‘Your Highness!!!!!’

‘D…Deok…’

‘Your Highness!!!!!’

(Eun coughs out some blood as he scrunches up his face enduring the pain. His hands grabbing the arrow piercing through his heart.)

‘Your Highness!!!’

(Soondeok screams, but no voice came out. She tries to run towards her husband, but she could not move, not even a finger. Both stares at each other as Eun collapses on the dirt – then, there was nothing but silence and darkness.)

‘YOUR HIGHNESS!!!!!’

(Soondeok screams herself awake)

‘My lady…is everything alright?’

(Haesoo quickly lights a candle, she can see Soondeok’s pale face with beads of sweat rolling down. Her eyes out of focus, her hands trembling hard.)

‘My lady, you look very unwell. Should I get some help?’

‘The prince…THE PRINCE!’

(Soondeok stumbles her way to the princes’ room)

‘Honey!’

(Soondeok opens the door and falls on the floor in front of Eun, Eun quickly sits up as Haesoo follows in with the candle)

Eun: ‘Honey! What’s wrong? My dear, look at you.’

Soondeok: ‘Your highness…’

(Soondeok keeps touching his face to make sure he’s okay, she feels his chest to persuade herself that there’re no arrows there)

So: ‘Soondeok ah, is everything alright? Soo ah, did anything happen in your room?’

Haesoo: ‘Your highness, I believe Lady Soondeok has had a nightmare…’

Eun: ‘Oh my dear wife.’

(Eun embraces his wife tight as she sobs her heart out – with fear, with confusion, with pain)

So: ‘Soo ah, why don’t we let them have some time alone?’

Haesoo: ‘Yes, your highness.’

(Both of them leaves the room. Eun tries to comfort his wife.)

‘Soondeok ah, look at me, here darling, look at me. I’m right here, I’m right here for you. Look at me. I love you darling, you know that, right?’

(Soondeok nods as she tries to swallow her tears, Eun holds her in his arms)

‘Oppa…O…Oppa…’

‘There there, it’s alright, it’s okay to have nightmares. I used to have nightmares all the time, dear.’

(After some time, Soondeok’s calmed down and Eun touches her hand)

‘Darling, you want to tell me what you dreamt about?’

‘Oppa…’

‘You can if you want to. I’m not going to sleep tonight until you can sleep in peace. If you want me to, I can stay up.’

(Soondeok wipes her tears away)

‘I…Arrow…You were…’

(Soondeok still finds it hard to speak in complete sentences so Eun just waited)

‘Oh Oppa…it was so real. And I, I couldn’t do anything…I…There were all these soldiers, they were everywhere and you were there in the middle of it. They shot you, Oppa, they shot you right at the heart. And you…you…the blood…the blood and…oh it was awful, Oppa. And what’s worse is that I can’t do anything to stop it from happening. I…I tried screaming but nothing came out. I tried running towards you but my limbs were weak. Oh Oppa…I…I-’

‘Deok ah, it’s just a dream, okay? You don’t have to worry about me.’

‘What if it’s going to happen?’

‘Darling, don’t worry about something that won’t happen.’

‘How can you be sure, Oppa? How can anyone be so sure? You’re a prince, and if anything goes wrong-’

‘If anything should go wrong, you and I will run away, together, both of us, okay? I promise.’

‘But-’

(Eun kisses her on the lips)

‘Soondeok ah, my dear wife, listen to me. I will stop this from happening, with everything I can, I will stop it, and I will make sure nobody will hurt you as well.’

‘Promise?’

‘Promise. If I can, I’ll stop it, I really will. Now, honey, don’t cry no more, okay?’

(Soondeok takes something out of her pyjamas)

‘Oppa, here, keep this.’

(Soondeok puts the paper package in Eun’s hand)

‘What’s this?’

‘It’s a pill that can save you. Oppa, keep this.’

‘Deok ah, there’s no such thing as a pill that can save you.’

