Lah Ruk Sut Kop Fah – Episode 14

Things in Raya have reached a boiling point. Good people are down, bad people are happy, and the mercenaries are just plain confusing. But it’s a terrible setback for those who want peace and prosperity for the country.

Episode 14

After his whispered promise, Kamin demands that Sinthorn NOT do anything to help him. After all, he is the one that upset the prince. Sinthorn’s sole purpose now is to protect prince. However, his second-in-command has the face of someone talking about dog poop. You just know he would rather fire the shot than take a bullet for that spoiled Makey. But he gives the promise to the man he respects and loves above all.

In another part of the palace, soldiers are dragging together our Thai contingent: Mattana’s parents and Hayman. She’s nowhere to be found. But Psycho saunters up in all her sneering, nasty glory. They are ordered to pack their bags and leave the country. As for Mattana, she is scheduled to receive punishment from the Crown Prince, even if she is from Thailand and not Raya. Hayman snarls at her retreating back they she will receive just punishment, but Mintra shakes it off.

King Inthra is still paralyzed, but is still forced to drink more poison from his crying wife. Heck, I don’t even understand why she’s upset when this whole coup could not have happened without her active participation.

Our mercenary leader Asit is gleefully assessing the gold and black stones from the General. He happily skips away as Tavee comes into the office. She sends a baleful eye as him before turning to her husband. Why did he give that useless guy any gems at all, since he has done nothing and has a stupid son to boot. Witoon doesn’t care, since these gems are plentiful like the sand, in Raya. The important thing right now is their recalcitrant daughter. Wifey doesn’t say anything, just leaves.

Back in our damp dungeon, that daughter tries to visit Kamin. She bullies the guards into allowing her access. Kamin scrambles to his feet, worried that she will be punished. She hands him a small snack and bottled water. She also passes on intel: the queen says the king is ill but being treated, the queen is now the head of the monarchy and the country. Phokin is arrested and being held somewhere. Kamin gives a heartfelt prayer to the courtier, the king and the country.

Haruetai hesitates, then quietly asks Kamin why he hasn’t wondered about Mattana.
In fact our heroine is still in her black ops clothes, completely refusing to pretty herself for Prince Makey, much to the disgust of Bulan. She’s finally had enough, and tells the younger woman that her refusal puts everyone else but her in jeopardy. So for the sake of the ladies-in-waiting, can’t she just cooperate a little? Mattana wants to confirm that she is siding with the queen, and with tears in her eyes, Bulan nods. The important thing right now for Mattana to save her own life; the dead can’t ever fix what is broken. It gives our Thai girl some food for thought.

Meanwhile our scheming Mintra is asking all sorts of questions about the prince’s habits. She overhears the ladies telling each other that Mattana will be served up to Prince Makey that very night. Poor Crazy Eyes, about to get shunted aside for the real Beauty.

Bulan leads a now Pretty-In-Pink Mattana to the main bedroom and locks the door. I wonder if she knows that Mattana has kicked Stupid Princey’s butt on more than one occasion. Makey is looking spiffy in his silk purple robe. He grabs her arm and starts dragging her to the bed. Outside the prince’s apartment, his faithful servant Chawaan frets outside about Makey’s rape attempt that might cause the prince to lose honor. Hmpfh, there. Right about that time, Mintra runs up the stairs and confronts the retainer. She hears her ex-friend’s yells, and bluffs Chawaan with the picture of Mattana kicking the crap out of the prince. He knows it’s very possible, based on the look on his face.

Mattana is in fighting stance, fists at the ready. Makey makes light of her defenses, and they seemed well-matched at swinging through the air. She’s hampered by the voluminous gown, though. Still, the prince hasn’t laid a single finger on her before the two servants charge in. He sneers at them; he won’t kill this Thai chick for fighting him. In fact, he intends to kill her lover Kamin in front of her, then allow her to live a long, sad life in the palace.

Back in her room, Mintra is still pretending to be a good friend, and Mattana spills out her fears of the coup and what it means for them all. Crazy tells her the rest of her family as already returned to Thailand, but she wants to stay and be a real friend to Mattana. Under the guise of this “friendship”, she tells the young woman that Kamin is being trotted out as an assassin to King Inthra. And that his sentencing for the accusations will be in a few days. And since she is rumored to having an affair with the disgraced captain of the guards, there is nothing she can do to stop this.

