Chapter 14: Becoming the Lady of the Manor II

Sage opened his eyes slowly, the sun rays reflected on his golden lashes. He looked unearthly in his posture and his striking olive eyes.

He turned to Oona who laid in an ungraceful way. She looked exhausted and fatigued. Sage sat up slowly and leaned on the head post of the bed. His eyes trailed her face and body hidden under the blanket. Her black hair was scattered all round her pillow and some fell over the bed. He found it hard to believe she was the same person who felt insecure sleeping next to him in bed.

His eyes glimmered slightly, his heart skipped a beat when she turned to face him. She looked meek, calm and soothing for his eyes.

"Don't fall Sage" he stood up from the bed and walked to the bathroom. His glimmering eyes turned hallow.

OONA'S POV

I gradually opened my eyes, I felt a slight headache and a lot of body pain. Yesterday turned out more hectic than I had thought it would be.

"It's morning, do you plan to sleep all day" I could hear his voice echoing in my head. Sage really didn't hide his mean attitude. "Get dressed, your lessons are starting soon"

I goaned in frustration, I didn't want to take anymore of Lady Cornette's lessons. Just a day's lesson had disoriented my body system.

I staggered up gently and covered my upper body with the blanket. I was so tired yesterday I didn't even know how I undressed myself.

Sage turned to me. He had a look on his face that I couldn't understand. He was already dressed like yesterday. I had a question which have been bugging me.

"Sage" I whispered slowly "what happened to my brother's body?"

Though it was now reality that Nohr was no more with me but I still wanted to see him. At least to bid him farewell.

"I burnt it" he replied coldly. My heart felt heavy and squeezed. I turned to him but he was already by the door.

"Why would you burn my brother's body?" I was shocked by his confession. Sage still looked indifferent to what he has done.

"Weren't you going to burn it anyway?" He opened the door "get ready Oona" he stepped out and closed the door.

I was truly never going to see Nohr ever again. Tears brimmed and blurred my sight. Walking to the window I sat on the frame and rested my head on the side.

I was no longer the person I once was, thinking about everything that had happened in just two days, I felt blessed to have such a life like this. I was a monster who had killed a lot of innocent people.

I guess the reason why I was given this opportunity was because of Nohr's sacrifice. A sacrifice I wished he had never made.

"I wish you were alive to see the real Oona alive once more" I whispered to myself. Leaving the confines of Gareth really made me remember who I once was.

FLASHBACK

Oona sat on her window curled up like a ball. Watching the drizzling rain and grey clouds that covered the sun.

"You seem to love that window more than me" Nohr stepped into the room holding a tray of hot porridge in his hand. Oona turned to him with teary eyes, all she could do was watch her hopes wither away.

"Sulking right?" Nohr served the dishes

"Nohr" She kept wiping off the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you"

Nohr turned to the window only to find Oona wasn't by the window.

"Oona!!!" He ran to the window and jumped off. To his surprise the thick bushes surrounding the tower broke her fall. He also fell in the bushes but quickly pulled himself out and ran to Oona.

Oona laid on the throny bushes, rain drops fell on her pale skin. Her sky blue eyes had lost its shade and was dim and sullen, just like the grey gloomy cloud.

"Oona!!" Nohr pulled her out gently, thorns pierced his skin as he carried her out. His racing heart was all that Nohr could hear.

He was able to pull Oona out, but her hair was still stuck in the bushes. Oona sat on the ground crying.

"Don't move" he told her, unsheathing his sword he slashed off the part of her hair stuck in the bushes.

He quickly carried Oona in.

A few minutes had passed, Oona sat beside her fireplace warming herself up. Behind her was Nohr who was carefully picking out the twigs and sticks tangled in her hair. Oona was quiet, she could already sense Nohr's anger.

"Why did you do that?" He said in a calm tone. Oona didn't say a word, she only bent her head low. He combed her hair gently and then dried it with a towel beside him.

"I miss Oona" he pulled her closer to him and hugged her gently, burying his face in her hair. "I miss you, the Oona I grew up with" the fire cracked loudly in the room while rain drops hit against her closed window.

"I'm sorry" she whispered under her breath and rested her body on him. "That Oona died with Mom"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, she was always tormented by her past, something she wished she could run away from.

"One day, I'll bring dead Oona back to life" he made her face him. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I promise"

FLASHBACK ENDS

Oona packed her hair in a low ponytail. She picked a light peach dress today. It didn't have a corset, just a normal A-line gown with a round neck and long sleeve.

When she stepped out of the room, the group of maids who were assigned to dress her up were dazed by the simplicity of her dressing.

Oona who was only acquainted with the dining hall, hastened her steps. She wanted to stuff herself with food before she embarked on another hectic lesson.

