forum "How come you haven't run away from me yet?"//oxo//Closed

Started December 12, 2020 by @knightinadream group

tune

Kangdae kept laughing a little, though he ended up stopping once Jimin spoke. And yet, he found himself chuckling again while watching her blink in realization. A few strands of his hair fell in front of his eyes as he tilted his head, but his attention was completely fixated on her. After taking a moment, he nodded, "I believe you did call me "My love", Honey. Call me whatever your heart desires, whatever you are comfortable saying. And I will call you what I believe you deserved to be called. Honey…My dear…My love…Sweetheart…"

As he kept staring back at her, he noticed the fatigue in her eyes. It made him wonder how late in the evening it was, but the fatigue reminded him of a few things. Odd enough, despite this moment of calmness and happiness, he still thought back to himself as a bloodthirsty monster and how he would rather be a human. Not only would it be better in his mind, it would be better for Jimin's sake too.

He was going to ask if it was time that they should head back, but as his lips parted, he felt part of the robe on him. While Jimin placed a part of it on him, he realized how warm the piece of clothing was. The robe felt very strange to him, and yet, he still grinned. And the feeling of Jimin's head on his shoulder only made the grin on his face grow wider. To him, it was amazing how simple an action could make him so happy.

"Thank you," He murmured, still smiling. His eyes gleamed while looking into hers. The words practically fell off of his lips. Kangdae pulled Jimin closer to him then kissed the top of her head and gently resting his against hers. Slowly, he hummed in response to her words. "I am yours…"

His eyes looked up upon the night sky. Slowly, he tilted his head up, watching a few stars as they shined and twinkled. A couple moments later, he glimpsed back at Jimin. At first he was about to say something, but instead, he stayed silent and wiped the tear trickling down her cheek.

The moon was high up in the sky and since his dear was asleep, he decided that it was time for them to head back. In the morning, he would have to attend to his duties as the king to be while she would have to lie to his mother again. Kangdae still did not say a word, instead he put his side of the robe on her and then gently picked Jimin up in his arms. Once he had made sure that she was secured in his arms, he began to walk back in the direction of the palace.

(Oh yeah, it's all coming together.)
(Alrighty here it is! Let's go!)

Slowly, but surely, he began to stroll back to the palace. Never in the last three years did he dare to bring anyone into the palace after sneaking out. Kangdae always took care of his feasting far away and made sure that he would be back by the time the guards would get suspicious. He knew that the two guards were a little slow, yet were nimble and swift whenever there was an emergency.

Thankfully, in their case, there wouldn't be one. He could just open the doors and hypnotize them to forget all about it. Sadly, he could only use this kind of ability during the night. Most of his abilities would be weakened during the day. So all in all, there shouldn't be nothing for him to worry about; well except for Jimin.

His eyes flickered down to her as he held her. A smile broke his natural gloomy and stern expression. He had to admit the feeling of carrying her made him so happy. If his heart could still beat, it would be fluttering second after second. Anytime he would look at her or hear her voice, his heart would flutter, only if it could.

Not much time passed by when they reached the balcony. Getting back to there was relatively easy for him; by now it was practically a habit for him to dash back there as soon as he was able to. Every single moment mattered, and so he took each one as carefully as he could.

By the time he saw the balcony of his room, he held Jimin tightly, making sure that she was as secured in his arms as possible. Then he ran over and jumped a few feet before the balcony. He flew up and landed. A sigh of relief left his lips, his eyes flickered down to Jimin again.

(Thanks! Just wasn’t ready to timeskip just yet haha)

Kangdae’s voice became faded and muffled as Jimin drifted into unconsciousness. The feeling of his cool, soft lips on her head did nothing to keep her awake, only making her drift off faster. He had said something about calling each other names… Sweetheart? Sweetheart sounded nice. It would be nice to be called that.
It had only seemed a moment of slumber before she felt her body soaring through the air, arms wrapped tightly around it. Instantly, her eyes were open and she grabbed tightly onto him in return. When they landed a grunt was forced from her throat, and she met her lover’s eyes as she took a moment to recover and get her bearings, blinking groggily.
“I told you this wasn’t necessary,” she groaned, despite being tired enough to fall sleep in the middle of a conversation. Not only that, but it was difficult to hide the blush of pleasure now rising in her cheeks. She liked this feeling of being held, perhaps even more so than his arm around her shoulder or waist. It wasn’t something she experienced often, in the very least. The faint smile on Kangdae’s lips did nothing to cool her down. They looked so soft, so relaxed. Was he really unbothered by carrying her, even delighting in it? Then she reminded herself he had suggested the idea in the first place, of course he wanted this. The thought made her both faintly annoyed and endeared.
She sighed, the sleepiness coming back to her and… now a small, aching pain somewhere in her abdomen. Resting her head on Kangdae’s shoulder again, she admitted, “Or maybe… maybe it is….”

