For All Those Sleeping [Editing]

Hoodwinked

Chapitre VII

Part 1

You know that feeling when your whole world turns upside down? When everything you’ve known turns to mush and you don’t know what to do anymore? You can’t tell who’s truthful, who’s genuine, who’s a real friend. Why is it that everyone has a mask? Why do people have to cover themselves up? Is it really because of the Nouveau Royaume that people can’t be who they want to? Have I been rooting for the wrong side the entire time? Camellia, Leo, and Jace all talked excitedly about the odd ways they had to conform and restrict themselves, now happy that they weren’t alone. Leo learned how to climb trees and steal things, but could never do both in one town. Jace had to hide from his peers and practice his Mage abilities in private. Camellia had to be proper and respectful, reteach herself that Thieves were malicious instead of family. I sat quietly. I thought everyone was happy being restricted to their own town. I thought that Armes and Rois were the only places with intellectual inhabitants and that being separated was the way to be. The only way to live.

“So what happened between you two?” Jace wondered. “Leo sounds pretty shocked that you’re… not dead.”

Leo shyly nodded. “That would be my bad. I dragged us into a difficult situation and she got caught. I really should have made sure you got over the wall before me. Maelstrom wanted to go after you, but I held him back too. It’s my fault the Knights took you away.”

“It turned out better than we thought though, didn’t it? If you let me go first, you would’ve gotten caught. If you let Maelstrom go after me, he would have gotten caught. The difference between me and you two is that you’re undoubtedly Thieves, while the Knights thought that I was a Noble.”

“A Noble? They thought you were a Noble?” Leo exclaimed with a smile.

“Indeed. I guess it was because of how light my hair was. They figured that you and Mael were trying to steal me. When I wouldn’t tell them where my home was, they figured I was an orphan. I was raised by the Knights from then on,” Camellia said somewhat sadly.

There was a slight pause in the conversation, and I wondered if I should say something. Then again, what could I say? Part of me was completely speechless. What would I say anyway? “Hey, I’m pretty much already a Knight and although I had a little difficulty with Leo, I’ve basically had everything handed to me”? Right. That’ll work.

“What was your real name?” I asked, mentally slapping myself as the words found their way out of my mouth.

Camellia looked down a bit. “Ophelia. Sorry for not telling you before, but I wanted to erase that part of my life if I couldn’t live it anymore.”

“No, it’s fine,” I assured much too quickly. “I understand. Just don’t be surprised if I call you Camellia instead.”

There wasn’t an advantage to holding onto a childish grudge, so accepting that sentence was the best way to go from here. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that we may be lesser friends now, but I need to know more about her life as a Thief in order to understand the real her. Although Jace’s green eyes and “Ophelia’s” dark blue eyes were still on me, Leo used a pointed finger to circle the area above his wound. “So I may want to include that before we came here, Sierra and I were paying a visit to your brother.”

“Oh? How is he doing without me? Still alright, I hope?”

“Ah,” Leo breathed, “more or less. I don’t know of his regular activities since he pushed me out on the streets and we never talked again after you left. Other than that, he took Sierra hostage and tied her to a bed, so interpret that as you will.”