Julia

  After a while, they met other survivors of the vilge in the forest. Three teenagers between thirteen and fourteen, oeenager carried a baby about ten months old, and the others the two toddlers. With them were a handful of childreween the ages of four and wo adults apahem. The joy was great when they all met. Julia watched the happy faces of the elves and for the first time, she felt something like relief.

  Leopold sighed tentedly. "These are all the children who were missing", he murmured, wiping a tear from his eyes. "Everyone made it!"

  "Children were missing..." She sighed. "There are still so many missing. Right?"

  Leopold pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yes. Many are missing, Juli. But look how many are here."

  Julia nodded.

  Josefine looked at the group skeptically and hid behind her uncle. Fiete smiled and talked to her reassuringly. Peter stood with the two. He seemed undecided. As if he didn't know what to do. Finn had climbed off Marko's bad hugged Julia.

  "So there are more survivors? Do you think the eldest is also somewhere in the forest?", he asked quietly.

  "Is it bad if I hope not? I do not know... He was so terrible. I hope I never meet him again." Julia bed her fihrough Finn's hair. "Just like Inga."

  "Maybe they are... dead." Finn pressed himself closer to her. "Maybe only we are left."

  "Yes. Maybe", Leopold agreed. "But in this case, these children have lost their families." He could not take his eyes off the newers. "It's my fault."

  Marko growled softly. He nudged Finn with his nose and pressed himself against him and Julia. Anrowl could be heard from him.

  "No, Leo." Julia couldn't agree with him. "It wasn't your fault... At least not alo wasn't your pn. Not your idea. You have... You’re not to bme. It was the elder's pn. He used you."

  But Leopold shook his head.

  "What will bee of these children now?", asked Finn. "Those who are alone."

  "Others will take care of them." Leopold ruffled his hair. "But first, we all need a new home."

  They watched as the adults took care of the orphaned children, then the group tinued. It was not very far from the border. Maybe they would reach it in the evening. Or the m. Finn had climbed baarko's bad Josefine walked alongside Julia and Leopold. Hand in hand with Julia. Fiete aer walked right behind them and talked about the life ons in the desert.

  After a few hours, they had to take another break. The childreired and the adults restless. A thuorm came up and they needed shelter. But where would they find one?

  The first raindrops found their way through the dense opy and the group looked for pces close to the trees so as not to get wet.

  "There's a cave here!", shouted Pepe after some time. He and his father had moved quite a bit away from the group. And indeed! Between several trees was the entrao a spacious cave where the entire group found shelter from the thuorm.

  They sat close together. Finn sat on Julia's p with his legs over Marko's wolf body so that no one would actally push him. Marko slept soundly and snored softly. Julia sat o Leopold and leairedly against him. Again and again, they heard the loud thunder of the thuorm, at which Finn flinched. Peter had also fallen asleep. Josefine had turned into a cat again. Just like her uhe two cats snuggled up to Julia, just like Finn. Fiete licked lovingly over Josef's dark fur. Gisele, Lavinia, and Maleen sat o Peter and they talked to Liam. Pepe pyed with the little elf, who giggled softly.

  "I hope the thuorm stops soon", Gisele said. "I'm not a fan of caves!"

  Lea

  Should she go home? She didn't want to hear another word about a possible e. There was no one Lea was ied in. She was tent alone. Wasn't it enough that her little sister had disappeared? And her younger brother? Weren't a broken wedding and a wedding in the s enough? Wasn't it enough that Fritz would get married? And what was this stupid demand owo not to have children? That was not her mother's decision. The Queen’s. And even if Fritz married a witch, there was no guarahat his children would be witches and wizards. It was even more likely that they were mortals. Maybe oagi. Rarely parents had more than one immortal child. Had her mother lost her mind in her long life?

  Such crazy nonsense!

  Lea didn't want to get married. Never.

  And Cleo? She was sure that her sister loved Charlotte. The two had always been inseparable. And how Cleo looked at her best friend... That's how Fritz looked at Pau. No. Her mother, the Queen, would probably never accept that. If she was so cruel to Fritz, what would she do if Cleo and Charlotte wao get married?

