Julia

  The forest was more than just ented. The further they went, the more breathtaking became what they saw. Greerunks, transparent leaves, rge butterflies with wings like crystals, fn berries, and mushrooms. It was beautiful. They reized some of the berries. The fairies had brought them these. So they picked them and ate them.

  They saw no more fairies. Apparently, they were afraid of the dragons. Julia couldn't bme them. Josef y purring on her shoulders. Julia ehe warmth that the little cat shared with her. Fiete had turned into a small, white pony and carried Finn so that Marko had a break. Marko now trotted o Julia and licked her hand from time to time.

  Finn giggled. He clearly enjoyed riding. Some of the elven children also wao ride, but the adults expio them that only Finn was allowed to ride now. Sofia and Collin had joined Julia and Leopold and talked to Leo. The two were very nid seemed relieved not to have to get married. Julia frowned.

  "You wao get married?", she asked. Marko rubbed his head against her hand, then trotted to Fiete and Finn. Had he fled from the topic?

  Sofia nodded. "Yes. And start a family quickly. So that we are safe from the soldiers. But... That was the only reasohought that it was the right decision, that we want it, but..." Sofia sighed. "I'm not ready for marriage yet. And strictly speaking, I don't want children. I never wanted children. I don't know if I even want to get married."

  Collin put his arm around her. "What she told me just this m."

  "What?" Leo looked at Sofia in horror. "You didn't tell him anything? About the wedding? And the children?"

  "Oh! No!", said Collin quickly. "As far as the wedding is ed, I feel almost the same. I'm not ready for it yet... I khat. We have vinced ourselves together that we are ready. Because of the soldiers."

  "I k", Leo murmured.

  "I old him before that I didn't want children. The soldiers don't take married couples with small children, so I thought... I have to."

  "I always wanted children." Collin sounded sad. "But if Sofia doesn't want to? And she's only een. Once we're far away, we take the time we need."

  Julia was sad. No one should have to live like this. Sofia thought about things that were so far away for herself. All Julia wanted was to be a child. Carefree. A normal teenager. Not that she had ever been one... But maybe now. At st.

  I want to be free from the .

  "What are you talking about?" Peter came to them. Fiete followed him.

  "Weddings", Leo replied.

  Peter turned pale. "Eh... Yes. My favorite topic. Weddings! How wonderful... I'll go again!" And he hurried away to talk to Gisele and Lavinia. Fiete ughed softly.

  "Why are we talking about weddings?", he asked.

  "Oh... That's not so important!" Sofia gave the dragon a fleeting smile and pulled Collin away.

  "Once again I have driven elves to flight!" Fiete seemed satisfied. "And you drove Peter to flight."

  "How are things going with you two?", asked Julia. "You aer? Is everything good?"

  "Oh?" Fiete ruffled her short hair. "And you ask me because? You could also ask Peter."

  "I know. But I ask you. The dragon."

  "You seem to get along", Leo added.

  "I like him. Yes." Fiete tried to dismiss it with a shrug. "Peter gets along with me. Everything is wonderful. And... Dragons usually don't marry until they're about one hundred years old. It's a ge for both of us."

  Josef had stopped purring and made a skeptical meow. "I agree!", ented Julia the meow. "How do you feel about that? I know my brother is struggling with your new situation."

  "I guess he did... I am where I belong, little princess. With you and your brother. My path led me first to Josef and then to you. I like you very much, princess. Your brother too. Don't worry. You may keep Josef." He wi her ughing and kissed her cheek. "If you promise that I take care of my nephew from time to time."

  Julia pouted. "You up his mess."

  Josef hissed softly and turned into human form. "I'm not a pet!"

  "But an animal...", Leo murmured with a soft ugh and earned an angry look from both dragons.

  "Reptile on, please!", snorted Fiete. "Animal sounds like ... Pet... Even if it's kind of true... Reptiles are animals... But we are so much more than just animals. Although... It bothers me less than I feared. The part with the pet..."

  Finn was now sitting on Marko's back again and listening attentively. "Julia aer have two new pets!", he excimed teasingly, whereupon Josefiuck out her split tongue and showed her sharp teeth. Fiete, oher hand, turned into a white cat and demanded Julia to be carried, which she gdly did. His fur was even softer than Josefine's and she kissed his fluffy neck. He answered with a soft purr.

  Leopold grinned. "Did he just decre himself your pet? I thought he had married Peter... Josefine? Are you Juli's pet then?"

  Fiete meowed softly.

  "What?" Josefine looked at Leopold indignantly. "Dragons are not pets. And if my uncle is Julia's pet, then... Doesn't that mean her brother married a pet? This is absurd. Dragons are not pets and never will be!"

  Fiete purred tentedly and rubbed his head against Julia’s arms. It seemed as if he wao tradict her. Josefine rolled her eyes. "Just py pet!"

  "But you also like to do this, Josefine. You also cuddle with Juli a her carry you", Finn teased her. "Like a pet!"

  "Oh, well!" Josefine angrily threw her arms in the air. "But only Juli is allowed to do that! Ok. I'm... Like a pet. Juli's pet ... Satisfied?"

  Fiete meowed. He sounded amused. Peter grinned and stroked his soft ears.

  From somewhere came the cheerful song of a bird. A little ter they saw a river with sparkling water. Turquoise reeds grew on its banks and rge, pink flowers drifted through the water.

  "Beautiful!" Josefine leaned against Julia. "That's pretty."

