Lady Dhampir
Chapter 94

Milena felt like screaming or running. She just couldn't remember going through such a turmoil, a state of panic ever before. Yet, the Prince wasn't stopping, clearly coming her way. One step after another. Her heart experienced a little wave of relief once he passed by Aurora, completely ignoring the young Countess. That fact alone gave her a bit of relief, and a sense of satisfaction too. The young Countess De Camellia had her shock painted all over her face, her eyes following the Prince. One could tell she couldn't believe her defeat. Everything on her expression was crystal clear, and if she wasn't so stressed herself, Milena would have definitely rejoiced. However, at that time, the vampire Prince was clearly coming towards her, and her heart was making an earthquake inside her chest. Rayan put one knee down, that arrogant smile still stuck on his face as his ruby eyes were on her. "You look ravishing, Lady de Crescent," he whispered.

Even if she knew so herself, Milena couldn't keep herself from blushing. Indeed, she was.

She was wearing a gorgeous black and red dress. She had chosen those colors on purpose, of course. It was the color of her House, the Noble House De Crescent, but also, to anyone who watched that scene, those colors matched perfectly the Prince's black outfit and ruby eyes. It was a sexy dress for her to wear in front of such an audience, a little bit too sexy even.

The gorgeous black silk used was shimmering at each movement and flattering her pale skin. The fact that it was black silk instead of any other fabric made quite a difference; It didn't look boring or gloomy, but strangely sheen and slinky. Instead of the usual corset, Milena was wearing a wide belt, all covered in red beads, shining bright around her tiny waist. Moreover, all those red beds were going down on her skirt, giving the impression of a red liquid tainting her black dress. It was a truly provocative dress, even while ignoring the bit of cleavage.

And she could tell the vampire Prince liked it. He snickered, and to her surprise, even gently took her hand, acting sweet. "Lady de Crescent..." "Rayan!"

All eyes turned towards Prince Ellias. Rayan glared at his brother, too. Ellias had stepped forward, looking completely shook and panicked, his eyes on Rayan and Milena's joined hands. Milena frowned. How dare he spoke now? Moreover, how could he ignore his brother's choice? Had they made up their minds separately or been left out of each other's discussion with the King and the Senate? It made sense, as each Prince's choice wasn't supposed to interfere with the other... Rayan sighed slightly, though he was still glaring at Ellias.

"Brother, you should congratulate after witnessing my engagement," he hissed.

Ellias couldn't replace something to answer to that, the meaning was clear. His lips twitched, but strangely, Milena felt absolutely not sorry for him. This was all coming down to this. He had thought Milena would go back home single, and he was wrong. That was all it was, and she was not going to take pity on him. He had made his choice long ago.

Instead, she put on a slight smile, and glanced down at Rayan. She didn't say a thing, but the young vampire caught her smile, and responded immediately, gently kissing the back of her hand.

"Lady De Crescent, I will make this quick as it seems this dear brother of mine cannot wait to congratulate us. Will you become this Prince's wife, my princess?"

Milena smiled, trying to control herself. She ought to be blushing like crazy right now, she even wondered if the audience could see her heart, ready to burst out of her chest. Her Dhampir blood had never been so warm until now. She cleared her throat, a bit dry, and tried to reply without shaking too much. "With pleasure, your Highness," she said. "I will."

Rayan smiled, even more, straining his scar a bit, and kissed her hand once more, his eyes not leaving her a second. That heat between them was unbearable. Milena felt a wave of relief, but the thought that she was now Rayan's woman was also engraved in her mind at the same time. She felt a little shiver, which had nothing to do with his cold hand. He stood up, still smiling at her, as Milena was trying to control herself a bit.

Next to her, she could feel Aurora's horrified eyes on her, but she ignored her, standing straight and very proud on her seat, as a future princess would. That was right. She was now a future Princess... The title didn't mean as much as her sense of accomplishment. Everything wasn't settled between Rayan and her, but at least, his end of the deal had now clearly been fulfilled. When he walked back to take a seat next to his father, Milena followed him, and her eyes met Ellias' once again. The human prince looked shocked, devastated, but she didn't flinch. She maintained her proud glaze until he had no choice but to look elsewhere.

"Well, well. Ladies and gentlemen, we now have our future princesses," declared the King. "Everyone, Lady De Crescent and Lady de Winter are our future Princesses., Ladies."

The Senate started clapping their hands, but there was a clear lack of enthusiasm in the ranks. Milena hadn't checked the reactions while Rayan proposed to her, but most of the glares she could catch now clearly weren't on her or her future husband. Next to her, Bella smiled, briefly grabbing her hand.

"Lady Milena," she whispered.

All candidates but one were clapping. Aurora was still furiously glaring at her, but Milena pretended not to see it, smiling politely at everyone else who congratulated her shortly. She could deal with that little pest later...

"Well, I am sorry this is such a brief selection, but we will properly celebrate tonight," said King Silverius. "Now, if everyone will excuse me, I have only an hour or so to check on the Queen's state before we hold our usual session. Ladies, you are very welcome to stay within the Royal Castle's walls until tonight's Ball. If you wish, coaches are also ready outside to take you wherever you wish to go."

