Lady Dhampir

Archduchess Maribella

“Again!”

Lucian frowned.

“I’m exhausted Millie, and I bet you are too! Can’t we take a break?”

His sister agitated her sword, a thin and light blade she had chosen but had yet to fully adapt to. The siblings had been training for two hours now, and their hands were all red with calluses.

However, Milena was too stubborn to stop. She hadn’t been able to defeat Lucian, or even disarm him. Between them, the knight who had been acting as a coach and arbitrator clapped his hands.

“The young master is right, my Lady. It’s only been two months since you started training after all. Even if you can’t catch up to your brother yet, your progress is admirable...”

Milena wasn’t too happy about it, but she gave up and put back her sword. Lucian sighed with relief. He walked up to her.

“You’re too serious…”

“No Lucian, I just don’t want to get killed because I can’t fight properly.”

“You workaholic. There are very low chances that anyone is going to try fighting a nine-year-old with a sword for now. Even big brother said you should train, but not overdo it. You can even shoot better than me!”

“That’s only because I have better eyesight.”

“You don’t know how to take a compliment, do you?” exclaimed Lucian.

Milena grabbed drinks for both of them, lost in her thoughts. Indeed, she might have overdone it a bit. But ever since her assassination attempt two months ago, her training has been all she could focus on. On top of her normal classes - history, geography, social economics, calculation, literature -and the manners she had to learn, her brothers were now teaching her how to fight. Her reading time had been split in half for her to master the sword and fire weapons.

The security measures around her had been doubled by the Duke, too, and everyone in the household was involved. Every day, one of her vampire or human maids would try her food or drink before she could have it, and she didn’t go anywhere alone. If a couple of knights or maids weren’t accompanying her, Blanche would at least be by her side, even inside the manor. As if she had understood what had happened to her mistress, the shapeshifter very rarely left her side after the incident.

However, all those were meaningless in Milena’s eyes. She didn’t want her maids to take the risks for her, and she didn’t want to stay as an overprotected, weak, and helpless girl any longer. Hence, not only was she willing to learn anything her brothers could teach her, she wanted to know more.

She took off her gloves and walked back to the castle, followed by Blanche and Lucian.

“I’m starving! Should we have breakfast in the main room today?”

“It’s such a big room for just the two of us… No, I’m having tea with grandmother before she goes to sleep.”

Lucian frowned.

“You’re going to see grandmother again? That woman is so scary, how can you willingly go there so often?”

“She’s not scary…”

Milena thought Lucian was exaggerating a bit. Sure, Maribella De Crescent wasn’t the nicest woman there was, but aside from the old Lady’s austerity and coldness, she actually admired her grandmother a lot.

Archduchess Maribella De Crescent was over a hundred years old, but she barely looked older than sixty, thanks to her Vampire genes. She was actually their great-grandmother from their father’s side, the one who had married the King’s grand-uncle, but they privately called her grandmother.

As always, when she visited her grandmother, Milena had carefully picked a proper dress for the season after her bath, put on her prettiest gloves and scarf, and her hair was brushed once more. Blanche took her cat form, and thoroughly cleaned her fur too.

Maribella de Crescent had a full wing of the Manor for herself that she had lived in since her human husband’s passing many years ago. If another member of the family wished to visit her, even the Duke, she had to be warned in advance, and whoever came had to wait outside until the Archduchess’ maids would welcome them.

However, as Milena always made sure to respect this rule, she was welcomed as soon as she reached the large door to her ancestor’s salon.

“Good morning, Archduchess Grandmother,” she said while making the proper reverence.

“Come in, Milena.”

The old woman was already sitting in front of the table, the teapot warm and a couple of biscuits served. Two vampire maids were silently standing silently behind her.

Despite her age, she was still a beautiful woman. Her wrinkles couldn’t hide her beauty, and her hair, white as snow, was put in a perfectly braided crown. She always held on to a cane, but Milena doubted the vampire lady really needed it.

She walked up to her and sat.

“Aren’t you tired, grandmother? Did I come late?”

“You came five minutes late as a proper lady should. At least your manners seem decent.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Grandmother.”

Maribella gestured to her maids, and they started serving tea. Though the old woman was very harsh and uptight, Milena liked those sessions with her. It felt like passing a test every time, and she had to stay on her toes not to get scolded about her improper posture or manners like she had in the beginning…

“Alright,” said her great-grandmother. “Show me the results of your training.”

Milena smiled and took her cup of hot tea. Slowly, she brought the cup up, smelling and observing the color.

“It smells nice, Grandmother. Cinnamon and oranges.”

Maribella nodded without answering, observing her. Then, Milena slowly put the cup against her lips, taking a little sip. Her grandmother smiled and took some as well, then put her own cup down.

“So?”

Milena smiled.

“Very good. The flavor isn’t too strong and the taste of the oranges are well balanced. I am not too fond of belladonna, though.”

