Marie

  Helga and Philip behaved strangely.

  Did they pn something? The two had withdrawn all day and they did not want to do the group work in history with Pia and Marie. Instead, they teamed up with two boys from good families. Lower nobility, as far as Marie knew.

  Pia was in good spirits and did not let that worry her. In the feng tour, she had done well. Not perfect, but good. Her grades were all presentable and she also showed talent in sword lessons. Of course, she was worried about Julia, but now that some tests were approag, she wao focus pletely on studying. Marie had also improved in feng and the use of the sword, which surprised her.

  Pia had told her that she nning to take the subjects in the sed and third years as well. She wao bee a soldier. She had decided after the tour. inally, she had sidered w in a hospital, but the military also needed healers. Healers who could defend themselves and others if necessary. Marie's parents had always expected her to get into the family business, while Marie admired the royal family and dreamed of big celebrations. The queen had been the heroine of her childhood. And she had even mao befriend the princess... She had never been ied in the family business. She had always hoped that Mia would take over one day, so Marie could find something else. But what? She didn't knoia's sudden i iure worried her.

  It was a future without Mia.

  And maybe even without the friend she had grown so fond of.

  The sudden disappearance of the princess g her. In the evening, she had seen Sophie leave the academy grounds with suitcases, which worried her all the more.

  And something else worried her: Theo had bee strangely quiet. She didn't know why. He looked sad but didn't want to tell her what the problem was. Now she sat alone in her room, her roommate was out with friends watg the su. Helga and Philip had no time for her, they met to study with the two boys and Pia was in the library.

  Marie was bored. Should she also learn? Maybe that distracted her a bit?

  August also had no time, as he went to an evening hour in sword fighting. The best from his course participated. But he wao take her to the city for a coffee at the weekend. Marie smiled.

  Marko

  They were sitting in the dining room of Leo's family. There was cheese, fruit, and a hearty vegetable strudel. His gaze wao the window again and again. He wanted out. He wao run through the forest and hunt. Finn sat o him. He, too, seemed restless. Marko chewed on his lower lip and tugged at the shirt he was wearing. Hanno had given him new clothes after shredding the st one.

  Julia and Leo sat as far apart from each other as the table allowed. Leo looked at her from time to time, but Julia avoided his gaze. Marko suppressed a growl. He wao bite Leo. Chasing him through the forest... Peter was talking to Flora. He was telling her about his wedding. Flhed softly. Her husband just shook his head in disbelief.

  "Couldn't you have celed the wedding earlier, boy?", he asked. "Before the entire wedding was anized?"

  Peter shook his head. "I didn't want to marry Babette. It was . But I thought I had no choid no one accepted my opinion. It was only at the st moment that I found the ce to defy the will of my parents."

  Marko snorted. "There is no such thing with wolves. Our ells us who is suitable for us, and then, of course, the heart decides."

  "And your nose liked me?", Finn grinned. "My nose likes you too."

  "You smell good!", he firmed. Finn smelled more than just good. He smelled wonderful!

  Julia found this exg. She looked at the two expetly. "You decide by the smell?"

  "Yes", Finn firmed. "Of course, not only by it. But our ells us who might be a friend or partner. You smell good too, Juli!"

  "That's right. Leo, however... My nose wasirely vinced by him at first. And rightly so, it seems. I wasn't sure if he was a friend." He remembered the first moment he saw the elf. He hadly smell like a friend. But then, they had bee friends and among all the strange smells Leopold's smell had quickly disappeared.

  "How did you get us here?", Finn wao know. "I 't remember anything."

  "I mixed a soothing sleeping potion into your chocote, and I had help. I couldn't have do alone. Humans helped."

  "Humans?" Marko looked at him in amazement.

  "There are rebels everywhere." Leopold smiled cautiously.

  "Was everything just pyed?" Julia looked trite at the elf. She felt sorry for Marko. If something like that had happeo him... He would probably have toyed with the idea of shredding the traitor... But maybe that was also the effect of the full moon. He wao hunt. Run! Howl at the moon!