(Of course, it's no problem. I'm happy we're not doing the time skip just yet lol.)

Though it may be strange, Kangdae stood there as he thought about the plan to get Jimin back to her quarters. The two most important things were to get her back as safely as possible and to not get caught by anyone else. Despite it being night, he was paranoid about having another set of eyes on them. Sure he could sense other humans, but some are even swifter than he is and he isn't sure how far the lengths of his power as a prince and a vampire could go.

His chain of thought broke at the feeling of someone holding him tightly. Lowering his chin, he looked to see that it was Jimin. Her eyes were open, yet he saw that they flickered with sleep which drew over them. Then he also noticed the blush that turned her cheeks red.

It was hard for him to find words right away. How can he speak at a time like this? He should but he shouldn't. All he was able to do was hold her and stare into her eyes. Eventually he did quietly laugh. His shoulders lightly bounced as his lips parted revealing his teeth. The smile on him remained and became brighter.

"Waking up your lover from their much needed slumber is also not necessary," He added, talking in a hush tone. "And besides, we are up here on the balcony. My dear, you need rest so you should sleep and not worry about this."

Pressing the side of his cheek against her head, he kept holding her tightly. He swayed a little going from his right foot to his left. If only time were to slow down, but sadly, he knew that it would never be possible.

"Maybe it is…." He repeated, giving her a smile. "How about I continue to hold you like this while walking back to your quarters? Hm? That way you will not have to use anymore of your energy. And besides, you get more time with me."

She would never get tired of his laugh, but hearing it now annoyed her a little as well. What was so funny? Was it something she said? Maybe it’s because she must look strange; in his arms, blinking sleepily and her cheeks and ears hot. She sighed again.
It wouldn’t be hard to fall asleep again like this. Being held in Kangdae’s arms, his cheek against her head. It was so strange, and yet familiar at the same time. She must’ve been held like this by her mother once. It was too long ago to remember, but she imagined it must’ve been something like this, only her mother being alive and warm. But then, she mused further, experiencing it now doesn’t even compare to however it may have been then. Jimin mostly remembered her mother for her sharp tongue and stiff, hard limbs. Kangdae was the complete opposite, soft and smooth, his tongue more silvery than sharp.
She wanted to argue, she really did, but lethargy prevented her from summoning any words to object with. His swaying didn’t help in that case, but it almost made her nod off right then and there. The only thing was the lingering pain in her abdomen, growing more noticeable by the minute.
“Mmm… I like having time with you,” she said, her volume significantly lower then it had been earlier. She closed her eyes, but she was still conscious of Kangdae and the pain. “Alright… you can hold me.”

"You know, Jimin….I cannot help but notice that whenever you want to say something but cannot, you tend to find another way of saying it like sighing or muttering something under your breath," He exhaled. "It is adorable, just like when you blush and look sleepy too."

After he spoke, his smile dimmed. He was not sure what it was, but he felt as if he was sensing something different from Jimin. Along with being able to smell one by their blood, he was able to figure out who it was and it would tell him about thr condition of the person. And yet, he was not sure what was wrong; he was not sure if he should say something or not.

Instead, he simply nodded in response. Licking his lips, he let out a small exhale. Her words ringed in his ears; he gleamed once again. "Okay….please just keep your eyes shut for a few more moments and then you can open them if you want."

With all the effort he could use, he did his best to open the doors. His steps were big yet slow since he still did not want to disturb Jimin. He felt the guards standing at the entrance of his chambers. Slightly becoming stiff, he took another step before opening the door.

The guards immediately stepped in the way to see what was going on. After letting out a sigh, he forced his eyes to light up red then watched as the guards' eyes widened and faintly lit up as well. "You two will stand at the sides of the door and forget about all of this, even when I get back."

