The night the emperor was shot with an arrow, the fiery arrows were in alliance with secret underground trustworthy men they trained to expand their base. They weren't exactly the core assassins but their significance were really usable. That night, secretly deployed, every nook and cranny were placed under surveillance as they had orders to capture the assassin who hurt the emperor. On guard twenty-four hourly for weeks, no sign of the enemy was found, not even a tiniest clue of his whereabout was discovered. While Yoona knew of his identity and his status of being mortally wounded by her poisonous needles, she like others was oblivious of his escape route or who could have helped him.

Yoona fell into contemplation as every dots seemed to have correlation and every unanswered question an explanation.

Jae Joon, her right-hand man who seemed to be psychically connected to her soul stood behind her from who knows where.

"I heard everything your majesty as I had seen Seo-yun drag you into this library. What's your order, empress?"

Yoona chuckled malevolently at his utterance. Empress? Her world was about crashing down as her only weakness was about to be dug out. Jae Joon with his stoic face knelt before her seemingly oblivious of her plight.

"Command me empress and I shall let her kiss the messenger of death!"

Yoona smiled despite the shock accompanying a brash utterance of Jae Joon.

"This is not some jungle but a palace, every death is well accounted for. Rather than kill somebody, I want you accompanying me to a place" she stood up as Jae Joon kept kneeling, "... with every sword you can find, number six" Then waltzed out as his blood flared up. His mistress just called him by his assassin code name, and by every sword she meant all their hidden men in the palace!

Strapping on his cold sword, he happily took his boss' order and immediately trekked after her. There was going to be killing after all, but who?

As they arrived the winding road towards the house which held their interest; everything she passed just conjured some memories but significant and groundbreaking. The moment she stood between the tree towering above the gate and the door, she had no chance but to take the path connecting with the backdoor.

The previously crisp air turned warm and smelt of freshly cut grass. As she stepped on the freshly cut grass, she couldn't help but admire the beautiful swing neatly tied on a peach tree. A rare visage of beauty. She sat on it as she critically scrutinized her environment; the back of the main building was adjacent the swing and disturbingly empty. Well, it was to be expected as the royal guards were deployed to the grand hall to safeguard the royal family. Aside the little princesses' palaces with police guards, the rest of the royal army and guards were all present in the hall.

"Joon, where do you think I can hide someone if I'm the owner of this place?" she asked seriously, her legs swinging from the swing.

"Wait, mistress. Who are we looking for and what makes you think lady Sukeui is hiding someone here?" he queried.

"Something stinks around her and my guts never lie." She sprang down from the swing and surreptitiously marched towards an unusually new door.

"If I'm an emperor's woman without his favour, where would I hide a man?" her hands swept slowly on the door frame as she drew back. Jae Joon unsheathed his swords quietly and signaled his hidden men to trod carefully.

"You feel it too, Jae Joon? The air suddenly has gone cold and smells of violence" she smirked as she instinctively drew back to let the men shield her.

Her anger rose as her instincts seemed to be accurate. Seo-yun dared hide the assassin who dared to harm the emperor. As a woman, she had a shred of pity for her as her love was unrequited, she had always thought Seo-yun sincerely loved the emperor and wouldn't dare harm him but it seemed she was a green snake hidden in a green grass. Minister Choi hired an assassin and Seo-yun hid him when their plan failed? Interesting!

Jae Joon slowly tugged at the door and it suspiciously pried open. They tiptoed stealthily through the door taking extra care to avoid the squeaky wooden floor, only at arrive under discover a staircase landing.

A dagger swished through the air meticulously clashing with Jae Joon's sword as his level of alertness were raised.

A sluggish step was heard as a lazy voice echoed, "My darling, I've missed you very much. Did you miss me too?"

His silhouette was seen as his full visage materialized with his customized mask clinging familiarly to his face. Yoona was still surprised albeit her strong conviction. She noticed he still hadn't lost his shamelessness but was baffled at his unfazed appearance. He was weak as his highly concealed shaky gait revealed,yet his dominance hadn't diminished one bit.

"I wondered what stinked around the palace, never knew a shrewd rat hid right under my nose" she smirked triumphantly.

