Sage's POV
"It's okay. It's fine, you're fine, you're here. Right?" She nodded slowly.
"You'll be fine, right?" She shook her head. I wish I could get rid of it, I really do. To see that she hated this much to the point she was having a panic attack hurt me.
"Princess," I rubbed her sides,"He's gone now, you did that. You single handedly ended him," I could see the gears turning in her head trying to make her agree.
"But-"
"No buts. You killed him. He's gone. You'll never see him again. You should see yourself the way I see you," she was starting to calm down.
"How's that?" She tilted her head to the side asking me.
"As strong, powerful, beautiful, other worldly, a goddess, my life, my world. That's just all I can express with words,"I revealed and she smiled. When she genuinely smiled, she scrunched her whole face and it was so attractive to me. Then again, I found everything she did attractive.
"You have such a way with words," she told me and I shrugged.
"Only when I'm with you," her cheeks went red.
"You still want a bath?" I asked her and she nodded.
"Okay," I helped her take of all her clothes, ran the bath and cleaned her off because she was a bit wobbly.
I wrapped her in a towel and brought her into the room, where I proceeded to bring out clothes and help her get dressed while she objected, saying she could do it herself.
I sat down in front of her at the table and heated the food (perks of being a shapeshifter) and spoon fed her. It was so stupidly cliché and the worst part was that this was not the first time. With her I became so sappy that it was concerning.
She seemed to not have the energy to fight me on feeding her and I was unsure about how to feel. Halfway through she pushed the plate away.
"Anymore and I'll throw up,"She said and I nodded.
"What do want to do now?"I, at that moment realized how everything I did revolved around her and I was fine with it.
"You don't have to wait on me hand and foot, go and do something for yourself," she dismissed.
"Princess,I want to be with you. I like your company," I told her.
"I wouldn't want you getting sick of me," she joked.
"Never," I doubted I could if I tried.
She ended up reading a book while she sat on my lap. A while later we heard a knock on the door and she looked up.
"Yes?" She called out.
"Your highness, your friend is here to see you, shall I let her in?"
"I don't need an invite!" I heard her friend complain from outside.
"Let her in," Ophelia sighed and before she could finish her sentence, her friend was already in the room.
"I heard you died! Now you're back to life, how in the realms does that happen?! I would have come sooner but they had to audacity to not let me in," she rambled.
"Hello to you too Laura," Ophelia rolled her eyes.
"Yeah yeah yeah," she sat on her bed.
"Now fill me in," she waved a hand to Ophelia, and turned to her, but when she did her eyes widened.
"Ophelia?"
"Hm?"
"Why are you on your guard's lap?" I finally realized what she was talking about. She was on my lap and my hands were still wrapped around her waist.
"Well, so you see…He's not just my guard," my princess seemed to struggle so much trying to word her sentence that I almost laughed.
"Since when?" Great question.
"A while,''she answered and I almost laughed.
"A while as in days, weeks, months?" If only she knew.
"Years," and once again Laura's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry did you just say years?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes, yes I did," Ophelia replied.
"How many years?" This was beginning to sound like an interrogation.
"Give or take six-ish years," and Laura looked like she had just insulted her entire lineage.
"Six years!" She yelled and my princess flinched.
"That's what I said. No need to yell," and Laura was not paying the slightest bit of attention.
"How come I never knew?" She sounded hurt now.
"In my defense, no one else knew…except Avila," that did not make her feel better.
"I am actually so insulted right now," and Ophelia laughed.
"I can tell," she mumbled.
"What?!"
"What?"
Her friend stayed a little bit longer and before she left made sure to invite my princess to a party she was holding.
"You told her?" I am aware of how shocked I sounded.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"she said, as if I was making absolutely no sense. In a way I think I was not. A dopey smile appeared on my face.
She twisted to face me, "Why the look?" She asked, looking at me through her eyelashes.
"No particular reason,"I brushed off and she tilted her head to the side.
"Well, I happen to love your smile," she told me.
"Is that so?"
"Mhm."
"What else?" I reasoned and dropped my head lower so my head was closer to hers.
