Lady Dhampir
Chapter 158

It was only a matter of seconds. Milena saw Ellias thrown from his chair and against the autel, his hea have been, when this was meant to be a funeral already?!

However, it was clear those women wanted at least one more body. Milena reacted with all of her year times like these. She threw one, aiming right between Philomenie and the woman that was closest to spare to look and see who it was. She continued running despite her long dress, with only one objecti had first grabbed his brother to the side.

Milena ran with her second dagger in hand, but Blanche was even faster. She had understood her mist occurred between them. There was still the second woman though, and Blanche couldn't take care of the luxury to think about that however; the second woman was for her to stop.

Still, Milena had the first reaction to grab Philomenie's arm and pull her behind in one movement. The scream or cry. Milena couldn't care less; She simply stood in front of her sister-in-law, dagger in hand The veil still hadn't been lifted, but Milena immediately understood she was fighting against a vampir was a vampire, it made sense.

As she pushed her weapon away and got ready for their blades to clash again, Milena realized the situ something much worse, and much more dangerous. The more they fought, the more she realized they attack here and then, either. This was obviously a suicide mission with a clear target. Not just to kill P They were here to be seen.

Although a part of her mind was trying to figure out the meaning of this, Milena still had to focus on t any ground. She had been trained for situations like these. Of course, she would have been much bett Blanche was giving hell to the other woman, but Milena was worried to even hear her still alive, and h like that sight.

ng the wood with a disturbing sound. Rayan jumped in front of him taking a dagger out. This was the sad reality; they weren't prepared for a fight. Who would aining taking her body over like a hurricane. She took out her two secret daggers, flat weapons she usually carried in her corsets, and should only show in didn't hit anyone, but it was enough for the first attacker to stop her run and step back. Someone towards the back screamed, but Milena had no time to protect Philomenie. It was a two-second decision, but as soon as she had understood who the target was, Milena had decided to protect her, just like Rayan

decision, and jumped to the throat of the first woman. They heard her scream in fear at the ferocious wolf, and fell between the benches, as a terrible fight is little chapel had been too narrow for any bodyguards, too, so Milena knew it would take at least a few seconds for Ruby to intervene. She didn't even have

an princess yelped, terrorized, her eyes teary already. Whether she had understood the situation or not, Philomenie was frozen by fear, looking ready to for when the other woman would jump on her.

difference in strength was showing, and no human woman with such a frail body would have been able to endure a fight against her like that. However, if she

was even worse than they had originally thought. Either this was a speed attack, and these women were supposed to kill and flee, or they had to be ready for leaning towards that second scenario. If these women had missed their target, they should have left immediately. There wasn't even a reason for them to nie, or even attack the Royal Family.

t. She quickly realized her opponent was no housewife but an expert fighter, with good fighting skills. Milena was furious though, and not ready to leave her a proper fighting ground, with her favorite weapons and a clear space in front of her instead of benches, but she could still do this.

nd still furiously growling. Even worse, there was deep red on the white fur, from what she could see from the corner of her vision, and she certainly didn't

Still, Milena had no choice but to focus on her own fight. She had to navigate between the chairs, carefully look for every move of that woman and keep moving to stay between her opponent and the terrified Philomenie. The attacks were constant too, and not giving her a second to rest. That woman knew her time was limited, and she didn't want to give up on her target. She was set on getting to the human Princess, but the Dhampir one in front of her was offering a clear resistance to that. Milena wasn't letting her win an inch. She stood like a wall between Philomenie and her attacker, furiously defending her like a lioness defending her cub. This wasn't just about Philomenie; Milena was now set on disrupting whichever plan was at stake.

Things took a wrong turn when, from both sides of the Chapel, windows broke and people in dark outfits barged in. Milena's heart sank.

More assassins. They were really set on killing Philomenie and perhaps Ellias, here and then. Those women had been sent as a first attempt at a quick job and now, some back-up plan had probably been activated due to their failure to do so in the given time. Milena took half a second to glance Rayan's way, but he was already busy fighting one of the intruders off of his brother. So Ellias was a target. A secondary target, but definitely a target. Milena gasped.

This was in no way going to end well.

Thankfully, this was also the time for their own back-up to arrive. Ruby appeared right behind the woman Milena was fighting, and, with one clear movement from a professional assassin, sliced that woman's throat.

"Are you alright, Your Highness!"

"Ruby, we need guns, and more reinforcements. Send someone to warn De Nova!"

Suddenly, a gunshot resonated within the Chapel.

"I'm already here," hissed Rachel, standing at the door of the Chapel.

She took down her g*n, changed the bullet, and charged again, shooting at her next target. The appearance of an armed woman had clearly destabilized the opponents. They probably had thought no one would bring a firearm to the funeral, but that was a bad move. Especially to anyone who had ever known a single thing about Lady Rachael De Nova...

