WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 84

Torsten

There was talk in the village. Soldiers had been spotted near their location. Apparently the soldiers were looking for someone. Annemarie ran nervously through the shared bedroom. She tried to comfort the crying Rosina and pack her bags at the same time.

"We don't know if they're here because of us", Torsten tried to reassure her. But he, too, was nervous.

"Of course, they are!", hissed Annemarie, whereupon Rosina screamed even louder. "Can you forge new papers for us? I can't believe your aunt taught you that..."

"I can hold Rosina." Torsten's aunt earned money by forging papers for fugitives. Criminals were among her customers. Until she was caught and lived and ended up in one of the prisons. She had hoped that Torsten would help her one day, but he always had other plans. Now, he was grateful to be able to forge papers. "Annemarie?"

"No. I can do it!" She kissed the screaming girl and pulled on one of the many drawers of the small chest of drawers that stood in the bedroom. They had also bought all the furniture from the previous owners.

"Mom? Dad?" Rayk stood wide-eyed in the bedroom doorway. "Bad things happened? Mom Ouch? Rosina Ouch?"

"No, sparrow. It's all good", Torsten said quickly. "We're just thinking about moving on, okay?"

"No!" Rayk shook his head. "Rosina crying! Look!" He pointed reproachfully at his sister.

"Yes, Rosina is crying." Torsten sighed. Was it time to return home?

"Help me pack!", cried Annemarie angrily. "I can't pack all the bags!" Exhausted, she sat down in an old rocking chair, which stood by the bedroom window. She bobbed back and forth. Slowly, Rosina calmed down. "None of this is of any use. Right? If they're here because of us... Then we won't be able to disappear in time... I'm going crazy, Torsten. Am I crazy? Paranoid?"

Rayk also climbed onto his mother's lap. The little boy kissed Rosina's forehead, then snuggled up to Annemarie. She stroked his light hair.

"No. You have an excellent gut feeling." Torsten sighed. "Something's wrong. But if we hide, then we don't find out... I'm just not sure we want to find out..."

"I don't trust my brother," Annemarie whispered. "There's nothing good about him. I don't claim to be a good person. But my brother? No."

Agathe

Agathe stared into the surprised faces of the members of the Council of Vampires. No one said anything after Prince Marlon announced their engagement. Prince Marlon stood confidently at the council table. He was dressed all in gray and wore a black scarf around his neck as a sign of mourning. "I have only the best interests for our kingdom in mind. This marriage will bring many benefits to our kingdom. Wealth and progress!" Then he bowed his head and sighed in feigned grief. "We have lost our King and Queen, and Queen Agathe has lost her husband. But this must not keep us away from the future. We have to move forward!"

"You want to leave us?", asked Helmut von Helm. "This will worry the people even more! Especially since Princess Annemarie and Prince Torsten have not yet returned! And without their presence, we cannot appoint an heir to the throne. The law does not allow it in a case like this. The possible heirs to the throne must both be present!"

Marlon grimaced. "And what if something had happened to my sister? Then, maybe we would wait forever for this election!"

"But the Protocol!", shouted the Minister of Justice, Remo von Bachweg. A small gentleman whose thin, long hair reached to his feet. Therefore, he had tied it into a thin braid. "It is demanded that in the event of an unclear succession to the throne, all possible heirs to the throne be questioned by the Council! The Council decides in the interests of the Kingdom and in the interests of the deceased Majesties. To the best of their conscience!"

Agathe cleared her throat, slightly annoyed. "Well. Prince Marlon and I plan to unite the kingdoms. Electing him as king is, of course, the prerequisite for this. That is why I would like you to consider this. We plan to manage our two countries separately for the time being. So that there is no chaos. All in the interest of the people. And, of course, I have no intention of withdrawing my commitments. I stand by my word."

"Separated?", asked Gina von Schwarz, who was responsible for the military.

Agathe nodded and gave the young prince a mock smile. "I'm going to help my fiancé a bit at first, of course. Just like the Council, I suppose? It will take time to unite our two countries. Seamlessly. But this connection will be good for both our countries. And provide stability. Financially and militarily."

"That's right. It would be beneficial", the vampire agreed. "And the people would be reassured. I agree with the election of Prince Torsten as heir to the throne. This is a special situation. The laws allow the protocol to be dispensed with if necessary. This engagement is good news."

"That's true, though..." Helmut von Helm nodded grimly. "Whoever agrees to the succession to the throne, raise his hand!"

All council members raised their hands. The oldest member of the council took a deep breath. "The Council appoints Prince Torsten as the official heir to the throne and congratulates him and his bride, our beloved Queen Agathe von Sonnenhof, to their engagement. Since this is a special situation, I suggest that the wedding and coronation take place on the same day."

The council meeting went on for a few more hours, during which the date of the wedding and the coronation was set. They discussed the guest list, the food, the decorations, and everything else that was needed. Where would the Queen live? Would she move to vampire territory? Would Prince Marlon move into her castle? Would they commute back and forth? Or would it be best to build a new castle?

Now Agathe and Marlon sat together with a glass of wine by the fireplace in Agathe's guest room. Tired, she yawned.

"You'll have to get used to the fact that night turns into day here." The prince smiled amusedly. "If you live here."

"I prefer to commute between kingdoms", Agathe whispered, smelling her wine. Satisfied, she found a slight berry note. "This is the only way we can ensure that everything runs smoothly. Especially in the beginning."

"Or we'll build a new castle? In the middle?" Marlon suggested. "More magnificent than our current residences. A symbol of our power and strength!"

"Maybe." Amused, Agathe watched as the stupid boy rolled his eyes.

"My beautiful queen?", he said.

"Yes?"

"I was surprised when I heard about the death of my aunt and niece. A tragic accident is said to have been the reason for their death." He smiled contentedly. "They were a thorn in my side too. My aunt was a nuisance."

Agathe laughed maliciously and shook her head. "My dear boy, you underestimated her."

Marlon raised his eyebrows. "Underestimated? How so? She was a silly person with a good-for-nothing brat."

"And she was a danger. Coletta and Coralie could also have been heirs to the throne. Right? If neither you nor Annemarie had been eligible for the Council, who would have been chosen?"

"My silly aunt." Marlon raised his glass. "Cheers to our success! If you hadn't trampled the insects, I would have done it!"

"Cheers, my boy", Agathe agreed. "Let's not talk about it anymore. It's better to keep silent about certain things. Before the wrong people hear something they shouldn't."

"We're alone", Marlon grumbled, picking up a spider that was rappelling down just above him. Agathe grimaced.

Herein this room, however, I still see an insect that needs to be trampled. But I'mgoing to do it very slowly. And I will enjoy every moment, my new darling!

(c: sasi)