WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 14

Fritz

"Fritz!" Ingried looked at him confused as he stood at her door in the evening. "I didn't expect you to visit me. Come in!"

"Hello little sister!", he grinned happily at her. Fritz had stopped aging at twenty-nine. You might think the two would be about the same age, or he would even be the younger one. Ingried looked, for over thirty, still very young. However, gray strands had crept into her hair.

On the way to her house, he noticed a few soldiers who seemed to be watching the house. He was therefore glad to have hidden his face under a hat and to be on the road again with a public carriage. But why did soldiers watch his half-sister's house?

"We have visitors?" A man with blond, short hair and light blue eyes joined Ingried. That had to be Adam.

"My brother. Fritz!" She smiled, still confused. "Fritz? This is Adam."

"Prince Fritz!" Adam blinked. "What gives us the honor?" He began to bow but changed his mind. Instead, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Am I not allowed to visit my sister?"

"Oh! No! Of course!" Adam pulled Ingried aside, she rolled her eyes in amusement and made room for him. Fritz entered the small house. It was nicely decorated. Simple and fine at the same time.

"Would you like tea? Or coffee?" Adam was already on his way without waiting for Fritz's answer.

"He's terribly nervous!" Ingried winked at him. "Let's go into the living room."

"Gladly."

He followed his sister into a cozy living room. There they sat down on a small, comfortable couch. Ingried crossed her arms. "So? What are you doing here? You have never visited me in recent years. Why now?"

"Sorry. I didn't dare. Mother would have been against it."

"Mother!" Ingried snorted. "And what has changed?"

"A lot. I'm afraid Mother has lost her mind. But that's not why I'm here."

"And why then?" Adam came into the living room with coffee and milk. He took a few cups out of a cupboard and sat down on a narrow armchair opposite Ingried. "Coffee?"

"Gladly. Do you have sugar too?"

Now Ingried laughed. "No. We accidentally left the kitchen window open at night. Fairies stole that little bit of sugar we still had. I'll buy new sugar tomorrow."

Adam handed him a cup and Fritz poured some milk into his coffee. "The queen must be stopped. She must no longer govern."

"Hm." Adam frowned. "These are dangerous words."

Fritz nodded. "My wife, Paula, and I belong to the resistance. We are part of the rebellion."

"What?" Ingried was about to pour herself coffee, but she put the pot back on the table in shock. "You? With the resistance?"

Fritz nodded.

"This is madness! Fritz! I have represented a few rebels in court if they were allowed a trial. I lost every time! This is very dangerous!"

"I know. But I can't sit still and do nothing."

"And why are you telling us about it? Do you want us to join the rebels? Officially, the uprisings are over. There are rumors..." Adam sighed and looked at Ingried. "The fact that you represented rebels in court was dangerous enough. Since then, I often see soldiers near our house."

Ingried nodded. "I don't want to just watch, but... What do you have in mind, Fritz?"

"I need messengers and people with influence. People who easily get information and have plenty of contact with all population groups. Like a lawyer and the owner of a bookstore."