It was dark. Midnight. The castle was asleep. Only a few guards ehat no one endahe sleeping.

  Julia, who was thirteen years old, slept soundly and did not notice that anyone was looking through her window. The veiled figure flew quietly along the walls of the castle, looking through every window. So far, no one had noticed them.

  A light wind blew and no star could be seen in the sky. Clouds covered them.

  The figure, a young elf, searched for the Queen's window. When he found it, he smiled. The witch slept. A dle burned on her bedside table. Now he knew where he had to go. He the servant's entrahe door en and scurried through. Luckily for him, the door was not guarded. A mistake of the guards. A piece of great luck for him. Now he only had to get to the queen's room.

  He carried a sharp knife on his belt. It would put ao the Queen's reign. He would eyranny. Soon she would be gohe elf crept along the corridors of the castle and cleverly hid from the guards, who walked through the corridors with watchful eyes.

  Then, finally, he found the tyrant's room. She was not a queen. And she was especially not his queen. He hid behind one of the curtains so that the guards would not see him. Two guards stood at the door. Immobile. Like two rocks. He had to get rid of them. But how? He only had this oempt.

  He thought for a moment until he noticed an expensive vase that stood decoratively on a low chest of drawers. He smiled. Now he had an idea.

  Through this, he was able to lure the guards away from the door. He just had to be faster thahey were not allowed to catch him. Not before he had done what o be done. He didn't see any other way to get into the bedroom. Resolutely, he knocked over the vase as the guards were looking in another dire and then disappeared behind the curtain. He was fast. He could do it.

  The guards came to see why the vase was destroyed. Wheurheir backs on the curtain, the elf saw his ce. He quietly carried him to his feet, and elves could be very quiet and ran to the Queen's door. He pushed open the door, hurried in, and pulled out his knife.

  "Hands up!" The guards had seen him in the meantime and came running towards him. Of course, he had expected that. The queen woke up from the noise and sat up frightened. He hadn't expected that. Just as he was about to stab her with the knife, one of the guards grabbed him while the angry queen khe k of his hand.

  He had failed.

  The guards took him to a windowless room and locked him there to have him officially arrested the day. The elf sighed. He had failed.

  "How did he get into the castle?" Agathe was furious. Angry.

  Her security chief stood embarrassed in her office. "I'll find out."

  "I want to see the prisoner!"

  "The prisoners?" The guard looked at her doubtfully. "And if he tries to attack you? We just tied him to a shelf..."

  "That's what you're here for!" The queen snorted. "I want to see him."

  The guard nodded and led her into the small windowless room where the elf was waiting for his arrest. Someone had given him a gss of water and dry bread. With one foot he was tied to a heavy, sturdy shelf. The elf had dark skin, pitch-bck hair, and shimmering silver dragonfly wings. He was all dressed in bd stared at her hatefully. He reminded her of an ugly i.

  "How pathetic!" The queen shook her head. "How old are you? Hm? Twenty? You have failed, elf. But don't worry, I'll reward you and all the elves!"

  The elf spat on the ground. "Oh, you will?"

  "So far I have been too kind to all of you, it seems to me. I'm going to ge that now." With a wink, she left the room that was locked behind her. She would tighten the w. The elves, or wolves, suspected of rebelling against her would heh be arrested on suspi. And be severely punished!

  Some wolves had also been noticed as aggressive towards soldiers i weeks. She had them all arrested aained. A whole pack. They now worked in a quarry aied to the pce. But apparently, this friendliness was not enough.

  "Good m, mum!" Julia came running towards her. The queen smiled as her daughter embraced her tightly.

  She needed muards in the castle.

  What if someohreatened one of their children?