WITCH - The Revolt

Bonus 5

Sophie's family was poor. She was the youngest of eight children. Her parents worked hard to feed them all. Johanna, her eldest sister, took care of Sophie and her three brothers Johann, Tobias, and Klaus during the day. Johann was six years old, Tobias eight, Klaus ten, and Sophie just five. The four were a lot of work for fourteen-year-old Johanna, who had not gone to school since she was twelve years old to take care of her siblings. Sophie had three older brothers, all of whom had already moved out. Clemens, Andreas, and Robin were already married and had their own families to care for.

She had a happy childhood, even if sometimes there was only one meal a day.

When Sophie was seventeen, her father fell ill and could no longer work. The money her mother earned was not enough for the three of them. They lived in a small house on the outskirts of Castle Town. Sophie's siblings had all moved to other cities and could not support their parents. Therefore, Sophie looked for a well-paid job to support her parents. So far, she had helped out on the market, but the little money she earned there was not enough.

At first, she worked in a small shop selling wool and fabric. There she discovered her love for knitting. The owner of the shop was a friendly lady who taught her how to knit after work. But as soon as the winter came, the money she earned in the shop was not enough to keep the house warm. It was a particularly hard and wet winter. In addition, her father was getting worse. They had barely any money left to pay for his medicine. And the firewood was also expensive. Sophie needed another job.

By chance, she learned that the castle was looking for new staff and she applied there. Sophie first got a job as a dishwasher in the kitchen. There she earned enough money to get her parents through the winter. She sent them money every week, as the staff, including Sophie, lived in the basement of the castle. Sophie's room was small but it was warm and she got three meals every day.

Three years later, her father succumbed to his illness and died. Her mother followed him ten years later. This was a difficult time for Sophie, but work kept her busy. A year later, Andreas moved back to Castle Town with his wife and five children. And again, a year later, Johanna followed with her husband and her little daughter. Sophie spent her days off visiting her siblings.

Over the years, she slowly worked her way up until she was a well-paid servant who cared for the Queen's three youngest children. She was proud of her profession and of everything she had achieved.

When Sophie was fifty-one years old, the Queen's youngest child was born and she found her destiny as a servant and grandmother figure for the little girl. She loved Julia with all her heart.

Now, sixteen years later, she sat in the living room of the small apartment and watched the young princess become a great person. She was proud of the girl who was like a grandchild to her. And she had another grandchild. She had also grown fond of the young wolf Finn. She would fetch the stars from the sky for the two of them. She also liked Marko and Leopold, but the two did not take the same place in her heart as Julia and the shy wolf.

She noticed how the young elf looked at Julia. He looked at her as if she were the most beautiful girl on earth. Marko similarly looked at Finn. Sophie smiled and hoped with concern that they would all be happy.

She did not like the latest developments in the country. The laws became stricter and bonded servants were often treated badly. Sophie respected her queen, but she was against slavery. She wished Julia's three servants could be free.

The fact that the three were treated badly by the staff of the academy made her angry. She would have liked to tell her opinion to some bad people at the academy. She was therefore very satisfied that Julia agreed. She was a good child.

(c: sasi)