Ha Noon's
CHAPTER 3: The Protective Arrow
Ha Gilyu returned to her throne to gather back the energy she had spent in the first round conversing with the invited guests. Ha Gilyu made eye contact with the Queen and the two smiled warmly. Ha Gilyu sat on her throne and looked at Ha Noon who was just sitting there expressionlessly. Ha Gilyu rewinded her body to make her lean, her head tilted and tried to make a sound for Ha Noon to notice her. The queen put on a face not caring, and Ha Noon easily caught the voices made by Ha Gilyu.
Ha Noon rewinded her body to lean back, Ha Gilyu started moving her mouth with emphasis, “Want to come out to see something interesting?”
Ha Noon smiled curiously at Ha Gilyu's whisper.
“What are you guys talking about?” The Queen's voice made these two sisters straighten their bodies.
Ha Gilyu cleared her throat, “Only something to release boredom.”
Ha Noon glanced at the Queen and brought her lips closer to the Queen's ear, “Mother, aren't we now allowed to go out for some fresh air?”
Queen sighs steadfastly, “Do not make invited guests wait.”
“Sure.” Ha Noon immediately stood up and walked towards the large open door.
Ha Gilyu also brought her face closer to the ears of the Queen, “I love you, Mother.”
Queen smiles gently, “Mother loves you too.”
Ha Gilyu directly walked following Ha Noon out.
“So, does big brother have anything interesting for me?” Ha Noon looked at Ha Gilyu with sparkling eyes, waiting in hope. The two were in the main courtyard of the palace, sitting on a chair on the edge of the garden.
“My sister really understands what I mean. Wait a minute, I didn't take her with me.” Ha Gilyu looked around,
and a young man of the same age as him wore a warrior uniform with a golden star symbol on both his shoulders. Unlike the other warriors who wore black ties, this young man wore a deep blue tie, signifying that he was a private soldier of one of the royal family members. Ha Gilyu stood up as the young man walked over, “You brought him?”
“Your Majesty always whines for me to take her, of course I will take her.” The young man handed over a box made of considerable mahogany wood to Ha Gilyu.
“I've always believed in you, Min.” Ha Gilyu patted proudly Ka Min's shoulder as she picked up the mahogany box. “Noon.”
Ha Noon immediately stood up with a hopeful expression.
Ha Gilyu knelt down, then slowly opened the lid of the mahogany box. Ha Noon enthusiastically noticed the contents of the box, and his eyes began to round, “Kakak?” He looked at Ha Gilyu with a look of disbelief.
“This is your birthday gift.”
Ha Noon let out a gasp of breath, his hand outstretched excitedly touching an arrow with a silver leaf-shaped engraving of the upper and lower arms, at the top, and pigeon feathers at the end of the top and bottom of the pigeon. The base material of this crossbow is the wood of a very strong oak tree, and the bowstring is made of quality nylon rope, making it shiny very sharply under the moonlight. Slowly, Ha Noon rubbed every part of the arrow's tip.
“I can have it?”
Ha Gilyu smiled amusedly, “Of course, this is your birthday gift.”
“What father knows?”
“Don't say anything to dad. I bought it secretly. I asked for a special engraving. They think this is for me.”
Ha Noon nodded, “I understand.” His eyes looked back at the arrow. “It's very beautiful.”
“This is perfect for you. Listen,”
Ha Noon raised his eyelashes looking at Ha Gilyu.
“I give this to you to be someone who is great at archery, but to think of the lives of those who stand behind you. The palace is so fun, isn't it? But you will find terrible cruelty outside the gates of the palace. Protect those who side with you, those who sincerely support you. It is very difficult to gain one's trust over strength. You could be
someone great, you can be someone strong, but it's hard to be someone who can be respected and appreciated by others. You can be the protector of your people, but never divert your arrows in front of your enemies. You understand?”
Ha Noon examined every word Ha Gilyu said, planting it deeply in his mind and heart, “I understand. I will not betray those who support me, and I will always protect them no matter what.”
