Julia

  "How about you stop bickering and help us bring the food into the tent? It started to rain!" Hanno came in and shooed them behind the tent. It was raining softly.

  They quickly brought everything into the tent and made themselves fortable on the ground. They did not have any rge furniture, as they moved along the river with the taurs. They had pillows, bs, a ft wooden table... Things that could be quickly loaded onto a big cart when the taurs moved on. The cart was o the tent.

  Julia's new family gathered ient. Flora and Hanno flirted during the meal. Leopold watched them amused and kissed Julia's cheek. Finn was lost in thought and didn't notice Marko stealing the food from his pte. There was a herb sad and braised mushrooms.

  "Tomorrow is the petition of manipution of the taurs, right?", asked Peter. "The st two years of this petition have been quite turbulent. I'm a little worried about our tents."

  "They will certainly pay better attention and not tear down a tent like st year." Flhed softly. "Although it was funny when Finja's tent was knocked down st year."

  Finja was the tribal elder among the taurs. She was three hundred and sixty years old. A proud age for taurs, as they had a life expecy of four hundred years.

  "She was terribly angry and both taurs had to apologize. The one who tore dowent and the one who made him do it." Hanno grinned. " Dandelion and Lars. And then kids knocked down one of the tents while pying. But I don't think our tents are in danger. We're too far away from the spectacle for that." Dandelion was Flordeli's father and Lars was Kalle's father. Kalle, however, resembled Oskar more. Aurel's father. It was rumored iribe that Kalle's mother Erine had an affair with Oskar. However, both disagreed.

  Josefine sighed. "I would like to see the petition."

  "We decide tomorrow whether to go or not", Peter murmured. "Last year I was almost run over by several taurs. I would like to do without that this year."

  "I think they expect our presence", Leopold replied. "After all, we are their guests."

  "I don't know..." Julia sighed. "They don't let Josefine and Fiete watch, because some of the taurs are afraid of them."

  "I don't mind, sweety." Fiete wi her.

  "Hanno and I could go alone. And you have a nice day", Flora suggested. "But we don't have to decide that now."

  The taurs did not allow the dragons to attend their petition or to approach their tents without invitation. They were very careful, but they tolerated the rge reptiles, as they had promised not to endahe tent vilge and its inhabitants.

  Julia leaned against Leopold and looked at the twons. Josefine snorted angrily and Fiete looked at Peter with a gentle smile.

  Lea

  Lea sorted the registrations of the udents. This year there would only be one new css, as only ten young witches and wizards had registered. It was a very small group. A disturbingly small group.

  Storms had damaged the roofs of the academy, which is why the school started csses ter than usual this year. The buildings had to be repaired and renovated first. Without this dey, o students would have registered, as the magic of two had only shown itself a few days ago.

  "Is everything alright?", asked Shay. "You look worried.”

  "Last year we had thirty udents. But this year only ten will e. That's not much. And none of our udents e from a noble family. They are the children of farmers, traders... The on people."

  "Is that unusual? Or bad? That there are few? And no noble ones?"

  "That they are not nobles is nio. Just a bit surprising. As far as I know, the st time this happened was twenty years ago. Mother set about it. But the small number... I don't know. For that, I would have to look at the records of ret years. Please pass on the registrations to the teachers so that they start pnning."

  "Of course." Shay took the notes and grinned. "The quee like the on people very much, huh?"

  "She thinks they are important, but she values witches and wizards in the nobility. What are the children doing?" Lea referred like this to the two young servants she had taken in. Chloe and Benjamiwins and both now seventeen years old. After losing their parents to soldiers, they saw Shay as a surrogate father, but they detested humans. They accepted Lea hem. They uood that she didn't want to harm them. She let the two work with other elves and wolves in the undry. The human staff was instructed to be kind to the two and reduce versations to the bare minimum after Benjamin shed out at fourteen after a man pulled him away from a shelf Benjamin was not supposed to go to.

  Sihen, there have been no more problems. Lea felt sorry for them. She had never seen such frightened servants. She wished her mother hadn't ordered Cleo to punish their family for something they might not have been involved in. It was cruel. Unnecessarily cruel. Julia aer had never been found. There were only burnt bones. Lea suspected that they were dead. The queen did not want to see this and looked for her you with visions. So far without success.

  "The children work hard." Shay smiled proudly. "They do their best. I'm very happy with them."

  "Good." Lea nodded. Shay would be a good father... He is a good surrogate father. "Thank you. Go now. The teachers are waiting for the registrations."

  "Of course!" Shay left her offid bowed farewell with a wink.

  Leah sighed. The Queen. She wanted Lea to marry Moritz von Krater after the von Strahls' sons refused an e. The two were now married to two other witches. The son of the von Schmalbergs had also rejected the proposal. He felt too young and his parents supported the decision. Agathe had been ed. Now she urged Lea again to a possible e. Lea had refused, but her mother didn't want to hear about it. It was time for marriage. She wanted Lea to marry soon and then look for a new director for the academy.

  Lea had no pns of leaving the academy. She liked her job. And she had never gotten along very well with Fritz's best friend. Moritz was nice, yes. But she still didn't like him very much. Lea and Moritz just didn't get along. So she wasn't worried. To the horror of his parents, he also refused immediately.

