My Ultimate Ambition

"A woman?__ a woman you say?"

Boisterous chuckle erupted from the deepest part of his lungs as his violent sound shook his body. A man, bulky in stature and gruff-looking c.a.r.e.s.sed his beards as his chief swam in a euphoric laughter of success. They could already taste the doom Shu would experience and drnk in the success of their defeat. It wasn't much of a surprise the war strategy employed by their strategist succeeded as no one would believe a small tribe like theirs was ambitious.

The chief held unto his staff, his smile exchanged with the countenance of a bloodthirsty monster. A servant, sort of, arrived with another report of the termination of the shortest connection to the capital. It was a delay to buy time as they ravage the capital and occupy it's palace before the arrival of their enemies' main troop. They also believed a city guarded by a woman would fall within a day, hence not much preparation was made for the capitol's attack. She is supposed to flee!

"Attack the capital right now!" His order was responded with stomping march of his soldiers and riders whom the moment was much expected. Shu emperor who was stuck at the borderlands would return to a unknown land as his woman would be his, while his home would house his men's. Tales had it she was a bewitching beauty who possessed the heart of their monarch, so, they would deliver heavy blows swiftly to his heart, body and soul.

"Chief, I'm happy our strategy of confusion succeeded. Daejong, who we all knew was intelligent fell too easily for it" a younger man beamed at their leader.

"That's why beautiful women are killed off in our tribe because a man bewitched by beauty loses focus!" He replied candidly while recoiling back on his chair. He didn't have much hope for the war and could only relax to receive good news. The woman was probably all beauty without brains who relied on her outward charm to enamour men, but it isn't so with war.

"What do you plan to do with her?" The young man interrupted his thoughts as he was eager to set his sights on her. How beautiful could she be?

"Servant. She can't be killed as she would be a hostage used to pin Daejong down!"

"As you wish my Lord. As you wish!"

The young man took from his pouch a herbal mixture and slapped it on his cheeks. It was time he joined the war too.

...

The empress marched to the council hall with fire on her feet and rage ravaging her heart. The ministers doubted her assumption of an impending war as no country dared attacked them in the past. It was known they had the strongest military in history and armoury with advanced technology, their archers especially were spoken in awe on their dexterity. So who would dare attack them.

Yoona sat highly irritated at them. Through out her reign as emperor proxy, they had taken advantage of her innocent appearance, underestimating her forceful nature that lies within. With a war knocking on her gates, she would subjugate and neutralize their power and she would not be very nice as she crushes them. She is a resilient ruler and would prove she wasn't to be crossed. 

She declared military law and watched them squabble their opposition. Right at the heat of their debate, a messenger screamed out a report of an approaching military which wasn't theirs, half a day's ride from the palace!

"It's begun?" She whispered, her jaws clenched tightly, so much her knuckles turned white.

The hall was thrown into chaos and confusion as they all looked up at her. In their panic, they all kowtowed to offer apologies and seek her wise counsel on how best to fend off the attack.

Few military generals were commanded to get ready for war, she sat silently watching the so-called strategists squabble over minutes details on how best to engage the enemy's attack. They mistook her silence for fear, but she mulled over every point made with sharp analytical mind, finally, she announced her final decision and wouldn't stand to hear any objection.

She addressed the men to hold out for at least five days till Daejong arrived to join the war as they were completely outnumbered; five thousand men to two thousand men of theirs.

The two dowagers arrived to the empress' palace in panic as her decision to evacuate them to a safe and secret location omitted her.

"Hwanghu!" Grand dowager cried out as she held her hands; an intimacy they shared. "Leave the war to the men, leave together with us!"

Yoona looked apologetically at her and curtsied before them both. Dowager replied with a slight bow of her head and watched as Yoona slowly disengaged her hands for grand dowager's entanglement.

"Grandmother, you should leave immediately with other women. Soon, we would be swoon over by war and it might be too late!"

"I'm not leaving without you!"

Grand dowager held on tightly. "Leaving with us doesn't prove you're a failure, you've done marvellously well running the country for the past three months. No one would blame you if you leave right now!"

"I can't abandon Daejong's people as I have already promised to protect them in his stead. Grandmother and dowager empress should leave immediately!"

She nodded at nodded Jae Joon who ordered them be escorted to their carriages.

Dowager paused to look at Yoona, a subtle ripple was viewed in her eyes. "Yoona?" She softly called which momentarily halted grand dowager's hysterical cry and froze Yoona in her tracks.

"Call me mother when next we see. This means, you must survive this and not make me a sinner for the second time before my son!"