“That's my sister.” Ha Gilyu gently rubbed Ha Noon's head. “This, you have to keep it well, lest others know.” he said sampil closing back the mahogany box and handing it to Ha Noon.
“Can I tell aunt?”
“As long as you believe it, you can take a decision.”
Ha Noon took the box. Although the size of the box was almost half his body, Ha Noon was still able to
carry it with both hands. Eagerly, Ha Noon stepped towards the princess, the part of the palace used as the residence of the royal family.
“Don't I have to help her? The box is quite heavy.” exclaimed Ka Min seeing that Ha Noon is a little trouble
carrying a box in his arms.
Ha Gilyu shook her head gently, “Noon is a strong princess, the box is just a small stone in her hand.”
“You are very cruel to your sister.”
“He should grow like that.”
“What if His Majesty the King finds out?”
Ha Gilyu turned her head to look at Ka Min, “I believe in Noon, she keeps her responsibilities very well.”
***
Although the passageway in the princess was quiet, Ha Noon still remembered her brother's words, she couldn't let someone she doubted see her bring this birthday present. With cautious footsteps, Ha Noon's watchful gaze never loosely stared at every corner.
“Mr Princess?” This whisper made Ha Noon stop stepping. However, he did not feel surprised because he was very familiar with this voice. Turning around, he found Mom Suri who was running small towards him. “What is the Princess doing here?”
“Auntie, brother just gave me a birthday present, I want to keep it in the room.”
“Can't the Princess just take it to the ballroom?”
Ha Noon shook his head strongly, “Can't, it's a secret between us. I can't tell anyone about
this gift, even to dad though.”
Mom Suri frowned in surprise, “Why? What's it all about?”
“I'll tell you, help me take this to room.”
Mom Suri knew that this was something serious. Without questioning anything else, Mom Suri picked up the mahogany box and quickly drove to Ha Noon's room.
“Let here.”
Mom Suri placed the box on the floor, next to the bed. Ha Noon knelt down and opened the mahogany box. Looking at the contents, Mom Suri widened her eyes, her hands raised to hold back the surprised voice that was about to come out of her mouth.
Plainly, Ha Noon said, “Isn't this very beautiful?”
“Mr Princess, did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really give this?”
Ha Noon nodded, “He gave it directly to me.”
Mom Suri stared at the bow with quivering eyelashes, “What if His Majesty the King finds out?”
“Because of that, this is a secret between us. No one will know, if we both don't say anything.”
Mom Suri was still staring at the arrow with quivering pupils. He still doubted for himself, whether he could
keeping this a secret, and protecting Ha Noon from the rule of the King?
Ha Noon understood Mom Suri's hesitation, she dragged her body closer, her little finger raised, and made Mom Suri's focus distracted. “Come promised to keep this secret.”
Mom Suri stared fixedly at Ha Noon's deeply attached pupils. She recalled a message from the Queen two years ago, “Suri, never leave Ha Noon, no matter what.” Mom Suri asked her common sense, even if it were to break the King's orders, would she still be by Ha Noon's side? Mom Suri closed her eyes and sighed steadfastly, her little finger raised and intertwined on Ha Noon's little finger. “Alright, I promise I will keep this secret.”
Ha Noon smiled with satisfaction, “I believe you, Aunty.” Ha Noon took off her little finger, and hid the mohani box under the bed.
***
Ha Gilyu sat back on her throne and found that Ha Noon had not returned. Queen caution
“Back to her room, her makeup is messy with the wind.”
The queen just nodded in understanding. Before long, Mom Suri returned to the ballroom and carefully stepped towards the Queen's throne and stood by her side.
“Is Ha Noon's makeup that messy?” ask Queen.
Mom Suri glanced at Ha Gilyu with an anxious expression. Ha Gilyu realized this and knew that Ha Noon had already told Mom Suri about the gift. Ha Gilyu smiled gently at Mom Suri, hoping that she could prove that she deserved to be given the trust by Ha Noon. Mom Suri understood that intimidating smile. He had already promised Ha Noon, and he had to take full responsibility. “Yes, Your Honor. Hair accessories a little messy due to the wind.”
