Once I Was A Twin Too

Hale

"A villain is just a victim, whose story hasn't been told."

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I blinked back the new tears that threatened to spill. I held my hand up, as if I were really the Queen. Alan stopped mid-rant and looked at me, annoyed. "Not him, I want to know the reason why Andrea was brought," I said. I'd ask about Hale later, I needed to make sure if their information was correct.

Alan's lip curled. "Of course, ma'am. Andrea Chad, has killed one of our men, and thus this will receive the worst punishment; death sentence." I raised my eyebrow at Andrea and he gave me a slight nod. I winked at him and he flushed.

"Am I allowed to grant mercy?"

Arragorn looked amused. "M'lady, he is a criminal, a swine. Why would you want to spare a murderer's life? No, do not answer it, I am not in the mood to hear your explanation. You are not allowed to grant mercy, but you can lighten the punishment for only one of them."

I bit the inside of my cheek, drawing blood. "No, I will spare anyone I wish," I counter.

"You may not."

"I will, and you won't tell me what I should do, bastard."

Alan slapped me and placed his knee on my back, and I bent in pain. "Stop hurting me every time. This abuse is going to get you nowhere. Fine, I'll listen to you. Just tell me the crimes of everyone first; starting from the last." I grimaced.

Straightening up, I saw that Hale was pale and scared; mouthing words to me. My eyes were blurred with tears and I couldn't understand what he was saying. Alan gave me an all teeth smile and walked towards Hale.

"This is Hale Leo Owen, a murderer. He has murdered Mr. and Mrs. Owen."

Blood pounded in my ears, and my hands started shaking. It was getting hard to breathe.

"You are lying," I said forcefully, trying to portray my disbelief

"No, I am not. Ask him yourself."

"Hale, tell me he is lying. It's a lie right, Haley? PLEASE!" The last word came out as a scream.

He looked away, blood rushing to his face.

My legs gave out and I sank to the floor. A pair of arms came around me, Andrea. I leaned back, feeling no comfort at all. "The leprechauns, they were right, weren't they?" I asked Andrea, recalling their eerie words —'pure and untouched you come' and 'the angel is a fallen one'.

A look of surprise passed over Andrea's features. "You met the leprechauns? That's—never mind. They were right, leprechauns can't lie."

I screamed and wept, all my frustration in my tears. I jumped up, ran towards Hale and grabbed his shirt. His nose right in front of my face. "Why did you do it? Why?!"

"I needed the money."

"What money?" I whimpered.

"For my medicines."

"What medicines Hale? What medicines?"

"Wren just shut the fuck up. You don't know what I am going through. You cannot understand."

"No, you listen to me. I had a normal life, with amazing parents and who I thought was my brother."

"Was your brother?" His tone kept changing.

"You killed my parents. You are no longer my family." I shoved him away. "Pa told me, 'Hale, Wren.' He meant, 'It was Hale, Wren.' And Ma said, 'Don't trust him.' She meant you. YOU! I didn't want to believe her, but all the signs pointed at you. The leprechauns; you saying that you were afraid that I was smart and now this. I don't need any more bloody proof. You admitted it yourself."