Hmmm… I have read all 10 books. This question made me pause, bc I’d never considered the question of the “Person Lestat Has Loved the Most.” So of course I had to write a thesis on it, you better be grateful, Anon ;] 

It’s interesting that AR thinks of David as her favorite of Lestat’s intimate relationships. I think that may be due in part to the fact that in canon she sort of forgot about Louis post-QotD. From there until Merrick, Louis’s role was fairly small. Maybe it’s because AR had made Louis in her own image, Lestat was made in her husband’s image, and felt that the Louis part of her was done and over with. She sort of morphed into Lestat’s role when her husband passed away. Maybe AR saw something in the father-figure that David presented to Lestat, that patient and kind teacher, that she would have wanted for herself… David has also had a great strength, from the first scene we meet him, he doesn’t take Lestat’s shit, doesn’t frighten easily. 

But since we’re asking MY opinion here, I don’t think you can choose the ”Person Lestat Has Loved the Most.” 

There are different kinds of love, different types of loving relationships; Lestat would probably agree on this concept. I don’t believe in 1 person getting 1 soulmate and that’s THAT. Think of the pressure on that person to provide ALL the love you need. Think of the pressure on YOU to give ALL the love that person needs. It would be enough to crush anyone. 

I think Lestat needs to give/receive different kinds of love from different people, that’s why he’s not a shining example of monogamy (at least not for too long!). These 4 people stand out, to me (and other ppl who have read ALL 10 books), as being his main Loved the Most People (in no particular order):

• Louis: I think we can agree that Louis is the one Lestat has loved the longest. It’s the most lasting relationship for both, and they undeniably have the strongest chemistry, and the strongest desire for each other in a much deeper way than just, “oh you are so hot let’s fuck.” They love each other for their inner beings, flaws and all. Which I think is one of the highest levels of love you can have ♥u♥ (But they do exhaust each other with their intensity from time to time and need space.)

• David: was there when Lestat needed him in a way that Louis couldn’t (and wasn’t willing to) be. There’s an intensity added to the love for someone who essentially saves your freakin’ life! David saved Lestat’s life. I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t read #4 so I’ll leave it there ;] …However, David has always been more independent, he’s never come across as yearning for Lestat the way Louis has. He was able to refuse Lestat’s very enticing advances when they were both mortal, and I wonder whether that was actually a fear that he might disappoint Lestat w/ his rickety old man body and lose him forever as a friend. David really did (and continues to!) try to keep Lestat in the Friendzone. Maybe David is afraid of becoming too attached to Lestat and yearning for him the way Louis does.  

• Gabrielle: let’s not leave out Lestat’s first love, Mommie Dearest! Oedipus Complex aside, she was the first person to really go to bat for him when he needed it, and even if they were not related, they still understand and care for each other in a way no one else can come close to.

• Nicolas: First real relationship, in which Lestat learned about mutual support and caring, and adventure time, and all that other stuff. Some say Louis was Nicki 2.0. If Nicolas had survived, well… he would probably still be in Lestat’s Little Black Book at the very least.

I’m sure I’m missing someone and there’ll be backlash, but ^those 4 stand out to me as fandom’s agreed-upon OTP’s for Lestat. 

~♥~ Honorable mentions would be:

• Armand (definitely a BroTP at least),
• Claudia (who took his heart and stabbed it, too),
• Marius (♪”I will be your father figure/Put your tiny hand in mine”♪),
• Daniel (just to spite Armand),
• Jesse (no, not from that trainwreck QotD movie, just from the books, she was a pretty aggressive wanna-be groupie),
• Tarquin Blackwood (a pretty big Lestat fanboy who Lestat allowed to blather on for about 95% of a novel ugh),
• Mona Mayfair (Unfortunately he did fall for her for about 20 seconds),
• Rowan Mayfair (Unfortunately he did fall for her for about 30 seconds).

I hope that answers your question! I can’t seem to answer anything simply. *siiiigh*