Chapter 2:

She was stripped of her clothing, leaving on only her undergarments for covering. Standing was horrific, both in pride and positioning. She was chained roughly to the side of the prison wall, her back facing her oppressors. Yona fought back the scream that was desperately trying to voice the pain she felt. She wasn't sure how long she had been enduring it or how many lashes she had already received from these two men. She had lost count a long time ago.

Whish Crack

Don't scream.. Yona buried her face in her shoulder as another lash lit up her back like a match lighting a candle. The stinging pain blurred her vision and made her feel as if she was about to pass out. She could hear the men laughing at her, mocking her, but she didn't care what they said. She had to endure this pain.. She had to protect those she loved.

Crack

Another merciless lash sliced across her right shoulder and down to her left hip. She could feel the cool liquid, that was her blood, sticking to her skin. Her entire back felt as if it was on fire, the pain clouding her once clear thoughts.

"She is really tough, isn't she, Minen?" The burly Rine commented as he hit her another time, this time on her calves. The Princess forced herself to remain standing. She would not allow them the pleasure of seeing her go down.

"Yeah, she is Rine!" The other one spoke before grabbing Yona's hair and forcing her head to the side, to where she was looking straight at him. His teeth were jagged and his mouth smelled of a mix of dead animal carcasses with a hint of tobacco. "But I wouldn't expect any less from the Dragon Lady… It's too bad though. She's such a beauty.. Yet we aren't allowed to have our way with her. I would love to hear her scream in a much different way."

Yona felt sick as she watched his praying eyes stare down at her chest which was only being held by her bra.

"I wonder if I should make little marks on her chest.." He mused while taking out a small knife and tracing it along the crevices of her chest. Yona squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the pain.

"You can't do that! You know the boss told us not to leave any permanent scars on her." The burly man said, his voice sounding concerned and somewhat protective. "This is only night one. The boss doesn't want to break her yet."

The Princess felt a small sense of relief sweep over her; however, it was short lived as the smaller man's feral growl caught her attention.

"So many stupid limitations!" She heard him scream before a punch jabbed deep into her stomach and a wave of pain flew across her back. This time, the Princess couldn't hold herself up as she fell to her knees, coughing and fighting back tears. Her arms were stretching from the increased weight on them as she practically hung against the wall. The warmth of fresh blood slid down her back, a clear indicator that her back was cut open.

"Miren! What did you just do?!" She could hear his partner yell before seeing a bloody knife fall at her feet. The smaller man was then pushed up against the wall.

"Sorry.. I kinda lost it there for a minute. You know this is like my drug… There hasn't been enough tortures lately… and her skin is so beautiful.. so delicate.. even with the bruises… I just want to destroy it." His pupils were constricted and had the appearance of a wild animal. Yona looked over at them, traces of blood on her lips from her coughing.

"You better hope that that does not scar her back! Otherwise the boss will have both our heads!" Rine yells before the sound of an opening door catches their attention.

"Orders from Lord Kage, leave the prisoner be for the remainder of the night. No more harm is to come to her. Rine, chain her to the chair and against the wall… Miren.. You are relieved of your duty for the night." Yona could feel the calloused, dirty hands of the big man unlock the chains. She was already too weak to even fight him or try to escape. He grabbed her and sat her down into the chair, its coarse texture rubbing right into her wounds. She barely managed to keep herself from flinching as he pulled her arms up to the cuffs attached to the wall. The clicking sound of the cuffs signaled the success of her imprisonment.

"Tell boss everything you know tomorrow, okay? It would be better for you." The burly man said in almost an apologetic tone. She didn't respond. She just focused on her breathing. The first night was over.. The torture was over.

Hak.. Ki-Ja.. Shin-Ah. Jae-Ha .Zeno..Ao..

…

Outside of the Prison:

Joo-Doh stopped his horse when seeing men entering into what appeared to be a cave. They were all dressed in the red and yellow colored hanboks and were armed with swords.

That has to be it.. Stealthily he jumped off of his horse and tied him to a nearby tree. Putting on his mask, he proceeded to walk towards the entrance.

"It is about time you got here!" One of the soldiers called out when noticing him approaching.

"You're a healing torturer, right? The one that heals only to make the pain even worse the next go around?.. I could tell from your mask! Welcome to the prison of hell, as we soldiers like to call it."

Joo-Doh was silent as he studied the man. He seemed to not even be concerned or think he may be an intruder.

It was just like Gin said.. How does that kid know so much?...

"Come on and get inside. We have a new prisoner in. The unfortunate person got Miren as the torturer tonight.. He got a little carried away towards the end…. He's really good at his job; but, between you and me, he loves it way too much. From what I've been told, you have quite a bit of work cut out for you, especially for a first torture session."

Joo-Doh said nothing as he began walking down the passage way. The guard rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"You aren't much of a talker, huh?... Um.. Oh that's right. You need stuff to bandage her wounds. Your kind do not take tools with you. Wait here for just a moment." With that the guard ran off into one of the rooms. Joo-Doh watched as the man came racing back moments later, a big box in his hands.

"Here. I think this is everything you will need. Let me bring you to her." The General clutched the box that contained medical supplies as he followed the soldier down a narrow pathway. He could see a vast array of guards posted at every corner and on patrol through the halls.

There are too many to be able to free her by force… If this girl is even her..

It wasn't too long before they walked up to a metal door at the very end of the prison. The soldier opened the door allowing the light to enter. Joo-Doh's heart nearly stopped when the light hit her small frame. Her body slumped forward, her breathing ragged. Red blood could be seen on her legs and traces of it were on the floor leading to the chair in which she sat.

