Chapter 296 - Waking Up With You-III

Walking away from the spot she stood at previously, Haneul made her way to where the Queen had asked her to sit at; hearing the Queen who said, "This tea came from Southern Land, have you trie it before?"

Haneul watch the liquid that turned when poured to the porcelain cup, "I have never, my Queen. It is my first time to see it."

"I cannot blame you, suppliance from the Southern Land is very difficult to acquire even your father who work for the royal palace and as the magistrate of your town won't be able to acquire things from there easily," the Queen hummed, pouring the teacup to the brim and only passed the cup once it was filled. 

"I believe my father would be fine despite not being able to acquire things from Southern Land. I have heard of the products and suppliance they have, but our kingdom doesn't lack them," answered Haneul wisely as she could feel where the Queen was leading the conversation to.

"That's true, but I think you are still not aware of our kingdom, Haneul." Not aware? Haneul asked in her mind, hearing the Queen speaks, "On the first thirty years when thus kingdom was founded, we lack almost everything. Our land was barren, there was the lack of water everywhere due to how the rain rarely come to our land. We were struggling and that was when my great grandfather decided to seize other lands. Do you understand what I mean?"

Haneul knew but shake her head, acting oblivious apprehensively. The Queen took no offense in her lack of knowledge, "Sometimes sacrifice are bound to make to achieve something. The tea you are drinking now, it will solve problem for humans and vampires. This tea are the only tea that could be use for vampires to drink that could help them curb their thirst or even satisfy them."

Haneul was surprised. She heard only blood could satisfy and satiate vampires' hunger. She didn't know there were such a tea leaves.

"This tea can help us to solve the long-trouble between humans and vampires, limiting the victim of humans who dies in the hand of hungry vampires," The Queen summarized while looking at Haneul.

Likewise, Haneul looked back to the Queen with a hooded gaze that wasn't too direct so she won't be offensive as meeting gaze with the royal families are considered as an offense. "Forgive me if I am too forward. Do you plan to conquer the Southern Land?"

The Queen noticed the hidden fire inside Haneul's eyes. Being the Queen, she knew what kind of girl Haneul was just by a glance. She was a kind-hearted girl who must dislike fighting even if she is the catalyst. It's one of the reason why the girl didn't use her power entirely. Wanting to play the card right, the Queen formed her own plan in mind, "Do you go against that idea?"

"I believe there must be a way where both side of land won't need to sacrifice anything," answered Haneul with a bow of her head, "Negotiation is often a better approach than war. At the moment to negotiate must be difficult but I am sure there is things that Southern Land lack which we could perhaps provide and turn that as our base of negotiation." 

Haneul had been locked in her house for years. Her mother wanted her to be the exemplary of a wealthy young lady. Reading was one of her pastime hobby, so she won't be bored and there had been times where she overheard her father's work for fun, causing her to know things about the kingdoms across the lands. 

The Queen shake her cup lightly. It was great if the girl was just a foolish and ignorant girl but a trouble for her if she is smart as tricking won't be an easy task. "Of course, my first approach is negotiation. I promise to not attack unless others attack my kingdom," said the Queen, speaking as though the war she had to participate years ago wasn't due to her willingness. "Peace had been my greatest idea to implement but it's far from easy to do."

Haneul began to wonder if what the Queen say was true. She heard the rumor of the Evil Queen and now heading how the woman wants to create peace bud doubts in her heart that the Queen was sincere with how words but if one hears the Queen's words, they would feel sympathy as the woman had a good acting.

"You must be wondering why you are called here, don't you?" On the Queen's question, Haneul nodded, and the Queen began, "I know about you Haneul, and your power. You are different from other humans and by that I mean in a good sense," The Queen brought the matter without delaying it any longer, "I want to have that power in you for the sake of the betterment."

"I apologize but I do not want to fight or kill, My Queen," Haneul answered, it will be too late if she deny what the Queen says and she fears the Queen would do things that were worse than what she did in the hunting ground— such as attacking her family to test her power. Somewhere, Haneul could imagine it happen if she deny the Queen's statement today.

"I am not asking for your power to kill, Haneul," The Queen offered her a warm smile, "We will be using your power as a leverage and a warning to other lands that we are far stronger than them. With that, the other lands shouldn't be able to daringly wage war against us. If we are able to do that, there will also be lesser victims in the future. I believe you will understand this, Haneul as I am sure both you and I have the same principles. We only want to have peace."

The Queen wasn't entirely wrong, but Haneul couldn't fully trust the Queen's words, she bowed again, "I am sorry, Queen. I don't think I am able to agree. I have people who I treasure and wish to be with."

The Queen internally frowned but not entirely as she then says, "I have also heard about your romance to a pureblood vampire," and Haneul's eyes immediately narrowed. How does the Queen know this when there were barely people who know it? Min Hyuk himself didn't know. "I am far from threatening you, my child. It must have been difficult to love a vampire. No one would accept you and believe me I know what you feel. Once, a long time ago I have been in your position."

Haneul wasn't expecting to hear the Queen's romance and saw how the elder woman pulled a tight smile. "May I know what happen?" Haneul bravely asked.

"Tragedy," the Queen answered, "My parents, the late King and Queen forced me to marry someone else after learning about who I love and that person, he was killed and I don't want it to happen again. I want a world where both humans and vampires could be together. For that I don't mind doing everything and promised myself to take care of anyone who stand in my way."

Haneul could tell what the Queen felt as she was currently in the same position as her, then felt her hands caught by the Queen's palms, "If you help me, dear. I promise to bring you a future where you and the person you love could be together. It won't be easy but with your help we might be able to achieve what we thought is impossible."

Haneul didn't immediately reply. She was skeptical but very tempted by what the Queen tendered. 

"What do you say, Haneul...Seoyeon?"

The voice the Queen had begin to change, Seoyeon who was inside Haneul felt as if she had been swept up after being inside the girl for too long. When she noticed into it, she had immersed herself as Haneul, forgetting that this was a dream. Her consciousness jerked when the Queen had called her by her true name, realizing that this was the end to her dream. Before the dream ended, however, pieces of memories flew over Seoyeon in count of seconds. She heard a few distinct screams,

"Murderer!"

"Haneul, why did you do this? H-how could you?!"

"You have many choice, milady. All choices are in you..."

Amongst the voice, one stood clear which belong to Min Hyuk. His voice was filled with despairs and Seoyeon saw how tears break on Haneul's face as the vampire said, "We should stop everything, at whatever cost it is."

Seoyeon jolted her body from the bed, the same time the dream ended, and when her black eyes snapped wide open to stare at the ceiling of the room. Her body felt wet from sweats and her back was hot. The lucid dream felt too surreal as if she had been in the place of Haneul's, the previous catalyst and possibly the first catalyst.

Trying to organize herself and her memories, Seoyeon breathed in and out in rhythm, hearing light but distinct creak sound on the left side of her bed, her unsteady eyes snapped to look at Jung Hwa who was sitting on the chair, next to her. His legs were crossed, and his frown appear when he saw Seoyeon had woken up.

Wordlessly he moved to come near her, quickly walking to where she was and engulf her to his embrace. A soft sigh escaped from his lips, "Are you alright? Was it a terrible nightmare?"