Our cute-but-now-battered courtier, Phokin, is dangling in chains somewhere else in that dank prison. Bulan visits him, crying and begging her husband to renounce and tell the current regime everything. But for Raya and the King, he won’t tell them anything. Now I know why he and Kamin got along so well. She loudly pleads one more time, but he snarls at her to leave and never bring her traitorous body in front of him again. She runs past the interested, listening guard as Phokin slumps down again.

Maleficent is gloating and happy when she hears what went down in the prison. She figures Bulan is too scared of dying to ever betray her or General Witoon. Witoon flatters her a bit, and they plot for Kamin’s final destruction. Since he is ‘married’ to Haruetai, and the ‘father’ of the general’s grandchild, they will have to tread carefully. But plans are in place to uproot all dissension to their reign.

Outside her cottage, Sinthorn is waiting for Haruetai. She has foodstuffs for her incarcerated spouse; Sinthorn grimaces and offers to take it to Kamin instead of her. She still wants to go, but just then, Slimy Suthep shows up with a contingent of guards, intending to search Kamin’s home. For what, they don’t say. But Tayvee shows up, and sneers that they are looking for evidence of her husband’s plot to assassinate the king. She grabs the young woman and drags her away. Sinthorn tries to follow, but is stopped by the General’s chief goon, and he can only watch as they enter his boss’ home.

General Witoon stands before the governing council and preaches death for Kamin, describing the so-called events of the assassination attempt. Kamin stands tall and admits the king was harmed but not by him. He asks the queen to have King Inthra examined by doctors to determine by what substance he was immobilized. Prince Wimpy pipes up and demands to know if his ex-captain thinks the queen or he might have poisoned their ruler.

Oh course, the ‘good’ general has a response to all this. He holds aloft a brown paper packet, containing the herbs used to tamper with the king’s teas, and, of course, states he found it in Kamin’s belongings. He gives a little half-smirk to the chained man as the chamber buzzes with the news.

Meanwhile, Mattana is fretting in the bright green bedroom. Seriously, can anyone sleep in a room with that wall color? Mintra crocodile-sympathizes with her ‘friend’. Mattana wants to free Kamin and save him from the executioner’s arrow; without him, there’s no way the country can survive. Chawaan shows up, smug and with news of Kamin’s capital punishment. Behind her, Mintra’s has her crazy-girl smile on.

Phokin, bloodied but unbowed, is shocked when he hears the verdict from Sinthorn. Not only that, but he too, is sentenced to death. Phokin is okay with his death, but not Kamin’s. He begs for a final favor from the faithful soldier.

In the Green Room of Horror, Mintra tries to hold Mattana back. She’s pretending to be injured in their tussle, but convinces the younger woman that there is a way to help her lover.

Bloodied and sad Kamin is in his cell, thinking about all of Prince Makey’s recent behaviors: showing him the photos taken at the village, the torture, the snarls, etc, etc.  Sinthorn, dressed in black, attacks and overpowers the guards in a bid to free his captain. He takes them all out, and unlocks the cell door, but Kamin stops him from further action. Hothead believes this is the best action to take for his commander, but Kamin is unmovable. He will stay and prove his innocence; if he runs it will show his guilt. Um, Kamin, you do realize this whole thing is a kangaroo court right? You’re not that naive under that spiky, cute hair?

Sinthorn knows the queen is behind it, and that Phokin also wanted Kamin freed. But all our hero can focus on is protecting his useless, womanizing prince. And he is happy to give up his life for the Crown if they wish it. Sinthorn’s WTH face reflects my own as Kamin orders him to shut the door and leave him. Once the younger man leaves, Kamin wallows in self-recrimination. After all, you can’t blame Makey when he did overstep the bounds into inappropriate behavior with Mattana.

The weak slimeball is drinking and gloating that he will kill his until-recent best friend and shield. The wine decanter is empty and he yells for Chawaan for more wine to celebrate that, by killing her love, Mattana will fall in love with him. Chawaan tries to point out (politely and with all due respect, of course), that he is out of his mind and stupid. There’s no way the loyalty of his captain will ever waver. And no way the Phrakoomun will switch loves. That earns him a slap and a threat. Mattana shows up as Chawaan leaves, and they stare each other down, his eyes bloodshot and wild, her’s serene but fiery.

Kamin is dragged to the torture chamber, and attached, spreadeagled across a wooden frame. He is shocked to see Phokin in a similar device. Phokin asks him through his broken mouth – why didn’t Sinthorn help him escape?  He must stay alive and help the king. After he needs to know that he not just a bodyguard, but is actually….

