CHAPTER 19: ACHING OR MENDING HEART

Her body was already so cold that she couldn't feel her hands and legs but she still struggled to stay awake, she didn't want to sleep because she didn't know the plans that they had for her once she let her guard down , she knew by now Lee Kwon had stormed in and confronted the Queen, but probably she had asked something in exchange for her freedom but what could it be?, it was cold and dark , she could hear the creeping noises of bugs but apart from that she heard nothing else. It was silent, dark and cold just like in that cupboard, the day her mother died right before her eyes yet she didn't do anything, and here she was still not doing anything but she was the one at the loss, she was the one at the risk of death both from the royal family who is her enemy and her clan who were once her ally , she was indeed alone in this. She crouched herself into a ball both to conserve heat and to muffle her sobs , she never wanted to cry , she had held back for this long only to break down in her enemies territory, she began to sob , warm tears trailing down her cold face , heating it up a little , she never knew she will go back to that time in a small, dark and cold cupboard.

She sat up immediately cleaning her tears as she heard someone unlocking the gates upstairs, metal clanking against each other , she stood up , had the Queen finally decided to get rid of her , no...., she wouldn't allow them to kill her like this , she promised herself that she will die by her sword and recently she made another promise that she will also die by the bastard sons sword. She looked around for anything, anything at all she could use to defend herself , saaing small rocks on the floor she picked them up, the footsteps drawing nearer and nearer, she held tighter on the rocks , then she saw someone in the midst of darkness holding a lit up torch as he approached her his view became clearer , a tall man dressed in black scarf wrapped from his nose down to his neck , only his gaze met hers and when it did his eyes lit up as he immediately unlocked the dungeon gates then he stepped inside his gaze softened pulling the scarf off his face , it was Lee Kwon, she stood there frozen to the floor , he was here , the cold, dark dungeon didn't seem too cold nor was it too dark , " Lee Kwon .....", she called hos name softly, almost in surprise, she was wrong , she was really wrong , Lee Kwon dropped his scarf on the floor , hanging the torch at a stance , he then walked up to her and before she knew it she was pulled into a hug, his warm body embraced her securely , his hot breath fanned her neck , it looked like he was nervous or worried of something , she was wrong when she said she was alone in this world, she had him , he was by her side at times of danger , just like in the throne room, when she had come face to face with Min yu, when they were nearly killed at the garden and right now he was still here, he pulled away from her, holding her small face in his large veiny hands as if her face was just a small ball.

" Why is there a bruise on your cheek?", he asked in a worried and curious voice , " if I tell you , will you able to do anything about you", said Eun Chen sarcastically, but Lee Kwon ignored it, feeling her ice cold hands , " you are freezing ", he said and with that he took hold of his scarf wrapping it on her, he removed his coat dropping it on her , " we have to go now, Seugh min is waiting upstairs", he said softly taking hold of her hand , Eun Chen looked up at him, " the Queen will find out about this ", she said , " I will take it up with her later, for now let's get you out of here", he said and with that he swept her off her feet so suddenly that Eun Chen crossed her arms on his neck securing herself , his warm body warmed her already freezing body , as he walked up the stairs with her in his arms , Eun Chen felt relaxed and she rested her face on his chest.

Opening the gates stood Seugh min, the guards who were guarding the gates were unconscious, Seugh min looked at Lee Kwon then at Eun Chen , he smiled softly and nodded his head , " go now , I have to restore them back before the time runs out ", said Seugh min assuringly , Lee Kwon smiled softly , " thank you brother", he said as he left with Eun Chen in his arms , Seugh min heaved then a smile crept on his face , he was indeed in love , he thought. He stuck out one of his fingers circling it in the air , a small light green ball of magic formed on his finger with that he touched the heads of all the guards with that lit up finger, after that he checked whether they were breathing and they were, but we're still unconscious, " don't worry , you will wake up soon".

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

I na was standing near the palace, her hands folded when all of a sudden she felt someone embrace her from the back , she smiled knowing who it was as she held his hands which embraced her , which were cuddling her, he softly kissed her on her neck , " you did well", she said holding his hand , " you saw that?", asked Seugh min turning I na towards himself , " I saw when you guys were sneaking around", she said , Seugh min smiled as he embraced her, " will Lee Kwon go back to his house tonight?", asked I na , " it will be too dangerous for So ra, he won't go home tonight , but he is approaching mother tomorrow I hope things turn out well", said Seugh min, " he is so brave , eventhough he knows everything he has is at stake right now he is still pushing forward", said Seugh min, I na smiled embracing him tighter, " we are all brave in our own ways , our time will come soon, the time will come when we can confidently face the Queen and admit our relationship ", said I na , Seugh min smiled while stroking her hair , " and that day is coming very soon", he said .

