Warning: Long chapter, but it goes pretty quickly.

Chapter 8: The Forgotten Year

"I AM NOT WEARING THAT!" I exclaimed, while pointing at the corset more than the dress Laura had bought.

Laura laid the dress out on the bed and was looking very crest fallen, "But it's pretty. It will bring out the color of your eyes and it will flatter your figure nicely."

"I don't like corsets. I can't move in them!" I was still a bit perturbed.

"You aren't supposed to be able to move in them. If you can move, it isn't tight enough," the blonde girl giggled.

"I'm not going anywhere in that," I crossed my arms and hoped that it would be the end of the discussion.

Laura looked at me and started to pout. Her eyes were beginning to tear, "But you promised."

"Don't look at me like that. I am not completely with out knowledge of how to use that look to get what I want. I used it when I wanted something from my father when he was being most stubborn," I shook my finger at her.

"Did it work?"

I smiled at her, "All the time."

Laura started to pick up the dress and fold it gently, "I guess I will take this one back and try something different," her tone one that suggested she had given up.

I let out a long sigh and shook my head, "All right, you win… I'll wear the blasted corset."

After a quick scrub down in my room, we started the dressing process. Laura was there to help and seemed more than happy doing it. I had to admit, the dress was pretty. The skirt and chemise were a shade of blue that matched the color of my eyes. The corset was a deeper shade of blue that matched the rest of the dress.

Corsets were painful at best. Granny had insisted I wear one when I was younger. I learned to do all the things a lady should learn while wearing that blasted contraption. I learned to dance, I learned to ride, I learned how to breathe, and trust me when I say it isn't an easy thing to do. By the time I was thirteen, my chest had started to develop, and was beginning to get in the way of archery practice. I had worn one until I started wrapping things up to wear my armor more often. My argument was simple; I couldn't wear my armor and a blasted corset at the same time.

I got dressed and Laura helped get the corset on me. I held on to the door frame while she pulled the strings tight. I took a deep breath in, let it all out and Laura pulled the strings one final time. I let her do the preening, mostly because she seemed to know more about what she was doing than I did. I closed my eyes a let her fuss about. Finally, she stopped.

"There… Go look in the glass, and tell me what you think," She was looking at me like an artist looks at a finished painting.

I stood up and prepared myself for the worst. I walked into the dressing area and stared into the looking glass, stunned. It wasn't me. It had to be someone else. Laura was a miracle worker, because I didn't even recognize myself. She had somehow taken my short dirty blonde locks, and pinned them back with a few ornate pins. I had rosier cheeks than normal and color above my eyes. My lips were painted a darker shade of red, but nothing too drastic. I stood there for a few more moments in utter disbelief.

"I didn't have to use too much paint. You don't need it. But I didn't want anyone to recognize you either. There is one last thing that I think you need, but it's up to you." Laura stood behind me with an all knowing smirk.

I turned around still in shock. Laura stepped closer and put a silver heart shaped pendant around my neck. "I hope you don't mind, but I found this in you belongings," she looked at me rather guiltily.

"I know you have the key to my door. Do you have the key to my lock box as well?" I frowned at her.

"Not really. You were in a rush to leave this morning and left your lock box open. I did need to find out what size you were to get the dress and corset right. I pulled out some of your clothes and found the pendant. I didn't touch anything else, I swear," Laura sounded apologetic.

"I didn't know I had this with me," I stared at the pendant. At the moment, I don't know where I got the pendant, but it had been my favorite and only piece of jewelry for a very long time. I rubbed my thumb over the pendant and tried to remember when I had stopped wearing it. Suddenly, I had another memory come back. This time it stayed with me. I went pale and very nearly fell over.

Laura caught me and moved me over to the bed, "Lake? Are you all right?"

"Yes," I took a deep breath. "Just getting used to wearing a corset again. I had forgotten how to breathe in one of these things," I gave her a weak smile.

