Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Esther stood on her balcony, the winter wind is freezing, but she got used to it since her childhood. In fact, she liked this cold weather more than the warm, sunny weather of Dionde City. She was in her last year of school in Clearwater Academy, but due to the current war, the academy had been closed temporarily, a great reason for her to return back to her hometown.

'North Fort Kingdom, my precious cold home,' Esther smiled, 'It is time for you to thrive under my rule. I will not be a disposable princess that will be married to a random man out of benefit.'

The maid opened the princess' door and saw Princess Esther standing alone on the balcony without a proper warmer, she rushed and said, "Princess, the winter is very cold this year! Please wear a proper coat!"

Esther glanced at her back, she grinned and replied, "I'm waiting for the blizzard."

Surprisingly, in a few minutes, the blizzard did start. The blizzard was tough and would scratch one's skin if they were not careful. But once Esther saw the terrible blizzard hit North Fort, her smile bloomed and she said in a low tone, "They are coming, the blizzard of my victory."

The guards in North Fort were not many, because Princess Helene brought almost eighty percent of their total to help Emperor Charles to war against the Great Arctyr. It was a bit unfortunate, really, because the barbarian usually would do a small invasion during the cold winter in North Fort.

They thought that they could handle the usual invasion this winter, but there was a sudden blizzard hitting North Fort right now. The guard commander was not a native from North Fort. He was Emperor Charles' man stationed to guard North Fort and all the remaining soldiers to defend against invasion from the barbarian.

The guard commander saw the blizzard was rough, thus, he ordered all his men to seek shelter inside the fort, because the barbarian wouldn't dare to invade during this harsh blizzard.

Thus, nobody was watching on the watchtower, because everyone was busy trying to find warmth inside the fort. After a few hours, the blizzard didn't stop, it continued and probably would stay for a while.

Esther came to the guards inside the fort wearing her wolf coat, she looked really anxious, "Where is the commander?" Esther asked.

The commander raised his eyebrows, he didn't expect the sweet, scholarly second princess would come to the fort during the blizzard. He bowed in front of the second princess and said, "My name is Valen, I am the Emperor's guard commander in charge here, Princess."

Esther bit her lips, she looked even more anxious and then decided to say it, "Why aren't you guarding your designated post? How could you know if an attack is coming?"

"Princess, the blizzard is tough, the barbarian would not attack during the long blizzard like this," the commander found that the second princess' worry wasn't reasonable. Of course, nobody would want to die out of hypothermia during a tough blizzard like this. But the second princess seemed to have something else in mind;

"But…" Esther hesitated, then she yielded, "Alright then, I'm here to deliver food for the guards, I brought my servants here."

Not long after, many servants brought the bread and fishes and served it to the guard. The commander was pleased with such treatment, he heard that the second princess was out of the kingdom for so long for useless studies, she should've just stayed inside the kingdom and become a good wife of some nobles rather than trying hard for nothing.

The commander commented, "Thank you for the second princess' generosity, the second princess should be a good wife for someone. Second princess doesn't need to study hard, you just need to be an obedient wife and please your husband! You can also be my wife if you want, I am strong and single!" the commander boasted. He was already forty this year, but he never married because he was busy leading the troops. 

The commander obviously was trying to knock some sense out of the stupid princess. But Esther smiled awkwardly and replied, "Thank you for commander's advice…"

Esther turned her back and the awkward smile disappeared, 'Wait until the barbarians destroyed everything, you'll not be able to talk after your heart stops beating.'

And, true to her words, the barbarian suddenly invaded during the harsh blizzard. They came in such large amounts and they wore the perfect coat for blizzard. The emperor soldier's were full after eating good food delivered by the second princess, they felt a bit sleepy.

Some barbarians used rope to climb, but the majority entered through the wide open gate, as promised by Second Princess Esther, the barbarian king glanced at a slender, hooded woman who smirked at him.

The barbarian king nodded at her and he sieged the soldiers inside the fort.

The guards were instantly awakened when they heard the war cry of the barbarians, "Attack the soldiers!" the barbarian king commanded. The barbarians suddenly invaded the fort from inside and surrounded the obviously ungeared soldiers.

The commander who was sleeping inside his room with comfort suddenly got awakened with a spear on his neck, the barbarians had successfully penetrated North Fort Kingdom for the first time in decades.

"I—I am Emperor Charles' subordinate! All of you will suffer fate worse than death if you dare to hurt me!" the commander tried to scare them, but the barbarian laughed contemptuously. The commander was dragged outside and met with many corpses of the Emperor's soldiers.

In front of the pile of corpses, a woman stood with a mocking smile on her face. The same woman was giving the soldiers food a few hours ago.

"S—Second Princess?!" the commander's eyes widened, "D—Did you collude with these wild barbarians?!"

Esther kept her calm, the barbarian king was standing behind him, "I made a deal with them. Of course, it would benefit the kingdom more. But I do need to eliminate all the Emperor's soldiers in North Fort."

Esther mocked contemptuously, "You dare to step your foot in North Fort, insulting me, and you didn't even protect the kingdom properly. Isn't that a recipe of disaster?"

