Chapter 58

Pranpriya and Chaeng talked some more after their exchanges regarding Jennie and then went on to discuss about how each other had been during the past months and how they would communicate when she returns to Thailand, with Chaeng making her swear again and again that she would open her lines of communication this time. They also discussed about their future plans, especially Pranpriya, who laid out her plans to Chaeng about her intentions regarding her position in the kingdom, which honestly surprised and excited Chaeng – and she made no attempts in concealing it from Pranpriya – because “the Lisa I know wasn’t really into politics and traditions, was she?” To which Pranpriya replied: “Well, the Lisa you knew was selfish.  And oh, stubborn – as you’ve put it.”

“Hence, you don’t listen when I keep telling that you need to go home. And I really mean it this time, Shutterbug. It’s almost morning. Aside from the obvious reason that you and I need to catch some sleep separately, you can’t just strut in the street because anyone might recognize you now. Your face has been on the news too many times than I can count. It won’t be safe,” said Chaeng. She looked genuinely concerned. She feared the risk of the possibility of Pranpriya exposing herself to the public’s attentions should the royal chose to return to her place at daylight, when everyone was already up and about. The least that they should expect was the press to get wind of the royal’s presence in the country and mobbed the Thai in the street. She saw how they did it to Jennie several times on the news and it was never not appalling.

Thirty minutes later, Pranpriya was practically tiptoeing when she climbed the iron staircase to her apartment in the upper floor – pinks streaks already visible in the horizon – to avoid creating even the slightest of noise. The least she wanted to happen was to wake the lady captain from her sleep in the studio this early because then it would result to her explaining where she went and why she went out and she didn’t want to explain herself to her guard if she can avoid it. It was exasperating enough that she had to reduce her dignity by acting like a burglar and moved about in stealth before she could reach her door and punched in her code as quietly as possible.

She even paused and winced after she slowly closed the door shut and the sound of the beep sliced through the silence of her place. She was afraid it might reached to the alert senses of her guard below and that it might rouse Jennie and the cats from their sleep. Which it did, because just before she could even take a step further into the cold embrace of her apartment, Leo and Luca had already presented themselves to her, fully awake and with eyes visible in the dimness, bright and wide from sleep, and looking at her as though they were questioning her motive of showing up earlier and leaving them again unceremoniously and now showing up again like a thief in the night.

“You two shouldn’t be up this early,” Pranpriya told them softly after planting kisses on the top of their heads.

“It’s my fault. I was up this early.”

“Jesus Christ!” Pranpriya hissed while clutching her chest as though she was suffering from a cardiac arrest. It was startling enough to hear Jennie spoke so suddenly. But seeing the dark figure of Jennie actually standing in the middle of the living room, still as a statue and with only the glow from the window illuminating half of her face and looking at her as though it was normal to look at her sneaking in like a robber at dawn had sent her wits flying.

“I knew I wasn’t dreaming,” Jennie said in a voice that suggested she had been rehearsing those words in her head for when Pranpriya would return finally. Her voice, surprisingly, was calm. So unbelievably calm that Pranpriya thought it was offensive. In the sense that it made her feel like she did something offensive when she was caught sneaking in, when she should be the one reprimanding Jennie instead because it was her place and Jennie was literally a trespasser and well, there were still unresolved issues between them – if Jennie even considered them an unresolved issue.

“No, you weren’t,” Pranpriya replied. She couldn’t think of anything else to say at the moment because what else was there to say? ‘Hey? How was your sleep in my bed?’ Like they were two old friends picking up the pieces where they left them? That wouldn’t feel right, would it? Pranpriya told herself.

Silence fell once again inside the apartment. None of them spoke again for quite a long moment. They stood there, looking anywhere but at each other. Jennie was standing in the middle of the living room with her coat dangling unsophisticatedly in her hand, looking down at her feet, while Pranpriya had remained rigid beside the door post with her hands tucked inside the pockets of her jeans, staring at the wall.

They were only separated by a considerably narrow space that could be crossed by only a few steps, should one of them decide to do so. But none of them would, because it felt like the  small space oddly felt like a world apart already, if they’d be honest enough to admit it, and seceded by an assortment of overlapping emotions that seemed to have surged after they’ve spoken only so little and then seemed to have denied them from speaking another word again.

The serene and uninterrupted silence during which one would usually experience at dawn, when half of the world was still asleep and when half of the world was getting ready to welcome the night, had now started to balloon into something that was heavy in the chest. It was uncomfortable.

