Blooming Gladiolus

Aspirations and life

      The warm sun on my face gently stirred me from my sleep. I opened my eyes while I sat up, taking in the beautiful scenery that was visible outside of my window. The gentle breeze and the sound of birds chirping was refreshing, and once again reminded me that spring had arrived. I slowly made my way out of bed, cherishing the wonderful feeling of the morning. 

      I changed into my morning dress, it was a beautiful combination of peach and a gentle pink. The cloth wasn’t thick, and allowed for the breeze to pass through easily.
The wonderful feeling of spring was always appreciated throughout the whole kingdom, thawing the ground that was still frozen from winter, allowing the plants to begin blooming again. The blossoms on the cherry trees were very beautiful as they are every spring, gracefully floating to the ground as the wind blew, some landing in the lily pond. 

      I arrived at the terrace, where I typically spent my mornings admiring nature and finishing any uncompleted work from the day before. Today was one of the occasional days where I had no work, and could sit around and admire the beauty of everything around me. 

      I always make sure to wake up early enough to see the sunrise breaking over the peak of a nearby mountain, shining on the city at its foot. Seeing the beauty of the land every morning only strengthened my love for this country. 

      I always try to do my best in my studies so that I could become an honorable empress and be someone people would be proud to call their ruler. I try to connect with the people so that they will trust and reach out to me for help, and come to me with their troubles no matter how trivial. 

      My mother disapproves of my close relationship with the people but they are all truly wonderful to be around. I can't even imagine how anyone could ever think of ignoring them. 

      As I admired the land, Ying, my attendant  approached. She walked to the entrance of the terrace and stopped by the door. She was dressed in a blue outfit, as was customary for attendants in the castle. 

      The Uniform that attendants wear is made of a thick cloth, and gripping shoes that prevent any comfortability. But Ying says that she’s used to it by now since she has been my attendant since I was around six years old, however I don’t see how anyone could get used to them. 

      I always tell her that she doesn’t have to wear it, but she dismisses the idea saying it wouldn’t be proper. While I know she’s right I wish she would wear something more comfortable. 

      Ying remained by the door for a while but after some time passed, she approached me, gently tapping my shoulder as she usually did when she was about to tell me it was time for my lessons to begin. 

      I stood up slowly, hoping to savor the feeling of peace for just a little while longer, but Ying made sure I left on time. 

      As we walked past the lily pond, on our way to the study, the smell of the tiger lilies had become more potent. Their beautiful colors made them one of my favorite flowers. I couldn’t help myself, and stopped to admire them for a little while. 

      When the lily pond was first made, mother had asked me what kind of flowers I wanted, and after seeing the tiger lilies in a book with drawings of them I immediately asked for some to be planted. 

      When we arrived at the study, I noticed that my teacher had already arrived. She seemed to be excited about something, however she wouldn’t tell me, saying it was something to be discussed another time. Despite my growing curiosity I sat down and began reading.

      The day started with lessons over the government affairs, and the history of Taiping. It was one of my favorite lessons, aside from art and calligraphy.