He waited till they both nodded back at him with their eyes that lightly flashed a shade of bright crimson. A smirk swept across his face watching as they both stepped aside. If only he could use his ability during the day.

Once he walked out, he waited till they were a good distance away before relaxing his shoulders. Kangdae glanced back down at Jimin. "Are you alright? Did you have any dreams yet?" He asked in a quiet tone. "It should not be long till we reach your quarters."

Oh, so that’s why he laughed. Now she couldn’t decide if she was annoyed or amused. “Oh, stop it,” she huffed. “I think that’s enough compliments from you.” A small smile creeped up on her, but it was short-lived.
There was nothing to do except do as he asked. Managing the pain was easier with her eyes closed anyway. She felt Kangdae stiffen and heard the door open, nervousness making her cheeks and ears cool. She had all but forgotten about the guards, but Kangdae seemed prepared. With her eyes closed, Jimin could only guess whether he had simply intimidated them with his princely status or if it was something more.
As they began moving again, her nervousness faded, but the pain only grew. It wasn’t in her chest, nor in her stomach… but lower. She was familiar with this kind of pain at this point, and didn’t like what it meant. Upon opening her eyes, she found some comfort in seeing him looking back at her.
“No dreams,” she murmured. “It hurts…” Jimin pressed a hand on what would be the area below her belly button. “I’ll feel better once I lie down, I think…” she massaged that area for a moment, then carefully reached with her arms and wrapped them around Kangdae’s neck. Her eyes closed once more.
“Thank you for tonight, love.” Her voice was so quiet, so sleepy. “I think you succeeded.”

Kangdae did his best to not laugh again. His lips curled back as he lightly shrugged. "Well, I will do my best not to," He smirked. "But the thing is, my dear, it is difficult to stop my lips from letting words fall out. There are a few ways one can stop them, but I would need a very special someone to help."

With a shake of his head, he went on. In the corner of his eyes, he glanced down at Jimin. There was something off, and yet, he could still sense that she is alright at the same time. It was very odd to him. Should he say something about it now?

"It hurts?" He whispered. With his eyebrows quirked, he looked down at her. Watching as she rubbed the area just a bit below her abdomen, he hummed and nodded. "Oh…I see now." Tilting his head up, he looked straight ahead, trying to figure out how long it would take for them to get back. Originally he wanted to walk slow so they could have more time together, but his steps began to quicken a bit. "Don't worry, we will be there in a few minutes or so."

At the feeling of her arms around his neck, he bit his bottom lip. His arms shook a little. Knowing that he cannot do anything to gently remove them made him weird, but he tried to ignore it. In the meantime, his steps gradually began to slow down and get smaller before he went back to regularly walking the same as usual.

Suddenly, he smiled again. Kangdae stared at her with a wide grin as his eyes lit up. "Succeeded? And what is it that I have succeeded in, my dear?" He whispered. Seeing as her eyes closed, he shook his head, a soft laugh left him. "The pleasure is all mine, but I must thank you for making it possible."

“A special someone, hm?” Her smile came back. “Perhaps we should go get them and have them save me before I’m completely smothered by your words…. Or is this person merely hypothetical in nature?”
Then the smile faded again. Feeling his arms shake and his pace slow, Jimin realized she must have made things awkward. She opened her eyes and pulled her arms away with a whispered apology. At least they were even now. Kangdae held her hand for much too long, and now she abruptly puts her arms around him. Her ears reddened with embarrassment.
Unfortunately, moving her arms made the pain worse, somehow. Shutting her eyes tightly, she started taking slow, deep breaths.
“You succeeded… in making a moment that will last for eternity…” she exhaled. “I think I’ll remember this for a long, long time. And I’ll remember it with joy, so… I think you succeeded in that too.” Some relief came over her upon opening her eyes again and finding him smiling. She laughed a little with him, though that also made the cramping worse. A small noise of pain was all she could say in reply. Once more, she let her eyes close and simply nodded her head to make up for it.

"A very special person," He winked. "I do not think we should go see her, she must be very tired right now. She isn't hypothetical, she is very much real, but I am sure she could help you. She is very smart, and beautiful, and is vibrant…warmer than the sun…a bit brazen too. Yes, she would know what to do to stop me."