The air seemed to constrict their lungs little by little. They were now both breathing deeply within their own space. Pranpriya thought they were transported back to that night in the palace four months ago, inside her chamber, when she told Jennie to stay and Jennie left without a word in the morning after. That memory felt so long ago already and yet the feeling that Pranpriya was reminded of just now felt like a freshly cut wound. It was stinging and pulsating on every inches of her skin. It was nagging her and she allowed herself to be nagged. And before she knew it, she was growing angry but she wasn’t sure whether her anger was directed solely to Jennie or to herself. Or both. But it was combusting her insides and slowly consuming what little objectivity left within her that she had reserved especially for this particular moment. She had been looking forward for this, hadn’t she? In fact, she had rehearsed strings of resentful words inside her head for months to hurl at Jennie. But now... Now, she was lost for words.

“I’m sorry I barged in here. I didn’t know you were coming,” Jennie spoke again. Her words were carefully laced this time. Perhaps she could feel the acrimony in Lisa’s silence.

“Is that all?” Pranpriya replied with an icy tone, surprising herself. It was the kind of tone she would usually hear from His Majesty when addressing a subject. The kind of tone that she knew would scare the living soul of anyone on the kingdom. Jennie should be scared, shouldn’t she?

But Jennie Kim only stood there and watched her with an odd sense of calm, as though she was studying her, which incensed Pranpriya more. The impertinence was astounding, Pranpriya thought. None of her subjects in the kingdom would dare look at her like that. Nor would they dare not shrink to her presence.

But of course, Jennie Kim was no subject of hers. Jennie was her own person. And besides, Pranpriya knew for a fact that Jennie was hardly intimidated by anyone, aside perhaps by how the press would make her feel uneasy most of her life – which, of course, was an entirely different thing, anyway – but Jennie Kim was not the kind of person to cower to anyone that easy.  Not even to her, obviously. Because if Jennie was, then she should be scuttling outside by now and get as far away from her as possible. But then that would be un-Jennie-like.

And maybe that was what she liked most about Jennie, even after it was revealed who she really was and despite her resentment towards Jennie. She liked that Jennie would look at her in the eyes like they were equal. Something that none of the people back in the kingdom had given her. She missed that. And she hated that she realized now how much she missed that at the moment.

“I must have startled you earlier. Is that why you left immediately?” Jennie said.

“No. Yes,” Pranpriya said curtly.

“I should’ve left earlier but I thought I should wait for you come back. I usually leave at dawn. Manager Young must be waiting for me now outside,” Jennie said, ignoring the snip in Pranpriya’s tone and began to put on her coat. “I don’t want anyone to see me here, especially your assistant downstairs. He might wonder and well, I don’t want him to wonder.”

“Is that all?” Pranpriya asked impatiently.

Jennie paused and resigned with a sigh. Of course, she told herself. The Thai hated her. Despised, even. She was aware of that. She had expected that. But it was painful, nonetheless, how the royal was looking at her without the same warmth and affection the Lisa she knew used to give her. She didn’t want to wrap her mind around it yet but it definitely was prickling her heart like sharp needles. But which she perfectly understood, however. She did the Thai wrong and she deserved the animosity that Pranpriya was showing her. And yet, she was also conflicted by her emotions at the moment. Because it had been months. She missed the Thai so much and the fact that they were now standing face to face – finally! — with only a scanty space separating them both was reminding her of all the things that she knew the Thai alone could make her feel. All the thoughts rushing through her head was enough to make her insides shiver. It had been months.

“Lisa...” Jennie took a step forward.

“I’m ‘Your Highness’ now. I thought that should be obvious by now,” Pranpriya cut Jennie off. She then left the door post and walked past Jennie who seemed to have frozen on her spot.

Pranpriya walked past Jennie, inadvertently grazing Jennie’s hand with the back of her hand. Jennie held her breath for a second or two. The sensations that it brought sent her skin burning and her heart in tremors. Lisa had always had that effect on her.

“Your Highness...” Jennie breathed, as though she had just discovered air. She could’ve been imploring by the sound of it. For what, she didn’t know. Her eyes were glued on Pranpriya’s back. The short hair looked on her, Jennie thought. It made Pranpriya look more regal. Different. Especially with how she carried herself now. With ease, and grace. And natural confidence.

“If there’s anything you wish to say, Miss Kim. Do so. I'm listening," Pranpriya said when she reached the door way in the kitchen.

Pranpriya could see Jennie clearly now, with the morning light slowly setting in and flooding the place. She could see clearly now the beauty that she had dreamed of seeing once again and she could see the loneliness in those cat-like eyes that had been haunting her sleep every night. She could now see the office clothes that Jennie was wearing – a pair of dark suit that fit perfectly around Jennie’s body, accentuating the supple curves in all the right places. She could see the visible fragments of the long hours and busy day from yesterday’s workloads painted all over Jennie’s face and the apprehension to meet her gaze. Jennie looked exhausted and yet she looked exactly how she looked when Pranpriya last saw her. Perfection. Jennie Kim looked perfect despite the creases on her suit and the undone hair. And despite the anguish written all over her beautiful face.

