Mara's POV
Apart from the part where he talked about wrestling a bear which I was totally disappointed in, I was really happy that I was finally leaving this godforsaken place.
I felt so touched by his gesture. He had listened to me after all.
I felt bad for badgering him when he entered the room but now I was happy that he had invited me to this journey.
I could not hold my excitement as I jumped to my feet and hugged him.
After a few seconds, I pulled out as quickly as I could, looking at him with an awkward smile.
I could tell that I was blushing but it didn't matter. I was finally leaving this place to go out in the world.
"Before we go anywhere, I just want to let you know that tonight, we will be going into the city first to enjoy the nightlife."
I shrugged. I didn't care. As long as I was getting out of here.
"So, umm… wear something nice."
He walked out of the room leaving me alone to scramble to the wardrobe.
I searched through it for anything to wear and go for this outing and when I found the perfect dress, I wore it without hesitation.
When I was done, I headed out of the room to the gate of the castle.
The guards stared at me in shock. I knew they were wondering where I was going this night but I didn't need to worry. The king himself was going with me.
I felt a whoosh behind me as I turned to see the vampire lord standing before me in casual clothing.
His shirt was buttoned halfway up and he had a pair of jean trousers on. His feet were complemented with a pair of slippers which had his toes sticking out.
"You look beautiful," he said with a soft tone as I tried to break away from his gaze but failed multiple times.
He was charming as he was handsome. With a smile, I gave him back a compliment even when I didn't mean it.
I just wanted us to be on our way out of here.
"Shall we?" He extended his hand to me so I would put mine in it to which I did.
Why was he being such a gentleman?
We walked out of the castle together, hand in hand with everyone staring at us like we were a couple.
This was one of those times when I didn't know if I was ready to love this public life yet.
Motivating myself to calm down and enjoy the night, I went out with him, ready to see the town.
We walked around the capital and enjoyed ourselves. It was not a bad night and I loved what I was seeing.
The nightlife wasn't that far from what I would see in the movies.
I saw people spat in the night ring with people betting on who would win. I watched children play soccer on the streets as the cars were banned from going around at night.
"But what if it's an emergency and someone needs to be at a hospital?" I was concerned for the well being of the sick vampires.
"We are vampires, we don't get sick, but just in case we have an alternative route which leads directly to the hospital."
That was interesting.
We laughed at the comedy shows we found being made on the street and even cried at a drama show that played a few minutes later.
If this was how the kingdom lived, I was impressed and I didn't see what the problem was.
I was happy that it was taking a different approach to how conventional things were done in other kingdoms.
The people looked genuinely happy and they bubbled with love and life.
How they related with the king told me all I needed to know. He was a very good leader.
"Are you enjoying the night?" He asked just as I nodded.
"I've never seen anything like this before," I said.
We walked around hand in hand and I enjoyed his company. I ate most of the fancy foods he bought which had him laughing.
Most of them were so spicy I could only speak in tongues while handling the food.
By the end of the fun night, we were sitting atop a mountain he had zipped me to.
The moon was very high up in the sky as it gave us a picturesque view of the beautiful landscape.
It was an untouched land filled with mystery and wonders while the town laid behind us.
"So… what do you think?" He asked as I smiled.
"This is beautiful. I loved it. Especially the drama. That was wonderful."
He laughed a bit and we had a small conversation while enjoying each other's company.
While he demonstrated whatever he was doing, I couldn't help but feel that I was attracted to him.
Somehow his dark eyes drew me deeper into him.
We spoke more as he looked at his time to which I glanced over to see it was past three. Midnight already?
"Let's do this again tomorrow when we're done with visiting the grasslands," he smiled to his feet as I did the same.
"Sure," I said like we were signing a deal.
I looked over the top of the mountain and wished I still had my powers. I would jump over it and zip into the free lands to enjoy the wind blasting against my face and body.
But I was powerless. There was no way I would do anything like that and end up alive. I would be dead before I even reached the ground.
"Do you want to jump down?" He asked as I looked at him with an awkward smile.
"No. Not now. I don't have the power to hold up when I reach the ground."
He held my hand and brought me closer to him.
"We could go together. I will hold you."