Peter

  There were no clouds in the sky on Sunday. It was a warm autumn day and the queen had invited Babette and her parents to breakfast in the castle gardeer now sat o Babette and listened as his parents talked to Babette's parents about who they wao hire as wedding pnners. Three highly respected wedding pnners were up for ele. Babette insisted on a luxurious wedding.

  Aopic was where the newlyweds should live. The queen had her eye on a small vil at the other end of Castle Town, but it was too small for Babette.

  Has Babette evehe vil? Or does she insist on the principle that the vil is too small?

  Babette argued that she needed a lot of space for her horses and their future children and that a small vil was therefore out of the questioer didn't want horses or a bunch of children. Both weren’t part of the life, that he wished to live! Not that he had pnned anythi but, that was something he did not want. her children – he would do this favor for the queen or sausage Babette - nor horses! A horse had bitten him once when he was little, and he has not liked the animals sihen!

  But his opinion didn't matter... He was not even asked what he wanted. It was all about what Babette wanted. What the Queen wanted. What Babette's stepmother wanted for her precious daughter...

  Babette's father inquired if Peter had already found a suitable suit. Peter's mother answered for him. Of course, he already had an appropriate suit. After this, the Baron aer's father talked about horse races held once a year in Castle Town, to which the Baron liked to go with his family and was looking forward to presenting his son-in-w there...

  Apparently, Peter was expected to go there... Of course, he wasn’t asked. Why should they ask him?

  Wonderful! Simply wonderful!

  "I would love a small vil," Peter said now, to annoy Babette, who raved about the advantages of a rge residence. "A small, pin white vil, with bright yellow shutters and a bright red roof. A small rose garden would also be hat would be enough for me. Unfortunately, I am allergic to horses." He knew very well that Babette didn't like roses. Or simple vils. She had told him about that at their st meeting. He wasn't sure about the shutters, but she was talking about gold ors and shades of green... Not of yellow.

  As expected, Babette grimaced. "I don't like roses. And we're going to need a lot of space, don't you think? Since when do you have a horse allergy?"

  "I wohat too," his mother asked, gring at him warningly. Peter resisted the urge to stick his to at her.

  "Not very long," he replied.

  The baron ughed. "I am sure we will find you both a proper home. Without roses, because our sweetheart does not like roses." He looked at Peter with a furrowed brow. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the horse races. You don't have to go he horses... We just have to get you appropriate clothes beforehand... Don't worry! We buy those together! Getting married aing a new wardrobe will make you a real man!" His gaze was on the bracelets that Peter wore today with bck cloth trousers and a colorfully patterned linen shirt with gold buttons.

  "I pn to coordinate our clothes," Babette announced.

  Peter's father ughed. "I'm sure that's good for him! He hardly gets any advice from us on clothing issues!"

  Peter wasn't sure how clothes would make a real man out of him, but he was sure that his choice of clothing didn't need any ges... Whatever Babette would buy him, it would be terrible! And what did his father mean by ‘advice’? The Queeainly hadn't advised him when she chose b suits for him!

  "I like my clothes, thank you!" he said firmly, smearing himself a honey bun.

  "But surely you want us to fit together!" Babette batted her eyeshes. "I've already cast my eye on one or the other piece of clothing that would suit you!"

  Oh, fright!

  "How wonderful!" Babette’s stepmother nodded in agreement. The baron had married her a few two years ago. "Our Babette has a very special taste! You will be a particurly handsome couple!"

  Rather the mockery of the day! Never, ever do I wear what Babette has chosen! How do I get out of it?

  Babette, who was eating her fifth sausage sandwich, came back to the topic of the uping wedding. "What if we got married in our new home? I saw a rge, empty vil outside Castle Town with associated horse spots. In a small suburb. There we would have plenty of space, alsuests. It is the old vil of the von Schmalbergs. They sell the residence."

  "The von Schmalbergs are selling their residence?" Frederick took a sip of coffee and looked at his son. "This is really a tle castle, Peter. I've been there once or twice to visit."

