Lady Dhampir
Bonus Epilogue 1

"Ah, there you are, you quitter."

After taking a couple of seconds to finish the sentence he was reading, he raised his eyes from his book. With a bored expression, he watched her angrily slam the door behind her. A faint grin appeared on his lips. "Says the one walking out of her own Ball," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes, as red as her gorgeous dress. She slowly walked up to the couch he was seated on, throwing her shoes off onto the other one. Before he could do anything to protest, she grabbed his book and threw it on the coffee table, before lying down on the couch, using his lap as her cushion. She smiled in relief, stretching and closing her eyes right away. Her feet were hanging past the other end of the couch and made him grimace a bit.

"So boring," she groaned. "It was so boring!"

"And you come to me?" He scoffed. "Your boring brother?"

"At least my boring brother doesn't try to court me. You should see all those bastards drooling. Some are twice my age! I would have beheaded them if swords were allowed... If you were there it would have been a bit more entertaining, at least." "You do love the attention, though."

His sister shrugged.

"I do. I just can't stand the greedy stares and pathetic dogs in heat..."

She looked at her nails, visibly bored indeed. Her brother chuckled, and rested his chin on his fist, giving up. He wasn't going to be able to pick up that book anytime soon. Instead, he glanced at the details of his sister's dress. The seamstresses had outdone themselves to make the future queen shine. He could recognize the little rubies delicately sewn into her dress, along with the golden thread and the rich velvet fabric. Even in rags, she would have looked great, but with this, his sister was magnificent. Knowing she was his twin, the unparalleled beauty of their generation, always made him a little bit proud. He even got a sense of superiority from seeing all his male friends become absolutely stupid whenever Maria walked into a room, while he was, of course, immune. He combed one of her locks.

"You know if you ask, Father will grant you more time. They won't push your engagement yet, you're only sixteen."

"Can you believe our parents had us when they were barely twenty?" She groaned.

"That was a different time."

"Well, that was just sixteen years ago!" She protested.

She pouted, another habit she had picked up from their mother. His sister closed her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh, visibly tired. Elizio glanced outside. It wasn't late, but the contrast between the white snow and the dark winter night made it seem so. "Which one is it?"

"What?"

"The one you have in mind," he said. "You can fool Father and Mother, but you can't fool me, Maria."

She opened an eye.

"...Is it that obvious?"

"To me, yes."

She sighed, and stopped pretending to be asleep.

"Fine," she groaned. "I do have someone on my mind..."

"Is that someone from... the wrong background? I doubt Father and Mother would take offense at it. I'm pretty sure they'd be able to bend some rules if you wanted to marry a commoner."

"No, that's not the issue," Maria muttered. "Quite the opposite, in fact. They are too fitting."

Her brother paused for a second, trying to think. He had a few ideas in mind, a few faces and names that would match, but, for his sister's sake, he decided not to make any assumptions just yet.

...Do you need my help?" He asked, tilting his head.

A smile spread on her lips.

"No thanks, Liz. I'll handle it."

"I'm pretty sure I asked you not to call me that. Several times."

"I still don't care. I like it, it's cute. Like my adorable brother."

He sighed, but didn't discuss it any further. He knew better than to try and win an argument against his twin sister... He didn't add anything, and let her rest on his lap. They didn't see each other much these days, so he could let her whimsicalness pass every now and then. A few minutes passed, in silence, and then the twins both opened their eyes, at the very same time. They both heard the faint, scurried steps on the other side of the door. The whispers. Then, someone knocked.

"I said to leave me alone," retorted the prince, with an ice-cold voice.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness," squeaked a voice on the other side of the door. "But we are looking for your sister..."

"She isn't here. Be gone."

"Y-yes, Your Highness. Apologies, Your Highness."

Whether they believed him or not, the steps on the other side of the door went away after just a couple more minutes. Maria chuckled with her pretty voice.

"...That's my dear brother," she said, satisfied like a cat who just caught a canary.

Elizio only sighed, and glanced away from the door, at that book he wouldn't get to finish anytime soon.

"How come they fear you more than me?" His sister frowned, almost as if taking offense. "I'm the vampire, yet they all are trembling anywhere near you. That doesn't make any sense..." "That's because they're used to your temper. And I look more like Father than you do, despite being the vampire."

