Amaury

Two letters had arrived for him. Smiling, Amaury sat outside on a bench in the soft light of the afternoon sun, reading first Adaliz's letter and then his parents' letter. Adaliz wrote a lot about her school friends. His parents, on the other hand, talked about the bakery and other everyday things. They were fine. His siblings too. Only Ethan still refused to go to school. He found it boring there and he didn't like the other kids.

"Amaury! Here you are!"

"Huh?" Surprised, he looked up. In front of him stood Shay. The elf smiled.

"I've already been looking for you!", he said. "Did you get letters?"

"Yes." He waved the letters. "Obviously, I got mail. Why did you look for me? Do you have any mail for me? That wouldn't have been necessary!"

"Lea asks if you'd like to keep her company in her office."

"Is she still working? She lets you play Messenger again?"

Shay shrugged. "As her secretary, best friend, and eternally platonic partner, the answer is, YES!"

Amaury smiled. "You two are married!" He got up and followed his uncle.

"Oh! We are. Which makes me her faithful messenger all the more!" Shay winked at him, amused. "We got married so we could adopt Chloe and Benjamin together... Not because we're in love with each other."

"But you love Aunt Lea", Amaury immediately objected. "Everyone can see that!" He got up and followed his uncle along one of the narrower paths that led between the buildings of the academy. There was also a wider path. But this was mainly used by the high-spirited students and was therefore too crowded and turbulent for his uncle. He didn't like large gatherings of people.

"Of course I love Lea!" His uncle nodded. "Platonic, my boy. Platonic and eternal! While we're on the subject of adoptions, what do you think of another cousin?"

Platonic? Ha! He didn't believe his uncle's words. "You want to adopt again?" Amaury raised his eyebrows.

Shay nodded eagerly. "Yes. A little girl. Human. The daughter of a noble family. A mortal child. Her parents were both mortal. They died. A terrible accident! The little one saw it! And the rest of the relatives don't want to take the child in."

"Why is that?"

"Because she's definitely not going to be a witch. They are very old-fashioned. Unfortunately, it is not a criminal offense to live according to outdated values! We get to know the little one on the weekend. And if she likes us, she's ours." The elf smiled contentedly and hugged Amaury. "Poor worm. Her family doesn't deserve her. She's only five. Old enough to understand that her family doesn't want her. She currently lives with her grandmother. But she wants to get rid of the child as quickly as possible."

"Get rid of?" Amaury grimaced. "That's terrible!"

Shay sighed. "Lea heard about it from a friend. And she knows that I want another child. Of course, I love our grown-ups! Heaven! Benjamin has already made me a grandfather! This makes you feel old!"

"You're old!" Amaury teased him.

"Brat!" Shay stuck his tongue out laughing. "But a little daughter? This will be a completely new experience for us. Chloe and Benjamin were fourteen when we brought them in."

"I would be very happy to have another cousin. And so does Ethan. He has a hard time making friends his age. He doesn't get along with the other children in his class. Mom is worried." He wished very much that his little brother would quickly make good friends. But there was something else that worried him. "What about Aunt Lea? Does she want another child? I always thought that wasn't really one of her interests?"

"It's not. No. But this child needs help. I think the little one reminded her of herself. Your grandmother was not a good mother. But I think Lea sees herself more in the role of the weird aunt! Not in the role of the new mother. Never mind. The little one will be happy with us. Lea is definitely a good grandmother! But she doesn't like to be called Grandma!" Shay smiled. The two walked along the winding corridors of the Academy's small building until they arrived at Lea's office. Shay knocked on the door.

"Dear? I've got him!", he warbled happily. "A wonderful catch!" Amaury grimaced and pinch him in the side jokingly. Shay pinched back. "How would you like him? Darling? Fried? Cooked!", he shouted, sticking his tongue out at Amaury.

"Sweetheart! How wonderful!" Amaury heard his aunt answer. "With a bow on his head, please!"  Then Shay pushed him into the office. Without a warning. Lea's desk had been converted into a tea table. Shay grabbed an already half-empty cup and sat down with it in a rocking chair that Lea had recently placed in front of her window. Amaury sat down in the empty chair in front of his aunt. There were stacks of documents on the floor that had been cleared there in favor of tea.

Amaury raised his eyebrows. "Do you have a lot to do?"

"Always." His aunt nodded. "Tea?"

"Gladly."

She poured him a cup and handed it to him. "In two weeks, the academy will celebrate its big anniversary", she said quietly.

"I know." Amaury nodded. "Mara doesn't stop talking about it. We're going to have to bake more than usual."

"They will. You won't."

Amaury blinked. "I won't?"

Lea shook her head. "The Queen will come here on this occasion. She asks that you, as part of the family, sit with us. I will announce her visit tomorrow."

"What?" He shook his head quickly. "Aunt Julia? But... I'm just a simple citizen. I shouldn't be sitting next to you! And not even Mara knows that we’re related. And I'd rather leave it that way. Otherwise, it might get weird at work."

"Weird? That could be. Or not? But you're part of the family, Amaury. Even if you prefer to pretend to be a normal citizen. Just because you've rejected a title of nobility doesn't make you one."  Lea winked at him. "You could have been a prince. The queen will also offer a title to your siblings. As soon as they are eighteen. But you're still our nephew. Sit with us. Please. You will have free time during the festival. I have already had Mara Stein informed about this. Without mentioning that you are my nephew. You're still working on the preparations, but not during the festival."

"Oh." He shook his head. "When I sit with you, everyone knows... I don't want that."

"Would you rather keep it a secret? I can understand that, but it is Her Highness's wish. You don't have to sit with us. Nobody forces you. I think Julia will accept your request. Even if she will be disappointed. She loves you very much." Lea sighed and ran her fingers through her thick hair. "You're part of the family. Even without the obligations."

Amaury nodded. "Is she coming alone? What about Uncle Leo?" He liked his uncle. Leopold von Sonnenhof. He had taken the name of the queen, but not the title or role of the king. Once, when Amaury asked him why, his uncle told him he just wasn't a king, while the old binding spell shone through the fabric of his clothes. Is that why he refused? At the universities, many witches and wizards worked to find a way to break the old bonding spells. As long as they still were there, their wearers weren’t truly free.

"As alone as a queen can come. With guards and all the hustle and bustle that always reigns around her. Your uncle is also planning to come, yes. They’re both looking forward to seeing you. Ah, yes! Benjamin should be here right away. With wife and children."

"Then it gets pretty crowded here..." Amaury looked at the small office. "You're missing chairs."

His aunt laughed. "That's probably true. I have something to discuss with Benjamin and Aethel. I hope Benjamin will give a short speech. I'm sure the kids are looking forward to seeing you."

"You need me as a babysitter." Amaury grimaced.

"Indeed!" She nodded with a smile and winked at him.

"And the tea serves as a bribe."

She nodded again. "And as bait. You love tea. Shay will take care of the kids with you, but Hallie likes you much better. The little one will soon be four! And Tiw missed you. It's been half a year since your last visit. You can go to my apartment with them." She held out the keys to him. "Chloe will join you later. She still has some work to do. A surprise for the children."

Resigned to fate, he nodded. Amaury, of course, was looking forward to seeing the children again. As well as his cousin and his wife. And he was especially looking forward to seeing the queen again. And his uncle.

Sometime later, he sat on the sofa with Hallie on his lap and read to her from a children's book. Chloe and Shay played a simple parlor game with six-year-old Tiw. Shay got upset every time he lost a game. There were cake crumbs on the carpet. Cake, that Chloe had freshly baked. Nut cake with colorful icing. Hallie and Tiw's favorite.

Amaury