Agathe

  There was no sugar.

  There was no sugar iire castle. There were supposed to be sweet buns for breakfast, but the servants apologized. Someone had left one of the windows open. Early in the m, the kit staff had found a whole army of fairies i and pantry. The little beasts had plundered everything. Fairies had ruiheir breakfast and the staff was still in the process of driving them out of the castle. Lea found the whole situation hirious. It didn't bother her that there was a ck of sugar at breakfast.

  There was no news from Cleo yet. She stirred nervously in her sugar-free tea. Had Cleo already found the vilge? Was Julia saved? Would she soon be home? Had the elves already paid the fair price? Should she try again to find the answer in a vision?

  She thought about the st few months. Should she have anized homeschooling for Julia? She didn't want to go to the academy... No. Agathe could not ignore her own ws. But her child might never have been kidnapped if she hadn't had to go to the academy. And then there was the situation with Prince Marlon. He almost bit her daughter. Agathe had insisted on no apology. Should she have do? But she he vampires. She he weddiween Torsten and Princess Annemarie. Without the agreements she had made with the vampires, her soldiers could not simply cross the border to pursue and punish the refugees. This could have been interpreted as a decration of war.

  Prince Marlon didn't seem like he would have apologized. No. He seemed more like he would have insisted that her daughter apologizes to her servants. Perhaps he would even have demao be allowed to drink some of her blood. As an apology. She would never have allowed that. No. It had bee iuation to 'fet' the i ahe marriage between Torsten and Princess Annemarie. F Prince Marlon to apologize could also have led to war. She he vampires. What she didn't need was a war with them. Even if it had broken her heart not to fight more for the well-being of her daughter. And thus also for her own well-being.

  "What are you thinking about?" Lea asked her. Her daughter was looting the scrambled eggs.

  "About your little sister. I hope we have them back quickly. I don't want to wait any longer."

  "'t you see when she's ing back?"

  "Unfortunately not. I tried. I don't see anything. Just..." My owh. This must not happen. If only I knew how it would happen. The vision is never clear enough!

  "Fritz sent a letter." Lea now stacked tomato sliext to her scrambled eggs. Did she want to build a tathe would have liked to roll her eyes. But a queen did not do such a thing.

  "A letter?"

  "Yes. Drugs for chipox work well against the disease. Now even those who are not within reach of a healer or ot afford one be treated. The drugs work particurly well when they are enriched with healing magic. Then, however, the drugs are more expensive. No solution has yet been found. Fritz siders making the medies avaible to the poor free of charge. In addition, Fritz has started to extend his property", Lea suddenly stopped talking and nervously drummed her fingers oable. "Well. He and Pau are very busy pnning their wedding."

  "Fritz is actually renovating his house?" It is big enough for two people. Rebuilding it is unnecessary. Or is Pau already ... No. No jumping to clusions. It was the dition.

  "I think he had been pnning this for a long time. Now he has a reason. He wants everything to be perfect. For Pau. She told me she grew up in a tiny apartment. Fritz wants to offer her a castle. That's why he's enrging his estate."

  "Good." Agathe took another look at the Tomato Tower. "Lea? Dear? Aren't you too old to py with your food?"

  "I don't know. Is 95 years old?" Lea stacked more tomato slices. "I want to know wheower will topple! Or whether it holds! Out of purely stifiterest. Of course!"

  "Yoing to get the table dirty. Lea. Stop it. A princess doesn't do that! A princess always seems posed, reacts diplomatically, and does what is best for the try and the people. Like her queen! What if there was a famine? And you're sitting here stag tomatoes? You. A princess!"

  "We don't have famine. Nobody cares if I build a tower out of tomatoes or not. Look at how much food is oable. we eat all this? No. So what does it matter if I staple tomatoes if we waste food royally!" Lea took one of the tomato slices and ate it. "You should also take a slice of tomatoes. They taste good!"

  "When it es to food, we represent the wealth of the try, Lea. Child! You've lear all! What's wrong with you today? What is this rebellious behavior for" Like Peter! Like Fritz! ... Like Paul and Ingried. Rebellious. They had the best nahe best training! The best education to be respectable princes and princesses.

  "I'm worried about Julia!", replied Lea. "She's been kidnapped, but you're upset about some tomatoes. Somehow I have to distract myself!"

  "What do you think of the von Strahl family?", Agathe ged the subject. She and her daughter were both tense. She did not want to tihe dispute.

  "The von Strahls? The military family? Why?"

  "Their two eldest sons are about the same age as you and Cleo and not yet married. When Julia is back, I would like to ihem to breakfast. The von Schmalbergs also have an unmarried son. However, he is mortal and oeen. But he would also be a good match. The family maintains important trade retions with the vampires. I've been on the lookout for both of you for a while and these two families would be a good optiht now."

  "What?" Shocked, Lea knocked over her tomato tower.

  "First of all, just a breakfast. Nothing is fixed yet."

  "The military... Or a child? You 't be serious. And why now? Because you don't like that Peter ran away and that Paul is marrying a mortal?"

  "The boy is grown-up, albeit young, yes. So I'm not sure. Let's keep talking about it when Julia is back. And it has nothing to do with the other weddings, Lea. I don't like your tone. I am your queen! Don't fet that. But I uand you're worried about Julia, and so am I. You may not be thinking clearly right now. We'll tialking about it when Julia is back. We must do what is best for the kingdom." And for me.

  "I 't think clearly?"

  "Obviously not. You 't stay unmarried for your whole life. You are a princess. It's time I looked for someone for you and Cleo. You two never did that. Of course, I'm also on the lookout for Fritz."

  "Mum. Fritz is getting married soon", Lea objected in bewilderment and pushed her breakfast aside. A few tomato slices fell on the ground. "He's getting married!"

  "That doesn't mean anything. Pau is mortal." She dies in a few years. Agathe looked at her own pte. She haden anything. The scrambled eggs and the slice of bread were untouched.

  "Are you also looking for Julia?"

  "She's only sixteen. Of course not. But at some point, of course, I will, yes. If she doesn't find someone suitable on her own beforehand."

  Leah stood up. "I'm full. I'm waiting in my old room for Julia to e back."

  Agathe watched as her daughter fled the room.

  She is only sensitive because she is worried. When Julia is back, she will be pleased to be able to fulfill her other duties soon. She was always very reasonable and dutiful.