…He is interrupted by stupid Suthep. What is the secret? Phokin begs him to do everything he can to stay alive. For Raya and the Throne. General Witoon, and Kamin begs for Phokin’s life. The older man just shrugs.

Phokin is blindfolded and a large white screen is placed behind him. It has a small circle in in the upper middle. Ah, the medieval executioner arrives, with bow and arrow in hand. Interesting modern monarchy. With a single shot, he pierces Phokin’s heart as Kamin screams in agony. Elsewhere in the palace, Bulan drops the glass containing the king’s poison. Tayvee screams at her to rebrew it. Bulan knows what’s happened and thinks about slitting her wrists. But she knows she can’t die. She must help the true monarch and revenge her husband.

Phokin’s body has been removed when Witoon stops by Kamin to gloss on some phony sympathy. Kamin swears all manner of ills, but the general doesn’t care, since the younger man won’t live to see any of it come to pass.

Up in the rafters, unnoticed, Sinthorn has situated himself with a sniper rifle, ready to save his old boss. But before there is a new screen and blindfold, Prince Makey arrives. Not to watch the execution, but to postpone it.  Everyone is what??-ing. And we find out that Mattana has agreed to ‘consummate’ their relationship in return for Kamin’s life. At least for a few more days. Nobody his happy with his order, least of all Kamin.

He walks numbly back to his cell, not even noticing Mattana standing outside. She quietly asks him how he is doing, and he finally turns around. Rather than answer, he wonders if his reprieve is because of her actions. She wants to help release him, but he believes Makey would never kill him. We get a flashback of the ‘negotiations’.

Mattana admits she used the prince’s obsession with her to save Kamin. They both are crying now. He begs her not to do anything to help him. He’s not afraid of death, but he is afraid  to die with dishonor. She understands this, but if he dies without a chance to prove his innocence, how is that honorable? How does his death help his country, or his wife and child? Maybe he really is a coward who can’t keep his promises. She get ready to walk away, but he calls her by her Thai nickname. She turns back and they kiss through the bars.

We get a montage of previous scenes. In Krunthep, he promises that she will always be safe as long as he is alive. Wiping her tears on her first day at the palace. Pulling that madwoman off of her her throat and taking the stab for her. Catching her during her tree fall at the village. Helping her through the spider bite. All that flashes through their kiss. All this is also witnessed by Prince Makey, who finally FINALLY wonders if Mattana will ever have him in her heart.

When the kiss ends, she strokes his good cheek and apologizes for everything that happened. She begs him to live and clear his name; this is all she can do. With that she turns and walks away crying.

Makey is hiding around the corner and watches this display of selfless love. Of course, he just feels little-boy hurt, plus jealousy and greed. And you wonder why she doesn’t like you.

At Witoon’s residence, Mom tries to force Haruetai to drink an abortifacient under the guise of “medicine”. But the smell makes the younger woman nauseous and she refused. Tayvee then tries to pour it down her throat. After all, her baby is an embarrassment to the family since its father will be executed for treason. Bulan comes upon the scene as the girl struggles to keep the tea cup away from her lips. But her mother won’t be denied. She pins her daughter to floor and gets ready to snuff the little life, when Hareutai gasps out that Kamin isn’t the baby’s father. Tayvee pulls back a bit, but refuses to move even the tiniest bit more until she gives up the baby’s real father. Trapped and desperate, Haruetai admits the truth – it’s the Prince’s baby!

Bulan steps back as Mom dumps her crying daughter on the floor and runs to tell everyone.

General Witoon is with the queen, trying to come up with a way to pry Mattana away from her son. From the general’s point of view, they have to stop the ‘consummation’ with that meddling Thai woman, but Savitri knows Makey won’t allow anything thanks to his obsession with her. But, enter our schemey horrible mother, who is all gleeful smiles and gleaming eyes, who just left her daughter crumpled and horrified on her Persian rug.
The Prince’s chamberlain is preparing a bath when he gets knocked out by a figure in black. The figures drags Chawaan into the shower to hide him. Makey is clueless there is an intruder, until he is grabbed from behind and rabbit-punched a couple of times. And who is our intruder? Sinthorn!

He’s pissed that the prince executed one of the most loyal subjects he has, and angry that his commander may have the same fate, just because of this clueless hot mess of an heir. For Raya, he is willing to make sure Makey never ascends the throne. Out comes a dagger and the two grapple.

