Chapter 128 - Cut To The Quick

"What happened…?" Elora mumbled as she aroused from her unconscious state. "Wait, where am I?"

As Elora hoisted herself up on one elbow to get a better understanding of her surroundings, a sharp pain under her jaw made her gasp loudly.

"My God, what is this?" she cried as she rubbed her tender jaw. "Why am I hurting in such an odd place?"

Then she looked around and realized that she was lying on a bed near the front of the infirmary, a place where she had never expected to be. It was nighttime, and a single lit lantern was placed on her nightstand to illuminate her way once she awoke. The moon's light shone in through the tall windows behind each bed in the line and with it's aid, Elora stood up, making sure she was still decently presentable. Though, unfortunately, her hair was a mess and her nails were chipped.

"Tsk!" she clicked her tongue as she fixed her hair and sighed. "I'm a mess. But why ever am I here?" Elora frowned as she tried to remember, and as the memories of this evening flooded back to her, her face contorted in a state of anger. The last thing she remembered was launching herself at that despicable red-head. But what happened afterwards? Was she the reason Elora had been in bed?

"What did that b*tch do to me!?" Elora screamed at the dark hall. "What did she do!?"

"Quiet." The sudden voice came from the other side of the infirmary. It was so low it would've gone unnoticed by her if she had not shut up at that very moment.

Elora turned her head towards the direction of the sound, and from the darkness emerged a lean woman dressed in the convenient infirmary clothing. It was almost impossible to recognize Enya in her sick state, but she was still very much identifiable.

"You!" Elora hissed as her rage came back to her. "I remember what you did, too! What is the problem with everyone? Why does everybody hate me? Why do you treat me like this?"

"Quiet," Enya whispered once again. "It's you who treats everyone like dirt. That is precisely why no one finds you attractive."

Elora scoffed and screamed, "It's you who isn't attractive, you freak!"

Enya gave a simple smile as she stood in the middle of the otherwise quiet infirmary. 

"Lady Obsilia," she said softly as she stared into Elora's eyes, "whatever makes you think I'm looking to attract you?"

Elora frowned. "Isn't that what a mistress should be? Attractive?"

Enya shrugged. "Maybe that's what you think. The Emperor never took me in for my figure or my face, Lady Obsilia. Like he told you a few days ago, I have an exceptional voice, a talent, something of worth. But what about you? Is your face the only thing you have to provide? Have you no other thing of worth?"

Elora seethed in her spot as she tried to think about something to say, but she had been left speechless. Indeed, it was the bitter truth. Her pretty face and curvy figure was all she had going on for her. Even though she was aware of her trash personality, what could she do when it had been embedded in her since birth? She had always been taught to treat the lowly with contempt and to suck up to the high nobles.

It was all in her blood and she had never once seen to correct it. She knew she was despised because of her personality, but actually hearing about it to her face… She felt almost crippled by it. 

"Shut up!" Elora screamed so loud that her throat caught up. "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up! How dare you say I'm worthless save for my face? I-I have talent, too! I'm incredibly smart, yes I am!"

"Is that so?" Enya asked as she arched an eyebrow. "Then what is a pillory?"

Elora frowned. "I don't know that."

"Of course you don't."

Elora scoffed as she realized what Enya's point had been. 

"Are you ridiculing me, you b*tch?" Elora hissed as she advanced towards the sick woman. "This is why I poisoned you with that fruit, because you deserve it, you little wretch! I'm gonna-"

"Oops, careful what you say, my lady," Enya said as she stifled a laugh. "The Emperor might just be right behind you."

A cold sweat broke out on Elora's forehead. "Yeah, right," she muttered as she turned around to check. "As if that old fart will ever-"

And indeed, there stood the Emperor in all his glory, looking down at his rude mistress with a look of amusement.

"Y-Your Majesty!" Elora gasped and fell down into a deep curtsy. "I apologize for my rudeness, I was just swept away by the moment. I swear upon God, this rarely ever happens."

