Things I Almost Remember: A Selection Story

Forgotten Friend

Kate stumbled back a few steps nearly knocking over Johnny, but he caught her and helped her back to feet.

"General Leger?" Kate said, feeling her breath catching in the cold air. "But how? How are you here? And why are you working for Marid?"

"That is a long story, and we don't have time for me to explain. But, I heard word of you here from an associate with eyes and ears inside the palace in Angeles, and we knew we had to intervene as soon as we could," General Leger said quickly, looking around to check if there was no one on the street.

"How do we know if we can trust you?" Johnny asked, stepping protectively in front of Kate. "You are wearing the uniform of Marid's personal guard, aren't you?"

General Leger sighed, and his gaze met Johnny's brown eyes.

"You can trust me because her grandmother made me promise I give everything to protect her when Marid and his followers came, and even though that meant leaving you and Lucy, Kerttu, I always did my best to live by that promise. For you, your family, and especially for your grandmother," he said, looking at Kate with sorrowful eyes.

"It's Kate," Kate said shortly. "I'm not Kerttu anymore, General Leger. That girl died when the rest of her family was murdered and when she was left on the side of an icy road."

General Leger looked taken aback.

"But I thought? Where is Lucy? You were with her last when I left, and I assumed all this time you were with her," he said.

Before Kate could answer, Johnny stepped in.

"General Leger, we will trust you for now. My father, Richard Abernathy, was one of the guards in the palace in the old days, and he always spoke highly of you. I will go off of his word and the trust which Kert--- Kate's family had in you. However, you still have to earn that trust with us," Johnny said.

General Leger nodded, but Kate only averted her eyes.

"I was told you all were looking to run, I am assuming you must be heading toward the coast so you can get passage to France?" General Leger asked, turning to Johnny.

"Yes," Johnny replied. "We are going to meet my brother Connor at the train station, and if we don't go now, we might be late."

"Forget about the train, let me drive you," General Leger said. "I have associates too who can help you get to France without risking get caught with a fake passport, which I am guessing is what you were planning to use?"

"Yes," Kate said crossing her arms and staring General Leger straight in the eye.

"It is a good plan, but it also is a very risky one, especially for you Kate," he said. "Anyway, if you say we better get going, then we need to get going now to try to get your brother."

Kate remained where she was standing and continued to glare at General Leger, and Johnny, again, took the lead.

"We'll come with you," Johnny said. "But, only on the condition that you will tell us everything that happened since you last saw Kate. We have a lot of questions, and I think you may have some answers for us."

"That's fair," General Leger said, gesturing with his head for them to follow him down a nearby side alley. "However, I hope you will provide me with some explanations in return."

Kate and Johnny followed him, but Kate dragged her feet a bit.

"I am afraid that I won't be of much help, considering I only just recently remembered I was once Kerttu Koskinen, the Crown Princess of Illéa," Kate grumbled, her fingers digging into the straps on her bag.

"You don't, didn't remember who you were?" Aspen asked, stopping for a second to look back at her before continuing.

Kate just shrugged so Johnny answered for her.

"I only recently met Kate. She told me she was looking to get to France and showed me a locket someone had gifted to her. She was going to look for them, and well, Kerttu was my best friend growing up," Johnny said, choosing his words carefully. "Kate looked just like her, and she told me she could not remember anything before being found on the side of the road..."

"You were left on the side of the road?" Aspen exclaimed, a bit louder than he meant to.

"Yes," Kate said, anger rising up through her voice. "I was found on the side of the road near a town in Belcourt eight years ago, and I was sent to live in a youth group home. I didn't know who I was or where I had come from. I still don't remember everything. All that they could go off to assume my identity at the hospital was a note that read 'This is K, please take care of her and keep her safe, let her know she is loved.' The doctor decided Kate was as good a name as any."

"Kerttu, I'm so sorry, I didn't..." Aspen began, but Kate cut him off.

"DON'T call me that," she snapped. "I know you were my grandmother's best friend and very close to my family, but you don't know me. You don't know what I have been through these eight years. I am not the little girl in sparkling puffy dresses and shiny shoes who lived in a gilded cage. I don't know who I am, but being Kate has been all I have been able to cling to since I was left. I didn't know who I was and was so lost until I met..." 

Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and her navy eyes locked with Johnny's brown ones. Without thinking, Johnny stepped over to her and gently cupped her face in his hands. They just continued to stare at each other until Johnny sighed and turned back to General Leger, his hands remaining Kate's teary face.

"We will tell you more once we get in the car. I just want to get Kate to safety and find my brother," Johnny said.

General Leger nodded, and the trio continued to walk in silence down the dark backstreet until they came to a slick black van that clearly belonged to the special guard.

General Leger opened the back and gestured for Kate and Johnny to climb in. Johnny climbed in first and offered his arm to Kate when General Leger caught her shoulder.

"Kate, I am so sorry," he said.

Kate stared at him for a moment before nodding and following Johnny into the van. General Leger sighed and shut the backdoor before continuing to the front.

For a moment, Johnny and Kate sat in silence. Tears began to fall down her face again, and Johnny gingerly reached out to put his arm around her shoulder. When she didn't object, he felt his body calm as a warmth grew in his heart and radiated over his whole body. 

Kate slowly looked at him as if that same warmth was radiating in her as well. She turned her head to look at him.

"Kate I..." he began, about to explain so many things that had been hanging in the air between them for month, but he was cut off as Kate suddenly grabbed the sides of his face and pressed her lips against his.