Time for the Villainess

Chapter 2

"What do you mean there's nothing left?"

The messenger didn't have time to budge and the chalice full of wine hit him right in the nose. He started bleeding and his eyes teared up but he had to get it together if he didn't want to be beaten:

"There is no money left... I am so sorry but there is nothing.

-That can't be!"

Nothing could protect the man from this angry man and he soon collapsed to the ground. Alerted by the noise, Wish Thornton rushed to the room and screamed:

"Honey! Stop!"

But her husband wasn't listening to her and she didn't dare put herself in danger either:

"Please, calm down. We will find a way.

-What way? All of this is because of that b***h! Why couldn't she do her job for once?

-I know, darling. I know. We will find her and send her back."

She shouldn't have talked because now the man's anger was directed at her:

"We couldn't find her anywhere for six years! Six years! Where the hell did that cunt hide? She couldn't do anything right. I told you from the beginning that she would be bad news."

Now it was the wife's turn to be angry:

"What should I have done? Should I have sent one of our sons? We can't lose them!

-You should have raised her correctly! It is all because of you that she stabbed us in the back!

-I couldn't know that she would run away! She had always been obedient."

Feeling his blood boil the man grabbed his sword and started attacking the table behind him. His wife didn't dare say anything and started crying. After a few minutes the man finally calmed down and seeing his wife cry, he hugged her:

"I am sorry. I know that it isn't your fault. All of this is because of that witch.

-Vorkalth, what are we going to do?"

Vorkalth Thornton looked around the room with a frown:

"We have to sell everything.

-Can't you just ask for some money? I am sure that your brother-

-How could you say that? What will they say about us if they hear about it? No, no one can ever find out."

He suddenly grabbed Wish's shoulders and forced her to look at him:

"We are going to sell everything we can and we are going to hire all the bandits we can. We are going to win this war no matter how."

The woman's face went pale:

"Sell everything? What do you mean? Do I have to sell my dresses?

-Of course you have to sell them! Who cares what you wear if we lose the war against the Shadowends. We can't lose against them. Never.

-But what about our mines? Is there still no news?"

Vorkalth shook his head:

"Nothing. I don't know who did this but as soon as I put my hands around their necks I'll kill them. Until then gather everything that's worth something. Go!"

Wish didn't wait any longer and ran away with tears running down her cheeks. How could their world crumble so suddenly? One day she was living in heaven and the next day they were at war and were falling behind. Not once would she have imagined this outcome. She always thought that she would live happily ever after if she married the Crown Prince. All of this was because of that tramp. Wish knew as soon as she gave birth to her that she was going to destroy her life. But she thought that she had raised her well and not once did she ever dare raise her voice against her parents. What happened to her? How could she burn down the whole Palace? Wish still couldn't believe what was being said about her daughter and thought that Shadowend lied to them.

Lie or not, now because of that slut she had to say goodbye to all her favorite necklaces and it was so painful for Wish that she fainted. Her nanny had to be the one to take the jewelry away and Wish spent the next few days crying without end. Vorkalth knew what state his wife was in but he didn't have time to pay attention to her. He had way bigger problems at the moment and the biggest one being that his soldiers couldn't stop retreating. Vorkalth didn't understand how this was possible. During the past six years, the fight had been very tight so how could they suddenly take the upper hand. It had come out of nowhere and Vorkalth suspected that someone came to help them. But who?

"Father?

-I don't have time.

-You haven't eaten anything in a day. You should take a break."

Vorkalth was so worried that he didn't even come to eat anymore. Not that there was much to eat anyway. The Palace's residents lost a lot of weight and almost all of them fell sick because of the cold. The only thing that could divert Vorkalth's attention was work and even if he wanted to escape it, he couldn't. If he stopped working, his country would be taken by the enemy. What would he say to his ancestors? He would be the laughing stock of History. He would rather commit suicide than lose his throne.

"A break? I can't take a break! If I take a break we are all done! Do you want us all to die?"

Ross quickly shook his head. He had never seen his father so angry before and he was terrified.

"N-no.

-How could you tell me to take a break? Are you stupid?

-No!

-Do you think I am cooped up here because I want to?

-I-I am sorry...

-If you don't have anything helpful to say then leave.

-Actually, I may have an idea..."

Vorkalth's head jerked up:

"Talk. What is it?

-Forcing people to join the army only makes them run away from the capital because they don't want to fight. Why not tell the people the truth? We could ask them to join the army voluntarily and promise to reward them.

-Oh what a splendide idea.

-Really?

-Of course not! How can you be so stupid? Do you think people will join the army just because we asked them nicely? If you continue saying things like that, I will send you off too.

-Calm down, father. It is not because of me that we are in this situation in the first place.

-Don't you dare talk about that. She is dead to us."

Ross raised his hands in the air in a sign of peace:

"Of course she is. I told you from the beginning that you shouldn't send her to them.

-Then should I have sent you?

-You should have attacked when you still had the time.

-It is easy to judge, try ruling for once.

-That's all I am asking for, father. I am more than ready to take on my responsibilities.

-How could I leave the country to you when you come up with such stupid ideas?

-Do you have a better idea? All you have done until now is sell all our belongings and where has this gotten you? We can't keep up much longer."

Vorkalth slapped Ross with all his might and the young man collapsed to the ground, stunned. It was surprising that Vorkalth held back his anger this long but it was his first time hitting his first born. Ross was so surprised that he started crying:

"Father?

-We will see if you can do better than me. I am sending you to war.

-What? Father, no!

-I have to. It is the best option. People have been reluctant to join because we are not fighting among them. Maybe this will motivate them.

-Father, please. I will do anything.

-I am sorry, Ross. This has to be done. And don't you dare think about running away. I am not making the same mistake twice."

And just like that, Ross Thornton got sent to war. Hearing the news, Wish ran to her husband, her body shaken by tears:

"How could you send our baby to war?

-I couldn't do anything else.

-Stop with your excuses! How could a father send his own son to war? The first born nonetheless!

-Mind your tone, woman!"

Wish froze.

"I am the head of this house and I have the last word. I am sending our son to war and you don't have any say in this decision."

Wish collapsed. She felt that her son wouldn't make it long and she was right. A week after he left for the front, a messenger arrived to announce Ross Thornton's death.