My Ultimate Ambition

Chirping birds, pastel colored gardens and butterflies that she once was proud of were replaced with snows and this gave her headache. This mournful desolation made her heart beat with excitement and frustration. Yes, she was happy her Daejong was as affected as her and missed her terribly, but her frustration seeped from the fact he hurt because of her. He has been in pain and the general grandeur in decay of his palace told so. He must have ordered no decorations or beautification near his palace because his true embodiment was gone. She was grateful as she was sad; to her, Daejong has won her heart completely and she would prove it to him.

On her way to her dreamland, she had told off prince Song who clung unto her with fervour, discarding him who advised her against going back to the emperor, marching fervently and making it through the gate. It was an arduous journey as she had never experienced such but fulfilling to finally be back

While her journey began, mysteriously, she came across a hut where a dirty looking old woman told her to hurry or she would never make it. The urgency in her tone made her wallow in deep thinking and wondered why such would be said to her, after all, they never met each other until that moment. Nonetheless, she pushed on so as to see him with a borrowed horse from the woman. Months of loneliness had passed by, she missed him so terribly and wondered if he did too.

At his palace, after the maneuvers with prince Song's gate permit , she found out from his palace maids he was gone to the council hall. From the little gossips she gathered and rumors sieving out from other courtmaids she encountered, she could deduce her future and destiny were about to be changed and given to another woman! Would she let it happen? Time would tell!

In a particularly vile mood, she mustered up her strength as she raced to the nearest and fastest shortcuts where she would cut him off. In her fear, she kept muttering the seat belongs to her. Empress palace was hers and no one else! And most importantly, Daejong belongs to her alone.

Tired from her sprint as she found him sluggishly dragging himself to the hall, she let out a hot breath and shakingly but graceful strode towards him. With his attention finally on her, she tossed aside her winter jacket, pulled out her hair and straightened her sleeve nervously. She was determined to look hot despite being edgy as she had no idea what charms other palace women had used on him. He could have forgotten her and she was determined to make him remember; remember that in this wide world filled with plenty women, there was only one empress for him, her!

She was not like others. For one, other women had powerful families with long lasting history and legacy behind their family names. She on the other hand, had only him , she didn't even have a pure aristocrat lineage much less a powerful name.

Desperate to find answers in his face as they had only interacted privately in his or her quarters and never in public, she impatiently waited to get a reaction from him and his face broke into the most wondrous light she had ever seen. Fascinated by this beautiful sight, she let out a breath she didn't know she held and raced towards him and engulfed in his embrace as she found her feet lifted above the ground.

As for Daejong, he thought it was hallucinations the moment he saw her and craved to enjoy that rare precious moment she appeared in his mind, he almost didn't recognize it was really her till her perpetually immaculate robe was replaced by a dress he couldn't tear his eyes from, and while he had countlessly seen her in his imaginations, her besotted display of attention convinced him it was really her. He couldn't help but feel he was truly seeing her and that his little sweet ferocious kitten was back to him.

Bereavement was replaced with wonderment, guilt was reduced to nothingness as he ran without dignity to sweep her into his arms and kiss her so hard. Oh, how he has missed this feelings. He had thought he would never feel this way anymore but alas, the only woman who could make him forget his identity and status was right before his eyes and unscathed.

That moment was priceless. He hugged her so tight and was about kissing her when his mother's voice interrupted the reunion.

The question she asked threw him off-guard but that which startled him was her hand raised high above to hit his woman.

"Mother! what are you up to?"

Swirling urgently to block this vicious blow, he felt a body heavily thrown at him as he crashed limply on the cold floor. The weight of her body was feather yet the strength of force was magnificent, his brain barely registered the fall as he felt something sharp swish pass them. An arrow? Did he just avoid being assassinated?he roared in his mind.

Emperor's entourage screamed in alarm as they rushed to safeguard their master and blow security whistle while dowager's men already tucked away their mistress in a frenzy as they probed all directions for signs of more incoming attacks. Dowager tried wrestling free from their grip, despite the impeding danger her mother's instinct kicked in. She would rather die than let her son get killed. He is her life.

In a faraway roof tiles, adjacent their location was a hideous looking being whose hand already drew on an arrow to complete his failed mission.

