My mind was foggy and I couldn't move my body. Somehow this reminded me of the first morning with Jongin after we had run for an entire night. Except this time, I merely felt heavy. My arms weren't sore and my legs weren’t cramped but a dull ache sat in my chest.

The last thing I remembered was Jongin's lips and then his disgusted face as he furiously wiped something from his mouth. Was I that horrible to kiss?

I furrowed my brows. Now was not a time to think of that as a kiss.

Eun Kyo

That was my name but who was calling me?

I was reminded again of Jongin's voice during our last argument. Why were we mad at each other again? Was it because of his cooking or did I do something stupid?

Then I remembered the poster. The poster that had Jongin's face but a different name.

Kai, wasn't it?

And he was wanted for capturing me. He was the enemy from the southeast that had abducted me. But I had gone willingly. How stupid could I have been?

But he couldn't be the enemy.

Villains could damage a person so much. Limbs could be severed off one by one or the brain could be picked apart piece by piece. But Jongin had done nothing to me.

Yet I felt like death would've been a better treatment than this. My heart hurt so much as I remembered our last encounter. I wanted time to rewind just so I could take back my last thought. I needed to make sure he didn't hate me.

Even if he did hate me, I knew I couldn't really hate him. He was a criminal and yet—

"Jongin!" My eyes snapped open at the sound and I realized it was my own voice.

My breathing was hard and my body felt hot. I focused my gaze and found Jongin above me just like he had left me in the tent and I wondered if I had passed out.

But we weren't in the tent anymore. We were in some stone compound. I was strapped to a cold stone bench. Jongin stood beside my bench, bent over my helpless body.

"Jongin..." I whimpered. Something was wrong. When I had first awakened, his eyes were filled with concern. Now he was just staring at me blankly. I couldn't read his emotion at all.

"Eun Kyo, before I begin, I need to apologize," he said as he took a step back.

I tried using my arms to push myself up but there were leather straps on my wrists keeping me to the bench. "What?"

"I'm sorry for lying. From the beginning, everything I've said was a lie." He took a pause and I stared at the ceiling, trying to process this. "Nothing was the truth."

"What...do you mean?" I could barely hear my own voice.

"I'm not one of your father's spies. I was assigned by another man to take you and it wasn't because you needed protection either." His voice was also diminishing. "He wanted a bride."

For some reason, I wasn't surprised by this fact. It wasn't uncommon that princesses were stolen to become brides for faraway lands. I gulped, swallowing the lump in my throat. "How much did he pay you?"

I could hear the hitch in his breath. "What?" Now it was his turn to be surprised.

"How much did this man pay you to fetch me?"

"I..." I knew it. He wouldn't tell me. How did I put so much trust into him when he couldn't even tell me this one little thing?

It hurt but I should've seen this coming. How much did I really know about Jongin other than the fact that I knew nothing? The thought made me laugh. "It must've been a lot since you had to put up with me."

"Why are you..." Jongin seemed as confused as I was a few minute ago. "You're just going to put up with this?"

Why was he getting angry at me again? "What do you want me to do? Scream at you?" My voice was getting louder now. "Demand a reason why you couldn't just tell me everything from the beginning? I wouldn't be able to outrun you anyway, Kim Jongin! Or is that even your real name?"

I drew a breath and realized that my nose was getting stuffy and tears were threatening to fall out. I didn't want to fight with Jongin.

"I don't know who you are. Whether your name is Kim Jongin or Kai, you wouldn't have treated me any differently. I had the most fun of my life while I was with you and honestly, being married to a stranger here would be the same as being married to a stranger back home." My voice was turning into a squeak. "So I might as well just help you along the way and get you some pieces of gold for your effort."

There was a heavy silence hanging in the air before Jongin spoke up. "But after all I've said..." His voice took another jab at my heart.

I wish I could just tell him to stop. I didn't have the energy to bicker with him anymore. "But you've done so much for me and now it's my turn to return the favour. We're friends right? No more, no...less." I choked out the last word through tight lips before squeezing my eyes shut just so I wouldn't let out a horribly pitiful sob.

Luckily, a door opened in the upper balcony right at that moment. I saw an old man and wife and their son, who stood with his arms hanging at his sides.

"Well, Sehun, did Kai find a suitable lady this time?" A booming voice resonated off the stone walls. The old man pointed a finger at me and I felt all three pairs of eyes peer down in scrutiny. I was lucky to still have my gown on.

It felt like forever before the son gave a reply. "This one's even worse than the last two. I mean, just look at her face," he said with a roll of his eyes. His hands made a delicate wave as he turned back. "Take her away."

My gasp was caught by fear and I looked desperately at everybody else in the room. The parents looked dejected. The prince looked bored. Jongin...I couldn't even see Jongin's face; his hanging head caused his hair to cover his eyes. He didn't even flinch to the prince's words. It really was true. All he cared about was his job.

I swallowed the big lump in my throat. Crying wouldn't help me anymore.

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_{i took way too long to update this, i know. sorrrryyyyy}