Chapter 156: Book 2 Chapter 21

Fiete

The next morning Julia did not come for breakfast. Flora scolded Fiete and Josefine for overexerting the feverish girl. She also planned to scold Finja later. But for now, she asked everyone to leave the girl alone. She needed to rest.

"The fever should be gone long ago, but the girl can't rest because of you!" Flora snorted. "And then there are the nightmares! You have to be more careful with her! Since we fled our village, she has been sleeping badly."

Fiete was worried. Had he scared Julia? Perhaps he should have waited for the truth. Maybe it was too early. Maybe the girl was still too sick and weak... Perhaps...

But the situation had demanded it.

Josefine's behavior made the magic bond more and more recognizable and Julia had noticed it now. He had to tell her.

He didn’t tell her everything yet. He and Josefine were not forced to obey Julia's will. They kept their free will, even though their lives were now based around the little witch. For both of them, hardly anything else counted. Fiete thought of Peter and smiled dreamily. Only Julia and Peter were of great importance to him.

After breakfast, he went to see the girl. He resolutely ignored Flora's protest. He would choose his words more wisely. And he had to apologize to her. Fiete had not wanted to overwhelm or frighten her. Julia buried herself under her blanket, but she was not sleeping.

"Hey, little one." Fiete sat down next to her and stroked her back, which was hidden under the blanket. "Did Josefine and I scare you yesterday? I am sorry. Can you forgive me?"

She did not answer. Instead, she looked tired out from under the blanket. Fiete smiled.

"It's not so bad, dear", he continued. "But I didn't tell you everything yesterday."

"Not everything?" Julia frowned. "Am I really going to be queen? And you and Josefine... Your magic... I don't understand. And what about Peter?"

"Peter? Oh. That's something else. That I saved him was partly because of you. But that's not all." He winked at her. "Josefine’s and my relationship with you is more platonic or familial in nature. When we first met you in the forest, I could immediately smell that you were someone important. We white dragons have a good reason why we tend to live in seclusion, and rarely visit humans. If witches and wizards are among them, it can affect us. Therefore, we avoid humans. Unless we're hungry... But that's not the point." He nudged her nose. "Our magic has a peculiarity, unlike the magic of the black dragons. My magic has connected with yours, just like Josefine’s. This happens very rarely, but it is possible. Since her mother was a white dragon, her magic was able to connect with yours. Josefine was too young to understand what had happened."

Now Julia sat up. She rubbed her head.

"Do you still have a headache?" Fiete touched her forehead to see if she still had a fever. He smiled when he couldn't feel any. Hopefully, it stayed that way.

"A little, but it's better today", she replied. "So your magic and my magic are connected now?"

"Exactly. Our magic can combine itself with the magic of a magician or magician if our magic fits together. Therefore, we live in isolation. To avoid such a covenant. It has happened very rarely in our history, but all these magicians were very important personalities. Presumably, this is also a prerequisite for this covenant. Magic is complicated. Sometimes I feel like it has its own will."

"Presumably?"

"We don't know exactly, but my mother assumed that our magic notices that someone needs us and therefore binds us to the person. This bond is permanent. And... The history goes that the affected dragons did not want this either. I'm satisfied, so I guess that's true."

"The history? How often has this happened? I thought no humans were living in the mountains of dragons. In the desert", Julia objected. "So how can that be?"

"Long ago, your people, those who could pass on magic, lived in our mountains. Long before you joined the other humans. Originally, you witches and wizards come from our mountains. We have stories of dragons that were connected to humans. The walls of our caves tell of this time. So I knew I could save Peter if I connected our lives. Such a marriage already happened thousands of years ago. Your people left us after a fight ensued. It's a long story. Maybe one day I'll show you the paintings. Thanks to you, it should also be possible to show Josefine my home. Her mother's homeland. The connection to you makes it possible for her to be among others. You calm her down."

Julia pulled her legs up and laid her head on her knees. "Do you miss the mountains?"

"Yes. But my place is here now!" He stroked her head. "With your brother and with you."

Julia sighed. "I don't know... Don't you want to go home? ... Wait! Would you take Peter with you?" She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. That made Fiete laugh.

"If he wants to live with me in the desert, gladly. But first I would have to stuff you and Josefine into a bag and take you with me!"

"What?" Now her mouth remained open.

Fiete grinned. "Don't be so shocked, my little one! We have a magic covenant. A platonic covenant. Josefine and I love you very much and we won’t go anywhere without you. We are enchanted by you and want to protect you. Just like that. We always want to be close to you. I think that's why it doesn't bother me if someone calls me your pet", he joked. "Even though Josefine and I would be more special pets."

"Because that's what your magic wants from you? But hadn't you offered Peter to live somewhere else if he didn't want you near him? Peter told me that."

"That's what I suggested to him, and I would have tried to if he had wanted me to. But the plan would be doomed to failure in the long run. How long could I have stayed away from you? One month? No. Even that sounds awful. And I really like being where Peter is. I hope he never wants to live anywhere else than you. I would have real problems in this case!" Fiete put his arm around Julia. "How do you feel about this? You'll probably have to get used to all that."

