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Her throat was on fire.  It was her first conscious thought.  Then her awareness of every single muscle in her body hit her all at once.  Every fiber was throbbing.  The ache seemed to travel from the skin on the front of her body all the way through to the skin on her back.  She shifted slightly and groaned with the pain.

She kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut.  She could already sense the blinding light sneaking into her room.  She knew when she opened her eyes that sharp light would pierce them with pain.  She swallowed.  And groaned.  She was so parched.

Suddenly, the events of a few hours ago came back to her.  She’d awoken to a sore throat then too.  She’d headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea.  Only to be stopped by that menacing guard.  

She’d been unwilling to submit to being raped in a palace hallway.  Her quick wits had saved her.  This once.  But then, what had happened?

He had appeared.  To mock her performance.  Then she’d lost her balance, and Jungkook had caught her.  He’d then promised to make her a cup of tea after escorting her back to her room.  But…Jina couldn’t seem to remember anything after that…

She sighed and pushed her eyes open.  And stared up at the ceiling.  A very unfamiliar ceiling.  This one seemed to be higher than her own in the servants’ quarters.  Alarmed, she turned her head to the side.  And found the window that was wreaking havoc with her eyes right now.  The expected pain was materializing from the bright light streaming in from the window high over her head.  

Curious, her eyes perused the room around her.  From the clothes tossed over a chair, she instantly knew she was in the room of one of the guards.  A sickening suspicion overwhelmed her.  Had Jungkook left her in the hallway and that guard returned for her after she’d passed out?  Or had the beautiful boy brought her back to his own room?  Had he then taken advantage of her while she was unconscious, knowing she would never report him for fear of being punished herself?

She wanted to puke.  But then she stilled herself.  Her whole body ached.  But there was no soreness between her legs.  Clearly, she hadn’t been used by a man.  So…what was she doing in the quarters of a guard?

Her heart was already racing from her body’s dehydration.  She glanced over at the little side table next to the bed.  There was a cup of liquid resting there.  She turned towards it, picked it up, and sniffed it.  

Tea.  Green tea.

Had Jungkook kept his word and brought her tea?  Was this his room?  

She glanced around looking for evidence.  She found a book on the side table.  She picked it up.  It was a book of poetry.  Shocked, she dropped it.  

Jungkook, that big bully who had held a rod to her throat two nights ago, was reading poetry?  That didn’t make any sense!  She would have sworn that there wasn’t a romantic bone in the man’s whole body!

Suddenly, she began coughing.  Then, she was choking on dryness.  She tipped the cup into her mouth and gulped the tea down like her life depended on it.  It sure felt like it did!

When she’d drunk the whole thing, she discovered she was exhausted.  She settled back down on her side and closed her eyes.  She was sound asleep within a few seconds.

—

Jungkook opened the door to his room when his shift was over.  It was nearly noon.  He was curious to see whether Jina was still occupying his bed.  If she was, he’d like to join her.  He was wiped out.  Last night had been uneventful but for her run-in with the other guard, but Jungkook still found himself tired.  

He had never liked that guard.  He’d always seemed sinister.  With a hard edge.  Jungkook recognized that he himself was tough, that he tended to let his temper burn too brightly and too quickly, but underneath it all, he had a good heart.  He would never hurt a woman.  He had held the rod to the girl’s throat only to prove his point.  She had needed some sense scared into her.  

He sighed.  Apparently, his actions had done no good.  For two nights later, he had found her traipsing around the palace alone in the dark of the morning.  Asking for trouble.  He shook his head.  How was he going to keep this girl safe?  Clearly, she needed a keeper.  

Ah, but she was so plain.  Why had that guard wanted her?

Jungkook quietly shut and locked his door as he approached his bed.  He saw her lying on her side.  Slowly, silently, he stalked towards her.  He stopped and stood gazing down at her.

She had two bright red spots still burning suns into her cheeks.  Her long, midnight hair was flowing down her back.  Her lips were crimson today.  Probably because they were chapped.  But curiously enough, they didn’t look dry.  Just red.  Like the finest of wines.

Jungkook!  Man, you’ve been reading too much poetry!

But he couldn’t shake the romantic thought as he gazed at that mouth.  Maybe she did have one feature to recommend her.  Those luscious lips.  For a moment, he wondered what they would feel like beneath his own.  But then they parted, and she groaned in her sleep.  And he remembered how caustic was the tongue behind those lips.  He would never want a girl like her.  She would light his temper faster than anyone.  

But a moment later, she frowned in her sleep, and a whimper escaped those beautiful lips.  Then, she shocked him by speaking.

“Jungkook, please don’t leave me.  He was in this hallway.  I saw him go that way…I know he’ll come back for me.  And what will I do then…if you’re not with me?”  

She had mumbled the words.  And she was shaking like a leaf suddenly.  He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.  He placed his head on her forehead.  She was still burning up.  But her body didn’t seem to know it.  She was shivering violently.

His heart went out to her.  He found another blanket and put it over her.  Still, she was shaking so that he could feel the vibrations of her body through two blankets.  How could he warm her up?  

She needed a cup of hot tea, but she was sound asleep.  She was apparently dreaming of him.  Asking him for his protection.    Why did that make his heart soften towards her?  Was she really terrified but just good at bravado?  Had she been scared last night as she’d faced that goon alone in the dark hallway?

She hadn’t given herself away if she’d been afraid.  She was bold.  And brave.  And incredibly stupid.  Walking unescorted down the corridors of the palace late at night when the only ones roaming around were the lonely guards.  She was inviting trouble.  How could she not recognize it?

He gazed down at her pale face again.  She needed something to drink.  He had to bring her fever down.  He needed to talk to Mari.  She would have a tonic.  

He headed for his door.  Hopefully, he could speak with Mari without disturbing Taehyung.

—

Jungkook rapped lightly on Mari’s door.  A moment later, she opened it and peeked through the crack.  Her face registered her shock.

“Jungkook?” she whispered.

“Do you have a tonic to treat a fever?”  He cut to the chase.

Her face broke into a wide smile.  “Just a moment.”  She shut the door.  When she returned, she opened it a crack and handed him a bottle.  “Pour a teaspoon into a cup of tea.  Have them drink it all.  The patient can use it again every four hours.”

“Thank you.”  His lips quirked upward in a quick smile as he turned to walk briskly down the hallway.

Mari shut the door.

“Who was that?” came a deep voice from the midst of her bed.

Would she ever get used to the miracle that was Tae in her room with her?  She turned towards him.

“Jungkook.  He was looking for a healing remedy.”

Tae frowned.  “Does he usually visit you in your room?”

She shook her head.  “Never.  Not since the first time.  He must have felt it was safe to come because you’re here with me.”

“Ah, yes.  Come back to bed, love.  I want to snuggle you.”

Mari’s face spread into a wide grin.  That sounded absolutely lovely.  She could easily get used to Tae’s protection.  And his comfort.  It sure beat being alone.  And vulnerable.