Chapter 51: Bonus 7

"Good morning. Princess. Happy birthday!" Sophie's voice woke Julia from a beautiful dream. She had dreamed of flying over the kingdom like a bird. Tired, she rubbed her eyes and yawned. She sluggishly pushed her soft duvet aside and climbed out of her bed.

"Morning Sophie."

"Are you looking forward to today? You're sure to get plenty of gifts! And you can take part in a ball for the first time! Your debut as Princess of the Country. Isn't that exciting?"

Julia yawned again. "Definitely."

So far, she had not been allowed to attend a ball, because, as her parents said, she was still too young. Her siblings had also celebrated their debut on their twelfth birthday and Peter told her that she could look forward to plenty of gifts, as all guests would bring her one. She was most looking forward to the gifts.

"I've laid out your favorite dress for you." Sophie winked at her. "And I hung your ball gown on your closet. You will look adorable!"

"Thank you, Sophie."

When Julia was dressed up for the day, she made her way to breakfast, where her family was already waiting for her. Lea, Fritz, and Cleo had come especially for their half-sister's birthday party.

Peter rushed towards her and embraced her stormily. "All the best wishes to my little sister!"

Julia laughed and hugged her brother. The rest of her family congratulated her less stormily.

The breakfast table was richly set, as every day there were buns, cheese, jam, honey, and scrambled eggs, but this morning there was also a small strawberry cake on the table, which Julia had wished for breakfast.

"Are you looking forward to the ball?", her father asked.

Julia nodded. "And on the presents!"

The queen laughed. "You'll have to be patient. It is a tradition that these are given at the ball. Do you remember what I told you?"

"I get a decorated chair, at the beginning we are only in the stands and at the gift delivery, I have to get up and nod in thanks... Yes. I remember that. Why can't I say thank you?"

"It's tradition", Fritz said. "And it would be tiring to say thank you every time, even if most gifts are collected in an adjoining room." This tradition had basically been established by him, as he had refused to say thank you in front of all the people as a teenager. The queen responded by making it a tradition.

"Now begins a wonderful time for you my little one." The king smiled. "You're twelve now. Magic could come to you at any time. For me, it was very exciting to turn twelve and wait for my magic, which luckily came when I was thirteen. Not everyone is lucky enough to be a wizard or a witch. I'm sure you'll get magic. And in a few years, you'll go to the academy."

“If magic shows itself", Cleo objected. "It's never guaranteed."

"I'm sure, Cleo. Just like I was with you, Lea and Fritz. We just have to wait.” The queen smiled.

Peter stared sadly at his honey bun. He was now sixteen and had to realize that he was mortal. Something that was difficult for him. In the weeks following his birthday, he had barely left his room and had been unusually quiet. Julia was sad. She had waited and waited with him. But he remained without magic and now it was too late.

In the evening, when Julia put on her pink ball gown, her body tingled with excitement. She would have liked to run around the entire castle. Sophie put her hair up and urged her to keep quiet.

"I can't sit still!" protested Julia. "What if I embarrass myself?"

"You will not embarrass yourself. And now hold still, please. Otherwise, I'll prick you with a hairpin!"

"And what if I do?"

"Then the guests will smile about it and find you cute. Or they don't notice it."

Later, when Julia sat on her decorated chair and looked at the ballroom, she felt queasy. Her parents had invited the most important noble families, who now gathered to drink champagne in the ballroom. Her siblings talked about her work and her parents looked down on the guests smiling. Peter sat next to Julia. He lounged bored in his chair and ignored Babette, who waved happily at him.

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"Don't you want to wave back?", asked Julia.

"No." Peter smoothed out his dark green vest and ran his finger over the golden buttons. "Otherwise she wants to dance with me!"

"Are you sure?"

"At the last ball, I had to hide from her. Under the buffet table! She hasn't stopped chasing me. Mom was furious because the prince doesn't seem to be hiding under tables. But I had no choice. Babette is annoying!"

Julia snickered.

"Luckily, she's going to the academy soon. Then she will no longer appear at every feast and every ball. I would like her to stay away forever. But she probably doesn't do me that favor. Maybe I'm lucky and she finds a lot of friends there that she can annoy. I’ll have my peace then!"

"If she's annoying everybody, she won't make friends", Julia reflected. "Who knows, maybe her classmates are hiding from her. Under the tables!"

"That would be funny."

The ball officially began. The Queen gave a short speech and soon afterward the gifts were presented. Julia tried very hard not to make a single mistake, but when she got up she tripped over her dress. Peter caught her laughing and helped her to her feet. "That could have gone wrong", he whispered to her with a wink.

"Thank you, Peter." Julia smiled sheepishly and stood by her mother.

She was given jewelry, expensive pens, and books, as well as a large stuffed horse, which was almost as big as her bed. When it was time to mingle with the guests, Julia met Helga and Philip with whom she talked. Soon after, Babette joined them, whose dress made a slightly slipped impression.

"Happy birthday," she congratulated Julia. "Have you seen your brother? I can't find Peter anywhere..."

Julia shook her head. He was probably hiding.

Babette snorted. "I was hoping to dance with him."

"How romantic!" Helga beamed and looked at Philip. "Do we want to dance together?" The dance was, after the gifts, a central part of the ball.

Philip smiled. "Sure. Let's dance together, Helga!"

"I'll keep looking for Peter." Babette left them alone again, while the first lined up for the official dance. The waltz, to which the conductor of the orchestra had invited with a loud voice. Julia didn't know who to dance with, but her mother had said she would surely be asked.

"Psst", she heard, turning curiously to the sound. The noise came from one of the buffet tables in front of which she stood. When no one looked at her, she looked under the patterned tablecloth. Under the table sat Peter. In his hand, he held a plate full of delicacies.

"Do we want to dance together?", he asked, crawling out from under the table and placing the plate on the buffet table.

"Have you been hiding from Babette again?"

"Under a table is the best place to avoid her! So? Do we want to dance together?"

Julia nodded eagerly. "Gladly! But I don't share with Babette!" She stuck her tongue out at him jokingly.

Peter grinned. "I’d love to dance only with my little sister!"

And they did.

They stumbled laughing between the other dancers across the dance floor, because Julia could not dance very well yet and stepped on her brother's foot several times, and awkwardly refused to be led. Therefore, it was no wonder that they almost stumbled into Babette and her dance partner. Babette danced with an elderly man who told her sullenly about his problems with athlete's foot. Peter and Julia laughed about it.

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