Aaya woke up in the afternoon. Before opening her eyes, the first thing that registered was the pain she was in. Her whole body throbbed and ached, the pain insidious and continuous. Different parts of her body bloomed with pain which varied in intensity, but the worst one being from her core, between her legs.

Opening her eyes, it took some time to notice her surroundings. For a few minutes, all she could do was to bravely hold in her whimpers. She was swollen and sore, any friction hurting her to a level which she had never experienced before.

Hands shaking, she reached down to touch her core with the lightest possible graze of her fingertips, finding her inner flesh so swollen that they touched the walls, rubbing against each other. She winced again, tears leaking out of her eyes.

Trying to sit up caused her to emit a painful cry and fall back on the bed again, the skin of her back stinging. She breathed in through it, finding a new sharp pain on several spots on her neck, her breasts, her shoulders. Even without seeing them, she knew the places to bear a distinct pattern of teeth.

When the salt of her tears stung her the corner of her cut lips, Aaya gave up trying to do anything other than become a mass of suffering flesh. Peeking at her hurting wrists and arms, she wasn't surprised in the least to find heavy bruises.

"My Lady?"

Her cry had alerted the maids outside, who came inside then. Aaya flinched at the sound, not wanting a stranger to see her.

The maids both froze at the sight before them, their hearts melting at the amount of bruises that the hastily drawn blanket had failed to hide.

"Have a bath drawn for me." Aaya said in a trembling voice, "Kindly have it drawn here."

Both the maids still were frozen, the sight of one deep bite on her neck so vicious that they could not unsee the imprint. Coming to their senses, they hurried to help her, fetching the large wooden tub from the section of her bath, pushing it to just before the bed.

"Don't let others find out." Aaya's voice was hollow, but the maids obeyed, rushing out to bring buckets of water.

While away, Aaya finally started noticing the small things that her painful state hid. Her body seemed to have been carefully wiped down, her soft core gently cleaned. Her hair was combed and a messy plait made. Her sides had been lined with cotton and pillows, three jars of medicinal ointments kept on her side of bed.

Through her torment, Aaya smiled.

When the maids came back, she hesitated just a little, before accepting their help in sitting up and walking till the bath.

The extreme horrified gazes turned to a pitying unhappiness. Both the maids took care to be very gentle as they helped her sit in the tub, one of them crying silently at the amount of bruises and nail mark ruining her skin. Her shoulders, arms, back, waist, thighs and ankles were turning blue and black, while her neck, breasts, stomach and shoulders bled a little from the deep imprints of teeth.

Sitting in the bath, the warm water reliving her pain by degrees, Aaya asked the maids to bring in the herbs she needed. Directing them to make a potion, she drank it while putting on robes, but stopped when she understood that the friction would not allow her to keep the garment on her body.

Loosely draping a white robe with golden flowing etchings, she combed her hair and kept it loose.

It was only after that she asked, "Where is the General?"

"We don't know." Her maid replied stiffly, her anger evident.

Aaya smiled at the obvious bias her maid held against the Master of the household.

"Can you ask Tang to come see me? Also, will you please pass me a blanket? Then you may take your leave."

"No, My Lady, let us remain to help you!"

"I will be resting all day." Aaya smiled, "And I wish to be alone."

Aaya wrapped the blanket around herself, making sure not a single inch of her skin showed while she waited for her maids to fetch Tang. The little boy soon came bounding up to her, bursting in through the door, "YOU WENT ALONE TO HAVE NIGHT ADVENTURES WITHOUT WAKING ME UP!!!!!"

Aaya laughed, and with difficulty, ruffled his hair and received his hug. Although his arms pressed on her bruises, she smiled, "You were asleep. I promise, the next time, I definitely will wake you up."

"You better!"

"Tang?" Aaya sat down on the bed, "Can you do me a favour?"

"Why are you wrapped up in a blanket? Are you coming down with a cold? Is that why no one except me, Nana and your maids are allowed to see you?"

Digesting that little piece of information, Aaya nodded, "Yes, but I need to see the General. Can you go ask him to come? If he refuses then tell him that I will go looking for him and that will cause me pain."

Little Tang shook his head exasperated with her, "Silly girl! Moving around when you have a cold does not hurt! But I get it, you want his sympathy, right? Don't worry!! I'll tell him you are very, very, very sick so that he rushes up to see you!"

"Ah, umm no." Aaya calmed the hyperactive boy, "Just tell him what I said. And also make sure that no one knows you went to him. You have to do this in secret."

Aaya didn't want the household servants to misunderstand a situation which could turn ugly. She could rely on her maids not gossiping about what they saw, but she also needed to make sure that a message the likes of asking for a visit due to being in pain was not leaked.

Tang was used to her asking him doing things in secret because of the family they lived with, so he did not ask any questions. He knew, whenever she asked him of a favour of this kind, he needed to be quiet about it, or she usually would have been punished by the others.