Laura seemed satisfied with the answer and smiled back at me, "Take your time to get acclimated again. I will go get some cold water for you and then we will head to the Pink Dragon," she bounded happily out of the room.

I rubbed my thumb over the pendant again. I knew what Dante had wanted me to remember. He had given me the pendant the night before he left the manor house. He had told me not to take it off and never to give it to anyone else. It was his heart and he had given it to me. The flood of memories came back. Dante and I had spent an entire year together. I was only six at the time, he was nine. I rushed off the bed and dug through my lock box to find my father's journals. I sat myself on the floor and flipped through them until I found what I was looking for.

I received a letter from Ml'Kia today. It has been a long time since that bastard has wanted anything from me. At least this letter wasn't a summons to Court. I detest royal courts. They make so much of pomp and circumstance. I have no use for any of it. I am a simple farmer that happens to prefer the company of simple folk.

Knighted or not, I have no use for any of it. A bright and shinny suit of armor isn't going to help me plow a field. The piece of parchment that says I am a Knight comes in handy at times, but otherwise it takes up space. The horse was the only thing that was of use. He can plow a field.

Ml'Kia wants me to train his boy. I see no problem with it as long as Ml'Kia doesn't expect me to treat him any differently from the rest of the rag tag bunch that I train now. It will be interesting to have the boy here. Maybe I can beat some of that arrogance out the boy before he has a chance to allow it to set in.

I looked up from the entry and chewed on my bottom lip. I continued to flip through the journal to find more.

Ml'Kia arrived today with Dante. He is definitely his father's son. That boy is arrogant, demanding, and spoiled to a fault. I blame his mother for spoiled part. Well a few days here and that will change. I allowed the boy to stay in the room next to Lake. She hasn't come out of her room since she heard the boy would be staying here. I believe she thinks I am trying to replace her. I should have a talk with the girl and make her understand I would never replace her for the world.

The next several entries were progress of Dante. He seemed like a natural to father. He took to the training fairly easily as my father suspected he would. There were a few more entries about the relationship Dante and I had formed. I was following him around like a lost puppy. Dante seemed to think this was annoying and had gotten me into trouble. There was one occasion that seemed to change everything.

That boy! That stupid boy! He tricked Lake into doing something that could have gotten her KILLED. She is safe, scared, but safe, thank the Gods. She hasn't talked to anyone yet and I am a little worried. I didn't find out what happened until I threatened several of the boys, including Dante. The boy seemed to understand that he had done something really wrong after our conversation.

Dante had gathered a few of the other boys and gone into the forest. I am still glad it was daylight when this happened. Lake followed as Dante knew she would. They tricked her into going into one of the many caves in that forest, after they had spun a tale of a ghost that eats children. I will admit that for a six year old girl, she has more fire and spirit than most of the boys I train. She went in the cave to prove they were just telling stories.

The boys had heard a rumble and Lake screamed. There was a small cave in that had knocked her unconscious. When she did not answer their calls, most of the boys ran back to find me. Dante went into the cave and found her. He was dragging her out of the cave when I arrived. He was holding her in his arms, and he was sobbing. Poor Dante must have thought she was dead.

I pulled Lake from his hands. She was still breathing which was a good sign. The blood dripping from the back of her head was not. I ran back to the manor house. Granny had already heard the news and was waiting for me at the manor. The old woman looked over Lake and told me she should be fine in a few days. Lake had only suffered a hard bump on the head. Lake was awake, but not talking to anyone.

I breathed a sigh of relief and headed down the stairs to confront Dante. He seemed shaken and just as upset as I was. He had only meant to scare Lake so she would quit following him around. He did not intend for her to get hurt. I never hit Dante, although I wanted to beat the boy within an inch of his life, but I did give him extra stable duty for the next month.

Several more entries about training Dante and the other boys, more about the general status of the manor, and then came something unexpected.

