1 The child, Kleila

A baby girl was found in spring on the first doorstep of Hanbon Palace's entrance. Her mother mysteriously disappeared after leaving the girl with a basket in hand which contains a note which said 'My daughter's name is Song Kleila'. Alongside it was a silver necklace with a heart-shaped locket pendant which contains a picture of a black-haired woman and the girl inside.

Hanbon Empire lost its Emperor just a few months ago, leaving Empress Shin Se-kyung a widow.

The Emperor's death was a surprising tragedy, not one person expected it since the Emperor didn't show any signs of being ill before his death. Only after his death did the royal doctor came forth and confessed that the Emperor died of a heart bleed. He had sustained the injury during the last war Hanbon Empire faced and apparently, he himself knew of it but he chose to keep it a secret.

After his death, although the Empress still mourned after his death, she had to stay strong for her young son who will become the Emperor as soon as he turns eighteen.

She puts in extra effort in being there for him but the prince has always been a closeted person, one who doesn't favor such affection.

The Empress grew lonelier and lonelier after each passing day and yet, her son still spends his days at the battle arena and the training centre. No one knows exactly what was his reasoning in doing so but some say, he does it in order to become stronger than others while others think it has something to do with his father's untimely death.

As for the baby girl, It was Noh Ji-Wook, one of the palace eunuchs who saw the child early in the morning when he stepped out to relax himself. He brought the child to the Empress' chamber to report what he had found. There, in front of the chamber's door, he bowed and began to say his greetings as well as his reasons for disturbing her so early in the morning.

Immediately after he finished stating what had transpired, the Empress opened the door and began inspecting the said child.

The Empress took the young girl inside her chamber where she sits on one of the couches nearby and began to question her.

"Can you speak?" The Empress questioned her while looking at the tiny paper on which was written the name of the girl.

Kleila nodded her head and this made the Empress smile as she proceeded to question her further.

"Do you know who your father is?" The Empress asked

Kleila nodded her head to say yes but the Empress, still unsatisfied urged her to speak up.

"Father is Chansung," Kleila said nervously, her hand wiping off the itchy dried teardrops on her face.

The Empress gently pulled away her hands from her eyes. "And your mother?"

"Mother is hmm... Mother is Mother." Kleila replied looking anywhere but at the Empress. The Empress took her hands in hers before telling her to explain what she meant but she kept on saying the same thing.

Kleila is a shy, quiet girl. Although she is five years old, she couldn't provide any useful information for the Empress. The Empress then ordered one of the maids to escort Kleila to one of the guest room. There she is to feed the girl, bathe her and dress her in fresh new clothes.

After much investigation consigning the matter, they discovered that her father was the late assistant royal secretary of the Dosi Kingdom and goes by the name Song Chan-Sung.

He was one of the men who died during the last war, the war that made Hanbon one of the most feared kingdoms. As for her mother, she wasn't from the kingdom but was an outcast who's now nowhere to be found.

Song Chan-sung met Kleila mother's when he, a Minister and two Generals were sent outside of the country to learn  the cultures of different countries and to see how well they are coping.

Prime minster Oh Ji-ho was one of the five individuals who set out on that very quest. He came forth and told the Empress that Kleila's mother was from Africa and that after she gave birth to Kleila, she handed the child over to her father. But Chan-sung traveled back to Africa and gave the child back to her because of the war. He feared that he might not be able to make it back and given the fact that he has no relatives, he believed that it would be better if he gave the child back to her mother.

After passing day, new information continuously stream in. That is, until the fourth day after which they finally came to a dead end.

"Man-se" the Empress called one of her personal guards and immediately, he rushed in and bowed, awaiting her orders.

"Tell the speaker to announce a gathering which will be held inside the Grand Hall. Tell him, Ministers, Officialsand Elders only."

"Yes, Your Highness," Man-si replied and hastily left the room  to relay the order.