Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1678 - 120 : Twisted and Familiar

*Briella*

“It will be vital for you to be able to meditate effectively, Your Majesty,” one of the elders was telling me. “I’m sure you are already well aware that as a leader, you will be required to make a plethora of difficult decisions. Learning to clear your mind instantly will aid you immensely in making those decisions.”

I blinked hard and nodded my head, fighting to stay awake. A few days had passed, and the dreams were only getting worse as time went on. I was getting less and less sleep each night. I attempted to take naps in the middle of the day whenever my busy schedule allowed it, but that was hardly ever possible.

The fact that I was currently in one of my more relaxing and boring lessons wasn’t helping matters in terms of staying awake.

My spiritual wisdom and meditation lessons weren’t normally boring. Spending over a year in the valley has made me quite skilled in those areas, but maybe that was why I was struggling so much that day.

We were in the spiritual meditation room built into the palace. Kryzen had been so thoughtful and had one designed for me, knowing how huge a role meditation had become in my life.

The meditation room was a lot similar to the temple back in Celestial Valley. It had high ceilings with a lot of gold fixtures. There was a stream going through the room and an altar that could be used to pray to the Moon Goddess. It was gorgeous and had star and moon patterns all over the walls and ceilings.

I nearly cried when I saw it for the first time, thanking Kryzen profusely. It was like my own little piece of my home back in Celestial Valley.

It was the perfect space for these sessions with the various spiritual leaders throughout the Embervale. This day, there was one from each pack community we had visited—one from Astral Haven, another from Lumina Mountain, and one from Ethereal Grove. They each had their own style of spiritual teaching. I had learned a lot in my few months of being queen.

Of course, Mathias was there as well, leading the whole session.

The five of us sat in a circle on the mats in front of the fountain. Our eyes were closed, and Mathias was murmuring softly, leading us in the meditation.

“Oftentimes, the correct path is not always clear,” he said. “This is because what is right for one is not necessarily right for the other. The idea of right and wrong itself doesn’t actually exist.”

I loved Mathias, but it was getting harder and harder to concentrate as he began to speak in riddles. I tried to concentrate on my breathing to stay awake. When I tried to focus on what my old mentor was saying, the complicated concepts just caused my head to spin and my body to start to slip into unconsciousness.

I gasped as I felt myself falling backward, realizing in horror that I had nodded off for a brief moment. My eyes popped open, and I blushed bright red when I saw that all of the elders were staring at me.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, bowing apologetically. “That was incredibly rude of me.”

“I wouldn’t say rude,” said the Astral Haven elder, her straight white hair glinting in the bright light of the room. “I am sensing some kind of inner turmoil within you, Your Majesty. Have you not been well?”

It was clear from all of their faces that they had all been aware of something off with me. I probably hadn’t done the best job of hiding my fatigue either, despite the makeup I had asked the maids to put on me to hide the dark bags beneath my eyes.

I took a deep, steadying breath. “I have been having some trouble sleeping,” I admitted softly. If anyone could help me, maybe they could.

“Due to your pregnancy?” Mathias asked, his tone concerned as he looked at me. “It is vital that you get adequate rest while you are carrying a child, Briella.”

His tone was stern, and I couldn’t help but grin at his concern. He sounded so paternal. The fact that he had slipped and called me Briella instead of Your Majesty showed just how worried he was about me. It warmed my heart, but it also made me feel guilty. I didn’t want to worry him.

“My pregnancy probably does have something to do with it,” I said. “I have been having strange dreams lately. They often wake me up and cause me to feel uneasy. It makes it difficult to fall back asleep at night.”

“Dreams are extremely spiritual,” said the Lumina Mountain elder. He stroked his silver beard thoughtfully, his gray-blue eyes fixed on me. “They are often a manifestation of one’s fears or repressed emotions.”

I considered that for a moment, looking down at my clasped hands. I had spent a lot of time trying to analyze my strange dreams, and certain things about them made sense. Kryzen was often featured in them, which was understandable since he was the closest person in my life, and I did see him the most and spent the most time with him.

Demonic flowers and darkness were not something that seemed to be in line with my fears or feelings either. Kryzen was convinced I was still haunted by Tian, but that wasn’t the case. Thinking about the battle we went through was an unpleasant experience, but I was no longer afraid. Tian was gone. I had nothing to fear anymore.

