lets go of him with his sword and points around with it. Then he turns to Klara:" Are you okay? "Klara nods and takes a deep breath. Leo puts his sword back in its sheath and turns around. The knight takes advantage of the inattentiveness of the three and hits Leo with his fist in the back. Leo slams his upper body against one of the tables and shrugs all over his body. Vera runs up to him and lifts his head. Leo tries to get up and holds his head.He says quietly to Vera: "I'm ... I'm fine .... Don't worry ..." He stands on his feet again and looks the knight in the face: "You are a cowardly rat! Only rats attack from behind and not when the opponent looks them in the eye! "The knight laughs:" And only idiots continue when they are injured and know that they will lose! "Leo leans on his sword:" How well I know I win! "Leo swings his sword and pulls the knight's legs away with his foot. This slams backwards on the floor and cannot stand up alone because of the heavy armor. Leo stands over him and his sword points to the knight's neck: "I won ... finally give up!" Vera, Martin, Klara and the other employees fall silent. Leo goes to the others, sits down at the table and continues to eat as if nothing had happened. Vera looks at him strangely and tilts her head. Klara thanks Martin and Leo and has to go back to the kitchen. After dinner, Martin goes to the village blacksmith and has his sword sharpened.He has a special sword that has been in his family for many generations. He doesn't know what, but there is something magical about this sword.
After helping Klara clear the tables, Vera goes to the castle gate and sees Leo standing against the castle wall. "Hey, Leo!", She calls and runs towards him. Shortly before him, she trips over a stone and falls straight into Leo. Leo smiles and says: "You are still a dud ... Just like you were playing hide and seek." You are mean! You mean again that I couldn't count! ", says Vera a bit angry. Leo laughs and replies:" Yes, exactly! "Vera looks at him." Ehm ... ", Vera takes a step back and then asks:" Why did you want to talk to me? "" Well ... let's go for a walk. I'll tell you on the way. "Vera nods and goes for a walk next to Leo in the castle garden. After a while Leo begins to tell:" Well ... you know that we have known each other since we were little and that I have always protected you ... I like you very much and wanted to ask you something.“Vera's and Leo's hearts are pounding.” And what is it? ", she asks cautiously." I know that you might be expecting this question, but ... Would you like to ..... "The rest of the sentence won't come out. Vera looks at him questioningly:" What do I want? "
"Well ... do you want ... to be my girlfriend?" Vera looks at him: "I'm already your friend you stupid!", She smiles. Leo shakes his head and replies: "I don't mean a friend like that ... Vera ... I love you and I even want to marry you someday!" Vera falls silent and looks at him a little perplexed. “What are you two doing out here alone?” Martin comes running to them. "Here!", He draws his sword, "I just had the blacksmith improve it for the great battle!"
Vera looks at her brother in astonishment: "What a big battle?"
Martin looks at Leo: "I thought you wanted to tell her now." Leo looks at the floor: "I had to tell her something else first ..." Martin puts an arm around his sister and says: "You know ... Our King ... He wants to declare war on the neighboring country Donir because it is taking more and more land from us.And he'll probably do it before we've finished our warrior training ... So sometime, later this year ... I, Leo, the other students, knights and warriors will go to war to bring our country back. "Vera looks desperately at her brother and leans her head against his shoulder:" But what if something happens to you? I don't want you to die in war! I need you guys! You shouldn't go to war! "Vera has tears running down her face. Leo comes to her and says in a soft voice:" Hey ... We won't leave you alone. And we won't die. We're the best of the group! "Leo tries to cheer her up. But Vera looks at him even more sadly than before. Leo almost stops his heart at those sad eyes. She throws Leo around her neck and cries. Martin seems just as surprised as Leo about this spontaneity of Vera. Leo. Leo turns red around the tip of her nose and puts his hand on her head and says quietly: ".... I'm serious .... I'll come again ... and Martin and everyone else too ...."Vera whispers something in his ear: "I love you too ..."

Six months later ...

