Chapter 37: Chapter 34

Julia

 

Blue-green wings. A kiss. A village. Fire. Her mother's angry eyes. Peter. A bouquet of flowers. Two wolves, one white, the other black, lying in a sunny meadow. A child with shimmering pink wings, not older than three years. A brown wolf puppy. Peter walks through a small village in the middle of the forest and talks to Leopold. Tree houses. A black wolf lying under a tree and the sleeping Finn leans against him. Fire.

 

Julia woke up. Birds chirped outside. Their singing had woken her up. Tired, she crawled out of her bed and got a coffee from the kitchen.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Sophie, who was taking freshly baked buns out of the oven. She had made the dough the night before.

"Yes... But I had a vision again." She yawned and sat down at the kitchen table with her coffee. "A village in the forest, fire... I think it's the future. But the vision is not precise enough to know what will happen."

"Well, I'm not a witch, just a simple person, but as far as I know, visions are usually very inaccurate?"

Julia nodded and drank her coffee.

Finn came into the kitchen tired, took a glass of water, and sat down next to Julia. "Good morning," he murmured and yawned. "What's your favorite color?"

Julia looked at him confused. "My favorite color."

"Yes."

"Why do you ask?" she wanted to know. Sophie giggled softly.

"That's a secret," Finn replied. "I can't tell you yet." He and Sophie gave each other knowing glances. Whatever it was, Sophie knew.

"But you need to know, my favorite color, for this?" Julia took a sip of coffee. "So it's something for me?" What was he up to?

"Right."

"I really like violet and yellow."

"I also like violet. Where are the other two, Finn?" Sophie looked insistently at the young wolf. "Are they still asleep?"

"Marko is. Leopold is trying to wake him up."

Julia ruffled Finn's hair with a smile, he looked at her in surprise, and then went to her bathroom to get ready for the day. So he wanted to give her something... Did she deserve a gift?

The first lesson of the day was magic. Julia sat down in her seat and greeted Helga, who was watching some of her classmates. Her classmates were still excited by the guest speaker's visit. Those who showed the magic very late sat together in the back of the room and talked about what they would do if they showed all kinds of magic.

"It's very unlikely that they will show any more magic. That's far too rare," Helga murmured. Meanwhile, Philip arrived in the classroom and sat down in his seat. In his hand, he held a rolled pancake, which he enjoyed with relish.

"Good morning!" he said, and see you again from his pancake. "Whot did I mipf?"

"Nothing," Helga replied. "Some of our classmates are hoping to get more magic."

"I can underftand fhat." Philip looked at the small group and swallowed the last piece of his pancake. "If my magic had shown itself late, I would also hope to be one of the most powerful. Do you want more magic? Julia?"

"No, not really," she shook her head. "But I would be happy for the others."

"Well... For seers, the difference between those with strong gifts and those with low gifts is not as serious as for healers. Or those who use manipulative magic. Right?", Helga wanted to know. "I want to work in the hospital later. So I'm glad my magic showed when I was fourteen and not just recently. My talent is not one of the strongest, but I will be a good healer."

Philip nodded. "I was thirteen when my magic began to show itself. I want to join the military. Serving the country. If my talent were weak, I could forget that."

"Why?", Julia wanted to know. "You're a healer too, right?"

"Philip wants to be a military doctor," Helga answered the question. "The military only takes healers with a strong talent."

"I didn't know that." In fact, Julia wasn't interested in the military either. So it was no wonder she hadn't known this.

"Good morning!" Marie came into the classroom with Pia. She squeezed Julia and sat down on Julia’s and Helga's table. "Are you free today? Do you want to go to the city today? Pia is also coming along. I persuaded her!"

Pia was already on her way to her place. In the meantime, their three teachers had also arrived and divided the class into groups again. Since they were taught in groups, two more teachers came to the class.

 

Marko

 

The dishes of the breakfast piled up in front of him. Marko was busy washing them, but the dishes didn't get less. The kitchen staff was already busy preparing lunch. By then, he and the other servants must have finished their job. Three other servants, all elves, were busy together with him washing and drying dishes. The dishes were also piling up in front of them. Leopold was in the dining room with two werewolves to clean everything up.