Everyone rose up once the King left the room, and her friends and half of the candidates ran to congratulate Milena some more. She was submerged with her friends for a while and accepted their kind words with a smile, but she was mostly interested in what the Senate had to say about those picks. Rachael, too, had her eyes turn up towards the people leaving the room with sour faces. "Lady Milena..."

on.

The girls stepped to the side to let Philomenie through, as it was polite to, but none of them had a word of congratulations to say to her. Instead, they remained silent, waiting to see what she had to say to Milena. Rachael, too, standing next to Milena, had a snicker Philomenie couldn't be blind as to ignore all the stares at her, but her eyes were still red from her earlier crying, and she looked like her happiness couldn't be overshadowed by anything else. Hence, she stepped forward with a little smile, ignoring everyone else but Milena and Rachael, while her friend was following closely.

"We should congratulate each other, shouldn't we?" Said Philomenie. "It is a bit of a surprise, surely, but..."

"A surprise?" Repeated Milena, raising an eyebrow.

Her cold answer flustered Philomenie. She hadn't expected Milena to not be cheering like she was at that moment, or at least give her face. The young Duchess de Winter's happiness mask flinched a bit before she regained her composure. "S-Surely, we should be grateful for their Highness' selections, but Lady De Crescent must be a bit surprised..."

Milena squinted her eyes, annoyed. Not only had she come to brag, but she also wanted to make Milena knew she had "lost" Ellias to her? The young Duchess de Crescent was not in a mood to be looked down. She crossed her arms, a gesture that actually flattered her dress' cleavage.

"Lady De Winter, aren't you being insensitive on purpose? We have seven Ladies here who were candidates just like we were. If we start congratulating each other while they are rejoicing for us, isn't it a bit too much? I am not surprised by today's selection, Lady De Winter, I'm content about it. I shall say, you and Prince Ellias suit each other quite well."

While saying those words, Milena glanced towards Ellias, who was still standing to the side. Either he had heard her words or not, he seemed quite flustered under Milena's stare. A few steps away from him, Rayan was chatting with some Senators, but her now fiancé was also stealing glances at her. Milena smiled and turned to Lady de Winter.

"If you are waiting for congratulations, surely mine can wait for tonight."

This was a bit of a cruel answer from Milena, but she didn't felt like playing friends with Philomenie now. Despite her own joy to have won that war, she didn't forget the battle in which Philomenie had defeated her. Milena had always been a sore loser. Philomenie didn't know how to answer to that, obviously. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She was obviously unsure about what Milena was thinking, or her relationship to Prince Rayan for her to not be more baffled by the results of the Selection. As that silence grew longer and more awkward, next to Milena, Rachael sighed.

"Well, since this is over and we have the whole day to ourselves, you'll excuse me ladies, but I could use some sleep."

"Lady De Nova," suddenly called Philomenie. "Aren't you going to congratulate me, at least?"

It felt like she was almost begging, but her eyes going from Rachael to Milena, and back to Rachael again clearly betrayed her intent. Rachael had congratulated Milena right away, without an ounce of animosity between them, but she hadn't said a word to Philomenie. The three of them were Duchesses, if Rachael ignored Philomenie now, it would be a clear stance from her. Milena smiled slightly. Good. She hadn't revealed that card yet, but maybe now was the time. However, it was up to Rachael and her answer. The vampire Duchess yawned.

"I don't think I have to congratulate you, Lady De Winter. His Highness must have fought the Senate quite hard to pick you as his fiancé. No matter your relationship, that is quite a senseless choice for the Vampires present, don't you think? I am curious what choices Prince Ellias will make in the future, but in my opinion, today wasn't his wisest one..."

That was one big blow for Philomenie. All her oozing happiness from earlier fell down, and instead, she looked like she had just been slapped. Milena didn't say a word, but the satisfaction was there. Rachael wasn't as bothered about being politically correct as she was, and it was a delight to witness.

Actually, Rachael turned to Milena, and even bowed slightly, something rather unusual from the young Countess de Nova.

"I'll see you tonight, Lady De Crescent. Now Ladies, if you'll excuse me..."

Just like that, Rachael and her friend Verona left the Great Hall. Milena watched them go as no one else dared to add a word. Philomenie became teary again, for a different reason this time. Bella stood forward.

"Lady De Winter, if you'll allow me, I suggest you retire if you're feeling unwell."

In other words, don't make a mess of yourself in front of such a crowd. Whether she understood her meaning or not, Philomenie nodded weakly and left, her friend following close. As she passed by Prince Ellias on her way out, whether she had done it on purpose or not, the human Prince couldn't ignore her crying. He glanced towards Milena with a frown before following after his new fiancé. Milena didn't care at all.

