The Truth Over The Wall

Chapter 40 (Part 1)

*She works and works and works some more. Her magic lies in the fact that she's so fast all you can see is a blur. Her misfortune is founded in the way you don't appreciate her when she's at it. Whether you can see it or not, she's magic. And this one's for her.*

It had taken twenty years but she was here, Tafah.

Hanalea had brought her horse to a halt on the final rise before they entered Tafah. She looked down into the lands that stretched out before her, and then she slowly raised her eyes up the shape of the massive palace carved in white marble. The home of Leopold.

The battle ground for a stand-off between the last of his line and the Witch Queen that had outlasted him by five hundred years. For Fiona this was just another fight against another one of Leopold's children.

But for Hanalea this was it, her legacy. If she failed there would be no one to fight for her house...

"Hanna?"

She looked up at Alistair surprised, "Yes?"

"They're waiting for you."

Yes, Hanalea realized. In a way, they were all waiting for her, her entire family. Five hundred years they had fought to be free of the Witch Queen and she would not fail them.

"I'm coming." Hanalea told him and launched her horse into a gallop.

They had only just landed into the valley when they saw it. The gates of the palace were thrown open and Fiona's army filed out line after line to form two semi circles, the second larger than the first, to keep them from entering the palace.

If Hanalea was to enter the palace, she would have to fight through the witch army first. But not necessarily, Hanalea thought as she remembered Amara's words.

Charge your people at them, show them the way. Fight along them and make sure you have someone you can trust to lead them when you leave. Look out for Fobos, when she comes, follow her. We'll bring you into the palace while Fiona's army searches to fight you outside.

But how? Hanalea had asked her.

Trust me, had been Amara's reply.

"Ready?" Alistair asked her as he raised his sword.

Looking back over her shoulder she found Lady Amelia. She met the decorated warrior's gaze – mentor for both Hanalea and Alistair – and nodded at her, Lady Amelia bowed her head to tell her she understood. Hanalea's gaze took in her army, witches and humans interspersed in an unrecognizable mass fighting beside her for their home.

Wait, Hanalea thought suddenly. Tafah, home to the witches? As far as she could remember her kingdom had never accepted the witch as being a part of Tafah. This would be their home one day, Hanalea swore to herself, if she lived to become queen. But today, that was not why they fought along her. A piece of land was certainly not why Hanalea fought.

She saw Fiona's fierce army ready to tear her own down to pieces. If the people that joined with her – witch and human – were going to risk their lives then she felt they needed a better reason.

Hanalea turned her horse around to regard them a moment before she took a deep breath and addressed them, "I'm not sure about the words that are spoken by kings and queens to their people before they lead them into battle. All I know is that I'd like to begin by saying, thank you.

"Thank you for standing by me and fighting beside me. I will not condescend to you by saying that you fight for me because until recently we've been too busy fighting each other to suddenly become fast friends..."