Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Aster sat beside his mother, Grand Duchess, at the dining table. They ate in silence, but Aster could see that his mother's expression tightened whenever she heard the sound of footsteps entering and leaving the dining hall.

Today was the day Aster leaving the grand duchy to the royal palace, and he wouldn't be back until two years.

This was the first time he would leave the mansion and his mother, Grand Duchess for a long time. He was always inseparable to his mother since he was a kid, it was normal for his mother to be anxious.

In fact, his mother called him to her chamber last night. They drank tea while looking at the yellow-brown garden. The cold of the autumn seemingly seeped inside Grand Duchess' bone as she shivered periodically.

"Mom, do you want to go inside? It's cold here," Aster asked her. She shook her head.

"No, I shivered not because I got frostbitten, but because this cold reminded me of my suffering in the royal palace."

Aster furrowed his brows. His mother was the golden princess of the Golden Camellia Empire until Rosalie replaced her when she was born. Aster also remembered his late grandfather, who died when he was around five years old to be a kind figure.

"You had suffered in the Royal Palace? But mom, you were the golden princess, how could--"

"Aster, your grandfather protected me with all his strength, but there were many people outside your grandfather who had entered my life," Grand Duchess sighed, she gazed at the wilting garden, "I remembered when I was punished for leaving the royal palace without any notice, I was locked in my room without any fire or blanket in a cold winter."

"Who did that? Why wouldn't you report it to grandpa or… grandma?" Aster asked. Grand Duchess chuckled mirthlessly, as if it was a funny joke.

"It is fortunate that my mother died before you were born, you wouldn't survive if she is still alive."

"… Why?" Aster asked again. His mother never told him anything about his grandmother. While Aster was not so eager to ask about her, since his mother seemed to be reluctant whenever he mentioned grandmother.

"My mother, late empress, is… the real ruler of the Golden Camellia Empire when she was alive, my father, the late emperor is a weakling in front of her. She was always a ruthless woman."

"My grandpa? But… such menacing man…" Aster recalled his memory of his late grandfather. Handsome, tall, sharp, with white hair and beard styled tidy. Grandpa was very similar to his uncle, Emperor Audric IV, both in appearance and behavior. One thing that was always striking about him was his eyes, it was deep and whenever he stared at someone, that person would cower in fear or kneel in admiration.

But there was one thing that was missing in his grandpa.

His eyes don't have the golden circle around its pupil. It was pure black.

"Why would grandpa become a weakling in front of grandma?"

Grand Duchess smiled meaningfully, she patted her son's head and said: "Because she is your grandpa's golden circle."

Aster wanted to ask more about it, since he didn't really understand what his mother said about grandpa and grandma, but Grand Duchess stood up and left the balcony.

"Mom?"

"It's late Aster, you should go back. You are leaving tomorrow."

Aster went silent and just excused himself. He was still curious, but his mother wanted to stop this topic. Thus, he just nodded and left Grand Duchess' room.

Aster sat in his own balcony, staring at the east garden, where he would spend time basking under the early sun, until he felt his skin itched and started burning. He was always lonely in that garden, as he never had a company.

'Then, he showed up…'

Aster remembered seeing his servant's clear face after he took a bath and took a rest. He was still very thin, but he was always handsome.

'And his funny gaze.'

Aster remembered that awed gaze, as if purity was beaming from his eyes, and that gaze was directed to him, to his master.

"It has been only two weeks, but I already miss him…"

Aster clenched his fist. He didn't understand why his servant would run away when his master was in a bad condition.

'Does he really hate me that much?'

'Why didn't he trust me?'

'I could protect him, I could…'

Aster knew the answer already. In the royal palace, he was nothing but a mere bug that could disappear with just one flick. The Grand Duchy was closely tied to the Royal family and his power was not small, but under Uncle Emperor and Aunt Empress, he was still nothing.

'Maybe he already knew that staying with me would only bring pain…'

"THEN HE SHOULDN'T PROMISE TO STAY WITH ME FOREVER!" Aster shouted. Whenever he thought about his servant, no, his slave, he always remembered his promise to follow and stay with him forever.

Aster's mind went muddy once more and he left the balcony. That night, he dreamed nothing.

****

"Your Majesty, the carriage for Young Lord is ready," the servant bowed his head.

Grand Duchess exhaled a deep breath and smiled to her son, "It is time, my son."

Grand Duchess followed Aster who walked slowly but steadily to the main hall. The Carriage was in front of the main hall. She has her hands gripping her son's wrist, and it tightened when she finally escorted Aster personally to the carriage.

"My son, be careful there. I might need some time until I can protect you, please wait for me," Grand Duchess said.

