บท 24: The Golden Princess

The next morning, the same maid came with a warm basin, two towels, and a tray that contained meat, bread, fresh milk, salad, and all the foods necessary for a one-day meal.

"Is this from Golden Princess?" Aster asked.

"Yes, Young Lord. This is all from Golden Princess, since Young Lord had not eaten proper food yesterday," the maid explained while preparing the platter for Aster.

"Young Lord, please eat as much as you can. Since we could only provide food every morning. Her Majesty Empress would be suspicious if Golden Princess' servant came to Young Lord's room too often."

Aster pondered, it was true that this action brought more harm than benefit to Rosalie, but she still dared to send him not only warmer, but also food. It was weird that her servant could enter his room without getting apprehended.

"Then, how about the guards outside. They are not Golden Princess' people," Aster asked again.

"Those guards… are the Emperor's guards. As for the reason why they allowed me in, this servant wasn't sure either," the servant stopped brewing the tea, and continued, "However, Her Highness Golden Princess told this servant to watch for Empress' people, not Emperor's."

Aster went silent. If Rosalie only told this servant to watch for Empress' people, did that mean Uncle Emperor was on his side?

'No, that couldn't be it.'

'He was the one who humiliated me the most, there is no way he is on my side.'

Aster remembered his current status as trash, bestowed personally by his own uncle, Emperor Audric IV. If that was not the most humiliating, he didn't know what else. Aster was still the proud Young Lord of the wealthiest duchy in the Golden Camellia. He couldn't bear such title.

This was probably a trap set by Uncle Emperor, just like Aunt Empress and her wickedness.

"Before you go, give this to Golden Princess," Aster handed the lovebird pin, the signature pin of Rosalie, to the servant. She was not surprised, she just nodded and said, "This servant will inform Her Highness, we will arrange the meeting as soon as possible."

Aster nodded. He knew that they needed to find the perfect time to meet. Otherwise, Emperor or Empress would catch them red-handed.

All he could do now is to suffer and endure the humiliation.

'I will not let myself become the hunted.'

***

Aster endured for a week until Rosalie's servant came with more than just the regular warm basin and food. She came with pleasant news.

"Young Lord, Her Highness Golden Princess would like to meet you. The Emperor and Empress have to leave for a party in the Kingdom of North Fort. Please stay awake until midnight, this servant will escort you personally.'

Aster smile brightened, he was already thin enough from the unpleasant life here. He barely ate, he didn't get any official training or study, and he wasn't allowed to leave the palace. He was simply a dog with a collar.

Later at midnight, Aster waited until midnight. The door was finally opened and the maid who usually served him wore a shroud. She handed over another shroud to Aster and said, "Young Lord, Her Highness Golden Princess is waiting in her pavilion."

Aster nodded. He exited the room and followed the maid to Rosalie's pavilion. He saw the two guards who guarded his room ignore him. As if he didn't exist in the first place.

'So, they really let us slip away.'

After a long walk, the maid finally stopped in a familiar pavilion. It was a rather big pavilion whose yard is very wide. Aster knew this place because Charles often took him horse riding and trampled the yard. Because he just wanted to mess with Rosalie.

Rosalie was always a mature and sensible girl though. Sometimes, Aster wondered if Rosalie is the oldest out of them all.

The maid stopped in front of a room with two golden love birds statue nestling with each other placed on the left side of the door. It was the statue of a maiden who wanted to get married. The statue of unfaltering love in Golden Camellia.

Aster realized that Rosalie was a maiden in love with the marquis of Viete. Placing this statue in front of the maiden's room meant that she would rather die than not being with her loved ones.

'So, she is really serious about that marquis.'

The maid opened the door and entered first, after that the maid returned back to Aster and welcomed him in.

Rosalie was sitting in this room with tall windows, clearly showing the beauty of moonlight and the stars. The room didn't have any source of fire, but it was surprisingly warm. Probably because there were a lot of beddings and covers made from animal fur.

She wore a plain dress, no make up and looked at him with a smile. Aster's eyes formed an illusion that Rosalie was indeed very similar to Grand Duchess, his mother.

Aster took off his shrouds and greeted his cousin, "I'm here, Rosalie."

