Said No to the Prince and Yes to the King novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84 After the Battle

Finished

Those who remained standing felt their knees buckle the instant they saw the relentless tide of women surging toward them.

A few still spat out curses through gritted teeth.

“Have you lost your minds, you wretched wenches? Get back inside now, or I’ll thrash you dead later!”

But no sooner were the words spoken than the man who uttered them was struck down, collapsing heavily onto the cobblestones.

The others, seeing this, turned and fled in disarray, scrambling over one another in their panic to escape.

The village leader, already gravely wounded, had long since fallen unconscious.

And in what felt like a mere moment, the square was left with no one but women–women standing tall, their chests heaving, their eyes burning.

Margaret stared at the scene before her, unaware that her own vision had blurred with rising tears.

Through that shimmering haze, she glimpsed a familiar silhouette.

Theodore had come to stand before her without a sound.

He extended his hand toward hers.

The afternoon sun fell warm upon his back, outlining his frame in a soft, golden glow–so bright he seemed almost radiant.

A quiet warmth spread through Margaret’s chest. She placed her hand in his

“Thank you.”

He was, after all, Prince Theodore–lofty and noble by birth–and yet he had chosen to stay here with her, to risk his life not for glory or gain, but to fight for a group of women who had nearly forgotten how to hope.

How could she not be grateful?

Theodore gently helped her to her feet.

“Do not thank me. It is my duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

By then, the men of the village had all been subdued–some beaten to the ground, others dragged out from where they hid behind bolted doors.

But the women did not cease.

Some sat astride their husbands, slapping their faces again and again with a steady, grim rhythm.

Others stood nearby, kicking those who lay fallen and could not rise.

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Chapter 24 After the Battle

Foushed

“Beast! You sold your own daughters–two of them! And still it wasn’t enough to satisfy your drinking and whoring! You are less than a beast!”

“Night after night you climbed into my bed. Now let me dance upon your grave, you rotten wretch.”

Young girls clung to their mothers‘ skirts, sobbing out secrets long buried.

“Mother, Uncle… he used to touch me. I never dared to tell you. Today… today I finally can.”

Mothers and daughters held each other, weeping openly in the dusty square.

“I knew… Forgive me. I could not even protect myself. Forgive me.”

“Do not fear, Auntie. If hanging is the price for killing, then I will say it was I who killed Uncle. From now on, I will protect you.”

“I’m so frightened, Mother…”

“Hush now. It is over. We are safe.”

Voices, raw and trembling, filled the lane–a chorus of grief, rage, and fragile relief.

Julie and the others, bruised and battered, huddled together, smiling through split lips and swollen eyes.

“We did it… We won.”

“Yes. We won.”

The young women’s voices were hoarse but stirring.

Without realizing it, Margaret felt tears streak down her cheeks.

Then her gaze fell upon Theodore–his clothes were stained dark with blood, his sleeves torn, his brow smudged with grime.

A sharp ache pierced her heart.

“I am sorry. I was meant to cure your poison, and now you are wounded even more deeply.”

Seeing her flushed cheeks and brimming eyes, Theodore felt an odd tenderness stir within him.

He looked away, his tone deliberately even. “Consider it… an unusual experience.”

The sun hung high, its light washing over the battered square, seeming to brighten the very air they breathed.

Zoe limped toward them, her dress torn at the hem. “Miss, Sir… thank you.”

Margaret shook her head gently. “Thank yourselves. You were your own salvation.”

Zoe bowed her head. “I did little. When I heard the commotion, I simply gathered the other young maids in the village. They are none older than I–innocent, and ignorant of much. Their lives have been

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Chapter 64 After the Battle

Auched

hardship enough. Thankfully, they were brave enough to rise up with me… and thankfully, we succeeded.”

She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I will bury my grandmother first. After that…”

“After that, I shall take her and move far from here,” Amber finished as she approached,

Her hair was disheveled, her gown torn and dusty, yet her smile was vivid, alive. “And what of you both?”

“We return to Breston,” Margaret replied, her voice thin with weariness.

Amber nodded. “A wise choice. Matters here are nearly settled. I will help Zoe lay her grandma to rest.”

Arm in arm, the two women walked slowly away, supporting each other’s steps.

The lane remained in disarray–bodies lay where they had fallen, the air thick with dust and the scent of trampled herbs.

Yet through it all, Julie made her way unsteadily toward Margaret.

“Miss, we still do not know your name.”

“I am a Campbell.”

Julie swallowed, her expression caught between gratitude and dread. “Ms. Campbell… thank you. For everything. You gave every mother in this village the courage to begin anew. But…”

She clenched her jaw, her next words tumbling out in a troubled rush.

“But this has gone too far. Too many are dead–villagers, guardsmen. And the magistrate has fled. He will return with more men, without a doubt. None of us can face what comes next. So many lives lost… that is a weight none of us can bear alone.”

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