Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1671 - 113 : The Whispering Woods

*Briella*

I blinked sleepily up at Kryzen before I felt my eyes widen as I processed his words.

We made it to our first destination. I had heard stories of the Whispering Woods. When we were young children, my mother told stories of her exploration of the enchanted forest. She told the tales with such wonder that my brothers and I assumed that such a place couldn’t really exist.

Yet Kryzen and I were getting ready to visit it ourselves.

Kryzen laughed when I practically leaped out of bed and started to get dressed. He followed my lead but at a much more controlled pace.

A melodic whistle sounded through the car, announcing that we had arrived at one of the many stops on the Embervale Express. We grabbed our bags. Kryzen took my hand as we stepped off of the train.

I inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air as I gazed around. The enchanted forest, just as my mother had said, was filled with lush trees of various colors and not just the typical hues trees are known for. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a golden glow over the blue, red, and purple leaves.

I looked down at the ground in wonder. I could feel the immense amount of life that existed in this land. The energy was very potent. I felt as if I had to tread carefully or would somehow disturb the magic that flowed through the ground and into the surrounding plant life.

“Are you alright?”

I tilted my head to look at Kryzen, who was watching me with a bit more interest than concern. He had a knowing look in his gray eyes, but it was cautious as well.

It was easy to forget that he didn’t feel what I felt. He didn’t have ancestral roots to this land. I badly wished that I could describe to him accurately what it was like to feel a connection to the very ground that I walked on, to feel as if I was never alone even in solitude.

“Yes, I’m sorry,” I told him quickly. I stepped forward and tentatively placed my palm against one of the tree trunks, running my fingers over the ridges. Almost immediately, a warmth filled my entire body. I turned back to Kryzen and grinned widely. “I’m amazing. There is so much magic here. It’s a little overwhelming.”

Kryzen’s eyes lit up with understanding. He crossed the space between us and took my hand. My eyes rounded when I felt some of the energy travel through our fingertips into him.

“I know what you mean,” he said in a low, wondrous voice. “It feels like the entire forest is alive somehow.”

I looked up at him in surprise. “Can you feel it too?” I asked.

The energy was definitely starting to creep into him, but what would it feel like to someone who wasn’t from there?

Kryzen shut his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. With his free hand, he placed his palm against the tree trunk so that the side of his hand just barely brushed against mine. “I feel something,” he told me. “Ever since our coronation, I’ve felt different, more warm and light.”

“So you can feel it,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. I blinked up at him. “But why didn’t you tell me? Our coronation was weeks ago.”

Kryzen pursed his lips in thought, his hand dropping from the tree. “I guess I didn’t really understand what was happening,” he admitted after a long moment. “I only felt it that day. It was brief but powerful. And then I felt it again on our wedding day, and it’s been extremely potent ever since.”

I sucked in a breath, turning and taking Kryzen’s hands in mine. “It sounds like Embervale has accepted you as its king,” I murmured in an amazed tone.

Kryzen’s eyes went wide. He looked around in wonder for a moment before his eyes focused back on me. “How would we know for sure?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I think it’ll be very clear to you if I am right,” I told him. “In time though.”

Hand in hand, we made our way deeper into the forest. There was a pathway with vibrant flowers that seemed to dance as we walked past. We stopped in front of a wooden sign pushed into the ground. It had intricate patterns of forest creatures etched into it.

“The Whispering Woods is filled with ancient trees that whisper secrets of forgotten times,” Kryzen read, his voice filled with awe.

“My mom used to tell us that the Whispering Woods had a bunch of hidden pathways that lead to hidden glades filled with magic,” I told Kryzen as we continued through the tunnel of colorful trees.

I was growing excited. It felt like everywhere I turned, there was something magical, whether it was the dancing flowers or the colorful trees that seemed to come alive as we passed. I beamed at Kryzen before pulling him along, anxious to unveil all the secrets the woods had to offer.

I was giggling as we weaved through one of the paths, twisting and turning along with it. I wondered idly how we would find our way back but then found that I didn’t really care if we got lost in there forever.

Kryzen stopped so suddenly that I almost fell backward. I turned to give him a questioning look.

His head was tilted back. It was clear he was listening for something.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

I paused, trying to hear what he did, but all I heard were the gentle sounds of the forest. “Hear what?” I finally asked.

He didn’t have to answer because that was when I heard it as well.

It was a nice, pleasing voice, and it was calling our names.

