The Eight | A BTS Soulmate Fic |

Chapter 77

The Muse stood staring at Min-Ho, unsure of how to react.

"I did this to myself? Did I have freedom 200 years ago? Was I able to be independent? Be my own person?"

Min-Ho nodded. "All of the restrictions are new."

She let out a gust of air that could have been a laugh if it wasn't for the look on her face, "I did this to myself." she was devastated. She had no one to blame but herself for the misery she was enduring.

"No, Princess," Min-ho grabbed her shoulders to keep her facing him, "No. You are not to blame for the misery. Your Warriors drove you away 200 years ago. They did not care for you as they should have." he sent a meaningful look at Seokjin, Namjoon and Hoseok, "Just as they are not caring for you as they should in this life."

"Yah!" Her Warriors jumped up from their seats, incensed that this man was insulting them.

The Muse held her hand out to them in a calming yet protective manner as she looked Min-ho in the eye,

"That's not fair. Jinnie, Hobi and Joonie have been there for me since day one. They have never balked at having to take care of me, and have become my best friends. They know me inside and out and are far more in tuned with my mind and emotions than anyone else has ever been. I'm close with all three of my Warriors."

Jinnie stood behind her now, with Joon and Hobi at each side, all glaring at Min-ho for daring to say such things.

Min-ho, on the other hand, was unbothered by the Warriors as he continued, "Poet, Watcher and Misdirection have done well with you this lifetime, so far. But they could do better."

The Muse bristled at that, "These men have gone so far above and beyond for me! How dare you insult them like that!"

Min-ho nodded in a condescending way, "Tell me, Princess, have any of them taken care of your needs?"

"Of course they have! You know very well I've reconnected with all of my Warriors." How dare he say they haven't taken care of her needs!

"Oh, I know your body has been well tended to," he chuckled, "But what about your other, basic needs? Do you have anything more than a toothbrush to care for yourself with? What do you use to brush your hair? Shower? I know you don't have clothing, since I have to provide that on a daily basis."

The Warriors wanted to argue with him, but they knew it was true. None of them had thought to provide even the smallest of essentials, each believing that someone else was going to.

Min-ho narrowed his eyes on The Muse before continuing, "It also doesn't help that you haven't been absolutely truthful with any of them. How do you expect them to care for you properly if you aren't completely open and honest with them?"

This comment brought her up short. She stood still and stared her brother down, "There are some things they don't need to know. There are some things that are best kept to myself."

Jin, Hoseok and Namjoon all looked at her curiously as Min-ho continued, "No, Princess. They need to know your weaknesses in order to help you build your strengths." He looked to each of her Warriors, "Have you noticed there are times she acts out of character?"

The Warriors all nodded their heads, and Hoseok took the opportunity to find out what he had been so curious about, "Yes! I've asked Yeppeun, but she never answered."

Panic was overtaking all of the other warring emotions inside her as she lunged at Min-Ho, "No!" She shoved him back far enough that he landed in a chair, surprised by her outburst.

He shouldn't have been surprised, she thought. It's not like this was a new debate between them.

"No." She repeated, hands shaking at the thought of her greatest weakness being out there for everyone to know.

"Princess," Min-Ho's voice was soft, almost comforting as he said, "they need to know. They all need to know. There will be some that think you got pregnant on purpose. Your husbands need to understand it was their own doing. They need to understand that you are unable to say no when they touch you, that you will say yes to whatever they want to do, even if you wouldn't want to do whatever it is . They need to understand that in order to not mistakenly make you do something you don't want to do. I don't believe any of your Warriors would want that."

She closed her eyes and let the tears fall as she was exposed, again. She felt as naked as she had when Sejong left her in the middle of a crowd of strangers mostly naked.

Jinnie turned her and pulled her into his arms, hoping to bring her some solace. The emotions he felt coming from her were even more overwhelming than they were before Min-Ho appeared.

"Let me get this straight," said Hobi "You're saying that if one of us wants something from her, all we need to do is touch her and she'll do what we want?"

Min-Ho nodded as he leaned back in the chair, crossing his ankle over the other knee, "Yep. But only while you are touching her. Sejong set that little trap up to make sure your hard headed, stubborn Queen would reconnect with each of you, and that she would never deny your urges. He's old fashioned in thinking that a woman should never deny her husbands. Or Warriors, too, in this case."

Namjoon was horrified, "So we might have taken her by force and not known it??"

He turned to his Queen, "Yeppeun? Have we hurt you? Have we made you do things you didn't want to do?"

She reached out for him, feeling his rising concern, "No, Joonie. You've never hurt me or made me do anything I didn't want."

Namjoon held her tight and let out a sigh of relief.

"He hasn't." Min-Ho spoke up, "But that doesn't absolve everyone."

The Muse pulled back from Joon quickly and turned on Min-ho, "Can you just fucking stop now!" Her voice rising as she let loose on him, "You've just exposed my greatest weakness, I'm already completely heartbroken that all four of my husbands have left me and I'm dealing with finding out I'm pregnant! Isn't that enough to deal with for one day?"

She was fighting the urge to throw everything within her reach at him as the tears dripped off of her chin.

Min-Ho gave a look that was very close to pity, and nodded.

"Sejong will not punish you for being separated from your husbands this time. You are connected. That was his goal. Besides, he won't harm you while you are pregnant. That is his grandchild, after all." she snorted as she remembered the beatings she had endured not that long ago, "Before I go, I will give you something I know you'll want." He stood and took her hands in his,

"One thing you will be able to do with your Muse is connect with your baby. When you're feeling calmer, try to quiet your mind and concentrate on the life growing inside of you."

He gave her a little smile, kissed her forehead and disappeared.