Chapter Seventeen: “Petre”
A voice awoke Alene from her slumber. A man loudly sang, his voice echoing off the walls. His song held an air of joy which cut through the inky blackness of the cell block.
“H-hello…? Is anyone there?”
The song suddenly stopped; she saw movement in the cell across the hall. A man moved closer to the cell bars. “Who’s there?”
“M-my name is Alene…” I slowly came to the bars.
“A child?” He cocked his head. “Why would a child be here? What is your name, little one?”
The girl blinked. “Alene. And yours?”
“Petre.” He gave a small smile. “Alene, why were brought here?”
“Apparently, I have done wrong things, and so I deserve to be here.”
He gave a snort of laughter. “Is that what they told you? Well, for most people it is true. But to be put in this cell block, you must be something special.”
“I guess…” She sighed. “They said that I have been protected by the king so many times that, they think he must want to protect me for some reason. They called me a devout follower of him, but I am just trying to find my way to Ceolum.”
Petre gave me a confused look. “That is very strange.”
“Why were you put here?”
He leaned against the stone walls. “Well, I was an old friend of the king’s son.”
“His son?”
“That’s right. His name is Isa. I was a simple fisherman, but I became a follower of his.” He leaned up against the wall. “I spent my days following him, and telling people about the good ways of the king. Then I was captured by Dolum’s men.”
“I did not see you yesterday, when I was brought here.”
He sighed. “Dolum had me brought in for questioning. He wanted me to give up the locations of other who are telling the good news of King Ansaldo’s reign. I told them nothing. But I did not know they were bringing another person into this cell block.”
Alene wrapped her arms around herself. “I want to go home… but I don’t have a home to go back to.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t really know.” The girl shook her head. “But some people burned my house down, with my grandfather inside.”
He gave her a sad look. “I am so sorry…”
“Since you’re a follower of the king’s son, do you think he will come and save you?”
He looked down. “I hope so… I really do…”
[Next Chapter: Someone comes to set all the prisoners of Carcere free.]