Kangdae was distracted for a few moments as he smiled with pride. His nose scrunched up as he tried to contain his laughter. When he glanced down at Jimin again, he saw how she removed her arms and how her ears turned red. The small apology made him frown, he shook his head. "There's no need to be. My neck is a sensitive area. If it hurts to lower your arms, just wrap them around me again. It's okay."

He was not sure what to do to help her with her pain. There must be some sort of way, and yet he did not think up of a lot of solutions. His mind was bouncing all over the place, making him feel more energetic. He wanted to stay up till the sun rises. He wanted to be with Jimin more. Despite remaining nonchalant on the outside, internally, he is bursting with energy.

"Eternity…." He mumbled the word under his breath. "We did, didn't we?" Jimin was right, they made a moment that will last forever. A happy joyful one nevertheless. The realization of it only made him even more happier. Hopefully they will be able to make more as time goes on; he already was looking forward to tomorrow evening.

The wince of pain made his attention snap back into place, but it also made him worry at the same time. Luckily they were at her quarters as he looked up, noticing that they were at the door. A day ago, he asked Myung where the quarters were because he thought of giving Jimin a gift or something.

"Here…Let me set you down," He whispered while walking over the bed. Very carefully, Kangdae lowered her onto the bed, making sure that she would not fall off in the process. After doing so, he took his robe and set it off to the side for the time being. "If there's anything, I can help you feel better. Or if not, I will just stay here till you fall asleep."

Jimin frowned a little in thought. She failed to think of anyone the prince might know who was like that. It couldn’t be Jimin herself, that made no sense. She was the direct cause of all his compliments, how could she simultaneously be able to stop them? Besides, it seemed rather self-centered to assume so.
She let the corners of her lips curl up. “Well, maybe we can see her tomorrow then. Or else I will surely become a blushing red mess.”
She decided to keep her eyes closed, and let Kangdae’s voice wash over her. Her brow furrowed with concern. “Are you sure? I should have realized you were sensitive there…”
It was simply the moving of her arms, not moving them downward specifically, so Jimin didn’t think she could wrap them around him again anyway. For now, it was better to just stay still. The cramping seemed to have spread to her hips now.
She slowly opened her eyes again once they reached her quarters. Once she was laid on the bed, she couldn’t help but hum with relief. The cramping didn’t go away, but letting her body spread out and her muscles to relax certainly made it easier to bear. The only thing was, she had now become fully conscious of what this was, and she would much prefer it if she handled it on her own. It didn’t feel wet down there yet, but she knew from experience that it was better to prepare lest she found a bloody mess in the morning.
Bloody… she decided to let her thoughts stop there.
And yet, at the same time, she was so tired. She didn’t want to move, not at all. It would be so easy to simply do nothing and drift off to sleep, but she hated the idea of doing that.
“Ginger tea is a good pain reliever…” she murmured, “but it’s too late to make any. I’ll make some tomorrow… if it’s still hurting…” she fixed her gaze on her lover. “It’s alright, Kangdae… you don’t have to stay, as much as I would like you to. I think… if I just prepare for the night and go to sleep, I’ll feel better.” Then she blinked. “Oh. My binyeo. Did we forget it?”

Out of worry, Kangdae stepped over to the door. He got close so he was able to lean in and briefly look outside. Taking a deep exhale, his shoulders relaxed while a little smile rested on his face. As long as no one else was there, he was fine and it meant that he could spend just a little bit more time with Jimin.

Glimpsing over to her, the smile on his face grew into a smirk. He laughed quietly before tilting his head in curiosity. "And what is wrong with turning into a blushing mess? You already are alluring as it is, but your blushing makes you even more mesmerizing. I like it," He swooned, walking back over towards the bed. Reaching over, he took ahold of her hand. "Okay, we can go and meet her tomorrow, if that is what you'd like."

Tomorrow….He did not want to think about it at all, and yet it is just around the corner for them. Not that he didn't want for it to be another day, it was just that he felt that he'd be entering a different world than the one he is in right now. A world where he has power, but with his monstrosity as a creature, could feasibly be killed by everyone around him regardless of any power he has. The one he is in now is completely different; all his worries are so far away and he is with someone he can trust and love without any fear.

At first, his lips open as he wished to say something in retort to what Jimin said. The idea of stroking her head as she fell asleep made him smile, and he thought that maybe it would help her feel better. And yet, he simply nodded along, giving a simple smile. "If you insist, my dear," He gently whispered. "I wish I could stay for just one more moment, but I will leave when you'd like me to."

