Your Highness {NamJin}

six

"W-What?"

"He says if he ever sees me with him...I'll be taught a lesson..."

Jungkook shook his head, taking Chindeok's hand once more. If her parents knew about his relationship with the general, he would've been shunned just as Hancheol was. They probably didn't trust Hoseok or Yoongi -- hell, they probably despised them with every inch of their crawling skin and every ounce of their strict beings.

"Taught a lesson?" Jungkook asked, hiding his fear from Chindeok. "What do you mean?"

"I-I mean..." Chindeok began, tears beginning to well up in her golden doe eyes. "He'll do what he does to my mother..."

Jungkook didn't have to hear the answer to know what she meant.

"Do you have a safe place to go tonight?"

"What do you mean? If I don't go home, my father will be even angrier with me."

Chindeok's blurry, burning eyes now stung with hot tears, and she turned her head away, refusing to let Jungkook see her pain.

"How long has this been happening?"

"As long as I can remember," she wept, letting her hair fall from her back to her drooping shoulders and mask her face.

"Good God..."

"It used to happen only when they'd get into an argument. My father would yell and shout, telling her that he was right when he wasn't. My mother would say something back, then he'd slap her. Sometimes he'd hit her so hard, she'd fall to the ground. He once skinned her face with his nail, and it drew blood. She'd go to her room and cry, and he'd tell me to obey his wishes...it was a warning every time."

Jungkook took Chindeok's hand once more, having heard enough.

"Come, Chindeokie. You and your mother will be safe tonight. If your father dares to touch any of you, he will suffer. I will personally ensure it."

"It's getting late. Where is Chindeok?" a gruff, irritated voice asked, shaking the air with waves of augmenting anger. "She's supposed to be here now."

"She's probably on her way now," the woman said, keeping her composure cool and her spine straight despite the trembling fear in her heart. She watched her husband lift himself off the wall he slumped on, shake his head with a hollow smile and make his way to a large, black lacquer box. She bit the inside lining of her lip cautiously, her chest suddenly pounding with fright; the black box was his refuge from the dark world that, in his self-centered illusions, did him wrong each day.

He took out a small crystal bottle and flipped it over his mouth, letting the alcoholic contents trickle down his throat.

"P-Please..." she mumbled inaudibly, shaking her head in shame, "don't drink tonight..."

"Say it out," he snarled, slamming the empty flagon to the ground and breaking it into countless crystalline shards. "Don't mumble under your breath. Say it out loud!"

Her hands mirrored her heart's increasing tremor. She almost immediately began to cry, shoving her eyes closed in an attempt to prevent the tears from flowing down her powdered face.

"D-Don't...don't be late tonight..." she gasped, trying to appear innocent. "Chindeok...don't be late tonight."

"Can't you read time, woman? She's been late, the sun has already set. I need another drink," he coughed, walking back briskly to the black box that held his liquor.

The woman knew too well that the box could hold his liquor better than he could.

A brash, disrespectful sound echoed from the room, coming from the screen door that led into their chambers. They both stared at it, the husband having no intention whatsoever to see who it was.

Sighing and drying her red, puffy eyes, the woman stood up and walked over to the door, sliding it open to reveal two guards standing before her.

"My lady," the one on the right began, bowing shortly to her. "What is your name?"

"M-Mo Yeonhi."

"Does Mo Jihan live with you?"

"Yes," she said, looking down and away from the man in uniform.

"Is he here now? We would like to speak with him, please."

As if on cue, Jihan walked up to the door, quite blatantly pushing Yeonhi out of the way.

The one on the left looked at the one on the right, wanting badly to call out his ignorance and disrespect towards Yeonhi. He glared at Jihan, clenching his fists.

"You are Mo Jihan?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"We are taking you to His Majesty and His Divine Grace. You have been accused of abuse and violent conduct.".

The guards reached out to take his arm when Jihan suddenly grabbed Yeonhi by the throat, shaking her and closing off her airways. She dangled off the ground, trying her best not to struggle.

"You told them, didn't you? You little bitch! You told them, didn't you?!"

The guards took immediate action, punching Jihan in the face. The sudden force to his cheek made Jihan yelp and drop Yeonhi in surprise, and the poor woman fell to the floor, gasping and gulping for air to relieve her throat and chest. He was knocked out and taken away, dragged by the guards to the infirmary.

Yeonhi sat there, gazing out at the world that seemed to be crumbling and tearing away piece by piece.