Chapter 7:Kingdom from the tales

Oona's body heated up and her face was as red as a ripped tomato. She stared at Sage in surprise, he on the other hand behaved like he did something causal. He sat beside her and rested his head on his arm. "What is it?" He questioned all the knights who stared at him.

Everyone looked away immediately to avoid his gaze. Oona stared at him like he was a foreigner. "What ?" Sage tilt his head and scoffed "at least you can't cry in front of me"

"Oiye, Sage" Leander flung a loaf of bread to him.

"Thank you" Sage ate the bread bits by bits, Oona still had her eyes on Sage. Her body was still tensed. Sage turned to her and stared at her with a slight smile "what? You want me to lick you again"

Leander choked on his bread, while all the knights were once again dumbfounded, who was this maiden and what had she done to Sage? Sage turned to Leander with a passive expression "Leander, your men are staring too much" all the knights looked in different directions while others stood up from the fireplace making one excuse or the other.

The fireplace soon became noisy and cheerful. Leander gave Oona a bowl of soup to eat "try this, careful it's hot".

Sage on the other hand had finished his bread and was now staring at Oona as she ate her meal. He didn't know how to explain it, Oona looked like a new creature he had just found in nature. He studied everything about her while they rode together. He could sense the irregular heartbeat of hers, the effects every single one of her actions have. Right now his tongue was burning from the tear he had just licked. He smiled once again but in the most creepy way ever.

Oona noticed Sage staring the whole time, so she stretched her bowl of soup to him.

"I'm not hungry" Sage replied with a passive expression "you eat"

She gulped down a little and ate her food. "Thank you for sparing my life"

"Hmm... It's for my own benefits, anyway you're welcome" Sage stood up and dusted his pants. "Sleep early we leave by dawn" Oona nodded and continued eating, her body gradually relaxed to the new environment. Leander and his men kept cracking jokes for Oona and tried to make her feel comfortable.

The next morning they set off very early. Oona who was still drowsy kept drifting off on the horse. Though Sage offered she sit in front of him, she on the other declined and insisted that she sit behind him.

"You'll fall off if you keep this up" Sage hummed while riding his horse slowly. The knights were miles ahead of him but he didn't care , he stayed at a pace that would keep Oona from falling off.

"I'm fine" Oona stubbornly denied. She could clearly see that she was the reason he was far behind than his mates but she didn't want to be treated like a child. No she didn't want to remember her childhood in the slightest way.

"I see" Sage rode his horse a little bit faster. Oona tugged his clothes tightly and shut her eyes "are you still sure?"

"I'm... I'm fine" Oona was still adamant about sitting in front of him, to her it was an inappropriate position that gave his eyes access to places they weren't suppose to see.

"Ahh..." He kicked his horse and rode even faster, oona's hair had covered her face, now all she did was grip Sage's clothes while praying she wouldn't be blown off the horse. Sage rode past the knights, once again leaving the men dumbfounded.

Oona could clearly see this was a test of endurance. She could hear the howling wind and her heartbeat creating a terrible melody in her head

"Stop stop stop" she yelled at the top of her voice. The horse came to a halt and Oona fell off landing on her knees first. Her entire body was vibrating nonstop, she was terrified to the extent she couldn't move her feet.

"You don't look fine" Sage mocked her, he had a dashing smile on his face with the sun shining on him.

Oona on the other hand was internally thanking the heavens that she didn't pass out from fear.

Leander and the knights got to them a few minutes later.

"Milady" Leander jumped down from his horse and walked to Oona who's hands were gripping the grass on the field. "Are y..."

"Take three steps back" Sage who was leaning on his horse glared at Leander. He's eyes spelled DANGER.

"What did you do to her?" Leander and Sage ended up bickering over her. The other knights rested while a few checked on her to see if she was alright.

A few minutes of bickering vomiting and resting had come to an end. Oona sat like a statue on Sage's horse, she tried her best for both their bodies not to touch.

"I prefer when you're asleep and you care freely rub yourself on me" he held a straight face so it was difficult to know if it was a joke or a complaint.

"Sage?" She crane her neck to look at him "where are we going?"

Sage sighed and leaned forward, closing the gap between their faces. " my home , Annika"

"Annika?" Oona's pupils shrank "it really exists"

Sage nodded and tucked a loose strand of her hair. "It's real and that's where we're going"

Oona gulped in, she didn't know what her faith would be once she arrives there. Would she live, no would she be allowed to live. Her heart was troubled and she didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry you won't die" she stared at Sage this time, she felt warmth in her heart.

"Thank you" she whispered embarrassed that he might catch her staring.

"You're welcome" they both stayed quiet after that. No one said anymore. Sage had just assured her that she wouldn't die, he never mentioned what awaits her at Annika.

It was a few hours to twilight when they arrived at a bricked path covered with thick fog. Oona looked around but there was no tree nor building around yet everyone had stopped riding their horses and halted behind Sage and Leander.

One of the knights rode in to the fog with a torch in his hand after a while he rode out and nodded, there after a huge cranking sound and a metal thud echoed. That's when Sage rode in with his men.

