Her breathing paused.

Slowly, all sounds dimmed in her ears, a shrill screeching sound drowning her.

Every bit of her actions, her body felt disjointed.

With trembling lips, she asked, "How?" it was almost inaudible.

"One remaining house of the Minister of Finance has decided to help me. During the banquet, I will have backing from them when in the assembly hall I, the most trusted man of the General, will account to all the misdeeds he has done. My standing alone will make them all believe me.

The network of spies has been divided for a while now, my benefactor's people hiding among them. No one knows their identities while I know the ones who are still loyal to Hoseok. I will give the King their identities, they too will be proclaimed as traitors."

"This will not be enough! It is no where near enough to achieve what you are claiming you can do." Anya spoke fast because she knew that Hoon Chul was still not revealing something that was the key to the promise he had made regarding Hoseok's fate.

But to Hoon Chul it translated as panic of giving her false hope.

He shook his head, gesturing for her to calm down, "You asked me when I came in why I addressed you as such, did you not?"

Her brows wrinkled in a premonition, her back slowly started getting soaked in a cold sweat.

"Had you ever asked you adopted parents on how they got you? From where?"

Anya shook her head.

"Then did you never question yourself about the colour of your eyes? or. . . . . better yet, answer this. Do you have a birthmark just below your left shoulder in the shape of wings?"

Anya stood up and retreated quickly, her eyes growing bigger.

Hoon Chul kept sitting where he was, "Do you have a burn scar on your right waist? And a circular symbol burnt in your skin right beside it?"

"SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY!" Anya screamed, not understanding how he could know the details of her body which only Hoseok and Arissa had seen.

Hoon Chul sadly smiled, "Those are the identification marks of the little girl child that was given away to be hidden in this country by the King of Jeogdal. The girl, was his child. The Princess who has been missing for sixteen years. Princess Anya."

"No. No. NO! what are you saying??" Anya vehemently tried to deny it.

"As you know, Jeogdal is a Kingdom more bigger and influential than ours. The Princess was the daughter of the Queen that the King loved the most. But Palace politics had put her life at risk, the attempt on her life were the burn marks and seal.

The King being childhood friends with one another, had asked the princess to be hidden. But before that exchange, Bandits had attacked the secret rendezvous point and taken the child away. The Princess, was believed to have been killed.

It was half a year back that a spy had sent word of the Princess being alive, but had died before he could say anything more. The King had asked Hoseok to investigate the matter because he had plans of strengthening the connections between the two Kingdoms via marriage of the Princess to the Crown Prince. The spy, had come from the area of your village.

It was no coincidence that the mighty General of this Kingdom had gone to fight a small battle against local tribes. He had gone to find the Princess.

He had gone, to find you."

Anya kept shaking her head.

Hoon Chul came towards her, "Hoseok knew who you were. He had to have, because he knew of the birthmarks. He knew who you were Princess, yet he raped you, kept you captive. I am willing to bet he was going to take you away too. He would never reveal your identity, because if he does, not only will he be punished for staging your death, he will also receive the death of a Traitor by the method I mentioned to keep the peace between the Kingdom once the truth of him imprisoning and raping you comes out!"

"STOP!" Anya screamed. "Just stop for a moment!"

Hoon Chul breathed deeper, giving her sometime.

Anya immediately used that time to think back to the times when Hoseok had repeatedly caressed her birthmarks. The way he had called her Anya when he was drunk.

Yes, he knew. He knew she was a Princess.

But that put his actions in a very different light.

He had fallen in love with her before he knew her. He must have had an inkling about her identity, but he still chose to love her regardless. His concerns were always about her being someone else's, never did he want or even need any connection to her being a Princess.

In fact, to him, her identity would have been a bother.

Because if it came out, she would have been returned to the Palace.

Even if she told everyone he had saved her, he would have been rewarded for his valiant courage but she would have been taken away to her parents, then been married to a Royal.

If her identity came out, either ways, she would be lost to him.

But still, he was going to reveal it to her. Anya snapped to attention as she remembered what he had said before he left.

Also, I want to be able to tell you the secret related to your name that I can not. right now.

The lamps in the receiving chamber burnt dimly, while the glass of life of the girl in the room starting cracking.

Anya looked at Hoon Chul, understanding him. Yes, if it was revealed by one of Hoseok's most trusted man that he had raped and imprisoned the Princess, Hoseok would indeed be branded a Traitor and charged with Treason of the highest order just to appease her real parents, as they were the Royals of a bigger Kingdom. The King would not miss this opportunity to have Hoseok die the worst death.

If Hoseok's brother declared that she was raped, even if she protested, a physical examination would reveal her status of not being a maiden. If that were to happen, her words would not have any weight. No one would believe her. They would consider her to be brainwashed by the trauma and then she would be hidden away until Hoseok's death sentence was carried out.

Anya considered something and then asked, "Only your benefactor and you know about my identity?"

A quick nod, "It is too risky trusting anyone other than us right now, Hoseok has the whole of Court in his grasp. Even the Financial Minister will only support me, he does not wish to get involved before the General is branded as a Traitor."

Which meant if Hoon Chul died, then most likely the Financial Minister would not make waves but the unknown benefactor would. He would blame the death of Hoon Chul on Hoseok and then proceed to frame him for her imprisonment.

If not, then after Hoon Chul's death, the Benefactor could just simply reveal her identity to the crowd. Her real parents were already in the capital, the King of Jeogdal attending the Banquet.

In such a case, even if she told the world that Hoseok had been protecting her, he would be safe but she would be taken away. And the extent that she knew Hoseok, he would not tolerate that quietly. That was his worst fear. Anya was afraid he would go berserk, attacking the Palace to take her away.

But, it was a less likely scenario.

For she had a strong suspicion who Hoon Chul's benefactor was. And if her guess was correct, the benefactor would blame Hoon Chul's death on Hoseok and make sure he still got the Traitor's death.

A fate, which was worse than simple death.

Anya's blood chilled completely, a sense of doom heavily making her weak. her body started throbbing, while her mind went in denial even when the graphic scenario of what would happen splashed through her eyes.

Hoseok would be imprisoned in the water prison for days, until he would be paraded around the Capital. Stones and curses would be pelted on him, his dignity, his identity, his honor completely demolished. Then, amid the surrounding Kings, Queens, Princes and Minister along with the common folks, he would be tied to the board.

His death would either be swift by beheading or the worst kind, of slow slicing. He would suffer greatly, the capital punishment of neungji-cheocham reserved only for serious offenders, but the King would likely push for it.

It was also likely, that his head and body would then be hung on the Capital square.

How could she let it happen to her General?

Her heart squeezed tightly while her legs gave out. She crashed hard on the floor startling Hoon Chul who rushed to help her but Anya remained seated on the floor.

From every way that she tried, she could not save him.

Even if she killed Hoon Chul now, his death would alert the Benefactor who would no doubt launch their plan beforehand. There was no way in which she could somehow find the benefactor before he reached the King. Raping and imprisoning the Princess of the Jeogdal Kingdom was an offence which could not be escaped from.

In no way, in no angle could she stop the horrific fate. Even though she knew, she still could not stop it.

Helplessly, she sat still feeling her world come crashing down.

All because of her own body.

As long as her body carried the Birthmarks, as long as rumors floated, Hoseok would be destroyed.

And the cause, was going to be her.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

I know, you guys hate me for what I am going to do.

Still, if you are enjoying the story, please do comment and Vote. . . . .