Lake came to me today and asked me if she could come to the training grounds. She had never shown and interest in any sort of fighting before. When I asked her why she wanted to start, she stared at the ground and clenched her fists furiously. Her little voice came out of her determined to make me understand.

"I don't want to be scared ever again," she looked at me with those bright teary blue eyes, "I want to be strong like you. You train every day. So I should train every day. Then I don't have to be scared anymore."

I was so proud of her in that moment. Granny and I had an argument about her starting at the academy. Granny insisted that regardless of the fact that I had refused the title I was given, Lake should not be made to suffer. She should be educated like the lady she was. This I did not disagree with. But Lake was the one asking to be trained like a warrior. I could at least give her that.

I looked up from the journal. More memories started to flood back to me. I was about six when I stopped wearing dresses. There was so much that started to make sense. I turned to see Laura sitting on the bed. "Oh… Sorry… I was…"

"It's all right Lake. I understand. You don't want to do this and you are going to prolong the inevitable," she smiled at me weakly.

"No… It's another one of those complicated things. I remembered something I had forgotten. I needed information that only my father could give me."

She looked at me with a confused expression, "I thought your father was dead."

"He is, but I brought all his journals with me. Before I left my home, I had a feeling they would be useful, so I packed them. They have come in handy in this instance," I smiled, "Let me read just a little bit more and we will go."

She huffed and handed me the glass of water she had brought me. "Hurry up or all the fun events at the Pink Dragon will be over."

"Thanks, love," I took a sip of the water and went back to reading. The next entry was just as interesting.

I brought Lake to the training ground. I had her dressed in some clothes donated by one of the other boys. She looked slightly out of place with the older boys I was training, but she wasn't bad for her first day. She is faster than all of the boys. Lake out sprinted all of them. She could climb faster than any of other too. Now I know where all those scraps on her knees come from.

The boys didn't take well to the fact that she was a girl, so to ease the tension and thoughts of favoritism, I announced I would call her George at the training ground and she would not receive any special treatment. For the first few days, it didn't seem to work. When Dante said something insulting towards me, George knocked him down and started to punch him mercilessly.

I was amazed at the boy's restraint. He didn't fight back. I will suppose for now, his mother did teach him he should never hit a lady, no mater how much they may deserve it. I let it continue until I thought Dante had enough and pulled them apart. From then on, the boys seemed to accept her as one of them.

More of the same progress reports from then on. There were a few quips here and there about how Dante and I were improving. Then there was more about how Dante and I had become almost inseparable. We became sparring partners at the academy and would even practice with each other after we had come home. Although, Dante didn't like the needle point or dancing lessons Granny insisted I make time for. I reached the part in the journal where Dante had been at the manor for about nine months.

They are peas in a pod those two. They got off to a rocky start, but they have become best of friends. Dante still refuses to call her George, but she doesn't seem to mind. The rest of the boys have taken to calling her George, and so have I. It's just easier I suspect. We had to call off training the other day due to the weather. The rainy season has come early, but that just means we are headed for a good growing season. The lightening crashed and the thunder roared. It seemed the Gods were having a very loud to do.

I had expected Lake to come running in my room that night. She doesn't like thunderstorms and always ends up sleeping next to me. When she didn't come running into my room like a scared rabbit, I went to her room to find it empty. At first I panicked. I searched the house looking for her. I never expected to find her curled up and sleeping next to Dante. My first thoughts were of how sweet the scene was. Then my fatherly instincts kicked in and I didn't like it one bit. I had to remember she is only six, but I felt slightly upset that she didn't want me to hold her and protect her from the storm. I smiled despite myself. There would be other storms, and she will always be my little girl.

I looked up from the book again trying hard to remember. I still don't like thunderstorms. They don't scare me like they used to. Although, I still tend to jump a lot when lightening crashes. I remember my father always held me very tightly and whisper that everything would be alright. Then he would tell me stories about the Gods battling the evil Darkness. When the sun came out the next morning, he would say the Gods of Light had won and the Darkness had been vanquished again. I think I started crying because Laura handed me a handkerchief.