The fog became less thick as they rode in. Oona wondered if they had arrived or had crossed another boarder. The place became darker as the sun completely vanished. "Welcome to my home" Sage whispered for her to hear. Oona stranded her eyes to find any building around but later on widened her eyes as the fog clears completely. "Welcome to Annika"

The bricked street had men and women who wore white robes and held odd looking lanterns in their hands humming as they rode in. Oona was astonished by the amount of people that stood across each side of the street.

Leander chuckled lightly "Mother really knows how to welcome her sons" he turned to Oona who was entranced by the buildings around and the people who bowed to them. "Did you tell her?"

Sage rolled his eyes with a passive and uninterested expression. "When the time comes she'll find out by herself"

Leander shook his head disappointed "I don't know who is more aloof between you and Manasseh " Sage arched a brow angrily "I know I know, you hate being compared with people "

Oona gasped as they approached a huge castle. There was a statue of a woman standing at the center of the street as well leading to other streets. The statue wore a robe that had vines growing on it and in her right hand was a sword raised to the sky, in her left hand was a scroll that was opened rolling down to her feet. She had a dove resting on her shoulder and a crown on her head. Oona had heard from the tales about the true origin of Annika, it was the story of this very woman who happened to be a Chrisus, sacrificed herself and laid her life down to protect humanity from her kind.

"Annika" she recalled her Mom mentioning her name once at bedtime.

Oona stared at the eyes of the statue, it was as if both were staring at each other. Oona's eyes glittered for a split second before returning back to normal. She became tensed once more, she was about to know her faith. The huge gates to the castle were a few miles away when Sage took a left turn to another street that had lights hung up.

Oona looked back at where they had just left. Confused she turned to Sage with a big frown on her face. "What is it?" Sage replied without glancing at her.

"The castle is that way" she pointed back to the place they had just left. "Where are you taking me?"

"My home, I never said I was taking you to the palace" he replied blatantly, Leander shook his head tiredly and smiled reassuringly to me.

Gwen watched the moving trees for a long while, and eventually dozed off. Sage held her body in place with one hand while he rode with the other.

Leander who had been riding beside Sage all this while kept glancing at him warily. "What are you planning Sage?" He questioned with a hint of anxiety in his tone.

"Nothing" Sage replied.

Leander gritted his teeth and rode ahead of them and blocked Sage's path. "I'm being serious"

"I as well, didn't I say let me be" Sage rode past him and continued down his path. "Go back to your manor and let me be, you'll receive the news later"

Leander could only watch them leave. He dug his hands through his hair and goaned in frustration

"Lord Leander" a knight rode to him with an envelope in his hand. The envelope had the seal of a branch which had vines curled on it and some olives sticking out.

Leander took the envelope and opened it, he took some time to read the letter but with every word he read the most he became anxious. "Quick let's get to manor I need to get dressed"

Oona woke up tired, she could feel her back against solid chest 'Sage' , her body tensed up and she sat up quickly "awake?" She nodded and rubbed her eyes softly.

"We'll be home soon" he's tone left Oona speechless, it sounded different in her mind.

She looked round but she couldn't find Leander and the other knights anywhere, there were only two knights who rode beside them.

"Where's Leander?" She looked at Sage craning her neck once again.

"He went to get changed" Sage replied without glancing at her.

Dressed? Oona wondered why, was there an event she wasn't aware of?

"We're home" Sage sighed heavily but he's face had a passive expression. She gaped at the huge gate they both approached. It had vines growing on the brick fence and the metal gate which had a logo on it's body, she couldn't see it clearly. The gate was opened just as Sage's horse stepped hoof on the entrance.

They rode in for a while into the land, there were trees on both sides of the brick street. Oona could see the moonlight peeking through the trees and shining on the strange looking blue flowers. She had never seen anything like this before, her eyes glimmered under the moonlight once again, but turned normal after a while.

She gawked at it non stop. "Beautiful" she whispered in awe, but her mouth soon gaped at the sight of the huge building that came to view.

As they drew closer and closer to the building, Oona could see the streets being brightly lit with lamps. The manor looked festive and vibrant, making Oona wonder what was going on. She turned to Sage but his stoic expression discouraged her from asking any questions.

The manor was beautiful, she couldn't tell the actual color of the building but she could see the lovely vines that grew on the pillars that held up the building. An huge door was standing tall between these two pillars.

A man and woman stood below the staircase leading to the entrance of the manor., they were dressed in black and white something she had never seen before. She wondered who they were and who they might be.

"Welcome back Lord Sage" they both said in sync and bowed.

Author's note

It's kinda hard explaining oona's POV as a third person so I'm changing it to first person POV hope you're enjoying the book thank you

Oona's POV

Sage dismounted his horse and helped me get down as well. He turned to them and nodded while holding my hand.

"Preparations?"

"Ready, just as you requested" the man was the one who answered his question. "The letters were sent an hour ago before dinner at the palace. Guest are arriving as we speak"

"Good" Sage replied to the man then raised my hands up to his gaze. Placing a kiss on my knuckles he turned to the woman and stretched his hand. "Gry"

The woman stepped forward and bowed "yes Lord Sage" he pushed me towards her gently "get her ready"

I turned to Sage, so many questions were bubbling in my head. But one was for sure "why?" I blatantly asked

The man and the woman stared at each other confused. Sage on the other hand looked indifferent to the situation.

"We're getting married, that's why"