Time for the Villainess

I suddenly felt a burning pain and when I looked up Diamanda was standing there with an empty cup of tea. She hid her smile behind her hand and said: "Oh, I am so sorry. I didn't see you there." I didn't care about the pain anymore. It had been long since I had gotten used to it and I stood up with a frown: "You did it on purpose. -Oh, my. Why would I do such a thing? -It's not the first time. You all have been bullying me ever since I arrived." She suddenly lost her smile and her eyes turned cold: "We have been more than welcoming to you. Your kind doesn't even deserve a bed. You should have slept outside. -I might as well if we consider how cold my room is." Diamanda smirked: "I don't see what you are talking about. It's not our fault if you can't even light a fire. We gave you everything you might need. -No one could light a fire with those wet branches." I didn't have time to see Diamanda's eyes change that the next second she was grabbing me by the hair. I felt the pain before I understood what was happening and started scratching her hands so she would let me go but she didn't: "How could you complain after everything we did for you? You should be grateful that we accepted you here." I finally managed to push her away and straightened up: "All you did was bully me. You were never welcoming. You were never happy to have me here. What did I ever do to you? I was always polite and kind but no one ever showed me a hint of respect!" A slap. I was so surprised that I didn't move for a few seconds and couldn't even hear what was being said. Did she just slap me? Why did they hate me so much? What did I ever do to them? We had just met a week ago and they turned my life into a living hell. Why? Why me? What did I do? "You Thorntons are all the same. You dare come into our lives and expect us to bend backwards to please you. Disgusting. -Oh so all of this is because of my family name? -Of course it is! We never wanted a Thornton here! You should leave this place." I didn't know if I would laugh or cry. I had finally escaped my family and when I thought that I could be happy, my family came back to haunt me. This was funny if we really thought about it. I couldn't escape anywhere. I couldn't be good enough. No one ever let me be happy. "Why are you laughing? Do you think this is funny?" Diamanda tried hitting me again but I grabbed her arm. Everyone froze around us and Diamanda tried pulling her hand away without managing to. "What the hell are you doing? Let me go! You disgusting Thornton! -You were never going to accept me." I looked around me at all those unfamiliar faces and I continued smiling: "I thought if I was nice you would eventually warm up to me but you were never going to." Someone in the crowd interjected: "We will never accept a Thornton!" Hearing their friend, the others joined in too: "You should have died on the way here! -We don't want a Thornton as the Queen! -How could they send a woman to marry our Queen? They are mocking us!" I didn't have time to say anything because suddenly everyone froze and bowed. When I turned around I noticed my wife coming our way. It was my first time seeing her ever since the wedding and she didn't look happy. She looked at my hand holding Diamanda and frowned: "What is going on here? -I am punishing her for disrespecting me." Diamanda looked outraged and tried pulling her arm away with all her might: "I didn't do anything! She spilled tea and then started getting mad at me! It's not my fault if she is clumsy! -Clumsy? Then what about the slap?" Diamanda froze: "I have no idea what you are talking about." Hearing us fight, my wife and Queen, Leora Shadowend, sighed: "Let it go, Angeline, we don't have time for your tantrums. -Oh because her slapping me is completely fine?" Leora looked at Diamanda: "Apologize to your ruler." Diamanda couldn't argue but I could see that she would make me regret this later on: "I am sorry." Leora nodded but I wasn't going to take this anymore: "Is that all? Everyone has been mistreating me ever since I arrived and an apology is enough? They are going to continue as soon as you leave. -Come on, I have a lot of work." I laughed: "You and Thornton are the same." This time it was Leora who slapped me: "Don't you dare say that. I have been very patient with you, Angeline. But don't cross the line." But I wasn't intimidated at all anymore and I just started laughing: "You are going to regret treating me this way." Leora frowned but didn't ask and left. A few people followed her but most of them stayed behind to see what Diamanda would do to me. She didn't like having to apologize to me of course and tried making me understand with her whip but I dropped the nice act. If no one was going to like me then might as well fight back. I grabbed the whip with my bare hand and pulled it towards me. Diamanda got so surprised that she let it go and even fell to her knees. This was too nice of a show and I smiled: "I am going to enjoy this so much." No one dared to move for a few seconds and that was more than enough for me to hit Diamanda three times. The crowd didn't know if they should intervene or not because despite my name I was still the Queen. Therefore they just stood there or ran away discreetly, scared of being next. Diamanda tried getting up a few times but I didn't give her time to and soon she wasn't moving anymore. I had no idea if she was alive or not but I didn't care. I turned to the people left and smiled: "Who's next?" No one said anything and I let the whip fall to my feet: "Well, then. Don't think I forgot about the treatment I got. I can't wait to see you again." And just like that, I left. I walked back to the castle but didn't walk to my room. It was only a matter of minutes before Leora heard about what I did and I knew she wasn't going to be happy. But I only needed a few minutes anyway. I started walking towards the kitchens and was lucky to find it empty. I grabbed all the wood I could and made a huge pile in front of the door. Then I looked for oil and spilled it everywhere in the kitchen before moving on to the hallway and the curtains. Who would have thought that fire would spread so quickly? For the first time I had been here, I finally felt warm and almost stayed to watch the flames. But I had to move. I walked to the stables, stole a horse and rode away with a smile. I had never felt that light in my entire life. I had finally given up on happiness and family. I realized that for some reason I would never have those and that was okay. If no one accepted me then I was going to be my own family. I was never going to let anyone else disrespect me and I was going to make everyone regret looking down on me. Just wait a few years. I was going to come back and they were going to regret meeting me. I was going to destroy them. All of them. If I had to, I would burn down the entire country. I was going to become their worst nightmare.