Elmira Sielstone: The Empress

Chapter Four

Elmira has been staying in her room for almost already a week. She's been so worn-out the past days due to the over-usage of her Qaraths. Though She managed to maintain the Dust inside Gemus' bodies to limit their movements, she's been greatly affected by her usage of her Qaraths. As she still hasn't reached the age she had set for her body to fully function, every time she's over using her Qarath, her Hazzle's body will always be affected.

Elmira is in her veranda, overlooking the beautiful land of Harzenia. She needed some fresh air to breathe to cleanse her body and to slowly cure herself, and suddenly, she noticed a presence outside her room. She can see the Hazzle standing outside her room in her head, undecided whether to knock or not, until the Hazzle just decided to knock behind her door.

As she still needs to recuperate, and should not use her Qarath very often, even though she feels so weary, She walked towards her door because she knew who it was, waiting for her.

"MaRed…"

"Are you alright? You're - you're so pale." Her MaRed reached Elmira's hand to get her temperature. "You have a fever, Mira. What are you really doing to yourself?"

She's been so worried about Elmira's condition ever since they had arrived, but she just couldn't find a way to meet her due to her own schedules. As a parent of the current King of Harzenia, she also has a duty to perform in the Palace, which she had neglected for years.

"I'm fine Ma." She smiled to assure her MaRed that she's fine, just a little sick.

She entered Elmira's room without even waiting for Elmira to tell her to come in. Elmira closed her doors when her MaRed was already inside her room.

"Yes You're fine, but your body isn't. What have you been doing lately to be sick? I told you to take care of yourself when I'm not around, right?"

She knows that her MaRed hates it when she's lying, especially about her condition, but she's enjoying it when her grandmother takes care of her whenever she's sick. She loves it when her grandmother prepares her food, gives her own-made herbal medicines, she loves it when her MaRed gets so frustrated whenever she can't cure Elmira, and she loves it when her MaRed won't leave her side until she recovers.

She misses her a lot, even if she doesn't say anything.

"Sorry. But I'm fine... Really." She knew she couldn't convince her grandmother so easily, so she hugged her really tight.

"MaRed, don't worry. I'm fine. And if I'm not, you'll always be the first one to know. I promise." Her grandmother hugged her back.

"Fine. But you need to take your meds. That's the only way I can be at ease." Elmira released her grandmother from her tight hug, and looked at her.

"I'll bring your meds here myself. Make sure to drink water from time to time. Okay? I'll be back."

Redina left her room as fast as she could to get Elmira some medicines to cure her sickness. Redina knows very well that Elmira can't be cured with Qaraths so she really needed to get medicines, herbal or not. She tried it back then in Glith but Elmira's condition had just worsened. She's still trying to use her Qarath sometimes to cure Elmira, but she always fails.

Elmira walks towards her veranda again, because she's feeling better there, overlooking the back part of the Palace where she can see the mountains, the back garden of the Palace, and she can also see Winxpells flying freely in the air.

"I thought they're not accepting visitors?"

Elmira looked down as she heard someone talking from below. They're gossiping about the Royal Family, and it looks like they were talking about her.

"Right. And the King's Father and her Wife are back."

"Really? Since when? I haven't seen them even once."

The two keep on gossiping while in the middle of their work. They are currently in the garden, curing the plants that have nearly died.

"Why do these plants keep on dying? It's been a while now."

She shifted her gaze to the other workers nearby.

"I heard, The Palace is still checking for the reason behind it. They're taking too long to figure it out. And, Looks like all these plants will die first before they even found the reason why."

Elmira had been so into them, that she didn't even look for her grandmother even though she knows she's already there beside her, holding a tray of medicine and water. She just couldn't take her eyes off the workers.

"Mira. Here. Drink this before it gets cold." Elmira shifted her attention to her MaRed, then to the herbal medicine in a glass, and then to her MaRed again.

"What's the matter?"

"It doesn't look good." She said, being disgusted.

The medicine has a mixture of purple and blue color that is really not appealing to the eyes and Elmira doesn't like to eat nor drink these kinds of food or medicine.

"It doesn't look good, but it can cure illnesses. C'mon. Drink this fast."

"MaRed. I'm just curious about one thing... Did you -- make this yourself?"

"As much as I wanted to do this, they did not let me. I got it from the Medical wing. And your food will arrive later as they also insisted."

Staring again on the medicine Redina had brought, Elmira's studying it just by looking.

"I'll drink it… But, we should get inside first. I'll carry that for you MaRed." Elmira got the tray on her MaRed's hands and she walks through her room first as she observes the medicine she's holding.

She placed the tray on top of her table and faced Redina who followed her all the way.

"We're already inside, Mira, are you just making excuses?" She's pissed, but she only wanted her to drink the medicine as she's just so concerned about Elmira's health.

