The Truth Over The Wall

Chapter 27

*Kindness is never random. It left your heart and made it's way into someone else's heart and made a home for itself. So that neither you nor kindness will ever be forgotten. :3*

Hanalea walked quickly across the stretch. She nodded if anyone on the camp greeted her and her replies came short and polite, and almost automatic:

"I'm fine thank you." Or, "No, thank you, but that is very kind of you."

She kept her head down and her shoulders hunched as she thought, it's fine. Just make it to your tent; you'll be fine.

Her actions were single-minded so that she was jarred considerably when Sara walked into her unexpectedly.

"Your Highness, I was wondering if you-"

Hanalea cut her off too loud, "I said I'm fine!" Breathing deeply, in and out she put a hand up to her forehead, appalled at herself.

"I am, so very sorry for that," she told Sara sincerely and she believed her. "You just took me by surprise...that's all."

And I've had quite enough of surprises...Hanalea thought bitterly. She placed a hand on Sara's shoulder and gave her an apologetic smile, then taking a deep breath she removed it, and strode off.

She passed Sir Emery and she could not be sure what she told him about Dominic. That he was just coming behind her? Hanalea tried to remember. That he would be there shortly...?

Oh, it hardly matters! Hanalea thought angrily flipping the flap of her tent open frustrated. She needed to get inside.

Once inside, Hanalea walked right up to her bed, and placing one hand across its top she leaned down and reached under it with her other hand.

She yanked up her pack and searched through the contents urgently until she found what she was looking for.

Claire's journal.

She flipped the pages anxiously, her hands turning the pages two-three at a time. There was a letter here, Hanalea thought seeking a particular passage. It should right about...

Here, Hanalea exhaled as her fingers stopped on the familiar words. She tucked stray hair behind her ear, and brushed away the tears that had started to roll down her cheeks unnoticed. She could hear Claire's voice:

Lea, Claire said.

I think we've made a horrible mistake...

There was a crash outside as one of the knights collided with another, and it made Hanalea jump, breaking the connection to Claire. She rubbed her head tiredly as the knights laughed it off.

She needed peace, she needed to think. Grabbing the journal, Hanalea slipped out the back of the camp, right into the woods. And Claire continued:

Lea, people aren't all the same, you know that. We're all different and we have every God given right to be. If we were supposed to be the same, He would've cast us from the same mold and painted us the same color. The same persona staring out of each set of eyes, exactly the same.

But he didn't. So, I will take that as consent to be as it pleases me! Not anyone else's idea of what I ought to be...

Claire's pen paused here for a second, Hanalea could tell from the way her pen had dipped into the page. After a couple minutes – or hours, Hanalea would never know – Claire continued.

I asked your father and he quite agrees with me.

Hanalea laughed out loud at this, even as tears slid down her face. There was very little Henry and Claire had not agreed on.