Chapter 84: Don’t hurt me more
"Grandmother!"
Emily had raced through the corridors in search of her grandmother, finally spotting her strolling along one of the passageways adjacent to the royal court. She quickly ran towards the older woman with worry written all over her face.
"What is the matter, Emily? Did they find the thieves?" The Mother Queen questioned, her footsteps halting when her granddaughter came to stand before her.
"I need your help, Grandmother, and it’s urgent," Emily hastily implored before she went on to explain, "Queen Maya is punishing the servants who were previously bestowed with gold coins by our family members. She claims they stole them and labelled them as thieves when they were innocent. Please help them get out of this predicament. My maid, Anna, is also being falsely framed."
The Mother Queen frowned and said, "If she’s your maid, then you are the one who is in charge of punishing her. Queen Maya should know better."
Emily was filled with anxiety because the matter had blown out of proportion in the servants’ quarters. It was Niyasa’s maid who had stolen from the palace, not Anna. She said,
"That... Grandmother, they found out that my maid can speak, and they have taken her to the scaffol—"
"She can speak?" The Mother Queen’s eyes narrowed at her granddaughter. "All this time, she has been moving her hands, amusing herself with making us guess? And so have you... I didn’t expect it from you, Emily," a look of disappointment clouded the older woman’s face.
Emily realised that her grandmother wouldn’t take it well if she were to inform her that this same maid was none other than Tasia Flores. Because revealing the truth would only compound the number of lies. Instead, she said,
"People assumed she couldn’t speak, and she simply went along with it. If there is anyone who should be angry at her, it should be me, as I am the one she has been serving. But I am not, and don’t hold it against her," Emily attempted to reason, even though her grandmother continued to look disappointed. She pleaded, "I have lost many maids, and I have never questioned it before, but this time, I need you to help me. Please, Mother Queen!" With a deep bow, she beseeched the older woman.
The Mother Queen’s frown only deepened with every passing second, and she didn’t miss that her granddaughter had addressed her as ’Mother Queen’. The older woman then pulled out a ring of keys, picked out one of them and said,