"I'll drink it later. For now let's sleep."

"What Slee--" She made her sleep through eye contact, just like what she did last time to take them here in the Palace.

She made sure that her MaRed won't wake up until she figured out something.

" I need you here in my room, as soon as possible." She called her parents and Smith through her mind to discuss something with them. As Redina doesn't have any idea about her real identity, she must not hear anything about what she's going to say.

The door of her room suddenly swung open, as the three had arrived at the same time, and The King was the one holding the door knob.

"What's going on El?" The Queen asked her as soon as she entered the room. The two had followed her inside the room and closed the door when they were all inside.

"Nothing much. But, what can you see in this medicine?" She showed them the glass with the medicine and handed it to them.

"That's a medicine for high fever. Why do you have that? Are you sick?" As the Queen and Elmira's Mother, it is just normal for her to worry about her Daughter's condition, she hasn't seen her for so long afterall.

"My body's sick. But that's not what I'm trying to say." She said, still looking at the glass of medicine that the Queen is holding.

"It's just plain medicine, El. But why do you need medicine if you can be cured by a Healing Qarath?" The King asked in confusion.

"She can't be cured with any Healing Qarath, ever since she was born, if you have forgotten. But we tried it again in Glith, and it only worsened her situation." Smith said. They knew how Elmira was back then when they tried to heal her. They had tried everything, but it didn't work well, and then they tried to heal her using herbal medicines, slowly, Elmira got better and better everyday. But they didn't know that it is not what makes Elmira regain her health. It's something else that only she has the knowledge of.

"No one can see it." She whispered

"What do you mean? What's really in here?" The Queen heard her as she's just inches apart from her, and held the glass of medicine in front of her eyes, inspecting it carefully.

"It's poisoned." Everyone became silent as they were all processing what they heard in their minds.

"That's not possible." She checks the medicine again as she can't believe what she had heard.

"You just casually said that I'm wrong." Elmira stared blankly towards Elizabeth.

"What? N-no. I did not El. I just.. It's just so impossible to --"

"Who would've possibly poisoned you?" The King cuts the Queen for what she's trying to say as she's not helping, if it is even true that the medicine is poisoned.

"Did your MaRed make this?"

"No." She shrugged her head as an answer for Smith's question. "It's from the Medical Wing. I have checked it myself." Elmira had checked the facts ahead of time before they even got in here, even before she put Redina into sleep.

"Quiet." Elmira has noticed a presence going into the direction of her room. Her room is at the end of the hallway on the third floor and the only room that is being used there.

"Someone's coming."

They all remained silent. In a second, they heard loud knocks on her door.

"Stay quiet." She covered the room with a spell to conceal everyone in her room before she opened the door.

"Food delivery." The man bowed in front of her as soon as she opened the door in respect for the people who were living in the Palace.

"Everything contains poison." She said in the back of her head. Trying not to be suspicious in front of the person who delivered her food..

Elmira examined the food that they have served for her before acknowledging the respect she has received.

"You can go now." But before the man turned away, Elmira caught him grinning.

"Wait a minute." Elmira called for him. He stopped, but he didn't face her.

The man is a Hazzle, but he seems so odd.

"You've been serving the Family for three years now, because your Family died… and you're blaming them for what had happened… Now, you're making a move. How selfish of you." Elmira couldn't bring it up to him, so she just said it in her mind, analyzing the person in front.

"Never mind." Elmira used her Qarath to read the man's mind, though she must not use her Qarath so often, she can't help it. Everything in Harzenia is a problem, and every problem must be solved.

She pushed the cart inside her room when the man's finally out of her sight and removed the Concealing Qarath inside her room.

"What happened?" The Queen helped her from pushing the cart using her own Qarath.

"Nothing. Just gave that food MaRed had promised. And the food contains little poison"

"Are they trying to kill you?" Elizabeth asked, worrying about Elmira's safety.

"No."

"They're trying to control everyone using that poison.And no one from you can see the poison, because it's a Gemus thing. And no ordinary Hazzle can see it." Elmira couldn't even say that out loud as she doesn't want to frighten anyone. So she just put it behind her mind.

"I really must not use any Qaraths as I am healing myself, but you have a really big problem out here, and I am the only one who can counter Gemus' Qaraths." Elmira constantly talks to herself, as she couldn't bring it up to them out loud.

"The water in the Palace has been poisoned. And that's also the reason why your plants are constantly dying even after curing."

They were all listening attentively as Elmira's speaking in front of them.

"So we've been poisoned? But as far as I can see, we're all just fine" The Queen stated.

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"You're well protected, and can't be affected by that poison so no worries. But your people do"

Elmira walked towards her Veranda again and saw the people working down there, doing what they were assigned to.

