Ophelia's POV
I once again woke up with Sage's hands wrapped around me and I was getting used to it. I was also getting used to the fact that I can't wake up before him. He was quite literally always awake when I was.
"How come you always wake up before me?" My eyebrows furrowed in question as he played with my hair;his favorite pastime. He just shrugged it off.
"Do you remember the first time we kissed?" I asked after sometime, for a reason I personally know not off.
"Firstly, I kissed you and secondly,you quite literally ran away from me. How could I forget?"he chuckled and I rolled my eyes, as heat went up my neck.
"I have no recollection of that ever happening," I averted my eyes.
"Is that so? Because I clearly remember you looking at me, blinking and then running,"okay so maybe it did happen.
"I wouldn't say I ran," I denied and he looked at me as if to say, 'really?'
"Yes, you made a strategic retreat," he deadpanned, making me giggle.
"Exactly," I laughed through my words.
"No but in all seriousness I could never forget," he told me and I could see the affection in his eyes.
"Why?" I whispered.
"Well," he said as he stared into my eyes, twisted a strand of my hair around his fingers, "it was the first time I allowed myself to acknowledge I actually felt something for you. In my head-my questionable head- I thought if I kissed you you would maybe reject me and I would be slapped back into reality, and maybe I would stop being emotionally conflicted about you. You started off hating my guts, I mean I don't blame you, I was one cocky bastard. When I kissed you and you didn't pull away, I could have sworn fireworks went off in my head. Then, when we parted, you were flushed red and I thought, maybe you liked it too," my face was as red as it could be and I was smiling ear to ear.
"I did have feelings for you at that time too," I told him and he smirked.
"But then you ran and had me questioning everything," I rolled my eyes and turned my face away from him. He cupped my cheek and turned my face back to him
"Did it slap me back to reality? No," and I raised a brow, trying to hold back my smile.
"What? So this isn't reality to you?"I asked him, tilting my head slightly and squinting at him.
"No. Princess, being with you is a dream, one that I never want to wake up from," Well he certainly had a way with words, because my feminism flew out my window.
"I don't even know what to say," Heavens help me. He just laughed it off, and pulled me into his chest.
"You don't need to," he kissed the top of my head and I happily melted into him.
A while later a knock came from the door,"Your highness?" It was Avila.
"Yes, Avila?" I answered.
"May I come in?" I looked at Sage who was shirtless and he did not like like he wanted to put one on.
"Yes," and she sauntered into my room, hands on her hips.
I sat up in bed and Sage did too, making sure to pull me into his side.
"I am on a mission to get you out of this room and no your garden doesn't count as exiting," my mouth was shut again.
"Why?" I yawned and she looked unhappy.
"Because everyone thinks you're dead, and it would be interesting if people knew you came back from death,"I started laughing.
"That's why you want me to come out?" I laughed and she nodded like I was the one that sounded crazy.
"I'll get you breakfast and you get a shower," she told me and pranced back out.
I ended up listening to her and taking a shower…with Sage. Moving on, I got dressed and so did he while I wondered how he had clothes here.
As if she timed it Avila walked back in holding a plate of food and set it down on the table. There were two plates of food, one of which was shockingly for Sage. I am very happy that they do not want to kill each other anymore, although I can not be sure.
We ate and then I decided to try out my teleportation. I snapped my fingers and nothing. Absolutely nothing, my face fell. When I said I wanted to come back to life, I feel like it was a given that I wanted to come back with everything I could do before.
"It's fine, it'll come back eventually, and if it does I can just carry you everywhere when you don't want to walk," I laughed even though I could not tell if he was joking, something told me that he would if I asked him.
I placed my palm in front of me and a flame appeared in it, at least I still had that. Then I clicked my wrist and my vase lifted into the air, so my magic was fine. For one of the most objectively important things I lifted up my hands to put up a barrier and it WORKED. My relief was so funny to me.
"Congratulations!"
We all walked out of my room with Avila walking behind me and Sage next to me. The looks I got were a mix of shock, joy, confusion, and skepticism. I did not understand the skepticism part. Were they skeptical about me being alive? Because I was right here. I do not blame them though.
During our walk I ran into my godfather. He opened his hands for a hug and I wrapped my hands around him.
"See now I can brag that my goddaughter came back from the dead," he laughed and I did too.
"In all seriousness, I am so happy you're back. I was actually coming to your room. I would have come a while ago but I didn't want to overwhelm you," he explained and I nodded.
"No, no it's fine," I told him.
I told him about my walk and he told me he had something to do, so we went our separate ways. Before he walked away his eyes shifted to Sage and he knew.
We walked down further and heard murmuring. Me being the overly curious person that I am had to go look. I saw a beautiful woman and when her eyes caught mine, she smiled and walked away from all the help.
"Well if it isn't my favorite niece," she smiled walking up to me, arms spread out to announce her presence.
