Julia

  A white wolf. A bck wolf. Blue-green dragonfly wings. Had she seehree? In her vision?

  Julia thanked her with a nod and saw out of the er of her eye how her new servants were led out of the room. Cleo and Lea sat ba their seats, while Agathe returo Julia's side. Servant. Personal servants... I never wahat. I don't want to decide over the lives of others.

  "Let's keep celebrating and be happy!" she turuests. While the orchestra pyed cheerful dance musid servants cleared the cake buffet and repced it with a dinner buffet, the queen turo Peter. "I want you to ask Babette to dance. Let's hope she doesn't get repelled by your ridiculous suit. Afterward, you will apao the buffet and chat with her. And after that, I want to see you dah more young witches."

  Peter grimaced. "I like to dah the other dies, mortal or immortal, but I will not dah Babette. She doesn't suit me and I don't appreciate her very much."

  "Yoing to dah her!" The queen looked at him warningly. "You won't ignore her. If you find another witch you appreciate, fine, but Babette is an excellent choice."

  "Of course, mother," Peter murmured ahe stands, presumably to relutly ask Babette to dance.

  "That he must be so stubborn." The queen sighed. "We should mih the people." She smiled at her other children. "Julia? I'm sure some of them would like to gratute you personally. After that, feel free to look at your ifts."

  "Gdly," Julia lied and rolled her eyes. I'd rather go... But I better keep an eye oer. Maybe he needs help. Babette is a challenge.

  Finn

  Everything was fn. The building? Strahe people around him? Strahe colors? Strahe smells? Strahe elf? Strange.

  Marko. Not a stranger, even if he hardly knew him.

  His wrist was still burning as he followed the strahrough the corridors of the castle. They went a little too fast for him aruggled to rush after them. Marko had fallen back a bit and looked at him from time to time. Finn looked away every time.

  It was all strange. He would have loved to hide in his bed at home. But this is not my bed anymore. Not my home... What did I wish for? This wasn’t my wish. I didn't want that. Why are there so many people here... It's too much!

  The servants stopped in front of a rge, brown door. "You will sleep here from now on. Down the hallway is the teen for the staff, opposite this room is a small washroom with a toilet." One of the servants, a small man with gray hair and deep wrinkles, poio the opposite door, while the other two servants were already leaving. "Your uniforms are on your beds. Breakfast is served at 6 a.m., lunch at twelve-thirty, and di twenty-two. Night rest is at midnight. Tomorrow m you will be officially introduced to Princess Julia. Before that, you will be instructed in your asks and duties. ge your clothes and e to the teen when you're hungry. Our cook has a stew for you." With that, eve servahem all.

  Finn was exhausted and tired... He was not hungry. He just wao sleep... And hide... He looked shyly at Marko. The tall wolf opehe door to their new room. "The's see where we ended up here." He looked at the elf. "I'm Marko and that's Finn." He poio Finn, who was grateful to him.

  "Leopold, but you call me Leo," the elf introduced himself. He was slightly taller than Marko, had light brown, curly hair, and was very slim, while Marko was quite muscur. Marko's dark, frizzy hair stood out a bit as if he had walked through a storm.

  The room they ered was narrow. Three beds, three high shelves, and a table with three chairs just found spa it. The walls were painted white. On one wall hung a simple still life. The bedding of the beds was grey. Everything smelled new and . On each bed y their new uniforms and the bags with their own clothes and belongings they had taken from home.

  "Then this is probably my bed!", Marko announced and sat down on the bed where his bag y and looked at the dark blue uniform. "Are you hungry? I don't, but I probably should eat something. Tomorrow will be a terrible day."

  Finn sat down on his bed. Everything is fn. I think I'm sick. At least the bedding is soft. I have never had such a soft b.

  He looked again at Marko, who was already putting on the new uniform. The dark blue suited him well.

  Peter

  Babette smelled unpleasant. Too sweet and heavy. Her perfume made him dizzy. As they daogether, she talked about her horse. He barely listened.

  "Of course, shooting star still has to get used to it. I've only had her since yesterday. She's still a bit shy, so I 't tell you much about her character. The breeder said she was a bit strong-willed," Babette said.