“Do not be frightened,” it said in an airy voice.

“Who are you?” I called out.

The voice sounded like it was coming from all around us. “I am the voice of the Whispering Woods,” it murmured. “I am here to give you my blessing. You are both young in your union, yet your love is strong. It makes you more than worthy to learn our secrets.”

“Thank you,” Kryzen said politely. “We are humbled to be guests here.”

“Those who share the connection you two do are not guests here,” the voice said. “You are home.”

Before we could question the voice further, golden dust lit up another hidden path. Kryzen and I glanced at each other before following the glittering trail.

We continued to weave and twist through the trail, following the golden dust as it materialized in front of us, lighting our way. Our steps quickened when we heard the unmistakable sounds of a party.

We burst through the trees and found ourselves in a glittering glade filled with small, colorful wooden houses. Each one had lights coming out through the windows. Sparkling strings of lights hung from the trees, casting the glade in a gorgeous glow.

In the center were fairies, dancing and flying about to some soft but upbeat music that was playing from an unknown source.

The fairies had different-colored wings and were extremely graceful as they danced against the rising sun, their wings twinkling like stars.

Kryzen and I stood frozen at the scene, feeling like if we moved or breathed too loudly, the magical moment would end.

The fairies noticed us almost immediately, and their little faces lit up. They gestured with their hands at us, beckoning us over, clearly wanting Kryzen and me to join in their celebration.

I giggled and pulled Kryzen along with me, who was laughing as well. There was something in this air, some kind of magic that made us giddy and happy. I’m sure a lot of it was the fact that we were newlyweds, but there was no denying the beauty and energy of this place.

Kryzen wrapped his arms around my waist and swung me around, my feet lifting from the ground over and over as we spun.

Kryzen was grinning widely at me. I realized I had never seen him this enthusiastic before. He looked almost childlike in the way he was smiling at me teasingly, looking like he was going to start tickling me again.

We were both being extremely playful. The fairies were flying around us, encouraging us in our play. There was a strange familiarity to the energy of the fairies. They were acting as if they had known us for a long time, giving us knowing smiles.

It almost felt as if this celebration was for us specifically.

The fairies suddenly rushed off, leaving the glade and flying through the trees down another path.

“Wait!” I put my hand out, wishing they would stop. Kryzen and I hadn’t been able to thank them properly. I wasn’t sure how I would thank them. What if this celebration wasn’t actually for us? What if we were overstaying our welcome?

Then I thought about what the voice of the forest had said. It had said that Kryzen and I were home there.

I pulled Kryzen along with me, running after the fairies. I wasn’t sure why, but I got the strong feeling that they wanted to show us something. I urged Kryzen to hurry as we followed the glittering trail of fairy dust.

We stopped at another clearing in the forest, but this one was even more beautiful than the fairy glade. There were glittering waterfalls and sparkling trees that swayed in the gentle morning breeze. The fairies were all there, smiling widely at us and cheering in their silent way.

In the center of the gorgeous clearing was a bed of exotic wildflowers of every imaginable color. In the center of that was a picnic blanket covered in delectable treats like pastries and sandwiches.

That pretty much confirmed that this was all for us. This was the forest’s way of welcoming us home.

Kryzen looked uncertain, but I just grinned at him reassuringly and pulled him over to the little picnic.

“Thank you,” I said to the fairies. “I’ve been wanting to visit this magical place ever since I was a child. We are humbled to be welcomed so warmly.”

The fairies smiled at me and then gestured between Kryzen and me, communicating how strong of a bond the two of us seemed to have. They then flew around rapidly, creating a shower of golden glitter before retreating back the way they had come, leaving Kryzen and me alone.

“This is truly for us?” Kryzen asked in amazement as we lowered ourselves onto the picnic blanket.

“I believe so,” I said, sighing contentedly as I felt the soft blanket beneath me. I leaned against Kryzen’s side, letting my eyes fall shut as I was again surrounded by his warmth.

“I love you,” Kryzen murmured as he bent to kiss my cheek and then my lips.

“I love you too,” I said against his mouth. I cuddled against his chest, looking around at the romantic scenery. “I think we have the answer to your question, by the way.”

Kryzen turned to look down at me, the confusion clear in the quirk of his eyebrow. “What do you mean?” he asked after a moment.

I giggled lightly, finding his hand so that I could squeeze it tightly in mine. “You are clearly being accepted as the king of Embervale.”