Lah Ruk Sut Kop Fah – Episode 13

The bad guys gain the upper hand as the palace collapses under the weight of all that intrigue. Poor King Inthra, who only wanted a loving wife, a peaceful insular country, and a pride-worthy son, and ends up with none of these.

EPISODE 13

At the location of the fighting, Kamin is writhing in pain from the grenade explosion. In bed, Mattana wakes up with a yell. I suppose if Kamin had a family, a glass in the kitchen might have hit the floor and shattered. In any case, Mattana is up at the crack of dawn, much to Mintra’s displeasure. She heads to the parlor, where Marnvika is sitting. Prince Makey shows up, and Mintra is quick to say that his fiancée has disappeared and probably run into Kamin’s arms. Mom is shocked that the girl she raised would say that. In truth, Mattana is at the temple, praying. Okay, Mintra looks like an idiot, and I couldn’t be happier.

Mintra stomps back to the bedroom to swear vengeance. While trying to strangle a picture of Mattana, she cuts her finger. She pulls open the nightstand for something to clean up the blood, and find Mattana’s phone. Really, even I have my phone passworded, and it only contains pictures of strange foods I’ve tried, and an occasional selfie of my current nail polish design.

My first durian, and my black and purple nail motif. Compliments of my IPhone.

Mom comes into the room, cutting short Mintra’s evil glee. She wants to give the younger woman a dressing-down for her behavior in front of the queen and the crown prince, but Mintra doesn’t care – she’s got the goods on Mattana now. And again I have to ask, who doesn’t password their phone? Okay, maybe my 86-year-old father, but anyone else? Anyway, she flat-out tells Mom that her daughter has been secretly dating Kamin, and then she sails out the door

At the temple, Mattana is heading in as Hareutai is leaving, and they chat for a moment. Hareutai was praying for Kamin’s safety; Mattana claims to pray for a peaceful resolution for the country. Mattana mentions that she would follow her husband to the battlefield if it would keep him safe; Hareutai tells her the Crown Prince is lucky to have her as his fiancée.

Queen Savitrin is on the phone, gleefully happy that Kamin was injured in the explosion. Mintra pushes her way through the ladies-in-waiting and throws herself at the queen’s feet, ready to show her the phone.

In another part of the palace, King Inthra and Mattana’s dad are discussing the mercenary situation. Dad was already aware of Asit’s shenanigans in Thailand, and is surprised that General Witoon would throw his lot with a bunch of mafia thugs from another country. Dad understands why his college friend wanted his daughter engaged to the Crown Prince. Intra offers to release Mattana from the promise and allow her to safely return to Thailand.

But Dad remembers the promise they made at the temple while they were in college: Prattana, Inthra, and Thammarat. The pair in love promise loyalty to each other forever, and Dad was witness to their vows and also pledged undying friendship and support. Back in the present, the king is almost in tears, sorry he was unable to keep his promise to the woman he loved. Thammarat assures the monarch that Prattana understood and waited, always. He presents his friend a series of keepsakes from their college days, including photos of the couple. He also includes a CD that the woman made before she died.

At the temple, Mattana is lighting her candle, remembering Kamin’s explanation of their religion. She looks up at the iconography in the narthex, while his voice talks about their belief in the God of Light as the guidance for true love. She prays that the person she loves the most remains safe. Prince Makey slides in, hears this, and strides towards her with a smile on his face. He stops short and registers shock when he hears her pray to keep Kamin safe. She never sees him storm out.

Hayman shows up at the temple steps just as Makey leaves, and his concern for his friend has him sprinting into the building.

It just keeps getting uglier and uglier. In King Inthra’s office, Queen Snoopy finds the box of Prattana keepsakes and puts two and two together that Kamin is the older son of the king. She plays the CD, showing an ill woman. Prattana was so ill that she had to send Kamin back to the king. Yep, Queenie, she got the love you never had, and, yes, the temple was named for her, not you. Neener neener neener.

General Witoon is meeting Merc Asit, and isn’t happy to know that Kamin’s corpse was not found at the explosion site. The meeting is cut short when then queen brings her brother the keepsake box.

The prince is drinking himself into a stupor, while Chawaan tries to stop him. Remember his promise to Kamin to stay sober for Mattana? That just makes him even more bitter. Is he such a bad jerk that people have to constantly be on his case to behave? His page carefully asks if he really wants to hear the answer to that question. He insists that he wants the truth.