  I hope shooting star bites.

  "I think you're dressed very fancily today. But red is also present in all the colors as if we had agreed to wear matched clothes. But jewelry doesn’t suit you, Peter. You'd better leave it to us dies."

  I solemnly swear to wear jewelry from now on.

  "What do you think of a wedding in the snow?"

  "What?" Peter almost stumbled over the words.

  "Our wedding. In the snow." Babette fluttered her eyeshes and probably actally stepped on his foot. Although... Maybe it was iional.

  "Aren't you a bit hasty?" he asked, puzzled. "I didn't propose to you."

  "But you should, Peter. It's getting silly!"

  "Babette, how o see you," Julia interrupted her. She had hurried towards them. "Am I interrupting you?"

  Babette grimaced, while Peter took the ce to get out of there. "I have to go to the bathroom," he mumbled his excuse and hurried away. Thank you, Julia! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! My heroine!

  Just before he left the hall, he turned again towards the two girls. He saw Babette's annoyed fad Julia secretly winking at him.

  Julia

  "Do we want to get something from the buffet," Julia asked the annoyed, fire-red Babette.

  "Why not," she replied relutly. "Do you like my gift? It's the little pink box."

  "I haven't looked at the ifts yet. I'll do that afterward in peace. But I promise to open yours first. Thank you, Babette."

  "Of course. What is your opinion of a wedding in the snow?"

  The two made their way to the buffet, avoiding the dang couples they had previously stood in the way off.

  "Snow? Isn't that a bit cold?" Poor Peter. He doesn't want to marry her and she is already pnning the party. "Wedding dresses are not necessarily warm... Who are you going to marry?" asked Julia, ily and as if she didn’t know.

  "The celebrations would then have to take pce mostly inside... But I think a wedding ceremony in the snow is wonderful. Dad would let me get a wedding dress with a fur colr... and of course, I'm marryier!"

  You won't bee an animal rights activist... "Does Peter want to marry you? Aren't you a bit hasty Babette?"

  "Of course, he will marry me. However, I don't know what he is thinking about that horrible suit and all that jewelry he wears." Babette snorted and shoveled sausages onto a small pte. "Once we're married, I'll coordinate our wardrobe."

  Julia took vegetable sticks and some cheese. "And if he doesn't want to marry you? He could also look for someone else."

  "Why would he womed dab," Babette asked now with her mouth full. Small pieces of sausage came out of her mouth.

  I wouldn't want to marry you either. "Babette? Has he ever shown i in you?"

  "Of course! We danced until just now. Really, Julia! Are you so blind?"

  Julia shook her head.

  Leopold

  He and Marko quickly found their way to the teen. Finn had stayed in their shared room. Apparently, he didn't want to eat. He had only shaken his head when Marko and Leopold wao set off.

  "Is Finn just shy or scared?" The little wolf had been shaking all over his body the whole time.

  "Finn is sick," the other wolf replied. "I don't know how he's supposed to work here."

  "Sick?"

  "Yes. Sick. Weak. Not made for work. His bones break easily."

  "Oh." Leopold looked around the teen. The space was rge, with several tables and chairs. At the end of the room was a simple food ter. On a table was a rge sau with a trowel. Three pces were covered around the pot.

  "There you are!" An elderly dy with a long snow-white braid approached her. "The uniform suits you well... Oh!... Are there only two of you?"

  "Yes, Finn is not hungry," Marko answered her question.

  "Oh, dear... The poor boy. Maybe it's the excitement. Tomorrow will be a big day. You get to know the princess. My name is Luise. I have been w here as a cook for forty years. You will like the stew. Potatoes, peas, and carrots. , if one of you is vegetarian. Sit down." She pushed the two to the table.

  "I'm not a vegetarian. Finn probably isher. Wolves are not usually vegetarians," Marko answered the question as he sat down on one of the chairs and took stew.

  "Me her," Leopold added.

  "Good, good." Luise smiled. "There are usually three hot meals every day. In the m there is often pe, occasionally scrambled eggs with or without ham, and buns with butter. For lund dinner, you choose between a vegetarian and a noarian meal. And now I'll let you eat in peace."