Still, the fight was far from over. As soon as her opponent had gone, Milena had to spin on herself to fight another one, a man this time, who had tried to attack Philomenie from another angle.

"Stay close to the wall and behind me!" Milena yelled at her.

The princess, her eyes full of tears and in a state of complete panic, didn't even react. She was in shock, but Milena had no time to console her. She forcefully grabbed her wrist, and pushed her against the closest wall, in a sort of corner where no one could attack from above or at an angle Milena couldn't have foreseen. They were almost behind the autel now, behind which the Priests were hidden, one crying and the other one praying.

Milena fought off the man, but he was so tall she could barely see what was going on behind them. From what she could hear, there were at least a dozen different fights scattered inside the chapel, maybe even outside. Rachael might have run out of bullets, because there were no more gunshots to be heard. The only thing Milena could see was Rayan, a bit further on her left, fighting two opponents at once. It looked like Ellias had been knocked half-unconscious, as he was still lying there, and struggling to get on all fours. Milena kept fighting; It took every bit of her knowledge, experience, and training to stand against her opponent. This wasn't just about her trying to protect Philomenie, or the lack of a better weapon. Whoever she was fighting was genuinely good. This man was a trained soldier, maybe even a knight or a master fighter. She could tell by the way he was standing and his moves, that this was a nobleman too. Something didn't feel right about this.

The only reason neither of them could overpower the other was because he wasn't trying to kill her. She wasn't his target, she was mainly in his way. Milena was disturbed by the fact that, whoever was hiding behind that black cloak, they were making an obvious effort not to even harm her.

"Rayan!" She yelled.

"I know!"

They were facing the Supremacists, or people trying to be. There was no reason for any other group to attack now, just none. The only people who would have tried to harm Ellias, Philomenie and their child, were people desperate not to see a human couple rise at the head of the Kingdom.

Milena kept fighting, the best she could. She wasn't in the right gear for this, she was tired from that long day and she was mentally exhausted from everything happening. She had a real fight with Rachael de Nova, going all out the same morning, she couldn't have predicted she would have two serious fights in one day. Yet, it wasn't in her nature to give up. She just couldn't, not now. She had to put an end to this madness.

Little by little, she was maintaining her efforts against her opponent, and winning ground. The fights were still ongoing behind them, and probably ending. The Royal Guard would arrive at any moment to protect the Royal Family. The only advantage their attackers had was the heavy snow outside, and the darkness of night. They had probably intended a swift and quick attack, not a full-out battle against the Royal Family and their allies.

Still, there was something else: they couldn't allow them to leave. After this fight, there would be an investigation. Questions to be answered, and if they couldn't answer, Milena and Rayan would be the ones blamed. They weren't the target, but Ellias and Philomenie were? People would definitely put the blame on the couple who had come out unharmed. Milena could already foresee a trial with Ellias and his allies using this against them. This was the worst timing possible, in too many ways.

For now, their best defense was to defend Philomenie and Ellias themselves. There were witnesses of the fight, and by now, soldiers had begun barging into the Chapel, arresting people. Although she was still fighting her opponents with all her guts, Milena could tell the end was soon.

She was somewhat relieved. Even if she was exhausted, her arm muscles aching from so much fighting, the mere thought that this would be over soon was keeping her going. It wasn't even about staying alive now, it was about getting to the end of this. Rayan had killed one of his opponents, but was keeping the other at the end of his sword. This was a fight already won, but like her, he was careful not to kill too many of them. They'd need some still alive to interrogate. "Your Highnesses!"

"Arrest them!" Yelled Ellias.

For a minute, Milena was shocked to see him standing, although he had to use the wall as a clutch. Ellias looked furious and out of himself. There was blood on his temple, but his green eyes were burning with rage. "Arrest every single one of them! I want to see their faces!"

Panic ensued these words. People who had already been captured, or were still fighting, tried to run out by the same windows they had come from, or barge in through the exits. The sudden movement from so many took the Royal Soldiers by surprise, as they tried to grab some of them back, yelled orders, and fired a couple of gunshots. More than a couple. Milena heard several, and her heart sank. They needed those people alive! She knew the Royal Guards couldn't allow them to escape, but this was almost even worse. At each gunshot, it was one testimony lost. Milena could feel something ominous about each bullet shot.

The one thing that disturbed her the most was that the two people fighting her and Rayan were the ones not trying to flee. She could see the crimson eyes of her opponent through the cloak, shining with fierce determination. Milena's heart was beating fast, but fear was growing in her mind, with lots of questions. What was pushing these people to that suicide mission, that they'd be so set on killing a pregnant woman? Why? Why go to an extra length not to kill her, but just try to get past her and get a single shot at Philomenie instead? Milena barely had a couple of scratches on her hands, some on her arms where the sleeves of her dress had been ripped by her opponent sword, but considering the violence of this fight, it was nothing. She hadn't been so kind to her opponent. By now, that man was suffering a large cut on his shoulder, and bleeding from others where she had managed to hit him. The one thing she wanted to obtain was his face; If she could see who was under the cloak... "Milena!"