Rosalie smiled, "Of course, I'm sorry I can't meet you earlier. Mother Empress and her people were everywhere."

Aster sat on the chair and drank the warm tea prepared by the maid. He said, "No, it's okay. I know the Empress would also punish you if we got caught."

"At least you understand," Rosalie smiled, "I call you here in order to help you survive, Aster."

"Wait, before that, I want to ask something," Aster interrupted, "Is Uncle Emperor on our side? The guards who were dispatched to guard my room don't seem to report anything to the Emperor."

"Father Emperor… he is supposed to be the one who 'teach' you a lesson. But he suddenly became the nonchalant third party. He doesn't intend to interrupt or torture you. But he would never help you."

"Why?"

"For this reason, I am not sure either. But he seemed to make a deal with someone, I remembered my people saw him meeting with someone outside the palace, but couldn't find with whom and where."

Aster sighed. He thought he could probe some information regarding his biggest offender. He was unsure on who would actually be able to negotiate with the Emperor. Since his aura was already menacing enough to make one's leg tremble.

"Then, what is happening here, Rosalie? I thought I was supposed to have a royal training," Aster asked.

Rosalie sighed. She sipped her tea and looked outside, "This is a trap."

"You're not supposed to receive any royal training. It was only for the prince and princess of the Golden family. But you're not a prince, Aster. All you did was jump into a tiger mouth," Rosalie said.

Aster was astonished. He never thought the royal family would trap him like this. They were closely related by blood.

"How… do you know all of this?" Aster started being cautious. Rosalie was part of the royal family. If her mother and father could be treacherous, then she could be too.

"No need to be guarded," Rosalie sighed, her eyes still casted to the garden, "I know because Mother Empress thought I was on her side. She wants to torture you, and kill you slowly. She will tell me whatever plan she has, I naturally abide by her rule and power."

"Then why did you help me?"

"Because siding with Empress wasn't beneficial enough. I don't want to stand on the losing side, since I have my own ambition."

The more Aster listened, the more he was unsure. What did it mean to stand on the losing side? Rosalie would gain more benefit siding with Empress than siding with him.

"No, before you assumed that I'm on your side, I am not," Rosalie quickly added, "I side with my brother. Since he told me to protect you, then I shall protect you."

'Charles?'

'He already knew everything but still decided to let me inside this tiger den?'

'Then who shall I trust?'

"So, Charles entrusted you to protect me?" Aster asked. Rosalie nodded.

Aster sneered, "I suppose you know what is his intention for protecting me, would you mind telling me?"

"Aster, you're too oblivious. It is a glaring evidence, but you still haven't realized it," Rosalie sighed, "Well, it is not my responsibility to tell you his intention. You'll find out eventually."

Rosalie stood up, took a book and gave it to Aster, "Empress has always held a grudge against your duchy. I recorded all deliberate plans that she had planned to trap you, also some of her schemes. Some might lead to your doom. Read it and you will understand, if you need my help, you can always ask my servant to escort you here. Once you can finally survive this place, I will tell you the next plan."

"Then, what do you need as a reward?" Aster carefully asked. Even if Rosalie was on Charles' side, he still couldn't trust her completely. He couldn't even trust Charles right now.

Rosalie chuckled, "You cannot pay my handsome reward. Only my brother knows how to pay it."

"Trust him, Aster. In this palace, you can only trust Charles."

Aster didn't nod or shake his head to that statement. He just excused himself and left the pavilion. The maid escorted him back to his room.

It was only a short meeting with Rosalie. She gave him a book full of Empress' malicious thoughts. This was his key to survive.

'I might be able to probe some information about the palace with this book.'

Aster hid the book under his bedding and put his head on the pillow. He felt his head got pounded continuously until he felt tired and dizzy.

'I cannot trust anyone here. They all knew that I'm going to jump into the hell pit, but decided to just watch and do nothing when I was pushed inside.'

'But, who pushed me?'

Aster felt something was hitting his ominous feeling. He had the feeling as if someone had orchestrated everything. But he was unsure which one, Charles, Rosalie, Aunt Empress, Uncle Emperor or…. Grand Duchess, his mother.

'No, not my mother.'

'Then who is it?'