Princess.. He wanted to call out as he unconsciously tightened his fist.

"Geeze.. The guards weren't kidding. They really did a number on her.. That Miren.. It was unnecessary to go that hard on a girl.. Especially for the first day… He is brutal….. Looks like you have your work cut out for you. She needs to be coherent and somewhat presentable for Lord Kage's arrival. I'll leave her to you. Get her all healed up or the best you can for tomorrow." With that, the soldier left, closing the door behind him.

Joo-doh didn't know what to do as he looked at her defenseless form. He slowly took a step towards her, but was frozen by her glare. He had never seen those eyes. The purple orbs contained a fire, a flame that could not be quenched, a look of absolute determination and slight hatred on her small face.

"Another torturer, huh? Just get it over with.. I'm not telling you anything." Her voice was hoarse, he assumed from pain and lack of water. He had seen that look many times and many days spent getting information from spies and hostages. Never before had that look hurt him so much. Joo-Doh didn't say anything as he reached up grabbed her wrists. He could feel the Princess fight back a flinch. As carefully as he could, he unlocked the chains and slowly helped her bring her arms down to a resting position. He unlocked the box and opened it revealing many different types of medicines and bandages. This seemed to relax the Princess a little as he took a bandage and soaked it in water. Gently, he reached out for her hand. She pulled away, clearly unsure of what he was planning to do. He moved his hands toward hers and handed her the wet cloth.

"Wrap your wrists with the cloth.. It will help with some of the tenderness." He said in a soft tone. Yona nodded at this and began to follow his instructions. He seemed very gentle to her, which surprised her. His voice sounded very familiar, but it was so soft and gentle.. She couldn't figure out who it reminded her of. She silently watched as he unlocked the chains on her feet. Slowly, he helped stand her up, his hand careful on her arm.

"I need you to lie on the ground. I'm going to clean your wounds." He instructed, his voice almost sounding as if he was the one in agony.

"…Don't sound so innocent… Aren't you supposed to treat me just as roughly? To heal me in order to make me feel more pain?.. I heard the guards talking about it." Her words stabbed his heart.

"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure tomorrow is less painful for you.." His response made her body loosen. His tone was sincere.. and almost calming. Joo-Doh carefully soaked a cloth in alcohol.

"Take a deep breath.. This is going to sting." The Princess gasped as the cold substance seeped its way into her open wounds. He could feel her shivering from the pain and the emotions. He wanted nothing more than to hold her, his heart tightening in his chest.

As I thought.. I will never get rid of these emotions.. I will always want to protect her…

"Your wounds don't need stitches." He said causing her to simply nod. Taking out an ointment, he began applying it to her cuts. This seemed to cause her to relax and temporarily numb the pain. He repeated the process on the back of her calves. Gently, he helped her sit up before wrapping a bandage around her back and torso. With skillful hands, he tied the bandage together.

"What do they have you in here for?" He asked. Yona didn't even look at him.

" They want information on my friends.. But I'm not giving it to them." She responded coldly and she moved to get comfortable, her face momentarily contorting in agony.

"The dragons?.."

"Yes, the dragons.." Yona responded while sucking in a breath as another wave of pain struck her.

"Why won't you give them the information? If the men are as powerful as they seem, wouldn't they be able to defend themselves?"

"It's called loyalty.. I will never betray my friends.. even if they can take on this whole fortress by themselves. Men like you may not know what I'm talking about, but there will come a time when there is something, someone you will want to protect at all costs.. a person you will give your own life for. When that moment happens, think on what you just said.. and then you tell me why you wouldn't give them information." The Princess' response left the General speechless.

Is her heart really that loyal and pure?..

"Listen, I'm So-"

Knock Knock

Joo-Doh and Yona both turned their attention to the door.

"You almost done in there, Healer?" The voice of a guard called out causing Joo-Doh to sigh.

"Yeah." He answered before bending down and picking Yona up bridal style. This caused the Princess to look at him in surprise. "It's would be painful for you to walk. You should rest as much as you can."

The disguised general whispered as he carefully set her down into the chair, his hand gently lowering her back against the chair.

"Remember this, when they hit you again with the whips, keep your body as loose as you can.. It will help ease the pain a little…" His voice sounded almost pained as he locked her back into her shackles. She nodded softly and finally looked into his eyes. They were soft and sorrowful and.. confused.

"Healer?" The guard called again.

"I'm coming." He said before standing and beginning to walk towards the door.

"..Thank you." It was soft, almost inaudible, but his trained ears picked it up.. Her sweet voice.

Please don't thank me…..Now that I found you.. I do not know what to do…

Silently he left the cell leaving Yona alone. As soon as she was alone, she could feel the tears sliding down her face. The reality of the situation hurting her.

Don't make a sound, breath normally.. She told herself as the tears continued sliding down her cheeks. It will all be okay… It will all be okay…

…

This is the end of Chapter 2 of Akatsuki No Yona: Beneath the Mask! I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! I've had quite a few people begin following this story so it makes me happy! Well, our precious Yona has survived the first night of brutal whipping and getting her back sliced open for the second time in her life! What is going to happen next I wonder? Will Joo-Doh try to figure out a way for her to escape, or will his loyalty to Soo-Won keep him from attempting it? Will Yona give in to Lord Kage's interrogation or will another painful night of torture be in her future?

We will find out!