For the next few weeks of on again off again rain, training was replaced with planting. We lived at a working farm after all. My father continued to write about the thunderstorms and how he would find me curled next to Dante. He still didn't like it, but he wasn't going to stop me, unless Dante said anything. Apparently Dante never did. Planting went well that season and training resumed before my birthday. Everything seemed to be fine. Then Ml'Kia spoiled everything.

I received a letter from Ml'Kia. He will be here in the next few days to take Dante back home. It seems that Dante's mother doesn't like the idea of a human training her son. The self absorbed Evlen wench. I should have warned Ml'Kia when I first met her that you could take the Elf out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the Elf. I know he loves her, but she is not the best representation of the Elven people.

I know far better candidates for the position and ones that do would not use position to further their goals. Dante is to be sent to the Elven city in the forest just outside of Castletown. There he will be taught by an Elven master. They even have partner for him to train with. Ml'Kia said I should be very proud that they picked HIM for the privilege. That bastard said he put in a good word so as to have my son picked for the task. I guess I should be happy I heard word at all.

I told Dante at supper he needed to start packing. The boy wasn't happy about the decision and neither was Lake. Dante ran upstairs first with Lake following close behind. They were both fairly sullen while Dante packed. On the last evening before Dante had to leave, they both disappeared for about an hour. When they came back, Dante seemed to be calmer about going home and Lake seemed a little giddy. She was wearing a heart shaped pendant. I had seen one other very similar to it before. It was the one Ml'Kia had given to his wife as a promise gift. I suspected Dante had gotten it from his father. I didn't like it. But who am I to say anything about young love.

A promise gift? I put the book down and shut my eyes tightly. I had to recall the memory. I had to know what happened at the tree the night before. I could see Dante and I standing underneath the shade of the tree in the twilight of the evening. The sun hadn't completely set. I saw his green eyes sparkle with half shed tears. I heard his voice clear as day.

"Take this. It was my mother's. I want you to have it so you never forget me."

"Oooh. Pretty. I can have this?" I looked up at the boy in awe of the pendant.

"It's my heart Lake. I don't want anyone else to have it. So I'm going to give it to you. Don't ever take it off and don't give it to anyone else," Dante put the necklace over my head.

I stood there looking at the pendant for a moment; then looked up at him, "But I don't have anything to give you. I know! You can have my…"

"I don't need anything to remember you. I will always remember you Lake. You are my best friend in the whole world. Even if you were a little brat when I fist came here," he smiled, though sadly.

"I know… I one of the stories Papa read to me, the princess gave her knight a kiss. Will that work?" I gazed at him with wide eyes, hoping he would take it.

The green eyed boy rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I don't know Lake, the only girl I've kissed was my mother, and that isn't so fun," Dante seemed to think about something for a second, "But when my father kisses my mother, they seem to like it, so I guess it can't be all bad. Maybe it's different with different people," he said nodding his head.

I smiled really wide. I shut my eyes and puckered. It was a split second of contact, but I could remember how happy I felt in the moment. I blinked open my eyes and saw him blushing furiously. I ran towards him and hugged him as tightly as I could, "I promise not to forget you Dante."

I really started to cry then. I had forgotten him, which is why Dante had been so hurt. I understood everything now. We had been best friends and companions for a whole year. In the eyes of a child, a year is a life time. And I had forgotten everything. I closed the journal and placed it gently in the lock box. I whipped my eyes and looked back over at Laura, who seemed angry at first, but her expression softened when she saw the look on my face.

"We can try again tomorrow night. You don't look like you could handle going anywhere tonight." Laura smiled.

"No," I said taking a deep breath and standing up, "I need to talk to Lord Dante."

"What?" Laura looked scared, "I thought you didn't want anyone to know…"

"He already knows Laura. This is something between he and I. I need to talk to him and apologize."