WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 47

Marlon

The air around the castle smelled different from the air at his property. Here it smelled of power. This smell was completely missing from his property. Something Marlon didn't like.

His parents were already waiting for him in front of the huge palace. Yes, the castle was more of a palace, even if nobody called it that. Marlon would change that.

His mother embraced Marlon and his father gave him a loving pat on the shoulder. Then, they asked him if the ride was pleasant, and all the other phrases that were common in such a situation. Marlon, quite the perfect son, answered them with a smile and then beckoned his new 'servant' to him.

The hitman bowed deeply to the King and Queen.

"This is Keno. My new servant", Marlon introduced him. He did not look at the so-called servant at all. Keno grinned.

"A human?" Confused, his father looked at him. "So far, you have refused to accept humans as servants."

Marlon smiled. He had expected this question. "He convinced me of his abilities and qualities. He will take care of my well-being... And... Well, it might be best if a few of your servants train him in the tasks of the castle. So that he can find his way around quickly? I am sure he will serve well in general. He has already worked as a personal butler." Marlon lied skillfully.

His mother nodded eagerly. "Yes, of course. And where does this qualified servant come from?"

"From a small village on the border, Your Majesty. It honors me to serve in your castle", Keno replied smoothly, bowing again.

Marlon's parents smiled contentedly at each other. But then her eyes became serious. "Marlon? King Friedrich died. We got the news a few days ago."

"What?" Marlon looked deeply shaken. "That's terrible!"

His mother sighed. "It is. Your sister and Prince Torsten are not here at the moment. We had to inform them with a letter. But we expect them back in a few days."

Marlon nodded with feigned sympathy.

Annemarie

They would not return to the castle. Annemarie and Torsten had decided this together at breakfast. And they had a good reason as an excuse: Torsten had the flu with a high fever. Little Rayk and Rosina had also caught it. Since they were half-human, the two were susceptible to human diseases. But the children's symptoms were much lower than Torsten's.

The two nannies took care of the ailing children. Annemarie sat at her coughing husband's bedside and read a letter she had received after breakfast.

"Honey? Your father died", she said quietly.

Torsten looked at her in surprise through feverish eyes. "What?"

"King Friedrich died. The reasons are not entirely clear, but sudden heart failure is assumed."

"Heart failure? He was a magician." Torsten sat up and took the letter from Annemarie. "The immortals rarely get sick..."

"Sudden heart failures do happen. Otherwise, your father wouldn't have died from it."

Torsten nodded. "That can be, yes. That's bad. I haven't known him very long..."

"He was your father!" Annemarie kissed Torsten's cheek.

"Yes. But he was never very important to me. Only... Rayk will be sad. He liked his grandpa."

"That's right." She snuggled up to her husband. Annemarie was thirsty. But she didn't like the blood of sick people. "And little Loelia has lost her father."

Torsten grinned sadly. "Loelia... Queen Agathe was very angry about the existence of the little girl. Maybe it was her?"

"Murder?"

Torsten snorted. "Murder! I wouldn't be surprised... And... It was the same with my mother. Sudden death. Probably heart failure. But if the queen killed her husband because he cheated on him..."

Annemarie nodded. "Then maybe it has something to do with your mother's death. But how? An assassin? Poison? When did she die?"

"I wasn't at home. When I left, she was cheerful. Just a little tired... But when I came back she was dead. But if our theory is correct, wouldn't Coletta... ?"

"Be in danger?" Annemarie crossed her arms and let her gaze wander to the dark red ceiling. The bedroom was all red. Blood-red diamonds and dark furniture decorated with gold. "Maybe. Unless she's too far away for Agathe."

"For Agathe. But what about an assassin?"

"That's right. One more reason to stay on our property. My brother behaves strangely and then the death of your father... And if the two are related?" Annemarie shook her head. "No. Probably nothing. So far, my brother has shown his best side."

"But you don't trust him."

"I don't trust him, yes. We should stay here as long as possible."

Torsten pulled his blanket over her. "Or we travel the country? Us and the children? So no assassin can easily find us if this theory is correct."

"Yes. That's what we do." Annemarie liked the idea. "As soon as you and the children feel better. I'll check on our little ones, yes?" She climbed out from under the blanket and kissed Torsten's forehead. His forehead was on fire.

"Or we'll make another mini vampire", he suggested tiredly.

"No. Two are enough minis." She stroked Torsten's hair while he was overwhelmed by a cough, then Annemarie made her way to the nursery. Here, the walls were colorfully painted and all the furniture was made of light, friendly wood. Yellow curtains adorned the darkened glass windows. Little Rosina slept in her cradle. One of the nannies looked at a thick storybook with Rayk, while the other nanny put washed clothes in the wardrobe.

"Are you reading something nice?" Annemarie sat down next to her son. The nanny quickly stood up and bowed.

"I'll see if the food is ready", she said and hurried away.

Rayk looked briefly after the young woman, then he pointed to the picture of a black dragon.

"There! He's evil!", he said with a smile.

"Yes. This is a black dragon. They are very evil", Annemarie confirmed, stroking her son's forehead. Mild fever, unlike Torsten.

"Black. Evil black." Rayk nodded. Then he pointed to a white dragon fighting with the black dragon. "This one is nice."

"Is he?"

"Yes. It's white. He scares away the other."

Oona had once given the book to Annemarie when they were both enthusiastic about dragons. In the book were some fairy tales in which dragons appeared. She remembered this fairy tale well. The white dragon defended his friend, a human, from the black dragon that wanted to eat him. It was a very old fairy tale and the author of the book claimed that this was a true story. But dragons ate humans. They did not befriend them.

Rayk happily continued to look through the book, commenting on each picture. In between, he had to sneeze or cough, but he didn't let it get him down. He told his mother what he saw in the pictures. And especially the pictures of the man, the friend of the white dragon, seemed to please him.

Again and again, he ran his finger over the drawing of a young man with long hair. "He's the hero", he finally said. "He saves everyone."

"You may be right", Annemarie said. If she remembered correctly, then the end of this fairy tale was sad.

(c: sasi)