Gardenia of Blooming Desire - Chapter 169: Golden Princess Camille

Taron held Camille’s hand and asked her, “Camille, my name is Taron Hessel Signe, I am your mother’s brother. I am your uncle.”

Camille stared at the man in front of him, he crouched so their eyes were at the same level. He was drenched in blood, Camille peeked at his side, the main door was opened and there was blood everywhere. It seemed the Great Arctyr had won.

Camille stared at her uncle again, she tried to find a bad intention in him, since she was really talented at that. But turned out, this man was actually an honest soul. Camille became even more emotional.

“Uncle, why are you late!? We… we’ve suffered so much, why do you need to come now!”

Taron clenched his fist, he was angry at himself, because it took four years until they could reach Roagelt and attack the golden palace. Taron wiped Camille’s tears again, “Uncle is sorry, but we can take you and your mother’s body back to the Great Arctyr. Camille, do you want to go home, to Great Arctyr?”

Taron was drenched in blood, yet his eyes were very gentle, as if coaxing a child. Camille knew that if she returned to Great Arctyr, then she would live there forever, without any chance of… revenge.

‘What is the point of going back to Arctyr, if I can’t destroy my mom’s murderers? I will live with a new identity, starting from the very beginning.’

‘Emperor and Empress will rebound with their absolute power, they will still be prosperous even after their cold-bloodedness… I won’t let that happen.

‘If my mother is dead without anyone by her side, then I shall give the same thing to them, just a lot more painful.’

‘I will avenge my mom.’

Camille acted like a normal ten years old in front of Taron, she wiped the blood around Taron’s face with her own handkerchief and then said, “Uncle, you should take a bath first. You are stinky!”

Taron was slightly taken aback with Camille’s kind gesture, he smiled, “Of course, I will. Let’s return back to Great Arctyr, Uncle will take a bath there.”

Camille nodded innocently, then she asked, “Uncle, mom always said that Great Arctyr is prosperous, and um… the people are nice and happy.”

“Yes, yes they are!”

“But, I can’t go there…”

“Huh? Why?” Taron was confused. He thought Camille was joking, but she looked serious.

“Because I want to go to Great Arctyr with my mom. I know no one other than my mom all my life… Now that she is deceased, I can’t go there, uncle…”

“Camille, I am your family, the Great Arctyr royal family is also your family, we will protect you,” Taron tried to persuade her, but Camille still shook her head.

“Uncle, can I ask for something?”

Taron nodded.

Camille smiled and then kissed Taron’s cheek, “Uncle, I want you to bring my mom’s corpse back to the Great Arctyr and give her a proper burial. I want her to a martyr, a saintess for Great Arctyr.”

“That is given for, but what about you? Camille, please return with me, everyone wants you back!” Taron urged her.

“Uncle, I can’t… I’m already a Golden Princess…”

“WHAT?!” Taron was shocked. Camille showed the Golden Princess’ flower badge. The official sign of a Golden Princess, and under the oath, Camille would devote her life for the country.

This basically meant Camille couldn’t return to Great Arctyr, she was oath-bound by Golden Camellia’s sacred rule.

“Why… Why did you become a Golden Princess? Do you know that you can’t return back after you pledged your oath?” Taron was heartbroken, all his effort in this war, it was all wasted when he saw his dead sister under the rusty palace, and his niece became a Golden princess.

“Because four years ago, the Emperor took me from my mom, and I got beaten by the Empress. The old Golden Princess saved me, but in order for me to live without being abused and starved to death, I need to be a pure Golden Camellian… I need to be the Golden Princess.”

Taron finally realized that there was nothing he could do, basically both his sister and niece were dead. But he needed to ask something first, “Are you the one who painted that portrait of you and your mom?”

Camille paused, then nodded slowly.

“Then, you still have the heart of Arctyrian?”

“Uncle, in my heart, I don’t have a father. I don’t have a Golden Camellia’s blood. So, I am an Arctyrian. I will give you something.”