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

His gift from his father when he was turning eighteen, he never used it, but now it was useful, it was still in perfect condition and in complete isolation, only him and his father knew about this house because his father wanted him to stay here for the rest of his life , he heaved looking down at Eun Chen who was also looking at the house , Lee Kwon approached the door and silently opened it while it produced a creaking sound. Going inside with Eun Chen still in his arms cuddled securely , he looked around , it didn't look too old and it wasn't falling apart but it was dark , he went over and gently sat Eun Chen on a chair placing his palm on her forehead, " you are still cold ", he said adjusting the scarf that he had given her , so that it could cover her up more , he went over to one of the cupboards, opening it up, he saw some lamps , he took about five of them and lit it up with fire hanging each one at each suitable place instantly warming the place up and also giving it a good lighting, after that he brought out four blankets from the same cupboard and laid it down so that it could be comfortable, he looked at Eun Chen briefly and without a heads up he carried her again laying her down, he bent down beside her as he gently tucked her in , Eun Chen could barely make do of this situation. She didn't know how to act and she didn't know what to say, she couldn't even ask where they were , he had not made eye contact with her since they left the dungeon , his seriousness and cold expression but yet a contrasting character of the way he tucked her in , all she could do was look at him, was he guilty that he wasn't there when the Queen had taken her?, Lee Kwon placed his hand on her forehead to check if she was still cold , as soon as his palm was laid on her forehead she felt her whole body become warm like his hand had some kind of magic on them.

" I will go make you some tea to warm you up, so stay here okay", he said still avoiding her gaze , before Eun Chen could stop herself , she didn't want him to leave , the warm feeling she was having she didn't want it to go away, and with that she found herself holding his hand stopping him from going, Lee Kwon who was slightly surprised looked down at Eun Chen , " are you feeling weak?", a hint of worry in his voice , but all Eun Chen could do was to move from holding his finger to fully holding his hand with hers as she gave a soft smile , " it's warm ", she said meeting his gaze , " everything you keep doing reminds me of my mother, her warm embraces , her caring nature , her mindful gaze ...", she said sitting up, " you have done a lot for me , most of which I did not expect for an assasin like me , I don't deserve such care and your actions are making me question my duty and mission", she said removing her hand from his , " don't feel guilty , I have too much blood on my hands , it is better you don't associate yourself with me , we only met by coincidence, so from now......., don't worry about me , it doesn't matter if you win the duel or not , we can find another way", said Eun Chen , there was silence for a while before Lee Kwon scoffed and lazily dropped his head while Eun Chen looked at him curiously, did she say something funny, but it didn't look like he was in humor, " you don't trust me?....", asked Lee Kwon, it was short but his voice felt betrayed, Eun Chen tilted her head, giving him a questioning look, " what?, I didn't say that", she said , Lee Kwon looked at her , "you don't say it, but your eyes and your actions say it, you have said it multiple times without actually saying it", he said annoyed , Eun Chen sat up confused at what he was saying, " I never said that...., and if you think I said it unconsciously I just said it because I am worried about you, it is for your sake , don't take it the...", " pfft...., for my sake?, why do all of you keep saying that you do things for my sake..., did I ask for it", " hey....", said Eun Chen this time in anger , " what ,...., aren't I right , you guys keep telling me you do things for my sake , for what exactly, so that I will be indebted to you and you could keep me on a leash , is that it...., stop saying you do things for my sake , it is annoying", he did forcefully tugging his hand away from her hold as he stood up and went outside the house.

Eun Chen sat there still confused and shocked at his sudden outburst, what was his problem?, was it something that concerned the Queen, did the King or Queen say something to get him this worked up?, she wondered, his change of character always confused her and what was wrong with doing things for his sake , he was just so immature and ungrateful.

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

Seugh min and Min yu were drinking , Seugh min taking a gulp, he tilted his head in satisfaction, Min yu smiled at t his brothers gesture, " Lee Kwon will be in a lot of trouble tomorrow", said Seugh min taking a sip of his wine and tilting the cup a little, " I'm really impressed with Lee Kwon breaking all of mother rules , I find that kind of satisfying", said Seugh min, Min yu heaved dropping his cup of wine on the table, " we are all breaching mother rules just that she is mostly on Lee kwons tail that is why she had not noticed us", said Min yu looking at the night sky, " our mother has pushed him to the point that he does not really care anymore, so can we blame him,....., he said he is confronting mother tomorrow, at the same time he is keeping So ra hidden so that she will not be a manipulative object to mother", said Seugh min tilting his head to the side looking at the stars , " I wonder where they both went to", said Seugh min curiously, " I wonder too", said Min yu.