"I don't know." Julia leaned against him. "It's all scary to me. Will I be queen? But what will become of my mother? Sure, she's a tyrant, but she is my mom. And do you really act out of your own free will? Does my magic change because we are connected?"

"Yes, she is your mother. But I know that your place is on her throne. And I think our magic has an impact on yours", Fiete murmured. "We dragons can resist the manipulation of centaurs. We hardly notice it when they try... I've never heard of witches doing that, did you? Our stories say nothing about that."

"No. I've never heard of it. But what does that mean for me?"

Fiete could not answer this question. He had noticed that Julia had stopped aging very early. From Peter, he knew that witches and wizards stopped aging between twenty-five and thirty years. The exact timing was different for everyone. But Julia still looked almost like she did when she was sixteen. When did she stop aging? Shortly before her seventeenth birthday? Was it her magic or the magic of the dragons?

"Are you hungry?", he finally asked her. "Or thirsty?"

"A little thirsty, yes. And I'm tired."

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"Then get some sleep. I'll bring you water and tell the others to let you sleep."

"Thank you."

Julia lay down again and Fiete lovingly covered her with the blanket.

 

 

Peter

 

Julia had slept for two more hours before asking for something to eat, which Leopold brought her. Marko and Finn played cards with Elodie, Flora, and Hanno. Well, Finn just watched. Peter could hear them laughing.

He sat with Fiete in their shared room and drew. Josefine kept them company and watched as Peter created new worlds with paper and pens. The two dragons seemed depressed. "What's wrong?", Peter finally asked. "Yesterday Julia cried and, you Fiete, you just talked to her again. I know something happened. Flora seems to know more... So? Would you two like to confess something?"

"I'm afraid I scared your sister", Fiete said quietly. Josefine nodded.

"Frightened? How so? She loves you!" Peter looked at them confused. "Ok. What did you two do? Out with the language! Why is Juli scared?"

And Fiete told him everything. In the end, Peter looked at the dragon with wide eyes and an open mouth. Fiete grinned sheepishly and Josefine snorted angrily.

"That's what you told her? Fiete!", snorted Peter angrily. "That she will be Queen? Julia can only be queen when our mother dies! Of course, that scared her. No matter how terrible our mother is, Juli loves her! She's only nineteen! And she's not doing well!"

"It's my fault. We argued and that's why Fiete had to explain everything to her. We wanted to wait. She already has so much going on. I'm sorry, Peter", the dragon girl apologized. "I upset Julia. It's my fault. Because of me, Fiete had to tell her everything now."

"Friends argue. That's normal", Peter tried to comfort her, but his eyes remained fixed on Fiete. The annoyance was clearly noticeable. "I'm worried about Julia. The wounds heal slowly, her concussion doesn't seem to be getting better... And the fever. And then there’re the constant nightmares. These dreams wear her down. Leopold does what he can, and I do what I can, but it's not enough. Probably all this was too much for her. So you are magically connected to her?"

"Yes", Fiete confirmed. "We are. And I'm worried about her too. Do you think the fever and her nightmares are related? This isn’t good. We have to take good care of her. I am sorry. But as for the connection, don't worry, you're the only husband I'd ever wish for! The best husband! The most attractive one! Only with you do I want..."

"Stop! I don't want to hear that!", protested Josefine, covering her ears.

Peter shook his head as his cheeks turned reddish. "You are impossible, Fiete!"

 

 

Leopold

 

"The whole thing is strangely amusing", Leopold said after Julia told him what she had learned from Fiete. "The centaurs always tell you to keep them under control. And apparently, that's exactly what you're doing." Next door, Marko and Josefine were playing cards. Finn said something, but he spoke very quietly. The sun would soon set.

"No, not really." Julia sat on his lap and leaned against him. The two had made themselves comfortable on her bed. Her fever was finally gone and the headache was almost. Sleep had done her good. Only the wounds needed some time to heal. But the attack wasn't that long ago.

"Not really?" Leopold kissed her hair. "I think so. Josefine always says that your presence calms her down. But let's talk about something else now. The whole thing worries you. Maybe I can bring you to other, more enjoyable thoughts?"

"What thoughts? What do you want to talk about?" Julia smiled lazily.

"About not kissing you enough!" And Leopold showered her with kisses. Julia laughed as he pushed her onto her bed and rolled on top of her very gently so as not to hurt her. "Clearly not enough!", he said.

"Are you sure?" Julia nibbled on her lower lip until his lips met hers. Julia buried her hands in his hair.

"Marko cheats too! He and Josefine don't stop arguing! It's exhausting." Finn bursts into their room. Startled, the two looked up. Finn blushed. "Oh. You're busy right now, I..."

"Busy?" Now Marko also looked around the corner. "Oh! Finn! Come! We can do this better!"

"Just go!", growled Leopold, annoyed. Julia laughed softly.

"I love you", she whispered.