A princess, who was given the name Ellenora but preferred her nickname Ellie, was heard sighing loudly in her tower room. The mammoth sat on the stones by the window and thought again about her gloomy future. Since the last new moon several days ago, she had finally come of age, something she had been looking forward to for a long time. But being an adult, at least that was how it seemed for her family status, had more disadvantages than advantages. Because getting older unfortunately also means getting married soon. After all, it doesn't look presentable for an honorable house if the children don't marry someone decent or even don't marry at all. She could understand well, that some women didn't want anyone, given the ruffians who roamed the earth and, unfortunately, some of them also wandered through their castle.
Last year she already received a few proposals. Some of the candidates even came in person, which she found more polite than just asking for her hand in marriage in writing. Some of them seemed nice to her, so much that she might consider a marriage after getting to know them better. But her grandfather turned them down, very indignantly. He said that they came from a noble line, so no one could come with such a small gift as flowers. Ellie thought that was very mean, because she thought the orange tulips were beautiful. They resembled the sunset and the young duke also said, that they looked like her fur. And it wasn't just a bouquet, but a huge field of these magnificent plants just for her. But her grandfather allowed the request that she liked least. A boar who was probably twice her age and had no manners, as she quickly found out herself, should be her husband.
Fortunately, she had a very good bodyguard and a mother who also had a say in this. Shira, a silver-grey saber-toothed tiger who was her maid and bodyguard at her side, was able to knock down this disgusting guy, who actually dared to visit her bedroom before the wedding. It later turned out, that he had also looked too deeply into the wine barrel. Her loyal servant locked the drunkard in the dungeon that same night, where he remained until the next day. That was also the day her mother and brothers returned from a trip to the country's border. There was apparently trouble there and because her grandfather was no longer able to get there at his age, the queen had to take care of it herself. There was also some fuss in the castle again, because it was indecent to have women do this legwork. Ellie rarely understood her mother's father, but she had dismissed it by saying that he was an old-rule opossum. At least that's what they always told her. But when the rest of her family returned, the boar was also thrown out of the castle. The queen was very angry that such a rabble was even considered when they were other plans for her life for a long time. After her mother, as well as more or less her brothers, apologized to her for not being able to attend her birthday, she not only received a great gift, but was also shown a letter from her deceased father. Her future was already immortalized on paper and even though she acted as if it were something beautiful in front of everyone, in reality it looked very different inside her.
As the full moons passed, her heart only grew heavier. On the one hand, she could not oppose the will of her beloved father. He was a wise and good-natured mammoth who was respected and revered by everyone in the kingdom. Unfortunately, he left them far too early because of an illness. As a result, her mother had to look after the country alone as queen for several years. With the help of her stubborn grandfather, who left his small castle after the king's funeral to move in here because a woman was not allowed to do so much on her own. As she grew older, Ellie understood that the queen needed someone to support her. But sometimes, unfortunately, she also saw that her grandfather was more on the nerves of the castle's residents than helping animals.
When there was a knock on the door, she was torn from her thoughts and invited her guest in. She also tried to appear a little more cheerful.
"Here, your highness." The silver-gray tigress brought her tea and some pastries on a golden tray. However, the princess did not take her eyes off the view from the window. Sometimes she wished she were a simple farmer. Of course, she imagined working in the fields to be hard, but at least these ladies were allowed to choose who they spent their lives with. Sometimes she dreamed of just running away. Her life would be maybe simpler then, but certainly easier too. Every time she woke up, she knew that she could not do this to her family. Her brothers were two years younger than her and would soon be of marriageable age. But since they were twins, there would have to be a few tests to see who was better suited to be king. In addition, they would have to find willing people for both of them who were ready to marry them. The two of them were good at heart, but they just got up to too many mischiefs that you would think you would grow out of them at some point.
"Thank you very much, and when we are alone, you can skip the formalities." She explained to her maid, who over the years had become not only her servant, but also a good friend.
"Forgive me, but I have to get used to it again. If you ... change surroundings, then I hope to be able to be at your side again and we don't know how strangers react to being too friendly. I at least, I hope that I will be allowed to continue serving you." Shira said to her, avoiding mentioning the upcoming circumstances of a wedding because it upset her stomach. Ellie turned around at that. Also because the tea smelled good and shouldn't get cold.
