Anything But Worthless [Akakstuki no Yona Fanfic]

11. Fools Will Die

¤ Ji-Na ¤

How long it was since we decided to start walking, I had no idea. The only way I had of knowing was the sun that beat down overhead, causing my skin to prickle, everything standing up by itself. But that in itself was an inaccurate measurement of time, and I realized that as I followed behind Hak and Yona-nee. Every so often, I'd cast a slight shadow over my eyes, in hopes of finding something that could lead us closer to where we were supposed to do. And each time, I couldn't stop the dread building up in my stomach as I realized we were truly in lands foreign to all of us; we had no set destination and only a fool would continue walking a path of uneven turf. But that's what I am.

Just a fool.

I could only manage some sort of sight through squinting while I surveyed the area. There was nothing that I'd ever seen in my life before, though it is admitted that what I've seen in itself was extremely limited. I struggled to voice my unease as I bit down on my inner cheek, eyes always returning to the floor after I realized how little I could be in leading. I watched and felt my feet curve over the large rocks underfoot, arms swinging slowly by my side in a stiff manner I could only hope no one would notice.

It was alright if they did, though. Because they would not question me, not if I could make myself seem as happy as I had been throughout my years. It was alright, it was alright. I would make everything alright. After all, a smile, even if it is from the cursed princess, can reflect hopes and dreams and the brighter the smile, the closer they were to reaching. So if I smiled, everything would be alright.

No, it was already alright. That is something I could feel with the beating of my heart between rib cages.

Hak must've been worried about us, he always was. He masked it through his smirks but his unease was so clear in his posture whenever he stopped and spoke to us, respectful underlying in his tone as he continued to call us by our titles, "Hime-sama, would you like to take a break?" It really didn't matter what I said, he would stop anyway.

We were princesses, we were not used to venturing out on the barren paths of a cliff but to be fair, how could we be? Leaving the palace walls without permission was impossible most of the time and getting permission was another impossible task. Yona pulled at her hood, "Are we stopping a bit too much?"

I quickly glanced back at her who shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, changing which held her weight every few seconds. She was exhausting herself but she still wanted to keep moving? It was admirable, but was it an act of perseverance or desperation? If it was desperation, it would be best if she stopped to breathe. Working out of desperation caused fatigue quicker and that's not good.

"Yona-nee, I think we should rest for a little bit." I wonder how light my voice sounded at that moment, "Hak still needs to verify the direction we're heading, so why don't you sit?" I beckoned her over to a larger rock with a smooth top. It would be uncomfortable but at least she'd have a minute to rest.

Yona opened her mouth to disagree, a gentle smile playing on her face as if to not worry me. But Hak had already nodded at me, "Ji-Na-himesan, do you need to rest somewhere?" Did I? I glanced down at my feet, wiggling my toes in the comfortable flats from Fuuga. Blinking, I lifted a foot and started fumbling with my ankle, hearing a soft crack though relief instantly flooded them. I blinked once before deciding they weren't aching. I looked up and shook my head with a slight laugh. "I feel fine."

He narrowed his eyes, not truly believing it but he had no way of challenging me. There was no where else to sit but the floor and the sharp pebbles. He wouldn't voluntarily tell me to sit on it even if he wanted me to rest. I hummed as I watched him turn his attention back to what lay ahead of us. It was still empty and Hak clicked his tongue in distaste.