Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 263: Two Sisters of North Fort

Helene looked at the forced enlistment that had been personally instructed by the Emperor himself. Charles did a force enlistment for almost all young men between the age of eighteen to thirty to go to war against the Great Arctyr. He also didn't try to conceal his intention of the sudden war, he wanted Aster back. He wanted to destroy Great Arctyr because Aster didn't surrender, instead, he married Crown Prince Rama in Great Arctyr and was also officially crowned as Great Queen.

Aster position was simply like a giant tree that you couldn't chop with an axe right now, going to a war against the Great Arctyr was reckless.

"Sir, is this really virtuous for us to go to war right now?" Helene asked doubtfully. She knew that Charles loved Aster so much, it was already imprinted in his bone that Aster was irreplaceable. But this was simply madness.

Charles glanced at Helene and chuckled, "What of it? I want him back, I want him to return here, become my Empress, and I will chain him on the throne. If it's necessary, I will fuck him in front of all ministers, even in public, so everybody will know that he is mine."

Helene shuddered when she saw Charles' permanent twin pupils, he had four pupils in his eyes and it was simply fascinating, yet creepy at the same time. She was also scared with Charles right now, because what he said was ridiculous, but he would really do it if he was angry.

If he said that he wanted to fuck Aster in front of the citizen of Golden Camellia, then he would really do it. Helene gulped, she tried to persuade Charles a little more, "It's just that winter is coming, and it is predicted that this year's winter would be very harsh. I don't think it's wise to draft the breadwinners of many families, who would help the women and children to prepare for harsh winter?

"Just compensate them with enough money," Charles said carelessly. He couldn't be bothered with this kind of mundane stuff. It was usually Aster who would help the people of Golden Camellia to prepare for winter, he was capable of protecting almost everyone, so there was no one that would die out of starvation or frozen to death during winter, at least eighty percent success rate.

But now that Aster had defected, Charles had to take him back, "When Aster returned back, he would naturally do this. He is the one in charge of the country's economic stability after his father, right?"

Helene was speechless, it was correct that Grand Duke Aster was previously the one that would prepare everyone for winter, but without him, it was left to the breadwinners of all families to survive.

"This is madness, sir. You will kill so many people over the war, including the women and children, your image in Dionde is already ruined. You'll ruin your image all over Golden Camellia! Sir, we cannot do this!"

"Silence!" Charles stood from the chair, he glared at Helene, "You are talking too much," Charles said. He was already impatient to invade Great Arctyr, he didn't want someone to try to lecture him about the risk of it. Because he already knew about the risk, he just didn't care. 

Charles scoffed, "Helene, I will burn Golden Camellia to the ground myself if I cannot have Aster here. I will make everyone suffer the same feeling like me, being separated with their loved one, so don't try to lecture me. I know all the risks, and I will take it all."

Helene gulped over and over, she was scared to the bone, but dared not show weakness. She took a deep breath and then nodded calmly, "Alright then, Sir, I will follow your invasion, I will enlist all the able soldiers from North Fort Kingdom to assist in this war."

"Good," Charles said nonchalantly. Before leaving, Helene wanted to give Charles the box that she had kept for almost four years, the box from her real master that committed suicide the same day after her trial, Empress Cecilia.

She took out the box from her bag and then handed it to Emperor Charles, "Sir, this is a box from your mother, the late Empress Cecilia. She wanted me to give it to you when you need it the most. I think this is the right time for it," Helene handed the box to Charles and then bowed her head, "Please excuse me, I will return to North Fort and immediately prepare the soldiers."

"Go," Charles said, he stared at Helene for a moment and told her, "You are my best lieutenant, I know your capability and I know that you are trustworthy. Don't betray me."

"I will not betray you, sir," Helene said. She turned her back and left the Emperor Chamber.

***

Helene was travelling in the late cold autumn throughout the country, North Fort was the farthest area of Golden Camellia, and it was snowing all year round. She saw many children crying on the street, begging the soldiers not to take their father and brothers to war, and the women could only cry silently.

'This war is unnecessary, if Aster sees this, he will not agree in such a brutal method,' Helene sighed, she had been together with Charles since they were young, but Charles' love was only for Aster. He was so obsessively in love with Aster, that he could disregard anything as long as Aster was involved.

'If love is a madness, then I would never fall in love' Helene swore in her heart. But then, she remembered about that slave that turned out to be a Crown Prince of a powerful kingdom, 'Prince Rama when I fought him before, he was just a slave, he should've been paralyzed for days because of the poison, but he persistently trying to open the door to help Aster even though the pain must've been unbearable for him maybe that kind of love is what I idealize.'

After five days of travel, Helene finally arrived at North Fort Kingdom. The Kingdom wasn't big, but it was surely lively. They didn't care much about winter, because they were used to it, no matter how cold, as long as they stuffed some warmers inside their clothes, it would be fine.

