Julia

  The atmosphere at the breakfast table was icy. The Schmal family had already left and Fritz had apahem. Babette talked to the queen, who seemed very taken with the versatioer had sat as far away from Babette as he could. But now he sat o Torsten, who hardly noticed him. Instead, everyone else present paid a lot of attention to him. King Henry had plimented him on his nightgown, calling it an unusual choice.

  Julia sat o Lea and stared into her fruit tea, which a servant had poured her. The vampires were silent, but Queen Franka seemed to be waiting for something. Julia's mother's offer?

  Marlon gave her sour looks, which seemed to amuse his sister. Julia ignored him. Uer, who tried to kill the vampire prince by just looking at him.

  "Well, we still have important things to discuss!", announced Agathe after some time. Friedriodded and looked at the vampires with a nervous smile. He had previously talked with Babette's parents.

  "Right!" The vampire queen suddenly seemed satisfied. "Do we want to talk about our future pns? We have made you a very good offer. A weddiween our children would only be beneficial. I know that my son is very fond of your you."

  Peter's gaze darkened. "He tried to drink her blood against her will! Do you call that ‘being fond off’?" he hissed.

  Both queens blinked in surprise. "He did what?" Queen Agathe looked indignantly at the vampire prince. "How did this happen?"

  "I'd also be ied in that. Are you alright, Julia?", her father asked.

  She nodded. "My servants came to my aid. Nothing happened."

  "Nothing happened? Your servants have threatened me! Because of something that is my right! Don't you think so?", said Marlon angrily.

  "Are you sure?" His sister giggled softly.

  "And how did you get that idea?", Julia's mother wao know. She barely hid her anger. "That it is yht?"

  "Well, we do want our kids to get married, right?", the vampire king asked. "And nothing happened..."

  "Well, my offer is not for my daughter!" Agathe looked briefly at her husband's illegitimate son, then at the vampire prince. "So no, he had nht. He generally had nht to do so! Luckily, my daughter has very good servants, otherwise, a disaster would have occurred, wouldn't it? Our versation would be over now."

  "What is your offer then?", asked Queen Franka.

  Julia's mother smiled. "Well, as you know, we now have another prince. My husband's son. He is a smart young man and very ambitious." Her smile seemed desding and hypocritical to Julia. "He would be a good match for your daughter. Julia's pce is here, so I 't respond to your offer. But Torsten is an equally good choice."

  "What?" Torsten looked taken by surprise. "I'm supposed to marry Princess Annemarie?"

  Princess Annemarie also seemed surprised. Her gaze wandered over the young man and she looked at him with a smile. She gave her parents an approving nod.

  "How wonderful!", Babette interrupted the silehat had settled over the room. "This is very exg! Isn't it?" She looked at Peter. "Another wedding!"

  Peter sighed softly.

  "We agree with the offer", said the vampire queen. "In fact, we po look for someone suitable for our daughter and since she agrees, we don't see a problem."

  "What?" Torsten had turned pale. "That's how it's decided?"

  "Of course." Friedrich regarded his son with a stern look. "It's that simple. What did you expect? As a prince, you have duties and you have to fulfill them. You will marry Princess Annemarie von Bluthof . As part of our family. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

  "Then we should think about a suitable date?" Queen Franka reached for a bun. "There is a lot to prepare!"

  Prince Marlon suddenly got up ahe dining room sn. His sister looked after him tentedly.

  Marko

  "Ssh! Quiet! Otherwise, they'll catch us!" He took Finn by the hand.

  "Where are we going?" Finn ughed softly. "We have to work! We will surely be missed i!"

  "Ssht!" Marko pulled him to an inspicuous wooden door. He looked around again, then pulled Finn into the room behind the door and quickly closed it.

  It was narrow ihe room. Around them were brooms, shelves with rags, feather dusters, and soap supplies.

  "Why are we in a ste room?", Finn wao know.

  In fact, Marko hadn't quite thought the pn through. He wao spend time aloh Finn... And skip work. "An adventure?"

