Anything But Worthless [Akakstuki no Yona Fanfic]

24. Lonely Battles

¤ Third Person ¤

Ji-Na sat in a room filled with women, her hood still pulled over her head. She had no necklace to cling to, as she asked Gi-Gan to hold onto it until she returned but now she was truly alone. In the room filled with females, she couldn't help but want to run away. She pulled her legs into her chest as she buried her face into her knees, eyes closing. She had no time to be scared, she had nothing to be afraid of. She focused on her heartbeat, which echoed in her ears.

"Ji-Na, listen to me very carefully, this is a sedative to knock out people if you think there will be trouble. I will watch over your sister. I'm more cautious than anyone and more underhanded than anyone, as long as she is with me, she won't die."

She tightened her hold around herself, hearing the laughter roaring outside the door. The soldiers were loud when they discussed what they wanted the orange haired noblewoman to do, though that was the least of her worries. She had blades hidden under her dress, as a courtesy of Jae-Ha, but she wouldn't be able to use them anyway.

She sucked in a breath and just sat there, silently, waiting for someone to take her away. She didn't have to wait very long. Once word of her orange hair reached Yang Kumji, the man personally went to greet her. The door was pushed open, her head tilting upward so she could see him still under her hood.

She felt a chill rush down her spine, panic clogging up her throat and numbing her mind. "So she's the noblewoman sticking her nose into this business?" He reached over and pushed her hood off, revealing the beautiful braid Jae-Ha did for her while Kija was ranting about how dangerous and how she should stay back and out of it. She watched him smirk, her hazel eyes narrowing as he spoke, "Orange hair, how rare. And a noblewoman, you remind me of a girl I know." She knew she would, that was why she went. "Ji-Na-hime." She could practically feel everyone's gaze shift to her in shock. She didn't respond, glaring straight at the man with her lips pursed. He grabbed her hair by the braid, yanking her up off her knees so her feet barely grazed the floor. Face to face with the man, she watched him evaluate her. "Ji-Na-hime, I wonder how much I could sell you off for."

Her glare was weak as he laughed, a terrible noise leaving his lips as spit landed on her face. She made a disgusted face at that, knowing full well he would throw her back onto the floor as punishment. Sprawled onto the floor, she let out a loud gasp. "A noblewoman, huh, I know exactly where to take you." The sound of boots on wood were heard, arms reaching out to grab hers and pull her up to her feet.

Ji-Na was lucky, incredibly lucky, that everything was working out well on her end. If she had to play the role of the frail princess to not get caught, she would gladly do so. Her body fell limp in the two men's arms, her feet dragging along the floor as they pulled her roughly. She closed her eyes and found herself in her own memories.

"Be careful, Hye-Rin."

He would never find her, though. She had no firework on her, there was no way to alert them where she was. She would be alone until the very end. The warmth she had found and the embrace that held her steady, it was funny how she longed for it now.

"Chichiue, what does it mean to die? Dying all alone... isn't that something lonely?" She could practically hear and see her childish self, standing beside her father. How ironic that in the face of danger, she could only remember things that happened so long ago.

She felt her body drop onto the floor after being dragged through the halls, eyes fluttering open ever so slightly to take in her surroundings. She was in a rather large room where Kumji took a seat on a large, wooden chair, two women practically sprawled all over him. Whether they were their out of their own violation or not, she wasn't sure. But, Kumji must have liked them to keep them beside him. They were going to be her source of information. Her eyes closed again before any of the men or women took a look at her, recounting the steps the men took to take her here. Around ten steps straight, then a right, and twenty more steps.