What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I read this book not long after I started college (so it was written no earlier than 1996) but I have never been able to figure out what it was. I thought a variant of the word illumination was in the title, but looking for that word has lead me to many dead ends.

In this book elves are initially a normal part of society, but there's then a revolution (kind of like the French revolution, but it wasn't France) and everyone turns against the elves and starts executing them. Probably by hangings/beheadings. I believe some were starved in something like an iron maiden, minus the killing spikes.

The protagonist of the book is a young noble woman, and like everyone else she buys into the elves are bad theory - until she finds a ribbon that proves that someone she knew was an elf, meaning if it effected the nobility, everyone could be a potential elf, and potentially be murdered too. I think she begins secretly helping them at that point. I think she's eventually held prisoner as well.

Thanks for your help

Is it Illusion by Paula Volsky?

I think that's it! Thanks so much, this has been bugging me for so long.