Surprisingly, Crown Prince can hold his own against the Royal Guard’s second-in-command, for a time. Sinthorn manages to back him against a wall, but the arrival of soldiers ends his assassination attempt, and he flees out the window, over the balcony, and to the outer wall. Makey wings him with a lucky shot, but he still lands on the getaway side of the wall. A couple of villagers hide him in a cart full of vegetables, and he more or less disappears before the belated soldiers’ eyes. And not just any villagers, it’s Ajarn, and his second-in-command.

Sinthorn is weak from blood loss, but he still asks Ajarn to go save Kamin. The older man is pretty calm, though; he is convinced that if Kamin wanted to escape, that prison couldn’t hold him. But does Kamin want to get out of that dungeon?

The king is still helpless but aware. The queen pops in, all smiles like she didn’t poison him into paralysis. Good news! He’s going to be a granddaddy! And Haruetai will be queen. Her happiness turns into anger, when she realizes he’s not thrilled with the news. She uses this as a good opportunity to destroy and trash the old college love mementos. She snarls she should be the angry one, since he never loved her like she loved him! Um, Savitri, old girl, it was a political marriage and not a love match in the first place, neh? She warns the bedridden man that she will destroy his firstborn with her own hands. Yay! That will make Inthra love her! Blech.

It’s now lights out at the palace, and a drunken Makey heads for the ugly green bedroom. Since Kamin’s sentence was comminuted, it’s time she pay up as her part of the promise. But Mattana isn’t in the bed – Crazy Eyes is! Mintra is all smiles, ugh.
Meanwhile, Mattana is making her escape out of the palace. But she is barely a stone’s throw from the front door when masked men grab her and knock her out. Oups, they are Suthep’s goons.

Merc Asit is with Witoon when they get the news that Mattana is now out of the way and destined for Akanee’s plaything. And when she wakes up, Mattana finds herself in a tent with ropes loosely wrapped around her waist. She unsuccessfully tries to break free. Come on, Mattana, you are skinnier than my left thigh, why can’t you shimmy out from under that webbing??

Regardless, she sees a cowboy shadow pose on the tent wall. It’s Akanee, trying to be Wyatt Earp but fails for wearing sunglasses at night. He talks tough, but we all know that Mattana will kick his soft, spoiled little butt.

In prison, Kamin thinks about everything that has gone down at the Rayan Palace since he found his king prone and paralyzed. The words he remembers are Mattana’s plea to escape and find proof of his innocence.

Suddenly, he gets massive abdominal cramps. The guards come to check on him, and voila! Free! One of the guards manages to send a message of his escape via radio.

In the Tent of Love, even tied up with that sissy rope, Mattana, as expected, is still winning against Akanee. He steps back for a moment before deciding it’s slap and kiss time.

Outside the mercenaries are hearing the struggle and thinking the boss’s son is having a good time.

Kamin is handcuffed and barefoot, but he can kick some serious butt. Unfortunately he gets pinned, only to get a little help from Bulan. With that opening, he knocks out everyone. Bulan finds the cuff key while Kamin commandeers some boots. With his wrists finally free, he wonders how Bulan managed to avoid getting arrested for treason.

She flashes back to her last conversation with her husband; Phokin told her to act like her spirit was broken so that she could be a mole and gather intelligence that could help the country and the throne. Kamin is impressed with her and her spouse’s loyalty to the throne, and promises that Phokin’s sacrifice will be avenged.

Kamin has to process a lot: Haruetai has admitted to the father of her child; General Wittoon has targeted Mattana’s life, Sinthorn’s failed assassination attempt and his subsequent escape; and the realization that his love’s life is no longer protected under the Crown Prince.

At the Tent of Pain, Akanee is whining about his bitten, bleeding ear. Mattana warns him that his options for punishment are shot by arrows or decapitation. He’s not worried, though, because Daddy knows the queen. She scoffs; as soon has the mercenaries are no longer useful, General Witoon will kill them all, his dad and himself included. So does he die a mercenary or taste victory as a Savior of Raya, his choice.

Kamin has made it to the balcony of the ugly green room. He gets ready to slip in, but just then, Prince Makey’s post-coital smile turns upside down when he realizes that he slept with Mintra, not Mattana. Mintra plays helpless ruined victim. He stills jumps in and pins Makey’s arms.

Makey calls him a traitor and a spy, but all Kamin wants is Mattana. When he realizes that Mintra is the one wrapped in a sheet, he retreats. But not before the guards are called (by Mintra), and he gets a shallow cut across his abdomen (by Makey). The Prince warns Crazy Eyes not to say a word about that night and leaves; as soon as he’s gone, she crazy-grins. And crazy-laughs.

