Chapter Text
Anil
Princess Anilaphat swirled the wine in her glass before tipping it back, draining the last drop in one smooth motion. She rose to reach for another bottle, but the room spun in a dizzying blur, forcing her back onto the sofa. A cry of frustration escaped her as she squeezed her eyes shut, battling the tears while memories surged, uninvited, through her mind.
Pin was no longer hers, and she knew she would never lay claim to her again. Tonight was her former - oh, how that word stung - lover’s wedding night, and Kua had triumphed simply by virtue of being a man. The lips Anil had adored for countless hours, the skin she had worshiped and marked as her own, the curves in which she had lost herself time and again - they all belonged to him now.
While sobs wracked her body, Anil felt a fleeting pang of gratitude toward her friend, even as she recognized her failure to be a gracious companion. Khun On had kindly agreed to her request for solitude, understanding her turmoil as acutely as Khun Euang once did. She was grateful, yet the weight of her heartache pressed heavily against her chest, a reminder of the loss that surrounded her.
With effort, Anil rose again, this time steady on her feet, and made her way slowly to the cabinet, fingers trembling as they closed around another bottle. It wasn’t wise - she knew this. But tonight, wisdom was a distant stranger. Tonight, this was all she had left, the only way to survive the hours that stretched before her. Tomorrow, perhaps, she would reclaim her strength. But tonight, she drank, surrendering to the hope that in the depths of the bottle, she might find the oblivion she so desperately sought.
Pin
Lady Pilantita gazed at her reflection in the mirror, and while she still recognized the face before her, the woman staring back felt like a stranger. She was married now; it was irrevocable. The weight of her betrayal for the one person she loved more than life itself pressed down on her. In her mind, she had believed she was making the right decision, that she was shielding Anil from the sacrifices that would mar her future, from the loss of her title, from bringing dishonor to her family. Yet it ran deeper than that; a sense of unworthiness gnawed at her. As a Kasitid, how could she ever claim a princess as her own? The audacity of it filled her with dread, and her aunt's constant reminders of her place in the world echoed cruelly in her thoughts. So she had been a dutiful niece, acquiescing to every demand, every expectation. Now, however, her life felt devoid of purpose, an empty shell stripped of the one radiant jewel that had once given it brilliance.
She heard a knock on her door, but remained silent. She knew who it was and she had no desire to welcome him into her once safe space in the palace. When Kua entered her bedroom without her invitation, a wave of nausea washed over Pin. He exuded a smug confidence, a sense of triumph that pierced through her. She knew he had won; she was his now. Yet, at the thought of his lips brushing against hers, of his hands exploring the very skin that Anil had adored countless times, something within her shifted, a flicker of resistance reigniting deep in her heart.
“Lady Pin,” he said, his voice thick with anticipation. “You should know that I could not be happier than I am right now. I have imagined this moment for years.”
Upon hearing his words and grasping their full meaning, Pin could no longer bear to look at him. She turned abruptly toward the window, taking several steps away as she drew in a deep breath, seeking solace in the cool night air. She sensed him approaching from behind, his arms snaking around her waist.
“No!” she exclaimed, twisting in his grip and pushing him away with all her strength, desperate to reclaim her own space.
The shock on his face quickly morphed into a condescending smirk.
“I apologize,” he said, his tone dripping with fake sincerity. “I forget how innocent you are. I promise to be gentle.”
At his words, Pin’s complexion drained of color. In that instant, she was transported back in time, hearing a different voice echo those same promises. She recalled the welcome touch of soft lips, the gentle hands exploring her body, the love that enveloped her in every kiss, every caress. She had given it all up - only to what end? As the memories surged around her with a vividness that felt almost tangible, she found herself unable to justify the choices she had made.
Her head hung low. She didn’t want this. She didn’t deserve this just for falling in love with another woman, a woman whose station was higher than her own - the very fact that seemed to trouble her aunt more than anything else.
The spark of resistance she had felt before ignited into an all-enveloping flame, capturing her mind and body. Her defiance clashed with everything she had been taught her entire life, yet for the first time, she felt no guilt. She no longer cared. She wanted to make things right for Anil and herself. The first step, she realized, was to establish boundaries.
Pin raised her head, a stormy resolve etched on her face, causing Kua to take an instinctive step back.
“No,” she declared again, her voice steady and resolute.
“What do you mean?” Kua asked, confusion flickering across his features.
“No, we will not be doing what you came in here for,” she stated, taking a threatening step toward him, causing him to retreat once more.
She watched as his expression shifted from confusion to shocked understanding to anger.
“We are married!” he exclaimed, his gesturing hands nearly toppling a vase. “I understand you might be shy, but this is what husbands and wives do. This is part of your marital duties!”
Pin fought against the urge to shrink beneath the weight of his last words, years of conditioning threatening to assert themselves. But she held firm. She had hurt Anil enough. She had hurt herself enough. Straightening her shoulders, she projected a bravery she scarcely felt.