  Leopold shook his head. "No. Of course not."

  "Really?" It was obvious that Julia didn't believe him. Marko didn't believe him either. How deceitful could someone be? Using another person's feelings for such a pn?

  Finn reached for his hand. "Marko! Yrowling!", he whispered to him.

  Marko sighed. Everyo the table looked at him in shock. Especially Leopold. "Excuse me", he murmured. He hadn't realized he had started growling. Marko looked at Finn. Had he ever heard the younger wolf growl? Marko grinned and put his arm around him.

  "I'm sorry", Leopold apologized again. "Very much so. I thought it was the only option. I... I don't want to die either, but none of us are free."

  "You should have talked to us!", snorted Finn. "Did you think you couldn't trust us? Don't trust Juli? You kidnapped us! ... How I ever trust you again?"

  "Ouch." Peter shook his head. "Well. I, at least, am gd not to sit in a small room anymore. Last night I had Marko's feet in my back! That was more than just unpleasant!"

  Julia grinned. "That must have been terrible."

  "It was!" Peter pouted. "My poor back! Four people in one bed... There was no space left!"

  Julia sighed. "I saw us in this vilge. And I've seen that we're finding refuge somewhere. We all! That is, somehoill be able to vihe elder... I think. I don't know when the vilge will be attacked. That is the only problem. So I'd like to talk to the elder in the m."

  "Tomorrow m? Not immediately?", asked Flora.

  Julia shook her head. "Tonight is a full moon. Such a versation with an angry wolf nearby is doomed to failure! Tomorrow m it is!"

  Marko snorted. He wao bite the elder too!

  "Are we all sleeping in the guest room again tonight?", Peter surprisingly ged the subject. "My back objects!"

  "We only have one guest room... And our sofa in the living room." Hanno stroked his hair embarrassedly. "At least one could sleep there. But the sofa is broken."

  Peter groaned. "Group cuddling or a broken sofa?" His gaze wao Finn. "Do you want to get on the sofa? This might be healthier for you. It's a miracle we didn't hurt you in our sleep!"

  Finn nodded. "If that were possible? And it's irely true... Last night one of my fingers was broken... But nothing more has happened. I think I hit it on the bed. But I'm not sure... And the finger is fine now! But I'd love to sleep on the sofa."

  Julia aer looked at Finn in shock. Marko also didn't like what he heard.

  "Of course!" Flora smiled and looked worriedly at Finn's hands.

  Marko looked at Finn and kissed his hair. He wao stay with him. As a wolf, he could sleep in front of the sofa. As long as he would find sleep.

  Agathe

  A letter had arrived. Her daughter had been kidnapped. By elves! She was seething with rage. In exge for the freedom of all sves, she would get her daughter and son back.

  Where exactly her daughter was, wasn’t mentioned.

  Agathe decided to use her magitil she knew where her child was, and then they would all regret it. All sves!

  She had already told her husband that he had to go to the wedding alone when she read the letter. Now she wrote a letter to Cleo. She would he help of the shadows. All soldiers, if need be.

  "Your Majesty?" Liesa, her servant, had e in. She brought coffee and some cookies and put them on the desk. " I bring you anything else?"

  Agathe looked at the elf angrily. An elf. Just like these insurgents. " all the toilets in the castle!" You traitors are not worth more!

  The elf looked at her in surprise. "What? But that's not part of my job!"

  "Did I ask for your opinion?" Agathe grumbled. "Leave!"

  Liesa bowed quickly. "Of course!" Then she hurried away. The binding spell on her wrist prevented her from defying a direand. She had to serve. If she tried to fight it, the mark on her wrist would start to hurt, as if it were on fire. The same thing happened when bonded people moved too far away from their owners. Bound servants feared this. Servants tied to a property were punished if they tried to leave the property. It was hardly talked about, but the bounded feared the punishment. And rightly so!

  Agathe looked out the window. Elves had her daughter.

  She would get Julia back!

  And if the forests had to burn for it!