Julia

  Julia pulled her rge suitcase out of the guest room and gave him one of the servants, who stowed it. An elf, with transparent dragonfly wings and snow-white, short hair. She didn't know how old he was. Just like witches and wizards, elves were immortal and could only die by act or murder and, in very rare cases, by disease. Werewolves, like humans, were mortal.

  Lea came up to her and hugged her tightly: "I'm going to miss her a lot, but we'll see you again on your birthday! Haven't you fotten anything? Oh and if... Then I'll find it and bring it with me!"

  "I have everything, I think." Julia squeezed her sister tightly again and then got into the carriage. Another servant, a werewolf with light brown wolf ears and friendly grey eyes, held the door open for her.

  "See you soon. I wish for a lot of books for my birthday and a pink cake!", Julia said with a grin as the servant closed the door. She waved through the window of the dain, then the carriage drove off. Back to the castle. Away from the freedom of her sister's house. Julia saw the small mansion and her waving sister again briefly, thehing disappeared behind derees and bushes. Their short visit was over.

  I hope I remain mortal. I don't want to be a witch. I don't want to be a healer, a seer, or a soldier. Not a military boss like Cleo. Baker. The smell of cookies in my nose all day long, that's what I want! No servants around me who have no other choid whom I ot release because the binding spell will cost them their lives! No cruelty. No power! Freedom!

  The drive back to the castle went over old roads and paths. It would be a few more hours before she reached the lock, so she closed her eyes.

  Blue-green dragonfly wings. Two wolves, one white and one bck. A dark carriage passes through the golden gate of a white wall. White buildings, with bright blue roofs. A sign. Academy fifted Witches and Wizards. Forest. Endless forest. A vilge.

  A knock woke Julia. Still dazed, she opened her eyes. o her, the door ened. Julia looked tiredly at the young servant. An elf with green dragonfly wings and straw-blond hair. Green. Blue-green wings, strange dream.

  "Wele princess," the servant murmured shyly. Fine, pale white, ornate lines ran around her left wrist. The sign that she was tied to the castle and the royal family. "Her Majesty is waiting for you in her office."

  Not yet fully awake, Julia just nodded and got out of the carriage, staggering slightly.

  "Sweety!" she heard a cheerful, dark voice call. Her brother Peter, who was five years older, hurried up to her, lifted her up a little awkwardly, and whirled her in a circle. "Wele back. And? Magical experience? Fire? Water? Hypnosis? Or are you still one of us bores?" Peter winked ughing. "Wele home!"

  "Still a bore. A special occurrence. I stand alohank you."

  "Sure?" Slowly, Peter put her ba her ow. "Just now it looked as if you wao fall out of the carriage!"

  "Almost. And then a madman came and whirled me around. Did you see him by ce?"

  "No." Peter grinned broadly. "He must have escaped. Don't worry, I'll protect you!"

  "Wonderful!"

  Julia saw the servant carry her suitcase into the castle. Teal. Strange dream. "Mother is waiting for me. We talk ter."

  "Then up, up, little sister," Peter waved her away. "Let's see the mother-daughter reunion. Should I get the party pennants? fetti?"

  "Of course! And crackers!" Laughing, Julia went into the castle. Several stairs, corridors, and corridors finally led her to her mathe's office. Without knog, she opehe door and... obviously burst into an important versatioween her mother and the finance minister.

  "Oops. I e back ter!"

  "No, no. We were already dohe kings objected with an amused sigh. The minister nodded ahe office with a small bow. "And? How was the ride? Wele back. Did you have a good time? How is Lea?" The queen hurried around her desk and embraced her daughter warmly. "I missed you, dear."

  "Lea is fi was very nice. I overslept the ride. Hello Mom."

  "Have special things happened i few days?", Julia's mother asked.

  Julia shook her head. "No. Nothing worth mentioning." She kly what it was all about. Her mother hoped fio magi. No."

  "Or dreams? Perhaps? Sometimes visions hide in dreams. Images of the past, present or future."

  Strange dreams? Yes! "No." It was just a dream.

  "Never mind. There is still time! And I have work to do. See you at the dinner. Unless you want to help me? Sort the letters by importance? Maybe?"

  "Not really. Sounds b."

  "B but important!" the queen objected. "But you're certainly exhausted from the drive.

  ?Mama?“

  "Yes? Sparrow?" The queen sat back at her desk and was already looking through some letters.

  "Would you be disappointed if I were a mortal?" Julia asked the question she had been asking for weeks.

  "I won't be disappointed, sparrow," replied the queen, not looking up from her maers. "Certainly not."

  "See you ter." Julia left the office. Relieved, she walked through many corridors, upstairs and down to her room. There their golden aper and gold-colored four-poster bed awaited them. Her suitcase was on top, in one of her cupboards. Her clothes had long since been taken away for ing and Julia's belongings had already been put in the right drawers and pced on the right shelves. Even if I wao, I could never be messy. Everything is put away immediately. Maybe I create my own chaos at the academy ? ... There are probably more stairs and corridors than here ahere are already too many for me... This castle is ridiculously big... I don't want magic.

  Peter

  Peter strolled through the castle garden. Colorful flowers bloomed, and sculptures and fountains stood everywhere. Birds chirped, and crickets chirped. The garden was beautiful. A few gardeners cut rose bushes. But Peter hardly noticed any of this. He was deep in thought. Would Julia bee a witch? The queen seemed to have no doubt about this, even though Juliet's birthday was almost around the er. The st few days she had talked about enrolling Julia at the Academy and how much she was looking forward to it.

  Peter had no magical talent. Does he wish he had one? Yes! Of course. To be mortal, to be a normal person, he found b. That had little style. He would have been happy even about a weak talent. He could still remember his time as a teenager. Every day he waited fitil his 16th birthday came. He often watched anipute fire and wished he could too. Magiever came.

  He knew Julia wished she was b; to be mortal. While he had been waiting fic, she was waiting for the absenagic. He loved his sister very much, but he could not and would not uand that. Magic had style. He would like to be a magi. Instead, his mother forced him to e to every party, hoping he would find a young witarry. So that it could be of use.

  His mother loved him, he khat, but she cared little about what he wahis had also been the case with Ingried and Paul and the two had turheir backs on the castle and their mother. They had renouheir titles of nobility to live their own lives. What did Peter want? Except fic? He didn't know yet.