5. Sage
Sage
My dress swished around me as I strode through the room.
All eyes turned to me. None of them direct; if I looked they would avert quickly, but I could feel them still, glued to me.
But it wasn’t new. It was normal in fact.
Part of me felt… better with all eyes on me.
It gave my mind something to anchor to. A reminder that I needed to be on my best behavior.
No freak outs allowed here.
“Wow, they really went all out,” Paige commented as she walked next to me. She’d chosen a deep navy gown that complemented her dark chestnut hair nicely. One thing that could always be said about Paige is she knew what she looked stunning in.
“I agree.” And I did. For a dinner the night before, you would think this was the actual party.
The place was filled with everyone who was anyone it seemed.
Large arrangements of long stemmed yaisys sat in the center of each table.
They were clothed in gold with dark green accents for the plates and napkins.
Waiters milled around with hors d’oeuvres people mostly ignored.
Though the trays stacked with glasses of bubbly pink champagne couldn’t make it a single round of the room before they were empty.
“Have you seen Octavio?” she asked, like we hadn’t been together the whole time.
“Nope.” I thought about grabbing one of the crackers with thinly sliced cured meat on top, but suddenly felt nervous with all the eyes on me and let the tasty looking tray pass me by. Dinner couldn’t start fast enough. That cookie could only hold me over for so long.
“Princess,” Countess Nova said, approaching us, bowing as she reached me.
“Hello, it’s good to see you. How’s Clark?”
“The same as ever.” She smiled softly. Nova and Clark had been in court for a long time, always skirting around each other.
It took far too long for them to realize they were a perfect match.
When they finally did get together, it was all anyone talked about for weeks.
They moved to the countryside not long ago.
We chatted for a while as she told me about the new garden she’s keeping on her property. It wasn’t often in a situation like this where I was able to talk about plants.
She was in the middle of telling me about her marigonias that had just gone in when an unusually quiet Paige chimed in.
“Oh, excuse us,” she said, before all but tearing me away.
“Of course.” Nova dipped her head. “I was monopolizing your time. I will see you later, yeah?”
“You were fine, but we’ll catch up later.” I followed Paige, who had hooked her arm into me like claws. “What was that?” I asked.
“Look.” I gazed forward to where Octavio was striding across the floor. He was in a green waistcoat that matched the tables, gold stitching all along the edges. His dark hair was gelled back in the style most men in Peradona kept, and his tan pants were sinfully tight.
“Why didn’t you go talk to him yourself?”
She looked at me like I said something crazy. “I figured… you’d want to greet the host.”
I licked my lips. I probably should, she did tend to keep me in line at times. “Okay.”
Paige took a moment to run her hand over her hair and down her dress before we started walking. It felt so awkward to approach him as he was talking to someone else, but as soon as he caught my eye he did a double take and wrapped up the conversation he was having quickly.
There was no denying he was attractive. An easy smile, a certain…
carefree nature that was almost refreshing in a setting like this.
“Princess Sage, and Lady Paige, so nice to see you.” He bowed towards me, and Paige bowed towards him.
I stayed upright. No one here was above my standing in a way that required me to bow.
“Nice to see you,” Paige started, sounding overly excited. “This dinner is magnificent.”
“Thank you. It was all my mother. She’s truly the event planner.”
“She did an excellent job,” I said. “So I assume she made the plans for tomorrow as well?”
He laughed. “Some of them, but we have… different tastes in parties.”
His tone took on something flirty that I picked up quickly. And if Paige’s red face was an indication, she picked it up as well.
Unfortunately, it was clear it wasn’t directed at her.
“I’m sure it will be even better. Octavio,” she dallied. “Would you like to accompany me for a quick dance?”
For a moment I almost felt bad for them both. His disinterest was obvious, and her lack of knowledge on that made this all a bit awkward. “Uh… I wouldn’t want to leave Princess Sage alone.”
“Nonsense,” I said, my smile tonight for once genuine. “I have plenty to do. You guys should dance.”
Paige was glowing. Octavio looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. “Very well,” he said.
She latched to him like a leech as I was all but forgotten. With my purpose served, I could finally do what I planned to.
Have a drink.
I skipped the glasses of bubbly booze for the bar near the front of the room, where I ordered something stronger.
It was still served in an elegant flute that I held properly.
I wasn’t normally a whisky drinker. Usually, that sweet glass of bubbles was just my speed, but tonight it was clear I needed something a bit stronger.
Family dinner still spun heavily in my mind. It might as well have been an intervention. There was nothing wrong with my life. Just because I didn’t spend all day learning to run a kingdom or sword fighting didn’t mean I didn’t do things.
And why all of a sudden was I expected to do something? It was like now everyone else had a life and a purpose, it was time to focus on me. But I didn’t want to be focused on.
I wanted to be left alone.
“A lady after my own heart,” someone next to me said.
“Excuse me?” I said, but as I turned, I paused.
This man looked… different than ones I normally saw at these events.
He had the same clothes, though they were all black with no exciting embellishments save for the watch chain hanging from his pocket.