“We might be married, but that was not my choice,” she said. “You pursued me when you knew I did not want you. I made myself very clear. You bypassed my wishes and got my aunt to do your bidding. You succeeded. I am your wife. You live in a palace. But that’s all there is to it.”
Kua stared at her incredulously, unable to fathom what he was hearing.
“This is ridiculous!” he exclaimed.
“Maybe,” Pin conceded. “I was raised by my aunt to know my place, to never rise above. So I didn’t. I lost something more precious than my life, yet I honored my aunt and my upbringing. But now, I’m done.”
With that, she strode past him and opened the door.
“Prik!”
The servant appeared almost instantly.
“Yes, my lady?”
“Please prepare a bedroom for Master Kua and show him to it.”
Visibly bewildered, Prik nodded her head in compliance.
The atmosphere was thick as Pin remained at the door, waiting for Kua to leave the room. However, he refused to budge. Disregarding Prik’s presence entirely, he continued their argument.
“I am your husband. You must fulfill your duty.”
Pin regarded him with disdain. One thing she knew about Kua was that he was a coward, relying on her compliance and dutifulness. She was about to show him just how wrong he was about her.
“The only way you will get what you want is if you take it by force,” she warned, watching as her words struck their mark and he physically recoiled. “And I will put up the fight of my life.”
Time seemed to freeze as Pin awaited a reaction from the man she loathed but now called her husband.
“This can’t be happening,” he finally exhaled, sounding defeated.
Relief washed over Pin. She knew he wasn’t happy and that this was far from over, but at least for tonight, it was settled. She offered a grateful nod to Prik and closed the door behind her.
Once alone, Pin collapsed onto the floor. She felt drained of every ounce of strength, yet her determination burned brighter than ever. She had made a monumental mistake. Perhaps she could have learned to live with it if she had been the only one harmed. But she had shattered the heart of the woman who meant everything to her. Now, she had to find a way to put it back together. It would not be easy, she knew, but she believed in Anil’s love. And she was determined to win her lover back.
Prik
Prik had cried more in the past few weeks than in all the years of her life combined. The tears flowed freely, each drop a testament to the profound love she bore for her princess. Their bond went beyond the traditional hierarchy of master and servant; it was a relationship forged in the fires of shared secrets, laughter, and whispered dreams - a connection unbroken by the constraints of society. When her beloved princess hurt, Prik felt the ache resonate deep within her own heart, an anguish that colored her every thought.
But guilt also weighed heavily on her soul. Prik knew the man Kua was. She had seen his betrayal of Lady Pin long before their wedding, and she had kept silent. Anil had asked her to, resigned to a fate she could not change. She had begged both Prik and her brother, Anan, to hold their tongues. Anil had tried to warn Princess Patt, but was cruelly dismissed, accused of lying. The thought of putting her brother in an impossible position had been unbearable for Anil. And so, on the day of the wedding, both Prik and Anan had said nothing.
Prik could also not bring herself to blame Lady Pin for the turmoil unfolding before them. The choices made by her lady were not born of malice but rather molded by the rigid expectations of their upbringing and the unforgiving norms of the society that bound them. Prik had seen the shadows of despair that flickered across Lady Pin’s features, a haunting reflection of the pain that lay within. She knew that while Her Highness was surrounded by family and friends offering their support, Lady Pin stood utterly alone, bereft of comfort.
An unsettling worry gnawed at Prik as she observed Lady Pin’s gradual decline. The petite woman had become a ghost of her former self, her body frail from days without food, her nights robbed of restful sleep. Each day that passed felt like a weight upon Prik’s heart, the burden of her lady’s suffering pressing down with an unbearable heaviness.
But tonight, something stirred in the air. A subtle shift had occurred, one that Prik could sense in her very bones. The moment Lady Pin had called her name and their exchange unfolded, it felt as if the ground beneath them had shifted, creating a new, unexpected path. There was an unfamiliar strength in Lady Pin’s voice, a resilience that hinted at a transformation taking root within her. It was as if a long-dormant fire had been reignited, flickering defiantly against the shadows of hopelessness that had cloaked her for too long.
As Prik led Master Kua toward his bedroom, the despair radiating from him was palpable, a dark cloud that enveloped him like a shroud. Cast aside from his wife’s bed before he had even had the chance to warm it, he exuded an aura of bitterness that pricked at Prik’s heart with a peculiar joy. In this moment of his discomfort, she felt a twisted satisfaction, a sense of justice blossoming in the depths of her being.
Uncertainty still loomed like a specter, and Prik found herself unsure of what lay ahead or what role she might play in what's about to come. But for the first time in a long while, a fragile spark of hope ignited in her chest. Perhaps, just perhaps, things might turn out well for all of them after all. It was a delicate hope, one that danced on the edge of her heart, but it was enough to stir her spirit and banish the sadness that had lingered for far too long.