One year later
Jasmin
Deep in the swampy forest in a small, well-hidden clearing, stood a large refugee village now. The village got tolerated and ignored by the government. Jasmin and Killian were proud to have already helped some werewolves to live a safe life. In the meantime, a couple of elves lived there with their three-month-old daughter.
The supply of the village was good. They had their own vegetables, and some of Killian's neighbors were happy to help out where something was missing. Sometimes Angelika accompanied them to the village, as she had made good friends among a few werewolf children. However, she was only allowed to come along on weekends. Angelika, of course, did not like this. She would love to skip school.
Jasmin and Killian were a couple now. In addition to working in the bookstore, they took care of the well-being of the refugees. The werewolves had given them, and a few other helpful humans, the nickname 'Saviors of Grenzstadt'. Angelika, on the other hand, had to settle for the nickname 'Mini-Chaos', as every time she visited the village, something broke.
Jasmin planned to make her big dream come true soon. She wanted to go to university. She thought about studying law and politics so that she could help refugees even better in the future. Killian supported her in the decision. Mert and Lana planned to finance part of her studies. But this also meant that she would see Killian and his family less often for a while. But she planned to come home at least once a month on weekends. Angelika was already mutinying. She didn't want to let Jasmin go.
Mailo and Ole planned to move in together soon. Much to the shock of Mailo's parents, who thought he was too young for that. But the two had already found a small apartment whose rent they could pay. Ole loved to spoil Mailo. So much that Mailo often had to slow him down.
Jasmin and Poppy kept in touch by letter. Her sister told her about life at court. And also of an unexpected surprise that had suddenly overtaken her. Poppy had become a mother. The consequence of a stupid decision, which her sister now regretted. Not the fun she'd had. Not even the child. But her own stupidity. Poppy didn’t say, who the father of the child was. But she hoped that one day Jasmin would meet her child.
The bookstore was doing well. Mert and Lana had hired two other humans who worked part-time. The family belonged to the wealthy people of the city by now. However, not nearly as wealthy as Jasmin's family.
Jasmin got paid better and Killian's family saw her as a member of the family. For Angelika, she and Killian were practically married. Every morning, she asked when the wedding would take place. Mainly to annoy her brother with it. But she had already planned everything. From Jasmin's dress to the guest list and the wedding cake.
"How about next weekend?", Angelika announced at breakfast.
"What exactly?", Mert asked.
"Well, the wedding!" The girl rolled her eyes. "What else?"
Killian blinked, perplexed. "What? Angelika! Not again! No! We're not going to get married on the weekend."
Angelika moaned annoyed. "But it would be perfect! You're getting married next weekend. Jasmin won't go away, and then I'll be an aunt! That's perfect. Aunt at ten! I'd like that. I can change diapers too!" She stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Come on! Make me an aunt! You can build a house later... No, wait! Killian? Your room is right next to mine. This won't do! Make me an aunt in Jasmin's room."
"Angelika!" Killian snorted immediately. "That's as far as it goes!"
His sister nodded contentedly. "Yes, please."
Mert and Lana laughed softly and did not rush to their son's aid. Jasmin didn't know if she wanted to try to sink into a hole, or if she would rather laugh with the two of them.
"Why don't you say something?", Killian pleaded. "Please!"
She shook her head. "Angelika? You'll have to wait a little longer. That would go too fast for me. I'm only eighteen! No. That would be way too fast." She wasn't Poppy. And as Jasmin knew from her sister's letters, Poppy often felt overwhelmed. She wrote in one of her letters that she was too young. Jasmin would not repeat the mistake of her sister. If she could call it a mistake. Despite everything, Poppy was happy. She raved in her letters about how pretty and cute her little daughter was.
"Too fast? And for us!", Mert grumbled.
"Angelika? Do you want to take some cookies to school?", Lana finally distracted her daughter from the topic.
"Oh, yes! And I want Jasmin to stay!" The ten-year-old stretched her chin defiantly.
