章節 22: Chapter 22: Cupcakes and Cookies
Oona walked out of the closet all dressed and ready for the day, she was shocked to see Sage on the bed. She didn't see him in the dinning hall during breakfast.
"Good morning" Oona whispered to him and turned to the mirror to check if she was dressed properly. Sage didn't reply to her greeting. His eyes were closed and arms folded. Oona looked at the lilac gown she wore, it had a V-shaped neck and long sleeves. It was a simple yet beautiful A-line gown that outlined her slender curves.
Oona held her throat and stared at the mirror blankly, she walked towards the mirror slowly terrified by the marks on her neck.
There were finger marks on her neck, she knew it wasn't just a dream. Her pupils shrank with every passing second. She didn't understand why she was been haunted. Well she could, but why?
"The crown princess invited you to her party"
"Astrid?"
"The carriage is outside waiting for you" Sage stood up from the bed and adjusted his russet.
"Aren't you coming?" She asked with a weak tone in her voice.
"Not interested" Sage's voice held no calm or warmth in it. It was cold and almost angry. Oona felt a little bit bad, she didn't know what she had done. But it was obvious bringing up Vilma as a topic to discuss was her crossing boundaries.
Sage turned to her with a hard gaze, making Oona shrinking on a spot like a mouse. He walked out without a word. Oona sat on the floor tiredly and just heaved out in despair.
She was certain that God had finally sent the angel of death to her doorstep. Tears rolled down her cheeks, all she could do was weigh on her actions and let her guilt consume her instead.
"Judgement has finally gotten to me" she whispered to herself.
"Ahh you're right" her reflected figure in the mirror added. Dark foggy mist emerged on the other side of the mirror. "You must feel terrible right"
"Don't rub salt on my wound" she choked and wiped off her tears. "Go away"
"I've been with you for years, I've listened to you, cried with you, killed with you, I know your pain" Oona's reflection gradually shape shifted into a man with similar features as her. "To think Nohr would die for nothing, that's all your heart say"
"Go away, I'm not interested in your sermon" she buried her head in between her laps. Death creeped out of the mirror and held her shoulders from behind.
"When are you finally going to accept your guilt as reality, believe me no one in the world feels your pain like i do" he gently stroked her head and tangled his hand in her hair. "Let's be one, just like before when Maja..."
A eerie aura filled the room, the entire manor shook heavily. Oona gripped his neck tightly and hit him against the mirror. It was almost as if she was a new being. Her eyes were tainted plain black and her hair waved like it was floating on water.
"Forgive me, I overstepped" Death vanished in an instant. Leaving Oona to her lonely thoughts once again.
Oona turned to the mirror and was disappointed at the person she was looking at. Her eyes gradually turned normal and her hair fell over her shoulders. Sighing heavily, she left the room with a heavy heart.
Sage strode through the hallway lost in his world of regret. His eyes were still hallow and dim. He didn't know which felt worse, remembering Vilma or being reminded by someone else.
The manor shook heavily and his eyes caressed, turning around he ran to his room, but Oona wasn't there. He walked to the mirror in the room, his eyes narrowed at the cracks that were forming on it. It was almost as if it was being compressed from the edges.
His finger trailed the surface and stopped at the center. "Death"
Oona was assisted down from the carriage. She turned to see a beautiful manor that was painted in white and gold. There were two towers by each end of the manor which had buildings joining it to the main building. She had never seen such a structure before but the building was still magnificent.
"Oona!!" She turned to see Astrid walking out of the manor, Astrid looked prettier than last time and her belly was much bigger. Astrid hugged Oona gently and smiled "it's been a while"
"Yes It has been a while since we met" Oona tried to hide her sour mood.
"Come, the others are already waiting for you" Astrid pulled Oona inside while giggling like a little girl.
Astrid pulled Oona through the bright hallway, there were a few pictures hung on the golden painted wall. There were huge chandeliers on the ceiling gazing down on them. Oona's mouth gaped in an O, she was practically entranced by the design in the manor.
They had walked for a while when two guards opened a huge double door at the end of the hallway they were in.
It was a very large room that had no furnitures just pillows scattered at the center which had sunlight reflecting through the glass ceiling. Sitted in the room was Calli Olivia and Larkin who seemed a little bit uneasy.
"Here we are" Astrid smiled and walked in.
"Oona!!" Callie hummed and walked to her, giving Oona a bear hug. Oona awkwardly hugged her back and turned to the ladies sitted.
She bowed to Olivia and Larkin before sitting of a soft white pillow. Astrid sat in between her and Callie, she had more pillows around her due to her size.
"I'm so glad you all could make it" Astrid hummed before clapping her hands. Servants walked in with trays in their hands. "Today is my birthday and I wanted to spend it with you all"
Callie smiled and hugged Astrid by her side "Happy birthday Astrid"
"Thank you" Astrid chuckled, though she was all smiles it was obvious that she was tensed up due to her pregnancy. "Come on dig in" she stretched out her hand to the food arranged in front of them.
