Marie

"Do we really have to leave tomorrow?" asked Theo angrily, tucking two of Marie's brushes behind his pointed elf ears. "And do we really have to stay there until the holidays? That's months! Ina's birthday is the day after tomorrow! I'm missing my little sister's birthday!"

Marie placed a small canvas on her easel. "Classes start the day after tomorrow and it's a long way to the capital. Several hours by carriage. We buy Ina a nice gift in the capital and send it to her, yes? Something special."

"It's not the same," he grumbled, rummaging through her oil paints. "I've never been away from here."

"Don't you want to see the capital? I can't wait."

"But not this fast..."

Marie began to paint a light blue sky on her canvas. It should be a landscape. "I promise we'll buy her a great gift and you can write her letters. It's going to be great! Dad said the princess would go to the academy too."

"The princess? Is she also starting classes?"

"Yes, it was announced at her birthday ball... I would have liked to be there, but mom said I was still too young since I’m only 15. But you don't get invited to a ball in the castle every day!" Marie snorted. Her parents, as influential merchants, had received an invitation. "Maybe I would have met the princess already. I hope we become friends!"

"Maybe she's terrible?", Theo replied. "Maybe she doesn't want to talk to normal people."

"Terrible? Mom said she was very polite. And do you want to know what else she said?" Marie now painted light green lawns. "Prince Peter appeared at the beginning of the ball in pajamas! And later he was as colorful as a parrot. I would have liked to have seen that!"

"Theoooooo! Play with me!" The door of Marie's room was torn open and little Ina came running in. "Let's play catch! Marie must catch us!" And Ina ran away. Theo followed her. He liked to play catch. "Catch us Marie!" he exclaimed laughing.

"There's no running in the house!" Marie heard her father scold as she put her brush aside and then rushed behind Theo and Ina.

They played together for a whole hour until it was time for Marie to pack her suitcase. She would miss her home and little Ina, she was terribly aware of that now. But she couldn't wait to start her schooling at the academy.

I get to know the princess and other witches and wizards. It's going to be fantastic!

Julia

Birds chirped carefreely. A cricket chirped somewhere. The air smelled of the rose bushes of the castle garden. Julia sat on one of the white-painted benches and watched the fountain's large fountain. The water shot up like lightning. Their bags had long been packed.

"Are you resting?" Her mother approached her and sat down next to her daughter. "It starts tomorrow. Now that your departure is imminent, I don't want to let you go."

"I'd rather stay here too." Julia looked at her mother. Stop being a scaredy cat, Julia. You also told Lea and Peter that you didn't want to go to the academy...  "Can't I get private lessons?"

The queen shook her head. "You've only had private lessons so far. You have to get out into the world and magic is learned best together with other witches and wizards. I did not rashly declare attending the academy obligatory for all young witches and wizards in the past."

"You weren't at the academy yourself."

"When I was as old as you, the academy didn't exist. And believe me, that wasn't an advantage. There were only a few teachers who taught magic, so there were some accidents caused by spells gone wrong. Thanks to the academy, there are far fewer accidents today. Your siblings liked the academy and learned a lot there. In addition, you are barely among your peers. You should use the time to make friends. You already know some of the witches and wizards. Philip, the son of Baroness von Blumental, and Helga, daughter of Countess von Kleinberg, also begin their first year at the Academy. You used to play with them from time to time and they were both at your birthday ball."

"I didn't talk to them much." Helga was a shy witch with red hair and Philip had a penchant for cream cake and had eaten the strawberry cream cake offered at Julia's birthday ball almost completely alone.

Julia watched as one of the gardeners showed Leopold and Marko how to prune the rose bushes. Leopold's blue-green dragonfly wings shimmered in the sunlight.

 Pretty... Teal... As in my vision.

The two had settled in well for the short time. Marko was very polite and had no inhibitions to talking to Julia and asking questions. Leopold was distant but friendly. The two conscientiously completed the tasks assigned to them. They were still a bit awkward, but they hadn't been there for long.

She was worried about Finn. The werewolf seemed to be afraid of the other servants and hardly spoke a word. Sophie had taken care of him and he followed her like a silent shadow.

"We will have a solemn breakfast tomorrow before you leave. Unfortunately, your father won't be back yet. Your suitcases will be loaded onto the carriage afterward." The queen smiled. "I'll go back to my desk. There is a mountain of papers waiting for me, all want to be signed."

"See you later." Julia smiled as her mother hugged her. Then the queen hurried away. Tomorrow it starts... Stupid magic!

She watched Marko say something, apparently a joke, as Leopold laughed. The gardener shook his head and pointed to the roses. Welcome to the castle. Fun is forbidden for servants. Julia got up from the bench and made her way to her room.

Peter

The cook looked at him angrily. "Stay away from the tarts!" she reprimanded. A second later, he burned his fingers on a freshly baked piece of cake. The cream was still missing, but he didn't care.

"They're for tomorrow morning, Peter! Cool your fingers under the tap." Luise took the hot cake from him with a clean tea towel. Peter rushed to the tap and let cold water run over his poor fingers.

 He appreciated that Luise simply addressed him by name. Very few did.

"The purpose of cake is to be eaten!" he protested.

"If I let you eat a piece, everything is gone shortly afterward. I know you, Peter!" She threw a kitchen towel at him. Peter evaded laughing.

"You're just like your brother Paul. He always tried to steal cake from me. Ingried was the best behaved of you. She asked! I miss them both. Have you heard of them? Ingried's 35th birthday was a while ago, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was her birthday. I sent her a card."

"How nice." The cook began to wash strawberries. "Is your little sister excited? She will leave the castle tomorrow."

"She doesn't want to go to the academy. I would swap places with her immediately... Although... I don't wish Babette on her."

"Babette? The Baron's daughter?"

"Exactly."