Camille went inside a room near the main hall and then returned to Taron with a small painting. It was her half body portrait with her hand holding Golden Camellia’s symbol but her heart was painted with the symbol of the Great Arctyr. There was a small note there.

– I am an Arctyrian in my heart, but I am a Golden Princess. May the people know that the soul of Arctyr never leave my blood. –

Taron was still grieving, but part of the wound in his heart was relieved. Because in the end, the true blood of Arctyrian still flowed inside Camille. He understood that Camille couldn’t return now, he looked at the Great Princess ring Camille was holding and said;

“Camille, I will be a king after this, and I will always give you a place in Great Arctyr. When you want to return anytime, show the Great Arctyr’s royal family that ring, I will let them know, that ring belongs to Great Arctyr and the one holding it is considered a Royal Arctyr family.”

Camille stared at her uncle and asked, “What if my child had the ring, is he considered an Arctyrian too?”

“Yes, yes he is. I will tell my child about the ring. Your bond as Arctyrian royal family will never disappear, Lady Camille,” Taron grinned wide and showed his teeth.

Camille nodded happily, “Uncle, I’m sorry I can’t return back. But, please say to everyone in Great Arctyr, that me and my descendants, we are always an Arctyrian in our heart!”

Taron nodded approvingly, “Camille, I can’t destroy the entire Golden Camellia, because Great Arctyr already exhausted so many resources. The Emperor and Empress already fled and will return in a few weeks. Are you sure you can survive here alone?”

“I can, trust me, Uncle.”

Taron nodded again and caressed her head gently, “Do you want to see your mother for the last time?”

“Yes…”

Camille was led outside, there was a coffin with two maids that she was familiar with, “Little Princess!”

The maids tried to hug her, but were blocked by Taron. Taron whispered something to the maids and they only looked at Camille pitifully and cried.

Camille walked towards the coffin, Taron opened the coffin and there was her mother. She was really pale that her cheekbone was protruding, her uncle said that Celine will be embalmed soon to persevere her body. She will be a saintess back in Great Arctyr.

Camille caressed her mother’s cheek and kissed her forehead, ‘Mom, I will be strong. I will be the woman that will stand above all, so, watch me from heaven, okay? Because I know you are in heaven now, you are a saintess, mom. Camille will never forget you, and I will tell my son about you and your kindness. I love you, mom.’

Taron finally closed the coffin, he bowed for Camille like a foreign nobleman bowing to a noble lady. “I shall leave. Be safe, Golden Princess Camille.”

“Thank you for your help, Sir Taron. I could only bid you farewell like this, I hope you are not offended.”

“No, as long as Lady Camille is safe, it is already the best gift for me.”

He left with his surviving troops and the maids. Camille looked around him, there were so many dead guards, yet, she didn’t feel scared.

She only felt empty. Too empty because all she wanted right now was revenge.

Elena tapped her shoulder from behind, “It’s okay, Camille.”

“Mhm, Ma’am, since the Emperor and Empress fled to a safer place, then we have time to take some influences here, when they return, I shall already have my own footing.”

“Oh? You are so eager for this!” Elena was surprised, but it was a pleasant surprise for her. Since Elena wasn’t good at coaxing a child. She was used to killing, not to dote.

“Of course! I can’t wait to kill them.”

Camille had some ideas in her head, since the Golden Camellia Empire was not a centralized empire, it was both good and bad at the same time. During wartimes like this, not all vassal kingdoms and houses were affected, so it acted like a safety net. But because it was not centralized, it was far easier to take control of one place.

This was the right time to do that. Camille whispered something at Elena, “First, I will slander them more, I need to destroy their reputation even more. Ma’am, please help me by spreading the mass information about the reason why Golden Camellia was ruined in a war because of their abusive behaviour. Tell the peasants about my suffering.”

Camille gave out a smirk. Elena observed Camille’s eyes that slowly turned ink black. She nodded approvingly. She bowed her head to Camille respectfully and said;

“As you wish, Golden Princess Camille.”