"Well, if it is up to me, then you absolutely have to travel with along. I would be more comfortable knowing that a familiar face is next to me in a foreign country. On the other hand, I do not want to tear you away from your home. Of course, that is part of growing up, learning to adapt to new surroundings." The princess said, as if it were okay to move to the new castle and begin her new life alone after the wedding. Since she liked and valued Shira very much, she did not want to see her unhappy by forcing her to go with her. Moreover, it could be that she would be given new and more servants as queen. Although she had the option of requesting have more staff here, but so far she had managed quite well with the saber-toothed tiger on her own. Of course, she did not burden her with too many tasks, like other noble people. Sometimes she could not understand animals of the noble blood, like her grandfather, why so many servants were needed or that they had to do simple jobs for you. Lady Bearington from Notincave has ten servants alone when she visits them. A nice and clever lady who has been friends with the queen for a long time. Unfortunately, she is also already widowed, like her good mother. Well, she knew that a good friend can help you in life. But Ellie wondered why the woman needed someone to wash her, and her servants were all male. No, she could still wash herself and brush her fur. Of course, you can need that in old age, even if this lady still seemed very agile.
"If I may say so, a man who shows no interest in you, is still better than one who becomes too pushy too quickly." The tigress said this cautiously and the mammoth nodded, but still had other thoughts in her head. What if her future husband only shows his true face at his castle after the marriage? If she had to flee from there for some reason, she would not bear to return to her family in shame. She would rather let herself be eaten by the wolves, who are said to be causing trouble in the forest again. Perhaps a walk through nature would really help her to improve her mood now.
"You're probably right. Mother also said that you have to get to know each other first." With these words, she tried to put a brighter face on. At least for the others, because she didn't want them to worry about her. Nevertheless, she felt that her father's letter and his wish in it was a burden to her. Couldn't she meet someone in person first and then they could both decide together whether a wedding was appropriate? But it wasn't just her own well-being that depended on it. Her mother can't look after the country forever, even with support. Especially when you live in a place where men think they have the last word. That was also a worry, that kept going through Ellie's head. What would become of her, if she was tied to a man who told her what to do and what not? If she was only there to give birth to children and otherwise she had to keep quiet? She heard some terrible stories there. But on the other hand, people like to talk when the day is long.
The young woman shook her head and took some pastries to banish the horrible images. She was surely painting everything too black and should rather chat with her servant about what good things she could expect at the other castle. After all, she could rarely hide her curiosity and sometimes even asked every visitor for news about who had already visited Castle Ironheart. She couldn't let her grandfather catch her doing this, because he was of the opinion that such behavior was not appropriate for a noble lady. After all, she would soon have to wear the crown, so she couldn't gossip like a kitchen maid.
"Isn't there anyone here you like? After all, I'm tired of always talking about my love life." The princess said a little jokingly and had to admit that it was an impertinence that such a beautiful saber-toothed tiger had no admirers. Yes, Shira's tongue could be sharp, just like her weapon, and yet there was a good soul lurking inside her that wanted to be loved. After all, she would be even worse off after the wedding if she knew that her maid was getting lonely.
"Can we talk about something else? Besides, I prefer to take orders from you than from a man." Ellie nodded in agreement, because she could understand if her maid did not want to talk to her about such things.
"Forgive me, I did not mean to bother you with such things. But I have to defend my title as a gossip." When the princess said that, they both had to laugh a little. She was glad that the mood between them remained relaxed, even though she knew that her maid wanted to hide her tensions about what was to become of her.
"In my opinion, I think it is very smart to talk to the residents and guests of the castle often, so that you know who you are hosting under your roof." The tigress said and poured her more tea in when she noticed that she was drinking her cup empty. She was slowly getting really hungry, because she slept longer today and had not eaten anything yet, because her thoughts kept going back to the wedding, which makes her stomach upset. But the pastries in front of her smelled so good, that even the worries of tomorrow could not stop her from eating.
"Mhhm... They're still a little warm." The mammoth raved as she finally took a bite of the pastry. The kitchen went to the trouble of making the little cakes look like flowers. The news of her mood had probably spread throughout the castle, as the food was only prepared like that for celebrations. And if someone wanted to cheer her up a little, as most of the castle residents had known her since she was born. She was just about to offer Shira something, when she saw the tigress's ears twitch. That meant that someone else was coming near her bedroom. She still hoped it was just her brothers, but she usually heard them from far away. There was another knock on her door and she invited the second guest in. Before anyone could enter, her servant stood up and took a step back.
"See? She is doing wonderfully. Instead of devoting herself to her duties, she sits up here lazily and stuffs herself with these sweet pies." Her grandfather was the first to enter the room and did what he had been best at lately. Namely, complaining about Ellie.