Right after hearing the question, his eyes slightly widened. He took a step back as he examined his clothes then looked in the robe for anything. Nothing. Once he realized that he forgot about it, he closed his eyes and sighed. "I am afraid that I have," He responded, shaking his head. "I could go get it now or I could have Myung wake early and deliver it to you before your day begins. I know Myung is an early waker so there is no need to feel guilty about anything; it's my fault I forgot it too. Ah….I cannot touch such a thing anyways. I am sorry."

To her utter annoyance, Jimin’s cheeks reddened at his words. She rolled her eyes, despite her exhaustion. “Was that another compliment, Chang Kangdae?” She closed her eyes, sighed, then opened them. Her fingers curled around his hand. “Ah well… Maybe it’s not that you need to stop complimenting me, but that I need to learn to take your compliments better.”
Jimin returned the smile. It was already hard to think about the moment when he left, but their time was already limited as it was. She wanted him to stay as much as he did, but… “It’s better if you leave, trust me.” She raised her hand to brush against Kangdae’s cheek. “As much as I would like to spend more time together… I need privacy, too. And you do, as well.”
The cramping was manageable, but difficult to ignore. When he stepped back, she let her hand drop to her side as her eyes closed, moving her other hand to her lower abdomen and taking deep breaths.
“Having Myung deliver it is fine…” she murmured, voice soft and pained. “And don’t be. Of course we’d forget… I’m dead tired and you were caught up in everything.”
She’d forgotten about the guards in first place, too. And so much happened tonight… how could they have remembered something so small? Suddenly Jimin’s mind was flooded with memories and she blushed again, though she wasn’t annoyed this time. It was hard to be aware of it anyway when the cramping was much more noticeable. The memories of him kissing her head and brushing strands of her hair and holding his hand and sharing his coat… they at least were a comfort while bearing the pain.

"A compliment?" He repeated, forcing his brows to rise up for a moment. The urge to hold back his laughter failed as he smirked while his shoulders lightly bounced. Deciding not to say anything else, he shook his head and gave a simple shrug. "Oh my Lady Hwang Jimin, it just simply slipped out of my lips. How can I control my tongue?" He laughed. "You may learn to take them if you desire so, but maybe we should see this special person still. I believe that they can help you. Stopping me is quite the task, but I believe you already know, perhaps very well even."

The warm sensation of her hand brushing against his cold cheek spurred a gentle hum to leave his lips. Kangdae shut his eyes, leaning into Jimin's touch. Every word she said was true, he knew and saw it. In a normal day, he only has a few hours actually by himself; then there's the times were he goes out too, but it is not the same. None of it is. He does not like the strange feeling of being pulled from joy whenever their meetings were over; tonight was not helping him at all. Nevertheless, a human, such as his love, needs sleep regardless of how much fun they are having. And a vampire like himself also needs to rest, but he will have to wait for that to happen.

"I will leave in just a moment. I do not wish to keep you up so late in the night. You deserve to rest, and I want you to feel better," He nodded. "Let me know if gets worse, I am not sure how else I can help, but I will find something to help make you well."

Leaning over to the left, he picked up his robe. Still, he did not want to wear it, feeling as though it would be much better if he didn't till he got back to his chambers. Gently, he did his best folding it then draped it over his arm. "I know….I should not be like this….I do not want to miss anything happening." He mumbled under his breath, still fixing the robe.

Letting his eyes flicker back to Jimin, he let out a sigh. With his other hand, he let it run down the side of her face before he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, please sleep well, my dear," He whispered. Kangdae stood up straight, taking a few steps back before opening the door. Just as he walked out, he took another glimpse of her then left.