“Really? That’s a shame, Milena.”

“Do you mind if I take a biscuit first?”

“Go ahead.”

Milena grabbed a biscuit and ate it, making as little noise as possible. Her grandmother smiled.

“Well done, Granddaughter.”

Milena sighed.

“This is the third time you’re trying to poison me this week, Grandmother. How did I do?”

“You did well, except for that biscuit. I know very well you don’t like sweets. Hence the only reason you would take one is to have an opportunity to take your antidote. You should come up with a better excuse next time.”

“It is very unlikely anyone will know that I don’t like those, Grandmother. And I am running out of excuses, too; this is the sixth one I came up with. I mean, if people don’t let me excuse myself to go to the ladies room or use my handkerchief, they are truly too impolite!”

“Do not complain, it is unladylike.”

Milena nodded.

“Excuse me, Grandmother.”

“Apologies accepted,” said Maribella, grabbing her tea.

Milena took her cup, smelling it once again with a little frown.

“You used belladonna again today. Is it your favorite?”

“It is the most common poison used at the court. Citrus flavored teas are popular among the ladies, and they hide the belladonna's taste. If you know the current trends, you also know where your enemies might strike.”

“Why not just use a tasteless toxin then?”

Maribella put down her cup, crossing her hands on her knee.

“Because child, this type doesn’t have much effect on vampires. If I have to kill you, I would inquire about your strengths and weaknesses first. People will naturally assume a dhampir is more vampire-like, hence they will try to kill you like they would kill a vampire.”

“What if it’s a vampire trying to kill me?” asked Milena.

“All the same, Milena. Vampires will assume you are harder to kill than a human, and even humans are not so easy to kill, are they? If you do things, you want to get them right the first time; assassination attempts in particular.”

“Don’t let Lucian hear that, Grandmother, you will give him nightmares…”

Maribella immediately frowned.

“This child is too unruly and undisciplined! He should act more worthy of the House de Crescent. Even if he is only the third son, your father is always too easy on him.”

Milena chuckled while taking some more of the poisoned tea.

“You say that, Grandmother, but you actually like Lucian a lot, don’t you? Since he resembles our great-grandfather the most.”

The old woman sighed a bit.

“He does. Raphael takes after our side of the family as well. Whenever I see him I feel like I’m seeing your Father in his young years again. Valentin and you, however, have more of your mother’s features. She had very soft traits, too.”

“Father never talks about our mother…”

“That loss is too fresh for him. I didn’t think that woman suited him when they got engaged, they had very different personalities. Luckily they fell in love after marriage, I suppose.”

Milena thought so, too. Her parents’ wedding had been decided even before they met and indeed, the young couple needed some time to adapt to each other after they started living together. Valentin, who was born right after they got married, had told her about his childhood souvenirs when the duke had slowly warmed up to his wife's cheerful and gentle personality. She and Lucian, who had very few memories of their mother, loved to hear about her from their brothers.

“I wish I had been born blonde like our mother,” said Milena. “Valentin has such pretty hair…”

“Do not complain about what you cannot have, Milena. You are pretty enough to not be whimsical about such details.”

Milena hid her smile behind her cup. Her grandmother had a way to scold and compliment people at the same time…

The Archduchess suddenly held out her hand, and Milena instantly removed her bracelet to hand it to her. It was a large bracelet, an heirloom she carried everywhere, with large diamond stones. However, her great-grandmother manipulated the bracelet, opening small little capsules where various powders were contained before she handed it back to Milena.

“Looks like you still have enough. Let me know if you need more.”

“I will, Grandmother, but I know how to make those antidotes by myself now…”

“Mine are still more efficient, and this way you wouldn’’t dare waste it.”

Milena put her bracelet back. Her brothers had such things too, in different forms. According to Maribella, it was common for noblemen to carry jewelry that hid antidotes against poison or secret weapons.

“Ruby,” suddenly called the archduchess.

A young vampire maid stepped forward, bowing in front of Milena. She seemed about her age, with short black hair and an androgynous appearance.

“From today onwards, Ruby will be your handmaid.”

Milena frowned. She had many maids helping her every day, but this was the first time one would be solely dedicated to her.

“Grandmother?”

“Ruby has been trained to serve you and only you. She doesn’t obey your father, but you. It is time you start acting on your own and have your own personnel. You have to carefully pick the people around you, Milena, because from now on, you will have to rely on them and know whom you can really trust.”

“But you taught me to trust no one…”

“That’s right. However, one cannot stand alone in this world. You will need people to serve you, people who work for you, and people to fight for you. As a duchess, no matter how skilled you are, you cannot do everything by yourself. Hence, you have to develop a good eye for people and carefully pick those who can be your allies and those who will be your enemies.”

Milena slowly nodded, carefully thinking about those words. She felt like her enemies were already much more numerous than her allies...