‘Please. It saved the old lady multiple of times, as I’m told, it’ll save you too.’

‘What about you then?’

‘You need it more than I do, honey…my dear prince.’

(Eun accepts the package with a bit of hesitation)

‘Fine…I’ll keep it for now, if that’ll make you feel at ease.’

‘I want some…some fresh air, Oppa.’

‘Sure, come on out, let’s take a brief walk, not too long though or you’ll catch a cold.’

--------------------------------

Soondeok’s diary

It was awful, it felt so real. I’ve never had a nightmare this frightening before. I wouldn’t mind if I was the one dying in my dream, but it was Eun, my Eun. His eyes as he looked at me in agony, his eyes begging for me, his eyes so red and drenched in tears, I still can’t keep that out of my mind. How much pain he must’ve had! And his hands, full of blood, still reaching out for me as he breathed his last, there were many wounds and it was covered with dirt, I could hardly recognize his pair of beautiful hands. Not only was he shot in the chest, his entire back was full of arrows, along with his limbs. He was like a lamb in the midst of wolves, and there’s nothing he could do but face his death, his slow and torturing death. I still can’t get the scene out of my head. I’m frightened. This won’t happen, right? No, I won’t ever let that happen. Whatever I do, I’ll stop it from happening, I will. If this is a warning sent from heaven, I’ll heed this warning and try my best to avoid it. Maybe that’s the reason for our marriage, maybe I’m the only one who can save the prince from his ill fate, maybe this way we can both live. Maybe we should really move out of the capital for good. Once the house is done, we’ll move there, along with mother, away from the palace, away from politics, away from everyone.

I tried to distract myself today, and luckily it wasn’t too difficult as I was hunting with So Orabeoni again. Eun’s been sleeping till noon I’m told, he’s been staying up with me for a long time before he returns to his room leaving me with Haesoo last night. Today is the last day of hunting for us, it’s almost tea time, I planned to have a surprise event for all three of them, they’ll love my gifts, right?

Eun’s diary

My wife had a nightmare last night. I don’t know what to say to her, for some reason I kept thinking that it was my fault, maybe it was because I died in her dream. Death now doesn’t really scare me much, what scares me the most is having to leave Soondeok behind. Who will talk to her at night if I’m not here? Who will take care of her when she’s in pain if I’m not here? Who’ll ride with her if I’m not here? Who’ll laugh with her if I’m not here? Who’ll cheer her when she’s sad up if I’m not here? Who will love her as much as I do if I’m not here?

Haesoo said something weird to me yesterday, she told me to live for a long time, a very very long time. Is she worried about me too? Is something going on in the palace which I do not know? So hyung didn’t seem to be worried about anything from the palace, he said the king’s doing well and that everything seems to run smoothly now. Is it because we’re going to travel back to the capital tomorrow, is that why she’s all so worried these days?

------------------------------

(Prince So and Eun having tea and snacks – along with Haesoo)

So: ‘Soo ah, where’s Soondeok?’

Haesoo: ‘She told me to come here first, I think she’s preparing something.’

So: ‘How’d you know?’

Haesoo: ‘Her eyes, I can read it in her eyes. Like the last time I prepared a surprise event for Prince Eun.’

So: ‘Oooh~ Seems like she’s preparing something for you, Eun ah!’

Eun: ‘Hyung-nim.’

So: ‘What? Stop pretending, we all know how much you love her now. When she comes, just give her a kiss and-’

Eun: ‘Hyung-nim!’

(Eun’s face starts to turn red)

So: ‘Aigoo, our Eun is all grown up now, huh? Big boy now! Nothing to be shy about. By the way, just like to say thank you. Thanks to you and Soondeok, we’ve had a wonderful time here, really. Right Soo ah?’

Haesoo: ‘Yes, your highness, we really had a splendid time here.’

Eun: ‘Thank you for coming, both of you. Maybe we can have another hunt in autumn! Soondeok would love it! Soo ah, you’ll come too, right?’

Haesoo: ‘If I can squeeze some time.’