The queen understood. Mom Suri glanced back at the Crown Prince with unrelenting worry. While Ha Gilyu only smiled gently implying a word of thanks.
The Princess's birthday party was almost at the end of the event, Mom Suri quietly came out of the ballroom. Lifting up her dress, Mom Suri stepped on her guard. His eyes were looking for something and his pupils moved when he found someone he was looking for. On the side of the corridor, Ka Min was busy eating the nuts she picked up from the ballroom. Mom Suri sped up her pace and heartlessly hit the young man's back to make Ka Min shudder in pain.
Ka Min turned his head with widened eyes and his forehead immediately wrinkled looking at Mom Suri who was glaring at him. “Mother...”.
“Don't call me mom!” mom Suri exclaimed as she struck her only son again. “Did I raise you for this!? Against the King's orders!?”
“Ah! If I don't do it, His Highness the Crown Prince will kill me!”
“If His Majesty finds out about this, your head will first be beheaded! You know that!?”
Ka Min took a step back while holding her neck stiffly. “Not many know, if Mother also keeps this secret, His Majesty the King will not know.”
“What? You're ruling mom right now?” Mom Suri again beat her son mercilessly.
"ah! Au!”
Mom Suri lowered her hand and glared at her son. “You know what you should do if His Majesty the King
knowing about this.”
“I understand.”
The sound of fireworks filled the sky, all the invited guests came out one by one from the ballroom. Mom Suri quickly returned to the ballroom and stood by the Queen's side to guide her out, enjoying the view of the night sky decorated by the beautiful sparks of fireworks.
“Your Majesty,” Mom Suri bent her body while extending her hand to the Queen.
“Suri,”
“Ya, Your Majesty?”
“I want to see fireworks from the balcony.”
“Good, Your Highness.”
The Queen caught Mom Suri's helping hand, and Mom Suri calmly and gently guided and supported the Queen to the top floor. The queen had a weak body and made her unable to blend in for so long in the crowd. Even if he just sat all night, he did not want to disturb the pleasure of the invited guests by standing up using the weak body between them. The queen knew that these nobles were very fond of looking for face. If she showed her weakness in front of them, the guests would not care about this fireworks peak event, they would only focus on seeking the Queen's attention by trying to help her.
As a queen, she had been educated since childhood to deal with these situations, her family had already prepared the queen's attitude in her. Trusting others is a subject that cannot be ignored, he must know the ins and outs of what background he must believe in in order to believe in someone. It's not about social class, but about possibility. There was no clear guarantee that the nobles would not betray him in the future. In fact, someone he used to call ‘kakak’ and always laughed with him from morning until night could stab him with a kitchen knife when he fell asleep. He looked weak, but he always paid attention to the possibilities in every move.
The light in each spark shone within the Queen's eyes. The queen moved her pupils to browse through the entire luminous sky, her smile expanding looking at the beauty of the night sky. His pupils again moved through the garden, noticed one by one the invited guests, and found his two children who were casually standing behind the King. His attention was now distracted by his two angels. He could see how ignorant the young man called ‘Your Highness the Crown Prince’ was. He took the opportunity to upset his sister when all eyes were focused only on the beauty of the fireworks.
The queen could only smile at every prank her son had done, and it seemed like Ha Noon was no longer
can hold back that prank. Did he have any intention of complaining to his father? He actually took one step closer to the King. Of course the Crown Prince couldn't let his pranks get caught, he pulled Ha Noon and held her firmly so Ha Noon couldn't complain about his actions.
The queen chuckled, she could also hear the sound of Mom Suri's amused laughter which seemed to also be intrigued by
the behavior of these brothers. “Suri..”.
“Ya, Your Majesty?”
“Do you know the meaning of the name Noon?”
“Middle of the day, Your Majesty, when the sun is at its highest point and shines on the earth.”
“True, I told you like that back then, huh? But, there is another meaning behind that name.”
Mom Suri frowned, “What is it, Your Majesty?”
