Things I Almost Remember: A Selection Story

A Shattering Announcement

Johnny slouched against the wall of the cell where he and Connor were being held. Soon after they had left the palace in France, they had been seized by masked men and knocked out. The next thing they had known, they were waking up tied up in a plane on its way back to the Illéan capital city.

"So much for all our grand plans," Connor muttered as he tore at a crust of bread they had been given earlier that day.

"We deserve this, Connor," Johnny said cooly. "For what we did to Kate, to the French Royal Family, we deserve this. It is only fair."

"It is not fair that we were trying to better ourselves and our lives. The world is not fair, and it is okay to try to play the cards to your advantage, and sometimes, your cards mean you end up with the real lost princess of Illéa instead of a girl who just looks a lot like her," Connor replied, tossing the bread crust into the corner of the cell.

"She did not deserve that," Johnny said, his voice going soft. "She did not deserve any of this."

Connor was not sure if by "this," Johnny meant the whole situation of Kate's life in general or just the part since they had gotten reinvolved, but he, for once, decided not to press his brother. 

Just in that moment, the sound of the dungeon door being swung open echoed down the corridor, and Johnny and Connor saw several guards walking toward their cell.

"You two! You're coming with us now!" one of them barked as another fumbled with the keys to open the cell door.

"Where?" Connor asked standing up. Johnny just remained seated on the floor.

"To hear your little Princess Kerttu's announcement with the French Royal Family," one of them spat as he jostled Johnny up and pushed him out the now open door. 

"What?" Johnny breathed, his mood shifting at the mention of her. 

"It seems they have decided to make a little announcement, and King Marid wants you to be there to hear it," another guard said, letting out a menacing laugh. 

Johnny and Connor were led through the corridors and stairwells of the palace until they arrived in a sitting room that had a large television. King Marid sat in a large armchair in front of the television surrounded by guards and advisors. When he saw Johnny and Connor come in, he rose.

"Ah gentlemen! I see you have come to see your princess' little announcement with us! We are so delighted to have you," Marid sneered as the guards led Johnny and Connor forward. 

"She is safe from you," Johnny said cooly yet surprised by his own confidence.

"For now," King Marid said, waltzing back toward his chair. "It is only due to error and oversight she is not dead now and lying cold with her dear foolish mother."

"Shut up!" Johnny yelled, squirming as he tried to launch himself at Marid while a guard held him back.

"Please know, Johnathan, the only reason I have kept you alive is because the princess seems to have developed some sort of attachment to you. Goodness knows why she would go for the son of a guard, but everyone has their own taste I suppose," Marid said in a cool tone as he sipped a clear brown liquid from a crystal tumbler. "But it looks like the announcement is starting, so I better stop talking so we can hear what Princess Kerttu or Kate or whatever her name is has to say."

As Marid had said, an image of Kate with Prince Ahren, Queen Camille, and Princess Elodie appeared on the screen. Ahren was standing in front of a podium that had been set up outside the French palace.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is both a pleasure and a sorrow to announce to you that our niece, Princess Kerttu America Lena Koskinen has returned to us after it was long suspected she was murdered with the rest of the Illéan Royal Family in the massacre led by Marid Illéa ten years ago. While the circumstances of Princess Kerttu's survival and connection to us still remains a protected secret as a matter of state, my niece wishes to address you in response to recent threats from the dictator on the throne in Illéa," Ahren said. He stepped aside and Kate stepped to stand in front of the podium.

Johnny unconsciously leaned forward when Kate appeared on the screen. Her dark brown hair had been swept back into a slick ponytail and she wore a tailored and simple black dress marking the solemnity of the occasion.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, an official and forced calm in her voice Johnny had never heard before. "I am Princess Kerttu Koskinen of Illéa, and as I stand before you today, I wish to come forward as the rightful presumptive heir to the throne of Illéa. King Marid has taken the throne by force and through the blood of my family. King Marid has shown he wishes to use threats and violence to try to get me to concede to his rule and demands. I, with the full support of the French Royal Family and government, demand that he step down and make the choice to avoid any fighting or conflict. If not, France will support me in my claim to the throne, and we will use methods of force if necessary. We do not wish for it to escalate to this point, but we are determined to return to fair and just rule in Illéa. I lived in the country while it was under Marid's reign, and it is time for him to step down..."

All of a sudden, glass shattered everywhere as Marid's tumbler collided at a shattering speed at the image of Kate's face on the television. Marid jumped out of his chair, his fists clenched.

"THAT GIRL HAS NO IDEA WHO SHE IS DEALING WITH!" he shouted as maids and even some guards rushed forward to clear the glass.

Marid turned to Johnny and Connor, and a malevolent smile crept over his face. 

"Take them both back to the dungeon, and put Johnathan in a separate holding cell, I have a feeling they will useful to me as events unfold."