WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 32

Fritz

The king was dead.

Fritz sat on his and Paula's bed and stared at the ceiling. Paula was lying next to him. It was already late and the children were asleep. A few hours ago, a letter had arrived with the sad news and an invitation, no, an order to attend the funeral.

"It never was a natural death", Paula murmured. "Never."

"Possibly." Fritz didn't know what to think. "I trust my mother to do that."

"You're going to the funeral?"

Fritz lay down with a sigh. "We're going to the funeral."

"I'll take the kids to my parents tomorrow. And that's where they stay for now. I will not expose them to your mother's wrath." Paula snorted. "Or I'll take them to Hany. Maybe that's better if she sends someone to my parent to look after our children... She is a dangerous and insane person! Hany and his wife want children, but they were never lucky. They are happy to take care of both of them."

"And what about us?"

"We'll bring them back to us when it's safe again." A tear rolled down Paula's cheeks. "Whenever that will be. They can't stay here. Hany will be a good father."

Fritz nodded.

Julia

Peter had received the news of King Friedrich's death very composed when Julia finally was brave enough to tell him about this part of her vision. She herself did not know what to feel... Her father had been more loving than the queen, but he was gone often. Always on the move on behalf of the queen, or he hid in the library to have his peace there. She had few memories of him playing with her when she was little. And Peter? The last thing he did was argue with him.

They had not been able to say goodbye. Julia buried her face in her pillow and pulled her blanket over her head.

Should she mourn? It all seemed so far away to her. This vision. Had this really happened?

She pondered for quite a while until she fell asleep late at night.

Julia walked through white clouds and dazzling light in soft rainbow colors. Whispering voices came from somewhere, but she saw no one. Sometimes she heard the sound of flapping wings or a soft laugh. Everything seemed enchanted. As if she were standing amid gentle magic.

She walked through the dazzling cloud fog for quite a while until she found two women with bird's feet and magnificent wings. The two smiled at her. Julia stopped for a moment. Should she go to them?

"Come on, child!", said one of the women. Her wings shimmered in white and gold. She had golden hair and wore a dress of light. How old could she be? Twenty?

Were they harpies?

"I think she's still confused!" The other woman laughed in amusement and shook her grey wings. Her hair was also grey, although she was not old. Maybe a little over thirty?

"More than just confused!", Julia replied and came to them. "Who are you? And where am I?"

"You made a little journey. I knew you would come to meet us." The woman with the white and golden wings wrapped one of her wings around Julia. She felt strangely safe around her and the feathers seemed softer to her than those of the dragons. It didn't bother her that this stranger embraced her.

"A journey?"

"My name is Iris and this is Jane. She's a shaman." The stranger with the white wings winked at Julia. So close the golden hues of the feathers seemed pale. "You're dreaming right now. And your dream has led you to us. Are you thinking about going on a long trip soon?"