It was quiet and dark. Then the wind whistled. Ji Hyo opened her eyes again as the pain went away.

She blinked and blinked… only to see…

“Nothing…” she whispers.

“Lady Kim,” the maid runs to Ji Hyo who sat on the ground and the two guards didn’t know what to do. “Are you alright?”

Ji Hyo felt her lips trembling. “N-nothing.” Her breath was shaking. “I’m feeling faint, please me to my room.” The maid nodded and helps her up as the guard follow behind them.

The maid sat her on the bed and Ji Hyo waves for her to leave. Ji Hyo sat on the bed and her calm posture breaks.

Her hands drew up to her eyes and her face. Then her hand formed in a fist.

She has to stay calm. If she doesn’t, the enemy may get a higher hand. She inhales and exhales, taking a deep breath and laid down on the bed.

***

On land, the Japanese soldiers has invaded the small villages. People were slaughtered and killed. Just as a gruffy soldier was about to struck a man trying to protect his wife and children, he was struck down.

Jong Kook slashes him down and orders the villagers to leave.

His troop comes in and they continue fighting against the Japanese pirates. He puts down anyone that came in his way, though not killing them entirely. Just then, he saw someone familiar.

Kenji, dressed in Japanese clothing, smirks at him as they stood in a far distance. Jong Kook clutched onto his sword and runs after him and Kenji walks backward and starts running.

Jong Kook chases him but he ran into the big crowd of fighting, lagging himself behind. Jong Kook had to fight the others but when he turn back to look, Kenji was gone.

The battle was over but many were killed and injure, many mourn for their families’ death.

“Kenji Wu!” Jong Kook mutter under his breath. He turns to the villagers and looks at the scene before him. A child crying, trying to wake up his dead parents who covered him. Anger and remorse fills him but then it reminded him of something.

The scene changes and the image collided with Ara. Guilty, his anger dispersed but now he realizes something. Although he and Ara got together, something made him felt more for Ji Hyo. Was it seeing death and remorse in front of him that made him soften to people?

He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He has to end it once and for all.

***

It was night time but there was still no news about Jong Kook. Ji Hyo could only fidget in the room silently and calm down. She wakes up from the small thud. Then she heard the window open slightly.

It was dark and she couldn’t see. Ji Hyo gets up silently and with her hand, she guided herself behind the shades.

Even without her eyesight, she could hear the movements of the intruder. The footsteps continue then stops. She could almost hear the person breathe. The person reaches her and Ji Hyo attacks the person, making the person falter back. They wrestle out and continuously tries to slam the other.

Ji Hyo pushes the person but she could tell, it was a man. She flips him over successfully but now that they are apart, she doesn’t know how he will attack her this time.

Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her hand and she resisted but the arm circles around her neck. She struggles but was finally able to kick the wall, making both of them fall on the ground.

Within the struggle, the person finally spoke. “You are Song Ji Hyo right?” His deep voice caught her off guard.

“Who are you?” she demanded as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. He loosens his grip and Ji Hyo elbows him before standing up blindly on her own. They both get up and stood across each other.

Noticing that Ji Hyo wasn’t looking at him, “Are you blind?” he asked.

Ji Hyo ignored him, “Who are you?”

She heard him clear his throat. He took off his mask and the moonlight shown his face.

“Chen Bolin, Crown Prince of Yuan,” he told her.

Ji Hyo was stun for a moment before taking a deep breath. “What are you doing here?”

“I can say the same for you,” he looks at her.

“Leave,” she orders and turn around, “before I call for the guards.”

He grin, “I thought that the house arrest for the general’s wife was going to be tighter but it was easy to break in.”

She finds the bed and sits there. He studies her and speaks, “Don’t you want to know why I came all the way here to see you?”

“It’s none of my business. Why should I ask more than once?”

He nods and puts his hands behind him. “Then I won’t beat around the bush.” He sits by the table. “Song Ji Hyo, I am here to accompany you back to Yuan.”

“I have nothing to do with Yuan.”

“You are the daughter of a Yuan person.”

“And what does that have to do with you? My mother, the military officer is dead now. I am married to a Goryeo General. What makes you think I will leave with you?”

“You will.” He claimed, making Ji Hyo chuckle dryly. “Because you are a princess.”

Ji Hyo’s face froze.

“You are stuck here because you are suspected to have a hand in the attempted assassination against your father. If you go back to Yuan with me, I can prove your innocence.”

All of these new information was hitting her from left to right. No wonder she’s been feeling faint so much.

