Separated

Part XVIII: Fredrick

I raced up the cellar steps, not caring that they were slick.

They were captured. All of them. It was my fault that I didn't cone back for them.

I found a window and looked at the courtyard, scanning it for any soldiers dragging away women. I found a wooden carriage that was taking off. For a split second I thought I saw the face of my mother in the opening of it. I didn't have enough time to take the long, safe way our of the palace, so I broke open the window and looked down. It was at least a thirty-five foot drop, and the castle walls were smooth, meaning there were no footholds. There was also no bush or even grass to cushion my fall.

"Look there! Up in the window!" a distant voice shouted. I looked down into the courtyard and saw a small group of guards looking at me and pointing. One that wore a hood held his bow at the ready. He fired, and I ran, barely dodging it. He continued firing, the arrows breaking cleanly through the windows. I noticed the entire arrow, including the shaft and fletching, was steel. I didn't have enough time to admire the handiwork, so I kept running until a set of gold-trimmed doors came into view. I thrust them open and barricaded them with a nearby vanity once I was inside the room.

When I turned around, I recognized that this room was a bedroom. More specifically, Rosaline's bedroom. I nearly jumped at the sound of a creaking balcony door. As I went to shut it, I saw a rope tied to the ledge.

"In there!" a masculine voice said. The vanity shook as the man tried to beat down the door. I peeked over the balcony, seeing no one, and I grabbed hold of the base of the rope and started rappelling down. I don't know how I was able to do it, but I did it quickly once I heard the man's threatening voice from the balcony. I looked down. Still about twenty feet left to go. When I looked back up, I saw the malicious man's expression as he held a knife to the rope.

"Long live the prince!" the man said as he cut the rope, watching my horrified face as I went tumbling onto cobblestone. My ears rang, and my vision blurred. Dazed, I struggled to gain my balance. The last thing I saw before I blacked out were two faded figures coming toward me.
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I woke from unconsciousness with a violent throbbing in the back of my head. I was in a large wooden cell if some kind. I recognized the musty odor of grape wine, so I came to the conclusion that I was in a  wine cellar. It wasn't as small as when the peasants held me hostage, but it was just as uninviting. I figured the enemy had put me into one of the noble's wine cellars. I tried the door, but it barely budged.

"Fine, release the prince. But we need to interrogate him before we do so."

I heard someone unlocking the cellar door, grumbling to himself. When he opened it, light flooded in, and I had to shield my eyes. A large man stepped inside and said,

"Out, now."

I went up the stairs without hesitation. The last thing I wanted to do was cross him. Immediately he held his sword to my throat.

"Tell me, where is the king?"

"I don't know, I swear!" I said quickly.

The man didn't move his sword. Instead he looked around until his eyes fixed upon something. Finally he chuckled.

"I'm sorry. What a stupid question," he said, not taking his eyes off of whatever he was interested in. I tried to find what he was so intently focused on when I saw a figure on the balcony from Rosaline's bedroom. Even from far away, I noticed my father's concerned eyes.

"Say goodbye to your father,"  the hooded man with the bow said as he nocked an arrow and fired. The arrow narrowly missed my father, who jumped back in surprise. He didn't flee, but instead he somehow recognized the man and could only stare. The man glared and readied another arrow. Immediately my father ran off.

"Always so cowardly, even with so much power," the man muttered under his breath. He straightened up, his hood shadowing most of his face. He pointed at me. "You will leave now. We will be watching you."

Most of me wanted to run away as fast as I could, but part of me wanted to defend my dignity and stay put.

"What do you think you're doing?" the other man said. "Go before I have to deal with you!"

I didn't say a word. All I did was fix my gaze on the hooded man. What got me focused was his lack of blue. He didn't wear any. Surely if he was the enemy he would've worn his kingdom's colors?

"You're not the enemy," I said quietly.

The hooded man was silent.  He looked at me, then ran away. The other man, who was wearing blue, held up his épée and said, "Very well. If you won't leave, I will challenge you."

I unsheathed my own sword. "Fine."

Just as he was about to make the first move, I saw a flash of blue. Not like it was before, though. I had a split-second to see my sister, the Queen, Delilah, and a couple servants run across the courtyard. Me and Rosaline locked eyes, and she stopped.

What is she doing?

She ran toward me.

No, Rosaline! Stop!

"Never look away from your opponent," the man said quietly. I saw him raising his épée, and he swiped it swiftly across my stomach. I hunched over in pain, covering the wound with my arm, hoping to stop the steady bleeding. My vision blurred once again, and I was overshadowed by the man who was chuckling victoriously.

"Not again..." I said to myself.
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