Extra Chapter 29 – A Child of the Moon(POV Luna)
The first time I noticed something strange about our daughter, I convinced myself it was just my imagination.
It happened on a quiet night, one much like any other. Rhydian was asleep beside me, his breathing steady, his warmth a reassuring presence. Our daughter lay between us, bundled in soft blankets, her tiny chest rising and falling in peaceful slumber.
But then, the moonlight shifted.
I watched, my breath catching, as a soft silver glow rippled across her skin—not harsh, not unnatural, but subtle, like the ocean catching the light of the stars.
I blinked.
The glow faded.
I sat up, carefully brushing my fingers over her cheek, feeling nothing but the warmth of her delicate skin. She didn't stir, her tiny fingers curled into fists, her lips parted in sleep.
Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me.
Maybe I was exhausted.
But deep down, something inside me whispered that this was only the beginning.
It happened again the next morning.
Rhydian was in the training grounds, overseeing drills with the royal guards, so I took our daughter to the gardens for some fresh air. The late morning sun was bright, filtering through the thick canopy of trees, casting dappled golden light on the ground. I settled on a stone bench, rocking her gently in my arms, humming a lullaby my mother once sang to me.
And then, without warning, the wind changed.
A sudden, whispering breeze curled around us, not strong enough to be unnatural but noticeable—deliberate. It was as if the air itself was bending, responding to something unseen.
To her.
The leaves above us trembled. Flowers swayed, though no true gust of wind had passed through.
I went still, my heartbeat suddenly too loud in my chest.
I looked down.
She was awake now, her golden eyes—so much like her father's—staring up at me. There was something knowing in them, something impossibly deep for a child so small.
The wind sighed again, like a whisper through the trees.
A chill ran down my spine.
By the time the sun had set, my mind was a storm of unanswered questions.
Rhydian found me pacing in our chambers, our daughter nestled against my chest.
"Luna?" His voice was gentle but laced with concern. "What's wrong?"
I turned to him, hesitating for only a second before blurting out, "Something is happening to her."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
I swallowed hard, adjusting our daughter in my arms as I tried to find the right words. "She's… different, Rhydian. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel it. The moonlight—" I hesitated, shaking my head. "It touches her differently. And today, in the gardens, the wind moved when she did. As if it was responding to her."
Rhydian didn't react immediately. He simply watched me, his expression unreadable.
Then, slowly, he stepped forward. "Give her to me."
I hesitated, reluctant to let go, but I trusted him more than anyone. Carefully, I placed our daughter in his arms.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, a faint shift in the air—something imperceptible, something only those attuned to it would notice.
Rhydian's eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn't a man easily shaken, but I saw it—the flicker of realization.
He felt it too.
His gaze lifted to meet mine, and for the first time since I had known him, I saw uncertainty in his eyes. "Luna… what if she isn't just a child of wolves?"
I inhaled sharply. "What do you mean?"
He looked down at our daughter, his fingers brushing over her tiny hand. "Your bloodline, Luna. The Moon's blessing runs through you. And I—" He hesitated, exhaling slowly. "I come from a line of warriors blessed by the gods. If she has inherited even a fragment of that power…"
He didn't need to finish.
Our daughter was more than just a princess.
She was something else entirely.
I couldn't sleep that night.
I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, my mind spinning with endless possibilities, with worries I couldn't name.
What would this mean for her?
For us?
Would she have a normal childhood, or was she destined for something greater—something heavier than she could bear?
I turned onto my side, watching as Rhydian sat up beside me, cradling our daughter in his arms.
His expression was unreadable, but his fingers moved gently over her tiny hands, his touch careful, reverent.
"You're worried," I whispered.
He exhaled, nodding. "Aren't you?"
"Of course." My voice was barely audible. "She's so small, Rhydian. And if she's meant for something more, something beyond our understanding—" I swallowed, my throat tight. "I don't want her to suffer because of it."
Rhydian looked at me then, his golden eyes steady. "She won't be alone, Luna. She has us. She has you."
I bit my lip, looking down at our sleeping daughter, at the way her small chest rose and fell so peacefully.
"What if we can't protect her?" I whispered.
Rhydian reached for me, his fingers threading through mine. "Then we'll fight for her. Like we always have."
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, letting his words settle in me.
He was right.
No matter what power our daughter held, no matter what fate awaited her—
She wouldn't face it alone.