Hmmm Lies

July 14, 2025

 

Obvious Truths

“Servant!”

“Yes, Queen?”

The servant entered the Queen’s chambers. The Queen did not turn to face her.

“Were you followed?”

“No, mistress. What did you call me for?”

“Shut the door, and then, let’s say… Tidy up my bed.”

The servant turned to the spotless bed. “As you command, mistress.” She shut the door, and then moved to sit on the bed.

The queen gazed at her servant. She obviously had never bothered to learn Emma’s name, such things as that were obviously below her. Emma was beautiful of course, as anyone with a brain could see. Today she was wearing a white dress, adorned with diamonds all over. The Queen gave all of her dresses to the servants when she was tired of them. It obviously didn’t mean anything that the Queen had been wearing the same dress for a decade, or that Emma always seemed to be the only servant to get new dresses.

“I say, mistress, I have been wearing this dress for some time now. Surely your eyes tire of such a sight as my own?” Emma said, with an innocent look in her eyes.

“Of course not! You look radiant.”

“You need not be so kind. On your leave, tomorrow I shall go to the market and purchase myself a new one.” Emma stared at the Queen a little harder.

“Very well.” The Queen tossed Emma a large ruby. They had gone through this routine countless times before.

“Your generosity truly is legendary, mistress. Speaking of which, I have heard your ideas of building an aqueduct, to provide water to all the land.”

“Yes, it will—”

“But, don’t you think that water could be used better? I had a few ideas that could allow you to live in the even greater luxury that you deserve.”

“And these ideas wouldn’t allow us to give the water to the people. Am I correct?”

“Your needs far supersede those of the people, mistress.”

“Mine, and the servants, I suppose.”

“No, no, yours alone! The servants having access is a mere… happy accident.”

The Queen sighed. “Very well. I shall have it be done.”

“Delightful. And I imagine I know your next order, mistress?”

“Yes yes, get on with it, Emma.”

Emma moved closer to the Queen, and wrapped her arms around her. Then she planted a kiss on her lips.

It went on. And on. This obviously wasn’t what the Queen lived for. The Queen obviously didn’t do anything Emma wanted, just for these moments of pure bliss. And obviously, she was never anything less than the most powerful person in this room. 

But, if these things were true, then something had been wrong as of late. The kisses, they felt hollow. There was an emptiness behind Emma’s lips. Mere movements of muscles, rather than true intimacy. Once, Emma was a source of comfort. The Queen felt better when she was around, like it really was worth giving up everything for her. Now, she seemed colder, indifferent to the Queen. She pushed Emma away.

“What is it, my mistress?”

“I can’t keep doing this anymore. The lies, both from me and you. The way I’ve lost my autonomy. I-I need you to leave. I’m sorry.”

Emma looked into the Queen’s eyes with an upset look.

This look quickly turned nasty. “Well, mistress, I must say I’m surprised,” Emma stood up, grabbed the Queen’s chin, and pointed her face at her own. “But, I must also say that I. Don’t. Care. You can’t get rid of me. I have agents everywhere in the palace. And they can cause pain the likes of which you wouldn’t believe.” Emma’s voice cut through the air sharply. It wasn’t like this normally. Usually, it was soft, if mischievous. “But of course, obviously, you don’t know this. Obviously you won’t give us reason to hunt you down. And obviously, you will allow me to continue to rule the queendom.”

The Queen was in shock. She obv— She clearly thought Emma was a lone cunning fox, not a leader of some sort of conspiracy. But then, until recently, the Queen thought Emma really cared about her. Obviously—Damn, that was a hard habit to break—The Queen knew nothing about Emma.

“Well, will you still be wanting my services? I wouldn’t want you to be completely miserable.”

The Queen looked at Emma’s lips, and her arms, and the way that dress looked on her. It was certainly appealing.

But obviously, she had standards... right?