Chapter 8: The Guardians of the Gates

"Married?" I tried to analyze the word in my brain, "married?" Sage left me standing like a lost child and walked into the manor.

"Wait a minute" I chased him pulling his hand "what do you mean by getting married?" I yelled at the top of my voice "that's not wha..."

"What you prefer being placed under my family's custody or getting married to me is a nightmare, either way you're ending up with me" he pulled my hands and held my waist.

"But I'm supposed to be" I quivered at the harsh tone he used on me.

"Can you stop thinking about yourself as a mere item, you aren't a slave, kingdom or not you are royalty " he gripped my chin and pulled me to him causing me to tiptoe. "Act like it, now be a good girl and go dress up" he left my chin and walked out on me mumbling some things.

"Milady" I turned to the elderly woman who bowed to me ushering me into the mansion. I couldn't help but feel helpless. Getting married without a single say. if it's as Sage put it, getting married to him might be much better than handing me over to his family. Who knows what they have in store for me?

"... It's for my own benefits..." Was getting married to me going to benefit Sage in anyway.

I followed the maid quietly, completely plundering on the fact I was getting married in an hour. My stomach churned, this was beyond disapproving. I was stuck in a corner with only a door behind me, a door I wasn't sure was safe as well.

Though Sage seemed kind and nice, he was a little bit overwhelming sometimes. I was never social neither did I know how to interact with people.

Now I was put in a pit that required maximum socialization. "Milady" I felt my shoulders being pulled. I turned to the maid I was following she pulled in on another hallway.

"Sorry" I apologized sincerely.

"You must be a little bit overwhelmed by his sudden action" I turned to the maid who was now holding my arm. "Don't worry, His Lord will protect you"

The maid might not have meant what she said, or barely said it to calm me but deep down I need support right now. Her voice melted my heart. "Thank you"

The building was quite almost too quiet. I looked around, the ceiling were so high up I wondered how they cleaned all this and made everything shine.

"Beautiful" there were drawings on the ceiling, it looked like a maiden laying in a field of trees surrounding her.

"Who is she?" I turned to the maid while pointing at the ceiling.

"Annika" the woman replied with a warm smile. I could only nod, I don't really know much about this Annika woman, only read about her works in books.

"May I ask your name milady" the woman gently led me through another hallway.

"Oona" I replied shyly not everyone wants to know my name but it seems I had finally put of the confines of my world.

"Lady Oona, I welcome you"

THIRD PERSON POV

The maid who walked beside Oona stared at her in awe. She had seen a lot of beautiful maidens, but what marvelled her was the woman her master had choosen. In Truth Oona's beauty was rare and almost unreal but she have seen much more beautiful maidens in the kingdom, just what did her master find in the girl, that was able to replace Vilma.

"We're here" she opened a huge double door that led to an elegant room. There was a long line of maids standing, each holding an item needed to get Oona ready.

Oona gulped down nervously, all the maids gwaked at her intensely. They were dumbfounded that their Master had a taste for a woman like her. Yes Oona was pleasing to the eyes but her beauty was as well as ordinary.

Oona was bathed which took longer than expected due to the fact she didn't like it. She was never bathed by her maids back at home so she found it offensive to be touched by people she didn't know.

Once she had bathed herself and applied some ointment and perfume on her skin. The maids took action and began to wear her dress. Oona had never felt uncomfortable in her life. The corset was beyond tight and gripping, the skirt was so huge, it would probably fit as a blanket for her.

When it came to her makeup she refused intensely, her mother never applied makeup for once yet she was the most beautiful woman in the entire Gareth. Oona believed in her own beauty.

"Alright, how about we stain your pink lips a little bit and powder your face a bit " the elderly maid who brought her to the room coaxed her. "We have less than 5 minutes to get you to the alter"

"Okay " she finally agreed.

They were all done, she stood at the mirror staring at herself. Her wedding dress was beautiful, this must be the most beautiful dress she ever wore in her life. A smile creeped on her face, a slight pure meek smile that captivated everyone's attention.

Her black hair was packed in a full bun having some white pearls and stones on it. Her gown had a few touch of blue in it, matching her light blue eyes. It was a full turtle neck gown that had an opening on the chest and netty long sleeves. A blue sapphire necklace was seen at the center of her chest.

The maids had round eyes, they were surprised and dumbstruck by her smile. "She looks like a ghost"

"A beautiful one at that" two maids whispered to each other.

"Come on girls" the head maid clapped her hands and the maids quickly snapped.

They placed a single flower in her hand. The flower looked exactly like the ones she had seen a while ago. Her eyes darted round the odd looking flower, it looked like a rose but had filaments sticking of it's centre, and what marvelled her was it's black stem.

"It's beautiful" another reaction from her that had the maids gapping from reality.

The maids quickly snapped out of it and added some finishing touches and helped her with her veil.

