Separated

Part VIII: Fredrick

As soon as my father made it back to the castle with me, he sent me to my dormitory until the pre-choosing party, which he could've made me miss, but it was mandatory for me.

Will I ever see Rosaline again? I thought to myself.

Gerard came in with my lunch: grapes and tiny blocks of cheese with one slice of Italian bread. He sneered at me and made a face. Part of my detainment was never making "poor Gerard" miserable. I lay on my bed after changing (for once) and entered a restless nap.
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After breakfast the next morning (that much time had passed), I looked out the balcony. Something like a dark figure was creeping through the courtyard. As I focused more, I realized there was someone with a dark cloak attempting to break into the castle. He found the entrance to the dungeon through the courtyard and slipped through. I needed to follow him, but I couldn't leave my quarters.

But it's for a good cause. This man is up to no good.

Then another thought came to mind.

But can't the guards handle it?

What if they didn't notice him? This might be my kingdom, and I need to protect it.

That thought propelled me to escape from my bedroom. I took a brown cloak to hide myself from the laboring servants. Once I was ready, I opened the door, slowly, and peered out to make sure the hall was clear. When it was, I snuck through the corridors of the castle, occasionally weaving around tapestries to avoid the working servants. Soon I spotted the main entrance to the dungeon. As I crept down the old stairs, I saw the intruder running down the main path towards me. When it saw me, it stopped. All it did was stand there. It looked around the empty cells and took his hood off. I gasped. There, standing in the dungeon, was not a he, but...a she. More specifically...

"Rosaline?"

She stared at me, curious. I entered the dungeon and took my hood off.

"Rosaline, what are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be here!" I whispered, my voice echoing across the stony walls of the dungeon.

"I needed to see you!" Rosaline replied flatly.

"How long did it take you to get here?" I asked.

"About an hour. It was tricky getting past the guards."

"Rosaline...you could get...executed!" I said, sounding awed.

"I know, but I have something to tell you."

"You can't tell me right here. I need to get you to my dorm."

"Why?"

"...I'm not supposed to be here either. It's much easier to get caught down here, too."

"Alright, let's go!"

I started back, Rosaline just behind me. I looked around the corner to see more servants in the halls than when I left. Rosaline tapped my shoulder.

"What is it?" I whispered. She motioned towards a bookcase at the end of the corridor we were at. We quietly walked to the bookcase. Rosaline started pulling books out.

"Rosaline, what are you doing?" I asked, a bit frustrated.

"There's bound to be a secret entrance here somewhere. Your castle is quite similar to mine, believe it or not," she said. I heard a click. "Got it!"

The bookcase flipped around to reveal a secret passageway that led under the castle. She started down the echoing stairs. I followed, awed. I didn't realize how proficient she was at secret entrances. We walked through the underground halls, Rosaline stopping once in a while to know where to turn. Soon we found a trapdoor and we climbed out of what I assumed was my closet and entered into my quarters. I sighed with relief. The air here felt fresh, mostly because the passage was filled with dust and cobwebs.