Eun: ‘But boy, where is she? I should go find her.’

Haesoo: ‘I’ll go, your highness, I think I know where she is. I’ll see what I can do for my lady.’

(Haesoo leaves. Not long after, someone knocks on the door)

Eun: ‘Deok ah, is that you?’

Maid: ‘No, your highness…’

So: ‘What is it?’

Maid: ‘I’m here to deliver a message for the prince.’

Eun: ‘Prince? Which one? Come in.’

(Maid comes in)

Maid: ‘I…I’m afraid I do not know, your highnesses. I was only told to deliver the message to the prince.’

So: ‘What’s the message?’

Maid: ‘A child monk came and told me to say these exact words. “To my beloved one, please meet me at the garden where I have prepared a special surprise for you.” That’s all I’m told to say.’

Eun: ‘Child monk?’

So: ‘Soondeok’s been playing with them these past few days, hasn’t she? Maybe she told them to deliver this message to you, Eun ah! Oh how romantic!’

Eun: ‘It could be Haesoo’s message to you, hyung-nim.’

So: ‘Balance of probability, Eun ah. What are you waiting for?’

(Eun blushes)

Eun: ‘Well, what should I do? I didn’t prepare anything for her…’

So: ‘Hug her like a man, Eun ah! Kiss her too!’

Eun: ‘Hyung-nim!’

So: ‘Soondeok will love it, trust me. Go on, you can’t keep her waiting!’

(Prince So gives Eun’s a pat and pushes him out the door)

--------------------------

(Prince So enjoys his tea after Eun’s left – he wanted to follow him out but stayed in the end, not wanting to disturb the two love birds. Then he hears Haesoo and Soondeok’s voice. Both enters the room.)

Both: ‘TADA! SURPRISE!’

(Prince So almost choked on his tea.)

Soondeok: ‘So Orabeoni! This is my gift to you! And this one for you, Haesoo! And this one for…where…where’s the prince?’

So: ‘Didn’t you send a message to him, telling him to wait for you in the garden?’

Soondeok: ‘What are you talking about, Orabeoni? Message? I’ve been in the store room this whole time preparing this…’

Haesoo: ‘Then where is the prince now?’

So: ‘He went out to the garden to meet you, Deok ah…You sure you didn’t send the message? “To my beloved one, please meet me at the garden where I have prepared a special surprise for you.” Didn’t you send this message?’

Soondeok: ‘Never. Then someone else must’ve sent it…’

(Silence. Something is definitely wrong so Soondeok runs out of the room, speeding towards the garden)

‘OPPA!’

(Eun, who’s been waiting for Soondeok this whole time in the garden, turns around and sees Soondeok running towards him. He too runs to her and pulls her into his arms.)

‘Oppa, are you-’

(Eun kisses her on the lips, Soondeok’s not sure what’s really going on)

‘I’m sorry, Deok ah, I didn’t prepare any gift for you. Will you take this as my gift for now, my dear wife?’

‘Gift? Wait, I-’

‘Oh Deok ah, don’t worry, I’ll buy you something nice once we get back to the capital, we can go to Yixing’s store and see what’s new there, you love those stuff don’t you?’

‘Oppa, you don’t understand. I didn’t tell you to come here.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘The message, Oppa, I didn’t send it.’

‘Then, Haesoo?’

‘No!’

(Eun’s grin turns into confusion)

‘Honey, why can’t I understand you? What’s going on?’

‘Oppa, I didn’t send you the message, someone else did. Not me, nor Haesoo, not anyone of us four! And-’

(Soondeok’s highly-sensitive ears can hear someone moving about outside the walls)

‘Deok ah, what’s wrong??’

‘Oppa, we have to leave here, now!’

(Soondeok holds his hand to run, just as she’s about to take off with her husband, she hears an arrow shooting Eun’s way so she pulls him behind her with all her might…and the arrow shot right at her chest, forcing her to stumble backward.)

To be continued...