Poor Chawaan! He starts: the prince is self-centered, spoiled, has lousy fighting skills, doesn’t listen, and sucks at politics. All things being equal, everyone would choose Kamin over him. Now he’s done it. Makey goes ballistic and almost physically tosses his retainer out the door. Queen Mom comes in while he’s in mid-tirade and shows him Mattana’s cell phone of happy Phu Saitarn village pictures. She spins him up more and more, but he still wants to talk to Kamin first. Savitri won’t have that; she stops him and says she’ll handle it.

Akanee is bored in his room and decides to escape through the window to reach his love Mattana. Dad comes in stops his behavior. Asit has good news; he plans to take his son to see Mattana.

Queen Traitor and General Jerk meet. Makey has agreed to their plan, at least the part that she explained to him. All secrets will die with Kamin.

In Mattana’s chambers, Prince Makey coldly announces that Kamin is severely injured but is in treatment at the village because it’s too dangerous to move him. Mintra smirks from the door frame.

Once she is alone with her mother, Mattana decides she needs to do something. But what? She jumps up and runs to her bedroom and has a panic attack. Mom finally asks what is between the two of them. Her daughter won’t say, but Mom is a pretty smart cookie, and warns her that it’s a pretty big issue if it was true.

Mattana tells her mom she plans to go to the temple to pray, but her Lady Pirate outfit tells me that she’s not really feeling all that pious. She snatches the car keys out of Hayman’s hands, and they head out of the palace grounds. Prince Makey and Witoon’s flunky decide to follow.

Hareutai is pacing at her house, waiting for news on Kamin. Sinthorn shows up and she begs him to tell her the news, good or bad. Gossip is that he’s dead.

Mattana’s Chevy Sonic is at the end of a barely-there road when she stops and hops out. She pays no attention to Hayman, but just before he chases after her, he’s hit over the head by a palace guard. Uh oh, that’s not good.

In front of Mattana is a canvas tent, surrounded by a bunch of trees wearing sporty scarves. She cautiously approaches the structure, takes a deep breath, and heads inside.

There are two strangely dressed (for Raya) guards, a shrouded figure, and a makeshift altar. The guard asks if she is there to pay her respects to the captain of the guard. Who? The guard says it’s Kamin!

Mattana approaches and pulls away the shroud, despite the guard’s information that the body was burned in an explosion. The face is completely unrecognizable, but it does have spiky black hair. She’s convinced that it’s him, and collapses to the floor in shock.

In the meantime, the guards leave. Oh look! Just outside is General Witoon and Suthep. And Prince Makey, who hears her sobbing her heartbreak and love over the corpse. She promises to behave and marry the prince she doesn’t love, if he would only wake up and be alive again.

 

Okay, I feel a little sorry for Makey, but let’s face it, it was an arranged marriage. Did he really think she would fall for his charms? Then again, his every little crush has been rewarded so maybe he thinks all women love him. But then again, he was worried because Mattana was different and had to work harder for her esteem. Oh well, we all knew he didn’t have a chance, but he would never believe that, the selfish little jerk.

Makey reflects on the times his best friend and his fiancee were found together; the horse incident; Kamin’s house after he was injured; their conversation when he returned from Phu Saitarn village. The prince decides to leave, and Suthep promises to ‘take care’ of the Phrakoomun per Queen Savitri’s orders. However, one of the villagers skulking nearby overhears the conversation, and takes off, no doubt to inform Ajarn.

Hareutai is praying at the house, tended by Sinthorn. She thanks him and gives him a smile, which makes him feel all warm and tingly.

It’s Kamin! And he’s looking hotter than ever at Ajarn’s hut. We get a flashback that shows he managed to roll away from the worst of the grenade force radius. Baldy gets ready to shoot him, but Mali’s quick attack stop the mercenary long enough for the rest of the villagers to return fire and force him to retreat.

Back in the present, Ajarn muses that mountain bandits would never have those types of tactical weaponry. And drug traffickers don’t randomly kill or rob poor villagers. Someone is the Puppet Master behind all this. Just then, our out-of-breath villager shows up, and tells the trio about the fake dead Kamin, and the evil gang who listened to Mattana’s crying.

