@Jonathan. The curiosity could be extinguished by exhaustion.

I'm confused, Jonathan. Do you mean to say that you'd recognize me and wonder where I got a scar?

How about this... what if, prior to me rescuing you, you knew I existed but had never seen me?

I am trying to solidify the first part of Alaidia (Peter’s Angel), and I am wondering if the following scenario is realistic. Imagine with me for a moment…


You are the crown prince of a fief. I am the son of a duke of your motherland. You are almost 21; I am 18. You know who I am – I was born in your country under strange circumstances – and we pass each other occasionally at political meetings. But I am of no direct consequence to you, because I have no power over your country. I have done nothing important, and you see me only rarely, even after I move to your country. I am, however, memorably short – only 5’.

Our countries tangle over a valuable chunk of your land, the area I happen to live in. My father stands up for your country’s rights. During the resulting skirmish, you are kidnapped. I stumble across you and rescue you, but I am bruised and badly burned. My left wrist, especially, is a mess. You are even worse and can hardly see through your bruised eye. Do you recognize me?

Say that you don’t. I rescue you and then vanish. You search for me, remembering the gash on my wrist. During this time, you learn that my father was captured and I disappeared. There is a risk that I was among the ill-handled dead, but it isn’t highly likely that I went unrecognized. After a few months, you finally find me living with a family in one of your cities. I tell you a different name and a different backstory, pretending to have no relation to the duke you once knew. I pretend to be only your rescuer, a commoner, and nothing else. Do you recognize me, or do you accept my lie and obliviously move on?

No... the version in the first post was the current version when I started this thread. The story itself has changed, but I didn't make any edits to my posts.

Thanks, Droid!

Ah, I see what you're saying. I am asking - will you recognize me as the duke? You absolutely recognize me as your rescuer, but do you realize your rescuer was the duke's son, or do you accept my false identity and think of me only as your angel?