  Cleo, oher hand, had fallen out with the queen. She still worked on the cil, but her retionship with her mother was strained. In addition, Cleo had secretly married Charlotte half a year ago. Both the queen and Charlotte's parents urged the two to dissolve the marriage. In vain. The neers, oher hand, reported favorably about the e when they learned about it. And through the press, the Queen had also found out. heless, grittieeth, the queen finally accepted the marriage, fearing an upheaval of the people. The people celebrated in honor of Cleo and Charlotte for two days. Without the permission or request of the Queen. Charlotte's parents, oher hand, were still causing problems. They tried to force Charlotte into a divord threateo disi her. Charlotte had only ughed about it.

  Lea could only ugh about it too. Why didn't the queen rejoice for her daughter? Like the people? Like Lea? Charlotte's parents had promised her to an older wizard. It was about trade retions. Therefore, Lea uood why they were so upset. Still, she thought it was silly.

  Agathe

  She could not see her daughter. No matter how hard she tried to find her with visions. Julia had disappeared.

  Friedrich wanted her to accept that her children were dead. Fallen victim to a dragon. But that couldn't be true.

  No.

  Somewhere out there was her Julia. Her little girl.

  She wanted her back.

  If Julia hadn't disappeared, she could be at military school by now. And then, in a few years, she would be a powerful witch. She could take over Cleo's old position, now that Cleo was no longer suitable. The stupid child had resisted her.

  But if Julia had never disappeared, then maybe Cleo would never have rebelled...

  And Lea?

  She also worried her.

  And to make matters worse, there were rumors that two small children had been spotted in Fritz's estate. Two childrehey his? And Paus?

  "Honey? You seem upset. What's going on?" Friedrich looked at her worriedly. The two had dihere was a casserole and various sads. Agathe hadn't touched her pte yet. "Please eat something. The casserole tastes wonderful. Torsten wrote to us. He and Annemarie are doing great."

  "I'm not ied in Torsten's letters."

  Friedrich sighed. "I know. He asks if we will e to Rosina's first birthday."

  "You're wele to go. I'm staying here. Maybe Julia will be found soon." If only I could see her... It feels like I'm being prevented from doing so...

  "Honey... You won't find her... And Queen Franka and King Heinrich also wrote. Do you remember? They want to discuss with us further pns against the taurs. The troops we have sent them are probably not enough. A group of taurs had raided a vilge and taken away all the food and valuables. The soldiers weren't there early enough."

  "I have read the letter. You egotiate with them about it. You don't need me for that. I'm sure you'll decide well on my behalf."

  "If you think so. However, I do not think this is right. We both have to appear. Anything else would seem ridiculous. What should our allies think? That you don't care about them? Eat something. Please." Friedrich poio her pte.

  "All right."

  Julia

  Late at night, Finn, Josefine, and Julia were still talking. As was so often the case.

  It was virtually impossible to share a room without talking at night. Or to start a pillow fight in which Finn always served as a spectator.

  Finn was lying on his own soft mat and had pulled the b up to his nose. "Are we going to the petition tomorrow? Or not?", he asked worriedly. "I don't know if I should go... Wheer was run over? But Marko wants to go. Or is it enough if Hanno and Flora to go there?"

  "I'd rather you don't go", Josefine murmured. She had pulled her mat to Julia and snuggled up to her. That's how they almost always slept. "I don't want to be alone here."

  "Your uncle is here too", Finn objected. "And I've stayed here for the st two years. But I want to see the petition. And maybe Peter will stay."

  "It's exg to watch." Julia yawned and pyed with Josefine's long hair. "Maybe I'll stay a bit, but leave earlier. I don't like that they don't let Josefine and Finn watch."

  "Or you stay with me." The dragon girl half-rolled on Julia, ughing. "I won't release you until you promise to stay here!" She stuck out her forked tongue.

  "Fien!" Julia ughed. "I won't stay long, I promise. But Flordelis would be sad if I didn't go!" Fien. Flora had introduced the niame for Josefine.

  "No. That's not enough!" Josefine did not move away from Julia.

  Finn ughed softly. "Oh e on, Fien! We'll be back quickly too!"

  The dragon girl pouted, but she y dowo Julia again. "All right."

  "That Leo doesn't get jealous!" Finn shook his head. "If you two do something like that..."

  "Why?" Josefine grinned broadly. "We are family! And YOU are also stantly cuddling with Juli. Is Marko getting jealous?"

  "I know. Fiete also cuddles with Juli... Aer doesn't mind." Finn grinned. "And Marko gets jealous. He wants to cuddle along! Yesterday he asked me if you might want to s rooms with him."

  "Family!", repeated Josefihis time with a theatrical sigh. "I don't switch with him! In addition... Our pce is with Juli. Fiete could smell it. But I think he would like to kiss Peter." She turned back to Julia. "Do you meaer will let him someday? Or do they remain friends?"

  "I don't know. Peter is not attracted to others. Not in this way, even if he likes to flirt. I think he loves Fiete in his own way. Even if that means they might remain friends."

  "Maybe?" Josefine sighed.

  "Maybe", Julia firmed.

  "I bet Peter will kiss him someday!", announced Finn. The two girls ughed.

  "I hear you!", shouted Peter through the curtain. Apparently, he was standing in front of their room. "Close your eyes and sleep! And I kiss whoever I want! And if I want to!"

  "How about Fiete?", Finn teased him.

  "Sleep! Now! All of you!" Aer walked away.

  "Pillow fight?", asked Josefine quietly.

  "I want to participate!", they heard Marko shout through the curtain oher side. Leopold ughed.