Separated

Part XIV: Fredrick

I was thrown into an old, rotting cell. I guess they didn't use the dungeon very much. They closed the door, causing it to make a terrible screeching sound. I closed my eyes and covered my ears in hopes of muffling the sound. When I opened my eyes, I was faced with almost complete darkness. I felt my way to a corner and sat down.

"Excuse me, miss!" a woman said, jolting me upright. She sounded young, perhaps my age.

"Are you talking to me, ma'am?" I asked.

Of course she is, I scolded to myself. I also realized I didn't disguise my voice.

What does it matter? You've already been caught.

She gasped. "Were you the ill woman in the streets?"

"Umm...yes and no."

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, confused.

"Well, I was the person you thought was ill, but really..." I paused. Should I tell her?

Again, what does it matter?

"I'm...a man."

She gasped again. "You're really...a man?"

"Yes..." I tried to think of a question to get both of our minds off the subject. "Why are you in the dungeon?"

She didn't answer. I was about to ask her again when she cleared her throat.

"Well, I didn't do anything wrong. An enemy country made its way into the kingdom. They...they kidnapped some of the women, including me, but I escaped when they stormed the castle, my only place of refuge being here."

"So the Queen doesn't even know you're here?" I asked, awed.

"No, she doesn't. I could easily get out of here, though, but I'm just too afraid that there will be another attack."

"How long have these attacks been going on?" I asked.

"Well, my mother told me they've been going on since the rise of this kingdom, but they've grown much more frequent since..."

"Since when?" I asked, desperate.

"Since the separation." She seemed just as surprised as I was.

"Since the separation...when the men disappeared...this kingdom became vulnerable because there were no men to protect them..." I said to myself. I could make out the silhouette of the girl nodding.

"We need strong men to protect us, but with them gone, we're not safe anymore," she said. I nodded and leaned back against the cold cell wall. Maybe if I escaped, I could tell my father to rally some soldiers and send them to this side to protect the women...

"What brought you here?" the girl asked.

"Well, I mean, you can't see a man in the women's kingdom, so..."

"Not to the dungeon!" the girl exclaimed. "To this kingdom!" I could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Oh..." I said, embarrassed. "Well, I came here to convince my mother to reunite the kingdoms."

"Your mother?" the girl asked, awed. "But only the Queen has the power to do that!"

"Exactly," I said smugly.

"Oh! Your mother is the Queen!" the girl said sheepishly. "I didn't realize that..."

I didn't know why, but something about her voice was...enchanting.