"If you want, stay for a few days in my palace," Lariel suggested. "Feel the atmosphere of our society, have a good rest. The essence of Zarian nature revitalizes the body. If you want to come back, call me, I'll move you back."
"Are you leaving me alone to look for fun?" Zarmina's voice trembled indignantly.
"I have all sorts of things to do, then a party with friends in Azaren, you probably won't be interested in spending time like that," the King justified himself.
"I'll go with you and I want to see Azaren."
"Well, okay, come with me."
Lariel walked forward down the street, taking her hand.
"At a party you can calmly communicate with everyone. My friends are modest married syrinxes, they shouldn't pester you."
"Their wives are mortal girls? So that means they are not vamps if they live with them?"
"Women know that they will live half as long, but they are ready to make such a sacrifice for the sake of love."
"Wow, poor things! They could meet them occasionally, why shorten our lives like that," Zarmina shook her head.
"Rare dates do not suit syrinxes. You know how much they need women and offspring. People forbid us to approach their settlements, but these girls voluntarily came to Azaren and offered themselves as wives," Lariel explained.
The King went into different houses and gave some instructions to the black-winged men, who immediately disappeared somewhere to carry out the tasks of their Ruler.
Zarmina, admiring the city scenes and talking with friendly women walking with children, spent the rest of the day like this until dusk began.
Lariel, having finished his business, instantly moved her to Azaren in one of the well-kept courtyards of a white-stone mansion, where about ten syrinxes and their wives had gathered.
Seeing the appearance of their friend with an unfamiliar princess, the Azarenians noisily greeted the arrivals, vividly getting to know each other and bombarding them with questions. The wives looked around with alarm at the winged female guest, while their husbands stared with undisguised admiration at Zarmina, who felt embarrassed by their eyes sparkling in the twilight, directed at her, although she had used to such attention. She grabbed Lariel's hand for support, but it didn't make it any easier; the Azaren vamps did not take their ardent gazes off her, as if she had already promised them something.
Surprised to notice the unexpected reaction of his friends to the princess, Lariel decided to distract them by offering to sing their favorite songs in chorus. Everyone began perform romantic ballads in unison and with pleasure to the sounds of magical strings and the ringing of bells coming from nowhere. Zarmina's wonderful voice, sounding in the repeated words of songs unfamiliar to her, further tousled the souls of the impressionable syrinxes.
"What a divine vocal!"
There were exclamations of delight.
"Zarmina, sing something else."
Lariel whispered in her ear:
"What are you doing with them?"
"You said that they are modest!" The princess giggled.
"I'm shocked! They never behaved like this, maybe they will calm down soon."
It was obvious that the princess drove men crazy not only with her presence, but also with her magnificent acapella.
"Sing more. Zarmina!" The King's friends persuaded her in a gentle tone. "Your voice is so amazing!"
She performed several of her best arias, plunging the audience into indescribable delight and causing a storm of applause and praise. Someone suddenly suggested dancing and everyone jumped up together with their spouse, breaking into a dizzying dance to the playful melody of invisible strings and the multi-colored glow of magical lights hovering in the air.
Lariel wrapped his arms around Zarmina and, slightly waltzing, took her to the side, hiding behind a hedge.
"You don't need to stay here! The guys are so excited about your presence! I shouldn't have brought you here. I'll take you to the palace if you want."
"What will they do to me in front of their wives?" Zarmina asked. "I like it here, it's very fun, and your friends are nice."
"Well, if nothing bothers you, then let's go dance with everyone," Lariel said with a relaxed smile and joined the general fun, holding the princess's waist.
After some moments, Zarmina noticed that some of the guys were no longer dancing, sitting down on the grass and their wives had disappeared somewhere.
"Where have all the women gone?" She asked the King, stopping to catch her breath.
"They felt sick from the outburst of energy from their husbands, and they fainted..."
Suddenly, someone distracted him with a conversation, and one guy quickly grabbed Zarmina in his arms and spun her around in a dance. She could not see his face in the twilight.
"Give me a kiss, princess!" Her partner said with a languid sigh, dragging her behind a large flower bush.
His burning lilac eyes glared into her face, and his hands squeezed her body tightly.
"What a cheeky bastard!" She screamed with a great desire to slap him in the face, but she could not free her hands. "What do you allow yourself?"
"In love with you, I can't hold back!"
The guy kissed her passionately on the lips, letting out a blissful moan.
"Imarinis! What are you doing?" Lariel, who appeared next to him, pushed him away from the princess.
The vamp fell, stretched out on the grass with his eyes closed and a satisfied smile. Lariel stared at him in shock and turned to Zarmina:
"Sorry for his impudent act! Are you okay? I don't understand what came over him. Attacked with kisses."
The angry voice of the King made the impudent man perk up:
"Hey, Imarinis, apologize!"
The guy reluctantly stood up, looking at the frightened princess with blurred eyes, and said:
"Sorry, Zarmina, you are so charming that it is impossible to ignore you. Lar constantly teases us, brings girlfriends to meet, but no one even has a chance to kiss the princess. And I decided to at least steal it."
"You could have went to the black-winged girls," Lariel reproached him.
"You know, it makes a big difference who you kiss. You have gathered all the princesses around you, you enjoy every night with any of them, and we are left to envy and suffer," — Imarinis grumbled in an angry tone.