Chapter 99: Chapter 81

Leopold

 

He couldn't sleep. Leopold rolled from side to side, but he just couldn't sleep. Eventually, he gave up and quietly crept into the kitchen. All doors were still closed. He was the only one awake. He looked out the window. It was still dark outside, but he already heard some birds calling. Soon the sun would rise. He made himself a cup of tea and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Already awake?" Prince Peter shuffled into the kitchen.

"Oh. Did I wake you up?" He made some room, as the prince sat down with him at the table. "Would you like some tea too?"

"Well yes, I heard you boil water. But, I don't want tea, thank you."

"Oh. Sorry."

"All good. I didn't sleep very well. I kept waking up. And? What keeps you awake?"

"A lot." Leopold stirred some sugar into his tea, which he took from a white sugar bowl. The sugar was almost out. "I'm worried. And I don't know what to do. Do you think Juli will forgive me?"

"Eventually. Perhaps? She loves you." Peter rested his arms on the table. "Shall I tell you a story?"

"A story?" Leopold drank a sip of tea and almost burned his tongue. The tea was still too hot.

"I know the feeling of not knowing what to do."

"Really? But hasn't a prince... How can I say it... Hasn’t a prince his future already prepared? A place in the nobility? Taking on important tasks? Marry? You could have chosen it. Taken the easy way."

Peter laughed briefly. "Sort of, yes. How shall I explain it to you... I don't think I'm made for taking responsibility. I wanted to be a magician as a child. I wanted nothing more than that. I wanted to be famous. I wanted people to admire me. I wanted to stand out! The Queen told me again and again that she had seen that I would be a mortal. My siblings told me the same thing. I didn't believe them. It had to be a mistake! When my sixteenth birthday came, and magic had never shown, I fell into a hole. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what I wanted from life... I've always enjoyed the luxury that comes with the privileges of the nobility, you know? I liked being a prince. I liked living in luxury. But I let everything else slide. I could have studied. Politics. Economy. I could have contributed. I never did. I didn't know what I wanted. I was trapped..."

"Trapped?" Leopold snorted. "How so? You could go wherever you wanted. Do what you wanted."

"Not really, no. The Queen left me alone for a long time. As long as I was dressed presentably and played the role of the good prince in public, she left me alone. I've always been a bit headstrong, and rebellious, you know? My father often ignored this, and my mother tolerated it for a long time. But I always knew that I wasn't good enough in her eyes. Julia was always her golden child. She expected great things from her. She also bragged about the achievements of Cleo, Lea, and Fritz. I was always just Peter. The mortal. She never bragged about me."

"That must have hurt."

"It has. That's why I became even more rebellious. On Julia's sixteenth birthday, I appeared in pajamas. I wanted my mother to get upset. She celebrated Julia's birthday hugely. I had only had a small, modest celebration. I was jealous of Juli. I still am."

Leopold didn't want to believe that. They were so close. Everyone could see that Peter adored his little sister, that he would fetch the stars from the sky for her.

"I wanted mom to see me. Myself. I wanted her to brag about me like my other siblings. I didn't know who I was. I think I would have needed her help. Even my father's. But Mom's response to my desperate attempt to find myself was for me to marry Babette. So that I grow up and stop all my silliness. And so that I would give her grandchildren. Who, at best, of course, would be witches and wizards. She never wanted me. She wanted powerful children. That’s why I rebelled even more. I wore silly clothes. I wore a lot of jewelry so that Babette rejected me and all the other witches who wanted to marry would find me unattractive. And at some point, I plundered Julia's wardrobe. All just to get attention and to make it clear that I didn't agree with my mother's plans."

"So that's the reason for the wedding dress?" asked Leopold. His tea had cooled down a bit, but he had forgotten to drink it. What Peter told him surprised him. But it also touched him. He never thought that the prince would confide in him.

"Do you want to know what happened then?", Peter winked at him.

"Of course."

