Chapter 73: Chapter 64

Babette

 

"Is everything alright?" Her stepmother smiled worriedly at Babette, "I saw you with Peter from the window. Did you argue?" She had sat down next to Babette, who was embroidering a white pillow on her bed.

"Oh. It was nothing." Babette did not look up from her work. It was not apparent what she was trying to embroider. Flowers? Animals? Something abstract? "Peter had a silly idea. I talked him out of it."

"A silly idea?"

"He wanted to visit his sister after the wedding. She can't come to our wedding."

"Which sister?"

"Julia." Babette snorted. "He wanted to visit her at the academy."

"You could go there together. That would be a nice gesture." Her stepmother stroked her back. "Don't you think so?"

"We will be busy after the wedding. I don't know when he wants to visit his little sister. In addition, as newlyweds, we should take a lot of time for ourselves."

"You may be right. What did Peter say?"

"He tried to play stubborn."

"The two seem to be very close. Maybe that's why he wants to visit her? I can imagine that he is very disappointed that Julia will not come to your wedding."

"Still, we will be too busy to visit his little sister at the academy. After the wedding, friends will visit us. A small celebration. Not to mention that several noble families will surely invite us to dinner. The king told me that we are expected to visit the larger noble houses after our wedding. After all, I'll be a princess by then."

"My daughter, a princess." Her stepmother kissed her on the cheek. "I'm very proud of you. You will fulfill your new role wonderfully!"

"I know." Babette put her embroidery frame aside with a smile. "I’m convinced that I’m an excellent princess. The Queen has assured me that she thinks I am the best choice for her son."

"Are you looking forward to Saturday? And Sunday? Your wedding will be a great event. The royal family is certainly full of anticipation. After all, your wedding will be followed by Prince Fritz's wedding. And I heard that Prince Torsten will also get married? I must admit, I was surprised when an illegitimate son was recognized as a prince."

"That actually was surprising. Nothing less than his existence, won’t you agree?"

"A scandal!" Her stepmother reached for Babette's embroidery frame and viewed Babette's efforts skeptically. "What are you working on?"

"I bouquet of flowers."

Her stepmother raised her eyebrows. "Oh. How wonderful."

"Isn't it?" Babette took the embroidery frame from her and continued her work. "This will be a wedding present for Prince Fritz and Paula. Self-embroidered pillows. I thought something personal would surely appeal to them. I'm going to embroider another pillow. Then they have a pair."

"You have big plans."

"I have enough time. That shouldn't be a problem."

"What does Peter think of the idea?"

"I haven't discussed it with him yet. But I am sure he will agree. I don't think he's been thinking about a gift yet. He's too busy with himself."

"You may be right."

 

Marie

 

It was unusually quiet in the house. Her mother refused to leave the bedroom and her father sat quietly in front of the fireplace. Theo's parents silently crept around the estate, cleaning, cooking dinner, and bringing cake. Relatives were there and also a few friends to help the grieving family. Ina played in the garden and Theo watched her. She didn't understand why he didn't want to play with her. Marie sat at the window of her room and watched the two siblings. In the morning the funeral had taken place. Marie avoided the guests who had stayed for coffee and cake to mourn her little sister. Her grandparents would stay until dinner.

Marie wanted to be alone.

She could not forget the little coffin that was now buried deep in the ground. The cemetery was about half an hour from her home. Why did this have to happen? Mia had been so small and Marie wasn't with her when she felt bad.

 

Julia

 

Without Marie, everyday life at the academy was more than just boring. She would have liked to accompany her friend, but she was not excused from class for the funeral of Marie's little sister. Instead, she had to endure several hours of fencing lessons to prepare for the tournament. Two weeks of intensive lessons. That was her personal nightmare.

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Every muscle hurt her. Mrs. Drüse demanded top performance from her students, especially from the clumsy princess.

"If you stumble through the tournament like that, you're ridiculing the royal family!", she commented when Julia stumbled over her own feet for the hundredth time. "How do you want to survive in the tournament?"

"Why is there a tournament at all!", complained Philip, who was sitting on the sidelines drinking water. "It's the weekend!"

