Julia

  "I 't imagine how Babette and Mama looked when you stood in front of them wearing this dress!" Julia ughed. Meanwhile, she had put on her pajamas, as her feng uniform was unfortable. "When did you pn all this?"

  "I'm ied in that too", Finn agreed.

  Peter leaned against Julia and pyed with one of the bracelets. "In the small shop in Castle Town... Where I also bought my jewelry, which my mother threw away... Fortunately, the servants overlooked all this. inally, I had po appear only in the wedding dress... I felt like I had no choice but to marry Sausage-Babette. But... It's my life. That's why I said 'no'. Babette was too stubborn to say 'no'."

  "That was very brave of you." Julia pressed a kiss on his cheek. "You're braver than me, Peter."

  "No. Certainly not."

  "Aren’t you? I never wao go to the academy. I could have walked away." Julia looked at the ceiling. "Instead, I do exactly what Mom wants me to do."

  "Not quite", Marko tradicted her with a wink. "There's this extremely attractive elf in your life, Juli."

  "So rooooomantic!", Finn agreed in ahe-top singsong while pying with Marko's hair.

  Said elf had disappeared into the kit. They heard him put a pot oove.

  "Of course, this is less spectacur than a wedding dress!" Sophie looked at the prin amusement. "I like your shoes. They're very pretty." Peter's shoes peeked out from under his dress. Laughing, he lifted one foot and presehe silver shoe.

  "Thank you. I like them too!" He let the foot disappear under his dress again. "However, it was not easy to flee with them."

  "I imagihat!" Sophie ughed happily. "As a young girl, I oried to walk in high heels. Well. I'm not made for that..."

  "What happened?", asked Finn curiously.

  "I bent over and fell, couldn't stand on one foot for two weeks. I never put on high heels again. My parents couldn't afford the treatment from a healer, so I had to do it without help from magic. ventional medie had to suffice. A bandage and a tea for the pain..."

  "Ouch!" Marko grimaced. Finn nodded. But Sophie tio smile uncloudedly.

  "That was a long time ago..." She looked at Peter. "But I didn't have such a pretty dress to go with it."

  "I know. I’m a true beauty!" Peter stood up and made a curtsy in front of her, which made the old servant giggle before he dropped dowo Julia again.

  "Very pretty, yes!" Sophie shook her head. "Should I go to see what Leopold is doing i? Besides, I want to start cooking... Even if I didn't expect a guest. Well, it’s such a delightful guest!"

  "Not necessary. I'm already done!" Leopold came into the living room with a tray, on which stood several steaming cups. "I made hot chocote for us."

  "Oh! Thank you!" Julia could use hot chocote. "This is exactly what I need!"

  "That's what I thought." Leopold distributed the cups. There was one for everyone. Julia got a kiss on the cheek, whereupoer nudged her with his elbow grinning.

  The hot chocote smelled wonderful. Silence fell in the living room. They all ehe delicious drink.

  "And tomorrow, the tour tinues?", Peter finally broke the silence.

  Julia groaned. "Yes. But at least I'll be one of the spectators tomorrow. Everyone from the first year participated today."

  "And? How was it?", her brother wao know. "Have you shown everyone what a strong princess you are?"

  Julia took a big sip of the hot chocote and almost burned her tongue. "Rather, what a clumsy princess I am. It was a disaster. And our dear mother wants me to tinue doing this in the sed and third years!"

  "Oh, dear." Peter clutched his cup. He had spilled some chocote on his dress. "So bad?"

  "Yes. So bad. My feng instructor called me a disappoi! Because I 't do it!"

  "What?" Finn looked at her in shock. "That's what she said?"

  "Marko must bite her butt then!", announced Leopold.

  Marko just snorted aer looked at the elf in fusion. "What?"

  "She deserves it. And it's the perfect job for him!" Leopold stuck out his to Marko, who returhe gesture with an eye roll.

  Julia took another sip of her hot chocote. "Something tastes funny...", she murmured.

