Annalena rushed home after closing her bakery, throwing her hood over her head. The green cloak kept the chilling autumn air off of her skin as she huddled in it. When the wind picked up, she cursed her idea of bringing a basket of food home. While the cloak covered most of the basket, the wind would sneak past the opening, or would blow the cloak off the basket. She did her best to stay warm, but winter was fast approaching. There wasn't much she could do about it at the moment. She was close to finishing her first winter dress, but she had hoped at the temperature would be moderate for a few more days.

Her home was a modest home that her father built for her mother before she was born that sat on the edge of the Black Forest. It had two bedrooms, a small kitchen, and a parlor for entertaining. Her father was incredibly proud of it, and he often kept up the maintenance and repaired it as often as he could. However, her father had been paid to travel overseas and died during a war against England. Her mother passed away a few years later, leaving Annalena alone with the house. She took over her family's bakery, Bäckerparadies, in Freiburg in place of her parents, and it thrived.

Annalena made it to her house just as the full moon rose above the dark trees, and she smiled up towards it. It was nice to have some light in the shadow of the woods. She opened the door to the equally dark home, and it was cold. She shivered as she placed the basket on the table before starting a fire in the parlor's hearth. The flames warmed the home well enough for her to hang up her cloak and remove her shoes. She walked to her room to change into her night gown and brought a large comforter. Unfortunately, the only fireplace was in the parlor, so she often slept on the sofa during the colder months under her large blanket.

Early the next morning, Annalena heard pounding at her door. She wondered who it could be as she grabbed her dressing gown to cover her sleeping clothes. The pounding continued until she opened the door. She found a young man standing before her, wearing a soldier's uniform and had a letter in his hand.

"Good morning," Annalena greeted as the man straightened formally. "How can I help you?"

"Her Royal Highness, Queen Catriona, has decreed that no one can occupy this land any longer. She will compensate you fully, and grants you an estate in Stuttgart. You have until tomorrow to comply," the man informed before producing a letter. "This is the location of your new home that has been prepared."

"Can I ask what caused her to seize the land?" Annalena implored as politely as she could. The thought of leaving her parents' home revolted her, but she remembered what had happened to others who treated the soldiers without respect. 

"She has found the forest to be dangerous and hazardous, so any home or town within a league of its edge is being vacated for the people's well being," the man answered.

"What about Freiburg? Is that being vacated as well?"

"No, Freiburg is far enough from the forest for it to remain populated," the solider informed as Annalena nodded.

"What about my bakery? I own one in town," she explained before the soldier reached into his pocket.

"You will be compensated for that as well. The Queen will take care of the sale and care for the shop so you can focus on leaving as quickly as possible," the soldier replied before handing her a second letter. Annalena nodded as she looked over the letters. There was a description of the house in Stuttgart in the first and a large sum of money in the second. It was more than enough to start a new life, and she was surprised at the Queen's generosity.

"Thank you," Annalena replied, looking back up at the soldier, who bowed his head as an answer. "I don't know anyone with a cart, though."

"You only need to bring what you can carry. The house is fully furnished and ready to go," he informed before Annalena sighed. 

"Alright, I'll be gone by tomorrow morning," she informed before telling him to have a nice day. She closed her door and looked at her small home. Stuttgart was a larger city than Freiburg, and she wondered what kind of house she was moving into. With another heavy sigh, she walked into her bedroom to begin deciding what she should bring with her to her new life.