Roots and Oxygen

Chapter 20 - Broken Boundaries

"When I heard what happened at the Palace, I had to come! That must have been horrifying for you!" Lady Liniana wouldn't let go of his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you for asking." Sage distracted her with a drink and quickly greeted his other guests. Lady Liniana wasn't who he had expected to visit him for dinner, but she was very keen on him, and he should have known that she would care.

Their parents had been pushing them together since they were seventeen. Four years of Liniana flirting and Sage trying to figure out how to turn her down without anyone knowing he was gay.

"Let's get some food and you can tell us all about what happened at the Palace," Lady Bina said and linked an arm with Sage.

Once at the table, Sage looked around at his guests. Lady Bina sat opposite. Long Brown hair draped over one shoulder. Her pink dress matched her pink glossy lips, but her necklace kept drawing his attention; the real purpose of a diamond as large as hers. Sitting next to her was Mayor Henry of Arum City. Henry wore a black suit and his chain of office around his neck. Sage didn't have to know who he was to know that he was important with a big lump of gold and rubies around his neck. He was nearing his eighties and struggling to fix a napkin to his collar.

At the head of the table should have been Sage, but Lady Liniana insisted that he sat next to her. The elderly Lord and Lady of a Castle down the road thought young love was sweet enough to break rules for, and took Sage's place instead. They were barely able to stand, and barely able to see each other at the ends of the long oak table, with wise aging eyes that had lived through the crown balancing atop three different heads.

Sage did all he could to talk to other people, but conversations always moved on. Sage always returned to his plate, and Lady Liniana always waited eagerly for his attention.

"How long are you staying here?" she asked, circling his face with large blue eyes. She wore red eyeshadow to make them pop. Her dress was dark orange and covered in patterned beads that circled the length of the fabric.

Sage drank his wine and pursed his lips. Sometimes, he wished that he was attracted to her. Liniana had been through her fair share of negative attention from the press. As soon as they heard that she was the perfect candidate for the future king, they tore down her body for not matching the beauty standards.

Many papers defended her, as did a lot of the public, but some big-name magazines often liked to discuss her thighs and her stomach. They particularly enjoyed catching what they said were bad angles. Sage only had to google her name, linked to the word swimsuit, and seemingly unflattering photos popped up with horrid headlines.

Lady Liniana took it all in her stride and printed off the photos the press called the most unbecoming for a lady, and enlarged them. They now hung above the fireplace at her holiday home, proudly.

Sage had been there for her when the words cut like sharp knives, as she had been there for him when the press printed his tears across the front page. The only difference was that Liniana had developed feelings. Sage wished he could tell her that he wasn't interested, but she'd ask why, and then he would have to explain himself, and the rest would crumble.

The evening was a thick vail of fake smiles and pretend interest. Well, it was like that for Sage. Everyone else seemed to enjoy themselves.

He not only had to deal with Lady Liniana leaning close, touching his hand, laughing at every little thing he said, but also a pair of green eyes burning into his skull. Taro stood opposite him by the wall. His gaze flicked between him and Liniana all evening. Sage had caught him frowning at her three times.

Luckily for him, nobody else in the room paid the servants much attention, the way it was supposed to be.

Lady Bina had noticed that Sage was a little awkward and less eager to talk than normal. She was invited to the Christmas Party every year and always made an effort to talk with him. After twenty-one years, she had gotten to know what he was like when he enjoyed himself.