Mathias stood up and held out his hand to me. “Perhaps you are due for a cleansing ceremony,” he said, helping me stand. “Did you have a ritual done after the battle?

I looked away guiltily and shook my head. Cleansing rituals were a common practice if one had undergone something particularly unpleasant and major. Doing one after the battle would have been wise, but it hadn’t even crossed my mind since there was so much that happened immediately following the battle.

Mathias frowned as he led me over to the clear crystal pool, his tone disapproving. “I understand you’ve been busy, but you should take care where your spiritual health is concerned, Briella. That will be more important than ever as you continue in your role as queen.”

I blushed at the gentle reprimand. “I will do better in the future,” I said.

Mathias’ face softened, and he gave me a fond look. “I know you will,” he said. He helped me lower myself into the pool. My eyes immediately became heavier at the familiar soothing sensation of the enchanted water. “Now be still and focus on your energy.”

I obediently shut my eyes as I leaned back against the side of the pool. The elders began to chant around me. I felt the familiar warmth encase me as the cleansing ritual began. This was always an indescribable experience. There was warmth and weightlessness, similar to floating in the water, but it was much more than that.

I was feeling much better when the ritual ended. Mathias helped me out of the water. I felt something lift from my shoulders and realized that I had been quite stressed about my dreams. It wasn’t just because of the lack of sleep. Even now, as I stood with my clothes dripping wet and cleansing energy flowing through me, I still felt uneasy.

That troubled me since the cleansing ritual was meant to take away this kind of emotion.

Later that night, Kryzen and I were getting ready for bed. I felt a bit shaky as I changed into my nightgown. I wasn’t looking forward to trying to sleep. I felt a little more relaxed after the cleansing ritual, but the earlier unease made me anxious to fall asleep.

There hadn’t been a single time in the past few weeks that I had a night free of strange dreams. Even when they weren’t frightening or nightmarish, they still left me with an uncomfortable knot in my stomach when I awoke.

“You’re going to put a trench in the floor if you keep pacing like that, love.”

I looked over at Kryzen to find that he was ready for bed in his light pants and bare chest. He was watching me carefully, the corners of his lips turned down.

I swallowed before walking over to him. He held his arms out automatically and gently took my wrists in his hands. He tugged me so I was standing between his knees. He set his large hands on my hips and stared up into my face.

“Maybe we should try seeking some outside help,” he commented, his hand coming up so he could brush beneath one of my eyes with his thumb. “You don’t look well. Haven’t you been sleeping at all?”

I hesitated, not wanting to worry him further. “I’ve been getting some sleep,” I said, which was technically the truth. “Mathias had me undergo a purification ritual today, so maybe that will help me.”

Kryzen brushed my cheek with his knuckles before dropping his arm. “I hope so,” he said. “If this continues for much longer, we’re going to have to find you some more serious help.”

I winced, not liking the way that sounded. “I’ll be fine,” I promised him but felt my shoulders sag tiredly as I said the words.

He gave me a look that said he wasn’t convinced before patting my hip. “Alright, let’s get you to bed, but we will be discussing this further tomorrow.”

Kryzen was snoring quietly almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. I remained awake for what felt like hours before I too finally shut my eyes and fell into unconsciousness.

As soon as I shut my eyes, I was met with soft colors and melodious music. I walked through the palace and out into a lush garden with bright flowers. The familiar sound of laughter was off in the distance. I thought I recognized the laughter as my parents.

I followed the sound, walking through the garden and coming to a cute little wooden bridge. I peered over the edge to find my loved ones swimming in the river, their eyes bright and happy.

Kellan and Kai were there and spotted me. They waved at me, grinning widely and beckoning me to jump in.

“The water’s great, sweetheart!” my mother called excitedly.

My father laughed in agreement, waving to me and beckoning me in.

I stood on the edge and stared down at all of the people I cared about. Kryzen’s head suddenly appeared from beneath the water. He laughed as he shook some of his dark hair and water sprayed off of it, getting poor Kellan in the face.

“C’mon in, love!” Kryzen called. “You’re going to love this water!”

I was just about to jump off the bridge, but something stopped me. I felt cold suddenly and shivered. I looked back down at my loved ones and couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something seemed off about them.

“Jump!” Kellan yelled. “C’mon, Sis! Don’t be a coward!”

I looked around frantically as the cold feeling intensified. Dark streaks started to appear in the bright blue sky. The beautiful colors around me started to melt away.

Something was wrong.