Many kilometers away from von Bluthof’s estate

The Städter family lived in a small house, with an adjoining tailor's shop in an equally small town.

The city was located on the border to the mountains of wolves, and it was therefore called Border Town. Not an imaginative name, but that did not interest the inhabitants of the town. Most of the inhabitants were middle-class vampires who fed mainly on animal blood, as human blood was generally considered expensive. And so close to the border, it was rarely available. Border Town was a bit apart from the other towns and villages, and no blood center, where human blood was preserved, was close enough.

Nimal and Pierre Städter lived in the city all their lives. The two had been married for almost four hundred years. Pierre founded a dye works as a young man, which he still manages today. His wife Nimal was a seamstress and worked in her own tailor shop, which she ran with her one-hundred-year-old daughter Lara. Of course, they sourced the fabric from their own dyeing works. The couple's almost two-hundred-year-old son, Archie, worked as an assistant and future head of the dye works. Lara and Archie were both married and lived with their partners and children in the parental home. Archie with his wife Willow and their ten-year-old son Alfie, Lara with her husband Taio Freirot, and their two daughters. Eight-year-old Poppy and Jasmin, who celebrated her seventh birthday a few days ago. Taio worked at the reception of the town hall and was the only one who was not part of the family business.

The large family was sitting at the breakfast table. From the window, they could see the sun go down. The table was set with a sumptuous breakfast. There was bread, jam, fresh orange juice, tea, and animal blood for the adults.

Jasmin

Jasmin dangled her feet under the table and occasionally kicked her older sister, who kicked back giggling. Poppy was a pretty girl. Jasmine envied her for her straight, orange hair and normal, red eyes. (Except for a small yellow spot on the side of the left iris, which Poppy referred to as her beauty spot.)

Jasmin also wanted to have normal eyes and not the rare yellow-orange ones. She was constantly told that her eyes meant great beauty, but Jasmine did not think about herself as beautiful. Her hair was lighter and thinner than her sister's. A pale orange, almost pink, and thin, frizzy curls. Poppy, on the other hand, envied her sister for her bright eyes. Jasmin did not understand this. She didn't like that she constantly got attention from strangers because of her eyes.

Poppy secretly stuck out her tongue. Jasmin grimaced silly. Again, the two girls giggled and kicked each other. The adults were deeply involved in a conversation and therefore did not notice the naughty behavior at the table.

"The children have to go to a real school!", their grandmother just demanded. "It's good that our neighbor teaches them to read and write, but the children are missing friends! They will learn better with other children!"

Alfie grimaced. "I have friends!" Jasmin's cousin was friends with their neighbor’s son, but the two girls did not get along with Alfie's friend.

"But only one", Nimal muttered. "And the girls always play only with each other!"

"School is expensive, mother!", Archie replied. "And with a private teacher who takes less money, by the way, the three learn well. And without distraction! The dye works is currently not bringing good money in, apart from our regular customers. We need to invest in higher quality fabrics and colors."

Jasmin did not like her uncle very much. He always behaved like the boss of the family and decided everything. Her parents never contradicted his decisions. And as the future head of family businesses, Archie seemed to see this as his right. Her grandfather rarely stopped him.

"You behave like a miser! As if we were poor!", muttered Nimal. "We’re not beggars. We have enough money to send the children to school." Jasmin's grandfather nodded in agreement.

But Archie shook his head. "Other children only distract them and inhibit their academic success. Alfie dreams of becoming mayor one day! And the girls can’t be fools if they are to work as successful seamstresses. Or in the factory..."

Alfie nodded eagerly. "I’m happy!"

"But the children are lonely in the house, Archie!", said Pierre. Then, he looked at Lara. "You think the same, right? And why should Alfie become mayor? What about the factory? Will one of the girls take over?"

"I can be mayor and one day take over the dye works!", the boy replied confidently.

Pierre nodded thoughtfully. "If you’re sure, my boy..."

"Um..." Lara looked briefly at Taio, who just shrugged his shoulders. "So far, Archie's decisions have always been the best for the family. Why should he be wrong? And the girls have each other. And Alfie has a good friend. That's certainly enough."

"It's not enough!", Nimal hissed. "I want the children to go to a proper school. Make friends and learn with other children! How are they supposed to become good citizens if they grow up isolated?"

"Poppy? What does isolated mean?", Jasmin whispered to her sister.

"I don't know", Poppy replied. "But I want to go to school. I'm sure it's fun!"

"I don't know. But Uncle Archie certainly won't let us go. Because we are poor!"

"We're not poor", Poppy immediately objected. "If we were poor, we wouldn't have toys and rooms of our own! And we have that."

Alfi rolled his eyes. "You two are childish!", he murmured. "Of course, we are not poor. And I don't want to go to school."

"And if they get teased at school?", said Willow angrily. "So many bad things can happen!"

Jasmin looked at Poppy again. Tea?  "We will get tea there?"

Poppy just shook her head.

"Then they learn to fight back", Taio replied. "Archie? Let your son get private lessons. My girls go to school."

"What?" Archie's face turned red. "You are destroying your girls' chances of marrying into wealthy families! To be successful! Just as planned!"

"I don't." Taio snorted. "They go to school. I agree with your mother!"

Nimal nodded happily.

"Do you hear that? We are allowed to go to school!" Poppy beamed with happiness.

But Jasmin couldn’t feel happy about it. Might bad things happen in a school? In that case, she didn't want to go there.

"What is the big building being built for? Taio? You still haven't told us", Pierre muttered now that the school discussion was over. "And all the new homes!"

"Because I just overheard it and the whole thing is to be announced soon. The plans are still secret!", her father explained. "I'm not really allowed to know anything about it either!"

The big building. It was a huge house built in the middle of the city. Jasmin also wanted to know what it was for. It was built of grey stone and the windows were made of red glass and the window frames of gold. Would the Queen move to their small town?

"We want to know, Taio", Archie said sternly. He wrinkled his nose. "I don't agree with your decision to ruin your girls' lives either. At least now, be smart enough to inform your family! Father asked you something. Show respect!"

Lara nervously reached for her husband's hand. Taio sighed. "Good. As you wish, Archie. It will be a blood center. The houses are for the humans who will soon be coming to our city."

"A blood center!" Nimal clapped her hands happily. "How exciting. Soon, we will be able to drink tasty blood regularly!"

"Humans? In our city? Can't they live elsewhere? I don't want to live with my food!", hissed Pierre. "Humans are food, not neighbors."

"We can't change it. It’s decided." Taio shrugged.

Jasmin tugged at her sister's sleeve. "Humans! Did you hear?", she whispered in alarm. Poppy nodded.