"Ah, that hurts my darling! Do you mean I smell?" he faked a heartache as he slyly reached out for a hidden dart Jae Joon successfully diverted towards the wall.

"You hit like a woman" Jae Joon spat as he charged towards him for a well deserving retaliation for throwing daggers at them. His men tried joining in the fight but backed down at Jae Joon's bark to stand down. The enemy might be weak but his underlies were no match for him. Though Jae Joon used half of his strength, he noticed the wounded man still had enormous strength despite being weak.

"You" he coughed after five minutes of intense sparring, "Let's take a break, my darling would hate me if I'm exhausted" he winked at Yoona.

Jae Joon and Yoona almost bit their tongue at his audacity. His shamelessness seemed to have leaped by bounds but in the split second of their slight delirium, hurried footsteps were heard outside and unexpectedly, the phantom man made his way to the door.

"Till we meet again, my darling. This daddy here needs a good rest and a very rare medication to make full recovery." He threw her a kiss and made to leave but stopped.

"Baby, pretty ladies don't play with poison, but I'm so proud of you as you're the first woman to poison me with accurate precision of a mere needle. It broke my heart I couldn't see you as it paralyzed me but I'm glad to be honored by your presence right at my departure!" he melodramatically wiped some imaginary tears.

"Even though you won't be made an empress, come find me anytime and I shall make you the only woman this honourable self shall have in this lifetime" he zoomed off like a wind leaving not even a speck of dust in his wake.

"Bastard!" she cursed under her breath and spat out . While he escaped from her hands, she was still happy she confirmed the source of Seo-yun's blackmail.

Time was ticking, she only had a few minutes until the next program sets in so she hurriedly left with Jae Joon as her men submerged into the society; plan B already formed in her mind.

...

Seo-yun immediately regretted it as the word escaped her lips. She just lied to the court and the emperor but it was too late to turn back now. Thinking she had won, she had hastily made a wrong decision but was more apprehensive of Yoona's comeback.

Yoona smirked indulgently as she let her gaze overwhelm her.

"Consort Sukeui, I hope you haven't stood for long on my long delay of arrival?"

"No Sukwon, you're right on time" her relaxed hands lying carelessly by her side because of Yoona's unexpected turn up were tucked beneath her flay top.

Daejong was amused by the women's interaction and cleared his throat to proceed.

"While waiting for lady Sukwon I had a change of heart on our next theme. I would ask a question whose answer would be in painting to ensure the transparency of this process. Hope you all are ready?"

The court were readily in agreement as the ladies true test of knowledge would be certified. They only had to make a good drawing while they judge fairly, right?

Yoona and Seo-yun smiled in agreement but Seo-yun's smile were bolder. She had complete faith in her drawing skills and the strength of her will. Her counterpart was merely a low class girl, what would she know about the classical art and talent of drawing every aristocrat child was born with. Children of high class has always been encouraged to learn arts as it marked them out from lowborn children of poor learning. Aside music and calligraphy, Seo-yun excelled in other arts; drawing inclusive.

A table were set for them as canvas, brushes, paints and stools were brought for them. Sitting right before the emperor they exhaled sharply as they awaited his beautiful question.

Daejong knew why he chose that method and the benefits it would bring. For the briefest moment he observed Seo-yun's pompous aura which bespoke of her arrogance. It seems she had underestimated her rival once more but she had no idea of his agenda. Daejong would never venture on what wouldn't benefit him and his beloved.

"You have 1 hour to complete this mission and extra 30 minutes of grace. Good luck ladies!"

A small wooden scroll inscribed with some letters were handed down to them. Yoona looked on transfixed as Seo-yun excitedly got ready her materials and soon began painting. Thirty minutes were gone in a jiffy yet she was unable to make a single drawing. West wing gloated at this scenario as things seemed to be easier .

Yoona looked on at her scroll, her spirit immersing with her soul. Her thoughts were closed off as her senses portal opened wide. Closing her eyes, she allowed the question awash her emotions and her ability evaporate to its peak. She saw a dreamscape of hazy glowing beauty.