  They stood close together, as there was hardly any space left. "Adventure?" Finn blinked. "In a ste room? That's ly adventurous, is it?" His cheeks were flushed, and Marko could feel his breath on his skin. Some day-light ehe room through a small window a Finn's hair shimmer golden.

  "Are you sure about that?", he asked mischievously, moving closer to the other wolf.

  Finn tried to avoid him, but the space was too narrow. "We're in a ste room!" His cheeks became even redder.

  Pretty.

  "I know." Marko grinned. "We better not get caught!"

  "Doing what?" Finn chewed on his lip.

  "This?" And Marko kissed him, while Finn g to him.

  But then the door was torn open, and Leopold stood in front of them. "I certainly don't do all the dishes on my own, so that you smoo peace!", he pined. "It's guarao be a lot of washing up, otherwise Finn wouldn't have to help out with us i!"

  Marko groaned and buried his fa Finn's hair. "Hi, Leo. Couldn't you have given us a few more moments?"

  "What? So that you tio enjoy yourself in a ste room? You just fulfilled the cliché do you know that? And now e and help me with the dishes. You kiss ter..."

  Finn's face was now fiery red. He pushed past Marko and slipped out of the ste room.

  Marko sighed and followed him. "As you wish, meanie! And where should we kiss then? Do you have a suggestion? Because we are nowhere alone! In our roht in front of you?"

  Leo gave him an annoyed look. "I'm sure you think of something else... How about a tree? Cliumber two?"

  Finn reached for Marko's hand, ughing. "That was definitely an adventure!", he whispered in his ear.

  Marko grinned. "What do you think of trees?"

  "Trees are very romantic... Especially in autumn."

  "So do we want to fulfill this cliché too?"

  Leo gave them an amused look. "Really? Are you two serious?"

  "Why?" Marko grinned. "Do you want to join?"

  "No!" The elf ughed and opehe kit door for them. "Wele to the parlor!"

  "I liked the ste room better!" Marko stuck out his tongue.

  "There are our runaways!", shouted the cook. "All three of you are te!"

  "I had to collect them first", Leo replied.

  "Disturb is probably a better word for it!", Marko grumbled and grabbed a rag.

  Finn leaned against him, ughing. His cheeks were still red.

  "Collect?" The cook raised her eyebrows.

  "They were about to explore the ste room", Leopold grinned.

  "I don't want to know." The cook shook her head as a soft ugh went through the kit.

  Marlon

  They sat in the carriage on the way back to their territory. His sister gririumphantly at him.

  "What?" He looked at her angrily.

  "Didn't I tell you?" She grinned. "The princess will not marry you! And what do you do? Creating a sdal!"

  "Your sister is right", said his father. "That was very stupid of you. It's a good thing that Queen Agathe overlooked this and made us an equally good offer! A e to the royal family of witches strengthens our kingdom!"

  "I am proud to be able to serve our try!" Annemarie smiled. "Torsten's blood smells good."

  "Just be careful not to drink too much." Her father ughed softly. "We don't want to risk war!" His gaze fell on Marlon.

  "That would be bad, right?", Annemarie licked her lips. "I would never be so stupid!" She leaowards Marlon. "But thank you for the wonderful performance! And now you watch me get what you wahe power of witches!"

  "Torsten is a mortal!" Marlon rolled his eyes. "You certainly don't have what I wanted!"

  "Hm." Annemarie looked out the window. "But I am the future daughter-in-w of a powerful witch. I make our parents proud! Don't you think?" She looked at him and he knew what she was thinking: she wahe throne. Just like him. And she thought she was oep closer... While he had failed.

  "You will make us very proud!", the Queen firmed. "Marlon? Never risk a war with the witches again! Not with such stupidity! We hem as allies! Dragons steal our cattle aaurs steal our crops! For a few weeks now, they have been plunging our popution into horror! We are not strong enough on our own! You know that! We don't have enough military."

  "Wouldn't it have been enough to help them with the refugees?", asked Marlon. The smell of the princess did not leave his mind. One day he would taste her sweet blood! One way or another. Her blood was his!

  "A wedding is a much more far-reag solution. We bind them to us. Such a e guarahat agreements will not be resolved! A faster. Even if it is only the king's illegitimate son."