Chapter 7: THE FATE OF THE EMPRESS-1
"Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we're settling for."
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Concubine Merlia was trying hard to control her twitching mouth! She wanted to give a beautiful and big smile to Empress Rosella. Her heart was full of happiness and she felt that she could faint after hearing this piece of information.
"The witch will die! I have never imagined that her end would be like this. This is unbelievable! Anyways how can anyone bring the antidote in such a small time? Even the Gods cannot save her now!
No one indeed knows the location of the antidote and if from anywhere they get their hands on it, then also it is not a hundred percent sure that Rosella could be saved! If I had known earlier that Araachnia Poison will bring her to the doors of death, then I would have used it earlier! That's not fair. Such a pity!"
Merlia could not put a stop on her thoughts! But inside, she knew. She knew if Empress Rosella would have caught her doing such a heinous deed, then even her Emperor Austin wouldn't have been able to save her from Rosella's wrath! She shuddered, after thinking the horrible punishment, Rosella inflicted on those who harmed her!
Merlia had once seen this punishment together with the Emperor! Both of them saw with their own eyes, how Empress Rosella was peeling off the skin of a concubine! There was blood on her face and her dress but she didn't care!
Afterward, the half living concubine was fed to the wild rats! Merlia never gathered enough courage to witness another punishment! It absolutely terrified her!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Three years ago, The Imperial Palace, 9:30 pm
"Your Majesty!!! please spare my life! I didn't know there was poison on her clothes! I am innocent, someone is trying to frame me! I created no problems for you. I loved and served you wholeheartedly! You promised me, you will protect me from evil people! Please reconsider your decision, Your Highness!! I beg you!!!" the Imperial Concubine Raine was begging to Emperor Austin.
Emperor Austin was in a predicament. He was observing the whole drama with sympathy in his eyes. He was sympathizing with Rainne, his heart felt pity for her. But Raine could not produce the desired effect on Emperor Austin.
She was quite favored! Though Emperor Austin pampered her, he didn't love her. She was an object of pleasure for him. Sometime, during their lovemaking session, the Emperor might have assured to protect her during the heat of the moment, but this measly concubine was not sufficient reason for him to go against his Empress! And that too an ill-tempered one!
She was being led to the torture chambers by the Empress' personal guards. Her original Angel-like innocent face was covered with mud and muck. She always looked like a fairy but now her hair was all scattered, all her clothes were disheveled and torn from some areas like a troll. She represented quite a pitiful figure!!
"SCREAM!!! Scream and beg more loudly! Everyone in this palace must hear you! Oh! and now you dare to say that you are framed? Do you mean that this Empress is unjust? How DARE you to call this Phoenix evil! Does this Empress has no eyes or ears or is she plain FOOLISH? I can't distinguish right from wrong, in your eyes? Are you challenging me? Today, I will set a new example for everyone! You should be happy that you are sacrificing yourself for the sake of others. I will show you what EVIL is!!"
Empress Rosella was seething with rage. She looked like Queen Persephone- The Queen of the Underworld, who had come directly from the Tartarus to claim the lives! A bloodthirsty aura was radiating from her...
If it had been a simple plan to assassinate her, then she would not have been very very much angered. But this plan involved the life of an innocent, of her adopted cousin brother Adriane's four-year-old son! They were not related by blood but the two families of Rosella and Adriane were quite close.
The little guy loved wearing her Aunt's(Empress Rosella) Phoenix robes. He did not want to wear the Emperor's robes, moreover, his Empress aunt is his future wife, so Phoenix robes somehow belonged to him too, right?
In order to not dirty them, he would stand on the bed, wear them and act like his Aunt when Empress Rosella was in a very serious mood! He would scold his nanny, imitating Empress Rosella. This little boy Jayden would come to the Empress' Palace four-five times during a month. His mother died when he was only two and his father Adriane also went missing at that time. So Rosella's parents were taking care of him from that time...
This time too Jayden came to visit Rosella but she was busy, so Jiuli took Jayden directly to the Phoenix Palace on her orders.
The same day, 1 pm
The robes were sent for being washed to the washing department. So, Rosella was wearing her other one. But when she was away, the Phoenix robes were delivered to her palace. They were thoroughly checked but everything was perfect. Meanwhile, when Jayden was waiting patiently to see his aunt and his future wife, his little eyes fell on the Phoenix robes.
As he was habitual, he took it and wore it. He kept on playing for half an hour. Then Empress Rosella came back to her palace. Jayden heard her voice and ran to her, but midway he fainted. When Rosella hurried to him, she saw foam coming out of his mouth. Immediately she called her personal physician Julia, who was a poison expert and Jiuli's sister.
Since Jayden was a child and that too a male, so the effect of poison was not severe and Julia cured him instantly. But if the Empress had been in contact with poison, then she would have died within ten minutes with no sign of poisoning, since the poison worked on females only by disturbing their hormones and internal organs.
Though Empress Rosella would have detected it with the help of her loyal maids. But she was unaware that the robes would be delivered in her absence and Jayden would wear them and get poisoned! Empress Rosella was seeing red, she was like a mother tiger ready to kill to protect her cub.
She summoned her personal bodyguards."Ray! send all your female subordinates to follow Jiuli and Julia to the chambers of each and every concubine! Not a single one should be left!" Rosella would have sent Ray and his guards but men were not allowed to enter the harem. But the female guards were also highly skilled.
Rosella has personally recruited them and families of some of them have worked under her family for generations. So, they were highly competent and loyal. They didn't even listen to the Emperor. So Emperor Austin didn't bother to give them any task. For them, only Rosella was their master and others were just flies!
They were a team of sixty people in total, thirty-five males and thirty females. But no one knew this because only thirty of the total guards were present in the palace, the rest were somewhere else stationed, by the Empress.
But what was even more shocking was that the Empress had hidden spies, who kept an eye on all the concubines present in the palace. Otherwise, how could she have protected herself from the poisonous schemes? Within three hours, the result was kept in front of her!!!
"Uh huh! So this time it was concubine Rainne. She took quite tricky measures to hide it but I am the Empress, she can't compete with me!!!" Empress Rosella laughed with full of evil intentions.
"As the leader of the harem, it is my duty to educate her! Ray! Send this report to the Emperor!"
Emperor Austin was in the middle of a discussion with his main ministers when he received the Empress' report. It was a short note-
"If you have anything to do with concubine Rainne then do it now, because she won't live to see tomorrow's sun. She tampered the Phoenix robes, poisoned Jayden and tried to kill me."
Emperor Austin knew that he could do nothing to protect Rainne. Already seven of his concubines had lost their lives in trying to kill Rosella. He could be bothered less about it. Moreover, he was concerned about Jayden.
"We will discuss it afterward. I have to see to an important issue"
He then hurried to check Jayden's condition. Though Jayden didn't like his emperor uncle Austin but Austin loved him a lot as he didn't have his own children. He pampered Jayden a lot.
"Is Jayden alright? Where is he?" asked Emperor Austin as soon as he entered Rosella's sleeping chambers.
"You know what AUSTIN!!! Why don't you burn down your harem? It would be a big relief to you as well as to me!!! I am going to show you today, what will happen if you don't put a leash on your whores!!!" Rosella's temper has crossed all the limits now. She didn't even spare the Emperor.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Sapphirechelsea237
Sapphirechelsea237 OK guys, I can't continue the same chapter for any longer. The rest will be in the next chapter which I will publish soon! :)
Please comment and give some suggestions :)
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