WITCH - The Queen

Bonus 21

About nine months after Poppy came to the royal court and had an exciting night there, her little daughter Ari was born. Ari, short for Ariane. But since Poppy von Schneider had no time to take care of the child, and she and her best friend Franka also feared a scandal, she sent the small child to her parents after a few years. Her girl should grow up in a real family, and not between a nanny and a mother who almost always worked.

The decision was difficult for her, but she didn't want to give Ari to strangers.

Poppy's parents were good parents, even if her home hadn't always been the best. Poppy had a happy childhood. After that, things got difficult... But she also didn't want to give her daughter up for adoption. No. Poppy didn't have the heart to do that. And she didn't want to burden her younger sister with the upbringing of her little daughter. Jasmin had built a life of her own. And as far as Poppy knew, Jasmin had no time for a child at the moment without giving up her two passions. Learning at the university, she still had two years to go before she would be a recognized lawyer. And working in the bookstore. No. Her mother would take good care of Ari. In addition, Poppy knew from a letter from her father that he wanted to buy his own house. So, Ari wouldn't grow up with her horrible uncle.

And that was good. Therefore, she sent her child to her parents, without suspecting what was going on there at the time.

A few weeks after Ari arrived at her grandparents' house, her mother Lara brought the toddler to Jasmin, who lived with the family of her boyfriend Killian and was at home at the time. Her mother's husband had separated from her and left the family. She hadn't accompanied him to the new house because he had already found a new love and wanted to start anew with his sweetheart. She alone couldn't take care of the child by herself and also feared for her safety. Her brother, who saw himself as the head of the family, was not a good man. Lara herself did not dare to leave home. It was her family! And her mother needed help. She had lost her sight a few weeks ago. Something rare with ancient vampires, but not impossible. She could not leave her mother. But she wanted to protect the child.

This is how Ari grew up as a child of the Morgentau family. The two Humans Lana and Mert adopted the little one as their own. And Jasmin enjoyed being an aunt. She and Killian were happy to take care of the little girl with Poppy's eyes (red, with a small yellow spot in her left eye). Otherwise, the child had dark, curly hair and equally dark skin. But when Poppy learned that Ari was, now, growing up with humans, she was more than surprised. Her mother's fate saddened her.

Poppy, who had learned of Jasmin's new address in a letter, secretly wrote to her sister who the father of her child was. The late Prince Telman von Moosbaum. Husband of the also deceased Princess Kevina. And before the resemblance to the prince got noticed by the wrong person, Poppy sent the child away with the help of Princess Franka. Her employer and friend. And Jasmin assured her that Killian's parents and his little sister were just the right family for Ari.

And so Poppy and Ari, who knew her mother almost only from letters, parted ways.

In the evening, when Jasmin and Killian were not on the road, Jasmin told the child fairy tales. Ari especially liked the fairy tale of 'Sanne the grumpy black dragon'. Every evening, when Jasmin was at home, Ari asked for this story. Therefore, Jasmin came up with more and more stories about the dragon, which destroyed villages out of boredom and was always in a bad mood. Over the years, the stories became more and more exciting and crazy. And Ari loved them.

This happened a few hundred years ago. Killian had been dead for a long time. Just like Jasmin's and his two children. A boy and a girl. Half-vampires did not live as long as vampires. Ari had started her own family and her children had long since grown up. Ari lived with her husband in her aunt's house and tried to set her up with a vampire that Ari believed Jasmin would like. She hoped for a fresh start for her aunt.

Ari's son Lovis ran the family's tailoring shop, and his son Aldo ran the dyeing factory. Also a family business. Previously, Jasmin's cousin had taken care of both. Her cousin had, after taking over the factory from his father, almost led the company to ruin. The old factory urgently needed to be renovated. The fabrics that were produced and dyed there went exclusively into production for the military and hospitals. Aldo had saved the company.

Ari's son Klaas helped his aunt and Mother to take care of refugees who came from the witch-, wolf. and elf territory. They hid them from the government in hidden villages. Since the royal family had joint forces with the Witch Queen, this became increasingly difficult. But they didn't want to give up. In addition, Klaas ran the bookstore now, so that his aunt and mother had more time for the refugees.

Poppy had no idea of this. Jasmin, Poppy's daughter, and grandchildren stayed silent. They didn't want to endanger her. In her family's letters, Poppy read about birthdays, family reunions, the success of the bookstore, and other everyday things.

(c: sasi)