Aria’s POV

The next morning greeted me with an eerie silence. I had expected Marian to storm in and remind me that we were supposed to leave for the palace today but nothing—no one came.

I stood up, feeling a bit dizzy. My eyes scanned the room as if looking for something, I took it all in—the room. It was a bit empty with a few wall ornaments and the mirror which laid prettily at the corner.

My eyes fell on a box that sat weakly on a wooden table. I could tell the table had survived years of usage because of how fragile it looked.

I staggered towards the wooden desk placing a finger on the box—it was warm. It was made of mahogany wood. I traced its edges with my finger contemplating about if I should open it or not.

Curiosity got the better part of me and I pressed the top button unlocking the box. The box was filled with different letters that seems to be an exchange between Marian and someone. It had a seal on it, a seal I have seen somewhere before. Who could these letters be coming from?

My hands swam through the pile hitting a sack beneath the box—gold. The sack was filled with gold, many of them. Why does Marian have this amount of gold?

The fighting of rodents on the roof of the room startled me and I quickly shot the box closed unknowingly that a letter had fallen out.

I stood still for a few seconds, the eerie silence I had woken up to still very much awake. As I was about to walk back to my bedding to wait for Marian, my eyes spotted the letter that had fallen out of the box.

I was hesitant at first but I picked it up. I opened the letter and my heart sank at the contents.

“Bring her to the palace through the Eastwood. Do not forget our plan, I have paid you enough gold for this!”

The letter was signed to Marian. What does the writer mean by plan? Is Marian selling me off to some killer? I guess she was right when she said I shouldn’t trust anyone—including her.

The door swung open.

I was startled, the letter falling off my hand as I shifted it beneath the wooden table with my leg.

The figure outside wasn’t familiar nor was it that of a woman. For that moment I didn’t speak.

“We have to leave for the palace now.” The stranger said, his voice firm and unusual. His breathe was unsteady.

My finger dug deep into my skin as I clenched my hands into a fist. My heart skipped a beat.

“Who are you?” I asked, the stranger looked at me longer that usual.

“I was assigned by the royal house to bring you to the palace. Who I am is none of your business.” The stranger said.

None of my business? It’s all my business! Was he expecting me to go with him, a total stranger!

“Where’s Marian? I am not leaving here if she’s not coming with us.” I said, taking a step backwards as the stranger stepped inside.

“Marian already left. She needs to prepare your quarter in the palace before you arrive.” The stranger said.

It didn’t make sense, all of this didn’t make sense. Why would Marian leave without telling me? Why was there a change of plan so swiftly?

“I…I dont believe you. Marian told me we were leaving for the palace together this morning, she would have informed me if there was a change of plan.” I said.

“Who do you think makes the plan? Marian? She’s subjected to orders too. She has left for the palace. You need to come with me now to make my job easier!” The stranger said.

Could I really trust this stranger? It doesn’t feel right, nothing does. The letter I had read earlier had left an unsettling feeling within me. My sense became more heighten and I saw everyone as a predator while myself—the prey.

“I am not coming with you unless Marian is coming with us.” I said.

The stranger could sense the uncertainty in my voice. I was clueless and I had no idea what to do.

“Do you really want me to leave you here? No one would come for you and you know that.” The stranger said.

He was met with silence, he stood there for a few more seconds before turning his back to walk out of the room.

“Wait!” I said. The stranger halted. I was hesitant at first but I had no choice. “I’ll go with you. Just give me few minutes to pack up….”

“We don’t have time for that.” The stranger said interrupting me. “We need to go now!”

I was baffled by his response. Why the rush? The stranger walked outside. I quickly opened the box from earlier digging my hand into the sack of gold taking a few pieces.

I ran after him.

Outside was a carriage waiting for us. It was my first time being outside ever since I was reborn into the body of Astrid. Everything felt foreign, the sky was so blue it felt like it had failed to rain for years, there were more trees in sight than buildings.

I was led to the carriage. The smell of rusty iron filled the air as I walked close to the carriage. The stranger ushered me into the carriage and I entered.

Outside, I could hear the cracking of bone, the stranger was shapeshifting into his wolf form.

I was taken aback by the sudden movement of the carriage. I was scared and worried, I still had this unsettling feeling in me like something bad was gonna happen but I didn’t know when.

My eyes scanned through the carriage till it fell on an inscription written at the lower corner of the carriage.

“On the….2..6…26th of January,1…5…1536” i read out in whispers.

1536?

At this moment it struck me. I was reborn back into the past. I could hear my heart beating faster than usual as if my wolf—Alyvia—was trying to tell me something.

I was taken aback by the sudden halt of the carriage. An uneasy silence engulfed me as the sound of the carriage wheel on dried twig and leaves stopped.

I sat there, my heart beating unusually in my chest. Unexpectedly, the stranger opened the carriage door.

Our eyes met, he stared at me with so much hate. I felt a cold sweat broke down my back.

“Get down. We move by foot.” The stranger said, closing the door.

I was startled. I breathe in and out trying to calm myself. By foot? What does he mean by foot?

I slowly opened the carriage jumping down from it.

“Let’s go.” The stranger said as we both walked in silence.

We walked for hours, my feet began to get sored. The stranger looked unbothered by the miles we have covered by foot.

After what felt like hours and my feet had become slightly numb, he came to an halt. He turned at me, a diabolical curve forming on his lips.

“Well Astrid, welcome to the Eastwood, you’ll be joining your precious Marian today. Say goodbye to the land of the living.”

My heart skipped a beat.