  The people may marry whomever they want, or not at all, but the nobility? Us?

  And mom doesn't need heirs to the throne. She pns tn forever! So what is the point of all this!

  Why doesn't she leave us alone?

  Lea had enough of it. But she couldn't leave. Not as long as her siblings had disappeared. Would Cle them back soon? And then? What then? She trusted her mother to try to marry Peter off to another witch... Or to disown him. If she o do that at all. Maybe Peter never came back. And Julia?

  Would she e home? Without Peter? No. I don't think so. If Peter goes, Julia goes too. gratutions, Mom. You scared them off. Paul, Ingried, Peter and probably Julia.

  Julia. Did I do something wrong? But what? I have always supported you... Will you e home?

  Elves had kidnapped Julia. Was her servant behind it? The elf Cleo had chosen? Was it Leopold? But how? Had the two wolves helped him? If so... Wasn't it Lea's fault that Julia had been kidnapped?

  Is it my fault? And Cleos? Have we allowed that to happen?

  I'm sorry, little sister.

  Please.

  e home.

  Five me.

  There was a kno her room door. "Lea? Don't you want to e out now?", she heard her mother's voice. "It's starting to get silly. May I e in?"

  Relutly, Lea opehe door a her mother into her old room. Agathe wrinkled her nose. "When was the st time you let your room be ed up?" Lea's room was messy. Her bed was not made ahings were scattered on her dresser and table. The bedspread, which used to lie over the sofa, y on the floor.

  "I only let them ihey brought me food. What do you want? Mom?"

  "I'm worried about you, of course, my darling. You've been angry long enough. It's time for you to stop. You help me with my work. I have a few letters that o be answered and sorted. Will you help me?"

  "Letters?" This is your solution? Or is that supposed to be an excuse... No, Mom. You don't see any reason to do that, do you? You've lost your mind, right? And I was too blind to notice. "Is there any news from Cleo?"

  You should nn forever.

  "Not yet. No. But it 't be much longer. She puhese elves for me as my little one back." Agathe smiled tentedly. "My little one will be back with us soon."

  Lea grimaced. "Punished? How so? Are they going to prison?"

  "That would not be suffit punishment, no. There are now Julia's fuards. They are ing there. Maybe they will do justice to this work."

  "I heard there was an atta the night Julia was allegedly kidnapped? And the guards rushed there? I've heard a few guards talking about it."

  "I'm sure this was a red herring. And these fools fell for it. Unfortunately, we ot interview the attackers. They were struck down. The guards were injured and did not look for Julia. No. They licked their wounds ahe work to the academy!" Agathe snorted. "And Sophie? Too old for her job. I dismissed her. She robably drugged."

  "Drugged?" Then Julia's servants were behind it! "How terrible."

  "I summohe headmaster of the academy. He will arrive here tonight. I pn to have him repced at the Academy. Lea? Sweetheart? What do you think about running the academy for a while? Until we find a new principal?"

  "Me?" Lea hadn't expected that. "Principal? But what about fihe hospitals..."

  "Just for a while. I think you're the right one for that. Friedrich take care of the finances of the hospitals for so long." Agathe pressed a kiss to her temple. "Do you agree? We … Talked together... with the old Principal."

  "All right", Lea agreed. "I'm taking over the task for a while. I don't mind doing something else for a while. Finances are a bit b in the long run. And when Julia is back, I'll keep an eye on her."

  "Then we agree? Wonderful. I didn't expeything else. When Julia is back, she needs new servants. And a new housekeeper. And muards. But with you at the academy, I'm reassured. You leave in just a few days. After all, we still have te one or the other thing... The old headmaster will ime to clear his offid apartment for you..."

  New servants. Is this a good idea? Right after her servants, or just one of them, kidnapped her? "Maybe you'll send her some normal servants? No bound ones?", suggested Lea.

  "Maybe. We'll see. And now e. Work is calling."

  Please, Julia. Please e home.