With four women left and most of the Council gone, Milena expected some major tantrum coming from Aurora. Indeed, they all saw the young countess suddenly stand up and walk past Milena, almost running to Prince Rayan. There was a clear state of panic in her eyes. Milena crossed her arms, and Bella turned to her, a bit worried.

"Lady De Crescent... aren't you going to see His Highness?"

Milena hesitated, but after a second, she sighed and turned around to leave the Great Hall through the main doors, away from Rayan and Aurora who was pestering him.

"... His Highness looks busy," she retorted, a bit annoyed.

He could very well deal with Aurora by himself, she didn't care. After all, it wasn't her place to go see Rayan and ask for an explanation. He owed her one, and though she was grateful he hadn't betrayed her, Milena was not going to be nicer until he had a good excuse for himself.

Hence, she left the grounds, the De Iris sisters and Bella following her. They made sure to be far enough from the Great Hall before speaking comfortably.

"Are you going to go home?" She asked them.

"We won't if you don't, Lady De Crescent," said Clorence.

Milena hesitated a bit. She did miss the manor, but she also knew she couldn't simply walk out of the Palace without at least having talked to Rayan before tonight's Ball. Moreover, at such an hour, all of her brothers and her father would most likely be either sleeping or busy with work before tonight's event, and she didn't want to bother them. They would hear the results from their friends in the Council or among the Senators soon enough, she didn't need to send word.

"I won't," she declared. "But please don't mind me, if you want to go home. It will probably be very boring until tonight's Bal."

"Boring is fine with us, Lady Milena," chuckled Prudence. "Especially now that we can breathe after those few days... How about a cup of tea in the winter garden? You seem to like it very much."

Milena smiled. Indeed, she liked it. She would most likely go there many more times once she moved to the Royal Castle. That's right, she was going to be a Princess... That thought alone was enough to make her a bit dizzy.

"Lady Milena, will you excuse me if I go home for the afternoon?" Asked Bella. "I have been away for a long time, I would like to check on things at home before tonight..."

The situation was indeed a bit different for Bella, as she was the Heiress of the House De Camellia, she probably had a lot of work to catch up to. Milena nodded, understanding.

"Of course, Lady Bella. I will see you tonight."

"Thank you, Lady Milena. And if my sister comes to you..."

A cunning smile appeared on Milena's lips.

"I can handle myself and your younger sister just fine, Bella. Please do not worry and go."

Bella nodded, and left promptly, most likely to go pack her things. Milena watched her go and sighed. She actually felt a bit sorry for the young Lady De Camellia, her younger sister really was a huge pain. Clorence and Prudence exchanged a glance and turned to her. "Maybe you should rest instead of that cup of tea, Lady De Crescent? Tonight's event will be tiring..."

"I promise I'll take a nap after lunch. For now, we shall enjoy that cup of tea, and like you said, some quietness."

The three of them left for the Winter Garden.

The atmosphere was a bit different without the Queen or the pressure of the Competition and, to Milena's surprise, she truly was able to relax and enjoy that tea. Tonight. Tonight, she would finally be recognized as a future princess... It felt like a bit of a dream. The whole selection that morning should have been much more ceremonial, but because of the Queen's state, it had been a bit expedited. Maybe it was better that way, given the circumstances. She didn't know she would be so stressed anyway... "Milena!"

She froze, recognizing that voice instantly. Prudence and Clorence's eyes were wide open too, in surprise. Milena slowly put her cup down and sighed. "Even if we are future in-laws, your Highness, I hope you do not make a habit of addressing me so familiarly," she said.

Though she was lecturing him about the protocol, Milena didn't make the effort to stand up to greet him. Prudence and Clorence get glancing at each other, unsure if they should leave them some privacy or instead, stay by the young Duchess' side. Milena didn't say anything, so they silently agreed to stay until she would. Even more annoyed to see Milena was giving him the cold shoulder, Ellias walked over to their table, looking very upset.

"What is that kind of attitude! First, you make Philomenie cry, and now you're even ignoring me! If you are upset at me, you can take it out on me, but stop acting like this with Philomenie!"

Milena's mood darkened quite a bit after hearing that. She sighed. She wasn't there to get insulted, certainly not by him and not now. He wasn't the Prince she had been waiting for, and it annoyed her even more that he was whining about his new fiancé to her. "If you're so concerned about her, go console your fiancé, Prince Ellias, but don't come to vent on me."

"Vent on you? Aren't you the one acting so rude!"

Milena took a deep breath. So he wanted them to clear the air now. Well then, it might just be done now. She had no intent to have to walk on eggshells around him after she moved inside the Palace. She cleared her throat and, very calmly, addressed the De Iris sisters.

"Lady Clorence, Lady Prudence, my apologies but it seems His Highness and I need a talk. Would you mind waiting for me for a little while?"

"Of course not," immediately replied Clorence, though she and her younger sister were both clearly glaring at the Prince.

With that, Milena stood and left towards the garden. Ellias watched her, a bit surprised. She sighed.

"I am not going to make a fool of myself in front of the servants, your Highness. Let's take a stroll. At least the background will surely more pleasant than our discussion."