The Princess' Harem
Chapter 140: Eryndor’s Kiss

Chapter 140: Eryndor’s Kiss

Viana gasped, she heard what the bee was thinking.

Carefully, she extended her hand towards the bee. The bee flew to her index finger, then perched there calmly.

"This is amazing..." Viana whispered softly, not wanting to disturb the bee resting on her index finger. By being able to hear what the bee was thinking, she felt a strong desire to lighten its burden, even just a little.

Eryndor smiled seeing all of that, then said, "What you possess now is a gift, Princess. You are now like us, able to speak with nature and feel it. And if you can build trust with nature, then you can also ask for their help."

Then, with a serious expression, he added, "But this power is not for mastery with lust and greed. This is a power to protect and nurture nature."

Viana listened to Eryndor’s words while still looking at the bee on her finger, then looked at Eryndor, then at the other Elf Elders. Her smile bloomed, full of gratitude for the gift of power she now possessed.

***

Viana remained in the glade until late afternoon, feeling everything new she had gained that day. All the information, every detail like the buzzing of insect wings, to the slow movement of tree roots creeping deeper into the earth, flooded her mind.

Eryndor, now alone with Viana, whispered in a calming tone. "Calm down, Viana. Let your senses adjust. There’s no need to force it."

Viana nodded and closed her eyes. She focused, filtering out the ’voices’, until finally she began to differentiate them.

And she stayed there for several days. The Elves accepted Viana as one of their own.

She was given a dwelling inside the trunk of a giant oak tree. Her room was simple yet comfortable, with windows and a door covered only by thin root netting.

Sleeping there felt different to her; she could hear everything. And initially she couldn’t sleep soundly.

But Eryndor patiently taught her in the following days. "Don’t listen with your ears," he explained one morning, as they sat by the calm lake.

"Listen with your soul. Every creature, every plant has a desire, a purpose, and also emotions. To understand them, you must empty your mind and let their will flow into you."

Without giving up, Viana practiced diligently. First, she tried to communicate with a small bird, but suddenly, she was overcome with immense fear because the bird saw an eagle flying in the distance.

But slowly, she began to master her new ability. She could feel the exhaustion of a deer being chased by a tiger, or the thirst of a tree that hadn’t received water.

With this ability, she could now feel the suffering of the forest, due to the lingering effects of the blight in some places far from where she was now.

***

One afternoon, she met a young bear wounded by a hunter. She approached the bear carefully, and tried to communicate with it, trying to show that she meant no harm.

Finally, the bear initially roared and tried to move away, but it stopped, tilted its head, and looked at Viana with a sharp gaze. She then tried to convey her intention to treat the wound on the bear’s leg, and finally it lay down, letting Viana approach and treat its wound.

With Eryndor’s patient guidance, she cleaned the bear’s wound and treated it with medicinal plants provided by the Elves. The scent of the herbal remedy had a calming effect, and the bear purred softly with half-closed eyes.

Not only did Viana learn about the blessing, she also learned about the life of the Elves themselves. They were not cold creatures separated from the world, as depicted in human stories.

The Elves were beings who lived in harmony with the forest; they respected the forest itself as an entity, a living and breathing soul. And their lifestyle was simple; they did not pursue material wealth, nor fleeting power, but lived with the balance and eternal beauty of nature.

She herself began to see the world from a different, broader, and deeper perspective. The Kingdom of Elysia, with all its hustle and bustle, felt so complex, unlike the Kingdom of the Elves, they lived more purely, more honestly, without the negative human intrigues.

***

As the days passed, her thoughts often returned to Lazarus. An idea began to form in Viana’s mind, something she had never thought of before.

What if she could use the ’Forest Blessing’ to track Lazarus? Or the people who spread the blight?

Nature has countless eyes and ears; every animal, every plant, could be her spy. With that thought, Viana became even more diligent in training herself to master this ability.

Viana’s days in the heart of the Elf forest passed quickly, where she had mastered the ’Forest Blessing’ with extraordinary speed.

***

One morning, Eryndor took her to a hidden gorge, a place where large rocks often fell, blocking the water’s path. Viana’s task was simple: to ask nature’s help to clear the path.

She closed her eyes, feeling the heavy rocks blocking the way, and also the immense pressure of the trapped water. Viana then stated her intention to the surrounding trees, her desire to restore balance.

Slowly, large and strong tree roots on the riverbank began to move, creeping between the cracks of the rocks. The ground beneath her feet trembled gently, then the rocks slowly began to shift, opening the obstructed water path, restoring the previously blocked water flow.

Joyfully, she gasped, and turned to Eryndor, who nodded, a faint smile playing on his full lips. "You’ve succeeded, Viana."

He then approached Viana, embraced her head, then kissed her forehead. She, who had not expected Eryndor to do that, froze with wide-open eyes.

Eryndor chuckled at her expression, then took her hand to return to the village. With a pounding heart, she followed him without saying a word.

She didn’t want him to know, so Viana changed the subject, stating her decision to return to Elysia. Without letting go of her hand, Eryndor soon nodded as he walked back. "I will escort you."

Viana gazed at Eryndor’s broad back and shoulders, and his long white hair swaying gently as he walked. She would have more time to get to know the Elf man who had been her protector, and at times, acted like her lover.