Marko

  It had started to rain. Marko sat ihe kit and looked out of the window. Sophie had asked him to cut garlito small pieces. But he hadn't started yet. Too much was going through his head.

  Across from him sat Finn peeling potatoes. Finn sat cross-legged o chair and seemed deep in thought as he peeled oato after another and the in a bowl of water. Sophie cut onions into small pieces. Every now and then she wiped a tear from her face with a kit towel and scolded the onions that made her cry uionally. He didn't know where Leopold was. ing something somewhere?

  Sophie cleared her throat. "Marko? Where are you with your thoughts?"

  "Nowhere and everywhere."

  "Then please e back here with your thoughts. The food doesn't cook itself."

  "Unfortunately." Marko devoted himself to the garlid began to cut it into small pieces. "When is the princess ing back?" The princess had shorter lessons on some days than on others and Marko was not sure whether today was a long or a short day.

  "In about an hour." Sophie smiled. "By then, we should have the food ready. I'm sure she's hungry."

  Marko was also hungry. Very hungry. But he still had to wait. As servants, they always ate after the princess. Sophie insisted.

  The days flew by. He has been here for over a week now. On the night of the full moon, he had id on his bed as a wolf and looked longingly out of the window. He missed the freedom of the mountains. He had not dared to ask if he was allowed to roam the grounds at night. The answer would surely have been 'no', wouldn't it? Sophie would never have allowed him to do that and he did not dare to ask the princess directly. She was kind, but his life depended on her being well-disposed toward him. He didn't want to ask for the wrong thing.

  On the night of the full moon, Finn had also looked out of the window. He had sat down with his b on the wide windowsill of their room... And so Marko had not only looked at the moon but also at the weak wolf. In the moonlight, his light hair looked silver just like the moon.

  Leopold had slept the night on the sofa in the princess's living room... Obviously, Marko had scared him a bit...

  The work at the academy was exhausting. Not necessarily because of the tasks assigo him mainly by Sophie, no: the employees were a problem. Especially the gardeners.

  Every afternoon Sophie would go over to the office of the caretaker of the academy and discuss with him what work had to be doer he and Leopold had fiheir work for the princess and every afternoon Marko hoped that he did not have to help the gardeners.

  The verbal attacks of the gardeners made him angry... And sad. Should he tell the princess about it? Would that ge anything?

  So far he had kept silent about it and Leopold had not said a word either.

  The gardeners gave them terrible names and cursed them when there were no students within earshot. In front of the students, they held back a little more. Presumably to look professional.

  As far as he had noticed, the tone in the undry was rough too, even if no one was insulted there. Yesterday Sophie had let him and Leopold help out there, as some employees were ill and help was needed. He had met a werewolf heo, who pined of tiredness and back pain and envied Marko and Leopold for their lunch break.

  Every day at nooe together with Finn, Leopold, and Sophie. After that, they rested a bit. The other servants had less than half an hour to themselves after lunch. He had learned from Theo that they had about twenty mio eat, after which work tinued.

  Siheo was only fourteen, he was assigned less heavy work, a he was tired.

  He was aware that as a servant of the princess he worked less thaher 'servants brought along'. Julia insisted that they had breaks and gave them the evenings off, while other servants often did not have this luxury. They carried out the tasks at the academy, the prerequisite for the fact that servants could be brought along, and sometimes had to do tasks for their 'owners' in the evening. He had been lucky.

  "The post office was pletely overrun. I had to stand in a long line! A letter has arrived for the princess." Leopold came into the kit yawning. "And I took the curtains to the undry beforehand. Is there anything else to do?"

  "You thought of the curtains? Wonderful. I had already fotten about them. I cook a stew for the princess. You chop vegetables," Sophie poio a few carrots and peppers. "Please put the letter on Julia's desk. She should e back soon."

  "As you wish." Leopold took the letter away and then came back. He took a cutting board and a knife and sat dowo Finn, who immediately nervously moved a little to the side. Leopold did not seem to notice.

  "From whom is the letter?" Marko was curious.

  "From her brother," Leopold replied after asking Sophie how he should separate the carrot.

  "In thin slices, please," she replied.

  "Do you know what's in it? Iter?" What do princes and princesses talk about? Gold? Diamonds? Laws? The weather? Marko had finished cutting the garlid supported himself with his hands. They smelled of garlic. He wrinkled his nose.

  "What?" Leopold ughed softly. "Of course not. I would have to opeter for that."

  "That's true..." Marko heard the door to her hallway being opened. Was the princess already back?

  "You're way too curious, Marko." Sophie smiled. "As servants, it is our job to stay in the background. The private life of the princess is none of your business, even if you see a lot of it. But you'll learn that."