His little mind applied the same situation to this favour as he solemnly nodded and went away.

Aaya shrugged off the sheet after Tang left immediately feeling a little better, and waited for Hoseok.

She knew what needed to be done because she knew the state her General was in.

The footsteps she heard were rhythmic but they stopped before her door for a long time. Aaya waited, then waited some more. Waiting still for him to open the door. Frowning, she called out,

"I am not in the state to open the door General."

For a handful moments, the silence reigned before Hoseok opened the door and stepped in.

He wore a dark green robe with his hair tied back, his face expressionless and calm, his gaze blank. His eyes met hers and resolutely stayed at her face, in a chilly voice he spoke, "You called for me."

The elegance of his cold demeanour amused Aaya through her pain. She smiled a little, "You do truly deserve the title of a demonic General, the quality of you maintaining your mask is rather excellent."

Hoseok stared at her, not speaking. His hands clasped behind his back, his frame straight with his sword at his hips.

"Will you not talk to me now that the night is over?" Aaya asked, her attitude hurt while she teased him.

Still, Hoseok remained the epitome of stoic calmness, "What is it that you wish for me to speak to you about?" he asked politely.

Her maids came in just at that moment. Not even glancing or greeting Hoseok, they came straight to her, "Lady Arissa is asking about you, My Lady. May we be allowed to talk to her?"

Aaya sighed, knowing that was the one person she could not hide anything from.

Nodding she further spoke, "Until the General goes out, please make sure no one disturbs us."

Looking like the beginnings of a protest, Aaya shushed the maids, who reluctantly went out, casting glances on the man who stood unbothered and unapologetic to the heinous hurt he had inflicted on the honour of the woman he spoke to. Disparaging his inhumane savageness, the likeness of which was comparable to a fiendish sinner, the maids closed the door as they exited.

Aaya changed her posture a bit on the bed, eliciting a wince, while Hoseok remained standing still and cold as a sculpture.

"I need you to do something for me, Might I be bold enough to trouble you with my request?" she ventured.

Another polite nod, "What can I help you with?" his voice was mildly interested, as if he was bored standing there, pandering to her wishes.

It caused a pang of sadness in her heart. For him.

"Can I ask you to come here and kneel before me?"

Remaining standing where he was for some time, he then moved fluidly. Not questioning her request, he approached her then knelt right before her, where she indicated.

He raised his head to ask for further instructions, when he found himself being taken in her soft embrace. Astonished by her actions, Hoseok remained mute as Aaya hugged him closely, drawing his head on her chest, his ear above her heart, her thighs parted to snuggle him close. She placed one hand on the back of his head, raking her finger through his hair cupping him gently while her other hand embraced his back.

Aaya bent her head protectively over his, surrounding him completely, resting her chin on his hair and whispered,

"I don't hate you Hoseok, I will never hate you." She soothed him, rubbing his back in long sweeps as she held him preciously, "I am fine, I will not leave you over this. I only need rest."

The strong warrior's body trembled in her hold, his shaking frame worsening with each of her assurance.

"It wasn't rape General, I never said no. And unless I say it was, no one else can. Not even you." her words floated through the air, audible only to the air of the intimate and vulnerable embrace they shared, "I truly don't hate you."

A muffled sob burst through as Hoseok's arms wrapped around her. He pressed his head in her bosom, his fear finally breaking him apart. Tears soaked the light robe she wore as the General cried bitterly, he wept hard against the girl he thought he had lost forever.

No words crossed his lips, except of heart breaking sounds of profound sorry, his body sagging against her, unable to hold him.

"I am fine." She kept consoling him, "I know you never meant to take me that way. I know you regret it more than anything in your life." She spoke for him knowing his heart to be in shreds, knowing the degree to which the guilt in his heart was tearing his soul to pieces.

"I know given another chance you would never have touched me, but its okay. Last night was not just your desire, your anger for the Prince, your fear of me being taken away ignited your base instincts into going in a frenzy. That was never how you wanted me to know you, I know you are in a state where you will never want to remember this. If I am in physical pain, its better than the state you are in, at least my pain will heal in a few days. You on the other hand, will never be able to get better. You are in a state worse than me with your guilt, loathing, disgust and anger all directed at yourself eating you from within. Don't be afraid of me distancing myself. I wont leave you."

"Please stay." His voice was crushed, "That will not-please stay. Please."

Aaya held him tighter, "I wont leave. The day I break my promise will be the day you know that I have died. I wont leave you."

Hoseok's response was to hold her closer.

Aaya hugged him closer, keeping him with her warm and fragrant embrace because she knew the man was breaking apart. The pain she got was physical, but her mind or heart remained untouched by any negativity of what had happened because she understood him. Understood his emotion, why he behaved the way he had. He didn't mean her any malice, nor did he want her to suffer.