Afterwards, she picked up her brush and begun stroking much to the greatest relief of her supporters. She poured her soul into her canvas to share her unique aesthetic with the world.

She allowed her thoughts be exchanged with a heart of an artist. Unlike her rival, she didn't paint in broad bold colours or dark edgy theme-scapes. She drew powerfully from her own inner softness and embraced her love of pastel pallettes. Her painting were delicate as should be for a person like her with dainty dream.

While she was still painting, Seo-yun already gave hers its finishing touches. Yoona gazed over her scroll one last time and added an unexpected and bold theme; her. Yes, she included a painting of herself and ended it. When Seo-yun saw what she did, her heart which beat with triumph swayed in shock. 'How dare her?'

Allotted time soon exhausted as they stood before their emperor and court to give answers to the question asked, and support it with their drawing. Explanation mattered most and the ability to convince all and sundry were most paramount.

Seo-yun started first.

"Your majesty, the question of an emperor's most innate desires which may be impossible but quite achievable is this" she turned her painting towards him and twirled towards the court to let them judge too. In there, was a man sitting on an elevated platform signifying the emperor. Below him were caricature of humans; an aged woman bent on her walking sticking, an old man standing besides her with a basket of food, a young woman carrying a suckling child holding unto a book and a young man holding them affectionately as he gazed at them with a live goat led by him. There were also children swimming n.a.k.e.d by a blue stream filled with multiple colourful fishes. In another setting was a hut overflowing with fruits and a campfire roasting a large pork as a young toddler doodled on it's sight. The most spectacular point of her theme were their faces etched with a relaxed smile. Everyone seemed so happy.

"Every emperor's innate desire is a prosperous nation bedecked with bountiful harvest and abundance, peace and prosperity. A country free from war, epidemic, drought and hunger and illiteracy. While it may seem impossible to achieve this as it's a troubled time riffed with starvation, angst, drought and so many evil vices, it's still a desire in the innermost mind of every monarch" she curtly bowed to signify the end of her beautiful ill.u.s.tration.

A resounding applause resounded throughout the hall as nods of approval harmonized among the courtiers. Seo-yun's point of view were agreeable as they believed it should be befitting of a true monarch's dream, an innermost desire predecessors had woefully failed to achieve.

South factions reluctantly believed Seo-yun's painting was marvellous and nailed the theme but politics would never let them readily agree. A coded understanding were reached amongst them as their leader stood to counter her point.

"Your majesty, if this is a picture of peace that I beg to differ. An old man holding unto a seemingly heavy basket of food has no correlation to peace. He's old for heaven's sake, so holding a heavy load signifies suffering. " A short wave of murmur of agreement and disapproval passed through the hall but he continued anyway.

"Does it mean in the time of peace no young lad would work any longer? Children who are supposed to help the old couple were rather swimming unsupervised by the river. Do people not drown during peaceful time?". Seo-yun dug her teeth into her lips as her hands squeezed her robe in anger.

"An infant instead of an a.d.u.l.t watching over a campfire? Is this a joke to y'all? What if he engulfs himself in the flame with a childish innocence? A suckling child was seen holding unto a book not a toy and what for? A child's first lesson should be how to latch unto it's mother n.i.p.p.l.e not books. I'll stop here for now my liege, as there are way too many faults with this painting!" He bowed knee length as he back stepped to his position.

The hall was turned into chaos as the factions threw jabs at each other and openly debated dirty notwithstanding the emperor's presence. Minister Choi stood motionlessly as he observed the rowdiness. He already knew not to take part as anything he does or says would be used against Seo-yun. Patience! patience was a creed he sang in his heart as his eyes were on the prize.

"If only she wins, then I'll reply thunderously to the man that dares to oppose my daughter" he thought with the sound of his gnashing teeth muffled with the noise.

"Lady Yoona!" the emperor called out so sweetly and softly, yet so loud the hall quietened. He had no intention to listen to their rants and bickers and they instinctively got his point.

"It's your time now" and she curtsied to present. He recoiled back on his throne with reckless abandon of one who trusts his woman.

The court nonetheless listened attentively as the emperor already seemed wrapped in a supreme attentiveness of a scholar.