"I wish you a good morning too, dear grandfather." The young woman greeted her older relative kindly, but thought to herself, that his strictness seems to be the only thing she will not miss in her new home.
"Thank you, father, for your efforts. That reminds me, Lord Primus wanted to discuss a few small things with you. It must be about the new treasury." After her mother also entered the room, this immediately turned to her grandfather.
"I do not understand why you are only telling me this up here, but with all the mess, you must have forgotten. It is understandable that the man would like to hear my advice. If the ladies will excuse me." With that, the old opossum marched out of the room again. Ellie sighed slightly, because when she heard the word 'mess', she was looked at again. As if she was the only one here who was causing problems.
"Could you leave us alone?" The queen asked the saber-toothed tigress, whereupon this bowed halfway with a silent nod and left the room, closing the door. Then her mother had to smile a little.
"Your grandfather will find the new treasurer a tough nut to crack. I actually wanted to avoid the two of them meeting, but in the last few days I have hardly been able to take a step without him and his unsolicited advice. I realize that he is getting old and needs to feel needed, but you can overdo it." The queen complained briefly about her father before she collected herself and changed the subject.
"But enough of that. How are you, my child?" Her mother sat down next to her and eyed her carefully.
"I really didn't want to cause you any grief…" The princess broke off the sentence, because she knew her mother had far more important matters to deal with in the country than her daughter, who was scared of the wedding.
"I am aware that a wedding like this comes with big changes. Do not worry, I sent out an invitation. Even though I put a lot of trust in your father's word, we should all get to know each other first. After all, I only found out about this decision when you came of age. Your father could have mentioned it earlier instead of asking one of his former servants to keep letters for years. I just hope we do not have any more surprises to read when Eddie and Crash are that age." The queen said, jokingly. Even though the older woman wanted to hide it, Ellie could see that she was tired of ruling and everything that came with it. The princess smiled at what was said, even if it did not completely dispel her worries, meeting her future husband beforehand would at least be a start. She promised her mother that she would come to dinner and also that she would do other stuff outside of her room today.
"You know, your father and I did not love each other when we got married either." The older opossum grinned as she told that and thought about the past.
"I can not believe it." The princess was very surprised by what was said, because her parents always seemed very much in love.
"We were forced to do this because they wanted to unite two kingdoms. I am still very sorry because I treated your father terribly at the beginning. Unlike you, I was not very educated back then because your grandfather unfortunately did not give me that many books. Women and reading? What is next? That they write their own texts and books?" With the last sentences, the queen imitated the old opossum a little before becoming more serious again.
"Before the wedding, I was very fond of a self-proclaimed duke. Your grandfather would never have allowed me to be with such a man. But even though your father had his own worries after the celebrations, he helped me to visit this duke. It turned out that I fell in love with a fraud and a deceiver. When we got back to the castle, my husband did not say a word of judgment to me. Even though I knew the truth afterwards, I still cried about the loss and my stupidity. One morning, when I finally stopped wallowing in self-pity and sat at the table with your father, I realized that it was not just my heart that was broken by this marriage. It turned out, that your father loved his best friend, a soon to be Electress with whom he was raised in the same castle. Unlike me, your father was far too shy to confess it to her. I tried to persuade him to tell his feelings, but he refused several times. He did not want their friendship to be strained if she did not return his love." Her mother finished the sentence and looked thoughtfully out of the window. Ellie also had to process the story first. After all, her parents always seemed as if they had always been inseparable. She hardly dared to say the next thing, but she had the feeling that the things of the past were not being told to her for nothing.
"And what if she loved him too?" Curiosity burst from the mammoth's mouth.
"If that was the case, then she never said so in her letters. Your father thought there should be no secrets between married couples, which is why he always told me everything openly and showed me everything. It was not easy for him to read when the Electress also reported on her wedding one day. After that, no more letters arrived for a while." The Queen sighed a little, because she almost did not dare to tell everything any more.
"What happened then?"
"I acted a little too hastily and invited them to come to us. I wanted to give the new king something nice for once. Someone who looks after the country and me so well without asking for anything in return should finally deserve a happy moment. I forgot my new status as queen and so the invitation was accepted because I had ordered it rather than asked for it. When the day of the visit finally arrived, I was not sure whether I had gone too far. But once again I learned that your father was not at all like your grandfather in terms of characteristics. Even though the arrival of his best friend and her husband surprised him at first, you could also see that he was happy. I also got to know the couple better and they even stayed at our castle for a while. It was a lovely time. I think it was just important for your father to know that his best friend went in good hands, because after they left, he finally had eyes for me." The opossum smiled slightly as she thought about the winter months when they really fell in love.
