Crowned Prince | hendery

2: Kingdom of Hwei

Just the evening that following the gathering of the lands, Taeha, after supper with her family– what was left of her family rather– on the way back to her room sitting quite close to the often noise filled room of the crowned prince and his family, there was something much rumbustious than the room beside hers.

"What kind of commotion are you making inside my room?" As soon as she turned into her room she faced her lady-in-waiting.

A number of maids and other castle staff were packing her stuff into bags and some into huge crates. Confused with what was going on all she could turn her frustration with was her lady-in-waiting, or her soon to be retired lady-in-waiting.

"Your highness," she simply bows her head to acknowledge the princess's presence. Her lady-in-waiting grew up with the crowned princess, thus her friendly demeanor while ignoring the presence of one of the most important people of her kingdom.

"You aren't even going to turn around and converse with me?" The princess whines, but all she got was a simple smile from the lady, a little too stoic to be considered the best lady-in-waiting her kingdom has to offer her. "What is all this fuss, especially keeping my items in a box? Where will they be shipped out to?" Though, she wasn't exactly dumb enough to understand what was happening, at the back of her mind she had her suspicions.

"I am simply following orders, your highness." The lady checks a box from her list, as a few ladies carry out her luggage.

Was she about to sleep in an empty room tonight?

Knowing full well she won't be hearing anything from her lady-in-waiting she walks out of her room, her footsteps heavy in the process. As soon as she turned the corner, she was greeted by the entourage of her brother's family, complete with the crowned prince himself, his wife, his two children, their maids and body guards. Indeed, there was nothing more important than the next royal family.

"You look upset, Taeha." Taeil, his brother, couldn't be more obvious with what was clearly written all over her face.

"Do I appear so?" She nearly rushes past the family and their entourage, but is stopped when her brother grabs her by the wrist. "It is improper to stop someone by the wrist, brother."

"Are you looking for father?"

"Who else shall I look for when I am fuming?" Another box that was filled with her stuff passes through the halls. Her eyes could simply follow her items as they disappeared from her sight. Again, not as mindless as she often makes herself out to be, she knew where those items were headed.

"It has not been long since he left the table," Taeil sighs knowing full well her anger was rooted in something reasonable, "he is probably sharing his late night tea with mama, just as they always do." That was all the princess needed to hear before rushing towards her father's tea room, one that was closed off to kids below twelve and was applied whether you were royalty or not.

Taeha raises her hands up and knocks, just as it usually does, the reply comes a bit late. "Come in," was the muffled reply that came from the other side of the door.

She swings the door open to see her mother sitting with a hot cup of tea in her hands and observing the door open. On the opposite side of the table sat her father, dressed down in a much more comfortable attire, but one that screamed that he was king nonetheless. His pressed down shirt, cleanly slicked back hair and posture that was deeply ingrained into his body.

"Taeha," he calls out the name of his youngest child, "what brings you in need of my attention as soon as we finish dinner?"

"You have mastered feigning innocence father," she crosses her arms over her chest as if she was a child.