Woman in the Chest

If Sienna had never imagined doing things to escape the castle, there was no way she could come up with a plan in such a short amount of time. In the past, she had given it thought, but she never made it possible as she was too scared to try.

But after everything that had happened, she was enlightened. She believed there was more to life than what she had, and she yearned for that peaceful and free life where she'd be happy and away from her parents' or the Von Amstels' clutches.

She pulled the cloak from her satchel and wore it before heading up the rocks, knowing well that she was about to step into the territory of Amstel Fortress.

Once the curse was lifted, the soldiers would believe their illusion was the truth. They would go unconscious, and once they woke up, all they could remember was being attacked by bandits. They would search for her and find her by the river, dead. It would be assumed that she fell from the bridge or jumped off to escape the threat.

Sienna couldn't be sure if her plan was foolproof, but she hoped for the best. Her replica would at least last for a week, according to the book she read, and it was more than enough time before the body was buried.

The sun was setting when she got out of the thick forest. She had studied the different maps of the continents, and as she was gifted with above-average intelligence, she managed to pin the maps in her mind, marking the important routes and landmarks.

Her stomach growled with hunger, but she didn't mind it. Her eyes lit up when she saw a caravan on the quiet street outside the forest. There was a huge wooden chest at the back, and as much as she didn't want to be sneaky around people, she was desperate to go as far as she could.

While the old man was occupied at the front of the caravan, Sienna opened the wooden chest and found clothes inside. She took some out before sliding inside and curling her body so she would fit. She then closed the chest before the man noticed someone else's presence.

When the caravan moved, Sienna drew deep breaths. Soon the darkness filled the sky, and the wooden chest's cover had three rows of small holes, enough for her to see the sky above filled with stars.

Sienna felt tears at the corners of her eyes. Her stomach grumbled, but the thought of finally leaving Azure lands brought a swell of happiness to her heart.

When exhaustion settled in, she fell asleep.

It was midnight when the caravan stopped in a village called Froyso. It was a small village in Amstel Fortress, far from the towns. It wasn't a village inhabited by the poor but by the middle class, those who wanted to live in the countryside, especially the elderly, who wanted to be away from the bustling towns.

The caravan stopped in front of a certain house. A woman in her forties stepped out of the house, and the man driving the caravan met her halfway with a bow.

"Mrs. Barret, the new fabrics you wanted are in the chest. They are complete," the man said.

"Thank you, Mr. Rove. I very much appreciate your efforts."

The man went to the back of the caravan and carried the chest where Sienna was sleeping.

The man was a half-vampire who held more strength than humans, so he didn't have a hard time carrying the chest. Though he realized it was heavier than he remembered, he ignored it as he had checked the contents earlier that night and had made sure the chest contained the fabrics he was to deliver to Mrs. Barret.

Mrs. Barret had the chest carried by her servant to her room and paid the caravan man. Mr. Rove traveled to different middle-class villages to get the people what they needed, so they wouldn't have to go through the hassle of going to the towns.

After dismissing her servant, Mrs. Barret was left alone in her room. However, upon opening the wooden chest, her jaw dropped to the floor when she saw a sleeping young woman inside.