The Enchantress

Chapter Five

Once Daniella finished the dishes, she cleaned the kitchen, dining room, and parlor before heading up to her room to wash her dress, as her stepmother had forbidden her from hanging her clothes with the rest of the family’s laundry. After she had hung it up to dry, she got ready for bed for another long day. The next day, Daniella woke up before the sun and made breakfast as usual, then checked the supplies. She also kept a small number of herbs used for magical purposes, feeling a mix of hope and anxiety about her secret plans. However, she had to hide those, given how an Inquisitor would come into the manor from time to time to praise her stepmother for once again finding another heretic. Daniella had a magic item that protected her from any scanning spell that would reveal she could use magic, though she had to hide it from her stepmother, who had forbidden her to wear any jewelry. After breakfast, her family left the manor for a party that a noble was holding, causing Daniella to breathe a slight sigh of relief, as that would give her a few hours to not only do her chores in peace but also make items that would help her on the road when she ran away. It would only be a matter of time before the Inquisition discovered her, and knowing the stepfamily, they would turn her in to save their hides rather than bribe to keep her safe. She went to an unused part of the manor and carefully started to combine wax and fire sap to make a lantern that would never need to be refilled with fuel, so she could use it not only for a light source but also to keep her warm in case it would be too dangerous for her to start a fire.

Daniella hid the mixture and grabbed a bucket full of soap and water, knowing that the scent she had added to the soap, as her stepfamily had complained about the original scent, would also mask any items she had made. Her careful concealment was her way of holding onto hope amid danger. It made her life harder, but it did keep her safe from the Inquisition and placate her stepfamily. Once she was done with that, she went on to make lunch, knowing that her stepfamily would be returning soon and would expect it to be hot and ready. She had everything ready, and as she served lunch, her stepmother addressed her. “Daniella, there is to be a ball that all eligible young ladies are to attend. As you are a servant, you are not eligible; therefore, I will not tolerate you mentioning that you can attend. You will, however, ensure that Alreria and Youris will be ready to catch the eye of a worthy noble. As such, here is a list of additional chores for you to do.” Her stepmother told Daniella, smirking as the girl nodded her head and took the list. Once lunch was over, Daniella cleaned up and went to work. Although her stepsisters made things difficult for her by being overly critical about everything and requiring her to redo each chore, her resolve to escape grew stronger with each challenge.

Her stepmother insisted that the dresses be made two sizes smaller than those worn by her stepsisters. Hence, Daniella made less food for the meals than usual, claiming that one of the servants from a rival house was doing the same. Her stepmother then instructed her to find out precisely what the portions were and to make fewer of them, so her daughters would outshine those from the rival house. Daniella hid her glee as she agreed, ignoring the looks her stepsisters gave her. Another way was that her stepmother found beauty products, which, although they caused a lot of pain, the merchant who sold them swore would make anyone beautiful. Daniella was not sure about the merchant’s claims. Still, given how many times both of her stepsisters hit her and threw hot liquids at her, she would try to keep a straight face as she dutifully applied the products and gave positive feedback, though she knew if she said anything otherwise, she would get beaten. Granted, the extra work made it difficult for her to work on her escape plan, but the revenge she was getting gave her a slight sense of satisfaction.

She was still painfully aware that she needed to get out of the city during the ball, as that would be her best chance, given that most of the guards would be at the castle, ensuring that all the guests behaved themselves. As the weeks progressed, Daniella continued to find time to gather supplies for her plan. However, it was not as much as she would have liked, and finding anything valuable to trade was difficult, as her stepmother kept a sharp eye on her. Most of it was in her dowry, along with what was in the attic, which had been forgotten about. valuables. Nevertheless, Daniella did manage to find a few things. The extra work was starting to take a toll on her. However, she was still determined to run away and, hopefully, reach the mercenary camp she had heard about from Flit, which helped people in need. Granted, it was going to be a long trek, and she would be careful where she camped. Still, she was going to take her chances on the road. She had a map of the area, with spots marked where the Inquisition had not searched, courtesy of Flit from her last visit. One of the more complex parts of her gathering provisions was ensuring she would have enough food, as she was cooking less food; her stepmother was having her buy less. However, she would often find fruit on the side of the road on the way back to the manor and pick it up to dry. She would also hold back some meat scraps to dry. Another thing she did was work on making a pot that would produce endless porridge, which she was almost done with. She had started making it at the beginning of the year and was pleased with the results, along with a water skin that would not run out of water. Once those items were made, she would not have to worry about food. She was also making herself some traveling clothes that would resist the weather and make her look respectable rather than a ragged, underfed servant girl.

Daniella also searched through the old clothes for any traveling boots and shoes that would fit her, as she knew everyone in town was aware that her stepmother had forbidden her from buying anything for herself. She ended up having to make her own shoes by taking apart the shoes she found, just as she had done with the clothes that still had usable cloth. As the date for the ball got closer, Daniella got nervous, even though her stepfamily did not notice her stash of supplies that she was gathering to run away. She was also trying to figure out how to leave a note for Flit, letting the fairy know that Daniella had left home and was trying to reach the Blook Hawks’ encampment. Right after she started to bathe, an Inquisitor entered the attic through an unused hatch and grabbed her and threw her on her bed. Before he could do anything, a sword ran down his chest, the tip touching Daniella’s torso. The owner of the sword cleaned off the blood before sheathing it and quickly turned away from her after glancing to see that she was completely naked. Thankfully, he had two women in his traveling party, and Flit was with them. “Daniella, are you okay?” Flit asked, trying to keep her voice down. “Yes, though I would like to get the blood off of me and dressed first before we continue this conversation,” Daniella replied, noticing another male in the room.