Opening the door of the dinning, she peeped through the door. She could see Sage was already eating. She walked in quickly and sat in her seat. Sage tilted his head when he saw her.

He eyed her dressing up and down. Shaking his head, he picked a little chuck of meat and ate it.

The maids present all had their eyes glued on Oona. The chef on the other hand was all stars and rainbows when she walked in. He began to serve her all his delicacies. Oona munched it down happily.

Her happiness soon drowned when she heard a large scream echo in the room.

"Chef Bjorn!!!" Lady Cornette yelled in anger, she stomped towards Oona. Oona who spotted the woman, munched her food even faster. Her actions had all the maids present muffling in their laughter.

"Good morning Lord Sage" Sage stared at Oona with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Lady Cornette removed the plates which had meat on them and pushed forward a plain plate filled with vegetables.

Oona turned to Sage but he tilted his head and nodded his head in a way that meant 'eat it'.

"As the lady of the manor, you should never pump yourself with meat and fatty food" Cornette arranged the plates in accordance.

Oona who could clearly see garnished meat on Sage's plate frowned deeply.

"Milady!!!!!!" Cornette screamed when she saw Oona's dress. "You're dressed in the most inappropriate way" clapping her hands, more women who dressed like Cornette walked in. "Forgive us Milord, we will have to take the lady from your presence"

Sage waved his hand for them to carry on. Oona had doey eyes on, she didn't want to go through the same routine from yesterday. Bjorn sighed sadly as the women took Oona away.

Oona stood in front of a mirror, it was a completely different room that she had never been to she looked elegant in the blue gown she wore. But she could hardly feel her ribs, the corset she wore had completely wrapped her body in a way that left her gasping for air.

Her hair was packed in a way that looked odd. She wondered how they were able to style her hair that way. Oona jolted when she felt a smack on her laps, it was another tight stockings she was putting on.

"As a Lady of the Manor, you must always be regal in every way. From your dressing to the way you work" Cornette walked round her scanning her body for any mistake or mismatch in her dressing. "The accessories"

At Cornette's words a new set of maids walked in holding boxes filled with different types of elegant and alluring gems. They all set it on a long desk in the room.

"Milady, come pick" Cornette held her hand and directed her to the desk. Oona had her body wobbling, her legs aching and her corset pinching her bossom and her face stuffy from all the makeup she had on.

Once she got to the table she stood still and watched the accessories presented to her. Oona never wore accessories so she didn't know what to pick. So she found herself gawking at the items instead of actually picking.

"Milady, as a Lady of the manor, you should never be absent minded" Cornette pulled her hand gently. Oona turned to Cornette and smiled.

"Please pick one for me" she asked politely "I don't really know which to pick" just as she was about to bow, Cornette stopped her and smiled.

Well Oona somewhat regretted her decision. The blue accessories she wore were beyond heavy.

"You look priceless milady" Cornette praised. "Now time for the touring of the manor, also the manner etiquette" sweat formed on her face.

Cornette held Oona's hand and assisted out of the room. As they walked through the hallway Oona felt annoyed. Due to her massive hairstyle, she couldn't stare at the ceiling like she normally did.

"Lady Cornette" she called to the woman who was a step ahead of her.

"Yes milady" Cornette had a book in her hand, it was almost as if she was grading Oona.

"It's heavy, my hair is heavy" Oona wanted to point at her hair but her gown was to tight for her to even move her arms.

Cornette turned to her and smiled "as the lady of the manor, you should be acquainted with heavy hair such as this"

"But I can hardly move my head" she mumbled to herself. Knowing it would be useless complaining Oona endured the pain and watched the things around her.

Every time a maid passed and bowed to them, Oona found it hard to bow as well.

Cornette was overjoyed, she hated the fact Oona bowed to servants, so she decided to use the hairstyle as a means of making it hard for her to bow.

Oona sighed tiredly, she felt like a tamed dog. She couldn't even greet the people who passed her. A group of maids passed by and bowed to Oona. Oona raised her hand a little bit and waved them in a friendly way.

All the maids including Lady Cornette's assistants gasped heavily. Lady Cornette who witnessed this had veins popping on her forehead and neck.

'It was bad enough she bowed, now she had to wave' Cornette thought to herself. "Milady!!"

Oona jolted at the intensity of the woman's voice. Turning to Lady Cornette, her pupils shrank in fear, lady Cornette looked like a villain from a kids story book.

"Did I do something wrong?" Oona asked meekly. Lady Cornette was the one to gasp loudly.

Sage sat in the huge drawing room, the room had all the windows opened, giving a golden glow in it. There were no furniture in the room apart from the huge white furniture Sage sat in.

He had his head relaxed on the chair while his eyes on a huge painting on the wall. He stared at the portrait blankly. Tears rolled down his eyes yet he didn't make a single sound.

All he did was look at the woman in the painting.