—Mother, don't cry. I'm no longer a dancer. I'm a Queen now. I am absolute power, Mother, please —said Elara with a warm smile.
Her mother, in tears, replied:
—Let go of those reckless ideas and come back home. That emperor is a sadist, and he'll bring you nothing but misery.
Elara, smiling, replied:
—Mother, we're both sadists. Only he… only he understands me so deeply that he gave me a crown as splendid as himself. He said: "She is my Queen, not my consort. Her word is law, equal to mine. I give her the same status as me."
—For that same sick reason, stay away from him —her mother said.
—Once you enter the palace, there's no way out —Elara replied, and she left.
"My mother doesn't understand the pleasure of dancing to the sound of his harp…", she thought.
The scene faded, revealing a beautiful woman with pale skin and long crimson-red hair. She danced with playful eyes and graceful, seductive movements, while a handsome man watched her with a smile. Elara returned the smile, answering him with her gaze.
The air was filled with music, voices, and the scent of wine, but as she danced, the melody seemed serene —as if time itself moved slowly and drifted through the clouds with delight. The calmer her dance appeared, the more it drove the men insane.
At the final moment, the rhythm quickened and the dance ended. But that calm had been nothing more than an illusion to their eyes. Elara smiled elegantly as she approached the handsome man who looked at her with desire.
She lay down on his lap, gazing up at his chin. He smiled and caressed her hair.
—How bold —Elara said flirtatiously—. Don't you know that the dancer's hair is forbidden to touch?
—It's so beautiful and enchanting… I must be the envy of all men; they're glaring at me with jealousy —he replied.
—Aren't you afraid of rumors? —Elara asked.
—If I die of pleasure with you, then I'll have died a man unworthy of such beauty —he said.
—Let's move to the private room —Elara whispered.
He agreed, and Elara took his hand, leading him to one of the most luxurious chambers, glittering like a palace.
—I hope you don't die of too much pleasure tonight —she said playfully, handing him a glass of wine.
She took another and toasted. The man pulled out a beautiful necklace and placed it around her neck.
—A jewel as dazzling as your eyes —he said.
—You capture my attention with your sweet words —Elara replied, refilling his cup. They both drank and talked.
Suddenly, with a sly smile, she proposed:
—Let's play a game. Each time one of us loses, we drink a cup.
He agreed.
—What kind of game? —he asked.
—We'll play with words, like a game of chance. There's a list of words and a box from which you'll draw slips. Some have actions written on them, others are words you must find. Fail twice, and you lose. But don't worry —I'll give you a prize —Elara explained.
He drew the first slip: "A kiss." She smiled serenely, climbed onto the table, and kissed him. He thought losing might not be so bad after all, though he still didn't know what the prize was. Following the rules, he drank a cup and drew another slip: "A caress."
She smiled, sat on his lap, and let him touch her. He did so with satisfaction, as if he'd already won. He drank again, delighted.
The third time, he drew a blank slip. Elara simply handed him another cup. He drank it. Then, with a smile, she straddled him. The man thought, "This woman is dangerous; her game is deliberate." She kissed him passionately and caressed him.
Within minutes, he was so intoxicated he no longer knew himself —only the pleasure she granted him.
With a haughty look, Elara stood up and called for five women.
—He's all yours. Give him so much pleasure that he forgets his own body. The drink I gave him is poison for desire —it will keep him like this all night.
The women obeyed. Elara sat and watched. The man began to see her face in the others. After half an hour, he could take no more, yet the poison kept its hold.
Elara stood, took up a whip, and struck him.
—Hasn't that been barely any time? How weak —she said coldly.
He bled, but she, without remorse and with a sadistic smile, commanded:
—Continue. This must go on. Each time he falters, I'll strike him again. And bring me a clean wine.
They went on until dawn.
—Miss, please don't hit him anymore; he's badly hurt —the women begged.
—Leave —Elara ordered, undressing and lying beside him.
When the sun rose, he regained consciousness, battered and weak.