At the Death Tent, Mattana prepares to shroud her beloved’s face. But wait, the body still has both betrothal earrings, and she knows that Kamin’s left one resides in Hareutai’s ear. Just then, Akanee shows up all smiley, along with his dad and Suthep. It’s a trap!

The prince is still pissed as he stomps out of the woods, and we get another PPL view of the car. He stops next to the vehicle and recalls Suthep’s last words (that he will ‘take care’ of Mattana), and impulsively decides that killing is too good for her.

Not that his opinion matters. Asit pulls out a pistol, ready to shoot Mattana, but Akanee jumps in between the two. Dad tries to convince his son that the woman only has feelings for the guard, but like Makey, Akanee is convinced she loves him only. Mattana grabs Akanee and pretends to have a weapon jammed into his side. Will they blur out her finger? LOL. She whispers to him to cooperate, so they can run away together.

He starts hamming it up, so naturally Dad is ready to capitulate. And naturally, Suthep pulls out his handgun and points it at the pair, uncaring if the young man gets shot as long as Mattana is dead. The situation is tense! Will he shoot? Nope, he’s going to answer his ringing cell phone instead. It’s the prince telling him to stand down.

So Mattana and Akanee both have their hands tied as they are escorted out of the tent. They have barely gone 10 meters when our hero shows up. Mattana is shocked, and happy! She tries to escape, but is unsuccessful.

Suthep starts shooting. Kamin throws a shuriken at the guard holding Mattana, but she gets grabbed by Suthep. Asit fires, but his son is in front of him. Akanee slowly sinks to the leaf littered ground. Mattana is still struggling when Kamin throws a smoke grenade. As usual, poor Suthep gets pummeled to the ground, and Mattana escapes with the good guys. Asit is cradling his unconscious son and crying.

The general and the queen get the bad news. Mattana has escaped, thanks to the Crown Prince’s order not to kill her, and she is now with Kamin and the other rebels. Makey is now AWOL from the scene and palace, and Kamin knows everything. Since his next step is more than likely to inform King Inthra of the whole deal, the queen decides that it’s time to move up the timetable.

The queen brings her husband a nice cup of herbal tea, but it’s full of a paralyzing poison, that temporarily renders an individual unable to move, although they are still aware. Eek, woman! That is your husband! And the ruler of the country you supposedly love!

King Inthra is irritated at the interruption, and doesn’t really want anything, but Savitri plays the sad wifey. A short time later, while she watches from the hallway, he drinks it. Noooo! The queen justifies her actions because he was mean to her. Ugh, blech.

Our loving Thai couple are together, and Marnvika is worried about her daughter. Both Mattana and Hayman’s phones are turned off. Mintra is reading a magazine, completely indifferent to the elder’s worries. After all, Mattana disappears all the time, and she is sick and tired of always being forced to be her servant. She snarls at the pair and sails out of the room. They are mystified by her actions, and her bad-mouthing, especially in conjunction with Kamin.

Phokin tries to speak with the king, but he is stopped by the royal guards acting on the queen’s orders. He runs past them to the king’s bedroom, and quickly realizes the King’s plight. But before he can send for the royal physician, General Witoon shows up with a couple of soldiers, accuses the assistant of assasination, and has him summarily arrested. He stops long enough to laugh over the now-prone king.

In the village, Mattana is finally waking up, being watched by Kamin. She thanks him for saving her life. He accuses her of always causing him headaches, and begs her to stop acting impulsively and running headlong into danger. Why does he want to fight? She retorts that she heard he was dead and wanted to know if it was true. He scoffs at her, since he hasn’t sent any word to the palace yet about the bandits. Mattana tells him that Prince Makey himself told her of his ‘demise’.

Just then Kamin receives an emergency coded text from Phokin. Something has happened at the palace! Mattana is ready to go back together with him, but Kamin insists that she get sent back first. She thinks it’s because of Hareutai, but he softly says that he’s worried about the woman in front of him.

Mattana is quiet for a moment. She understands that both their lives are on the line, but she was surprised that her chubby pursuer’s dad was also involved. Kamin uses this for an “I Told You So” moment, but Mattana reins in her urge to pop him one, frustrated by his seemingly uncaring attitude.

