Julia

  "Are you ready?" Peter came running down the corridor and hooked himself under her. "Because I'm not. Babette just arrived with her parents and I barely mao escape her! Every mihout Babette is precious!"

  Julia looked at his 'masterpiece' with a smile. Bck spots, presumably color, ran across his suit jacket and honey-yellow pants. Light grey ruffles were sewn on the jacket's sleeves, hem, and colr and he wore a pink blouse uhe jacket...

  "Is that my pink undergarment?" Julia reized the material immediately. "The ohat was broken?"

  "I took it out of your closet. That doesn't bother you, does it? Finn ged it for me."

  Julia ughed. "I wao have it repaired... But that's oo. Pretty neckce!"

  Peter tugged at Julia's neckce, to which he also wore a light blue pearl neckce. "Thank you."

  They arrived at the door that led to the tribune. Her family was already waiting there, as well as Babette with her parents and the vampires. But besides Babette, the vampires were retively uacur. Julia had to pull herself together to not start to ugh. Babette had pinned her hair up into two bunks and wore a too-tight honey-yellow dress with an exaggerated high colr that reached her ears. "Peter! There you are." She looked at him sternly. "What happeo your suit?"

  Agathe also looked at the suit. "Did you pour paint over it? And what's the point of the frills?"

  Annemarie giggled softly. "This is very unusual", she said. She wore a pale blue dress with a light green sash. "Are we plete now?"

  "No, Fritz's fiancée, her parents, and my husband's soill missing." The queen smiled zily.

  A servant stood at the door. He would open the door to them as soon as they were plete and annouheir arrival to their guests. He nodded kindly to them.

  Soon after, Pau, her parents, and Torsten arrived. Pau wore a beautiful e dress, and her parents both wrey. They seemed nervous and looked around with wide eyes. The queeed her warmly and straightened her honey-yellow dress.

  At a sign from the queen, the servant opehe door for them and annouheir arrival to the guests. Julia's servants were already waiting for her on the wall of the tribune, whose stiff uniforms looked festive but unfortable. Julia o them iing and earned a beaming smile from Finn, the down in her seat o Peter, on whose left side Babette and her parents were sitting. Behind them sat Fritz, who wore a dark blue shirt with his honey-yellow suit, his fiah her parents, and Cleo and Lea, both in honey-yellow. They wore identical, simple dresses. Lea had put a light green scarf around her shoulders. Cleo clearly didn't feel fortable in her dress. Disgruntled, she tugged at her sleeves. o Julia sat her parents, both wearing honey yellow, and the royal couple of vampires. Their children sat behind them. Below them in the hall stood their guests and looked with partly curious, partly worried looks at the vampires. For Torsten, the pext to Annemarie remained. He sat there as if the pce had been made for him and as if he were the main person of the evening.

  Peter looked at Julia and rolled his eyes.

  The queen stood up to officially open the ball. "My distinguished guests," she said in a loud voice, "thank you all for accepting our invitation. Today is a special evening. We celebrate my you daughter, Julia, who is on her way to the very top. You probably imagine how proud I am of her. And I am also delighted to wely son Fritz's fiancée and her family today, as well as Prier's fiancée and her family. This is aing time. For the first time, we wele the von Bluthofs at one of our balls. I hope our kingdoms will grow together in friendship and panionship. So, let's celebrate tonight. Let’s celebrate Julia, one of the greatest of our little unity!"

  The orchestra began to py and soon there was a cheerful hustle and bustle in the hall.

  Julia's servants did their best to serve Julia, her family, and her guests with drinks and small snacks, but Finn was so fasated by the people in the hall that he did not always notice when he roached. Torsten had just asked him for a beer, something that was not normally part of the offer, but Finn watched a few dang couples.

  "Hey!" Torsten flicked angrily in front of Finn's face. "I want a beer, you useless wolf."

  Finn looked at him in startled and took a step back. A soft growl could be heard from Marko. Quietly enough that Julia's family overheard it. But the vampires looked indignantly at the wolf.

  "Beer is not normally served, Torsten. And please don't call my servant useless." Julia looked angry at her half-brother.

  "Beer is not a royal choice." The queen looked at Torsten dismissively. "We have wine, sparkling wine, punch, and champagne. And, of course, various juices." Then her eyes slid to Julia. "Your servant shouldn’t watch the hall..."

  "Really? He's never seen a ball before, so of course, he's curious." Julia looked at the wolf, who was now standing slightly behind Marko. "Finn?", Julia called him to her.

  Finn looked worried as he stood o her. "Yes? Yhness?"

  Julia smiled at him with her most encing smile. "Do you like the party?"

  "Yes. It's all so colorful." He almost whispered. "I'm sorry, I was distracted..."

  "Don’t worry about it." And with a g her mother, Julia added: "Keep watg. It doesn't bother me."

  Finn nodded. "Is that really okay?"

  "Yes. It is."

