Eun’s diary

For some reason, I can’t seem to explode at grandpa last night, it’s like I don’t even care anymore. I used to yell at him, to argue with him, but last night, when I saw him last night, I can’t even do that. I’m tired. I’m tired of him. I’m tired of his ways of treating me, treating mother, treating my wife. He didn’t say much, I guess he felt the same way. Both of us just remained silent the whole time. He’s grown thinner. I shouldn’t feel sorry for him, but I did.

I guess today’s just one of those days where you don’t feel like doing anything. Even writing this is draining my energy.

Soondeok’s diary

Did something happen last night? I wonder what the prince said to his grandpa, or rather, I wonder what grandpa had said to the prince that’s made him so…indifferent. We didn’t talk much during breakfast, he didn’t whine about wanting to sleep with me either, he just stayed in bed all day, staring blankly at the ceiling. Today’s going to be a slow day…

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

(After lunch, Eun goes back to bed – staring into space. Soondeok walks up to him.)

‘Oppa, did something happen last night?’

(Eun turns the other way)

‘What?’

‘What happened when you went to see your grandpa?’

‘Nothing.’

‘That’s weird.’

‘I said it’s nothing.’

‘Oppa…’

‘To me, my grandpa has died ages ago. I have no grandpa. Period.’

‘Is it because of me?’

‘Honey.’

‘Because he wanted to make sure I’ll leave you, after the divorce, is that why he moved in?’

‘I…I don’t know, Deok ah, I don’t want to know.’

‘Oh Oppa…you seem so down today…is there something you’d like to do to help you cheer up?’

‘Nothing…just let me sulk for today. I’ll be fine soon…’

(Soondeok wants to give Eun a pat on the shoulder but he pulls flings her hand away)

‘I SAID I’M FINE!’

(Soondeok slowly withdraws her hand, keeping her head low)

‘S…sorry, your highness.’

(Eun lets out a deep sigh then sits up)

‘I didn’t mean to shout at you, honey…I…’

‘Oppa. I understand. I just thought I could make you feel better…if you need someone to talk to, you can call for me, I’ll be just there, reading.’

‘Thanks.’

(Soondeok gives Eun a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving him)

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

(Night came, at long last – it’s been a very slow day, the air seems heavy, the food seems tasteless. It’s truly one of those black-and-white days, no colors. Eun stayed in bed all day, doing absolutely nothing – Soondeok read all day, doing absolutely nothing else. It’s getting late, the night is quiet, a heavy kind of silence.)

‘Deok ah, you should stop reading.’

(Silence)

‘Deok ah.’

(Silence again)

‘Honey?’

(Eun slowly gets up, steadying himself a bit before standing up – dizziness hits him as he sits up after laying down all day)

‘Deok ah. You…oh. I see you’re asleep…’

(Soondeok’s fallen asleep on the desk, her head resting on her arms, pressing down on the book she’s been reading. Eun walks up to her and pats her on the shoulder to wake her up.)

‘Darling, it’s late, let’s sleep, you can keep sleeping in bed, okay?’

‘Mmm…’

‘Good girl, you can stand up can’t you?’

‘Mmm…your…highness…’

‘Aigoo…I’ll carry you then, come on up girl.’

(Eun pulls her up gently and tries to get her on his back)

‘My heart…’

‘Deok ah, what’s wrong?’

‘I…my heart hurts…’

‘It hurts? Oh dear, hold on.’

(Eun quickly brings her to their bed)

‘Deok ah, you stay here, I’ll get the doctor.’

‘It’s not that…I…’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I feel like…it’s tearing up inside…I hate this feeling, Oppa. I feel like something bad is going to happen soon.’

‘Nonsense. Nothing will happen. I’ll get your doctor, okay?’

‘Oppa.’

‘Yes?’

‘I…I love you…’

(Eun kisses her on the forehead)

‘I love you too, I’ll be right back.’