  Finn looked at her questioningly and sniffed his cup. "Herbs maybe?" He took another sip.

  "I like it", Marko muttered.

  Peter also took another sip. "Are you sure?"

  Sophie looked at Leopold. "I don't taste anything. Is there a spi there?"

  "Nur hot chocote", he replied. "Everything as always."

  "Hm." Julia took another sip. "Marie was at the tour. She's not doing well."

  "Her sister died, right? Pirl", Sophie said sympathetically. "Could she trate oour?"

  "No. She did just as badly as I did." Julia blew into her chocote before taking another sip. "I think she should have stayed at home a little longer. With her parents."

  "Maybe it's good for her to be here again", Sophie thought and stood up, only to sway and then quickly sit ba the chair. "Yikes! I'm dizzy! Where does this e from? I'll probably wait a bit before cooking."

  "Hot chocote fills your stomach too!", Marko tried to cheer her up.

  Julia grimaced. "Strange..." The world around her began to spihough she was sitting on the sofa. "I'm dizzy too..." She rubbed her forehead and didn't notice that Finn and Marko were also grimag.

  "Was there something in the chocote?", she heard Peter say as her eyes slowly turned bck. The st thing she saw was Leopold's sad face.

  Leopold

  They were all unscious and would remain so until the evening. He had mixed the potion into their chocote. Only in his cup was nothing, that’s why he had distributed the chocote. So that everyo the right cup. He looked at the group of people, the and packed his bag before he would be heading to the gate of the academy at midnight. Fortunately, the potion had also been enough with an additional person.

  When he had packed his bag, he waited for it to finally be midnight. The hours passed slowly. He grabbed the apartment key and made his way to the gate. In the distance, he saw a rge fire burning. Loud voices could be heard. A fight! A group of people preteo attack the academy, keeping the guards. The diversionary mahe princess's guards were not visible. Two pitch-bck carriages approached the gate, which was already open. The guards had probably ope instead of going through the guardhouse. That made it all the easier for Leopold. The carriages stopped in front of the open gate and he quickly threw his bag into one of the ste spaces. Three people sat on eaan's seat. Four mortals climbed down from the seats.

  "Is everything ready?", one of them asked. A tall, muscur man with dark skin and blond hair.

  Leopold nodded. "Yes. However, there was a surprise."

  "A surprise?"

  "Prier is here."

  "The prihe blond ughed. "That’s eveer. The's get it done quickly. Before the guards e back!"

  Leopold led them to the apartment and the four men carried Julia, the two wolves, and the prince away. They left the old dy behind so that she could tell of the princess's disappearahe potion had a nice side effect. She wouldn't remember some of the things that happened because it affected her memory. She would know that the princess was gone, but not what had happehat bought them time. Moreover, she had no value for the rebels. They could not use her as a hostage, uhe princess and the prihey took the two wolves with them, as they were tied to Julia and could not be easily separated from her. Just like Leopold. Otherwise, they would wake up and follow them, maybe even try to stop them. This could not be allowed to happen.

  "We could kill them!", murmured a man with long red curls. "Then we would have less to carry."

  "No!", replied another. A man with a very big, and long hat would wake up the princess! What if someone hears her screaming? Never mess with magids."

  They hurried out of the building and to the carriages. They divided the hostages betweewo cuddles and tied them up for safety. Then two of the four sat down in each of the carriages to monitor them. Leopold joihe an.

  And then, finally, they drove off. Unnoticed. They would drive away from the usual roads so as not to attract the attention of the soldiers who had their barracks around the towns and vilges. The princess’s guards were still busy. Leopold silently thahe people who sacrificed themselves for the diversionary maneuver. He hoped they could escape, otherwise, they would face a terrible fate. They may not survive their a, but they were all willing to pay this sacrifice. For the freedom of many.

  For freedom. He, too, was willing to pay this price.

  Leopold smiled.

  It was the best? Right?

  sasi