Marie

  The princess did not show up for the tour. Where might she be? Was she really faking a cold? After all, she had spoken of wanting to do so.

  The tour of the higher csses had beeing. The sed and third-year students were all very talented. In the end, a sed-year student narrowly woour. The students of the first year cheered her victory, while the student was celebrated by her cssmates. The sed pce won also a student from the sed year. Marie couldn't take her eyes off him. He was tall and muscur, with bck curls and dark skin. Much darker than her own skin. He gratuted the winner, a petite girl with short blonde hair, and then celebrated his sed pce with his friends.

  Marie smiled. She wao meet him. Should she approach him ter?

  "Who are you staring at?" asked Pia.

  "Nobody." Marie relutly averted her gaze from the boy. "Definitely nobody. I wasn't staring."

  "Sure." Pia put her arm around her shoulders. "Do you like someone?"

  "Marie fell in love with someone?" Now Philip also looked at them. Helga grinned.

  "No!", protested Marie.

  "Yes!" Pia ughed. "Let me guess... The sed pce? The winner is also very pretty, but you hardly paid attention to her! And she's a girl... So... The sed winner? His name is August Seegut. We were neighbors as children. My older brother pyed a lot with him."

  "Your brother is a mortal, right?", asked Helga. "You're the only witch? Apart from your mother?"

  "Right. Yes." Pia nodded. "So Marie? Shall I introduce you to him?"

  "What?" Marie looked frighte her friend. "Really?"

  "Sure. That's not a problem. Do you want to meet him? I haven't spoken to him since I've been here, but he's very nid doesn't have a girlfriend at the moment." Pia wi her.

  "Really?" Marie looked at the older student again.

  "So, you did stare at him", Helga teased her. "Our Marie has a crush!"

  "I don’t!" But Marie was looking forward to meeting him.

  Wheime came, she was terribly nervous. Pia pulled her through the crowd of students until they arrived at a group of sed-year boys, among whom August stood. Of course, Pia did not fail to remind Marie of one or the other test that was ing their way.

  "August! Hey! gratutions!", she shouted to him, finally putting the subject of tests aside.

  Marie didn't want to think about tests. She had just survived the tour. August turns to them and her heart began to race.

  August looked at the two girls in amazement. "Pia? Thank you. Did you e especially to gratute me?"

  "Certainly!" She pushed Marie in front of her. "Do you already know my friend? Marie?"

  "Ha... llo", Marie stammered, looking at him wide-eyed.

  August raised his eyebrows while one of his friends ughingly patted him on the shoulder.

  "Hello. So you're Marie?" He smiled and held out his hand to her. Marie took it shyly and nodded. She didn't utter a word. She could only stare at him.

  "So you're Pia's friend? Are you also here to gratute me?" He looked at her, a little fused and exceedingly amused.

  Marie nodded.

  "I'm happy about that." He had a nice smile. Marie's heart ounding with excitement. She still couldn't get a word out.

  "You've done well", Pia saved the awkward silence.

  August grimaced. "I would have preferred first pce, but sed pce is also good." Then his eyes wao Marie. "So Marie... How did you like the tour?"

  "Oh." She felt herself blush. "It was exg. gratutions! You were great!"

  He ughed. His friends mumbled cheerfully in the background. Marie paid no attention to them.

  "Thank you very much. Maybe we'll see each other?" He wi her. "I would be very happy about that! But my friends and I want to celebrate now. Or do you want to celebrate with us?"

  "Oh!" Marie looked at Pia, whed her shoulders.

  "Marie!" Helga came running towards her. "Marie! Pia! e quickly!"

  Marie and Pia turo their friend. Philip followed her. Both looked frightened.

  "What is it?", asked Pia.

  "We were at Julia’s, wao che her..." Helga seemed shaken. "But she wasn't there. Only her housekeeper, but she was asleep, or unscious. I do not know. We had to wake her up! The princess is gone! Her servants too! Sophie 't remember what happehey all sat together... That's all she knows! Help us search! Maybe they're still somewhere here!"

  "The housekeeper is just letting the sa know!", added Philip.

  "What?" Marie ruffled her hair. "She’s gone?"

  The sed-year boys listeo them. "Shall we help?", asked August.

  "Gdly!" Philip gave him a restless smile. "Maybe we find them!"

  Marie couldn't believe her ears. The princess had disappeared? What had happened?

  Shocked, they set off. To look for the princess. They divided into groups and searched the entire grounds of the academy. Soon after, they also met teachers looking for the missing girl. Sophie waited in the apartment in case Julia reappeared.

  They did not find her, or her servants.

  The teachers sent Marie and the others to the feast in the dining room and then made their way to the princess's apartment to see if the girl was back. Maybe she had only been in town?