And even that was on the tamer side. He just looked…
out of place. Maybe it was the crinkle of his eyes, or the glow of his skin that looked so natural, like he was out in the sun all day.
His tail was bright teal, with blue patterns snaking down in oblong circles. It all shined in the light, giving it an almost duotone look. For a few moments I wondered if I touched it if it would be cold, slippery, or smooth.
He even had a five o’clock shadow that covered over his chin. My fingers almost itched to feel the scratchy texture.
“Excellent drink of choice.”
Even his voice took on a slightly ragged tone that had my face getting the slightest bit red.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” I snapped, my defenses quickly rising in the face of something I was unsure of.
Instead of getting annoyed or offended, he… laughed? And not in the fake, uncomfortable way people normally did if they still wanted to be close for status, even after my unsavory outburst. No, this was a genuine, deep belly laugh.
“You didn’t,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t make it a wrong one.” He holds up his own glass as if to cheers me before knocking it back.
I made no such move, but did take a sip of my own with a wince. Moons, this was awful. I grimaced, unable to help my face. I tried to hold it in, but was quickly coughing up a lung.
He laughed again, and my gaze cut to his. He made no move to cover the inappropriate laughter. “What’s so funny?”
“Obviously not your drink of choice,” he pointed out, swirling his own glass. He took another sip, nothing in his expression changing. He even drank straight alcohol like no one I’d ever seen.
“And what does it matter to you?”
“It doesn’t,” he said easily. “Just making an observation.”
My cheeks were on fire. “Well… no one asked.”
What the hell was this? No one made Sage Yulean flustered.
I slammed the glass down, not bothering to finish the disgusting liquid, and walked off. Ugh, what a prick. Who was he anyway? With his tall body, thick arms, perfect hands…
I shook my head. This was ridiculous, truly. This time I grabbed one of the bubbly drinks from the trays and towards the balcony. I needed some fresh air after that.
The double doors were left open, but with almost everyone getting settled for dinner I was the only person out here, which was exactly what I wanted.
Even with the doors opened, the music was soft, and the breeze was nice and cool.
A bit biting, but right now it did wonders for my traitorous red cheeks.
I took a sip, the bubbles going down smooth and fizz dancing on my tongue.
It made me laugh, if it was Sorcha with that whisky she probably would have shot it straight and gone on with her life, and Sybil would have at least been able to hold a straight face.
She had a long-practiced, immovable gaze that not even a bit of liquor could contest.
I on the other hand made a fool of myself. At least it was in front of some complete stranger I hope to never see outside of this party again.
“A pretty girl like you should never be alone,” that deep voice I’d come to recognize well said from behind me.
I whipped around to see Octavio there, his smile wide and his stance relaxed against the door frame.
I turned back, overlooking the garden again. “Even the beautiful need their alone time.” There was no point in denying it. Being pretty was my thing.
Sage Yulean, the pretty one.
I heard his shoes click on the stone getting closer to me. “I guess I can understand that.”
He came to lean on the balcony next to me, facing out over the grounds which I had to admit were beautiful, although the garden was a bit uniform for my taste.
All the flowers were beginning to wilt without the sun, but I could still see each neat row of merinias, all perfectly trimmed around their paths.
Some of the plants could have more optimal growing placements but they looked well maintained.
“I’m surprised Paige let you go after just one dance.”
“She didn’t,” he said. “Though during the fourth, I passed her along and made my escape.” He turned to look at me. “She’s very… insistent.”
“Paige is quite determined when she wants something.”
“That I could tell.”
I let out an actual laugh this time. “She’s actually the only reason I’m here,” I admitted.
“What do you mean?”
I sighed. “I mean, I’m invited to these things all the time.
And, no offense, but it becomes quite… dull.
But Paige was set on coming, and thought we’d have fun, and I was the one with the invite so…
” I shrugged. Was that probably an insulting thing to say?
Yes. But with all the alcohol going to my head, I wouldn’t say I was at my prime for etiquette.
The etiquette teacher from my youth would probably be having a heart attack right about now.
Instead of being offended, which would be expected, he nodded. “That makes sense. You can’t travel across the country for every nobles’ exit around the world. But I guess I can thank Paige for one thing.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“Being a pester long enough to bring you here.”
My head whipped around, and our eyes met. He truly was handsome. It was in a very traditional way, but there wasn’t anything wrong with that.
I pursed my lips. “You’re a terrible flirt. And Paige isn’t a pester, just… insistent.” I didn’t like speaking ill of my friend, even when I wasn’t sure she would extend the same courtesy in the same situation.
“Only when the person is worth it.”
I couldn’t deny he was clever. He was surely more intriguing to talk to than many of the other men I’d had dalliances with. “I’m assuming you know all the gossip.” It wasn’t something I was ashamed of, even if most of it wasn’t even true.
“I’m not really one to believe gossip,” he said. “Or listen to it.”
“I see.” I looked back towards the dining hall. “Should we go have dinner?”
He gestured. “Lead the way.”