"Let's go milady" Oona followed the maids quietly. She couldn't see clearly through the veil but she was able to tail them carefully without tripping over her skirt.

They walked for a while until she stood in front of a door. It was a golden door that had the craving of a huge tree on it.

The doors opened wide and she was ushered in. With every step she took her hands became sweaty her stomach churned and tight. What if she's making a mistake? Shouldn't she just accept death instead. She looked up ahead trying her best to keep her head up but she couldn't.

She's been used to looking low and at her feet. Oona felt nervous scared and lot more of uncertainty feelings. But what would happen if she refuses to get married to Sage.

She finally got to the alter, she was about to trip, when she felt an arm on her waist. She didn't even realize this whole time Sage was right beside her. She peeked through the veil to see his face, he wasn't smiling. She felt like vomiting out of anxiety.

"You'll be fine" he whispered to her "just calm down" he squeezed her waist in a way that had her inners vibrating.

A man dressed in white with a purple belt over his robe walked to them. He held a book in his hand and read some scriptures from it. Oona's heart was beating faster than it normally did.

"You can now complete the ritual and be binded by Yaweh with witness from man" the man stretched out his hands to them. When he held it he placed their hands vertically to each other. Oona flinched when she felt something like a pin piercing her skin. She turned to her hand and found a long slender string sticking through their hands. Her body tensed up and fear engulfed her.

Sage who noticed oona's troubled heart immediately held her free heart and squeezed it to ease her a bit. Oona turned to him staring at his green olive eyes, they gave her a little bit of calm. His smile as well made her take a deep breath and let the man finish what he was doing.

Oona felt the pain from her hand subside, she turned to her hand, it was wrapped with Sage's. Her face flushed at the thought of it being an intimate thing.

Blood soaked the clothe for a while before it stopped and the man yelled out

"You're now binded as a couple" there was a series of applaud but Oona on the other hand was concentrating on the excruciating pain coming from her hand.

Sage pulled her to him, gently removing her veil and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Everyone gasped.

They couldn't even hide their surprise. Sage had an indifferent expression on his face as he glared at his relatives.

The wedding came to an end but not completely.

Oona tailed Sage, she was too anxious to let go of his hand. A few guest wanted to have a chat with Oona but it was obvious she didn't want to talk to anyone for the time being.

"If you're tired, we can leave" Sage whispered to her after, the guest he was speaking to had left. Oona shook her head shyly, that kiss on her eyes was still implanted in her memory. She was beyond shocked.

"Sage " Oona jolted at the thunderous voice that echoed behind her.

A man just as tall as Sage walked towards them. He wore a red russet adorned with golden threads just like his hair. His eyes were bright red and bad a piercing gaze on the both of them.

"Getting married without permission" Oona knew this was going to happen, the disapproval of a family member.

Once the man stood in front of them he scrutinized her to the latter. He scoffed in a way that was close to disgust. Oona gulped in and held her head low. Sage didn't reply to the man's words he stared at him like he wasn't even there to begin with.

"Do you even love the innocent girl" the man glared at Oona angrily, all she could think of was what she had done.

"Hmmm... Not really" Sage replied honestly gaining the attention of a few people around. "But I know one thing for sure" he stretched his hand tucking a strand of her hair aside. He raised her chin up with his hand. "I want her..." Leander who stood a few feets away from them slapped his forehead tiredly. "...so I get her, that's my driving force Manasseh"

Oona's heart melted, twisted and skipped a beat. His words held so many meaning yet meant nothing at all. She could only wonder what was truly going on in Sage's head.

"Aiye" Oona turned to the man named Manasseh, her pupils shrank, she never expected Manasseh to be handsome, she quickly looked away and stared at her sweaty hands. Manasseh smirked mischievously.

"Getting rebellious, aren't we?" Manasseh looked pleased. He turned to Oona and chuckled "there must be more to you woman" he bent over a little bit making Oona crane her neck, she wondered why Annikans were so tall, or was she just short? "I have great expectations from you..." He turned to Sage who stared daggers at him. Both glared at each other intensely, the tension had Oona sweating. "... Make sure you tame this beast and try not to die while married to him, Sage has a habit of killing his test subjects before they accomplish their duty"

Oona could almost faint from his words, was he warning her? "Oh well welcome to the family, I'm Prince Manasseh, guardian of the gate of the sword and Sage's elder brother" he pulled her stiff hand and placed a kiss on her hand.

Oona nodded sharply "O-Oona"

"The lamb" he chuckled brightly "the beast and the lamb, I really do have expectations from you Oona"

Sage glared daggers at his brother "you're too close, back away " his voice was gruff, and his aura cold.

"And if I don't?" Manasseh looked at him with the same energy.

Oona was standing at the center and f it all not having a slight idea why it was happening.