  Marie had no appetite as she sat with her friends in the dining room of the Academy. There was a good mood around them, as the other students had no idea of the missing princess. August and his friends had joihem.

  "Maybe she'll be back soon", he tried to fort her.

  "And if not?" Marie had tears in her eyes. "If something happeo her?"

  "I'm sure she's fine", Pia murmured. "Who knows, maybe she's with her sister? And baorrow? Let's wait a something!"

  But Marie did not like the many cakes, grilled meat, and sads that were avaible to celebrate the tour. She was very worried about her friend.

  What if something had happeo her?

  Was she okay?

  Would she be baorrow?

  Surely she will be baorrow and everything is fine. Marie sighed.

  August smiled fly at her and Marie wiped a loear from her eyes.

  That's not how she had imagihe day. Not at all. Her gaze rested on the older Student.

  He looked good. Very good. She smiled. She hadn't expected that either.

  Torsten

  He watched from a window as the rge marquee was dismantled. Annemarie stood o him and leaned on the windowsill with a satisfied smile on her face. Behind them, servants hurried down the corridor. The two paid no attention to them.

  "This wedding was really more iing than expected!", she said.

  "Certainly", he agreed. "Exhirating, I would say."

  "Very. Prier must have phis for a long time. I heard that the queen and the king had cut off his money. So, he must have bought the dress beforehand."

  "I don't know my half-brother well enough to know that. Maybe he just wao provoke them with a dress and then decided to say no." He looked at the sky, which was slowly darkening. Soon it would rain.

  "Possibly. But it was clearly a nice surprise." Annemarie brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "We will get married in my homend. Our weddings are much more solemn than yours. Traditionally, the wedding ceremony takes pce at midnight. Uhe moon! You'll like it."

  "That sounds different."

  "Because it is. Romantic. Bloody. Solemn."

  "Bloody?" He looked at his fiah i.

  "We are vampires. Blood belongs to every celebration!" She stroked his neck with a finger. "You'll like it."

  "And then?", he asked. "Will your family not expect offspring? But I am human..." He grimaced. All he cared about ower. He hadn't thought about possible expectatio. But this wedding made him think about it.

  Annemarie giggled. "We are not like elves and werewolves!" She wi him. "We have children with humans. Half-vampires are rare, but not impossible. They have a shorter life expecy than vampires, 200 to 250 years. Their thirst for blood is very low, and often they are sickly ... Well... They are also iile. But they are possible. If this expectation es to us, we meet it. And it probably will."

  Torsten grimaced. "And what is your opinion on that?"

  "Hm..." She let her eyes wander over the scaffolding of the tent, which was just being dismantled. "Half-vampires are not highly regarded because they are sidered weak. I'm not particurly eager for it, but one child? Perhaps? I am sure we are expected to tithen the bonds between our kingdoms. That should be doable, don’t you agree?"

  Torsten swallowed. "And after that?"

  "We will do what we want?" She wi him. "Celebrate, rule... Let's see what's ing!"

  "I like the idea." He nodded. "I like the idea very much. You want to be queen?"

  "That's what I want!" Her eyes sparkled dangerously. "I don't want anything more!"

  Torsten leaned against the window. A few raindrops pattered against the window. "And your brother?"

  "Just because he's the older one doesn't meahe better choice. I want the throne and I will do whatever it takes to get it."

  "Everything necessary?" Torsten raised his eyebrows.

  "Everything!" She licked her lips. "And I don't care how long it takes. The throne is mine."

  "Ours!", corrected Torsten.

  "Certainly."

  Annemarie

  She looked at the young mao her. She could smell his blood, hear his heartbeat, and the blood flowing through his veins. He would be only a small part of her long life. After all, vampires lived longer. After that, she would be free and marry a vampire who ruled together with her, and she would have the offspring she wanted. Vampires. Strong vampires! But a half-vampire, she could live with that. A weak half-vampire. But her son or daughter would be a prince, a princess. The nobility would be careful not tard her as weak as well. Not if that e was for the good of the kingdom! A few decades with a human? That was nothing pared to everything she got from it! He would help her to power. She rose in the reputation of her parents because she made their wishe possible. A strong kingdom with a direct e to the witches.

  No matter how much Marlon dreamed of the throne, he wouldn't get it. The throne beloo her. It was her destiny and it looked like Torsten was just as ambitious as she was. He would be a good partner. For a short time. After all, vampires lived up to 500 years. In rare cases, even longer.

  Meanwhile, it was st outside. The taking down of the tent was aborted. She watched as the scaffolding was frantically secured. The wind was raging. Torsten stared spellbound at the ominous weather.

  "Storms are fasating", he said. "Powerful. Destructive. Invincible!"

  "That's exactly how we'll be!" She hooked herself up with him. "A force of nature!"

  A strong queen!