Her father had been sick for a few years already, and his mother was just a regular woman who happened to hold the title of Queen, but she didn't fit at all. Thus, Helene took the mantle of his father as the King of North Fort.

The door of her room was knocked, Helene who was reading the enlistment documents looked up and then said, "Come in."

The door was opened and Esther was standing with a cute orange dress, she stepped in and closed the door. Helene put the document and then rubbed Esther's hair gently, "What are you doing here? Is it about your trouble in Clearwater Academy?"

Esther shook her head and avoided Esther's hand on her head, "Sister, I want to tell you something."

"Hm? What is it?" Helene was curious. Esther had always been a cute, little sister that had no ambition about the throne at all. All she wanted to have was just safety and comfort, which was given for a princess to have that.

"Sister, are you going to the war with Emperor Charles?" Esther asked.

"Yes," Helene nodded firmly, "It is my duty."

"Don't go," Esther said, half pleading, "TTrust me this time, don't go, or you will die a shame to North Fort."

Helene's eyes widened immediately, "What do you mean? Esther, do you know something?"

Esther nodded, she took a letter from her pocket and gave it to Helene, "That is my order letter, sister, I'm not as innocent as you think."

Helene took the letter and read it hurriedly. Her face went pale immediately and she turned her head to her sister, the kind eyes that her sister had were gone. It was only coldness and ambition inside her eyes, "YYou're colluding with Aster?!"

"I am," Esther replied, "I've been cooperating with Aster for a year and a half now. Are you surprised? Well, the order letter is here, I cannot stop it. It has been planned for a long time, that's why, sister, I urge you not to go with the Emperor. You'll die a shame because you let North Fort being raided to the ground by the barbarians."

"EEsther you will kill many people"

"Sister, I have the deal with the barbarians, they could loot everything, but don't hurt the innocent civilians who didn't fight back at all," Esther smiled, her knees bent a little and she whispered to Helene, 'I also want to rule, Sister. I don't want to be a stand-in princess that would be married for political ties, I'm much more than that. The only way to do it is to show myself as the strong princess, just like you.'

"IIf you are planning to do this, why are you telling me this?"

"Because I respect you a lot. You are still my sister, so I want to give you the last chance. You can tell this to Emperor Charles, but his head is a mess right now because of Milord Aster. Do you know, Milord Aster also use Emperor Charles' love for him to torture the Emperor until he went insane. Both of them are not saints, but I stand with the winner."

Helene was speechless, she didn't expect that Esther, her cute sister suddenly dropped a bomb on her face. She observed Esther from head to toe again, and whenever she met Esther's eyes, she realized that Esther was much more cunning than she looked.

After knowing the truth that her kingdom would be raided by the barbarian and she couldn't protect it at all, Helene could only stare at her sister, "Can you rule North Fort efficiently? Can you stand on your ground, be strong enough to lead the tough men?"

"I am more capable than I look," Esther smiled, "Do you know, I make the deal with the barbarian chief myself, without any guards or whatsoever. I make him submit to my deal and would never invade anymore. In fact, they would gladly protect the kingdom from foreign attack after this raid."

"Did did you really do that?" Helene was in doubt, and Esther replied with a slight nod, 'So if Aster already prepared everything, Charles will inevitably lose this because Aster is his weakness, and I I will die with him.'

Helene knew that she didn't need to die for Charles, but she was devoted to Charles since their first meeting. She couldn't leave him alone, even if he didn't love her at all.

Helene stared deeply at Esther and put her hands at Esther's shoulders, "Esther, remember this, you will be the Queen of North Fort, the people are tough and you must be tougher. But I believe in you, if you are sure that you can do it, then North Fort is under your watch, my little sister, Queen Esther."

Esther saw the determination in her sister's eyes, and she realized that Helene was ready to die in the war with Charles. Esther was grieved in her heart, she wanted her sister to stay and helped her to rule the kingdom, but it seemed that there was no other way.

Esther hugged her big sister instead, and then sad, "Big Sister, you are my inspiration, I will be a powerful ruler of North Fort. I wish I hope you can see my coronation later."

Helene chuckled, it was impossible to watch that coronation to happen, but it was her sister's choice anyway, "I will watch from above even if I die, don't worry."

Helene could feel that Esther's body trembled, she patted Esther's back, "You are going to lead this kingdom soon! Why are you crying?!"

"Because I will miss you, sister," Esther confessed truthfully.

"You are already nineteen," Helene chuckled, "Remember to take care of everything after I'm gone. I trust you."

"Thank you, sister," Esther said, as she closed her eyes, trying to feel the last warmth before Helene went to a war with an obvious outcome.