the lacuna games | lee minho

six

THREE days later, Hanmi wakes up to the familiar smell of the cook's signature breakfast dish – a bowl of rice porridge sprinkled with shredded chicken, fresh eggs, all nice and warm – placed on top of a cart. When she opens her eyes, it's the first thing she sees. Somewhere in the room, Hanmi hears some movement and she figures it must be Tia.

A sudden streak of sunlight bursts into the room from behind her. At the explosion of colours to contrast the previously dark room, the Princess shuts her eyes to ease the sting behind her lids. Hanmi turns around and finds Tia clicking her tongue at something underneath her windowsills.

"They still have not scrubbed the moss, how many times do I need to call the yard cleaner?" after a long sigh, Tia faces away from the window. "Oh great! You're awake!"

"Good morning," Hanmi says sleepily mid-yawn.

"Good morning!" the handmaid chirps back.

She pours some tea into a small cup and hands it to the Princess before pulling out a small table from the bottom shelf of the cart. As she does so, Hanmi sits up sluggishly, feeling the pulls of gravity dragging her limbs back on to the mattress and yet she forces through. The table is placed across her lap once she takes her first sip of tea, nice, warm and silky down her throat.

"You have some mail," Tia tells her whilst placing down the bowl of porridge in front of her.

"Who are they from?"

There's a pile of envelopes on one end of the cart and just seeing it makes Hanmi's head pound. Tia chuckles at Hanmi's overdramatic groan, picking them up by the bunch and flips through them one by one. "They are from the Children's Museum director, the Governor, Princess Yuna and Prince Minho," she reads.

Hanmi snorts at the mention of Minho's name. "That was fast," she comments, bringing a spoon of her food to her mouth.

"What was fast?"

"Prince Minho," she casually points her spoon at the envelope with the familiar Obvian wax stamp to seal the flap, "it would take him at least a week to write. It's odd for him to write before Hyunjin does. Can you read it for me, Tia?"

"But it's from the Prince? Shouldn't you read it yourself?"

Hanmi waves a nonchalant hand. "My point exactly, my dear Tia, it is only Prince Minho," she says, "besides, Princess Yuna's letter would probably be about our next baking class, I wrote to the Children's Museum about their new exhibit and the Governor... well, can wait, can't he? It is barely eight in the morning."

"Ah thinking about it makes my head ache," the Princess pinches the bridge of her nose, "so will you be so kind, Tia?"

The Princess does a little happy dance when her handmaid finally gives in and picks open the seal carefully. She repositions herself into a more comfortable posture, directing all of what is left of her attention to Tia as she sticks her spoon back into the bowl of porridge. As she does so, Hanmi's subconscious mind thinks about how it was a bad idea to have tea immediately after waking up – the aftertaste is horrible.

Tia glances back at the princess, still unsure but Hanmi pushes her on with a nod.

The handmaid unfolds the piece of parchment. "Your Highness, Princess Hanmi," she starts, to which the said girl responds with a short hum.

"Did I finally write to you sooner than Prince Hyunjin did? I hope so.

"He and I have a tally going on, you see, who can mail a letter to a dinner host after returning home although I must say, my advantages this time were bigger than his, after all, he is busy preparing for the coronation. I am happy to mention that with this letter, it would make me two marks ahead of him and we have five more dinner parties to go to – loser must treat the winner to roast lamb! Although, I don't plan to do that when I claim my victory as both parties still get to eat delicious meat. I'll have him assist me in my hunts, it would be nice to have a future king be under my command for once!