At the palace, poor Phokin is being tortured the old-fashioned way: whipped and then splashed with salt water. Witoon is perfectly happy doing his own dirty work. A gleeful queen escorts the faithful retainer’s wife to the torture field, and Bulan almost collapses when she sees the state that her spouse is in. She cries as she tries to clean his face with her handkerchief.

As Bulan leaves, Witoon stops her for a moment. Did Phokin say anything to her? Bulan can only repeat that her husband doesn’t know anything about an attack on the king. Witoon swears she will die in front of her husband if she doesn’t cooperate with the investigation.

It’s inky night at the village, and everyone is dressed in black tactical gear. Kamin’s two trusted men are to accompany Mattana back to the palace while he stays behind. He tells her to be careful; she counters, shouldn’t that be her line? He smiles a bit, and warns her not to make trouble. The two parties nod and head off in separate directions. Our couple stare for a moment before she turns and begins to walk away.

Only to turn and run back, giving Kamin a fierce backhug. All sorts of emotions flit across his face as she breathes into his back, would it be so bad if they could die together. He gently takes her hands and turns around to look at her. While he rubs her hands with his thumbs, he promises that both of them will survive this.

Next scene, Kamin is already in the palace. He works his way to the king’s bedchambers; where Inthra is wide-awake but still unable to move. Kamin only registers this for a moment when the bad guys swarm in from every direction – it’s a trap! There’s too many for him to fight; once he is subdued, the general struts in, and accuses him of invading the king’s personal rooms with weapons and intent to murder the sovereign.

Meanwhile, the trio is still trying to make their way back into the palace. They get discovered and a firefight erupts. Tagoon and Adjarn draw their fire while Mattana reaches the prince’s apartment. The guard recognizes her, but refuses her entry. She starts to storm past him; but he entreats her. The prince is actually with the queen at the moment. Then guard tries to grab her, and she gets in a few good licks before he has a hold on her. Our village protectors try to step in but they are rebuffed.

It appears that Hayman has also been arrested and is locked up in the dungeon. He is shocked when Kamin is led in chains and placed in his cell. Kamin is surprised that the young man is incarcerated, but quickly informs him of the coup attempt. He assures him that Mattana was personally escorted to the prince and should be safe.

Prince Makey sees his father for the first time, and freaks out over his condition. His mom is purring at his side, and tells him that his uncle is interrogating Kamin, but hasn’t gotten a confession why he would poison his king. Makey rushes to speak with Kamin, and Savitri pauses to gloat over her husband. She promises that Makey will never know that Kamin is his older brother, especially if her son kills him. With that, she flounces away and leaves the king with his thoughts.

Mattana’s dad is protesting to Suthep for the reason they can’t see the king. The queen shows up and warns him not to push her people around, particularly with their daughter’s misbehavior and embarrassing actions towards the royal family. The queen orders Thammarat arrested, but Makey stops her and merely places them under house arrest.

When they are gone, she sneers at her son for being a weak-willed fool, and challenges him to seize the throne. Makey is reasonable. Wait, let me repeat that. Makey. Is. Reasonable… He doesn’t want the outside world to view them as barbaric, hence his decision.

Mattana’s mother is trying to contact her people when her husband is pushed into the room. Suthep warns dire consequences for leaving the guest chambers and leaves. Both of the them are puzzled, even more so when Mintra glides past them, heading for the door.

With malicious glee, she tells them. They have to be confined for their daughter’s actions. Also, she’s moving to the queen’s chambers where she will never be their lowly servant again. Dad doesn’t understand; after all, they treated her like one of their own daughters. Mintra goes off on them.

All she ever did was play second fiddle to their real child, stuck with her hand-me-downs and forced to do her bidding. It seems she has a lot of resentment built up as she starts yelling at them. She switches her bipolarism and starts laughing, hoping that they end up hurt and destroyed forever. She switches back to her cold self just as Bulan arrives. Mom is crying, wondering where her daughter is. Bulan coldly assures her that Mattana is safe, and then leaves.

Mattana is pounding on the locked door of her room, demanding to speak with the prince. The guard refuses so she manhandles both of them to the ground. Heh, did Kamin actually train these guys? They only get the upper hand when one of them pulls out his pistol and levels it at her.