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

(Eun waiting outside the physician’s house)

‘Your highness! What brings you here in the middle of the night?’

‘It’s my wife. She said her heart’s hurting.’

‘Oh dear, I’ll get my stuff ready at once! Wait…that shouldn’t happen.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Your wife’s heart…your wife’s heart shouldn’t be hurting.’

‘Why not? I’m not quite getting what you’re saying, doctor.’

‘Last time I went to see the lady, she’s fine, cured to be exact. Ever since she got hit by the arrow, her heart problem disappeared as well…I’ve been her doctor since she was born, I know the change in her pulse.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means-’

(Just at that moment, a servant comes running to Eun)

Servant: ‘YOUR HIGHNESS!!’

Eun: ‘What’s wrong?’

Servant: ‘Your highness! You’re here! Aigoo, thank goodness! You have to get back. Big trouble! It’s bad, really bad.’

Eun: ‘What trouble?’

Servant: ‘An assassin came into madam’s room-’

Eun: ‘My mother’s room? How’s my mother then? And my aunt!’

Servant: ‘Luckily, Lady Soondeok got there in time…your mother is safe, and your aunt too your highness, but…’

(Eun immediately takes off, running back to his residence, Soondeok’s last words to him ringing in his ears)

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

(The residence suddenly became a busy place – filled with people. Servants all on stand-by, soldiers surrounded the place with torches, maids gathered around the two older women who’s been in shock)

Mother: ‘Eun ah! Oh Eun ah…’

(Mother staggers her way to her son)

Eun: ‘Mother! Aunt! Are you two alright?’

Mother: ‘Oh thank goodness you’re safe! Where have you been?’

Aunt: ‘We’re fine…Eun ah, but your wife…’

Eun: ‘Where is she?’

Aunt: ‘She saved us, Eun ah…she saved us…’

Eun: ‘WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS MY WIFE?’

Prince So: ‘Eun ah! There you are!’

(Eun turns around and sees his hyung)

Eun: ‘Hyung-nim!’

Prince So: ‘I’ve been appointed to be in charge of this case, I’m here to investigate.’

Eun: ‘Hyung-nim! Have you seen my wife?’

Prince So: ‘No, I-’

Mother: ‘Eun ah…your wife is in our room…’

Eun: ‘What is she still doing in your room? Don’t tell me…’

Aunt: ‘Eun ah…’

Eun: ‘I’ll go to her-’

Mother: ‘Eun ah, don’t-’

Eun: ‘SHE’S MY WIFE!’

(Eun pushes everyone away to get to his mother’s room, to find his wife, to find his love, hoping he’s not too late)

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

‘Soondeok ah!’

‘O…Oppa…’

(The room is dark, with only one dying candle lighting it all up. There’s a pool of blood on the floor where Soondeok’s sitting, her back towards the door as Eun comes in. Eun sighs with relieve that his wife is fine.)

‘Deok ah, I thought you were…’

‘He’s gone…’

‘What?’

(Eun walks closer, then he sees – Soondeok holding Mongryong in her arms, that’s where all the blood came from)

‘Oh honey…’

‘I tried…I tried, Oppa…I…I ran here as fast as I could…’

(Eun kneels in front of his wife, tears start to come)

‘Oppa…Mongryong…our Mongryong…he…he barked…I…’

(Soondeok starts to cry again, her words coming out uneasily as she sobs hard)

‘He protected them before I got here…or else…they would’ve died already, Oppa…I was too late…I…it’s my fault…’

‘Darling, it’s not your fault.’

‘He was in so much pain…he…he got slashed by the sword…for…so many times… and still he didn’t…didn’t let go of the man…’

‘Yes, he’s one brave dog…Deok ah.’

‘He…I had to…Oppa…I had to…his eyes were begging me to…to end the pain for him…I…I had no choice…so I…I…I ended him…’

(Soondeok starts bawling, pulling Mongryong’s limp body closer to her with no thought of letting him go. To her, to Eun, to both of them, Mongryong’s like their son.)