"Is that so?" the Emperor asked in his gruff voice as he fixed the sleeves of his grand robe. "But I've witnessed the opposite, my dear, since your antics started the moment you arose. Perhaps, you need to stay at the infirmary for much longer, so that you can recover from this childish state of yours."

"N-No, Your Majesty!" Elora cried as she fell to her knees and took a hold of His Majesty's robes. "Please! Don't do this to me! There's no way I can stay in the same hell hole as this b*tch!" she cried and pointed to innocent Enya who rolled her eyes. Elora turned back to the Emperor. "I swear to never be rude again, Your Majesty, so please, just give me another chance! I'll be the best mistress you can ever have." Elora stood up and leaned in real close to the Emperor in an attempt to seduce him. She twirled her hair around her finger and stared deep into his uninterested eyes. "I'll do whatever you please..."

The Emperor smiled and leaned in as well, till his mouth was perfectly aligned to his lovely mistress' ear. 

"Perhaps you're better off isolated," he whispered quietly. 

As he stood back, Elora's eyes widened as she realized what he had meant.

"No!" she screamed a she completely let go of herself and took a hold of the Emperor's leg. "You can't do this to me! Not when I've spent my whole life chasing after the Empress' position."

"But in my eyes," the Emperor leaned down and pinched her chin, "you weren't even in the running, dear."

With those harsh words, the Emperor pulled his leg roughly away from Elora's grasp and walked away from her while she sat on the floor in a puddle of her own tears. 

"She is to be kept here until my say so," he bellowed to a guard as he left. Elora broke down into a full river as she heard the door bang behind him. Enya watched from the dark as the act carried out, and then retired to her bed at the very back of the hall where Garnet awaited her. 

It was indeed a heartbreaking scene for the dark haired woman as she cried about her fate, since she had been the one who had led it to this. She knew she hadn't been a good person, but she hadn't expected this from life, not after she had tried so hard for the throne. She had taken various classes to perfect her etiquettes; her parents had spent thousands on her just so she could look like a decent Empress; she had gone on harsh diets just to stay attractive, and was this what she got in the end? Rejection? Suffering? Agony?

Was this the end of poor Elora Obsilia's dreams? 

✿

Yvonne waited outside the infirmary while the Emperor got done with his overdue business. Screams filled the corridor as the night progressed, and Yvonne laughed at Elora's worthless apologies. 

Unmistakably, it had been her idea to lead the Emperor to the infirmary while telling him all about the woman's antics. She had gone wayyy~ overboard, and Yvonne had had enough of her. If she could, she would've thrown her out herself, but that would just ruin her image. 

Yvonne waited while the Emperor gave the finishing blow, and it was all over. 

"All done?" Yvonne asked as the Emperor re-emerged from the infirmary with a scowl on his face. 

"You should've informed me earlier if she was being this problematic," he muttered as he started walking, Yvonne by his side. "And I was left speechless when she confessed to poisoning Enya. Who could have known!?"

Yvonne scoffed softly. Lots of people, she thought. Almost everyone in the palace was aware of it. Almost.

"What are you planning to do about her now?" Yvonne asked nonchalantly.

The Emperor sighed. "Well for now, I'll have her isolated at the infirmary till she bandages up things with Enya. At first, I wondered if she was better suited for the dungeons, but I don't want to ruin relations with Duke Obsilia. He's been a big aid to the economy recently, and I don't want to lose that."

Yvonne nodded. "Not bad." Not bad at all. But she wasn't sure how Elora would fare after being humiliated like that. And there were no guarantees she wouldn't do anything to Enya, still, since hatred like these never died. 

"I would love a relaxing bath now," the Emperor muttered. "Care to join me, my love?"

A shiver ran down Yvonne's body. 

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty," she said sweetly, turning to him.. "I'm afraid I have other business to attend to."