Gates of Annika

Chapter 7: The 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.