"It's not all about your looks. Nor mine. You're the genius who pulled a... what do they call it again? The political coup of the century."

"You exaggerate."

"I do not. Thirteen years old," she chuckled. "You managed to dig out our enemies at just thirteen, pretending you and I didn't get along... Mother did not enjoy your act, either."

"It couldn't be helped. I knew some nobles were trying to isolate me, I sought to pull them out of the shadows so Father and Mother could better take care of them."

Maria sighed. He was underplaying it again... Her brother was more of a genius than he cared to admit, just like she pretended not to be aware of her own beauty nor the jealousy of her female friends. She did like their duo, both powerful and impressive. Elizio was human but just as scary to many as any vampire out there.

"Won't you become the King in my stead?" She suddenly asked.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on," she sighed. "You love politics. You'd get to chew them up every morning for breakfast..."

"Which is precisely why you'd make a better Queen," he smirked. "I am good at politics, but I am not loved like you are. I do not enjoy people's company or Balls; I actually loathe most people that aren't our family."

His sister glanced at her nails again, finding an invisible imperfection in them. Once she had gotten rid of it, she set her eyes on her brother's hair, twirling one of his strands around her finger.

"...That's true," she said after a little while. "Do you know how many of my friends have a crush on you, yet fear you all the same? It's quite interesting. ...Hey, do you have someone in mind yet?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me," he retorted.

"Seriously? I'm sure you already have an idea, anyway!"

"I could be wrong."

"As if," she scoffed.

"..Yennick."

"How the hell do you know!" She protested, suddenly sitting back up. "...My God, am I that easy to read?"

"You're my twin sister," he smiled. "You're not easy to read, I just know you best. You're not attracted by noble blood, only noble attitude, and good looks. He's got it all, minus the arrogance most get from their noble birth. Plus, he's an overachiever, like you." She pouted and looked away.

"...Do you think he knows?"

"No."

"Do you not think he does, or are you sure he doesn't?"

Her brother chuckled, amused to see his sister so troubled. Unbeknown to her, she was the cutest when she was bewildered, like this. After a while, she suddenly laid back down on his lap, sighing loudly.

"Damn it... Well, I'll assume he doesn't know. But you're not fair, Liz. You ought to tell me who's yours now."

"What makes you think I have anyone?"

"You really don't?" She frowned.

"...I am not telling you."

"That's not fair!"

"I'll help you with Yennick, then. How about that?"

"I don't want your help. It's like when you let me win at chess or during our hunts, I hate it. I can do well without your help."

"I never assumed otherwise. I'm merely offering help to my dearest sister."

"If you really wanted to help you wouldn't tease me..."

"I'm teasing you because you interrupted my reading time."

"Gosh, you can be so petty..."

He chuckled, and grabbed the glass of wine next to him, sipping slowly. On his lap, he heard his sister sigh.

"... When are they coming back? Father and Mother?"

"Who knows. I'd guess in a couple more days; They never extend their vacation too much..."

"I miss them. I know they earned this vacation, but..."

He looked down at his sister. She did look a bit dejected. He glanced outside. He didn't miss their parents just yet, and he already had news of them being on the way back. "Shall we go hunting tomorrow?" He offered, a faint smile on his face. "...With Yennick."

"For a politician, you're being a tad too obvious on this one," Maria glared at him.

"Not if we invite our cousins too," he smiled. "This way, inviting the De Nova heir won't be so suspicious... if we invite most of the Duchy heirs."

"...Could you be interested in Emiliane De Boreal?" His sister smiled. "...She doesn't fear you, for one."

"Cute theory, but you won't get to confirm it unless we go."

Maria smiled. She had lost, again... She sighed.

"Fine. But promise not to let me win easily again, Elizio. You always do that and I hate your cheating."

"I'm helping you, why would you call it cheating?"

"Promise."

He sighed.

"Fine... Now, can I resume reading my book?"

"No. Pour me a glass first."

He frowned.

"...Please."

He sighed and grabbed the cup, pouring some wine in.

"Come with me to the Ball," she insisted after a sip. "Please, Liz. It's really boring and at least when you're around the drooly bastards leave me alone."

Elizio glanced at his book, full of regrets, and grabbed his glass, clinking it with Maria's. He was really hoping their parents would be back soon enough to entertain his whimsical sister...