"Your laugh,your eyes…your actual eyes," I was shocked she liked my eyes. If I was her I would hate them. I do hate them, but if she does not hate them, why should I?
"You," and lips crashed on hers. I would never get tired of her saying she loved me.
"I love you too princess," I told her as we separated, then I kissed her again. I could feel the smile on her face.
When we eventually separated, "You need fresh air," I told her.
"I don't want to walk, even if it's just to my garden,if I stand up I'll fall,my teleportation is also not working" she told me and I nodded. The teleporting thing made sense in theory.
"I'll carry you," I simply said.
"No!" She protested.
"You rather have me carry you outside to the main garden?" I have never seen so much shock in her eyes.
"No,no, my garden is fine," as soon as she said that I picked her up bridal style and carried her outside to her garden. I sat down on the chair in the gazebo, then placed her on my lap and wrapped my hand around her waist.
"You know I can sit on my own right?" I heard the amusement in her voice.
"I know, I just want to hold you," she seemed satisfied by my answer. She relaxed into my chest and took a deep breath. She made a contented sigh and I could just stay this way forever.
That evening her parents came by to check up on her.
"We're so happy you are awake. I don't know what we would have done if you died," her mother told her.
"I mean I did die," she shrugged.
"What?!" Everyone's eyes widened.
"Isn't that what it means when you meet death?" She asked and we all stared at each other.
"What do you mean you met death?"her father asked cautiously.
"That I met him. Like face to face. At least that's who he said he was,"she looked up in thought.
"Why do all of you look so shocked?" She asked when she looked back at us.
"Ophelia you just said you met death. I believe this is the right reaction," her mother laughed.
"Maybe,"she shrugged.
"What exactly did he tell you?" Her father questioned.
"It wasn't really a long conversation. All that happened was me asking if I was dead only to be replied with a deadpanned yes. Then I asked him to bring me back and he agreed,"she filled us in.
"And he didn't ask for anything in return?"her mother tried to verify, but she just shrugged.
"I would like to assume I made a good impression and got lucky," and I let out a chuckle.
"Well, isn't that interesting," her father sighed.
They ended up leaving the room after a while and asked her to join them for dinner, which she agreed to. Shortly after there was a knock on the door and lo and behold it was Avila.
She ran and hugged her and if she was not sitting down she would likely have fallen down.
"You're alive!" She exclaimed and my princess laughed.
"I am," she joined in on her excitement.
When she let her go, Avila went in about how thankful she was that she was alive (that makes all of us).
Avila stayed and chatted with her till it was time for dinner. On a normal basis the princess would teleport us to the dining room, but in this case that would not work.
"Can you walk?" I asked and she nodded, but as she got up she wobbled and I rushed to hold her.
"I'll take that as I no," she turned to me and shook her head.
"You want me to carry you? Or do you want to eat here instead?" I asked and she blinked a couple times.
"I don't want to have dinner here though," she told me and I nodded.
"So the first option then?" I questioned and she thought about it for a bit.
"Yeah," she mumbled and I was shocked she actually agreed.
"Your wish is my command," and I lifted her up bridal style…again, she grabbed on to my biceps to steady herself.
When we got into the hallway, and into the line of sight of other people, they all looked flabbergasted, then it was followed by a series of whispers.
She hid her face in my chest, I let out a laugh and she hit me on my arm. I pursed my lips shut and tried not to laugh and she was not impressed in the slightest.
We got to the door of the dining room and all the guards present had the same flabbergasted looks on their faces. I have no idea what shocked them, I was just doing my job as a dutiful guard who happens to be in love with his princess.
I took it a step farther and carried her into the dining room where her parents were already seated
I placed her on her chair and she smiled at me then turned to her parents. She cleared her throat and averted her eyes.
Her parents shared a look, they laughed, her mother jabbed at her father's side and they both tried their hardest to keep a straight face.
"Please, Sage join us," her father said whilst I was standing next to her chair, something that has become a habit.
I sat down next to her and she turned to me then turned back to her plate, her ears were red and her attention was now on the plate. I placed my hand on her thigh and her eyes widened.
Dinner came and while we ate I kept my hands on her, eventually she relaxed.