Extra Chapter 28 – Return to the Sacred Forest(POV Rhydian)
The forest had not changed.
The trees still stretched high above us, their thick canopies filtering the golden afternoon light into soft, shifting patterns on the moss-covered ground. The air was rich with the scent of earth and pine, tinged with something older—something sacred.
And yet, everything felt different.
I stood at the edge of the clearing, watching as Luna walked ahead, cradling our daughter in her arms. She tilted her head up, her silver-white hair catching the sunlight as she breathed in deeply, a soft smile playing at her lips.
"It feels like stepping back in time," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
I stepped up beside her, letting my fingers brush against hers. "But we aren't the same as we were back then."
She turned to me, her golden eyes filled with quiet understanding. "No. We're not."
We had once sought refuge here, hidden from enemies who hunted us relentlessly. This forest had been our sanctuary, our shelter from a world that had tried to tear us apart.
Now, we returned not as fugitives, but as rulers. As parents.
As a family.
Our daughter let out a small sound, somewhere between a yawn and a soft coo, her tiny hands grasping at the fabric of Luna's cloak. I reached out, brushing my knuckles gently over her chubby cheek. She was warm, safe, utterly unaware of the history woven into these trees.
I envied her innocence.
"Let's stay here for a while," Luna said, stepping further into the clearing. "Just us."
I nodded, following her deeper into the forest.
We spent the afternoon by the river, the same one we had once used to cleanse our wounds, to wash away the blood and grime of war.
Luna sat on the grassy bank, her bare feet skimming the surface of the water as she rocked our daughter in her arms. The baby let out a delighted giggle every time the cool water touched her toes.
I leaned against a nearby tree, watching them.
I had never imagined this for myself.
Once, my life had been nothing but battlefields and bloodshed, duty and vengeance. I had never allowed myself to hope for more.
Then Luna had come crashing into my world, upending everything I thought I knew.
And now—now I had this.
I had her.
I had our daughter.
And I had a future I had never dared to dream of.
Luna glanced up at me, tilting her head slightly. "You're quiet."
I pushed off the tree, walking toward her. "Just thinking."
She gave me a knowing smile. "Dangerous."
I huffed out a laugh, sitting beside her. "You would know."
She leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. "Tell me."
I exhaled slowly, my eyes drifting over the river, the way it shimmered under the waning light. "I spent my whole life fighting. Even before the war, before the throne. I never stopped moving, never stopped pushing forward."
Luna was silent, listening.
I turned my gaze to our daughter, who was now fast asleep against her mother's chest, her tiny face relaxed in peaceful slumber.
"And now?" Luna prompted.
"Now, I don't want to move at all," I admitted. "I just want to stay here, with you. With her. Forever."
Luna reached for my hand, threading her fingers through mine. "Then we'll make time for this. For us. No matter how busy the kingdom gets."
I lifted our joined hands to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "You always know exactly what to say."
She smirked. "That's because I know you better than you know yourself."
I let out a soft chuckle, shaking my head.
And she was right.
She always was.
Night had fallen by the time we returned to our old cabin, hidden deep within the forest. It was smaller than I remembered, more fragile. But it was still standing.
Luna set our daughter in a makeshift cradle, carefully tucking a blanket around her tiny body. I stood by the doorway, watching the way the moonlight painted her in silver and shadow.
"Do you regret it?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
She turned to me, frowning slightly. "Regret what?"
"Choosing this. Choosing me."
Her expression softened.
Without a word, she crossed the room, placing her hands on either side of my face. Her touch was warm, grounding.
"Never," she whispered.
I swallowed hard, my hands settling on her waist, pulling her closer. "Even with everything we've lost?"
She shook her head. "Because of everything we've gained."
I exhaled slowly, resting my forehead against hers. "I don't deserve you."
Luna let out a soft laugh, the sound vibrating against my skin. "I decide what you deserve, Rhydian Vryndara."
I smiled despite myself, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Is that so?"
She pulled back slightly, her golden eyes meeting mine. "Yes. And I say you deserve love. Happiness. This."
She gestured around us—to the cabin, to the forest, to our sleeping daughter.
To everything we had built together.
I tightened my hold on her, brushing my lips over hers in a kiss that was slow, reverent.
The past had been cruel to us.
But here, under the stars, surrounded by the whispering trees and the scent of earth and moonlight—
I knew, without a doubt, that our future belonged to us.