Chapter 16 - A Moment to Remember

Irene stared at the ceiling, trying to close her eyes. Still, she couldn't sleep. After what had happened last night, Won had dragged her into his house. He had ignored Hana –who had tried to make Irene stay with her—and Irene ended up staying in his room.

She couldn't take her mind off what Hana had told her earlier. That she was Hana's biological daughter and the Princess of Silla.

Was Hana a queen? One who had left her and her father when she was still a baby? Could it possible true this was related to why the Prince of Goguryeo had kidnapped her? What if all the things he had done were to protect her from the evil man, Jun? Yet what was the relation between the Goguryeo and the Silla Kingdom? The Prince of Goguryeo had informed her that he was her warrior.

A knock on the door startled her.

"Anya."

Won's voice. She abruptly sat up on the bed.

"Had a good sleep?" He opened the door, a charming smile plastered on his face.

A weak smile appeared on her lips as she threw no answer to his question.

He noticed her worries and frowned, approaching her. "What's wrong?" His fingers brushed across her cheek as he sat on the bed, staring at her with concern.

"I… I just… There are so many things inside my head now. What happened last night keeps bothering me."

"You don't have to think about that," Won assured, touching her chin, making her face him.

Somehow, fear filled his eyes.

"I can't. Did you hear what Hana said last night? I could care less about the prince, but Hana is different. She is like a mother to me, and I trust her. She said she's my real mother, Won. My birth mother! She was a queen, and she said my father was murdered. Oh, Won… I don't know—"

"Stop," Won insisted, gripping her shoulders as his eyes bore into hers. "Just stop worrying about it. Nothing that had been told last night makes sense."

"I wish I could remember something –even just a bit— about my past—"

"Anya!"

Her sentence had made Won roar. He was restless, disbelief in his eyes.

Oh, Gosh. It was the last thing he would want to hear from her.

"The prince lied when he told us you're the Princess of Silla whose life is in danger," Won said with greeted teeth. "He used such a filthy trick to get you back and make you stay with him forever. As for Hana, I don't know what’s gotten into her. But perhaps, she did believe him. What a shame. She’s excited by the possibility that you are a princess of a kingdom, and so she took that as an advantage to lie about being your biological mother so that she can stay inside a castle as well."

Now, it was Irene's turn to stare at him in disbelief. Had he just thrown those words?

"Didn't you see how Hana cried last night? I’ve never seen her so devastated. She—she was even begging for my forgiveness." Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that moment. "I don't think she was lying. You know her, even better than I do. She wouldn't do something like that."

Won's jaw tightened, for she had defended Hana. "So, now what? You're saying that you’ll just follow what she suggested earlier? To follow the prince? You’re just going to run after him and leave me?" he snapped, his voice shaking due to his rage.

Irene was lost for words. She hadn't even uttered anything about following the prince. Won had made his own judgment.

This wasn't right. He wasn't thinking clearly. He was becoming paranoid.

She flinched, and Won sensed this. He leaned closer, and his voice softened. "Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you." Grabbing her arms, he peered into her eyes before pulling her into a tight hug. "Everything will be alright. I'm here with you. You don't need to think about anything. Just be with me," he whispered in her ear, more like insisting.

"Won—" Irene was trying to speak when he planted kisses on her neck, pushing her down on the bed with him on top. "It's not that simple—" she argued, trying to break free from him, but he didn't let her move.

He locked her hands with his and stared at her, lowering his head to kiss her on the lips. Yet she turned away. His jaw tightened, and he gripped her chin, making her face him.

She winced in pain.

"Would you have allowed it, had it been the prince kissing you?" Won hissed.

Irene couldn't help but think about the truth behind it. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered how she had allowed herself to kiss the prince. Now, the man who she had proclaimed as the one she loved was questioning her about how she couldn't give him the exact same thing.

He tried to kiss her again, but she turned her head again. A tear dropped from her eye as she remembered the prince’s words: 'You wouldn't throw yourself to any man but me.'

Could it possibly be true? That the prince had had her heart from the beginning?

"Won," Irene begged, but Won kept locking her on the bed with his body. He bit her neck, and she whimpered, her sobs starting to break. "Please, Won…" She shut her eyes in desperation, her lips trembling as his kisses reached the area between her s. "Won!" she cried out loud, and he stopped short.

Anger crossed his expression as he glowered at her. "What? Didn't you tell me you love me?" he snapped.

She stared at him. Couldn't he realize he was hurting her?

"I do…" she confessed. "It's just… You're different, Won. I thought I knew you, but –" Her eyes widened as he raised his hand, and a second after that, a slap landed on her cheek.

Shaking, she touched her swollen cheek. The slap was painful, but what hurt the most was the pain in her heart.

Was this the man she loved? Did he really love her? No… The man she loved, and the one who loved her wouldn't hurt her, would he?

"You're not going anywhere. You're mine." Won glared at her, as if accepting no objection. With that said, he flipped her so that she lay on her stomach, and he had access to untie the backside of her dress.

"No," Irene cried, trying to break free, but what was the power of a woman compared to a man? "Please!" Yet he cared not, and she shivered, feeling his breath on her . "No, please, Won. I don't want this."

He covered with his hand to muffle her screams, but she took that chance to grip his hand and bit it, making him groan in pain.

Furious, he pulled