  Her mother looked at her daughter snubbed, but she said nothing. Julia didn't care what it looked like. If Finn wao see everything, he should see everything.

  Meanwhile, Torsten talked to Annemarie, while Leopold served him white wine. Marko was taking care of one of Pau's wishes. Soon after, the i seemed fotten. "Is there also something... More nutritious... for us?" The Vampire Queen looked at Julia's mother. "I would have liked some… wine of life. You said you had taken care of our well-being?" Her family members looked down at the celebrating guests with lurking eyes. "Otherwise, we drink from our servants ter ..."

  "Of course," the queen nodded. "That's what we took care of." She ordered Marko to her with a snap of her fingers. "Please go to the kit ahe special wihe kit staff will uand."

  Marko nodded a off.

  Julia khat vampires didn't have to feed on human blood. They could also drink the blood of animals but preferred that of humans. She very much hoped that the special wine was animal blood. If it was the blood of a person... Who had to bleed for it? After all, vampires preferred to drink fresh blood.

  Julia turned her gaze back to the cheerful guests in the hall to distract herself from her worries. She did not notice how Leopold approached her. " I bring you something?", he snapped her out of her thoughts. He touched her hand briefly and inspicuously. Julia smiled. "Some juice please."

  "What juice?" He wi her. "Cherry? Banana? Peach? Or pear? Apple juice would be avaible too."

  "Cherry juice, please."

  "Of course." Leopold set out t her a gss of cherry juice.

  "No, I don't want a circus performa our wedding!" Julia heard Peter say. "No, Babette. That's too much!"

  Julia looked at the two. Babette pouted. "Don't you want to make me happy? I want my dream wedding! A circus performah artists and horses and s, doesn't that sound wonderful? Especially the horses! And, of course, fireworks!"

  "And a sausage buffet?", scoffed Peter. "No, Babette. That's too much."

  "Doesn't every girl dream of a dream wedding?”, Pau intervened in the versation. "I want a wedding dress with many flowers sewn onto it... And there should be flowers everywhere. Fritz promised me that I would get all my wishes fulfilled! Isn't that wonderful?"

  "Well, I'm certainly not dreaming of a wedding", Cleo grumbled. "It's all way too cheesy for me. I prefer a good sword fight."

  "I'd rather read a good book." Lea giggled. "Eventually, I realize my dream of living in my own library. But I don't have enough books yet!"

  Babette wrinkled her nose. "And what kind of wedding do you want? Juliet? Wouldn't you also like a circus performance? And fireworks!"

  Leopold returned with Julia's cherry juice. Julia accepted it gratefully. "Oh... I don't dream of weddiher. And a circus performance? Your wishes are being more and more spectacur..."

  Peter crossed his arms. "You already get this house! Babette! Why do you want all this silliness?"

  "Silliness?" Now Babette seemed offended. "I just want us to have the perfect start to our perfect life!"

  Meanwhile, Marko came back with a tray on which several gsses stood, filled with a red liquid. Julia looked at her cherry juice. It was the same red. Marko distributed the gsses to their vampire guests. His face ale as chalk.

  "Oh." Heinriiffed his gss. "Pig's blood. Fresh pig's blood."

  "It doesn't have as full a fvor as human blood, but it's suffit." His son took a sip. "The pig was still young. Delicious."

  His sister nodded in agreement.

  Franka looked at Julia's mother. "reciate the gesture. Young blood is always the best."

  "I heard about it", Agathe replied.

  Soon after, the first part of the ball ended and Julia's father said goodbye. He cimed to have somethio do. The queen looked angrily after him, but it was time to mih their guests. The Vampire King approached her with a charming smile. "May I ask for a friendly dah you?", he asked.

  "Of course." Agathe quickly recovered from her anger and smiled at the Vampire King. “This is a historient."

  They all got up to make their way down to the ballroom. Marko and Leopold held the door open for them. Finn had already left.

  Down in the hall, many guests approached Julia to gratute her. She thahem each time with a forced smile. Before muests could gratute her, she searched for Peter. How was he doing? After all, Babette had drawn him enthusiastically and exuberantly to the ballroom. When she found him, he was holding a pte full of small appetizers in his hand. Babette danced exuberantly with another young man.

  "Is that Babette's pte?" Julia looked at the sele of sausages.

  "Yes. I'll hold the pte for her until she's done dang... She was actually asked to dance by this young guy. I have no idea which family he belongs to, I don't care, but he keep her. I'm sure she'll step on his toes!"

  "This is the son of the von Strahls. They own some farms in the Wolf Territory and all their sons keep order there as soldiers. His father ahe military there."

  "Then he's a magi?"

  "As far as I know, only their eldest is a wizard... How e you don't know them? Mom insists that we know all the important noble families."

  "I must have fallen asleep." Peter wi her. "Do you think Babette feels fortable in the mountains?"

  "If there is enough sausage? And whes a circus performance."

  "Don't fet the fireworks."