Mrs. Drüse put her exercise sword aside and called the class together. "Who can tell me why the tournament is important?"

Klara snapped her finger excitedly.

"Yes?" Her teacher looked at her with delight. "Do you know why, Klara?"

"The fencing tournament is an important tradition of the Academy. On Saturday, all students in the first year will compete against each other. The result becomes part of their fencing note. The top performers are expected to continue fencing lessons from the second year onwards, as they are eligible for a career as soldiers. On Sunday, the students of the second and third years will compete against each other, who have continued to study fencing as a subject. The tournament ends with an award ceremony. The best place from the second and third year will receive a trophy and the chance to participate in the training for elite soldiers after the academy."

"Very good." Mrs. Drüse nodded. "Next time, don’t snap, please!"

"Why a fencing tournament? Wouldn't a tournament in sword fighting be better? When it comes to finding future soldiers?", Helga wanted to know.

"Well, until a hundred years ago, there was also a big sword tournament. Does anyone know why it is no longer taking place?" Mrs. Drüse looked into the round. No one came forward. "Fencing is about skill and discipline. Sword fighting is much more aimed at inflicting great damage on its opponent and killing it in a real fight. Too many young students were seriously injured in the sword fights, so this tournament was abolished very quickly. It was too bloody. This is also one of the reasons why you only practice with wooden swords. It was a law enacted by the Queen herself. The teachers responsible for the sword fights at the time were dismissed. So I'm surprised our princess didn't know this!"

Julia turned red. Why should she know? No one had told her about it. She had the feeling that Mrs. Drüse did not like her very much.

At the end of the day, she lay exhausted on the sofa. She had rested her head on Leopold's lap, which stroked her hair. Finn sat at her feet and knitted socks like Sophie, who was sitting in the armchair. Marko sat next to Finn's feet and lent on his legs while reading a book.

"Can I skip class tomorrow?" Julia had her eyes closed and enjoyed the feeling of Leopold's warm hands in her hair.

"No way!" Sophie sounded indignant. "What would the Queen say!"

"But I'm not made for fencing! And Mrs. Drüse is constantly moaning at me!"

"Then you grit your teeth and make an effort. Do your best, that's enough." Sophie sounded unconvinced by her own words.

"Shall I protect you from her?" Leopold grinned.

"Yes, please!"

"And how do you want to do that, Leo?", Marko wanted to know.

"I'll take you with me and you'll bite the teacher!", Leopold presented his plan. "In the butt? That would be a good start, wouldn't it?"

Marko pouted. "What? In the buttocks? As a human or as a wolf?"

Now Finn laughed too. "Better as a wolf. As a human being, that would be an extremely questionable act! Why in the buttocks?"

"Why not?" Leopold had stopped stroking Juliet's hair. Instead, his warm hand rested on her shoulder. "You bite the teacher's butt, as a human or a wolf, whichever you prefer, and I flee with the princess!"

"Marko is not allowed to turn into a wolf on the grounds of the academy", Sophie objected.

"Great!" Marko groaned. "So I have to bite her butt as a human being? Ew! I don't want to bite her butt! I don't even know her!"

"Oh? And if you knew her, would you want to bite her butt?", Julia teased him laughing, sat up, and leaned against Leopold. He put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek.

Marko shook his head in shock. "No! Not even then"

"But now you're making a fuss, Marko!" Leopold grinned mischievously.

"What? No!" Marko crossed his arms. "Finn! Help me."

"Huh?" Finn looked at him innocently. "Who do you want to bite in the butt? If not Juli's fencing instructor?"

Now Marko turned red.

"Oh. But I'd like to know that too!", Sophie agreed with a wink. "Who does our dear Marko want to bite in the butt?"

"Uh... So... Uh", the wolf stammered sheepishly. "Nobody! I am going... and jump with my skipping rope. I need exercise! Urgent!"

"What a pity", Finn murmured softly and grinned at Julia in amusement. "Shall I help you, Marko? With exercising?" He winked at Marko. "Cheer you on?"

Marko became even redder and fled the room. "No. I can do it alone!"

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