Time for the Villainess

Chapter 6

Imperia sat sideways and crossed her legs on the throne with a smile. She was wearing black pants and overall looked more like a pirate than a Queen. If someone suddenly walked in, their gaze would immediately be pulled towards her golden hair that looked like it was glowing despite being darker than before. She tied her hair in a ponytail and had locks of pink hair here and there. Same colored pieces of fabric could be found hanging from her pants and puffy white shirt. At her every movement those pieces of fabric would fly around her body and make her look weightless. Despite her ragged appearance, there was no mistaking it: she was the Queen in this room. For a second even Leora felt like kneeling.

Seeing her on the throne, her people bowed down, almost touching the ground. They didn't move for so long that Leora thought time had stopped. After looking at each and every one of them, Imperia laughed:

"This place looks nice, doesn't it? Let's make it our home, shall we?"

Everyone straightened up and went back to cheering loudly. Imperia couldn't stop laughing but suddenly bit her lower lip. Seeing her do so, a very tall and very skinny blond man bent towards her:

"What's wrong?"

Imperia rubbed her chin with a smile:

"Do you know what's missing? Music."

On these words, musicians walked in and seeing them, Imperia's smile widened:

"I love drums!"

All the musicians who came in had drums of different sizes and they got in place under the bandit's fury. As they started playing, Imperia jumped on her feet and started clapping on beat. Everyone had forgotten about Leora at this point and people started jumping up and down loudly. Imperia jumped off the platform and immediately ran to the middle of the dance floor. She put her hands in the air and people started dancing around her while Imperia was turning on herself. She couldn't stop laughing and seemed genuinely happy. Seeing her like that, Leora's heart squeezed. Had she ever seen Angeline smile like that?

The bandits who were holding Leora finally woke up and started dragging her out but Leora wasn't going to leave so easily. She finally woke up and escaped them before running towards Imperia. She didn't know herself what she would do when she would reach her but it didn't matter because she couldn't reach her no matter how hard she tried. Every time she took a step forward, another bandit would jump on her and Imperia didn't stop dancing one second not hearing about what was happening in the back of the room.

"Angeline! Angeline!"

Hearing her call their Queen's dead name, one of the bandits hit Leora behind the head. She got a bit stunned and needed a few seconds to get back to her body but by that time she was already out of the room.

"I just want to talk to her. Take me to your Queen. I insist.

-Our Savior is celebrating. You will see her when she wants to.

-But Angeline...

-Stop calling that name. She is Queen Imperia. She doesn't wear the name those people gave her."

Leora bit her lips. No matter how much she insisted, she got dragged to a cell and got left there without anything to eat for days. After the third day she really thought that she would die of thirst but someone finally remembered her and brought her water. Everyone who wasn't Imperia's men got dragged out of the Castle and got thrown into a cell if they resisted.

Imperia and the bandits celebrated their success for five days non stop. Wine was flowing freely and music didn't stop playing for a second. Because of the drums and of all the people in the ballroom jumping, the whole Castle was shaking above Leora's head. At the beginning she thought the place could collapse on her but it went on for so long that Leora got used to the shaking. She got so used to the noises that when it stopped, she needed a few minutes to understand what was missing.

The Castle went silent and it felt unusual. However no one came for Leora for another day and when she finally got dragged back to the ballroom, it was way emptier. Some bandits were sleeping on the ground and there was food on the floor but apart from that, there were only about ten people present. Among them was Imperia sitting on the throne with a smile. She was talking to the people around her and Leora couldn't hear what she was saying. Judging by the way she pointed to her dress, she must have been talking about that. She changed her clothing and was now wearing one of Leora's dresses. The latter never put it on and didn't even recognize it at first. Despite having been custom made for Leora, it looked like the dress belonged to Imperia.

It was a very long red dress with a princess skirt decorated of diamonds here and there. It had see-through shining long sleeves and a bustier. Leora never wore that dress because she said it looked like a child's dream but on Imperia it just looked right. That dress belonged to her. It had been made for her and it was emphasizing her position on the throne. Seeing her sitting on the throne that was once hers, Leora didn't feel revolted or angry. She just felt peace and a hint of sadness. She was finally free but seeing Imperia's smile broke her. Couldn't the two of them have ruled together since the beginning?

She didn't have time to think more because Imperia finally noticed her and gestured to her people to step back. Leora was the last person they had been waiting for it seemed because as soon as she walked in, Imperia straightened up:

"Finally! Where were you hiding? We have been waiting for you for hours."

One of the guards that was holding Leora bowed his head:

"I am sorry, Imperia.

-It's okay, Ymo. We have all the time in the world. But, let's get started shall we?"

Imperia looked at all the people standing in front of her and Leora looked at them too. She couldn't pretend she didn't feel what Imperia was going to do. In front of them were almost all the people who bullied Imperia during her stay in the Shadowend Palace. Leora even saw Diamanda who she hadn't seen in years.

"Who should we start with?"

The man next to Imperia tilted his head. He was the same blond man from last time:

"That girl looks like she will collapse any second."

They were talking about Diamanda. Seeing her, Imperia's eyes lit up:

"Diamanda? You are alive?"

Hearing her name, Diamanda started crying:

"I am so sorry, please don't kill me... Please..."

Hearing her plead made Imperia and the people next to her laugh:

"You already look like you are dying. What happened to you?"

Diamanda was still crying and Imperia was waiting for her to calm down patiently:

"Please don't kill me... Please, I am so sorry.

-Calm down, Diamanda. I didn't come to kill you.

-Please... I am so sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you. I am so sorry for everything. I shouldn't have hit you, I shouldn't have spilled tea on you, I shouldn't have made fun of you, I shouldn't-"

The man next to Imperia took a step forward visibly irritated:

"We don't have all day. Imperia asked you why you looked like shit."

Diamanda jumped:

"I-I am sorry. I..."

Imperia smiled, her chin resting in her hand:

"My friend is not as patient as me, I apologize for his behavior. But he is right, I don't care about excuses anymore. It was too long ago. So let's focus on the present.

-I-I..."

Diamanda had a very hard time speaking because the man next to Imperia was glaring at her and seeing that it wasn't coming any time soon, the bandit who went to get Diamanda stepped forward:

"She was already like this when we arrived. We found her in a cell under the Palace."

Imperia frowned:

"What were you doing in a cell?"

Everyone stared at Diamanda waiting for the gossip. One of the women behind Imperia was bending forward so bad that she could fall any second.

"I... I have been imprisoned for six years.

-Six years? Why were you imprisoned for six years?"

Someone behind Imperia coughed:

"Her nose exceeded the maximum load."

Everyone started laughing but Imperia turned around with a frown:

"Who said that?"

Feeling that Imperia was angry, all the laughs immediately died out.

"We don't criticize looks. That's one thing that's not okay. Did I make myself clear?"

Everyone nodded and Imperia turned back to Diamanda with a smile:

"I am sorry, go on with your story.

-Thank you... I got imprisoned soon after you left."

Imperia tilted her head:

"The math is not mathing. I left seven years ago.

-Yes, I know. But with the war and everything, it took time for me to be sentenced.

-And what were you sentenced for?"

Diamanda looked at her feet:

"For hurting you."