Babette ran ughing into the stable. Her brown pony Phipsi was already waiting for her there. Or rather, the apple she brought to the animal.

  Phipsi neighed as she approached her, jostling for attention. And the apple, of course. Babette brought her pony a fresh apple every night before she had dinner with her parents.

  "Here's your apple!" She held the fruit out to her faithful friend. The pony was visibly happy about the treat a herself be petted afterward before Babette went bato the house.

  For dihere was a warm stew with hot sausages and bread. Pea stew. Babette only liked the sausages.

  "Babette? Please eat your stew, not just the sausages!", her mother reprimanded. "Otherwise, you won't get big and strong."

  "I'm already big and strong!", tradicted Babette. She was very tall for her age. Nine years. She felt like an adult. "I don't he stew. Will we go to the castle tomorrow?"

  "Yes, of course. We were invited for coffee with the Queen and the King." Her father smiled tentedly. "I expect you to py with Prier and Princess Julia. Be a good friend to them."

  "Oh. I'm sure that won't be a problem, Gustav. The children already know each other. After all, it's not our first visit." Her mhed softly. "There won't be any problems."

  "Are you sure, Erika?" Her father gave Babette a sharp look. "On our st visit, the princess pined about Babette. They pyed hide and seek, but Babette didn't look for the princess. The little girl sat in a bush for a very long time! Until her brother Prince Paul found her."

  "She was annoying", Babette murmured.

  "She's only five." Her mother coughed and reached for the napkin to wipe her mouth.

  "You've been coughing for weeks now." Her father looked at her mother with . "Maybe you should see a healer?"

  "Oh, it's certainly nothing." She looked at Babette. "Be very o the priomorrow, yes? Even if she’s annoying. She's still the princess."

  "Ok, mum."

  Drinking coffee and tea with the royals the day was more than just b and the princess was more than just annoying. She g to her brother. Babette hardly had a ce to talk to Prier alohe prince was a handsome boy. Babette liked him very much. He was quiet, friendly, and had a nice smile. Babette had liked him immediately when they met two years ago. At that time, they had pyed a lot and only the two of them. But now, the little princess was glued to him, whom he carried piggyback through the garden.

  The children pyed in the castle garden while their parents chatted over another cup of coffee. Before that, they had all eaten cake together and the adults had talked about b topics. They expected their children to be quiet and listen to the adults. Something Princess Julia didn't seem to uand.

  Instead of being quiet, she had invited her brother to a forked sword fight, tilted her chair until she almost fell over, and stuck out her to Babette. The Queen's scoldings were of little use. Finally, they sent the children away to py.

  Babette wao py ‘wedding’. She as the bride aer as the groom. Julia could be a spectator... But Babette would have preferred that the smaller girl pyed somewhere else. Alone! Peter's brother Paul was supposed to hold the wedding for them, but the older boy was o be found.

  "I trust you to another", cried Julia, looking over her brother's shoulder. "I trust a lot! Yesterday I climbed out of a window!"

  Babette frowned. "Out of a window? Why?"

  "Just because!" Julia giggled softly. "I just did it. Out of the window and onto the roof! I'm good at trusting!"

  "Our nanny was desperately trying to call her back. In the end, I climbed after her to get her back. That was funny." Peter grinned. "But she doesn't dare to climb trees."

  "Peter!" Julia shook her head. "The... They are slippery! And... Where am I supposed to hold on to? But I'm still good at trusting"

  "But I don't mean trusting! You should decre us husband and wife!"

  "Huh?" Julia looked at Babette very skeptically. "But you are a girl! Aer is a boy! You ’t be husband and wife! You are kids."

  "We should keep looking for Paul!", snorted Babette. The princess is just too stupid!

  "Oh yes! Then y catch! ", agreed Julia. "Or do you want to climb on the roof, Babette?"

  "No. I don't want to. A young dy doesn't do that", she tered.

  "Oh! This young dy does that!" Peter started jumping, making his sister giggle and squeak.

  "I'm not a dy!" Julia clutched his shoulders as she was shaken. "You know what, Babette?", she asked when her brother stopped jumping.

  "What do I know?"

  "Peter will be a great magi! The best of all! That's what he promised me!"

  "Will he?" Babette liked the idea. She wao marry him when they were adults. And if he were a great wizard, all the better. Babette was firmly vihat she aer beloogether. Did he see it that way too? She wao be called a princess.

  "Yes! He will!" The princess nodded eagerly. Peter smiled shyly and blushed slightly. "Right, Peter?"

  "Yes", he agreed. "I will. I'm sure of that! And you bee a great witch! The greatest of them all!"