nightgown and brush her hair. Milena was relieved to finally lay down on her bed. She was exhausted, and despite all the thoughts in her head, as soon as Blanche shapeshifted into a fluffy cat next to her, Milena fell deep asleep.