That knowledge, freed her from any shadows. She had already anticipated the night when she had been riding back with him, in a way, she had been prepared.

But for him, it was worse than a torture. In reality, he could bear any torture and not break but would fall apart within moments at what he had committed against her.

Part of him wanted to take his own life for daring to hurt her in such an intimate manner, while part him quivered with horrible fear at the thought of driving her away. Of doing what he was most afraid of.

Of dimming her smile in the future where one never blossomed on her petal pink lips again.

Of being the sinner, who violated the one woman who he would kill to protect.

For almost an hour, he remained on his knees, his sorrow gushing out in the pain he felt for every wound he had made. The red still staining the sheets, the marks littering her body pierced him like a spike. He couldn't even look at the monster he had been.

For almost an hour, the girl held the person who had hurt her, in her arms.

Slowly, when the emotions started tapering down, Aaya teased, "My My, I thought at the most you would cry as stoically as you act. Tears flowing quietly down your face, your eyes tightly shut against the pain. I had no idea you would weep like a little child, General."

Hoseok let go of her, not rising to her bait. At last, he looked at her. With careful fingers, he untied the knot keeping the robe in place, revealing her body to himself. Aaya let him see her, watching as his face paled, his self loathing reflected strongly in his face.

"This will never happen again." His hoarse voice promised, "I will kill myself before-"

"Lets not make promises of things that are bound to happen again."

Hoseok looked at her, completely shocked at the mildly spoken statement. He saw her smile at him.

"Your nature is a bit forceful General. You have long way to go before you can touch me without the evidence of it being retained by my skin. But, you may promise me, that I will not feel any pain from it." She cupped his face and rested her forehead on his, "Will you not introduce me to pleasure?"

"I cant ask you to accept this-this part of me!" Hoseok denied, "I can keep a control over it."

"Suppressing something will only make the violence stronger. Was yesterday not an example?" Aaya ruefully asked.

"I am not afraid of that part of you. Accept it General, then your fear will not control you. How about we compromise?"

"No!" Hoseok stood up. Then he drew the robe over her exposed nakedness carefully. "I will not fall to the level where I put a mark on you again!"

"Will you never touch me?" Aaya asked patiently. A question which caused the Warrior to become quiet.

Sighing she said, "Don't deny your nature, neither be ashamed of it. Darkness, is a part of you. But you can show me how seductive and pleasurable it is, can you not?" she accepted him, for who he was.

Only she could. The person who suffered the torment inflicted by him. no one else had the right to judge, if she didn't want them to. Similarly, it was only her, who could label the incident as something atrocious, or reduce it to just a rough play.

The fact that she chose to be as forgiving as she was, changed something inexplicable inside of him.

The sound of breathing filled the room.

A silence in which Hoseok lost himself completely. A new emotion warred with the obsession that had grown, placing strong restraints over his diabolic needs. Calming his fever till the degree that it would not erode his senses into becoming oblivious to her pain.

Devotion.

He placed his hand over her head, and said in a low voice, "How can you accept me when I am unable to?"

Aaya laughed a little. With a bruised body and a sparkling smile, she replied, "Maybe because you belong to me too, General. Did you not know that?"

She was giving him permission to continue his raging violent love for her but smilingly tempered it with a feeling of wanting to serve her. One brutal desire settled down harmoniously with the desire to cherish, giving him hope.

Of maybe being worthy enough to have her for lifetimes, under her gentle love and guidance.

His response was to press her down on the bed. Crouching over her, he lifted her body to take her to the far end, laying her down on it. Then he stripped the stained sheet and let it fall down at the same moment, swiftly undressing himself until his upper body became naked.

Then he lay down beside her, drawing her in his embrace, "Even If my actions remain rough, you will never know pain. I vow it." He drew a sheet over them, holding her against him. Holding her as a person he cherished. "I am truly sorry for the monster I became yesterday. And more than that, I am guilty of also letting my fears rule me to the extent that I accused you. It will never happen again."

"So you know it was a coincidence?" Aaya peered up at him to find him nodding tightly.

They remained that way until Aaya got drowsy. Just before she could sleep, she remembered, "Anya?"

"Pay no mind to it." Hoseok swiftly answered, "It was despicable of me to want you to change your name."

Snuggling against his warmth, Aaya murmured, "But I liked that name."

Hoseok did not reply.

Aaya felt more at ease than the time she had woken up. Even though the pain had not lessened, her heart felt light and happy. Enough so as to draw her to the rest she needed without any negativity or anxiety fogging her up.

When she was almost asleep, distantly she heard Hoseok's whisper, "Then may I introduce you and address you by that name?"

"I'll be happy if you do." Were the last words she remembered speaking before she fell into a heavy sleep.

The smile of the Warrior remained unnoticed by her. As was the gentle way he kissed her forehead and murmured, "Anya."

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