promise ↜ ljn

♕ fifteen

The day Jeno was supposed to depart, Haneul had to hold back the urge to hug him. She couldn't do so, especially not with Yoon Oh around. However, Jeno seemed to take things lightly. It was as if he ignored his brother's presence.

It happened when he placed a hand against her cheek while saying goodbye. Haneul had her eyes rounded, her heart was racing not just from the touch but the fact that her spouse was watching them. She wanted to hold him too but she held back and smiled slightly at him.

There was a distant look in the prince's eyes when she did so but Haneul shook it off as Jeno smiled reassuringly at her. The new king and queen then watch as Jeno made his way out of the castle with a few knights accompanying him.

Although Haneul knew he'd be fine but she couldn't help but to worry. There was an unsettling feeling in her heart that she was bound to know why.

She watched him leave and turn away to forget the image of it. As soon as she turned aside, Haneul met face to face with the young king. He stared deeply into her eyes before slowly forming a smile on his lips. Yoon Oh blinked once, washing away whatever thought he had before and pulled on a new mask.

"Breakfast?"

He asked, he put on a smile, something she could assumed he had to hide behind it. Yoon Oh outstretched his arm a little for the queen to grab it. Haneul replied with a soft smile and took his arm, matching his pace.

"He's a great fighter, they won't get him simply." Yoon Oh spoke over the table. Haneul placed down her cup and looked at him. The newly wed were seated outside the castle, at a small table by the lakeside. The landscape was just so beautiful and calming for them to eat.

She had been to this place before, when she first came to the palace with her parents. It was also the day when she was stabbed by mistake. She wanted to chuckle at the memory but she knew she shouldn't.

"I wasn't thinking of him." She lied. Haneul didn't know why but she felt hurt in a way every time Yoon Oh speaks of Jeno as if she never cared for him. But did she ever?

That, was one question she didn't dare to answer. Haneul knew Yoon Oh might be offended, it was the only logical feeling anyone could ever have when watching your wife growing close with another man. However, Yoon Oh was doing a great job on hiding his true feelings.

The king simply smiled and resumed eating. The longer he wouldn't admit it, the guiltier she felt each second. Haneul felt very unsettled at the conflict she was facing. It was even more complicated since all parties decided to not talk about it.

They finished breakfast, and Yoon Oh seemed to be wanting to leave as soon as possible. She could tell he must've felt bad for saying so to her. Haneul on the other hand wanted him to know that he had the rights to show his feelings as well. So, she decided to ask him for a walk instead.

"Can we walk over there for a while?" She asked. Yoon Oh's eyes followed to where she was pointing. The small bridge and a garden across the lake. He looked back at her with a smile and extended his arm again.

Though it might look like a normal gesture, Haneul had seen it many times. He was avoiding skin contact with her, why, she was still questioning. Instead of taking his arm, the queen grabbed her spouse's hand and pulled him slightly towards the bridge. At the sudden touch, of course, he was surprised. After a moment of hesitation, he secured his hold on her hand and walked with her towards the garden.

As soon as they arrived at the garden, it was blooming with many colours. They were all the same kind and they were beautiful. "Mother loved carnations so much, she had most of its colours planted." Yoon Oh explained before she could even ask.

"Pink, was something she'd commonly give as one of our birthday gifts, a symbol of a mother's love." He said, pointing to a stretch of pink carnations. White was her favourite, it means purity and luck. Something she wanted in herself as a queen." He continued.

Haneul scanned through all the colours as Yoon Oh explained each and every one of it. By the time they were almost at the end of the garden, Yoon Oh released his hold on her hand. Haneul didn't notice that as she was mesmerised by the beauty of the garden.

She never enjoyed flowers that much, but the garden was a whole other situation. It was beautifully decorated and it represented the previous queen very well. There were flowers hanging above her head as well, it was enchanting. She was awestruck for the first time in many years.

"Lastly, red." Yoon Oh spoke from a distance. "Dark red is quite a rare colour, but that's only natural as it has a very wonderful meaning." He said. "And what could that be?" Her question was left hanging when she turned around and Yoon Oh wasn't in sight anymore.

She almost panic at the thought that he might've fell into the lake without her realising. She took a step forward to rush for his aid.

"It means deep love and affection." Yoon Oh appeared from her back with a dark red carnation in his hand. He was looking at her right in the eye. His words replayed in her head, is this a confession?

She stared at him and the flower for a while, unsure of what she should do. Haneul didn't want to hurt his feelings but Yoon Oh probably knew she was in love with Jeno. However, what he didn't know was that she had secretly been denying that she fell for him as well.

Haneul tried to push this thought away so many times as she deserved neither the brothers' love. Having one is already undeserving. Having them both was just cruel and selfish and she didn't want to do that to them.

Out of courtesy, she took the flower from him with a smile. Yoon Oh then moved so closely to her to a point she thought she should held her breath. Yoon Oh placed a hand on her right cheek. His face moved closer towards her and Haneul was in panic mode, she didn't want this.

The kiss she expected never came, instead there was a petal on his palm. "Don't worry, I won't kiss you." He paused, his thumb caressing her cheek softly. "I'm not allowed to." His words were breaking her apart, it was painful though it was coming from himself.

As he moved his hand away from her face, the queen grabbed both of his cheeks and kissed him square on the lips.

Haneul couldn't look at him as soon as she broke the kiss. "Of course you are, we've tied the knot." She flashed their wedding ring slightly before walking away quickly from the male.

As she stared down the flower she held, she was reminded of the flowers Jeno once decorated her hair with. She didn't deserve any of them, this was very wrong of her to do.

〚 王 〛
🐾hello!!
im getting super super busy
because college just started
so bear with me, royals!