"Hey Martin! Move your bum! Hurry up!" Leo calls up the window from the courtyard.
"Yes! I'm coming now!", Martin puts on his armor with the help of Vera.
When Vera has attached the last leg part, she looks at her brother: "And you are sure that you are ready for the war?" Martin grins and clenches his hand into a fist. "I'll be done with these guys! Don't worry ... I'll go down to Leo now. You will surely come to your sweetheart, won't you?" Vera looks at him with an angry look and says: "You shouldn't always pretend I'm a baby and too small for a friend! "She goes down the stairs from the room. Vera has been working in the castle for two years and a month and is now a permanent employee. She has lived in the castle with Martin and Leo for two weeks and are allowed to eat with the king and his family. You no longer belong to the lower staff as you used to.Vera now earns enough money to buy a lot of nice clothes. Martin also earns his living as the king's personal bodyguard. For this, however, he broke off his further training. Leo is now fighting with the professionals and has already fought and won in smaller battles.
Vera arrives at the bottom of the stairs. In the castle courtyard, all warriors, knights and students who have already completed their training are lined up in long rows next to and behind one another. "Our luck that we were able to train enough students to become warriors. Now we don't have to send the students who have not completed their training to war," says Leo to a healer with whom he talks. The healer nods to him and explains to him how they are set up: "Well, the knights move up front, because they are best prepared and have often been in a war. Then the warriors come and we healers bring up the rear." " Good! "Says Leo.Vera approaches him quietly from behind and puts her hands on Leo's eyes. "Vera ..." Leo puts her hands away and turns to her. Vera smiles and kisses him. "And you also want ..." Vera has been trying all the time to dissuade her from going to war, but Martin and Leo are firmly convinced that they can do it. Leo looks at her and nods. “You know what I promised you. We will come back.” A guard on the west tower of the castle blows a horn. Martin and Leo look at each other: "This is our sign ...", says Martin and looks up into the sky covered by clouds. Leo nods again: "The sign of the start of war ..." The great army begins to move. Leo and Martin are now also joining their ranks. Vera's eyes fill with tears again. She runs in front of Leo and holds him tight. Martin pulls her away from him and says: "Don't cry ... we'll be back ...." And Leo looks at her with a dreamy smile: "I promise you something else!When I come back ... will I marry you! "Vera's eyes widen. She looks after the army and shouts:" I will wait for your return! Martin! Leo! "
But the only thing you can hear from them is the loud noise of the marching army. And a loud cry: "For the King!"
Vera falls on her knees and tears drip onto the sandy floor of the courtyard. "You heard what they said ... They're coming back ...", Klara puts her hand on Vera's shoulder.
"You are right ... you will come back!", Vera stands up and looks hopefully after the large army.

"Are you scared?" Asks Martin Leo, who is just marching next to him. "Stupid question, of course ... But not before death. I'm afraid that if I die ... Vera will have to deal with it on her own."
Your army stands still. Martin nods: "I feel the same way ... Let's fight ..." Leo looks ahead. You are opposing the army of Donir. It's a big army. Larger than hers and the soldiers who walk in front have long lances and shields."... For the king ... And for Vera!", Shouts Leo as he rushes into battle with Martin and the rest of the army.

Many days go by. But every day is the same. Vera lives in uncertainty. She doesn't know what about her brother and Leo. She goes about her work day after day and eats next to nothing. In the evening she lies in her bed and cannot sleep for fear for the two of them. "When ... When will you come back to me?", A question that comes up more often than ever before. She often thinks of Leo's last words: “When I come back, I will marry you!” One day she was woken up by a loud drum roll. A scout called down from a tower: "Our army! It has returned! Our army has won the battle!" Vera startled out of her bed. She quickly puts on her dress and walks out of the room, down the hall and down the stairs. When they got to the courtyard, she kept her eyes open for her brother and Leo. Many warriors and knights came.Some hurt badly, some lighter. But nowhere were Martin or Leo to be seen. She ran out of the castle gate and pushed her way through to the end between the warriors and knights. And there, supported by two other men, she saw Martin. She runs towards him: “Martin!” Martin raises his head. His right leg and left arm are injured. Vera hugs her brother and weeps for joy. “I thought you were dead!” Her brother puts an arm around her and shakes his head. Then he sags in the arms of the two men and Vera. Vera has the two men take him to a healer and continues to look around for Leo. Nowhere a trace of him. "Did you see Leo?" She asks a warrior who was in his group. But this one
replies: "No ... But maybe he's with a healer ..." Vera searches every healing tent that is in the castle courtyard, but there was