While all this is going on, Queen Savitri has convened the Governing Council, and General Witoon starts the wheels to make the Queen in charge of the country. One of the councilors wonders about the king, but she coolly announces that the king can’t give any orders anymore. First thing on her agenda is to talk about that ultimate traitor, Kamin. The Council members begin to protest: Kamin? A traitor??

We don’t know what was said in the chamber, but brother and sister are happily strutting down the hallway, pleased with the actions of the Council. It seems they have agreed to crown Makey to succeed the throne of his father. Witoon advises her to keep giving the drug to the king, just to keep everyone safe. She worries that his condition will deteriorate if he keeps taking it, but the general assures her that it’s perfectly safe. You are an idiot, queenie, and a traitor and all around bad wife.

In the cell, Hayman and Kamin talk. Hayman is sure Kamin knows all the ins and outs of the grounds, and can easily escape. So why doesn’t he? But Kamin is sure that the prince will release him once Mattana talks to the man. Just then, King Designate Makey shows up at the jail door. He is stone-faced as he stares down at the prisoners. Sinthorn just looks worried.

Sure enough, Kamin is put on the torture frame. Sinthorn tries one more time to speak sense into his lord, but is unsuccessful. And it takes several repeated orders from Kamin for his second-in-command to stand down.

Kamin tells Makey that everything is General Witoon’s plan; Makey just whips him. After the first lash, he demands that Kamin admit to his nefarious plans and so save his own skin; but the older man is calm. Doesn’t the prince know his captain’s character after all the time they spent together? Makey just yells accusations; Kamin says nothing, and the whippings begin in earnest. In between strokes, Makey continues with the accusations: Kamin is a coward, a traitor to the kingdom, and a usurper. Throughout Kamin barely flinches as Makey yells for him to confess.

During a pause, Kamin calmly tells the prince that there is nothing he can say, because the prince won’t hear him anyway. The younger man drops the whip and grabs Kamin’s shirt. He wants to understand how these events happened! He wants to hear it from Kamin’s own lips, anything to make the pain lessen! He pulls out Mattana’s cellphone and shows the Phai Saitarn village photos.

Kamin’s eyes go wide as Makey continues. How could a loyal brother do this to him? All Kamin can say is that he deserves to die. Makey agrees, picks up the whip, and lashes the shackled man across the face. With that parting shot, Kamin is released back to his cell to await his execution.

Mattana is still fretting in her room when the prince arrives. He tells her he knows everything, which she interprets to mean General Witoon’s coup attempt. She asks for the man’s release, which he interprets as a plea for her lover. In that split second, Mattana realizes that Makey was already aware of what was going on, and allowed it.

She asks what he wants of her, then. He wants to know why she deceived him; but she is brutally honest. There was no deception; she tried everything she could to cancel the wedding, even before she came to this country. Her ersatz groom grabs her arms and asks her what he can do to win her love. But there is nothing; she already loves Kamin with everything she has, and has no more heart for anyone else.

But why would she agree to marry him?? Again, she is forthright. As a duty, for Thailand, for gratitude. But never for love. Makey releases her with a sneer. She apologizes for hurting him, and offers herself for his hatred if only he would release her parents and the rest of her family.

Below the palace, Kamin is all but dragged back to the cell. Sinthorn whispers that he will help Kamin, but all that gets is an alarmed look on the injured face of our hero.

FINAL COMMENTS

Makey is an idiot. Maybe he is brain smart, but he has been manipulated six ways from Sunday by his relatives. And Kamin probably sowed the seeds of his own destruction by preventing his charge from ever learning to think on his own or suffer the consequences of his own actions. He can’t see past his jealousy to look into the heart of the one man who was willing to give up everything for the prince’s happiness and security. So, I have to repeat. Makey is an idiot.

The biggest traitor in all of this is, of course, the queen. General Witoon has not hidden his contempt for the current monarch, or his ambition to be more than the brother-in-law of the king. So none of his actions are a surprise. But like her son, Savitri just lets her jealousy and bitterness over her marriage destroy her entire world. Looking back, it was an arranged marriage anyway; did she th ink it would be hearts and flowers? We saw from the very beginning that she allowed her one-way love for the king to poison their relationship. And both she and her son are on borrowed time. Because you know, once the general secures his power and no longer needs the pair, they will quietly disappear like dead goldfish flushed down the toilet.

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