(KBTCM) Ch 7: Into The Whispering Woods, An Unexpected Catch!

(A few days later)

(The Whispering Forest)

Rowena's footsteps thundered through the city streets as she made her way toward the main gates. Today, she walked alone.

Sylara had declined to spar, saying she had "better things to do," which probably meant napping in her room for the whole day or harassing their father for stories about his youth. Rowena didn't mind. She needed space today.

Her husband-to-be would arrive in just a few days.

It would be the first time she met the young prince, her so-called future.

And the thought made her stomach feel twisted in knots.

Would he be afraid of her? Would he see her for who she was, or just the giantess he was being forced to marry?

"Does it even matter?" she thought bitterly.

She exhaled as she neared the towering city walls. The guards stationed at the gate—two sturdy men in well-worn armor—straightened at her approach, their hands automatically resting on their weapons. Not that they'd ever dare use them on her, but old habits died hard.

"Your Highness!" one of them said, hastily bowing.

"Evening," she greeted, offering a small smile. "I'll be heading into the forest."

The guards hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want an escort?"

Rowena chuckled, stretching her arms. "Unless a rabbit suddenly grows a few hundred feet tall and decides to fight me, I think I'll be fine."

The guards exchanged awkward looks but nodded, stepping aside as the massive gates creaked open.

Rowena strode through, the world expanding around her.

The forest always looked so small from the outside—little pockets of green scattered beyond the city walls—but stepping into it always felt different. The trees, though still tiny compared to her, stretched knee-high, their branches twisting toward the sky like desperate hands.

Rowena usually wasn't the type to admire nature, but today, as she crouched down, she let herself take it in.

The trees' leaves shimmered under the golden light, tiny dewdrops glistening on their edges. A soft breeze rustled the branches, and she inhaled deeply, the scent of earth and wood filling her lungs.

It was... nice.

Her gaze drifted toward the areas of wreckage, places where she and Sylara had sparred too roughly, leaving behind splintered trunks and flattened clearings.

Rowena winced.

She and her sister were too big for this world, weren't they? No matter how careful they tried to be, everything was fragile beneath them.

She sighed and stood, brushing off the thought as she walked deeper into the forest.

As she went further, the trees grew taller—first reaching her waist, then her lower belly. She had never ventured this far before.

And then...

The fog came.

It slithered in low, wrapping around her ankles and knees like ghostly fingers.

Rowena halted, looking down in confusion.

This wasn't normal.

The forest had never looked like this before.

She took another step, her giant foot pressing into the soft earth, and as she did, the mist thickened, swirling in strange patterns around her legs.

Something wasn't right.

Then, through the haze, she saw it.

A tree—one unlike any she had ever seen before.

It stood in the center of a small clearing, encircled by a dozen larger trees, their twisted roots forming a protective barrier around it.

The tree itself was shorter, yet radiated an eerie glow. Its bark shimmered with a faint silver hue, and from its branches hung vines so thick they nearly obscured her view. But even through them, she could see it—the pulsing light coming from within the tree's trunk.

Rowena's eyes widened.

"What is this?" she murmured, mesmerized.

She lowered herself onto her knees, her fingers brushing the soft moss as she inhaled the thick, earthy scent of the forest.

This place felt... different.

Old.

Sacred.

It was peaceful, untouched by war or fear, by expectations or obligations.

For the first time in days, she felt like she could breathe.

"This is a good place to rest," she muttered, stretching her long legs out as she leaned back against the glowing tree's thick trunk. Her head nestled against its broad leaves, her crimson hair spilling over them like water over stone.

She let her eyes close, allowing the soft whisper of the wind to lull her into comfort.

And then—

THUD.

Something landed on her chest.

Rowena's eyes snapped open.

"What the—?!" she blurted, looking down.

There, curled up against her collarbone, was a small boy.

His clothes were filthy, tattered rags that had seen better days. His messy brown hair stuck out at odd angles, and in his tiny hands, he clutched a hammer that looked far too big for him, its handle nearly dragging on her skin.

And—most importantly—he was asleep.

On her.

Rowena stared.

"...Wait a minute." Her brows furrowed as she took a closer look.

This wasn't just some random child.

This was—

Her eyes widened in realization.

"I-It's you!" she exclaimed, her voice bouncing off the trees.

The boy didn't stir.

He simply snored softly, his head nuzzling into her chest like a kitten seeking warmth.

Rowena sat there, completely frozen, unsure whether to laugh or shake him awake.

Out of all the things she expected to find in the middle of a mysterious, fog-covered grove...

A sleeping child with a giant hammer was not one of them.