Married to the tiger prince

7

(WARNING)

The guards drag me into the prince's room, the first thing I see is his large bed. It's gold and red, above the ground on red stained wood legs and frame. The patterns on the blankets depict tiger stripes in gold, men being eaten alive, golden bamboo forests. The hide's of two tigers on the wall above.

Candles and lamps are everywhere but the room still seems so dim. The smell is pungent, like burnt bark off a tree, I can even feel it in the back of my throat as I breathe.

The guards throw me on the bed and leave without tying me up, or even gagging me. I find that odd, so I keep my mind alert, but that smell. The scent makes me feel weak, almost tired.

"You look ravishing in my bed, maybe I should have continued our ceremony with a sweet honeymoon."

Taehyung comes out of the shadows from behind me, I try to keep calm and stay composed. I follow his eyes as he walks around the bed to the foot of it, looking at me with an amused half smile. Seeing him so close I can see more clearly his dark skin and his black eyes. The prince is full of mischief and mystery, I find him most terrifying and seductive.

My heart skips several beats, like a real tiger were about to devour me.

"Ajin, servant of the only Moon child, Japanese in blood but Goyangi citizen by heart. Your household took you in with open arms because of your lost memories, but somehow you remember your language and even your age. So fluent in your native language that you even taught lady Mirin how to speak it. I find that very fascinating... and suspicious."

My bottom lip curls into my mouth, he's investigating me. Is that why he's kept me locked away, so he could use whatever he can find against me?

"You know nothing about me,"

"Lady Mirin even once defended you when a group of suspicious villagers called you a spy. The Moon family trusts you so deeply, even to the point of sending their only daughter here with only you. They must have known you wouldn't sit ideally by,"

"Stop it!" I feel attacked, like he's alluding to something I don't want to hear.

"In fact, I bet the Moons were counting on you to keep her from marrying me. They haven't even tried to help you or even help to find their own daughter."

I feel sick to my stomach, he disgusts me, trying to get under my skin this way. Using my feelings and the Moon's name with such arrogance.

"Where is she? Where is Moon Mirin!"

"I will never tell you!"

"You—" I throw one of the beds blankets into his direction and bolt off the bed, but he's quick to snatch me, pulling me back and throwing me to the ground. With a large thud I feel my bones rattle.

"Tell me!"

"Might as well kill me! I'll never give you anything!"

My face goes flying to the right, the sound of our skin colliding, his hand with my cheek.

"Since you are my wife, maybe I should treat you like one."

Taehyung grabs a fist full of my hair pulling me up off the ground as I scream. He drags me by my hair to the bed, pushing me onto it before mercilessly ripping my hanbok open.

"Let go!"

"You put this upon yourself!" He takes a silk ribbon off his robes and binds my hands together.

"NO!"

I feel him trying to rip off my undergarments, I panic, not able to fight back with his hand keeping my arms up above me.

"You smug bastard I'll kill you!"

"You foul mouthed bitch, you'll regret resisting me!"

Taehyung lifts his hand about to strike me again but the sound of the doors opening alarms the both of us.

"Your majesty, the first prince is here, he's gotten word of a wedding ceremony!" A soldier barges in, in a panic.

A look of pure rage and frustration appears on Taehyung's face. He slaps me across the face making me fall off the bed, my hands still bound impossible to catch myself.

"Take her back and get out!" Taehyung's voice roars. I feel like the ground could tremble like an earthquake.

The soldier helps me up off the ground and I recognize him as the man that Jimin spoke to, Jungkook. He gives me a look as if not to say anything. So I keep my mouth closed as he puts me over his shoulder.

"Get out!" Taehyung yells.

Jungkook bows and quickly leaves the prince's room.

I feel saved letting my muscles relax on Jungkook's shoulder. But just then, as my exposed body feels the cold winter air, my memories start to settle in. Questions rush to me as I feel the warmth left on my red cheek from Taehyung's furious wrath.

How did he even know I was going to be trying to escape? Was he right about the Moons? It's just right that they wouldn't help a servant like me, especially after posing as the bride in their daughter's wedding. But why haven't they tried to find Mirin? Was Taehyung even telling the truth? Could it be true, did they know I would do such a thing? My heart pumps and my breathing increases; what would have happened if he had really raped me? Our marriage would have been consummated and—

"Ajin, breathe," Jungkook swings me around, putting me in a cradled position against his chest. "Breathe!"

I look around and see we've made it to my room, I didn't even realize.

I gasp in a full breath of air and violently cough out, I didn't realize I was holding it. I just felt so overwhelmed and confused, no, I was so terrified. There are no words to describe that feeling of being so helpless. All those years ago I could get away from my father, but here there's no one and nowhere to go.

"Ajin keep breathing, we need to clean you up,"

"Don't touch me!" I push Jungkook away, my hand on his hard chest trying to keep our bodies from touching anymore. He's so strong keeping me here in this position.

"Cooperate and I'll put you on the bed,"

"Just let me go!" I push harder.

"Jimin said you were stronger than you looked, but not with me, my lady,"

"Jimin," I stop, remembering what I had done to him.

How could I face him, it's not like he had done anything wrong to me. He was only following orders of his master and that's all. I can still see his red face trying to gasp for air.

I take in a small breath and calm myself, taking my hands off Jungkook's chest. "Is he alright?" I ask.

"He's going to be fine, you left some marks but he'll recover," Jungkook places me on my bed.

The vibrant colored tent had been removed just leaving the bed exposed. I would have to change in front of Jimin without privacy.

"How did they know?" I ask, thinking of how Yoongi and Taehyung showed up before I could make my big escape.

Jungkook takes a moment to catch on to my question. His jaw clenches, moving his gaze to the ground.

"Jimin had seen you swipe the knife, so he informed the prince and the guard. We were hoping you could lead us to lady Mirin, but Taehyung realized you weren't that stupid if you made it that far without even Yoongi being able to follow you well within the castle walls."

"Following me?"

"Captain Min was following you, but he lost you in the darkness of the night. You used it well to your advantage,"

But I'm not as slick as I hoped if Jimin saw me take the kitchen knife. I'm so stupid to try and escape, I just made my situation worse then it had to be. Mirin should be in Japan by now, finding her way to the farm in the countryside mountains. With that dead Sakura tree and my brother.

I'm not as smart as they think, because for a moment when I saw that open gravel road, I wanted to escape back there. Envisioning a simple and warm life with no responsibility or pain.