Jimin smiled at her lover’s laughter, shaking her own head as well. “You’re hopeless, my dear. Ah well, alright then… we shall go see them tomorrow…”
She fell silent, closing her eyes as she embraced his touch, the kiss like soft snow on her forehead. “Goodnight,” she whispered back. That hollowness again. It encroached upon her heart like a shadow as she watched him leave. She took deep breaths once more, afraid she might weep again. Whether from the pain or his absence, she didn’t know. But she didn’t want to miss him. She couldn’t miss him, could she? It felt wrong to, somehow. And so she didn’t want to admit to herself that she missed him already, and very much. A few tears slipped out, but it was only because of the pain, right?
The idea of moving filled her with distaste, but she slowly sat up anyway, groaning and aching. Carefully reaching behind her head, she undid her bun and let the dark locks flow freely down her back. Then, hissing occasionally whenever a stab of pain hit her, she got out of bed as carefully as she could. She went over to the corner of her room where she kept her other clothes and such in shelves and drawers, and undressed, being careful and balancing with on hand on the wall at times when it was necessary. Then she got into her sleepwear, making sure to layer her dari-sokgot with more cloth pads before she did so. Once she was done, she almost passed out right then and there, her hair falling over her shoulders as she rested her head on the wall. But she forced herself to move again, this time climbing back into bed. The cramping seemed to dissipate, if only for a moment.
As she settled in, pulling the covers over her, she glanced toward the window. Kangdae’s azaleas seemed to glow against the background of the night sky. They calmed Jimin a little, and suddenly she felt more at peace with his absence. She rested her head, going out like the flame of a candle.

Just like the day before, the morning started with a cloudy sky. Despite the dark weather of autumn making its way over, the palace was bright and alive like any other day. Before sunrise, Kangdae had ordered Myung to deliver Jimin's binyeo. When he took it from the one guard, it instantly caused his hand to heat up. A small burn formed on the palm of his hand, but it gradually started to disappear after awhile. It fell to the floor which was where it stayed by the time his servant had come over to retrieve the binyeo.

On the other hand, Her Majesty had woken up around sunrise curious to know what had happen last night. About a week has passed leaving two more for her to find all the problems and solve them right away. The idea of her son being one of those hellish bloodthirsty monsters was floating around in her mind, and yet she somehow managed to turn away from it, pushing the possibility to the far back of her mind. It is a foolish thing of her think of; she does not want to entertain such a thing, especially when there is so much gossip about it.

After the last court lady had left her chambers, she stood up from her usual spot behind the table. Queen Seohyun let her arms remain at her side as she paced around for a bit. Biting the inside of her cheek, she tried to think of what could have happened. All the possibilities were making her giddy; one of them has to lead to a chance of the crown prince recovering. Oh, she could not wait to hear all the details.

Quickly, she ambled back to the table then sat down. As always, there was a tray with a teapot and cup. Her Majesty has yet to touch it though. The meeting for this morning is to start soon, so she must be fully attentive in order to make some progress. Shutting her eyes, she let out a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, they flickered over to the door. They squinted as she continued to bit the inside of her cheek in anticipation. Even though she knew she must always remain calm and collected, she was secretly excited and anxious.

Jimin made her way to the Queen’s chambers, her pace slower than usual and her eyes glazed over. The cramping made her sleep restlessly, in a limbo between unconsciousness and pain. At some point the discomfort must have left her, because she felt she at least got a few hours of deep, dreamless sleep. At least that was good. Another thing was that she wasn’t in pain when she woke, which was wonderful when she first realized it, but now it seemed to be coming back. It wasn’t very severe, no, just an aching as she walked. There was no blood yet either, but that only made her nervous. Although there have been occasions like this before, she was used to going to sleep, and then waking up with blood between her legs at the start of her cycle. It’s times like these that have made her very wary, as it almost seemed like her body was playing a trick on her. There’s no blood, surely there won’t be any for the rest of the day! she used to think at first, but then she would get a nasty surprise some hours later.
She tried to compose herself; breathing deeply and keeping her back straight. It helped, though only a little. There was a fogginess in her mind, and she hated it and wanted it to go away, but she suspected that would only happen if she got more sleep, or perhaps ate something. The only things she could do for now was be aware for when she started bleeding, and try communicating to Her Majesty that she wasn’t at her best. Fortunately, she could at least recall most, if not all, of what had happened the previous night. Though, it seemed she and Kangdae planned for next morning less than they should have. Jimin didn’t know whether she should be worried about that or pleased that they talked of other things.
Ah, the prince. She absentmindedly touched her finger to the binyeo, now back in its place in her hair. It wasn’t wise to indulge thoughts of him now, on mornings like these. They lifted her mood, but they were distracting and only made her mind more foggy. No, best to keep her mind on the future instead of the past. She started silently going over what she would say to the Queen.
Surely enough, she approached Queen Seohyun’s door. After one last deep breath, she knocked, then opened it.
“Your Majesty. How are you this morning?” she greeted, trying keep her voice light.