The three elves, Henrike, Johanna, and  Manuel, talked about their favorite food and the students they had come with. Henrike and Johanna belonged to two third-year witches and Manuel was owned by a second-year wizard. The two witches were part of rich merchant families, while the wizard belonged to the country gentry, Marko learned while listening to their conversation.

Marko knew that the two werewolves belonged to the director of the academy, who also lived on the property of the academy. The two only helped in the morning. After that, they took care of the director's budget.

Marko imagined that the stacked dishes were a mountain he had to climb. He was an adventurer on a mountain tour! He progressed very slowly because the path was arduous. Especially since the mountains of dishes just did not want to get smaller and something was constantly added ...

Marko longed for the mountains of his homeland. He longed to roam the mountains as a wolf and run under the few trees and between bushes. He longed for his family. How were they doing? Did they miss him as much as he missed them?

What were they doing right now?

Were they still sitting at the breakfast table? Did his father settle a quarrel that had broken out in the pack? Did they meet Finn's parents?

Finn.

Marko sighed. He had to be more careful. He could have hurt the fragile wolf in his sleep. Fortunately, nothing had happened.

What was Finn doing now?

Did he sew the dress he wanted to sew for the princess?

Marko grinned.

He had always wondered what the lone wolf, who never left the house, liked to do. Did he read books? He did not expect that he liked to knit, embroider and sew. Marko's friends weren't interested in it. He himself had never been interested in it. He liked to fight with his friends like wolves and they ran through the countryside together. But he enjoyed watching Finn. Finn radiated a calmness that Marko was not used to from his friends. They had all been loud and stormy. He missed their brawls.

Finn had tried to teach him how to knit, but Marko had two left hands and didn't understand what to do. But it had been funny. In the end, Finn had finished knitting a piece of a scarf and he himself had made an indefinable ball in the same color. Finn laughed about it and embroidered a face on the ball with wool. The ball was now called Heinz and lived on Finn's pillow.

Marko was jealous of Heinz.

He knew that was silly. But he couldn't change it. And there was no way he was allowed to fall asleep in Finn's bed again. That was too dangerous.

Leopold returned from the dining room with the two wolves. The two werewolves, two men in their thirtieth, argued about something and then set about drying the already washed dishes of the three elves. Leopold joined Marko.

"Are you making progress?" he asked, looking at the mountains of dishes.

"Not really." Marko took a dirty pot. Leopold grabbed a tea towel and dried it for him after Marko had cleaned it. The kitchen smelled of delicious food and Marko got hungry. What would Sophie cook today?

 

Peter

 

Peter strolled through the streets of Castle town. His mother had refused to speak with him in the morning and his father had asked him to apologize to the von Steinhofs for his outrageous behavior. Therefore, he had spent the morning writing a feigned letter of apology to Babette. A servant had brought the letter directly to the post office for him.

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Peter looked at the windows of the small shops and boutiques. He saw beautiful jewelry, shiny shoes, colorful scarves, and fine clothes.

He stopped in front of a shop. In the shop window were dark men's trousers and an equally dark, knee-length cotton shirt made of thin, shimmering fabric. He liked the fabric. In addition to the exhibited clothing, colorful scarves for ladies were shown. He entered the store. His guards stopped in front of the shop door.

An elderly lady with long white hair and friendly eyes greeted him.

"Can I help you?", she asked.

Peter smiled. He enjoyed it when salespeople didn't recognize him and treated him like any other customer the same way when he was recognized. "I noticed the clothes in your shop window," he said, pointing to the shimmering shirt.

"Ah!" The lady nodded. "Do you want to buy both? I certainly should have both in your size. Let's see…"

"I would really like that, yes."

Half an hour later, he left the small shop with several new clothes. He had also bought some colorful scarves.

Shopping in Castle Town was much more fun for him than having the sellers of the best clothes, or even the tailors personally come to the castle. Here his mother didn’t judge his choice. She would have plenty of opportunities to do so later. Surely she would use them.

Peter would have liked to move from shop to shop with Julia, but the queen had rarely let her youngest daughter leave the castle. Basically, they just to visit their older siblings or nobles.

Should he visit her at the academy?

Maybe he could surprise.

