Franka

The day they finally met their new grandparents was wonderful.

They took a magnificent carriage to the castle of dark glass. Franka had never seen such an impressive building before. Like a silent guardian, the castle rose between the mountains to the dark sky.

She and her sister wore new clothes that had been sewn especially for this special occasion. Large bows adorned their curls and both wore pearl necklaces that their stepfather had given them. Kevina also wore a new dress. Franka thought she looked like a fairy in it.

They met Queen Neda and King Sunil in their private living room, whose walls were decorated with beige fabric wallpaper, gold, and amber. Heinrich and his parents were also present. The older boy rolled his eyes when he saw the two girls coming.

Franka ignored him. Instead, she bowed politely, if somewhat clumsily, to her queen and king. Just like Coletta.

Queen Neda grinned. "Two adorable young ladies!", she said. "Come girls. Sit with me." She petted the empty seat next to her. The king nodded in amusement.

Shyly, Franka, and Coletta sat down next to the queen, while the rest of their family also sat down on a large sofa.

"Tenner! Martha! How nice", said the king. Then he looked lovingly at Kevina. "My girl, you look wonderful."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Kevina smiled contentedly. Her dress was light green and embroidered with shimmering pearls. She proudly smoothed the fabric of her skirt. "How are you?"

"We have a lot to do, as always!", the Queen replied. "We never have a break."

"And the two young ladies next to my wonderful wife?" The king winked at Franka and Coletta. "Have you settled in well, children? Franka and Coletta, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty", Coletta replied politely. "We have."

"Very nice!" The king nodded in delight. "And you have already met our Heinrich, your aunt, and your uncle? Hopefully, Nadi has shown himself from his best side?" The king winked at his oldest. Prince Nadi grinned. "Father! I'm not five anymore!"

The girls nodded. "He was very nice", Franka said, a little uncertain.

"Good. When Tenner told us that Martha was bringing two children into the house, we were very curious to see who was expecting us, weren’t we?" He looked at his wife.

The queen stroked Franka, who was sitting right next to her, over the light hair. “We did. How nice that they are two such lovely girls. You never know how the children of the common people will behave. But you two are wonderful."

Kevina grimaced and Heinrich snorted softly, earning him his mother's rebuke. The king seemed all the more amused by this.

"Family drama. We can enjoy this far too rarely!", he said to Heinrich.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty!", the boy replied quickly.

Then, the adults talked about government affairs, and Martha was asked if the nobility had welcomed her. However, the queen was most interested in Franka and Coletta. She asked the girls about their hobbies, their friends, and their old lives. When the family said goodbye, Queen Neda announced that she wanted to officially recognize the children as possible heirs to the throne. The king agreed.

Franka and Coletta got congratulated.

"Does that mean we can say Grandma and Grandpa to you?", asked Coletta innocently.

Immediately, the room went silent.

"What?", murmured Prince Nadi in amazement. "Child! That's not right."

But the queen shook her head. "Why not? No child has ever called me grandma!", she announced. "Or grandmother. I like that even more."

While they were still in the carriage on their way to their new home, the two girls decided that this day should be their second birthday.

"A birthday? How so?", their stepfather asked with interest.

"Because we're real princesses now!", Coletta proudly announced.

"But you were already!" Their stepfather laughed softly. He looked at their mother, who was struggling not to laugh out loud.

Franka shook her head. "Only half. But now we are. That's why this is our second birthday."

"How cute", Kevina murmured. She sounded a bit sarcastic, but no one paid attention to this.

"If you are certain. Then. today is your second birthday", their mother agreed with a giggle.

"We should celebrate this every year. With a cake and presents!", their stepfather added. "What do you two think about this?"

"Yes!", cried Coletta happily. "I love gifts! And cake! Now I feel really royal."

"And that's all it takes?" Prince Tenner ruffled both their hair, then kissed their mother. Finally, he looked at Kevina. "Would you also like an extra birthday party?"

Kevina grimaced. "No thanks. I am no longer a child. But I don't say no to gifts and cakes."

"Nobody says 'no' to gifts and cakes", Coletta immediately announced.

The rest of the night was quiet. Until it was time for the girls to go to their beds: Well after sunrise, when the two sneaked out of their beds to secretly play hide and seek, they discovered Kevina in the small kitchen of the estate. They wanted to play in the basement, as they found it scarier there and hoped not to be caught too quickly.

Surprised, they peered into the kitchen.

Kevina was sitting on one of the work surfaces. One of the servants stood between her legs, which she wrapped around him. The two kissed. Kevina's dress had slipped a bit. Next to Kevina sat a servant with tousled hair who kissed Kevina's neck.

Coletta watched the scene with fascination until Franka pulled her away. "We certainly shouldn't see that!", she said. "Better we play somewhere else."

"All right", Coletta grumbled. "Do you think we'll be kissed like that? One day"

"I don't know. Come, let's go!"