Dance with the King

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Elaina was on the dance floor with a man named Darius Miller. Shortly after she had returned inside the hall, the man had asked her to dance. After being a little hesitant at first and with many side comments from her mother, she agreed to dance with him.

"I enjoy playing games, they are a good pass of time," she said. They were currently having a conversation about their hobbies.

"Then you must be good at it. I'm afraid I'm really bad at digital games but I do enjoy a good game of fetch or is it called tag?" he replied.

"Oh, you are quite the traditionalist, Mr. Miller," Elaina stated and Darius replied,

"What a nice way of saying that I am old school," and Elaina chuckled.

Mr. Miller was a nice man who brought up conversations and ensured that she wasn't uncomfortable. Their dance was a mid-paced one that involved a lot of twirling and ensured they reached every part of the dance floor. It was a pleasurable dance and his consideration made it more enjoyable.

Darius raised her hand that was in his so he could twirl her around and when she returned to his arms,

"Pardon my indirect insult," she stated with a smile.

"It's fine." Darius smiled. "Maybe one day you can teach me how to play a game and we can enjoy a game of tag," he said in hope.

"The games should have tutorials so you wouldn't need my help," Elaina tactfully declined.

"Then what about a round of tag?" he asked again.

"Ah, I am not that..." Elaina started but Darius suddenly stopped dancing. His sudden stop almost made her trip but she regained her balance in time. Looking at him, she saw that his eyes were widened and a strong chill ran through his body which she felt through their hands.

"Mr. Miller?" she called, "Is something wrong? Mr-"

"Ah!" Darius jolted out of his trance and resumed his footwork. "I'm sorry about that, Elaina, I mean miss Elaina," he apologized and corrected himself.

"It's fine. Did something happen?" she asked with concern.

"Oh, I sometimes get seizures like that. It's not a big deal, my old age seems to be catching up to me," he said with a nervous chuckle as they swayed along to the music.

"Old age? but you don't look that- oh," she realized.

"I apologize for deceiving you," he apologized.

"You don't have to apologize, it's the law," she stated with a smile while trying not to let the new information affect her. He was a vampire, if his reason for asking her to dance was ulterior...

"Do you dislike the night creatures?" she heard him ask and she thought of an answer that wouldn't offend him and also wouldn't be too judgemental. "I haven't met a lot to know what the night creatures are like but I don't dislike them, I just have my reservations."

"Well, I hope your first impression of me wasn't too bad," he smiled.

"Yes, it wasn't too bad," she replied with a smile. Maybe not all the night creatures were as bad as the rumors and society painted them. Perhaps it could be the same with humans, good and bad. It just depended on the perspective they were viewed from.

Now she wondered which part the man she was dancing with belonged to. Bad with a good facade worn like his mask, or just good with no bad intentions, or maybe he was even a mixture of the two.

Elaina's eyes moved to the other couples on the dance floor and the first thing they met with was a pair of blue and green eyes gazing into her soul. He was on the dance floor, dancing gracefully with his partner, and an unfamiliar feeling settled in her chest. She wanted to be the woman in his arms.

His eyes never left hers and the world was slowly retreating into the background, leaving only two of them when,

"Miss Elaina," Darius called, causing her to look away from him.

"I enjoyed my dance with you, Elaina," he stated.

The tempo of the song was starting to change implying that the switching of dance partners would be soon.

"I did too, Mr. Miller," she replied.

"Permit me to say this, I love your eyes and smile, Elaina. I hope I get to see them again in a more relaxed setting," he stated. Hope in his eyes as he waited to hear a positive answer.

But all that was on Elaina's mind was the blue and green-eyed stranger who made her feel a certain way. "If we ever meet again then sure," she replied.

"That's harsh," Darius smiled before twirling her around and leaving his position to be taken by another. All the lights underneath the dance floor flashed as the dresses of the women twirled with them and the men moved around, choosing their next partners and Elaina landed in the arms of the stranger who filled her mind.

"We meet again, Elaina," came his deep voice that she was glad to hear. He took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers, placing his other hand on her waist, he drew her close to him. The restlessness he had been feeling disappeared as he held her and they danced to the tune of the music.

"How do you know my name?" she asked him as they waltzed through the dance floor. A question that Mael took his own sweet time answering.

"It seems the details of our sweet night together have long been forgotten," came his long-awaited answer and Elaina's eyes widened.

Sweet night? She had spent a night with him?! But then she had no memory of him. Her mind raced as she tried to remember when she had spent time with this stranger. Did that mean that they.....

Mael could tell the line of her thoughts and found it amusing. He bent his head to her ear and whispered, "I jest," to stop her spiraling thoughts.

He raised his head to meet her confused and slightly red face. Seeing her reaction made him regret his choice of mask.

"What do you mean?" she asked, wanting a clear explanation.

"While we did spend a night together it isn't what you are thinking," he replied and she almost sighed in relief.

But her ears turned red in embarrassment when she realized that he knew what she was thinking.

"I don't remember you," she stated.

"It puzzles me so," came Mael's words. It hadn't been that long since they met but she didn't have any recollection of the day.

"When and where did we meet?" she asked. Maybe if he told her, she could remember. But Mael was in no mood to waste their little time together on the past.

"So many questions," he hummed and snaked his hand further around her waist. His hand found the part of her dress without a cover, "How naughty," he whispered into her ear. Meanwhile, his eyes were narrowed, he would cut off the hands of the men who had touched her there.

A blush crept up her face as his hot breath from his mask fanned her neck and his fingers danced on her bare skin. It wasn't uncomfortable like it had been with Alois. "W-Who are you?" she managed to ask.

"Interesting question," Mael raised his head. "I am yours, Elaina, just as you are mine. We are mates destined by fate," he answered. His eyes locked on her brown ones.