"But I won't stay away long, Angelika. I keep coming back in between. That's a promise." Flattered, Jasmin pressed a kiss on her forehead. "And I'll bring you something nice, okay?"
"All right", she finally murmured. "A niece?"
Laughing, Jasmin ruffled through Angelika's hair. "No. Not a niece."
"A nephew?"
"Angelika!", Killian hissed. "Stop it, please." But his sister grinned proudly and stuck her tongue out at him.
Franka
Her stepfather had withdrawn from all matters of government. The grief for his daughter tore him apart. Her mother tried to help him as best she could, but Prince Tenner hardly left his estate. Therefore, Franka currently took over some of his duties. And this with flying colors. However, her stepfather wanted to resume his duties in two months. He felt a little better by now.
Heinrich studied. But he spent almost every weekend in the castle to help his father. Nadi had also taken over some of his brother's tasks and used them to accustom Heinrich to governing. (Much to Heinrichs's chagrin. He was happy to be king at Franka's side, but his father couldn't let the subject go for a second.) The king and queen were proud. On Heinrich, but especially on Franka, who mastered all tasks excellently and had already secured the recognition of the council. She would be a good queen. With Heinrich at her side.
The two were now a permanent couple, but they still kept their relationship a secret. Consequently, of course, all the nobility knew and eagerly awaited the wedding. Something that neither of them was in a hurry to do.
Coletta also studied. But she was often seen with various young men, which the press liked to report on. She thus gave the nobility plenty of fodder for gossip and ridicule. However, the focus of the public was on Franka. The newspapers reported favorably on the heir to the throne. But Franka rarely read any of the articles.
A new, small painting of hers had just been painted, which she had commissioned. She couldn't wait to see the finished result. In the picture, she would be seen next to her seamstress. She and Poppy were friends. The picture should adorn one of the many corridors. She, herself, secretly painted two small pictures of Poppy's daughter, one of which was to be given to Poppy. She kept the other one. Franka was a passable painter. The little girl was quite recognizable in the unlabeled, simple paintings.
However, she had to change one detail on the child's face so that no one would find out the secret if someone discovered the pictures. The little girl had the same eyes as her mother. Together with the dark skin of the child, one could conclude both parents of the child. Therefore, Franka had painted the eyes entirely in red, without the light yellow spot in her left eye. And she didn't label the pictures. No name. No date. Like this, she was able to output it as a simple image. Franka loved her unofficial niece. The little worm would never be officially recognized as part of the nobility.
No one was allowed to know about the illegitimate daughter. This scandal could cost her friend everything if it became public. And the child? The nobility would mock it. Call it a child of shame. Also because of how her father and his wife died. She would never have the same rights as other children of the nobility. The law did not support the illegitimate children of the nobility. They were not allowed to get titles. They were not allowed to participate in the social life of the nobility. They were not entitled to any inheritance.
And it got worse. Poppy had no claim to her child, should Prince Telman's parents demand it. And they were entitled to so, as parents of the deceased father. While Poppy was just staff. She was not a member of the family, so the child did not belong to her. Franka couldn't approve of these now obsolete laws, so she helped Poppy keep the child a secret.
At present, only the illegitimate children of the common people were protected by law, as they had once been sold as cheap servants. That was forbidden. As soon as she became queen, Franka wanted to change the law. In order to provide more support for the illegitimate children of the nobility. To enable them to claim a title. And to protect their parents as well.
Franka sat on a small armchair in the library and read a letter that Malea had sent her from the university. Malea was fine. She had made a handful of new friends, and couldn't wait to welcome Franka at the university soon. She also reported that she had succeeded in creating a new shrub through crossbreeding, which could possibly be suitable for the preservation of blood. The fruits were less bitter. She called her creation 'starberry', because of the shape of the white flowers of the shrub.
Franka hoped that her friend would succeed. And she was looking forward to starting her own short course of study soon. Actually, she should have started it long ago, but due to the constant sadness of her stepfather, this had not worked. In two months, when the course started all over again, she wanted to leave. She and Malea would share a room. Everything was already arranged.
Franka was ready.
