It surprised Sally when she saw Remeta as she ran through the roads that lead to the market—or a girl that looked like Remeta? Sally ran faster to find out who the girl was, but the girl was running faster and muttering to herself. She ran like there the forest was on fire.
When she nearly caught up with the girl, Sally heard shouts from a crowd. Everywhere was deserted; she couldn’t find anybody on the road or in any stores.
What was going on!?
She followed the sound of their voices to a gathering of a crowd.
“Let’s burn her alive already! Thieves should not stay alive!” a woman screamed.
“Let’s string her up the pole in the village square, naked, so that everybody will see! Thief!” another woman added.
Sally wondered what the angry mob was about. And a thief? She didn’t have time for that. She had to find her princess, knowing that they would never find her princess in a gathering like that. Princess Danika couldn’t be in the middle of this crowd where they were beating up a thief, because her heart wouldn’t be able to take the sight.
Sally continued running when she heard a scream—Remeta’s scream.
“Leave her alooooone! Get away from herrrr!!” she screamed so loud the crowd gasped and most people moved back.
Dread filled Sally’s body. She ran into the crowd and began pushing through them to get to the front and see.
When she arrived, Sally screamed at the sight before her.
CHAPTER 18
SILVER BOWLSD
anika felt detached from her body. The beatings were too much. She could only breathe pain as more kicks and fists hit her body.
She laid there on the ground, curled into a ball.
She heard people scream, but she couldn’t make out who they were. She couldn’t make out anything anymore.
Her body hurt badly.
Another kick landed on her back. Tears fell from her eyes. Her vision was too blurry, so she couldn’t see anything. Or hear anyone.
They all sounded so far away. This must be what it feels like to die.
Another person kicked her, and she curled into a tighter ball. She wrapped her hands around her middle, protecting her womb.
Why was she protecting her belly? There’s no baby in there.
And yet, she couldn’t move her hands. Not even as the crowd rained blows on them.
Another kick landed on her lower back. She heard screams, but she couldn’t make out the people screaming.
Pitiful broken sobs filled her ears, and she realized they were from her.
Her body hurt terribly. Everywhere hurt.
Her lower belly was cramping, too.
Sally screamed at the sight in front of her. Horror filled her eyes as she stared at her princess curled into a ball on the ground, crying and trembling.
“Get away from her! Get away from her, all of you! What do you think you’re doing!!!?” she screamed at the top of her lungs, tears blurring her visions.
The crowd muttered, and most of them moved away from Danika. Sally pushed the rest of them away with all her might.
Remeta knelt in front of Danika, her entire attention on her as she cried harder. Sally glared at the villagers with teary years.
“Get away from her, Sally. We don’t want to hurt you. We have to teach this criminal daughter of a monster a lesson!” one of them shouted.
“Are you mad!? Are all of you insane!? How could you do this!? How!? Monsters! You all are the monsters! How can you do this!?” Sally screamed so loud they all heard it.
Shocked gasps filled the crowd. They didn’t expect this reaction from the good-natured Sally, that always had a smile on her face for everyone.
“She stole a diamond necklace from Zenia’s shop! We found it in her bag! She’s a thief!” a voice came in the crowd.
“Yes! A thief!” they all echoed with rage.
If not for their love for Sally, they would have pushed her away and descended on Danika again.
“She is not a thief! She isn’t! How can you all do this!?” Tears left Sally’s eyes in a flood. They broke her heart to pieces. “I’m hurt beyond words! How could you all do this!?”
Guilt flashed in most of their eyes. The others just looked like they hated Sally’s interference in their punishment.
“I fed you all in Mombana! All of you! Each and every one of you! How can you be such hypocrites!? How can you treat her this way!? You call her a thief!? So, what if she’s a thief!? I was a thief too!!!” she screamed loudly. “I was a thief when I was sneaking around every kitchen in the royal palace to feed all of you! We stole to keep you all alive! So, why don’t you beat me too!? How can you do this!? She would never steal anything from anybody! Ever!”
A few of them flushed red in guilt.
Sally swiped her hands over her face to wipe away most of her tears and see clearly. “You treat her this way because she’s the daughter of the late king!? She is nothing like the late king! Nothing like him! Why should she be punished for a crime she didn’t commit!? She never chose her father!! It is not her fault that she’s his child!!!” She glared at all of them, her eyes red with fear and anger. “This woman you are beating to death fed you all in Mombana! She fed each and every one of you!!”