Since they had decided to play dirty using the harem rules, Emilia decided to do the same.
"Since Catherine had already admitted her fault, then I wouldn't make things hard for you." Georgina spoke up, exchanging looks with Eleanor before she continued.
"Why don't you serve tea to Eleanor and bury the hatch?"
"What do you think, Eleanor?" Georgina suggested, meaning to humiliate Emilia further.
With prideful shoulders, Eleanor picked a cup and raised her nose.
"Since a maid caused this misunderstanding, then I will let it slide," she said, waiting for Emilia to pour the drink for her.
Emilia breathed in slowly and strode forward. Her expression is calm, too calm for the reaction they are expecting.
She stood in front of Eleanor, who smirked, raising her cup even higher in her face until Emilia raised her hand.
The room froze and everyone's mouth opened wide at her hand up in the air, wondering what she was up to.
For five full seconds, Emilia's hand remained suspended in the air. Eleanor's bravado faltered, confusion flickered across her face and, just as her body began to relax, Emilia's mouth parted slightly, and her hand descended on Eleanor's face hard.
Pah!
The sound sliced through the silence. Eleanor widened her eyes, clutching her cheek and glared at Emilia, but before she could say anything to confront her, Emilia's hand dealt another slap on her cheek.
This time, Eleanor yelped in pain, stunned.
Shock rippled across the room on everyone else's faces, and they couldn't help but think that Emilia had lost her mind.
Georgina rose from her seat, totally taken aback and lashed out at Emilia.
"Have you lost your mind!" she screamed hard, finding her action unbelievable. Eleanor fumed quietly beside her, her fist ready to tear Emilia apart.
Emilia turned slowly, her voice poised and cold.
"Mother, I am merely following the palace rules and correcting the wrongs you have pointed out," she answered, and Georgina stared in confusion.
"What rules?" she questioned furiously.
"The rules of the harem have been clear for centuries, to differentiate clearly between the hierarchy of each quarter in the harem." "As long as a Queen is crowned in the Kingdom, no other woman in the palace is allowed to wear phoenix crown, except the Queen Mother." Emilia recounted and turned towards Eleanor, whose face fell hearing her words.
"Consort Eleanor came into my quarters wearing a gown laced with phoenix patterns and, even right now, she is wearing a phoenix golden hair pin on her head," she pointed out and Eleanor tightened her fist.
She has always worn jewelry made with phoenix and gold because she has always seen herself as the Queen ever since she got married to the palace.
None of the Queens crowned in the past has had an issue with it. Although the rule was clear, they didn't dare to question her about it.
Eleanor turned to Georgina, urging her to defend her again and Georgina did.
"Consort Eleanor has indeed broken that rule, but how can you hit her right in my presence?"
"Aren't you disregarding me as well?" Georgina fired.
"Pardon me mother, I am simply eager to vindicate you."
"If not, when the news of Consort Eleanor's contempt for the harem conduct is made known, how would you clear yourself?" Emilia answered wittily.
Eleanor's face drained of color at her words and she looked anxiously at Georgina again, who continued to aid her.
"What rubbish are you spewing? How can you be so unreasonable?"
"Isn't Consort Eleanor the one who is being unreasonable, mother?" Emilia replied, infuriating Georgina more by calling her mother.
"You just gave me punishment for breaking the rules, but are you now trying to bend it for consort Eleanor?"
"Her action is no less than her disregarding the rules laid down and looking down on the Queen's quarter." Emilia went on hotly.
"You…"
The words on Georgina's lips got stuck, and she fumed quietly instead.
"That's nonsense!" she shouted.
"If it is, then we can only interpret it as her showing contempt towards the monarch who made the rules and calling it nonsense." Emilia continued sharply.
"What?!" Eleanor exclaimed, horrified by the weight of the accusation laid on her.
She trembled and felt some fire cooling on her buttocks. The rule that the Queen is the only one allowed to wear phoenix gold jewelry in the harem was passed on by the first monarch to declare her sovereign rule.
Accusing her of showing contempt towards the monarch is an offense punishable by a couple of beatings and stripping of her title.
She had no idea that Emilia would have profound knowledge of such rules and even knew the implications clearly.
Catherine and the other two concubines also looked on, stunned by how Emilia was able to use an issue that was so little to make Eleanor and the Queen Mother tremble.
"You are only making things up, Emilia, no one will believe these things just because you said them." Georgina shot in her face, but Emilia smiled calmly.
"Don't be so quick to bury me, mother," she told her.
"Of course, I have evidence, or I wouldn't dare to make such an accusation openly," she said, and walked over to Eleanor, standing closely in front of her.
"The seat in the Queen Mother's left hand, where consort Eleanor is sitting, has always been occupied by the Queen according to the palace rules. Other women in the harem are to sit at least two feet away from the Queen."
" This, right now, is an overt declaration that you covet my crown and, according to the rules, mother…" Emilia's voice trailed off, leaving them to complete the words in their hearts before she continued.
"Seeing this, this only makes her intention clearer to everyone."
"Sedition against the Queen is also a crime against the throne," Emilia accused loudly.
"You're accusing me of treason just because I sat in a chair?" Eleanor yelled, rising to her feet.
"What nonsense?" Georgina grunted.
"If you still think it's nonsense, then why don't we seek the opinion of others and the King?" Emilia added quickly.
"No, don't." Eleanor blurted out in fear and her lips trembled.
"Isn't it just some phoenix hairpin, then I can take it off," she said, removing the hairpin and tossing it to the floor.