My Ultimate Ambition

Finally, the D-day came. The whole capital was filled with festivities as both the young , the old, males, females and even the animals were not spared from the celebration.

It's the new year festival!

The people of Shu dynasty may not celebrate their birthdays but new year celebration is compulsory, not really because it's a new year but because it marked the beginning of their redemption.

A few decades ago, the early emperors of Shu faced lots of tribulations with the rampant occurrence of war.

During those trying times, they persevered but one of the wars almost sent their people into extinction.

The war was between the Shuran dynasty which was the former name of their dynasty and the Kigal tribe.

The war lasted the shortest among all other wars they've had, but the impact was so horrifying those who heard the story had goosebumps.

The Kigals are known as man-eaters. They plundered their goods , maimed lives, r.a.p.ed the women and ate the children.

When you think about the word violence,you remember the Kigals. This bizarre attitude made cold to run down the spine of the Shurans , the worst case scenario was the invincibility power they used to sneak attack on the warriors of the Shurans. They never saw them coming or going and this frustrated the Shuran warriors.

It was at this moment that some warriors arose , they found out the trick the Kigals used and counter-attacked.

They used an illusion to make their opponents believe they were invincible. Once this was discovered, the Kigals were paid back in their own coins, everything they did to the Shurans was returned back to them except man-eating . But the damage had already been done as many lives had been lost in a brutal and degrading way.

The war ended on the last day of that year and when the new year came, they saw hope of a new dawn and renamed their dynasty hoping with the removal of some letters from their dynasty name, came also the removal of all the unpleasant memories of the war. Therefore the first day of the festival is begun with the performance of exorcism to dispel bad spirits and energy and pray to the heavens for protection against evil.

On the streets, red lanterns were used for decorations.

Ribbons were tied to the doors and windows of those that could afford it. Silk is used for ribbons and not many people can buy it as it's expensive but something else was used as substitute.

On the walls are numerous paintings of a dogfish drowning in the river, this painting summarizes everything that happened that year. Dogfish represents the Kigals while the river represents the Shus. Since the natural habitat of a dogfish is the sea not a river, it may not survive.

AT THE EMPRESS'S PALACE

She sat close to her bronze mirror calmly examining her face .

'Not bad', she thought to herself. Touching the said face, she ordered her servants to make her the most beautiful woman that day.

"Use only gold accessories to adorn me, the make up should not be spared either!" she ordered.

Her servants brought from her jewelry c.h.e.s.t, the ones made with gold was fixed on her hair and makeup was done exquisitely.

With a satisfied expression, she ordered to visit the emperor's palace since they need to make an appearance together.

Her love for the man had turned into hatred but today was a special day, so she would arrive together with him as custom demands.

After the birth of her princess, of course the princess born out of deal not of love, she gave up on the man.

The princess was born five years after the crown prince. Immediately she laid her eyes on her girl, she knew she had gotten everything she had ever wanted in this lifetime ... a son and a daughter, what else could she wish for?

Going to the emperor's palace, she encountered her worst enemy, royal consort Ki. Dressed in a simple but beautiful dress, she looked beautiful but not as much as the empress.

Royal consort ki adorned herself with a light makeup and pearls. The colour of her cloth was not too dazzling as the empress's dress

"Greetings to the empress", she bowed but empress min ignored her and locked her eyes on the little girl besides her

"My child come and greet your mother", she said lightheadedly and lovingly to the little one.

The little child looked at her and smiled, she came and put her little hands on the empress outstretched own .

Princess Min-seo is the daughter of the emperor and royal consort ki , she was born 3 years after her own princess Ha-eun.

On her birthday, the empress went to visit her mother as custom demands, on seeing the little girl wrapped in a blanket something clicked in her heart.

She was so little that the empress was afraid she might fall off from her arms, she used both of her hands to hold and rock her. As if feeling the warmth emitting from her carrier, the little child opened her eyes slightly and smiled chubbily at the empress.

The empress smiled back at the gesture and warmth spread through her heart.

" My child smile on, mother will rock you gently and make sure you sleep comfortably before going back", she whispered at the little one struggling to keep awake.

Royal consort ki almost cried at witnessing the scene. Torn between her feelings,she didn't know whether to be happy as the empress loves her child or be sad her child would be taken away from her by the empress.

The next day, the empress came again, and on the third day, the child was taken away by the empress personally in her own arms as her servants were shooed from touching the child.

Royal consort ki didn't know whether to laugh or cry at empress's childish behavior but took everything in good faith without struggle.

The child was always returned to her for milk before being taken away again. Few months later,she was returned completely to her mother but on the condition the child address the empress as her mother when she's weaned.

The little child being used to the empress's voice and warmth cried in the arms of her birth mother as if protesting against her, but finally, she adjusted.

"My child, how do I look today?", the empress asked the child whose eyes shined with childish admiration and adoration.

"Mother looks sparkling today", Princess Min-seo answered with pure innocent bliss.

"Do you think mother is the most beautiful woman today?" the empress asked on, proudly.

"Yes! Mother is the most beautiful woman today, I want to be like mother when I grow up".

The empress kissed her on the forehead and returned her to her mother's side without sparing imperial consort ki a glance.

She continued on her journey to the emperor's palace but stopped to reward her servants on their accomplishment. Secretly, they thanked the princess for her comments today.

Getting to the emperor's palace, she hissed silently. She hates coming here and until her son occupies this place, she will never like it here.

The emperor got the information of his empress's arrival and came out with someone the empress was not expecting.

Someone she wouldn't like to see early in the morning.