He had always wanted to see the Academy. And Julia would certainly be delighted. She had written to him in a letter that she had visited Ingried in the meantime and that Paul had become a father.

Peter didn't feel like an uncle.

How exactly did it feel to be an uncle? He didn't know. But Paul lived very far away and the queen did not want any contact. So he wouldn't find out too quickly, what it was like to be an uncle.

He was happy for Paul. His brother was certainly happy. Paul had everything he ever wanted.

Why didn't Peter get what he wanted?

Couldn't he be happy?

Why didn't Julia get what she wanted?

That was not fair.

Did fate play tricks on them?

Peter passed a small shoe store and walked into it. Maybe he found some nice shoes to go with his new clothes. And indeed, he quickly found what he was looking for and bought three new pairs of shoes. With that, his shopping trip ended, and he went back to the carriage that was waiting for him.

When he arrived at the castle, his father was waiting for him.

"Peter," he said. "The two of us should talk."

Peter gave his purchases to a servant who took them to his room. "And about what?"

"Big changes are coming up for you. I bought the house that Babette chose. You can go there next week or the week after with Babette and see it. We still have to find a date. That's good news, isn't it?" They walked through the corridors of the castle.

"Sure."

"How do you feel about all this?", Friedrich wanted to know.

"That's what you're asking me now?" Peter looked angrily at his father. "Now? Where everything has already been decided over my head?"

"Your mom and I think it's best. For you and the crown. We all have to make sacrifices. It's time for you to pull yourself together and play your part."

"I don't want to play a role, father. I'm not an actor."

"We're all actors, Peter. Your rebellion brings nothing but ridicule. I expect impeccable behavior from you from now on. You're an adult. Act like an adult. Did I ever tell you why I married your mother?"

"No."

"Because it was beneficial. For her and me. It was not a marriage of love, Peter. It was a very good decision."

"Are you happy?"

Friedrich put his arm around his son. "Yes. And you will be happy too."

"I don't think so. I don't like Babette."

"You'll learn to like her."

Would he? Learning to like Babette? The terrible, bossy sausage Babette? Peter couldn't imagine it.

He wanted to be happy. When was the last time he had been truly happy? When he had climbed into a tree with Julia a few years ago and hid with her from her private tutor? Because Julia didn't feel like going to class? When Paul and Ingried were still there?

He would not be happy with Babette.

 

Babette

 

The seamstress had brought a selection of some beautiful dresses. The colors varied from green to red, orange, and gray. There was also a pale blue dress, which Babette particularly liked. It had a wide skirt and was embroidered with dark blue pearls. The clothes hung on a stand that the seamstress had set up in the living room of the villa.

As a future princess, she needed many new clothes, so her stepmother ordered the seamstress that Babette liked most.

"The dresses are beautiful." Babette touched the pale blue fabric of her favorite dress. "But I would like to change some parts."

The seamstress, an elderly lady with thin gray hair and round glasses, smiled. "Of course. What do you have in mind?" She knew Babette well. The young woman never left a dress as it was.

An hour later, the seamstress left the small villa of the von Steinhofs.

Babette's stepmother, who was sitting in a small armchair, looked at her stepdaughter contentedly. "Are you happy?" she asked. She had been friends with Babette's father for years before they married. Babette liked her very much, even though she was mortal. Would Babette have wished for a witch for her father? She wasn't sure if that would have been better. She liked to be her father's only child and the only witch. She didn't need competition when it came to her parent's attention.

"Yes. I will be a beautiful princess. This is a reason to be happy!" Babette looked at her reflection in the mirror. Between two large display cases, in which fine dishes were stored, stood a large mirror. The mirror had belonged to her mother and stood in the living room as a silent reminder of her. "Are you happy? Mother?"

Her stepmother stood up and stood next to her. They looked in the mirror together. "Of course I'm satisfied. Is that what you want? Peter is a... Very interesting young man. Somewhat rebellious and... Eccentric. And as you know, I love weddings!"

"Of course, that's what I want. Who wouldn't want to be a princess?"

Her stepmother laughed. "Good. If you're sure."

"I'm sure. And Peter will fit into his role."

"And if not?"

"Well... Then I'm still a princess, aren't I?", joked Babette.

"Certainly."

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