"Let me get to the wedding dress later, ok? So... I firmly believed that Mom would accept me if I had been a wizard. That she would not force me to marry. That I could wear what I wanted without her criticizing me for it. As a child, I liked to put on her shoes and clothes. She was terribly angry! A prince does not do such a thing. In general, we children were not allowed to put on her clothes, but with me, she was always the strictest. She was only satisfied when I wore what she chose. That’s why, when I tried to upset her with my clothes over the past few months, I came to a realization."

"Realization?" What kind of thing did he realize?

"That's me. I like to go to parties in pajamas. I wear what I like, even if it looks a bit crazy. I love jewelry! It doesn't bother me to greet guests in a dressing gown. I'm rebellious and maybe a little childish. And I like to wear pretty clothes!" Now Peter laughed. "I discovered a small shop in Castle town. In the shop window, I had seen a shimmering suit and colorful scarves, so I walked in. I bought the suit, yes. But I also tried on a dress. A pink dress with fluttering sleeves. When I saw my reflection in the mirror, I knew that this was me! I didn't buy the dress, but I bought the wedding dress to show my opinion at my wedding and upset my mother. I didn't want to marry Babette. That wasn't me! I thought she might call off the wedding. In the end, I said no myself and fled."

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"It didn't work?"

"Not once. Babette didn't let herself be scared away by women's clothes. But that was no longer my main reason. Her angry face gave me pleasure."

"Poor Babette." Leopold felt sorry for the young woman.

"At the wedding, when they all just went on with the ceremony, I understood that my mother wouldn't have accepted me the way I am even if I was a magician. Maybe she would have tolerated my clothes, but she would still have wanted me to marry someone like Babette. Fritz is planning to marry a mortal and mum is anything but enthusiastic."

"So, you like to wear dresses?"

"Yes, yes! I don't care what I wear, men's clothing or women's clothing, as long as it suits me. That's me. I'm Julia's big brother and all I want is to support her. I wasn't born for responsibility, but I think she was. And who are you?"

"Who am I?" Leopold shook his head. "A slave?"

Peter ruffled his hair. "No. That is not an answer. Try again."

"Again?" Leopold pondered. He was the son of his parents. Flora and Hanno. He was friends with Sofia and Collin. He loved the princess, which he was not allowed to do. He liked Marko and Finn. He had betrayed them all... "I am a fool. I thought I could save my people. I was ready to give it my all. To risk everything. I wanted to be a hero. But I failed. I'm not a hero. I'm just an elf from a small village in the woods."

"You love your people."

"I want to see them free, yes. But that's not in my power."

"Neither in mine. Not even in Julia’s. She's only sixteen and her magic is still growing. But someone willing to give everything out of love, don't you think that's someone my sister would love? You made a big mistake, Leopold. And it's hard to forgive you. You were desperate, weren't you? I think my sister understands that."

"If she forgives me?" Tears ran down his cheeks. Leopold hadn't noticed that he had started crying.

"You should talk to her." Peter grinned. "And I think I'd like some tea now! But without narcotics."

„Peter?“

"Yes?"

"I think you're a great big brother. Juli was lucky."

"Thank you. Yes. I like that. Call me your big brother!" Peter stuck out his tongue.

How childish!  Leopold laughed. "And? If Babette wasn't right for you, who would you want to marry?", he asked his new big brother.

"Ha!" Peter had started to heat himself water for tea. With little success. He clearly didn't know what he was doing. Leopold stood up to help him without saying a word.  "Nobody? Definitely no female! But... I think, no one is the right answer. If I had married Babette... It would have been a disaster. I hope she finds someone who loves her and appreciates her terrible taste in clothing."

"Didn't you say you dress terribly sometimes?"

"Good point. Maybe that's why mom thought we would be a good pairing. But the thing is, I know when I look ridiculous. Never! I look insanely good even in ridiculous clothes!" Peter winked at him. "But joking aside, I've always done this on purpose. Instead, Babette thinks she actually looks wonderful. And she was planning to dress me too! Imagine that! A tragedy!"

Leopold laughed. A tragic prince...

The first rays of sunshine came through the window. The sun was rising.