Now Mom is all smiles and doting on her pregnant daughter. General Grandad has advice: eat well, drink well, and make the people fall in love you. No more obstacles now that the Thai woman is gone! Haruetai is surprised and upset to learn that Mattana’s friend planned her abduction and disappearance. Witoon figures both Kamin and Mattana are gone for good and probably in hell. But wait! Suthep shows up at their house. Kamin has escaped!

His escape isn’t guaranteed, though. He made it over the wall, but now the general’s forces have opened fire. He ends up pinned down, but before the end, Makey shows up with his little bow and arrow, and demands a ceasefire. He wants him captured alive. And we all know that is much much much harder to do. Kamin runs like an Olympic sprinter.

Asit shows up at the mercenary camp, only to find his guys all asleep. But that’s okay, because Akanee has found heaven! Dad’s all excited and wants to peek in on the fun. They all creep towards the tent. There’s bow-chicka-wow-wow music playing, but Lead Merc thinks it’s too quiet. Dad thinks they might be asleep, but Number Two knows that he son snores like a freight train. Maybe he had a heart attack from the excitement? They rush the tent, only to find it empty.

Akanee and Mattana drive near to the village. Mattana prettily thanks him for his efforts, and he gets a cheek hero kiss. He insists on coming with her, for Truth, Justice, and the Rayan Way Of Life.

At the palace, Haruetai  talks to Chawaan to get any information on Kamin’s shenanigans. She convinces the page to take her to where the soldiers are, so she can help her supposed husband. Crazy Mintra overhears.

Kamin is in pain and stumbling, but he’s still ahead of the troops on foot. He reaches the road just as Chawaan and Haruetai arrive from another direction. Makey lets fly an arrow, which unfortunately pierces straight through Kamin’s shoulder, causing him to crash to the ground.

Makey pulls out another arrow and notches it; Haruetai runs to the fallen man and blocks him from the soldiers. Makey lets fly, and the arrow pierces her hip. She yells at him to flee, so he stumbles to the truck, yanks Chawaan out, and drives away.

General Witoon is upset that his daughter would do anything that might affect the baby. Makey is amazed that she put her own life on the line for a traitor. Finally, Finally! Another vehicle shows up, then another. They bundle Haruetai into the SUV to speed to the hospital, and General Witoon, the prince, and an handful of guards chase after Kamin in a pickup truck.

For some reason, Kamin pulls over on a dirt road, and climbs out to run some more. The bad guys are slow in getting out of the pickup, but eventually it’s a footrace again.

Mattana and Akanee have reached what looks like a deserted storage unit. They hear gunshots, and she automatically thinks it’s Kamin in trouble. Our pseudo-hero runs after her, but not until he drops his gun.

Kamin is treed by a lake, unable to escape. Makey readies another arrow, and Kamin offers to take the arrow if Makey really believes him of treasonous actions. Makey hesitates long enough for Mattana to make it to the scene. She leaps in front of Kamin, holding a gun she pilfered from the mercenary camp. She is completely calm; if the prince harms one hair on Kamin’s head, she’ll turn the gun on herself. Akanee tries to stop her but get a neck chop for his pains.

General Witoon and his soldiers are standing back, with Makey in front of them, bow down and in shock. Even Kamin is wide-eyed as she locks her thumb on the trigger, barrel aimed at her heart. He begs her not to do anything, but she is adamant about protecting him. The standoff continues for a few more seconds, before Witoon tells Suthep to just kill everyone, Prince included. He pulls out a handy grenade, and launches to the couple’s feet.

Kamin reacts first; he grabs the grenade, pushed Mattana down and throws himself into the water. A split-second later and a loud boom with a plume of water rises up from the lake. Mattana screams and collapses by the lakes’s edge, as the ripples slowly disappear.

FINAL COMMENT

There has been little character development for our prince in fifteen episodes. He is still narcissistic, egocentric, and stupid. But Mattana’s contributions to the chaos also must be acknowledged. And with Sinthorn on the run, and Kamin potentially dead or incapacitated, there’s not much to hold back the tide of evil washing through the palace.

Poor Haruetai, pregnant and stuck in the middle of all this. She’s the most clearheaded person over everyone in Raya, it seems, but also just as helpless as before. She’s stronger than the beginning of the drama, but Dad and Mom see her as nothing more than a power pawn, so her closeness with the master manipulators doesn’t garner her anything.

What will happen to Matt now, since her parents and Hayman were forced out of the country and Cray-cray Mintra is drunk on her own actions! I hope she stays safe.

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