Julia

  "It's my birthday tomorrow..." Peter looked out of the window of the living room. "Mom wanted me to be married before then. I didn't think about my birthday anymore..."

  "That's right. Unfortunately, I don't have a gift for you." Julia crossed her legs. They sat on the sofa Finn wao sleep on ter. "I couldn't buy one and after that..."

  "It doesn't matter!" Peter put his arm around her. "What more would I want than to have my favorite sister with me?"

  Finn and Marko were i pying cards with Hanno. From time to time she heard Marko scolding. He robably about to lose. She didn't know where Leo was. He had left the house after dinner. Flora had just returned from the garden. Some earth stuck to her hands and the cool autumn air still seemed to surround her.

  "How are you both?", she asked, opening the living room window to let fresh air in. "It must have been a shock. I 't imagine how I would feel."

  "Probably er than us." Peter pulled Julia close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder.

  "And how are you? I just told you that your vilge will be destroyed." Julia felt sorry for the elves who would lose their home.

  "Uprisings have been anized for months. No one wants to suffer uhe Queen's rule anymore. Our vilge is located deep in the forest, so soldiers don't e here that often. Humans who depend on our medie are much more likely to e here and make the journey. But when soldiers e, fear and horror e with them. Elves are torn from their families to work far from home. Houses are damaged and anyone who tries to lead resistance is arrested. It's even worse in the bigger cities. Many are desperate. But that our eldest gave my boy such a terrible task. That he did that! Not everyone agrees with this pn, but none of us wants to live in fear any longer."

  "Our mother is a cruel witch", Peter firmed. "She is only ied in herself. She doesn't care about the will of others. Many nobles are like that. They just ower and are looking for ways to get even more power. I used to ighat. I was just a disappoi in her eyes. But I had all the luxury, you wish for."

  "We weren't free any more than you were", Julia added. "At least when it es to our mother's will. I never agreed with her and I too want svery to end. It is wrong! The war was so long ago. But I don't know of any way to break binding spells without killing the bounded in the process. At least there is no magic for it so far. Maybe one day? Binding spells should never have beeed. One is worse thaher. The servants who are tied to a house or some other property with its nd ge hands with the house! They must serve those who live in the house and to whom it belongs. Who es up with something like that?"

  "I've asked myself that many times", Flora replied. "It's cruel. Servants ot refuse to serve their masters or mistresses, they are forced to do so, and when their owners die..."

  "They, too, die. As long as they are tied to a person and not to a property", Peter pleted the sentehese are enough reasons to rebel against the Queen. She is cruel. She ordered the death of our stepbrother's mother."

  "What?" That was o Julia. Did she order a murder?

  "I'm not surprised!", snorted Flora. "I'll make us all a cup of tea. Is Leo back? He didn't say where he wao go."

  Julia shook her head.

  Marko

  His whole body tingled unpleasantly. He could hardly trate on the card game and he couldn't get rid of the feeling that Hanno and Finn had spired against him. Did they secretly py each other cards? And how could Finn focus on the game? He had to be just as nervous as Marko himself! How?

  He lost the third round.

  In the meantime, Flora had e into the kit and put on a jug of hot water.

  "Would you three like a cup of tea too?", she asked.

  Her husband just shook his head. Flora looked closely at the two wolves. Marko didn't feel fortable with it. It was as if she was judging him. "A calming tea, perhaps? So that you two get some sleep?"

  "Thank you, but that wouldn't help. Teas do not help. But a fruit tea would be nice if you have any", Finn expined. Marko nodded in agreement. He would also like fruit tea. Bck tea would only make him more restless and he didn't like herbal tea.

  "Where is Leo?", he wao know.

  "I don't know, but I'm sure he'll be ing home soon." Flora tried to look calm, but Marko could smell her worry. There had been so many smells in the castle and at the academy that his nose was often numb. But here in the forest, he was able to trate on individual smells again.

  "And then I'll have a word with that boy!", growled Hanno.

  "No, you won’t!" Flora shook her head. "He certainly had a reason. After all, he didn't do that before... Not so te at night and not without telling us where he was going..."

  "Still, I will have a word with him!", repeated the elf. "You couldn't sleep for several nights because of worry and sorrow! And now he's causing us even mrief!"

  Leopold

  He was sitting by the stream. Here where he had agreed to the pn to join the rebellion and sacrifice his life. Meanwhile, it seemed incredibly stupid to him. Perhaps, iy, he had never been vinced of the pn... A word from the princess and he was ready to give up everything? Or was it the bound? And… Did it matter?

  Would the elder listen to them?

  Leopold looked around. It had gotten dark. He could no longer see the path leading to the creek. It was time to go home. He knew his way around the forest and the vilge, otherwise, he probably wouldn't have found his home. Leopold knew every brand every stone.

  Some windows were still lit and gave him some light until he got to his parent’s house.

  His parents sat i and argued. He crept quietly past them. The door to the living room en. Finn had pulled a thin b over his head. Marko y as a wolf in front of the sofa. He saw Leopold and bared his teeth briefly. The message was clear. He was angry.

  The door to the guest room was closed.

  "You're back?" His father had e out of the kit. He stood in front of Leopold determined. His father wanted an answer.

  "I had to clear my head", Leopold murmured.

  "This te?"

  "Yes. This te. I'm going to bed now. I'm tired!"

  "Never do that again!"

  "I'm an adult."

  "But you still live under our roof!" Now his father was almost r. Marko had e to the living room door and looked at Leopold and his father with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

  "That's right, yes. But it looks like we won't have that roof anymore!" Now Leopold was also loud. "Soldiers will e!"

  His father hit the wall. "And that's exactly why you shouldn't hang around at night!"

  "Honey?" Now his mother also came into the hallway. "Please. Not now."

  At the same time, the door to the guest room opened. Peter and Julia stood yawnio each other.

  "And I thought I was the drama personified", Peter murmured. "How about we all sleep now?"

  Julia nodded in agreement and walked back to the bed, clearly tired. She hadn't looked at Leopold for one sed. This hurt him more than he expected.

  Torsten

  They spent the night again in an inn. The afternoon they would have already reached the marshnd and after a short break, arrive at the castle at night. He couldn't wait to see his new home.

  Would his mother be proud of him?

  Would she have e with him?

  No. She probably wouldn't have e with him. Rather, she would have tried to stop him. He missed her. But he didn't miss her point of view.

  Annemarie stayed in the room door. But apparently, she wasn't asleep yet. He heard her walking up and down. Was she p something? Was she restless? He pulled the curtain on the window and then climbed into the bed. Hopefully, I'll get some sleep. Full moon nights are always sht.