—You're like a panther… —he whispered—. I was too cruel, yet you gave me such pleasure… and still, my body craves more.
Elara, in tears, replied:
—Forgive me, but I can't anymore. I'll call a doctor.
—It's fine… —he murmured, barely standing.
He managed to leave but collapsed at the door.
In the baths, Elara thought coldly:
—He couldn't have lasted long. Like all the others, he believed my act.
A cruel smile crossed her face. He thought it had been a passionate night, a fair trade of pain for pleasure. He never noticed his wounds —of course, she had cleaned them to make them believable.
—Hmm… I've got dark circles, and I must dance tonight no matter what. But first, I want to see the outside world. It's been so long. Maybe I'll find what I'm looking for, though I doubt it. Wild dogs are always inside the house, not out in the street —Elara murmured.
Then she went to her room, put on simple clothes, and adorned her hair with silver and gemstone ornaments. She looked stunning. She looked in the mirror and asked for a veil to cover her face.
—This beautiful white dress is charming. Time to breathe some fresh air.
Secretly, she slipped out the back door into an alley that led to the main streets. The market was dazzling.
Elara thought: "What's the point of all that beauty in that woman if she gives herself to that ugly man? Kindness isn't enough; looks matter too. It's not just about love —money matters as well. But I didn't come here to judge couples, I came to enjoy the market and eat something good."
Smiling brightly, she bought a hairpin as lovely as her eyes, then some skewered meat.
She entered a restaurant. There weren't many people —mostly nobles. Elara looked at them with disdain, ordered dessert and tea. As she ate, she overheard gossip about the King.
—They say he's cruel. But if the King is so vicious, how is this kingdom so prosperous? —she wondered.
Some nobles laughed nearby:
—Once, he brought a beautiful commoner to the palace. She thought she'd been chosen, but he used and tortured her, saying she was just an ordinary flower. He even flayed a concubine alive for being presumptuous.
"If I were him, I'd have done the same. After all, what whore taught her to flirt?" Elara thought, annoyed, though she quickly smiled again, tasting her dessert.
A well-dressed young lady approached:
—Commoner, could you give us this table? We'll pay you.
Elara cast her an arrogant glance.
—I won't give up my table if it's not occupied.
—Maybe five gold coins for your table. That's all I'll offer —the girl insisted.
Elara pulled out a pouch of gold.
—Would this be enough for you to leave, miss?
—You'd better get up now, or I'll call the waiter to remove this beggar —the young lady retorted.
—You're the beggar here. From what I can see, my clothes are just as fine as yours —Elara replied calmly.
The girl snapped:
—How dare you! This brocade was gifted by the King himself!
—Well, a few coins more than mine, but no matter. I just want to finish my dessert —Elara said, ignoring her.
The people around burst out laughing. The girl tried to slap her, but Elara caught her hand and let her veil fall. Her beauty stunned everyone —she was the famed dancer of pleasure, and to see her was a privilege.
—Miss, you'd better leave, or I'll tell them I know your father —or your brother —Elara whispered in her ear.
—Impossible! My father is the Minister of Justice, and my brother a scholar! —the girl shouted.
Rumors erupted. Humiliated, the girl fled.
Suddenly, a man with his face covered approached.
—Miss, may I sit?
—No, you may not —Elara answered arrogantly.
The man exuded a powerful aura, and ignoring her, he sat down anyway. She smiled.
—How daring. Since you're already here, why don't we have a drink sometime? —she teased.
—Fine. I can't refuse a lady. I hope we meet again —he replied, unfazed by her charm.
Elara nodded, stood up, and returned to the house of pleasure.
"He's ordinary, nothing special. I'll probably see him tonight," she thought.
As she walked, she noticed a crowd gathering in the street. Calmly, she joined them —it was last night's man. They were carrying his body. He was dead.
Elara didn't flinch. She merely thought:
—Another burden gone. And to think I had planned to torture him further… after all, it was poison.