Yoona recognized the bastard and cursed bitterly under her breath, why won't he let him go? He dared invade the emperor's palace just to catch her?

Her thoughts buzzed in her head as she realized he would stop at no cost to take her. She couldn't imagine what would happen if he hurt Daejong because he was like a rabid dog and it repulsed her. She wriggled her hands off Daejong's protective, her mind made up to end the trouble herself.

Armed with her infamous needles as she knew this assasin was out for blood, she stepped out of Daejong's protection so as not implicate him and end the psychopath herself.

She carefully set herself in the assasin's view waiting for him to draw enough for her to strike. Ruthlessness filled her eyes, bloodl.u.s.t enveloped her mind as she vowed to take him down. Her mission was clear, either her needles attacked his vital organ or the laced poison does the job. It was a win-win situation for her and everything will go according to plan even though her future might be impacted as she might come under serious scrutiny because of her dexterity and skill.

On the intoxicating assured success, she failed woefully in her considerations. She forgot the most important chess in the game and the most crucial. While she thought everything was in control what about Daejong? She failed to realize Daejong won't let her be in harm's way. A weak young woman acting as a barricade between him and death wasn't what he would ever fathom. He lost her once but never again. He wriggled out and raced to shield her.

She already thought Daejong had been whisked away but destiny played a heavy joke on her as she felt a familiar wall barricading her just after she skillfully released the needles. While her weapons did it's job, Daejong took the fall for the arrow as two heavy grunt assaulted her ears. One from her beloved, another from the enemy.

The electrifying scream of a woman jolted her from stupor as realization dawned on her, Daejong has been hit but where are the guards, what were they doing not protecting their master. As though in response to her inner quiz, guards breezed in with hot tempo and while she screamed in fear of the unknown, out of the corner of her eyes she saw the wounded assassin limping away from the roof.

"My son!"

"Your majesty!"

"Your majesty!"

All sounds of entitlement filled the air, the dowager ran blindly to where her son laid in a bitch's blossom; an arrow protruding from his back like a hunch. The entourage and whole palace guards ran hysterical to safeguard the perimeter to avoid more attacks while the rest of the soldiers scampered away to find the daring assassin.

Seo-yun, who hid behind the tree so as to conceal her presence in a bid to save her life ran out when she heard and saw the dragon fallen. At the moment, she cared no longer for her reputation or safety, the man she loved with all her heart fell in a dead swoon.

Yoona who felt scared, angered, sad, broken and frustrated at the turn out of event held him up as tears swarm down her cheeks with his name on her lips.

"My love, why would you do such a foolish thing?"

She tried resisting the guards who wanted to take him away for emergency treatment but felt a heavy slap on her face.

"Witch! Jinx! you've killed him yet you won't let him go!" like a mad woman she hit yoona severally on her face while taking Daejong in her own arms and away from her.

"My son, mommy is here, please look at me!"

Seo-yun was able to arrive when dowager had already taken him. With a tearstained face, she pulled her scarf to uproot the arrow.

"No!" yoona screamed, "He'll bleed to death if you do that?"

Dowager would have hit her in quick succession but she remembered the bitch was still a doctor. She hated the bitch but knew it was best to listen to her.

"Transfer him to his Chambers, carefully" she bellowed and marched to hold him but was pushed away by the dowager.

"Stay away from him, jinx! We were doing great until you appeared. Never you come close to my son in this lifetime!"

Seo-yun took over as she directed them to take the emperor to his palace while she wiped his mouth with her handkerchief. Yet, in his half unconscious state, he still called her name. She was the one taking care of him and will still take care of him in the nearest future yet he could never see her.

In a split second during the transport, she looked back to see Yoona being dragged out like a rag despite crying hysterically to be allowed serve Daejong as his maid and doctor. While it may be brief, she was able to observe something peculiar about her rival; she was nothing without Daejong yet was still strong, but she seo-yun, has a powerful family who would never let her suffer such injustice.

She wiped the corner of his mouth once more and asked him in her mind, "Is this the kind of woman worthy to be your empress and occupy your heart?"

"Is she really better than me? If I wasn't my father's daughter, would you love me as you did her?"