Oona didn't have much of an appetite to eat anything, she tried to focus on the party she was attending but her mind kept drifting off. She turned to Larkin who seemed more tensed than her. Oona somewhat felt pity for her, being a neglected wife was heartbreaking as it is, she could only imagine what Larkin would be passing through.
"Larky" Astrid turned to Larkin with furrowed brows. "Are you hungry?" She asked.
"I'm fine" Larkin smiled at her and placed back the cookie in her hand on the plate. "I ate before coming here" her eyes shifted to Callie who stared daggers at her. Astrid turned to Callie and nudged her to stop glaring at Larkin.
"I see" Astrid smiled and crawled to the tray farther from her, she picked up the cookie that Larkin dropped. Breaking it in half she gave Larkin the other half and ate hers. "Come on don't let me have everything" she giggled.
Larkin was the only person she considered human after Manasseh, she was kind and sincere. Even her soul was untainted. She ate the cookie wholeheartedly and savoured it's taste. She could she Calli glaring at her, the hate the woman held towards her was more than she show.
"Why did you invite the mistress?" Callie blurted out, she couldn't hold back her anger anymore. "Nobility and penury don't mix"
The room fell silent and everyone paused what they were doing. Even Oona had paused her thoughts and turned to Callie.
"Are you questioning the crown princess?" Astrid had sharp eyes that could tear flesh glaring at Callie. "Need I remind you I was born in penury"
"It's fine. To Callie, mistresses are no less than concubines " Larkin smiled like she wasn't hurt by Callie's words.
"Are they?" Callie asked back. Oona kept her gaze on Larkin "you're nothing more than a moment of satisfaction"
Olivia buried her mouth in the huge cupcake served to her. She couldn't even look up. "Callie!!" Astrid warned.
"Forgive me, I just get irritated whenever I see this thing" Callie scoffed and ate her cupcake, oblivious to the mean things she had just said to Larkin.
"The same thing that pleases your husband " Larkin picked a cookie and smiled mischievously. The tables turned and Callie was the one with flames in her eyes. The room turned sour.
"You have no shame milking off my husband do you?" Callie growled.
"I don't, infact I see my supposed shame as a blessing" those words hit Oona in a place that made her heart settle. Larkin turned to Astrid and bowed. "I'd like to excuse myself"
Astrid smiled sadly and watched Larkin leave the room. "She's bad luck, mark my words, you all would regret having that thing around"
"(Sighs) can we enjoy my day without quarrels" Astrid sighed "Callie please don't bring your marital issues in my plate"
Callie sighed and looked away guilty. "I'm sorry"
"I'd go check on her" every one turned to Oona who had volunteered. Astrid smiled brightly, she had noticed Oona was in a bad mood.
"Thank you" Astrid smiled as Oona left the room. "Now who wants to play a game?"
Oona walked down the hallway searching for Larkin, she had asked a few servants around if they knew where Larkin was. They all pointed in the direction she was walking.
"Where is she?" She finally got to a garden at the back of the manor. Her eyes glimmered at the sight of the varieties of flowers. The garden was beautiful and graceful, there was a fountain at the center and some flower hedges here and there.
"What are you doing here?" Larkin's voice made Oona jolt and turn to her. Oona tried to say something but for some reason she felt dumb around her. Her beauty was beyond exceptional. "Why are you here?" Larkin growled at her harshly.
"I wanted to.."
"Are you here to continue from where that brat stopped?" She questioned coldly.
"No" Oona shook her head. Her hands fiddled with each other, she bit her lower lip and smiled.
"You must really love your life" Larkin scoffed and leaned on a pillar "didn't take much for you and your father to ruin mine"
Oona felt her gut drop, "how?"
"Did you think I wouldn't recognize the witieho destroyed my village and her father who slaughtered my family" Larkin stared at her with hate in her eyes. "I know what you are and why Lord Sage married you"
Oona's heart galloped in fear "don't get your hopes high murderer" her peach eyes had flames in them, Oona felt like she was being burnt alive yet frozen to death. "I know master Sage for one thing and that's ruthlessness"
Oona's throat ran dry and her face pale "he'll erase you the minute he notice that your beyond his control" Larkin smiled darkly.
"I can't wait for the day your head would be on a spear, just like my parents, grandfather and the hundreds of people your father killed that day" Larkin chuckled "i always thought of you as a myth and very soon you'll become one"
Oona stood still for the longest time, her spine frozen, legs weak and breath held. Her eyes glued to Larkin's, she felt like Death was finally going to have her in his arms.
"I'm not even going to argue with you" Oona whispered and looked down on her feet, she smiled sadly and sighed "I've been waiting for the day, Death do me part" Larkin furrowed her brows. "Yet I'm so lucky to be death herself, I've taken souls that I could never bring back even if my worthless life was in the line" silence engulfed the garden and breeze stopped, everything was on stand still. Oona's words had reached nature itself.
I just wanted to know if you're alright" she whispered under her breath. Larkin scoffed and walked away, she didn't say anything else. Oona sighed heavily and sniffed in all the tears in her eyes.
每周推薦票狀態
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榜單 
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