Franka
Franka Aderweg was nine years old when her life changed royally.
She was just three years old when her biological father died. Since then, her mother Martha raised her two daughters Franka and eight-year-old Coletta alone. To be able to take good care of her children, she worked part-time as a cleaning lady in the estate of Prince Tenner von Bluthof while her girls were at school.
Due to the loss of her husband, Mrs. Aderweg slipped into poverty for some time until she found a well-paid job and could afford a nice little apartment on the outskirts of the city, near which stood the prince's estate. The small family no longer lived in the attic in the modest house of Martha's parents. Since they could not hold the house of their deceased husband. He had been a successful actor until he died in a work accident at the theater.
The two sisters, Franka and Coletta, were close. Best friends. They quickly connected with the other vampire children in their classes and brought good grades home to their hard-working mother. Martha was proud of her two girls.
But her life was about to change again when Prince Tenner noticed Martha. After two years of courting, she succumbed to his charm. The two girls felt as if they had become princesses overnight. After all, they had no idea time that their mother was in love for a long time.
When her mother finally told them that she was getting married again, Coletta was ecstatic. Franka, on the other hand, did not like this. She liked her life the way it was. But the change came. And with the change a big sister.
The girls' common room was exchanged for two large single rooms and the classroom by private tutors. Acclimatization was difficult for the two children. Martha's good daughters did their best to be well-behaved girls and thus secure their place in the family. (Which was unnecessary.) Franka initially feared that her mother would no longer have time for her, as the two girls suddenly faced two nannies. Her mother spent a lot of time with her new husband when he wasn't away. The two had only met him shortly before the wedding. Their new father was, therefore, still a stranger even after a month. He worked a lot and spent a lot of time in his parents' castle to help them with 'government affairs'. Her mother, on the other hand, fought for her place in royal society with tea parties and other things. And then there was Kevina. Their new sister, who also lived in the house.
The twenty-year-old didn’t appreciate the two children, who suddenly ran through the corridors and would get reprimanded by the nannies. The first day after the wedding the two girls were playful and wild, on the second day they were well-behaved and quiet. And it should stay that way. At least that's what Kevina liked about them. She was less than thrilled about her father bringing the mob into her home. But she never said this to her father. Only Franka heard Kevina say this to her friends who came to visit from time to time.
Kevina already saw herself as heir to the throne. After all, she was the eldest grandchild of King Sunil and Queen Neda. Her cousin Heinrich was only fourteen. And since she wanted to remain the first heir to the throne, she did everything she could to impress her grandparents and satisfy them. She did not need two children around her who could suddenly be considered heirs to the throne too. Provided that they would be recognized as such.
Franka and Coletta had not yet officially met their new grandparents. Except for the wedding... And at first, it was not certain whether they were eligible as heirs to the throne. To do this, they should first get to know the king and queen. Coletta found this exciting! And she tried very hard in the new etiquette lessons that the two girls endured. For Franka the transition was difficult. Suddenly, there were new rules. New expectations! And her mother attended balls and did other stuff that nobles did.
A strange world for the cheerful, lively child.
And then, Kevina announced at dinner that she wanted to go looking for a partner.
"Isn't that a bit premature?", her father asked.
"Why?" Kevina wrinkled her nose. "I'm already twenty. And Grandpa asked if I already have admirers."
"She certainly hasn't!", Coletta whispered. "She's not pretty!"
Franka giggled softly and looked at her new sister. Kevina was round. A round face and a well-nourished body. Maybe a little bit too well-fed. But not much. Kevina still passed as almost slim. She had a penchant for dessert, which she liked to eat even in the middle of the night. Franka understood this well, but her mother had never allowed her to eat a lot of sweets. But the girl didn't think about Kevina as ugly. She hardly resembled her father. The two shared only the hair color and nose. (Franka believed, that her new father didn’t look good.)
Kevina always wore the most beautiful clothes. Franka also wanted to wear such clothes one day. She wanted to be as pretty as Kevina, whose long, fair hair was neatly pinned up.
"Just because your grandfather asks you about suitors, you don't have to get married right away", Prince Tenner objected.
"But she can have a look around", Martha said. "I was already looking around when I was twenty."
"Thank you!" Kevina nodded to her stepmother. "And I don't have to get married right away. But I want to take a look. Maybe I'll find the right one. I want to decide for myself. Unlike you, Dad."
Her father snorted. "This time I decided for myself!"
"Certainly", Martha happily agreed. But Kevina secretly rolled her eyes.
"Mother wouldn't like this...", she muttered.
"Your mother made a mistake that we don't talk about at the table!", her father said sternly.
"Kevina's mom cheated on the prince! With one of the servants! They both ran away at night!", whispered Coletta to Franka. "I heard him and Mom talking about it yesterday. Kevina now has three half-brothers and her mother doesn't talk to her anymore."
"That's bad", Franka replied quietly. Maybe that's why Kevina didn't like them?
Franka and Coletta
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