Rubes wasn't anything Renjun had expected it to be.

It was alive with life. Lamps lit the streets, noise filled the area, vampires and other creatures were scattered everywhere from stalls to bars, looking so much human than what Renjun had expected. What Renjun had learnt.

A group of young children sprinted by the carriage, holding little pouches tightly in their fists. Renjun had a feeling he knew what they were...

"Welcome to Rubes, Master Renjun." Taeyong said, delighted with Renjun's reaction.
The boy turned to face him, a spark lit in his eyes.
"This is amazing!" He beamed, turning to look out the window again. This time, he saw what appeared to be an elf engaged in a heated argument with a vampire and couldn't help but giggle.
Taeyong's face pulled into a smile, glad to see the young boy enjoying their arrival. Moving through the town was pleasant.

Renjun marvelled at everything outside, unable to take his eyes off, wondering if he'd get the chance to explore the kingdom. There were so many sights that caught his eye. The markets and bazaars, the food, trinkets and even witches with bubbling bottles. All these sent trusts of excitement through Renjun's body. The many vampires he'd read about in his books were right there beyond the glass window of the carriage, not disappearing with every blink he took. How he wished Donghyuck was here with him.

It was all he could think of untill the palace came into view.

It wasn't hard to miss, you'd have to be facing the other direction. Made of dark stone, standing tall, towering everything else, at the edge of the kingdom with glittering windows that glowed with light. Flags made of red were hung up from the balconies and struck out around the castle premises, even on the path to the entrance that was lit with torches and finely armoured guards.
They passed the main gates with a short stop for security measures and that was when reality sunk in. That was when the film over Renjun's mind changed from a sparkling sensation to raw dread.

He felt his heart speed up as the carriage pulled closer to the castle. Breathing in controlled breaths to ease his nerves, he closed his eyes to add support. This, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Taeyong.

"Master Renjun, relax", he soothed, supplying a small smile.

Noding his head, Renjun tried following the others words but couldn't help the hand he placed over his heart. It beat through the many barriers between and thudded firmly against the surface.

"I can hear your heart beat," The vampire added casually, observing Renjun's movement with a steady gaze that lifted to the boy's eyes. "It's quite loud."

That managed to shift Renjun's attention. He widened his eyes at Taeyong, completely forgetting that vampires could hear a pulse, more strongly if it was racing.

The vampire in turn simply shrugged, satisfied with his success.

The carriage door opened and Renjun got off after Taeyong who held out a hand for him to take. Thanking him, Renjun did, coming to the ground with some feeling in his legs after riding the carriage for hours.
A wide stairway led to the entrance, lit either side by flaring torches and a number of guards. At the base of the stairway were two young men, one appearing closer to Renjun's own age but it was clear the two were undoubtedly attractive. The younger one had ebony hair that contrasted against his pale skin and round eyes that were filled with curiosity. The other was much taller, donning a long overcoat that elongated him even more. He had a soft face that displayed kind eyes and warm smile that Renjun liked. Alongside them were a party of attendants. The weather was chillier outside despite it being spring, and Renjun adjusted the shawl around his frame.

"Welcome, master Renjun" the taller of the two greeted, swiftly bowing.
"We are glad to see your safe arrival".

They introduced themselves as Johnny Seo and Lee Mark, the Prince's aides and Renjun's palace escorts.
 

The castle was much bigger than what could be seen from the town. It was tall unlike any other building Renjun had seen  before. It donned more dark, somber colours yet appealed to the eye. Perhaps it was the addition of candles or the large windows, or even the mesmerising interior designing. It may look different in the morning but Renjun still found it stunning. The floor was a stretch of white marble, polished to perfection and Renjun restrained himself from stopping by the windows to see the view of Rubes, glistening with night life.

Johnny was excitedly ranting about how the entire place was expecting him since news broke out, about how the castle was now in a frenzy for big preparations for the marriage. Renjun couldn't help but be reminded of his second brother.

"Slow down," Mark cut in, sending an apologetic smile towards Renjun. "Johnny here is more exited about the marriage than the prince".

"And you're not?" The taller challenged, to which Mark gave an incredulous look that made Renjun follow with a laugh. The two leading the way peeked at the small human, unable to keep smiles off their faces. Taeyong caught their eyes and gave them a knowing look.

"But it's so exciting to have a wedding around, we barely get any being vampires and all," Johnny confessed, leading them through and arch and into a wide hallway. He was in the right. Vampires aged much more slowly compared to humans so it was obvious marriage came along on rare occasions, save for the times someone wedded more than once.
 

Renjun knew what was coming next. Of course it was plainly obvious to anyone who came into the castle. Passing the gates would lead to the next stage, meeting the king and queen. No one needed to tell him this, it was an unspoken procedure but it didn't help his nervousness deflate one bit.

He didn't know how h