Chapter 94 - In A Novel (1/2)

Al blinked at me for a moment, not comprehending what I had said. ”Pardon?”

I repeated myself. ”What if I wasn't from Annalaias? What would you think of me?”

He stared at me in silence for a few minutes. ”…I would say it made sense. You are different than anyone else here. But I would also say it didn't make sense because you are definitely the daughter of the earl and countess of du Pont.”

This was true. Unlike in Al's situation, the du Ponts treated me like family. I looked like them. There was no doubt I was a part of their family. Technically, I was, but only in body.

I was Schrödinger's girl. Dead and not dead. Catherine du Pont and not Catherine du Pont. Catherine in body and Katie in spirit. Would he believe me if I told him the truth? What could I say to convince him that I wasn't crazy?

”Would you believe me if I said both were true?” I asked lightly.

”Yes,” Al said without hesitation. ”But only because it is you. I would not believe anyone else. Can you tell me the truth about yourself, Katie? Or…is that not your name either?”

It was the second time someone had asked me that. But this time I wanted to tell the whole truth instead of part of it. Al trusted me so he might not think I'm completely insane…and it would explain all of my behavior up until this point.

”My name was Katrina Pullman but I had gone by Katie my entire life,” I began. ”I am not from Annalaias or any of the surrounding nations. I am from another world in a place called Arizona. Everything I ever said was from the country…was actually from my home.

”All of my knowledge came from things I learned back home. Jellyfish…politics…card games…hat looms….I want to be a librarian because that was my job before. I died in a carriage accident and somehow woke up in Catherine du Pont's body.”

I took a deep breath before continuing shakily. ”That isn't even the craziest part. In my world, Annalaias is fictional. I read about it in a novel. Catherine du Pont wasn't even a character! But you…Sigmund…Franz…Marcy…the duke…you all were.

”I was dead set on avoiding all of you and staying out of the plot so I could have a peaceful life but that didn't work. I ended up right in the middle of things, which was just my luck. But don't you see? That was why I was resistant to you for so long. I thought you were destined for someone else.

”The story has changed so much since I got here…I don't even know whether or not we're going to get our happy ending but I had to try. That's why I was so set on working with Franz. He has to become king in order to get at least part of the plot back on track.

”Once that's done, I don't care about anything anymore. I want to be with you and live a peaceful, normal life. You're the most like people from my world out of everyone I've met here. But I'm scared of Sigmund and what he might do. The plot has already changed so much and if he wins I don't know what will happen to us.”