“I’m afraid you have the wrong person, Crown Prince. I am not a princess but the minster’s daughter.”

“You are the princess,” he claimed again. “It’s a long story. I know this is too much for you to take in but it’s the truth.”

“If I was a princess, why would I be under house arrest? I would have been put in gold and pedestals in the imperial court, not married to a general.”

He shook his head. “I heard that you are favored by the King. If he favored you and wants to keep peace within the Yuan and Goryeo people, he would have married you, or yet marry you off to his princes, not a General.

What makes you think the King let you marry a general?”

Ji Hyo’s face burned hot but her eyes cold. “My father,” she turn to where his voice came from, almost as if she could see him, “is not a traitor.”

“I never said Minister Song was a traitor. I’m saying that there are many things that you are not aware of.” Bolin gets up, but as he was about to speak-

“Guards- Guards! There is an intruder!!!” a person outside the place yell out after seeing the knocked out guards around Ji Hyo’s chambers.

Bolin looked behind me at the door, “If you are not willing to leave with me now, then I will give you a chance to think it over.” He gets up but turns to her. He hands takes out a needle and punctures the side of her head. Ji Hyo tries to stop him but he was quicker.

“There, you should be able to see soon.” He gets up and jumps out the window. Ji Hyo opens her eyes to a blurry vision and sees him jumping out the window. Just then the doors to her chambers were busted open.

Ji Hyo was alone but her room was a mess with the window open.

“Arrest Lady Kim!”

***

Ji Hyo groans as she was torture. The wooden stick stretches between her legs as she was tied to the chair.

“Who is your accomplice?!” the guard order.

Ji Hyo bit her lip and breathes for air. “I am innocent.”

“Not admitting?! Beat her again!”

Ji Hyo bits her lip harder, causing it to bleed. Sweat trails down her face and her hair was a mess. Her body bruised from the torture.

“Stop!” her father runs into the prison and yells at the guard. “What do you think you are doing?!”

He sees Ji Hyo in pain, her clothes all dirty and her pale face. His face flush furiously.

“Torture her more!” Minister Choi walks in. “Are you going to defy orders?” He spoke to the guard.

The guard was in the middle and her father yells at him again. “Lay a finger on her again and I will have your head chop off.”

Minister Choi turns to him, “Minister Song, I understand you don’t want to see your daughter hurt but this is protocol. The King orders for it.”

Her father glares at him, “There is no evidence.”

“The guards are knocked out and Lady Kim’s room was a mess, of course, this is enough to trigger suspect.”

Her father huff and looks back at Ji Hyo who nods to her father, assuring she was fine. But seeing his daughter like this, his heart hurt. He decided to storm out of the prison and Minister Choi smirks and leaves too.

The guard throws a bucket of water on Ji Hyo as she watches her father leave.

Her father sat outside of the King’s chamber in the palace, kneeling.

“Your majesty, please repeal your order. Lady Kim is innocent.” He bows to the ground. Lightening flash and the thunder rolls.

Ji Hyo was continuously question and torture yet she still deny all charges and accusations.

She could only think of what the man told her earlier.

“You are a princess.”

And everything starts to seep in… with each hit, triggering a part of her memory.

***

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqG-52brfjo )

Her father bowed until early dawn, 4am.

Ji Hyo was finally thrown in prison. Her limped body stay still on the dry hay and her eyes were closing. She kept thinking about everything and every word he said. Her mind wander off and she closed her eyes, weak from all the torture and beatings.

Suddenly there was a thud outside the front. Then hurried footsteps down the stairs to the front of Ji Hyo’s cell.

“Ji Hyo?” a familiar voice calls her as he touches the wooden door. He used his sword and cut up the chain, clanks on the floor. The wooden door is kicked open and he rushes inside.

Ji Hyo felt her body pulled up and could smell the familiar scent. The man sees her bruised and bleeding lip, caresses it with his hand. His eyes burn angrily and he pulls her into his arms.

She knew who it was and lets him hold onto her. At this moment, she just wanted to be held. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to hold onto herself, the final thread that is tearing apart.

Her blurry vision and watery eyes weakly looks at the ceiling.

He was always my warrior. He was mine. My General… Kim Jong Kook.

*********************************************************************

Sorry if the plot is too slow. School just started but I will try to update as much as possible before it gets any busier.

OMG I can't believe Goblin is ending TT EP 13 got me crying buckets of tears. Outstanding actors! Must watch!

Running Man too TT