She glanced to the side, and Rayan had just finally beaten his opponent, knocking him unconscious to the ground. Milena wasn't as fast yet. She maybe was the last one fighting, aside from the Royal Guard struggling against the captured ones trying to flee. Still, this fight had already a foreseen outcome. She was overpowering her opponent by far, and his loss was now inevitable. Milena focused, and asserted a new, large blow as soon as she saw an opportunity for it; right across his previous cut, tracing a large cross, she cut him deep. The man fell on his knees with a groan of pain. His voice echoed in her head, in a familiar way. She knew that voice. She kicked his chest to end this, and he fell backwards, in a lot of pain, but still alive.

Milena could finally grasp sight of what had happened beyond her own fights. All the people arrested had been assembled in a group in the middle of the Church, encircled by the Royal Guard. Some people were dead, bodies coming out from between all the benches, but from what she had heard earlier, Milena could tell some had probably still managed to flee... She immediately found Blanche with her eyes, the white wolf limping on one side of the Chapel, coming towards her. Thankfully, she was fine... Ruby ran to Milena, grabbing the man. She had probably been fighting right next to her, otherwise, Milena would have been facing a lot more opponents coming for Philomenie's life.

"Arrest him!" Suddenly yelled Ellias.

Yet, before any guard could move, the human Prince somehow found the strength to run across the little room, and grab Milena's opponent, dragging him violently until he could take off the cloak on his head. The man, ignoring all his pain from just before, held on to his mask. He was desperate to hide his identity, but Ellias suddenly threw a new kick in his chest, and another one right in his head as the man let go of his cloak. Not just that, but in an excess of rage, the Prince assened one, two more kicks into the head, until the man was making horrible sounds of pain. Even Milena was shocked by the excess of violence. This was nothing like her fight just before, which had at least held some fairness to it. Ellias was beating a man who was already down. Behind her, she heard Philomenie suddenly cry and threw up, but Milena was more shocked and angry.

"Enough!" She yelled.

As if her voice had awoken him, Ellias stopped, his heinous eyes going to her.

"What is it, Milena?" He hissed, furious. "Do you know him? This assassin! You're defending someone who tried to kill us!"

"I said, enough."

Her tone was implacable. Milena's blood was still boiling from the fight just before, and she was just mad and disgusted at Ellias' horrible fit just then. He smirked and glanced his brother's way. Compared to him, Rayan bore evidence he had been fighting like crazy for his life just before, while Ellias only had blood on his temple.

"Fine... Let's see what assassin dared to come for my life!"

He raised the cloak, and Milena gasped.

It was the young Marquess Alban De Carseus. Alexis' elder cousin, the same man who had introduced himself to her in the Society of Vampires. Ellias snorted.

"De Carseus... Arrest all of the De Carseus Family!" He yelled. "This is an immediate order!"

At the end of the Chapel, Rachael's expression sank.

"You can't do that!" She yelled.

"If you're working with those traitors, Duchess," hissed Ellias,"I'll have you arrested too!"

Rachael stayed mute, not because she feared Ellias, but out of shock. The Royal Soldiers ran to the door, but the Duchess moved at the last second, barricading the door with her sole presence.

"Don't you dare," she glared at them.

The men hesitated. They couldn't overpower a Duchess like this. They turned to Ellias, but the Prince was just yelling orders furiously, urging them to ignore her or arrest her too. Just then, Rachael's eyes dived to Milena's. Not Rayan but Milena's purple eyes. Something quickly happened between the two of them, something only two women could have understood between one another. The anger was bottomless in Rachael's eyes, and Milena closed her fist, her hand shaking. "...Let them through," she whispered.

Rachael glared back.

"Guards," yelled Rayan. "Arrest the House De Carseus but solely as witnesses! There shall be no harm done to any member of the family!"

The men nodded, and after a long minute, Rachael finally reluctantly stepped aside. The Duchess was furious, and biting her lip so hard it had turned blue.

"You don't give orders above mine!" Yelled Ellias to his brother.

Rayan ignored him and turned to Milena, finally exchanging a look with her; She nodded very briefly but she wasn't fine at all.

Just then, something happened, very quickly.

Right behind Ellias, at her feet, Alban De Carseus suddenly stood. The action happened so fast, no one could react. Milena heard someone scream her name, maybe two. She moved but it was too late.

A sharp pain pierced her stomach, and she felt a sudden bump. Another scream. Someone's shoulder hit her chin, and she heard a very short whisper.

"I'm sorry, your Highness..."

A gunshot resonated.