"As you can see. Your people are all gossiping… that's a sign. But it can be worse when they're continuously poisoned."

"What do we do now? We can't even notice the poison." The King asked in confusion.

"The person behind this will just intensify the poison when he or she notices that the poison is already defective. I'll cleanse the water, but you need to heal those who have been poisoned."

Because I can't do it all. My body couldn't handle that much work and the amount of the Qarath that will be used. If only I can, I will. But not in this condition. If I force myself, everything will just be wasted. She said again behind her mind.

"But how?"

Elmira looked on the bed where Redina is.

"She can help you."

"Mama Red? How?" Elmira couldn't handle the questions that they were asking. "Couldn't they just find it out by themselves? Did I just give you brains for nothing?" Said Elmira silently in her mind. But Elmira, even being annoyed, answered everything carefully and clearly. It's her people's fault anyways.

"She's been curing me all these years. She thought that she could cure me just with her herbal medicines, but the truth is, I have enhanced her Healing Qarath. Especially her Qarath for making medicines. Here."

Elmira suddenly has something in her hands, giving them each a copy.

"The ingredients and where to find them are already written there, and the next page is all about the procedure on how to make the medicine. Guide her, and just give her a good reason why you need to do that. That's the only thing I can help you with. You need to discover other things, yourselves."

I can't always feed you the answers to your problems. You can't learn when you're always relying on me.

Elmira entered her room again and sat beside her grandmother who's still in her deep slumber. As much as she wanted to tell her grandmother what was going on in her, she couldn't. She can only pretend that she's still the Elmira she has known for the past years.

"If ever you encounter any problem making the medicine, don't look for me. I can't give you answers any further. That's all. You can all go now except for PaSmith"

The King and the Queen looked towards each other as if talking with their eyes. They couldn't even talk with their daughter for just a normal conversation, having the parent-daughter relationship.

"I know you're always here inside my room every time I'm having a rest at night. That's why I didn't ban you two for teleporting in and out of my room, because she's still your daughter, and you have the right to do so." She relayed her message through their minds, as she can read what they're thinking.

They were so amazed as they thought that Elmira didn't know that they were visiting her every night. But even Elmira knew, and having a hard time pretending to be asleep every time they were inside her room, she still recognizes their right for her as Elmira is still their daughter and their daughter that they have never seen growing up.

Smith and Redina were the only one left with her in her room as the two Royalties had unfinished business, and were doing something when they were called to come into Elmira's room.

"You need to cure the plants this midnight" Elmira started. Smith sits on a couch just beside Elmira's bed.

"Do I need to do it in secret?"

"Not totally, unless you want them to witness your thing." Elmira grinned.

Both of them stayed quiet for a moment, until Elmira had spoken.

"I hope you're taking good care of the mirror..."

"The mirror can answer questions, But doesn't give direct answers. You need to interpret it by yourself alone, as you can only use that, other than me." Elmira paused a second and looked towards Redina who in no time will be awakened.

"I hope you think first before asking questions. It can mislead people. Beware. "

Elmira threw the water and the medicine in her sink to show Redina that she had drunk it all because she doesn't want to upset her, even if she's been lying her whole life as Elmira. She even flushed the food in her toilet bowl, on the other hand, Smith's just watching her doing her things before Redina had woken up.

"What happened? I suddenly felt drowsy. Have you drunk your meds?"

"Of course. I told you. I'll drink it. And look, I'm done eating, it was delivered right after you fell asleep." Smith couldn't do anything for what Elmira's been doing ever since, he just always pretends that nothing's going on. And he's so amazing when it comes to respecting Elmira.

"Okay. Wait… Why are you here?" Redina was shocked to see Smith inside Elmira's room.

"Oh. I called PaSmith to get you to your room to have a proper rest, but you've woken up."

"I see. We'll be out then. I have something left to do."

Elmira locked her room after they all left and removed her Healing Qarath that she's been using ever since they all entered her room to conceal her paleness, and to prevent herself from vomiting. She's been feeling so dizzy ever since she had woken up earlier and just inhaled some fresh air in her veranda when Redina went to see her.

When suddenly, she holds tight on her bed, and shut her eyes as if controlling herself.

Stop it… Gemus… stop -- getting other's Qaraths. Please… a tear fell down her eye, she's been enduring everything on her own, she's hurting.

Blood ran down her nose and she wiped it with her hands without opening her eyes. She's so vulnerable right now, but she knows she can't do anything right at this moment. She can only endure it, but not for so long.

"You're killing me. Again and again."

Her eyes glowed as she opened it again. The color of her eyes turned red, a sign that she's hurting. She blinked fast and it slowly turned back to its original color.

When she had felt a little better, she walked through her bathroom to clean herself. She must not be seen in this condition, not in this kind of state, and she knew that more than anyone else.