The moment Elara woke up, she felt drained both physically and mentally. She sighs looking up at the roof.
She had a weird dream of the king being here with her. But she knows it's too good to be true.
She took out her pear and munched on it with a resigned posture. She stops mid-chewing.
This feeling is too familiar for it to be a coincidence. She looks at the pear as bile rises to her throat.
She forgot that her stomach is not like others. If she doesn't eat anything for more than a day—then she'll have to discard every content in her stomach.
The door to the dungeon opens but she's already on her knees vomiting the little thing inside her.
The guards stop in their tracks, unsure of what to do. Should they help or just leave her be?
After all, they're fear is eminent since when she threw they're fellow guard meters away.
She slowly stands up, leaning on the wall. Dragging her feet and body, she walks to the rails.
They gently hold her before guiding her to the house of petals, before they return she stops them.
"Could you go and find me three snails with one green snake please. Keep them alive for me"
The guards look to eachother before slowly nodding. As they left her, she slides down to the floor vomiting again.
She's too drained to walk inside so she just lay back outside near the door.
Madame Tilda walks out and a gasp escapes her as she drags Elara into the house.
Elara was out cold and barely breathing. Just then she bolts up about to hurl when Madame Tilda picked up a can in front of her.
Sadly, because Elara has nothing in her. She was just dry heaving.
"Let me make you soup" Elara shakes her head.
"Wait till they bring the ingredients"
Over at the hall of sultans. The guards reported the suspicious ingredient the consort requested of them to the king.
The king wondered what she was up to. Could she be planning to perform some witchcraft of some sort?
He allowed them to do as she requested but to subtly find out what was wrong with her.
Lani later found out about Elara from the guards passing by as they discussed her pale face.
She all but rushes to the house of petals. The moment she was in she found Elara lying down, her lips blue and face as white as paper.
She remembers this face very clearly—Elara hasn't digested anything and now her body is poisoning itself.
Madame Tilda is on her knees as silent tears run down her cheeks. She really feels bad for Elara. Ever since she stepped foot in the outer realm; only misfortune keep finding her.
"Oh my god Elara" Lani squats to her side as Madame Tilda quickly wipes her tears.
"Have you sent for the ingredients?" She asks Madame Tilda who nods curtly.
"Hang in there my dear friend. The ingredients will be here soon" Elara groans softly with eyes still closed shut.
Princess Selene and the Queen soon found out what's wrong with Elara and rushed to the house of petals.
Princess Selene wanted to inform the king of what was happening to Elara but the Queen advised against it because she knows Elara wouldn't like it.
After thirty minutes of utter pain and dread, the guards finally brought the required ingredients and Lani quickly got to work.
The soup effect immediately started working since Elara drowned it without hurling it out.
The guards reported to the king about Elara ingesting all those ingredients.
How is it possible to drink a soup made of green snake, and three snails?
"Call me the consort" the king ordered while leaning in his chair. Is this finally his chance to end her life once and for all?
But a deep sinking feeling was lodged in his chest…what if the consort's trying to end her life?
His mind flashes back to when he saw crying in the dungeon of solace. Was she really that depressed to want to end her life?
He taps his finger impatiently as the guards are taking too long? Could she be already dead?
He sits up with his body burning up with a weird feeling.
The guards barge in with a low bow. "Well? Where is she?" The king asks growing…restless?
"Your majesty, the consort i-is…." The king didn't wait for the guards to complete their sentence as he bolted up from his throne.
He rushes to the house of petals with his heart lodged in his throat. He doesn't know what this foreign feeling is but all he knows is he needs to see with his eyes that the consort is okay
The moment he steps into the palace interiors, the first thing he sees is her pale face and purple lips as she lays still.
He then registered the people around her; Madame Tilda, princess Selene, the Queen and a court maid.
He steps into Elara's orbit with tentative steps. His hand twitches but he can't find the will to check her vital points.
Elara then starts coughing up blood. Madame Tilda begins to panic but Lani releases a sigh of relief.
"She's okay, thank goodness" she exhales, and Elara gently opens her eyes.
Her face was still pale and lifeless but that doesn't matter. What matters is that she didn't kill herself.
The king, without a second thought in mind, hugs Elara, breathing her in like he's trying to convince himself she's alive and okay?