"But why I do not know her then?" Ellie asked, irritated, because after all, she knew everyone in the castle.
"She visited us more often with her husband and later with her son at some celebrations. The last visit was for your father's birthday. You probably do not remember, because you were only four years old. I remember that the servants often complained back then because two little mammoths were running through the corridors like wild animals." Now the queen even had to laugh a little at the memory. But her expression quickly turned melancholy. The princess suspected that something must have happened and so this time she waited patiently until her mother continued speaking.
"Unfortunately, we soon received the news of her death. She had apparently been suffering from an incurable illness for some time. With the letter, we heard less and less about this castle and its inhabitants. When new news took too long for us, we sent a messenger there, who could only announce on his return that the family had apparently left the country. Actually, I thought that we had all become friends. Unfortunately, I also know that grief can change you." With these words, the queen thought of her mother and how her death had made her old father so bitter. It relaxed over the years, but only a little. He always remained strict and sometimes cold-hearted towards her and her daughter.
"I should probably go out for a bit of fresh air." Ellie interrupted her mother's thoughts, who then nodded at her with a smile. The princess quickly threw her cloak over herself and was now glad that she had already finished dressing. Of course, she asked if there was anything she could do for her mother before she went into the corridor, where her loyal servant was waiting for her. She was a little ashamed of having to tell Shira a little lie that they were both going to visit the seamstress in the village. To which the saber-toothed tiger offered to let her leave the castle walls alone. Ever since the rumors about the wolves had reached them, her friend had been so cautious. So the princess watched from a window overlooking the courtyard as her maid disappeared through the large gate of the castle. She then went quickly, but not too conspicuously, to a rather deserted corridor. There were rooms here where things were stored. She did not care about the things stored today, because she wanted to climb out of one of the windows here, to an old path leading to the forest. She did take a sword with her, because she was a little naive sometimes, but not stupid. Since she had already escaped from this window several times, a rope was already hidden in a cupboard and ready to be used at any time. She wrapped the thick rope around one of the iron hooks on the inside of the windows. Ellie got the idea because she once read a story about how a girl used her long braid to escape from a high tower. The window here was very close to the ground, but if she waited until her hair was that long, she would not be able to leave the castle again until she was old and gray.
When she removed the rope after climbing and tied it around herself, she was surprised that she had not met her brothers yet. It certainly seemed better not to think about them and to hurry to the place in the forest that she loved most. As much as she liked and trusted Shira, this place should remain a secret. She hurriedly ran faster and faster through the bushes to reach the clearing in question sooner. And also to drive away the sad feelings. She knew that her mother's story was meant to give her courage, but even though she found it interesting to learn such details about her parents, it did not help her feel better. On top of that, she could not bring herself to confess to the queen that she had been sending letters to her soon-to-be husband for a while now. But so far they had always gone unanswered.
Completely out of breath, Ellie pushed her way through the thick hedge that still separated her from the place she wanted to be. Then she could finally see the clearing with all the beautiful flowers and the pond. Tired, she let herself fall into the grass to rest a little. The air smelled so good of the forest here and the sounds were always nice for relaxing. As the princess took a deep breath and thought about why her father showed her this place, everything seemed a little strange to her. Why do not her mother and brothers know about this place? Admittedly, the twins can never keep anything to themselves and if the king had ridden here with the queen more often, sooner or later, they would have been followed. Now she had to ask herself whether her father's best friend also knew this place. He said that he discovered it once as a child with friends.
Suddenly she heard branches cracking and immediately sat up and looked around. There was a rustling in the bushes and she stood up and tried to climb up the next tree as quickly as possible. As soon as she was at the top, a strange figure entered the clearing on the same path as her. The stranger wore a dark cloak with a hood pulled over his head. Nevertheless, she could see that it was a mammoth. Tusks and trunks were difficult to hide. The other mammoth had to be looking for something. Had they seen her before? Or were they even planning to use the place as a camp? It could be a scout. Because Ellie did not like the idea of more people hanging around here, she jumped down at the stranger's feet.
"What do you want here?" She demanded of the other mammoth, who now seemed much taller now that she was standing in front of him. Inwardly, she wondered whether that was a smart idea, because firstly, the stranger might not be alone and secondly, he might even be working with the wolf pack. When the other turned to her in shock, this just stared at her in silence. The robe was pulled off the head and she looked a little surprised too now, because it was not only a male mammoth, but also a good-looking one that must have been around her age.