Leopold

  Wheurned from his walk with the prie in the evening, he found Marko and Finn asleep in Finn's bed. Finn's pillow was on the floor. Instead, he used Marko's arm as a pillow. Leopold grinned ahe two sleep.

  Leopold couldn't get the princess out of his head. Her hand had fit perfectly into his... She was so pretty... But her behavior was ambivalent. Just whehought he had seen through her, she surprised him.

  He took the clothes he had brought with him from his partment in the wardrobe and looked at the potion he was hiding there. The potion was inside a cy pot. The pot was tightly closed with a ceramic lid. He put his clothes ba the partment and put on his pajamas.

  When he woke up the m, Marko and Finn were already awake. Marko brushed his teeth and Finn sat on his bed with a redhead.

  "What's going on?", Leopold wao know.

  "I and Marko had fuerday... We must have fallen asleep... And then today I woke up in his arms! It's so embarrassing!"

  "I know. I found you like this. You both looked very pleased."

  Finn buried his fa his hands. "This is so, so embarrassing!"

  "You get along well, don't you?"

  "Yes, yes... Without him, I would be alone here... And he's very nice..."

  "You like him." Leopold sat dowo Finn, who was still burying his fa his hands.

  "I think so... He's nice," he replied, looking at the elf. "Are you w i today? And in the dining room?"

  "Yes, we are w there for now."

  Marko came out of the bathroom. "Good m Leo. Did you sleep well? I slept well."

  Finn became even redder.

  "I know. In Finn's bed. I'll go brush my teeth." Leopold got up aheir room.

  He met the yawning princess in the hallway. Julia was still wearing her liightgown and was on her way to the kit to get a coffee.

  "Good m," she murmured sleepily. Her hair was still unbed and a few strands of hair stood out stubbornly.

  "M princess." He smiled. "You have a particur individual hairstyle today!" he teased her.

  "Thank you." She yawned again and disappeared into the kit.

  Leopold heard the housekeeper greet her cheerfully.

  At breakfast, everyone was unnaturally quiet. Julia didn't seem awake yet and Finn remained as red as a tomato the whole time. As every m, the table was richly set and Marko silently greased one jam bread after another. Iween, he looked at Finn, who avoided his gaze.

  Sophie ate cereal and had given up engaging the tired princess in a versation.

  Julia ate only cheese this m... In fact, she only tore a slice without eating anything and almost fell asleep. Sophie poured her coffee without a word.

  Finally, he and Marko made their way to the teen kit.

  "So you slept well?" he asked the wolf with a grin. "In Finn's bed?"

  Marko ughed. "That was uional."

  "So you actally slept well?"

  "Very good! Finn's bed is very fortable... I'd say give it a try, but he probably wouldn't be happy about that!" Marko stuck out his tongue.

  "It’s fortuhat I'm happy with my bed then."

  "How was the walk?", Marko wao know. "With the princess? Who do you like?"

  "Am I going to find you in Finn's bed more often now? Because it's so fortable there," he ughingly dodged the topic.

  "No, no. I asked first. So? The walk? Uhe stars? Very romantic!"

  Leopold groaned. "Yes, I like her. But it wasn't romantic. We came across two unfriendly gardeners."

  ?Oh.“

  "Yes. Oh. They threatened me..."

  "And the princess?"

  "Put them in their pce. Faster than I could react myself."

  "I think she means really well with us." Marko gave him a friendly push. "We could have done worse."

  I'm not so sure... Does she mean well? "Probably. But I'd rather be free."

  "Have we ever been free?"

  "No."

  Julia

  "And we could all visit a café together. There are quite a few iy!" Marie had moved her chair to Julia's table and presented her pn for the day. After css, she wao drive into town, go to a bookstore, and then have a coffee.

  "I don't know..." Helga leaned ba her chair. "We always get so muework. I'd rather do those."

  Philip nodded. "I would like to go to a café, but maybe on the weekend? When we have more time?"

  Marie sighed. "That's ia said, too."

  "I'd like to have a coffee today. Right after css? Or after lunch? What do you think?", asked Julia zily.

  "Right after css!" Marie was visibly pleased. "We ght away."

  "I just have to let Sophie know beforehand," Julia quickly objected, because in a few moments the lessons would start. "We tio talk about it during the break."

  Marie nodded eagerly and then sat back down at her own table.

  History css dragged on and Julia struggled not to fall asleep in css. It was about the great war betweeches, elves, and werewolves and how her mother led the witches and wizards to victory and was then ed queen. The trigger for that war was the fertile nd iches' territory sihe werewolves lived in the barren mountains, where cereals, fruits, aables grew very poorly. They wae their territory and joined forces with the elves, who hoped for a rger piece of forest. In the high-altitude forests in front of the elveory, there was a high occurrence of rock crystals and a rare herb, which the elves used for medie. It was much rarer in their owory. But they lost the aid a high price for it to this day. Of course, this was described somewhat differently in css, as justice. Julia disagreed, but she remained silent, while her history teacher told endless praises of the queen and pointed out to the students that it rivilege to be taught in lessens together with the princess.

  Should she have said something?

  She didn't even have the ce. The lesson had been a pure lecture and Julia's eyes wao fall shut. Last but not least, they were given a small reading assig.

  After history css, they had math. Julia slept through css and only woke up when Helga woke her up during the first break.

  In the end, she didn't go to town with Marie because she was just too tired. In feng css, her teacher had sent her home, because she had fallen asleep standing right at the beginning, leaning against Marie.

  The reason for her tiredness was the gardeners. She had been so upset about the man's behavior that she couldn’t fall asleep. And Leopold couldn't get out of her head either. They had walked hand in hand through the gardens. Hand in Hand! That made her happy, but she didn't know where this was going...

  Sophie was waiting for her with cheese buns and soup. Finn had made the bun dough and was very proud of it. Marko liked them so much that he ate four buns and ighe soup. Leopold seemed amused by this. But every time Leopold and her eyes met, he and Julia blushed. This, in turn, clearly amused Marko.

  "Why are you tw red?" he asked with a grin. "Did I miss something?"

  "Tell the princess why Finn keeps blushing because of you today," Leopold tered and Finn turned red again. Julia ughed.

  Sophie cleared her throat and gave the two boys a stern look. "Your lunch break will soon be over," she reminded. "Are you doing? Otherwise, you should hurry."

  Marko reached for a fifth bun.

  " you really eat more? I'm full," Leopold wondered.

  "These rolls are addictive!" Marko happily bit into the cheesy happiness. "Reaffy yummy Finn."

  Finn became even redder.

  After dinner, Julia y down in her bed. She heard Finn and Sophie doing the dishes i and fell asleep.