CHAPTER SIXTEEN

           Ophelia's POV 

       I woke up the next morning with Sage's hand draped against me. I turned my body to face him thinking he was still asleep, but he was wide awake.

      "Good morning princess," he smiled and started playing with my hair. 

       "Good morning,Mr. Caddell."

        "Have you been awake for a while?" I asked.

       "No, not really," he replied.

       "What were you doing when I was asleep?" It must have been boring.

      "I was listening to your breaths, they are very calming,'' he said simply and I laughed.

        "Really?" 

       Suddenly he was on top of me and I blinked a couple times because of the suddenness of the event, for lack of better terms.

      "You know I love your laugh,"he told me in a husky voice. I was about to start laughing more often.

       "Is that so?"I asked, I frankly just wanted him to say it again.

        "Mhm,'' he replied as he leaned in and kissed me and I moaned in approval.

       "Your highness?" I heard a knock on the door. Why did they feel the need to knock now? 

       "Leave them, when you don't answer they'll leave,'' he whispered and kissed down my face to my neck

       "Your highness?" For heaven's sake.

       "Yes?" I replied. Did Sage stop? No.

        "Your highness, your mother has sent for you to come to the council room  and she says it's urgent," of course she is.

       "Tell her I'll be there in a bit," I told her  and tried to keep my voice from shaking.

        "Okay, your highness."

        "Oh, your highness?" What was it now?!

        "Yes?" 

        "What would you like for breakfast?" She asked.

        "Anything is fine," I was fine with anything but I couldn't think right now. I  prayed my voice did not waver.

       "Okay, your highness," and I heard her footsteps fade away.

        "Sage?"

         "Hm?" He asked and went back to my lips.

       "I have to go."

       I kissed him and jumped off the bed.

       I got us to his room and this man took off his shirt. Was I supposed to be rushing to my room to take a shower and get dressed? Yes. Was I staring at him instead? Also yes. I am sure you can tell that my priorities are confused.

       "You know princess, if you keep staring I'm going to think you want something?" How did he know I was staring?  Not that I was staring of course.

       I teleported out of there quickly, because when you can't reply to something you run.

        I ran around my room trying to get dressed after taking a shower and simultaneously trying to do my hair, while getting dressed. By some luck I managed to get it all done and teleport myself to Sage's room where he was just putting on his shirt. You know I'm starting to think he does this on purpose.

        He put in the shirt and then I teleported us to the door outside the council room where there were two guards. 

       "Princess, we were waiting for you," My father said.

      "Good morning, your majesties," I greeted and turned around to see the old seer.

      "Good morning,"So this was embarrassing but I never learnt his name. He did bow his head to me.

       I sat down on a chair and stared at them.

       "You sent for me."

       "Yes, Faelen here wants to tell us something," My father revealed and I nodded and turned to the old man whose name was finally revealed. We thank the heavens.

     "I have gotten a new vision, although revelation is a better choice of words," the gods are finally being useful.

     "In the revelation, I saw a sword being infused with the powers of the rulers of the Phoenix born and dragon born, plus an elf," so basically the magical beings.What does he mean an elf? Do the gods hate descriptions?.

      "Which Elf?" I asked.

      "An extremely powerful one, like a ruler," how do we get one?

      "Did it look like any of the rulers?" This vision is beginning to stress me out.

      "Yes and no, it looked like one but it also did not," may the heavens help me.

      "How are we expected to get an elf ruler to help us?" My mother asked.

      "That was not included," of course it wasn't.

       "Can a shapeshifter do it?" I questioned.

       "Well it would have to be a very powerful shapeshifter and all the nobles that might have agreed are dead," They are all but Sage and he would technically be more powerful than a typical noble. Then again we would have to reveal his status and that is if he agrees.

      "Who is supposed to wield this sword, because the amount of power in it should be a problem for anyone,"I had the strongest feeling he was going to say I was , but delusion is my thing.

        "You," I physically cannot be surprised anymore.

      "I get the dragon and phoenix part but what do I do about the elf part, that is if we can get an elf."

       "It should come easily to you," such an answer.

        "Okay, so we have two of the three people we need, I will get the elves," I told them and they all looked apprehensive.

        "I am very persuasive."

        "Are you sure you don't want us to come?" My mother asked.

        "No, I'm fine," I replied and they nodded.

       I walked out and Sage followed behind me, when we were halfway gone I teleported us to my room.

        "So according to the seer, the only way to bring Magnus down is with a sword infused with dragon, Phoenix and elf magic, but the issue is the elves will likely disagree,"I caught him up.

       "And you want to try and convince the elves?" 

       "Yes, how did you know?" I questioned and he just shrugged.

       "So I want to change and we'll go to the Salerian palace," I told him and he replied with an 'Ok'.

      I went into my closet and pulled out a dress then went into the bathroom to change.

       I came out and stood in front of my vanity to tie my hair, while Sage helped me lace my corset.

       Instead of tying my hair, I was looking at Sage through the mirror  lacing my corset because he was way too good at distracting me. It's concerning.

       "You know princess, if you keep undressing me with your eyes I'll get sick from the cold," I had no idea how to reply to that. 

         "I definitely was not," I defended, I am pretty sure it sounded like I was lying…I was but that is not the problem.

        "Weren't you now?" And he turns me to face him, then wraps his hand around my waist.

        "I was in fact not," his thumbs traced circles on my hips.

       "I definitely believe you,'' now I was looking everywhere else but at him.

        "Look at me,your highness."

         "I just noticed how captivating the room is," I need an award for my replies.

         "I know for a fact that I am more captivating than a wall," he said in a smug voice.

        "Well aren't you cocky?" I finally looked at him.

       "In more ways than one," he replied in a low voice as he stared at me. I understood what he meant and even though I thought my cheeks couldn't get any redder, they did.

       "Why don't we continue where we left off?" He whispered into my ears and kissed down the side of my face to my neck.

       "Sage?" My voice was going to betray me as I held back a moan.

        "Hm?" His lips were still on my neck.

       "We have - We have to get to Saleria,'' this man was going to make me develop a stuttering problem

       "Of course," and his lips connected with mine in a deep kiss. My hands went around his neck and his hands were in my hair.

       After we separated my hair was a mess and my breaths were uneven. He was also going to make me develop an uneven heart rate.

      So he ended up helping me braid my hair and then tied it into a bum, then used an aesthetic hair stick to keep it in place. I knew teaching him to braid would be helpful.

       I teleported us to Saleria and scared quite a few palace staff. They all looked at me and Sage like they saw a ghost and then proceeded to bow to me.

        "You may rise," I permitted and they all stood up straight.

         "You there, Tell you kings that the princess of Alkazar and Alervan would like to see them," I commanded one of them and they rushed along, while another one of them led me to the ante chamber.

       We waited there for a few minutes before they both walked in and I stood up.

        "King Tariq and King Kian, greetings," I curtsied and from the side of my eyes I saw Sage bow.