Anastasia should have napped after lunch, but she felt the need to take a walk. No matter how much she wanted to push the dream out of her mind, it kept playing in her head.
This worried her a lot, so she decided to speak with Grater. In the entire residence, she was the only one Anastasia could trust. Grater was grinding some spices on the stone when she arrived.
"Good afternoon, Grater," Anastasia announced her presence as she stepped in.
"My lady, what brings you here?" Grater smiled warmly as she raised her head to look at Anastasia.
"I guess I'm just used to seeing you every day," Anastasia joked. For the past few years, she had visited the stone mill daily.
"You look worried," Grater commented. She had also heard the rumors around the house but did not believe them. After all, the duchess wouldn't be foolish enough to shoot herself in the foot.
Moreover, Anastasia was of more value if she were exchanged for some benefits rather than being sent to a monastery to become a nun. But seeing Anastasia in low spirits made Grater worry.
"I'm fine," Anastasia forced a smile.
Grater nodded, though she didn't believe her. "What is this rumor about the duke sending you to the monastery?" she asked after a short pause. She felt it was better to clarify.
"It's just empty gossip," Anastasia said, shaking her head with a smile. It seemed many people in the residence wanted things to end badly for her. She really couldn't understand whose imagination was so rich.
Grater studied Anastasia's face. Seeing no sign of deception, she nodded again.
"The duke has found me a marriage partner," Anastasia said after a pause. She felt Grater might still be worried, so she decided to tell her the truth.
Grater's heart skipped a beat. Given how Anastasia was acting, she could already guess the marriage was not a good one.
"Congratulations, my lady," Grater said with a smile. Anastasia smiled back. She could tell Grater was worried about her future husband.
"The royal family even came to propose officially today. I will be marrying the crown prince," Anastasia said. She wanted to put Grater's heart at ease, but instead, her words only deepened Grater's concern.
Grater did not feel reassured. The waters in the royal family were deep, and not every girl could survive them.
Moreover, how terrible could the crown prince be for the emperor to want to marry him off to the daughter of a mistress? Although the prince's excellence was praised throughout the kingdom, Grater had lived and worked among nobles long enough to know that things were not always as they seemed.
"My lady, this marriage is a blessing," Grater said, smiling brightly. She did not want to scare Anastasia, even though she was worried.
"I know," Anastasia continued to fake a smile.
"You do? Then why do you look unhappy?" Grater asked, unconvinced. She felt Anastasia was hiding something.
"Do you think the duchess and her daughter would allow me such good fortune?" Anastasia shook her head, not just because of her dream but because she knew this marriage would only put her in a more difficult position with the duchess and her daughter.
Grater frowned. If the duchess had the chance, she would ruin Anastasia to ensure this marriage belonged to her own daughter. The Duchess was someone who cared about status and riches. As for the duke, he always pretended to be blind where the duchess was concerned. Grater did not believe he would act differently this time. She wanted to comfort Anastasia but couldn't find the right words.
"Do you believe dreams come true?" Anastasia suddenly changed the topic. Although events were not unfolding exactly as they had in her dream, they did mirror it in some ways.
"Did you have a nightmare, my lady?" Grater asked, relieved by the change of subject, as she had no way of comforting Anastasia about her marriage.
Anastasia hesitated, then nodded. She didn't know how to explain it.
Grater studied her reaction. "Dreams are sacred. Although many believe dreams are mere fragments of our imagination, the truth is they can often be messages from God. Either as warnings or as guidance to prepare for what's to come," she said.
"How can one tell if it's a warning or a call to prepare?" Anastasia asked. Two nights ago, she could never have imagined marrying the crown prince. Did that mean her dream was a message from God? But was it a warning to change her fate or a sign to prepare for it?
"You don't know. You just do your best," Grater paused and looked at Anastasia. "Who can truly know what the future holds? Sometimes, man's attempts to prevent a tragedy end up creating it."
Anastasia shivered at these words. She would do anything to change such a cold fate.
"You can reflect on your dream and try to avoid the cause of the tragedy," Grater quickly added, offering some hope. No one would simply sit back and wait for disaster to strike.
Anastasia thought about her dream and the events of the past two days.
In her dream, when her father had summoned her to his study to inform her about her marriage to the crown prince, she had been so happy that the news spread through the residence before she even reached her courtyard. But in reality, things had unfolded differently. She wondered if this change was due to her reaction.
"Could I change the outcome of my dreams by acting differently?" Anastasia asked, looking at Grater eagerly.
"Yes," Grater answered. Seeing the brightness in Anastasia's eyes, she dared not say otherwise.
"Thank you," Anastasia said, smiling more brightly. She stood and decided to return to her courtyard. Though she never forgot what she had seen and heard, she still worried about taking such risks with her future.
She hurried back to her room and grabbed a book. She was eager to write down her dream, but after dipping her pen into the ink, she realized in horror that she could remember nothing except dying, cold and alone in the palace.
"No, no," Anastasia muttered, shaking her head as she tried to recall the details.
Knock, knock. At that moment, there was a knock on her door.
"Go away!" Anastasia snapped. She was in a bad mood. She desperately wanted to remember her dream. How could she suddenly forget the key to her future?
"My lady, Miss Maria has sent a message. You should get ready to leave for the party," Rosa's voice came from outside the door. She wondered why her mistress sounded so angry.
Anastasia frowned. She had been looking for an opportunity to go out and interact with others, but at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone.