Said No to the Prince and Yes to the King novel Chapter 77

**Finished

Her father, however, had already melted back into the crowd. The neighbors who had once seemed kind now regarded her with cold, detached stares.

In that moment, Julie saw everything with painful clarity. “I won’t be sold!” she cried out, her voice breaking. “I won’t be traded for coin so my brother can secure a bride! I want my freedom-I wish to leave as well!”

She thrashed wildly, straining against the coarse ropes binding her wrists.

“Miss! Wait! Let me come with you! I want to go too!”

To hell with filial duty.

To hell with being the obedient, understanding daughter.

To hell with sacrificing everything for family.

Had any of these so-called good people ever truly seen her as a person?

They were all willing to sell her off.

Not one had treated her with true humanity.

And now, here was someone who did-someone willing to take her away from this wretched place.

What had she done to deserve such grace?

“Miss! We shall go together!”

“Hold on-all of us will go with you!”

Scrambling up from the dirt, she tried desperately to stumble toward the crowd, but she had taken only a few steps when the gray-cloaked man beside her kicked her hard in the side, sending her back to the ground.

“Know your place,” he snarled. “Stay down.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure burst forward and landed a fierce kick that sent the gray-cloaked man sprawling onto his back.

“Augh-!”

The man hit the earth with a heavy thud.

All eyes turned in shock to see Margaret break free from the circle of villagers surrounding her.

Looking past her, the small mob of forty or fifty locals now lay scattered across the ground-some moaning in pain, others frighteningly still.

The grass was stained with splashes of blood, bright and vivid under the sun.

11:35 am

Chapter 77 The Fight Begins

Finished

And there, standing motionless amid the fallen, was Theodore. He showed no sign of fatigue, his expression unreadable in the harsh daylight. His gaze swept slowly across the remaining crowd. Fresh blood dripped steadily from the blade in his hand.

The scene was brutal, visceral. A stunned silence fell over those still standing

Then, under their disbelieving stares, Margaret moved calmly toward Julie and helped her gently to her

feet.

“I heard every word you said,” she murmured.

She worked at the knots binding Julie’s wrists until the ropes fell away, then moved on to Lisa and the others, freeing each of them in turn with steady hands.

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