The commander gritted his teeth, he didn't expect that the seemingly stupid and weak woman could actually scheme against her own country and kingdom with the barbarians, "You vile woman! Wait until the Emperor and Lieutenant Helene hear your treachery! Your sister is the Emperor's greatest subordinate!"

Esther chuckled as she heard such a ramble, "It's funny that you mention my sister. You think that I planned everything like a treacherous woman, while in fact, my sister knows everything about this plan, and she agreed."

The commander was speechless, how could Lieutenant Helene, the Princess of North Fort, betray the Emperor like this? However, looking at the strangeness around, he realized that Helene had drafted much more soldiers than the requisite to go to war against the Great Arctyr.

Esther raised her brow, "Did you realize that just now? My sister drafted almost all talents and able soldiers to help the Emperor because she wants to save them from the barbarians. You are just a sacrificial pawn here for my ambition, Commander Valen."

Esther signaled the barbarian to execute this man. Thus, the barbarian stabbed the man's neck and he was dead on the spot.

The Barbarian king was somewhat appalled by the princess, he had a deal with this princess, but didn't expect her to be this helpful.

"Princess, as you promised, we can loot the city, right?" the barbarian king asked. He was somewhat wary that Esther had another trick on her sleeve.

"Yes, you can even go to another defenseless region next to North Fort and loot more, but you have to be careful," Esther warned. Then she had a big smirk on her face, "We can do the act now."

***

The barbarians had successfully invaded the North Fort Kingdom. The main city was attacked and the barbarian king had gathered all residents of the main city on the city square.

The blizzard was still ongoing, thus, there were a lot of kids and old people who tried to fight the cold by holding each other. In front of them, the mighty barbarian king held hostage Second Princess of North Fort, Esther Yvette.

Esther was famous for being a beautiful, weak flower. Unlike Princess Helene who was fierce and unyielding, Princess Esther was gentle and intelligent, although she was not appreciated much in this harsh environment, where nobody had time to raise a tender flower.

The barbarian king pulled Esther in front of the people and said, "I've got your princess. North Fort belongs to me now!"

The people were shocked, they didn't expect that the barbarians could actually break through the fort. But then, the amount of guards was so miniscule due to the majority of them getting drafted to the war by the Emperor. It was inevitable.

Esther glared at the barbarian king, unyielding, "What do you want? Do you want gold? Do you want to loot everything in this city?!"

The barbarian king smirked maliciously, "Of course, the winter is harsh, my fair lady. We want to survive."

"My people also want to survive! Don't take their food!" Esther yelled, which got responded with a sneer on the barbarian king's face.

"What can you do anyway? You are just a useless princess."

Esther gazed at the barbarian king with persistence and determination, "You can take me as hostage instead, in exchange, don't loot or hurt my people."

The people heard their weak princess suddenly declare something crazy, "Princess!" some people called her to stop, but Esther ignored them.

"Take me as a hostage, you can ask for a huge sum of money from my sister. She is outside the country as she leaves to aid the Emperor, but she will give you money more than you'd expect."

"Eh, I heard that you are a useless princess, nobody really loves you in North Fort. What makes you so sure that your sister will free you?" the barbarian king laughed.

"If she does not free me, then you can kill me instead," Esther said steadily, "Or you can sell me to some brothel, I am a virgin. I'm sure I fetch a big price with my identity."

"Princess! Stop talking!" the people who watched everything were distressed by the claim of the princess.

The barbarian king glanced at the people and saw them genuinely worrying about their princess. Knowing it was the time, the barbarian king smirked and said to the people, "Then, let just ask the people. Since you are a princess that has no value, let's just hear which one the people will choose, their princess, or the food and money in their houses."

Esther gazed at her people, and then said, "My people! Please choose wisely! I know that the winter is harsh, don't let them take your money and food! I am but a worthless princess here, but I want to serve the kingdom at least once before my demise!"

Esther made it sound like her fate was already certain. She expected that her sister wouldn't pay a large amount of money for her, and her people wouldn't choose her over their wellbeing.

"Glory to North Fort! Glory to the eternal winter!" Esther yelled as loud and courageous as she could. The blizzard grew harder, but she yelled it over and over courageously.

The people were shocked and awed by their second princess. She was brave to face death for her people, and she was courageous enough to protect her people.

The barbarian king slapped her face, "Stop saying nonsense! Now, if all of you want to protect this princess, go to your house and return back with your money and food here! Or else, I will take her hostage instead!"

Without any hesitation, everyone stood from the ground and rushed back to their houses, they returned with everything they had, they screamed at the barbarian king, "Set our princess free! She is our precious princess!"

More and more people rallied to protect their princess. Esther lowered his head and her hair covered her face. People thought that the slap from the barbarian king had made their princess faint. They were even more furious and yelled at the king.

Although they have no power to fight the barbarian king, they were courageous enough to tell him to release their princess. 

In actuality, Esther had a wide smirk on her face, 'Such cheap encouragement, I know that my people are very compassionate deep down.'

'Sister, I've established my position in North Fort.'