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

(It took Eun a long time to finally have his wife let their dog go. After giving Soondeok a bath, Eun helps her back to their room, holding her by the arm as she leans on him for support. Soondeok freezes as she looks into their room, not wanting to keep going.)

‘Deok ah, you must be tired…you need to sleep.’

‘Mongryong used to wait out here…for us to open the door…for us to come out and play with him…’

‘Honey…’

‘He would sit by my feet and wait for me to rub his tummy with it when I’m reading…he’d be the first one to greet us when we come home…remember that time he ran around crazily in our room? But now…he’s…he’s gone…’

(Soondeok slumps onto the floor)

‘Honey! Are you alright?’

(Soondeok shuts her eyes as she starts to cry again)

‘Can I ask you to do something, Oppa?’

‘Anything.’

‘Can we sleep at your grandpa’s place today?’

‘Deok ah…’

‘I don’t want…I don’t want to sleep here anymore…every corner of this place…everywhere…there’s memory of him…and it stabs my heart… Everytime I think about him…’

‘I understand darling.’

‘I know you’ll hate me for this but…please…’

‘Shhh, darling. It’s fine. I’ll do anything for you. You wait right here, I’ll talk to my grandpa about this.’

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

(It’s almost morning when Eun and Soondeok finally settled in a small room inside Eun’s grandpa’s residence – it’s not nicely decorated or anything, but it’s quiet, giving the couple the peace they need.)

‘Oppa…’

‘Yes, my wife?’

‘It’s all come back to me now…memories of my sister’s death…everything…it’s all connected inside my head now…’

‘I’d hoped you would forget those hard times forever…It must be hard on you…’

‘I’ve lost so many…so many people around me…but of course…who am I to say? You’ve lost more…than I did…’

‘Deok ah…’

‘I don’t want to leave you, Oppa…I really don’t. I don’t want to leave you…I want to stay with you.’

‘And you will.’

‘Why is everyone trying to pull us away? All I wanted was spend the rest of my life as your wife with your highness.’

‘I told you, Deok ah, we will stay together. I promise.’

‘I will be the second wife, your highness. If that means I can stay by your side, I will.’

‘Deok ah.’

‘Or…a maid, I can be a maid, I don’t even mind. As long as I can see you every day.’

‘Park Soondeok.’

‘I really don’t mind…I just…just…just let me be with you…please…I’m scared…’

(Eun holds her trembling hands and brings it to his chest)

‘Fear not, my wife. I won’t let anyone hurt you, or take you away.’

(Soondeok slowly looks up to her husband)

‘My dear husband.’

‘Yes?’

‘Love me…’

(Soondeok takes Eun’s hand and have him hold the knot of her upper garment, telling him to untie it with her eyes)

‘I feel so torn apart now…I don’t know what to do. I want to be loved…I want you to tell me that there’s someone who loves me in this world…that there’s hope…that like what you’ve said, we’ll be together till the day we die.’

‘What do you want me to do exactly?’

(Tears roll down Soondeok’s cheeks for the hundredth time that day. Eun places his hands on her face, cupping them, wiping her tears dry with his thumbs then brings her closer to him.)

‘Tell me, Deok ah. So I can give it to you. What do you want?’

‘I want you, Oppa…I want you…please…please…’

(Eun smiles at his wife)

‘Since you asked for it, then I’ll give it to you. Whatever you want. So…will you let me love you tonight?’

(His voice, as sweet as honey, does magic to Soondeok. She shuts her eyes as she answers.)

‘Yes please…oh yes please…’

(Eun brings her lips to him slowly, kissing them with care, embracing her as if to keep her from falling apart. Tonight, he’ll make sure that he shows her how much he loves her, that nothing can ever get between them, nothing. They should thank their grandpa too, for giving them a room that’s far from everyone – where they won’t disturb anyone and no one can disturb them.)