WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 16

Torsten

Rayk and Coralie played together. Coletta had brought her daughter to Torsten and Annemarie in the morning and then left to meet a friend. Of course, she hadn't asked them if they could take care of Coralie, or if the nannies could. No. She had pushed her small, surprised daughter into the room, happily said goodbye, and then disappeared.

Torsten had been terribly upset about it at first, but the little girl was a true angel and quickly conquered his and Annemarie's heart. And that of Rayk, who ran after her like a little chick.

The castle was bustling as the first preparations for Rosina's first birthday were made. There would be a big celebration. And it was in this hustle and bustle that Marlon came home. A servant had come to tell them of Marlon's arrival.

"So he's back." Annemarie sighed. "I would have liked to celebrate without his presence... Are you coming? Let's say hello to my big brother."

"Shall we take the children with us?", asked Torsten.

"No. We welcome him without the children. Rayk and Coralie are playing so sweetly and Rosina is sleeping. I don't want to wake her. He will see the children again soon enough."

Maybe this was for the best. Torsten didn't want Marlon to get near his children. Marlon's opinion of half-vampires was not a good one. On Rayk's birth, he didn't just send them his congratulations, no. He also asked if they thought it was a good idea to bring weak vampires into the royal family. At Rosina's birth, he did not send them such impudence. No. But his congratulations were very miserable.

Annemarie had been annoyed for days, but in the meantime, the anger had subsided and Marlon turned out to be a friendly and loving uncle when he came to visit from time to time. Torsten was still not sure if this friendliness might be played. Annemarie felt the same way and therefore kept an eye on her brother.

Said super-uncle greeted them in the salon, where he had already been joyfully received by the king and queen. He grinned crookedly at Annemarie and Torsten and hugged his sister happily.

"How nice. Finally, the family is reunited!" Then he hugged Torsten.

"Welcome back." Torsten tried to return the embrace as enthusiastically as possible, but the coldness in Marlon's eyes made him shudder.

There was a knock at the door and a servant came in. She seemed a little breathless and bowed quickly. "Excuse me, Your Highness! But more guests have arrived."

"Other guests?" Queen Franka looked confused at her husband.

The servant nervously smoothed out her uniform. "Oona von Schwarzmoor and her parents are here."

"Oona?" Marlon looked at Annemarie, who just shrugged her shoulders. "Did you invite your old friend?"

"No. I see them very rarely. This has nothing to do with me," Annemarie replied and looked at Torsten, who frowned. Was this good or bad?

"Then please escort them here." The queen snorted at the servant, who stood uncertainly in front of them. "We weren't expecting them until after Rosina's birthday because they were away."

With a quick bow, the servant hurried away. Torsten suspected that the poor vampire was glad to escape this strange mood that had spread in the salon. Everyone was strangely tense.

"They aren't any more", King Henry murmured.

Marlon

Oona von Schwarzmoor. Annemarie's former childhood friend was a pretty vampire with short black curls, dark skin, and pale orange eyes. A genetic defect that occurred very rarely, and was considered an ideal of beauty. She wore a long, black dress and a diamond-studded headband in her short curls.