3 years ter.

  Babette and her husband Felix von Grünwies were visiting Babette's parents.

  Babette was in a bad mood. The sed nanny had quit because her eldest daughter had stantly thrown building blocks at her. Two-year-old Aili had taken a liking to throw building blocks and would not let her nanny forbid her the fun. Her one-year-old son Birger quickly imitated Aili's game. Now she and Felix needed a new nanny. Felix held her six-month-old daughter Syltje in his arms and talked to Babette's stepmother. Her father pyed with Birger and his you daughter Nah. The little one, just like Birger, was one year old and the two got along well. The girl had not been pnned and Leonora liked to call her, her little surprise. Gustav, oher hand, preferred to call the girl 'one gss of red wioo much'.

  Babette watched as the triplets Gerhard, Gundu, and Bere pyed with Aili. They were having a screaming test while throwing scraps of paper. Babette sighed. The childreerribly loud. Her father had insisted that she visit him with her husband and children. She herself had actually wao meet a friend for tea. Without children. Without Felix. But she cked the nanny on whom she could abandon the care and education of her children. Therefore, it was not bad that she was now with her parents. The two loved children.

  "Honey? What's going on?" Felix came to her worried. Syltje slept tentedly in his arms. She was generally a very quiet child. Unlike her older siblings.

  "Nothing. I was just thinking that we need a new nanny."

  "That's true. Don't worry. We will find a new one. However, I have to leave in two days. Business. A few of our farmers pin about a bad harvest and therefore ot pay their rent. I have to take a look. You will be fine, right?"

  "What? And you're tellihat now?" Alone? With the children? With my two loud brats?

  "Is there a problem?" Leonora came to the two. The toddlers were now all eained by Gustav, who pyed a cheerful finger game with them between all the ss. The triplets giggled softly.

  "Felix is leaving tomorrow. I will be aloh the children." She looked at her husband. "When are you ing back?"

  He shrugged. "After two to four days?"

  "So long?" She desperately needed a nanny. Why did she have so many children? And another one was on the way... She hated it. Unlike Felix. He loved children and he wanted more than just four. Babette, oher hand? Well, as long as she didn't have to raise the children, she was fih it. But five was her limit. She had told Felix this on their wedding night. She didn’t want more. And actually not so fast after another... But Felix had other pns. And the idiot could be very ving, and he didn't look bad. She had to admit that. Aili and Birger looked very simir to him, unlike Syltje. She was Babette's image.

  If only children weren't so terribly loud...

  "Would you like to stay with us with the children?", asked Leonora. "You would be very wele."

  Babette smiled. "Gdly. Yes. I'd like that." At least I won’t be alone. "We need a new nanny. Or two. Do you have an idea?"

  "Oh!" Leonora took the little Syltje from Felix, who had just woken up. "Why don't you put a note in the neer? That's how we found our two nannies."

  "The neer?" Babette frowned. "Really?" She couldn't imagine finding good nahrough the neer. Until now, her friends had reehe nannies...

  "We take care of the omorrow." Leonora kissed Sytje’s cheek.

  "Why not." Babette didn't like the idea, but she had no choice. She needed a nanny. Preferably two. "Thank you."

  Felix also thanked her before joining Gustav to py with the children. Babette sighed.

  Her life was not as she had imagined. She liked Felix, yes. But she should’ve been a princess. With royal brats that are cared for by royal nannies in her pce.

  Prier and Princess Julia disappeared. Soldiers had found, as well as the destroyed vilges, the remains of buards on the border to the steppe. Presumably, they had bee the victims of a dragon. Whether Julia aer were still alive was unknown. Maybe they were dead. The victims ons. Perhaps they had fled to the steppe or the marshnd. But until now, taurs had driven out the soldiers who ventured as far as the steppe to search for the princess. Even witches and wizards had no ce against the taurs. They were uheir influence faster than they could react. The message was clear. Soldiers of the queen were not wele ieppe. The marshnd was also searched for the missing. But even this search had been unsuccessful so far.

  Were the princess and priill alive?

  Babette didn't know. But she hoped that Peter would pay for what he had doo her.

  To be tinued.

  This is the end of Book 1, but not the end of Julia's story.

  Look forward to Book 2: "Witch - The Queen."

  I will post book 2 here. ;-) The first chapters will be posted in a few days. <3