  Julia grinned. "I think I'm getting out of here. Do you think someone might notice? I 't stand any more gratutions." The thought had only just occurred to her, but she thought it brilliant.

  "Take me with you!" But at that moment Babette came bad gave Peter a big kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for holding this for me." Instead of taking the pte from him, she helped herself to her sele. "The dance is yours, of course. But it would have been rude to refuse. Don't you think?"

  "Of course, Babette. You are wele to accept any invitation." Peter looked desperately at Julia and rolled his eyes. Something he did very often tely. Babette did not notice it. Her attention was on her appetizers. "You're exaggerating", she murmured with a full mouth.

  "I don't want to disturb you any longer", Julia said goodbye.

  "Of course." Babette smiled at her. "I reend the sausage appetizers. They are delicious."

  "Sure. And all sausage", Peter murmured.

  Julia giggled. "Thank you, Babette. See you ter." Or not. With a pitying look at her brother, Julia sneaked out of the ballroom. As she left the hall, she noticed Leopold, atg her with raised eyebrows. She wi him and disappeared into the endless corridors of the castle. Apart from a few servants and guards, she only saw different paintings. Many were a aed the old, long-gone royal family. Long before her mother climbed the throhe pictures still hung there for historical reasons, as her mother said. The rgest pictures, however, showed Queen Agathe. There was also one from her first husband along with her children. Cleo looked a the viewer of the painting. She was about four years old in the picture and was wearing a puffy pink dress. Lea, who was about one year old, wore the same dress. She sat on her father's p and ughed, while Fritz stood o his father in a dark suit and with a serious face.

  "Princess", she heard a small voiext to her. Startled, she turned around. Marlon stood in front of her.

  "Oh. It's you." She blinked in surprise.

  "I saw you leaving the ballroom and followed you. Out of , of course. Are you not feeling well."

  "Yes, I just wao be alone."

  The Vampire Prince smiled like a predator. "Alone? Why? Don't you like your celebration?"

  "I needed a break and wao be a bit alone. But thank you for w." She hoped he would get the message, but the vampire stayed.

  "Well, I have to say. I'm surprised", he said, looking closely at Julia. "My parents asked your parents for a long time to engage us... But Queen Agathe refused every time. But now that she's obviously ged her mind..."

  "Marriage?" Julia looked startled. What was he talking about? "I'm only sixteen! And not ied."

  "It's not about i. And in two years you’ll be eighteen. I am only five years older than you. So you wouldn't marry an old man. That's an advantage, isn't it?" He came closer to her han she would have liked. "And you smell wonderful. We only got pig's blood... It wasn't very fulfilling..."

  Julia wao take a step back, but the prince held her. "I taste, 't I? From your wine? In two years, your wine will be mine... But you smell so wonderful... A little sample is more than appropriate!"

  "I don't think so, no. And I don't know anything about a wedding!" Julia tried to get away from him.

  "You don’t know about it?" Marlon looked amused. "Then you know now. I'm sure you would’ve found out tomorrow!" He licked his lips and sniffed her again. "You smell tempting."

  "Away from her!" Leopold hurried down the aisle. o him walked Marko. He was in wolf form and growled threateningly. His ears were id back.

  "Your servants?" Marlon smiled. "Horopriate."

  "Inappropriate or not, you are too close to the princess!" Leopold's wings trembled with rage. Marko grabbed the prirousers and tugged at them. A warning.

  "Well... Then I'll just wait. You have a faithful servant, princess... And a... cute pooch!" He snatched his tr from Marko. "However, you still have to tame it!"

  Marko's growl grew louder.

  "I don't think I o ge anything about my servants. And now leave me alone, please!" Julia's heart was rag.

  "Of course." With a bow, the prince disappeared along the corridor.

  Exhausted, Julia slid down the wall until she sat on the floor. Immediately Marko put his head in her p and Leopold sat dowo her. Julia buried her hands in Marko's fur. "Thank you", she said exhausted. "He wao drink my blood."

  "Shall we take you to your room, Julia?", asked Leopold. "Finn will be happy t you tea from the kit. Or hot milk with honey? Hot chocote? He makes the best hot chocote from all of us... I wouldn't ask Marko for that."

  Marko snorted indignantly.

  "Hot chocote sounds wonderful." She ughed.

  "Marko tell him... As soon as he is no longer a wolf. We saw the prince follow you and... We had a bad feeling."

  "Thank you." Julia sighed.

  Leopold helped her up and together they went to her room. Marko trotted close to her and licked her hand fly.

  Leopold stayed with her while Marko went to transform bad get Finn. Julia leaned wearily against the elf. "He said we are getting married in two years and that my blood beloo him... Mom never mentioned a wedding. At least not to me... She wants to send Torsten to the vampires... What if she pns more?"

  "This is disturbing." Leopold stroked her back.

  ?Leo?“

  "Yes?"

  "What if ..."

  He shook his head. "No. You will not marry him. I'm sure about that."