  "What else will Marko learn?" Julia stood i doorway, looking tired. Her school bag hung open over her shoulder.

  "Not wanting to read your letters," Leopold told her with a cautious smile on his face as if he wasn't sure whether he should tell her or not. "A letter has e for you. From your brother. It's on your desk."

  "Oh." The princess put her bag aside. "Thank you." Then she hurried away.

  "She must have been expeg the letter," Finn spoke up quietly. As always, he didn't look at anyone. Markretted it. It was hardly possible to talk to him. Finn always dodged.

  A few moments ter the princess returned and sat down with them at the table. " I help?" she asked.

  She often asked if she could help. Sophie always answered the same. "No, thank you. Rest. You've had a long day. This is our job, not a princess's job." Also today the princess got this answer a she did not tire of asking.

  "Sure? I don't mind."

  "Sure. The boys and I have everything under trol!"

  Marko's stomach growled. Surprised, he looked at the equally surprised girl. "Oh. Excuse me," he murmured. Is a growling stomach sidered bad behavior?

  "Are you hungry?" Julia smiled.

  "Yes," he replied. "Breakfast and lunch were a little lo."

  "Then you should eat something. Do we still have fruit, Sophie?" Julia looked at the old servant.

  Sophie nodded. "There are still a few tangerihere."

  "Do you like tangerines, Marko?" Again surprised, he watched as the princess stood up, took the fruit bowl from the dining room, in which two tangerines y, and held it out to him.

  "Yes, thank you." He grabbed a tangerine and watched Finn look at the other tangerih i. The princess also noticed this and hahe st tangerio the other wolf.

  "We need a fruit bowl for you all, Sophie. So that there are no growling stomachs," the princess decided as she pced the fruit bowl on the sink. "You should always have food on hand. And please, don't wait until I've eaten. Why don't we just have lund diogether?"

  "That wouldn't be right," the old dy objected.

  We also have lunch when you're still in css...

  "I don't care." She thought for a moment. "While we're at it. Tomorrow is Saturday. Take the m off and sleep in. Sunday ms too. You need a break. I could have lun the dining room with the other students, then you don't have to worry about lunch."

  "Oh. No! No!" Sophie looked shocked. "That wouldn't be appropriate. When the princess eats in a simple dining room. But I like to sleep in."

  Julia smiled. She smiled a lot. "Good. Then we'll do that on the weekends from now on. You sleep in. And please, eat with me and take fruit iween when you are hungry. Whether it should be allowed or not. Do you like the work here?"

  What should Marko ao this? The truth?

  "The gardeners called Marko a pooch. And worse. They also threatened us," Leopold replied, taking the decision away from him.

  Finn looked up startled. The younger wolf had turned pale. Marko felt the o protect him. He wouldn't let the gardeners near him...

  "Insulted?" The princess also looked frightened. "I'll pin about it on Monday. They have nht to insult you. Sophie?" The princess looked shocked at the old dy. "I don't want them to tinue helping out in the garden. Not if it is impossible to deal with them."

  Julia

  Julia was horrified. Their servants had been insulted. It was terrible.

  Just as terrible as her first lessons in magic.

  After dinner, which she had eaten together with her servants, she let herself fall tired on her bed.

  The lesson in magic was b. So far, there had only been theory. It was about developing a feeling for one's own limits and about the three different talents and how they were used. Healers worked mainly in hospitals, or as military doctors. Occasionally, they also worked in research. Witches and wizards who could use maniputive magic worked in research, the military, and other professions... There were particurly many opportunities here. Strictly speaking, all witches and wizards were free to choose their profession, but depending on their magical talent, certain professions were more attractive than others.

  For seers, there were no suitable occupational fields tailored to their talent, as the gift was difficult to trol. Experienced seers could iionally see in a certain dire, but they did not influence what they saw. Some could only see in one dire: the past, the present, or the future. It ossible to head for a certain point in time, but what seers saw exactly they did not influence.

  Her teacher had focused on the possible work in the hospital, the military, and in politics. As an example, she had taken the current uprisings ierritory of the elves, which were only trolled by soldiers.

  Julia didn't like it at all.

  She really did not like it.

  If there are riots, it means that something is wrong. More soldiers 't be the solution, they?

  She thought of the three servants whose lives now depended on her. For the rest of her life.

  These binding spells should be bahis form of servitude should be banned! And why all this? Because there was once a war for the fertile nd by the sea, for mineral resources? A nonsensical war that we witches and wizards have won? None of this be right... But what I do? Nothing.

  She was just a sixteen-year-old girl who happeo be a princess. And a seer.

  I will protect the three. This is something I do.