the Twelve-faced Moon: A Loona fanfiction

Chapter III

Chaewon I

In the same morning,outside the High King's personal chamber,one of his many subjects that arise and start their duty is on her way to her own. Perhaps a duty that stands above all in terms of the realms stability,as it has been enjoyed for the past twenty five years of the High King's reign,a duty that boiled down to it's core is a simple yet delicate matter; to keep the High King alive.

Such is the duty of a Court Physician,such is the duty that now in the hand of one of the High King's daughter,one born from the womb of Lady Park of Hwanghae,Lady Chaewon. A beautiful,slender maiden with black eyes, her hair was softly colored in brown falling freely on her shoulder towards her chest. She spoke softer still and very pleasant to hear. The traits from her mother that she never disliked.
on one occasion,she could lull a dying men to a peaceful end just by humming the dying man's favourite lullaby.

That day,just like any occasion, she wore a hanbok styled in her ancestral-maternal House. White uppergarment, with decoration of shaded old green vine and root-like embroidery on it's sleeves. On her right chest,nestled a butterfly pin in gold,a Reaper's Lullaby. Native butterfly of her ancestral province and the sigil of her House.
Her skirt colored in eden green,the colour of House Park of Hwanghae.

Subservient,patient,attentive and endearing,she was a dutiful daughter every father wished and hoped for.

The High King named her Chaewon,means 'vegetable garden'. Wishing her life was as pleasant and peaceful and bountiful like a rippened vegetable garden,tend by honest hardwork and the elements.
Her name befitting her interest in life,Botany.

In particular,potion and Venom made from the Reaper's Lullaby wing.
The white and black study of the said bug. An interest that her mother despise,as she wants her to grow up like a proper Lady,like any noble-born daughter normally do.
And just like every noble-born mother,mayhaps except the late Lady Jung, and two of Chaewon's favourite aunt, Elder Lady Son and Elder Lady Kim,Jungeun's mother.

Elder Lady Park had always wanted Chaewon,her only daughter, to grow like Heejin,the finest example on how a Lady turn out to be.
Instead,she got a daughter who chose to spend her life studying plants,grass and weeds, dirtying her hands with dirt,plucking out wings of butterfly and watching over catterpillar,cocoon,frogs,snakes,tadpoles..disgusting,such unbecoming of a lady. A word that Chaewon has heard from her mother's mouth perhaps a thousand times,yet she never yield to it.

Her Father meanwhile supports her interests,just like he did with his other offspring,he gave her a Tutor in accordance to his offsprings interest and or talent. As long as these interest and talent could be of use to the realm... or himself in Chaewon's case.

If Heejin was taught by Lady Seonnok,Chaewon was taught by a hermit,a herbalist.
Chosen from hundreds that came to the High King's Summons and another dozen searched by his vassal. In the end,Count of Jurye find a suitable person for Chaewon's tutor in his territory. Plucked from the remote part of Mt.Jiri, the hermit herbalist herself doesn't have a name,she claimed that she forgot her name simply because she lived in isolation for far too long. High King simply called her Greenhand. Due to the fact that Count of Jurye found her in a hut which was ridden with vines of unknown vegetation of old unpleasant green color.

Greenhand was squat and warty, with crusty yellow eyes, no teeth, and pale green jowls. She spoke in a croaking,accented voice,like a toad. Ran Geun mockingly suggested that she was called Green Toad. But the High King dismissed that idea,as he thought it will be seen as a slight,a jape towards Lady Yeojin and her house,House Im. One of his daughter that use a frog on her sigil.

So from that day on,young lordling six year old Chaewon studied medication,potion,anti-venom and venom from that crafty foul mouthed crone till the Greenhand's death when Chaewon was fifteen years of age. How old was Greenhand when she died,Chaewon not sure. past seventy? eighty? Chaewon never dare to ask. Greenhand was a vile tempered crone.