  Leopold was also spellbound by the sight. He kissed Julia's cheek and smiled.

  Cleo

  Lea was also in the castle. Full of joy about seeing her sister, Cleo had slept in her room. Breakfast had been terrible. She had to listen to many accusations from her mother. Accusations, she also made herself, a... Her mother's anger hurt. Cleo had failed. She hadn't brought Julia back. The queen now wao entrust other soldiers with the search for her daughter. The von Strahls , for example. She had already sent an urgeer calling for the two eldest sons. They were supposed to search for Julia with part of their troops.

  Now she was sitting in Lea's room, who had tons of sweets and tea brought.

  "I 't believe Mom hit you! And she's pnning to get us married!" Lea walked angrily up and down her room. "She's never dohat before, has she? She was strict, yes. But hitting someone? And for something you couldn't do anything about! There was a dragon! And now she is also sending the von Strahls to their death? If the dragon is still there."

  "There were twons, Lea." Cleo sighed. Marriage? Now? "And there's more."

  "Any more? What? The whole thing is bad enough. We are supposed to get married! Now! Or soon! And Julia is still gone."

  "Yes. Marriage is a problem. But you are not allowed to tell Mama about what I am telling you now! And I'm certainly not going to marry anyone. Not now! But Lea. Promise it. It's secret."

  Lea blinked. "Secret? Don't worry. I leave ter to work at the academy. My lips are sealed."

  "You go to the academy? That's good."

  "Do you think so?"

  "Yes." Cleo took one of the many sweets. "It's probably best if you're far away from our mother... Lately, she and Dad have made some bad decisions. The catastrophe with Peter, Torsten... Lea? Julia has fled. She fled voluntarily with the elves. I don't know if she escaped the dragons, but if she did... Then she apahe elves. Then they flee together."

  "What?" Lea's mouth remained open. "She went with the elves?"

  "Yes. I'm afraid she's turned away from us."

  "But we are her family." Lea dropped onto her bed and grabbed her beige pillow. Her room was decorated in beige and gold. Her old children's and youth books were everywhere. Some even piled up the walls.

  "And that's why we should find out why she left. She was hrilled with our birthday present... And in the end, we helped her be kidnapped... Does she care about the elves? What do you think?"

  "And why should she join her captors? The elves?" Lea snorted. "Maybe they forced her, or... Or we didn't uand her properly."

  "I want to know why she left. And if she doesn't want to go back, I'll protect her from mom. Will you help me?" She looked at her younger sister pleadingly.

  "You want to look for Julia? Alone?"

  "Yes. That's exactly what I want. And then I want answers... And... My little sister is back. But I won't force her to return to the castle if she doesn't want to. Mom is not allowed to know about it." I don't trust her here.... Not anymore... Not if Julia turned against the throne. Mom wouldn't accept that.

  The Queen would not accept it. She was so proud when Julia's magially showed itself. Very proud.

  "And the soldiers? Which are looking for her now?" Lea chewed on her fingernails. That's what she used to do as a child when she was nervous. Cleo had thought Lea was over this habit.

  "I'll e up with something."

  "And if you don't uand Julia's reasons?"

  "Then she's still our Julia, isn't she?" Our little, dear sister.

  Lea sat dowo Cleo aed her head on her shoulder. "And if she's dead? If we have lost her?"

  "That ’t be the case. In addition... It's Julia. Do you remember what she used to be like? She climbed up everywhere... Fritz gave her his old wooden swords and she aer had a proper sword fight in the rain... Both were green and blue. And full of mud as they slipped. I o find them both… It's Julia. In the end, she made friends with the dragons." Cleo giggled softly. "Julia and the dragons."

  "The Queen would be thrilled."

  "I imagine..." Cleo kissed Lea's hair. "She ’t be dead. I would prefer the dragons to be her friends now... Or far away from her..."

  "Holy, I prefer the sed option. Far away sounds good. Dragons scare me."

  "You've never seen one, Lea. And that's a good thing... I dream about the fire every night. It was horrible... So many fmes... And then the dragons... I've never seen anything so scary. I even dreamed that the bck dragon would eat me." It had been a terrible dream. Cleo woke up drenched i and couldn't fall asleep afterward. She hoped Lea would never have to see a dragon.

  These are monsters.

  Beasts.

  Horrible creatures.

  Vivid nightmares.

  But Julia was always daring. In the end, I find her, and she presents me with her new, big, terrible pets.

  Fiete

  The group did not approach the river. For fear of meeting the sirens. With his good eyes, Fiete could see a tail fin stig out of the water briefly. The elves could not see it. But they ehe dreamy sight of the river. A little ter they found a narrow stream with , clear water. There they took a little break. The children pyed with bare feet iream or slept exhausted. Finn and Marko were also asleep, as eter, who had fallen asleep o his sister. Fiete y between him and Julia as a cat. Josef y o Finn, also in the disguise of a cat, and snuggled up in Marko's fur.

  Hanno and Flora discussed the way forward with a group of other elves. Fiete could already smell the steppe, even if it was still a long way away. Should he help them?

  But the elves would ask him if they wanted his help... He preferred to watch the group through cat's eyes. He decided to say something if they were going in the wrong dire. Otherwise, he preferred to stay in the background. Right now, he liked lyiween Juli aer.

  Julia stroked his white fur and talked quietly to Leopold. Fiete yawned, looked tentedly at Peter, curled up, and closed his eyes.