Aster smiled, his domineering mother had turned into such a softhearted figure that was constantly worried about his well being. It was such a nice change in this grim fate.

"Mom, I will be fine. I will follow what Uncle Emperor said," he said, pacifying his anxious mother.

"Yes, until I can help you, follow what he said, no matter what," Grand Duchess warned, "No matter how ridiculous it is, you are under his tutelage."

"Yes, mom. I understand."

"Then…" Grand Duchess took a gardenia flower prepared by her servant and put it in Aster's forehead before kissing it deeply, "This is my gardenia kiss for you. This one oath to swore my love to you until my withering."

Aster couldn't help but get a bit emotional, he nodded, "This one oath to cherish your love until my withering."

After they exchanged the oath of gardenia, the pure love between two people, Aster went into his carriage and the carriage finally left the courtyard. The tears and bittersweet emotion portrayed on Grand Duchess' face disappeared instantly when her son left the duchy area.

She turned around and walked to her chamber.

'I will take my time until he understand the meaning of torture. Until he learns something valuable from those lunatics.'

***

Aster spent the whole day until his carriage entered the royal family kingdom, the biggest kingdom and the capital of the Golden Camellia Empire, Roagelt.

Roagelt was flourishing with the best facility and security provided by the empire. Aster looked around, the last time he went into Roagelt was around five months ago, when Charles and Helene got engaged.

The autumn in Roagelt was romantic, the streets were clean and no beggars around. He could see the clean river reflecting the sunset and the bridge was painted red. He could see almost every house was painted colorful and had chimneys, and even when the sun was set, there were kids running around with no worries.

He could see plenty of stalls, shops were still open and some inn and bar getting crowded with people chatting and laughing.

Roagelt was indeed the best place to live in the empire, though, none of the territory under the rule of the Golden Camellia Empire was poor. At this time, Aster nodded in satisfaction, his uncle was really competent as an emperor.

He entered the royal palace courtyard and was greeted by the guards and servants.

"Your Highness Young Lord of Grand Duchy of Stormhill. His Majesty Emperor Audric IV is waiting in the throne chamber," said the head servant when he stepped down off the carriage. Aster nodded, "Take me there immediately, I wouldn't want His Majesty to wait for me for so long."

"This way, Your Highness."

Aster followed the head servant to the main hall, they climbed a big stair made of marble to the huge door guarded by many guards.

The guard opened the door. Aster thought the throne chamber would be bright with many lamps even though it was already night, but it was dim. With only two sets of tall candle stands lit on both sides of the throne.

Aster saw his uncle, Emperor Audric IV, still with his golden robe and golden crown, looking down on him. It was indeed menacing, even for Aster.

The guards closed the door and Aster walked slowly to his uncle. He stopped in front of the throne and bowed, "Young Lord of Grand--"

"Who told you to bow? Prostrate.'' The Emperor said coldly.

Aster was stunned, his uncle was always a quiet person, but he never sounded this condescending. He felt something was not right, but he followed the order and kneeled like a knight.

"Are you a knight? A scholar? I said prostrate, prostrate until your face touching the ground."

Aster swallowed his saliva. No, something was definitely wrong. He looked up to his uncle, but what he saw was the flash of a golden colored pupil looking down on him. Aster was stunned, the pressure was eating his guts. He just kneeled there, shocked by the current face of his uncle.

"I said prostrate!" Uncle Emperor ordered him once more with an even stronger tone. Aster snapped out of his fear and prostrated by instinct, with his face touching the ground like a peasant or slave.

"Speak now." Uncle Emperor ordered him.

"… Young Lord of Grand Duchy of Stormhill present in front of the Emperor, may Golden Camellia prosper until the last eternal petal falls." Aster recited his regular greeting. But his Uncle Emperor just snorted.

"In front of me, your title is not Young Lord, but trash. Thus, you can call yourself humble trash in front of me, understand?"

Aster was astonished, what did this mean? What was happening to his usually reserved uncle? Why did he suddenly turn weird? Aster had many questions, he wanted to look at his uncle again, but seeing that strong golden colored eyes looking on him, he was too scared to raise his head.

He gulped. This was humiliating. But if it was only in front of the emperor, then Aster still had his pride saved in front of the others.

Besides, he couldn't afford offending an Emperor either, thus, he followed the order, "This… humble… humble trash understand," Aster said, he silently gritted his teeth. He was not a trash, why would he need to say something very degrading.

Emperor Audric IV nodded with satisfaction, but he didn't lose his contempt gaze, "Good. Your room was already prepared, leave now, I will meet you again at breakfast."

"… Yes, this… this humble trash excused himself."

Aster rose up from his position and turned back and walked away from the throne. In the dark, Aster secretly clenched his fist.

'Me? A humble trash? Unforgivable.'