IN WHICH - The last thing that Hope Mikaelson expected when she came out of Malivore was to still be alive, the second last thing she expected was to be disowned by most of her living family, and the final last thing she expected was some ancient be...
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THIRD PERSON POV
CHAPTER 40
The sound of Maggie and Glenn's hurried footsteps echoed through the dimly lit common area of the prison. The storm outside was relentless, rain pounding against the windows and thunder rumbling in the distance. Hope sat cross-legged on the couch, a stack of freshly washed baby clothes folded neatly beside her as Judith cooed in her lap. Across the room, Rick and Daryl were sitting at the table, discussing their plans for expanding the garden when spring came around.
The doors to the common area burst open, causing everyone to jump. Maggie's voice rang out, breathless and urgent. "Hope! Rick! Daryl! You need to come to the gate—now!"
Rick was on his feet in an instant, his hand instinctively reaching for the revolver at his hip. "What's going on?"
Glenn appeared behind Maggie, his face pale but determined. "There are people outside. A lot of people."
Hope handed Judith to Carol, who had just entered the room, her brows furrowed in concern. "How many?" Hope asked, grabbing her knife and sliding it into its sheath.
"Over seventy-five," Glenn said. "It's... it's everyone from Woodbury."
Daryl stood, his crossbow slung over his shoulder, his face a mixture of suspicion and disbelief. "What the hell do they want?"
Maggie shook her head. "They're soaking wet and freezing. Some of them are holding kids. They look like they've been on the road for days."
Rick's jaw tightened as he exchanged a glance with Hope. Without another word, the three of them followed Maggie and Glenn through the winding halls of the prison toward the gate.
The sound of Maggie and Glenn's hurried footsteps echoed through the dimly lit common area of the prison. The storm outside was relentless, rain pounding against the windows and thunder rumbling in the distance. Hope sat cross-legged on the couch, a stack of freshly washed baby clothes folded neatly beside her as Judith cooed in her lap. Across the room, Rick and Daryl were sitting at the table, discussing their plans for expanding the garden when spring came around.
The doors to the common area burst open, causing everyone to jump. Maggie's voice rang out, breathless and urgent. "Hope! Rick! Daryl! You need to come to the gate—now!"
Rick was on his feet in an instant, his hand instinctively reaching for the revolver at his hip. "What's going on?"
Glenn appeared behind Maggie, his face pale but determined. "There are people outside. A lot of people."
Hope handed Judith to Carol, who had just entered the room, her brows furrowed in concern. "How many?" Hope asked, grabbing her knife and sliding it into its sheath.
"Over seventy-five," Glenn said. "It's... it's everyone from Woodbury."
Daryl stood, his crossbow slung over his shoulder, his face a mixture of suspicion and disbelief. "What the hell do they want?"
Maggie shook her head. "They're soaking wet and freezing. Some of them are holding kids. They look like they've been on the road for days."
Rick's jaw tightened as he exchanged a glance with Hope. Without another word, the three of them followed Maggie and Glenn through the winding halls of the prison toward the gate.
Rain poured down in sheets, soaking them to the bone as they approached the gate. The heavy downpour distorted their view, but as they got closer, the shapes of the crowd became clearer. Dozens of people huddled together outside the towering steel gates, their faces pale and gaunt. Some were clutching children, while others carried makeshift bags and supplies. They looked exhausted, defeated, and desperate.
Rick stepped forward, his hand resting on the gate. "What are you doing here?" he called out, his voice cutting through the rain.
A man in the front of the group stepped forward, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "We—we didn't have anywhere else to go," he stammered. "After you left... after the Governor..." His voice broke, and he looked back at the others, who murmured and nodded in agreement. "We're just trying to survive."
Hope's heart clenched as she scanned the crowd, recognizing some of the faces from Woodbury. She had told them to rebuild, to make something good out of the ruins. But judging by the looks on their faces, it was clear that something had gone horribly wrong.
"Why now?" Daryl barked, his voice sharp. "You had a whole damn town. What happened?"
An older woman stepped forward, clutching a young boy to her side. "We tried," she said, her voice trembling. "We tried to rebuild, but it wasn't enough. The walkers kept coming, supplies ran out... and we didn't know where else to go."
Another man stepped forward, his face grim. "You said we could come here if we needed help," he said, looking directly at Hope.
Hope glanced at Rick, whose expression was unreadable. She could see the tension in his shoulders, the weight of yet another decision pressing down on him. She stepped closer to the gate, her voice steady despite the storm raging around them. "If you come inside these walls, you play by our rules. You work, you contribute, and you don't cause trouble. This isn't a free ride. This is not a democracy, this is a monarchy and what we say goes."
The crowd murmured in agreement, their desperation outweighing any resistance they might have had.
With her heart hammering in her chest and a trillions of butterflies in her stomach, Hope spread her arms and grinned, "Welcome to the Red Kingdom. Open the gates."
Rick and Daryl finally nodded, stepping back and pulling the gate open.
