Blue Knight | DAERIN

Chapter 7

"So...are we gonna talk about it?"

Danielle shot Hanni a glare over the top of her wine glass.

"...I'm taking that as a no."

"There's nothing to talk about." Danielle grumbled.

"You've been engaged for like, 2 and a half weeks and you've yet to have a full conversation with she who must not be named."

"Leave it alone, HanHan."

"Danielle" Hanni took the wine glass from a pouty Danielle. "I've been letting you sit by yourself all sullen for too long now."

Danielle examined herself in the mirror of her dressing room, her mind wandering. She let her fingers flit over her neck and imagined Haerin kissing her there, lips moving lower and lower-

"Ow! Why are you pulling my hair so much, you're not even putting it up!"

"That one was out of spite." Hanni told her.

Danielle pouted. "Look, I don't know what's going on with us, okay? I haven't seen her almost at all since the engagement was announced."

Danielle felt like she should've been the one with the upper hand in this arrangement, but Haerin possessed it. She had the ability to make herself scarce when Danielle wanted to find her, often heading out on hunts and horseback rides before they could really talk. Despite what Haerin had promised her, she did not stay to ward off the suitors, who got bolder every day.

Worse than that, Danielle could not get Haerin off her mind. Sure, in the past 4 and a half years Haerin was a frequent visitor of her dreams, but it was worse now. Everything she did reminded herself of Haerin. Even worse than that, she dreamed of the dark haired woman almost every night. Some dreams were comforting and warm, and some left her gasping for breath in the middle of the night. They jolted her awake and she felt in embarrassment how hot her face was, and an intense ache between her legs. Her body craved something it had never even had; Haerin's touch.

Danielle deflated when she remembered how she probably wouldn't be Haerin's first.

"MinMin says they've been spending a lot of time together-"

"Please don't say that again."

"-what? MinMin?"

Danielle crinkled her nose. "I think I liked Minji more when you two weren't together."

"Hmmph. Anyway, they've been going out to the forest a lot. Minji says that Haerin just needs to clear her head. Maybe that's just her way of making sure she's at her best for you!"

Danielle looked down at her lap. "But...can't she stay here and do that?"

"Dani, look." Hanni put her hands over the Princess's. "Haerin cares about you, but she needs to make sure she's ready for marriage. Wouldn't you want her to be completely ready to marry you before she does it?"

"Yeah...but I just wanted to talk to her." Danielle murmured.

"I think something else is bothering you." Hanni observed.

Danielle was silent for a moment. "Well...how do you feel about, you know, Minji having lovers before you?"

Hanni didn't flinch. "I think that it's her business, and it's not fair for me to be jealous of things in the past."

"But..." Danielle swallowed. "Haerin and I, we've been promised to each other for a long time. I hate myself for doubting her but, what if there's a woman I don't know about?"