Yoona felt her eyes sting but she could only curtsy once more and swirled around to hide the tears. Just at that moment, a messenger hurried over to break a most dampening news of the time.

"Your majesty, the emperor can only arrive in ten days as the shortest paths has been blocked and flooded!"

She swerved fast to scream at the guards, "Escort the majesties out immediately!"

Jae Joon fell in her tracks as they marched towards the palace armoury with about hundred guards whose assignment was to guard her as it was believed enemy's spies might be lurking around.

Jae Joon knew her stoic expression was her camouflage in hiding her anxiety and fear. She was really afraid of the outcome and wondered if history would remember her as a woman who lost her home to intruders. 

The palace gates were secured tightly as royal guards and military men took charge of all four gates. Police officers were tasked with guarding the capitals gates with some seven hundred military and archers. The palace was virtually empty except military who patrolled it's premises. Yoona went back to her palace to change her wears, war time meant boots, armours and helmets!

"It's okay to be afraid." Jae Joon told her as he adjusted her vest. She nodded and swallowed back a heavy lump.

"You don't need to fight either because your presence alone is a motivation to our men. Because of your insistence, their fears has been cast out and courage regained. "

"Thank you Jae Joon, I needed this motivational speech because I'm already regretting not leaving. I could die you know or worst still, ... Kigals are known as beasts!"

"I'll will never leave your side. I'll have to die first to let any bodily harm come to you!"

She smiled her first genuine smile in appreciation since the knowledge of the war. The fiery arrows surrounded her as they blended with the royal guards, Hiroshi ajusshi left for panja for some reinforcement. They're outnumbered at the moment but she hoped to end the war swiftly and without much casualties.

"How many men are Panja promising us?" She inquired.

"One thousand calvary, five hundred archers and three hundred infantry and two hundred horses!" 

"Good! How many shooters do I have?" She asked.

Vehemently he turned down her idea.

"No master, we can't risk using the shooters to avoid it's repercussions. The west faction might charge you with treason once their prowess is witnessed and their existence linked to you!"

She looked at him angrily, "What's the point of such power if we lose our country?"

Jae Joon knelt in supplication, "Punish me if you must but we can't use them. It's way too risky, master!"

Yoona looked at him fiercely but observed his unwavering determination. "Fine! Let's use them as a last resort if need be..." She couldn't say the last parts. She couldn't afford to jinx them at such critical moment.

"How long would they take to reach the capital gates?"

"Five hours."

She fidgeted with her wedding ring, her heart palpitating in anticipation. Sitting down in contemplation, an idea occured to her.

"Get me an ink, brush, paper and my hawk!"

She found the hawk when it was just a hatchling abandoned by it's mother. With an injured foot and an injured wing, she took it, cared for it gently till it was strong enough to be set free. But it flew back to her so she had no other choice to train it as her messenger bird.

She wrote a code only Daejong would recognize, strapped it on it's limb, fed it some nuts then set it off to find Daejong. Screeching loudly, it seemed to understand it's task as it took flight into the sky.

...

Dark hoodie over a dark cloak, black long boots with aura of a demon, the alpha man raised his swords for a clean swipe. He pulled out his mask from his drawer and mouted his flying gear.

"Master, please don't tell me you're joining in the war. It doesn't really benefit us in anyway!"

He drew out the sword and slasked into half a desk. "Who cares about the war? I'm only going to take my woman as it seems she doesn't understand war. An inexperienced woman fighting experienced men at night? What a joker she is"

"She's not even a priority now, we should leave the capital too!" One glare and he shrunk into his shells. He knew convincing his master once his mind is made up was futile, yet, he couldn't help but voice out his opinion.

"I'll pick her out, then, we leave. Kigals won't spare her and I can't lose her either!"

The young man strapped his swords

as it seemed it would be a long brutal night. All for the sake of an already married woman, he would be drained of his energy!

"Prepare hundred men, we can't underestimate this war like the foolish woman."

He gasped and made to counter the idea, hundred men were too much for a little 'rescue' mission, but the master was gone before any objection came from him.

...

Somewhere else, another apparition stood over the cliff overlooking the palace to make some tough decisions.

"To save her again or let her be?"

The figure turned over to a loyal comrade waiting and watching silently to observe some things. Taking out a piece of paper and brush, he scribbled some words to him.

"Save her or observe?"

The man took the letter but wasn't as surprised to see so many handwritings coming from his master, he was already used to this strangeness but what he didn't understand was why the master seemed so interested in the empress of Shu. He wondered if rescuing her would leave some hints on 'his' identity.

"Master, let's observe her then rescue if need be. We can't expose our existence yet!"

The blackhooded leader nodded, then scribbled some reply.

"Then it would be a third."