The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 109: Warning

Chapter 109: Warning

Anastasia and her team had been traveling for two days. Since she was sending supplies to the north, they journeyed toward the sea. Usually, it took two days on horseback to reach the coast. Then, they would spend seven to ten days on the water to arrive in the north.

The Queen had arranged for them to travel by waterway because they were carrying a large quantity of goods. If they traveled by land, it might take fifteen to twenty days. Moreover, the Queen believed the waterway was safer for Anastasia. The small box she carried could not fall into the wrong hands. Traveling by road made an ambush too easy.

"Your Highness, this is the closest village to the sea. We will camp here tonight. Tomorrow, we will continue our journey to the coast," the head guard said. A group of soldiers was assigned to guard the provisions. Anastasia felt there was no need to panic.

"Then, we will do as you say. Make the arrangements," Anastasia replied. She was not particularly skilled at reading maps and was using the journey as an opportunity to learn.

The head guard arranged for them to camp at a farmhouse on the outskirts of the village. The family who owned the house had built a small inn to accommodate travelers, as the village frequently received merchants due to its proximity to the sea.

The inn was too small to house everyone, so most of the soldiers stayed outside to guard the supplies, while only a few remained inside to protect the princess. Dorothy, who had been riding on horseback the entire journey, felt utterly exhausted. Due to the heavy load of supplies, they had been traveling slowly, and the relentless sun made her uncomfortable. Even with her head covered, the heat was unbearable. The more she thought about the exhausting two-day journey, the more she suspected Anastasia had done it deliberately.

Her skin had darkened slightly after two days of sun exposure. Although she was not raised as a delicate lady, she had never spent long hours under the sun. She had learned medicine from her grandmother and treated the sick, so she had never tilled the soil like her family members.

When they arrived at the inn, Dorothy was relieved to share a room with Miss Magdalene. The previous night, they had reached a village too late to secure multiple rooms. Only one room had been available at the village entrance, and because Anastasia wished to leave early, it had been given to her. She had shared it with Miss Magdalene and Rosa, while Dorothy had been forced to sleep outside in a poorly conditioned tent, making her night miserable.

At least this time, she could sleep on a proper bed. The more she thought about her poor accommodations, the more resentment she felt toward Anastasia. However, Anastasia paid no mind to Dorothy’s grievances. Although she had the privilege of riding in a carriage, the heat made the journey just as uncomfortable as it was for those on horseback.

That night, after washing up and having dinner, Anastasia went to sleep, hoping to get some much-needed rest. But she was wrong.

She had a dream, not her usual nightmare. She dreamt that after boarding the ship meant to take them north, they were attacked. Because their group was large, they had split into two smaller ships. As they sailed out to sea, it turned out that the ship’s crew were traitors. They appeared to be from Gube. They attacked fiercely, injuring several soldiers. Rosa tried to protect Anastasia but ended up falling into the sea.

"The princess has fallen into the sea!" Rosa screamed.

Anastasia saw several guards jump in after her, trying to rescue her, but they could not find her.

She woke up drenched in sweat.

"Your Highness, are you okay?" Rosa asked, startled by Anastasia’s sudden awakening. She was sharing a room with the princess to care for her and slept on a mat on the floor.

"I am fine," Anastasia replied after taking a deep breath. The dream had felt eerily real.

She recalled the small boxes the Queen had entrusted to her. Someone was plotting against the royal family. The King had already been poisoned. Anastasia couldn’t shake the feeling that her dream was a warning. Recently, all her dreams had mirrored real-life events.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Rosa asked.

"Yes," Anastasia admitted. Her throat felt dry and uncomfortable.

"Your Highness, what did you dream about?" Rosa asked. She remembered the last time Anastasia had a vivid dream—it had been about marrying the Crown Prince. To her shock, that dream had come true.

"I dreamt that I drowned in the sea," Anastasia said truthfully. Although she suspected it was simply because she had never traveled by ship before and was anxious about the journey, she couldn’t ignore the possibility that it was a premonition.

Rosa paled at the answer. She wanted to dismiss it as just a dream, but she suddenly recalled that she, too, had once dreamt of drowning.

"Your Highness, must we take the sea route?" Rosa asked hesitantly.

Anastasia raised an eyebrow. Of course, they had to. The only reason they had chosen to travel by sea was because it was faster and supposedly safer.

"Don’t worry. Go back to sleep. Maybe I am just nervous about the sea and had a nightmare," Anastasia said. She wasn’t sure if she was reassuring Rosa or herself.

"Your Highness, you should sleep too. I heard many people get seasick. It’s important to get enough rest," Rosa said.

"You are right," Anastasia agreed, lying back down even though she knew she wouldn’t sleep.

Shortly after, they heard noises outside.

Anastasia and Rosa sat up immediately. Even if they didn’t know what was happening, it sounded like a fight.

"I will go take a look," Rosa said, preparing to leave.

"Come back! We don’t know what’s happening," Anastasia warned, afraid Rosa might get hurt. The two of them huddled together, not daring to open the window.

At that moment, Miss Magdalene arrived.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" she knocked on the door.

"I’m fine. What is going on?" Anastasia asked. She got up and walked toward the door but didn’t plan to open it. The sounds of fighting continued outside.

"I’m not sure. I looked out my window, but it’s too dark to see anything, so I came to check on you first," Miss Magdalene said.

"I’m fine," Anastasia said before instructing Rosa to open the door.

Outside, two men stood guard. For a moment, Anastasia was frightened by the sight.

"You should stay inside. We will protect the princess," one of the guards reassured her. Only then did Anastasia feel a little relieved. This were not enemies but soilders there to protect her.