"Aunt Skylar, why are you here?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. My aunt Skylar basically denied any title. My mother being the eldest was destined to take the throne and she never wanted a title at all. She was supposed to be known as duchess but that was not an option anymore. She was still considered royalty by everyone, being my mother's sister and all. Now she spends her days traveling the realms and at this point there is nowhere she has not been.
"I heard what happened," she told me and my brows furrowed.
"How?"
"Are you questioning my methods?" She sounded appalled.
"Of course not," I denied placing my hand on my chest in denial, making her laugh.
"Your mother told me," and I nodded in realization.
"I'm disappointed that I never caught on to you and Sage here's relationship," my brows shot up to the ceiling. For heaven's sake.
"I assume my mother told you that too?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"She did," and I sighed out a laugh.
"But the two of you do make a very picturesque couple," I have no idea what I expected from my aunt.
"Thank you," I laughed out, glancing up at Sage. He was very visually appealing.
"I'll let you get back to your walk, I'll be here today and tomorrow," she told me and I nodded.
"Okay. It's great to have you here," and she turned back to me.
"It's good to be here," she smiled and probably went to find her sister, trailed by help.
"Who else do you think knows about us?" I turned my head to Sage.
"Who knows, but I quite personally want the whole world to know you're with me," and my face went red. I heard Avila gag and turned to her.
"Both of you are too cheesy," she rolled her eyes and I started laughing.
We went to the courtyard we're the royal guard were and immediately we walked in. They all turned to me and took a knee before me.
"What are they doing?" I asked Safe, normally they gave me the usual bow but this was over the top.
My question was answered when the captain of the royal guards stood before me,"Your highness, I would like to thank you on behalf of the troops," and then he took a knee.
"I was just doing my duty. You all were quite admirable on the battlefield," u am physically incapable of handling people bowing to me like that. How I was going to handle it when I took the throne? Who knows.
Anyways, they did end up standing up and then to my surprise they all went back to their places and started sparring in rounds for my entertainment.
Sage told someone to get me a chair, "What about you?" I asked as they placed the chair behind me.
"You're the one who needs to rest,"I rolled my eyes and sat down. Instead I ended up asking them to get a chair for Avila.
The way the matches worked was that two people would start and who ever won the first round would advance to the second, but if they were beat then whoever beat them would advance. I for one loved watching people spar because everyone had different styles.
They went on and Sage told me their names and who they were, even though I served with some I had no idea some of their names.
Around halfway through, someone came up from behind me,"Your highness," I turned my head to see Nymeria; Sage's mother.
"No, no, no, don't call me your highness," I shook my head. I frankly cannot handle Sage's mother calling me by title. Even if she was not, we shared a cell together.
"My name is enough, get her a chair" I told her, and waved off one of the help.
"Okay, only if you call me mother," Well that was a curveball. As she sat down, I heard Sage laugh and I turned to glare at him.
"Oh okay…mother," and me and Sage weren't even married. I wonder how he would look in wedding attire - Wait why was I thinking about getting married.
"Good. Sage told me what happened, I am happy you're awake. You had us all worried there," she revealed and I laughed.
"Thank you for the concern, but I'm fine now, really," except for the fact that the damned scar was still there.
"Even at that, I hope you are resting. Sage, she is resting right?" His mother asked him.
"Yes, mother, I am making sure of it," he replied to her and she nodded.
At that moment, cheers erupted and we all turned to the courtyard where one knight was on the floor and the other was standing victoriously over him. The knight had basically won every match.
I clapped, because it was a show, not that intriguing but a show nonetheless.
"Princess?" Sage bent his head to whisper in my ear.
"Yes?"I turned to face him.
"Do you want an actual show?" He smirked and I smiled in confusion.
"What do you want to do?" I asked and he just smiled slyly and walked towards the courtyard.
"What is he doing?" Ny- mother asked.
"I have no idea," I laughed.
Well, he decided to go up against the knight that won. Everyone was looking at each other in shock. Sage wasn't one to spar with them unless he had to. So everyone was shocked that he chose to.
I have no idea why the knight looked so happy, to go up against Sage, if I was him I would not be, but whatever floats his boat.
They both took their stances and all eyes were on them in anticipation. Sage looked confident as ever, but I could see fear in his opponent's eyes.
"Strike!" and so it began. He flung at Sage in precise strokes but he languidly avoided it. It made me wonder why most of them were on the offense, but I would have to give it to the knight, he was good.
Sage blocked each of his strikes but by some fluke of luck, his opponent managed to slice his shirt off. Not that I was complaining, the sight was lovely. He wasn't complaining either because he looked at me with a small smirk on his face. Cocky much.
Then the gloves were off, Sage wanted to finish the fight and the opponent wasn't doing a good job. Strike after strike, Sage swung and then the sword was out of his opponent's hand and Sage's sword was pointed at his chest.
Once again cheers erupted in the yard, he shook his opponent's hands and walked back to where Me, his mother and Avila were seated.
"Did you like the show?"he asked, bending his head down to my level. I looked down at his chest, then his face.
"Which one?" I rasped.
"Whichever was your favorite," he said, making me giggle.