“In that part of the Middle East there, they use a different language to us. When I was young, I visited that place with the King. Back then, the wife of a butcher shop owner had just given birth to a daughter, and she distributed all her meat that day for free as a thank you. I wondered and asked what kind of name did he give their daughter? It is ‘Hanun’, which means soft. Back then, I was thinking, I would also give that name if I was going to have a daughter.” The Queen's eyes increasingly sparkle to see her two children, her pupils pay attention to pigeon fur accessories that adorn Ha Noon's hair, then smile, “The accessories are very suitable for her.”
***
Although his eyes were reddened from barely sleeping all night due to the Princess' birthday party, Ha Gungi
must immediately depart for the palace as soon as the sun rises to the sky. Ha Gungi fastened his belt neatly and painstakingly. Afraid of making the Crown Prince wait, Ha Gungi sped up his movements, he bent his body and pulled a box made of teak wood under the table. The box is enough
it was large, almost half its body height. Ha Gungi looked at the box and smiled proudly, then carefully carried it.
The wooden door opened, Ha Gungi put the box on the floor, he knelt on a painting that
decorated by jasmine flowers. Ha Gungi smiled in front of the painting, a painting of a woman who had delicate facial features, her eyes round with pliable eyelashes, smiling with warmth that could no longer be felt.
“I titip kiddies.” After those four words, Ha Gungi stood up again and brought the teak box out.
Ha Gungi found his son sitting in the yard surrounded by wild grass. I don't know what
done by his son. He was eager to bring Ha Jungi to the palace to learn a lot about the military and politics. However, if he could bring Ha Jungi along, he should also bring Ha Yan along as well. The thing was, he had no intention of making Ha Yan learn much about nobility. It's too early for the girl to learn. He did not want Ha Yan to get much gossip from the people in the palace because of his 'disgrace. Therefore, she could only let Ha Jungi do what she wanted at home while looking after her sister.
“Jungi! Take care of your sister, father departs!”
Ha Jungi simply nodded without turning her head, focusing too much on her matters.
The sun was rising, the sound of small steps echoing throughout the house. Ha Yan walked out of his room while rubbing his eyes which still felt sleepy. Stopping in front of his mother's painting, Ha Yan smiled, “Good morning, Mother.” After that, he again walked around the house and found that the house was deserted. Ha Yan decided to go out and find his brother who was busy wriggling behind the grass. “Kakak?”
Ha Jungi finally turned her head to hear her little sister's voice.
Ha Yan put his little foot on the ground without any pedestal. “What does sister do?”
Ha Jungi smiled, “Come.”
Ha Yan also sat on the ground, watching his brother string out a few pink wildflower stalks.
“Discover your hand.” Ha Yan obediently extended his hand, and Ha Jungi gently wrapped the series of pink flower stalks around her sister's wrist. “How? Beautiful, right?”
Ha Yan raised his hand to notice the pink-colored little wildflower circling his white skin. Feeling it beautiful, Ha Yan smiled happily, “Iya, this is beautiful.”
“Kakak will make you a ring and necklace.” Ha Jungi again picked some wildflowers, and arranged them into a smaller circle.
Ha Yan noticed Ha Jungi's painstaking handwork, then looked at the wildflower bracelet on his wrist. His gaze grew increasingly fixed, and a strong desire filled his mind. “Kakak.”
“Hmm?”
“Make me a crown.”
Ha Jungi raised her eyebrows and turned to her sister, “Crown?”
Ha Yan nodded.
“Why do you want the crown? You're not even a princess.”
Ha Noon's silhouette while sitting on his throne with the crown adorning his head was darted in Ha Yan's mind. “Can't I be a princess?”
Ha Jungi stared fixedly at her sister's pupils. In the kingdom that supports this hirearchy system, he knows to play around with the words ‘putri’, ‘ratu’, ‘crown prince’, or even ‘raj’, it was a sensitive matter for someone who was only a commoner status like them. Although they should now be in the palace given their relationship with the royal family, but just because a mother who was not a noble made them have to live in the middle class and rely on their father's salary as a military force.
“Kakak?”
Ha Jungi forced her smile, “Sure. I'll make you a beautiful crown.”
