Julia

  "Princess!" Torsten followed her out of the firep after drinking coffee. He smiled kindly. "So you're my little sister? I'm really happy to finally meet you."

  The vampires were led to their rooms by a servant. There their luggage was already waiting for them, as the servant assured them. Julia watched them go nervously.

  "So you're my half-brother?" Julia looked at him. Torsten really looked like her father. He was wearing a bck suit and had his hair bed back.

  "Right." Torsten put his arm around her as if they had known each other for a long time and were close. Julia grimaced. "I think it's wonderful to know the rest of my family now and to be part of it. I pn to spend a lot of time with you and the others. This ball is special to me. They will finally see me as part of the royal family!"

  "I thought the ball was for me?" Julia liked him less and less. "Not for you?"

  "You should use what you . Don't you think?"

  "And what do you use for yourself?" My family?

  "Nothi. See you ter, at the ball. I'm terribly excited!" He let go of her and disappeared into another corridor. Julia returo her room. Only a few hours left until the ball... And she was already exhausted. Maybe she could take a nap? Tired, she made herself fortable on her bed and finally fell asleep.

  Fire. Everywhere. The vilge was burning. Julia ran together with Leopold after the fleeing people. o her ran Marko, as a wolf. He carried Finn on his back.

  Julia startled. Her clock showed that there was still an hour until the ball. Had she had a vision again? It felt like that. A fire. When would that happen? She was sure that this was a vision of the future. What else should it be?

  Yawning, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed... Only one hour left...

  There was a kno the door and Sophie came in. She smiled.

  "Did you sleep?", she asked.

  "Yes."

  "Then I arrived just in time! Well, good that you're awake. It's time to get ready for the ball. Had you sweet dreams?"

  "No, unfortunately not. I had a vision."

  "A vision?"

  Julia receded. "From the future. I was in a vilge that was burning. I don't know when it will happen and how to get there... Leopold, Marko, and Fihere too..."

  "That sounds w. Maybe you should tell the queen about it?"

  "Yes, maybe."

  "Good. Put on your ball gown quickly. I'll take care of your hair! We don't have much time!"

  Finn

  Mr. Mühe looked at him sternly. "You ’t make a mistake in serving the royal family." He looked at Marko and Leopold. "None of you will. All guests will be watg you. If even one mistake happens to you, they will speak badly of the princess. Tonight you will represent your mistress. Perfe! That is yoal. You will be silent and serve. Nothing else." They stood in his office, which was located he servants' rooms.

  "And don't smile", Marko grumbled softly, but Mr. Mühe heard him.

  "A good, bound servant only smiles for his mistress or master, otherwise his expression is ral. Remember that, young wolf. You're just smiling at your mistress. No one else."

  Finn didn't mind. He wao see the ball. Why did it matter that there were so many rules? That was a small price.

  Out of the er of his eye, he saw a little fairy fly through one of the open windows and disappear towards the pantry. Finn grihen his gaze wandered bar. Mühe, who adjusted Marko's uniform. "Perfe!", he hissed. Marko rolled his eyes. "Of course! Everything for the princess!"

  Finn didn’t mind representing the princess when it meant, that he was allowed to see the party.

  "And what do we do if someone approaches us?", asked Leopold. He sounded a little annoyed.

  Mr. Mühe seemed as if he could hardly believe that he was asked such a stupid question. "Then, of course, you answer. Politely. Not only the royal family will be iands. But also the most important guests. Prince Fritz's fiancée and the royal family of vampires."

  Finn had never seen a vampire. His father had told him they smelled of blood and were very pale with dark red eyes without pupils. He had met them once while walking on the edge of the territory.

  Finn hought he would meet any.

  Or even their royal family!

  He looked at Marko, who seemed to be shaking. Tonight, was a full moon and the moon was already calling for them, although the sun would not set for another half hour. Fihe wolf in him yearning to run endless miles. He had gotteo the feeling a long time ago. But Marko was struggling. Finn reached for his hand, hoping to calm him down. Mr. Mühe looked at this with a furrowed brow. "There is no holding hands in the hall! You leave your hands where they belong."

  "Of course," Marko murmured, squeezing Finn's hand a little tighter, but not too tightly.

  Torsten

  A servant led him to the ballroom. A werewolf with brown ears and bck long hair. She was very pretty, for a wolf. Torsten followed her silently. He saw no reason whatsoever to start a versation with her. She was a bound servant. Why would he talk to her? It was her job to guide him through the castle, and not to talk to him.

  He didn't know his way around the castle yet, but he wao ge that quickly.

  His mother thought his pn was stupid, but he was sure that this was the right pce for him. Here, in the wealth of the royal family, where he belonged. He had always known that he was destined for power ah. Long before his mother told him who his father was, he knew he was destined freater things. Priorsten. He smiled tentedly and stroked the fabric of the expensive suit that had been made for him. Bck, smooth fabric, golden buttons, and the wide jacket was lined ih honey-yellow, shimmering fabri addition, a honey-yellow vest embroidered with bck yarn and a bck shirt. The suit was a bit too wide for him and the pants slipped a bit, but it was the first expensive suit he owhe tailors had no time to take his exact measurements, so the suit did not fit perfectly. But that didn't matter. He also wore new, expensive shoes. An old pair of Fritz that he had lent him. The shoes were a bit too small, but Torsten didn't let it show. Soon he would have enough moo buy new, good, expensive shoes. Far better shoes!

  He didn't just want to be part of the royal family, no. He waheir moheir power. If he had to marry a daughter of a noble family, which the queen had assumed to him, that should be fih him. There certainly would be one, willing to marry him.

  He was not picky.

  The main thing was that the young dy brought him to power.

  He wanted a seat at the Queen's table. He wao and her soldiers. He wao swim ih. And she had willingly invited him. It had been so easy.

  Torsten had expected more resistance. Instead, he was on his way to his little sister's ball. Julia. A small, simple-minded brat, who g to her older brother. Peter. The ridiculous priorsten despised him. Peter had everything a he behaved like a fool. He wore silly clothes and women's jewelry. Silly. That was what he was. Silly.

  Torsten would oust him from his pce. He himself was not silly. He was the perfect prince.

  The queen would reize that. He didn't care about his father. That man had little power, and he only represehe throogether with his wife.

  That he would be at this ball, that he had greeted the vampires together with the royal family. Everythi perfectly. The bloodsuckers were scary, but if they brought him influence by spending time with them, then he would verse with them. They would bring him closer to his goal!