  "Let me guess. The residence is painted green?" Peter's honey bun lost its taste. "Didn't the von Schmalbergs move out because of the broken roof?"

  Of course, every other house is too small for her... She wants to have this residence...

  "The repairs are certainly not a problem. That should be feasible by the time you get married." Friedrich smiled. "I am happy to write a request to the von Schmalbergs. Especially when Babette likes the house so much."

  The queen nodded in agreement. "Then we found a house for you. I like your idea, Babette!"

  Babette seemed very satisfied. "How wonderful! Ahe residence is painted in shades of green and the horse stable is impeccable! A rge horse meadow also belongs to the property... The fence just o be renewed!"

  "Terrific," Peter murmured, biting into his honey bun. I need a pn! A good one! How do I vince Babette to not want to marry me anymore?

  Maybe I o resort to more drastic measures... Especially where clothing is so important to her...

  Julia

  If there was ohing Julia knew with absolute certainty, it was this: she was not made for feng or sword fighting. She regurly tripped over her ow and was exhausted after a few minutes. It ook long for her to be ready for a break. And she took did so while her cssmates tio practice diligently and kindly did not stop her from all the breaks. Even if Pia sometimes looked at her slightly reproachfully. But that didn't bother Julia. Pia took such things very seriously. Her friends, and especially Pia, took much less of a break than she did. Julia already resigned herself to the fact that she would not get a particurly good grade. After two hours, she said goodbye to her friends, who wao practice a little longer a back to her hallartment, directly into the bathtub.

  The warm water was rexing.

  But she still had some of her homework waiting for her and she was sidering not doing it. In her opinion, she had already studied enough for one day.

  Instead of doing her homework, she pyed one of the new card games with Leopold in the evening. He had been very happy about the new cards. Marko jumped with his skipping rope in the hallrobably disturbing the students who lived uhem. Finn sewed something. What exactly, he did not want to reveal. Sophie was taking a walk in the garden of the academy, so no oopped Marko from jumping. Julia felt sorry for the students uhem, but she was happy that Marko had fun. And why should she stop him?

  Sophie would certainly have been disturbed by the sporty wolf and his jumping robe in the hallway.

  "I hope Sophie doesn't seo buy wool again," grumbled Leopold, who was about to win the game.

  "Why not?"

  "At first, the saleswoman thought I had stolen the money Sophie had given me! She wao have me arrested for it!"

  "What?" Finn, who was sitting in an armchair, looked up from his sewing. "She wao have you arrested? Why?"

  "Because servants like us don't have their own money. Everything we own is provided to us. If our families sent us money, we would have to give it to our..." he looked at Julia for a moment, a little uain, "to give to our owners. The w is very strict, as you know, Finn. And now our families 't send us anything."

  Julia sighed. The ws were getting stricter and stricter... Should she try to talk to her mother?

  Could she ge anything about the situation?

  Could she make a difference?

  If not even Ingried could do it?

  "The ws are getting stricter because there are riots," she finally said. "As long as there are riots, the ws will probably get worse. I very much hope that you will not be further restricted... It's wrong..."

  "What's wrong?" Marko came into the living room, sat down on the floor o Finn's feet, and leaned against the chair.

  "The new ws", Finn replied, chewing on his lower lip. "Are you doh your athletiterlude?"

  "Yes." Marko grinned. "For today, at least! What are you sewing?"

  "It's a secret! But you try to guess!" Finn wi him.

  "Hm... A jacket?" Marko looked at the fabric. "Or trousers?"

  "Maybe!" Finn ughed.

  Marko crossed his arms. "You still don't want to tell me, do you? Even if I'm right!"

  Meanwhile, Leopold won the card game. Marko wao join them in the round. Sihe three of them did not fit on the sofa, they shifted their game to the floor.

  The round was won by Marko, who did not miss the opportunity to try to tease Leopold with it. Something that turned out to be impossible.