Jennie sighed. “Lisa...”

Pranpriya shivered at how her name rolled out from Jennie’s lips. It was reminding her of the nights when Jennie was inside her arms and Jennie was reaching climax. And before she know it, she was invaded once again with the nostalgia that Jennie’s faint strawberry scent was reminding her and everything that went along with it. The burnt pancake on the kitchen. The smiles and laughter they had shared while lounging on the chesterfield or on the carpet floor, sipping wine in between kisses. Their first night together. And their last night together.

And perhaps that was the reason why she went straight to the kitchen. To distance herself from Jennie as far as away as she could without running away. Because who was she fooling? The desire to bury her face on that soft nook inside Jennie’s neck was starting to grow strong and fighting it would be futile if she would keep herself planted in the door post just when Jennie was about to leave. She wanted nothing else but to get intoxicated once again in that sweet scent that she knew was already embedded in her system. The stirring desire inside her was actually driving her insane at the moment.

“She’s dead, Jennie. I can’t be her anymore. I don’t think it’s appropriate to still be calling me by that name. I have a title now,” said Pranpriya.

“I’m sorry,” Jennie replied.

“And besides, isn’t this what you want? Isn’t this the point of everything that happened?”

She was curious, to be honest. Pranpriya was. She wanted to ask Jennie how her days went. How it was for Jennie working nonstop and fulfilling the enormous task that her late father had left her. Jennie must had have it worse than her. At least His Majesty was still alive and would live more years. Whereas Jennie was decisively plucked out from the life she had tried to build for herself overseas to lead an empire that she was trying so hard to run away from. Pranpriya wanted to ask Jennie how life was for her when she left her, when she denied her, and did Jennie regret all of it at all?

Jennie sighed and looked at Pranpriya for a long moment before she turned her back and went for the door.

“I should leave. My mom should be awake by now. She’d wonder why I’m not home yet and well, she’s overly dramatic these past weeks. She might alert the whole security to look for me,” said Jennie.

Pranpriya scoffed and chuckled. She shook her head and then she sighed. Her face turned serious. She was silent for a long moment. Her attention was fixed on her two cats running and chasing each other across the floor space.

“If you could just tell me anything. Anything at all, to explain to me, to make me understand why,” Pranpriya said. Her face was set. Her jaws were set. Her eyes were fixed on Jennie. Sharp and burning. Reproving and provoking. She was mad and she wanted Jennie to understand that.

“What else do you want me to say, Your Highness?” Jennie asked, equally looking as emotional as Pranpriya was.

Stay? Pranpriya thought and immediately dismissed the idea inside her head. No, she would not do that. Not today. Not again. She did that once, had she not? What a moment of weakness that was. Weakness should never have a room in the monarchy. She had learned that fundamental tool in building who she should become during when she spent months working and training in the royal air base and during her private talks with His Majesty.

“How about ‘I’m sorry for what I did’?” suggested Pranpriya sardonically.

Jennie looked shocked and stared at Pranpriya for a moment as though contemplating if she was being serious or not. Or whether she should do what the Thai was asking from her or not. She chose the latter.

“Please get some sleep, Your Highness. You look exhausted. I apologize for invading your bed and your place. If you’d like me to recompense for trespassing here, I’m sure your people can call my office anytime,” Jennie said before she resumed her tracks towards the door.

“How about you recompense me by apologizing for everything, first and foremost? Whatever it is that you know you should be apologizing about?” Pranpriya said.

Jennie dropped her hand from gripping the door handle. She squared her shoulders before she whirled around and looked straight into Pranpriya’s brown orbs that were looking back at her with undeniable scorn.

“Will that make you feel better, Your Highness? If I beg for forgiveness right now and implore you to forgive me for all my failings and offenses that have hurt you, will that make you feel better?” Jennie asked boldly.

It took quite a moment for Pranpriya to respond to that. She stood there in the kitchen entrance, with her shoulder leaning tensely against the doorway and staring at Jennie as if she was calculating in her mind whether it might really make her feel better if Jennie would do as she suggested. And after a long moment of silence, Pranpriya moved her head but only so little and said dispassionately, “No. Not entirely. But will it hurt you if you will?”

“If I say yes?” Jennie retorted.

“Then that makes sense, doesn’t it?” Pranpriya said with an obvious hint of sarcasm.

“And may I ask what’s that supposed to mean?” Jennie said.

“It means you have quite an ego and you don’t want to bruise it, Miss Kim.”

The obvious emphasis on the way Pranpriya spoke her name strongly reminded Jennie of His Majesty during their talk inside that ridiculously huge study in the topmost floor inside Pranpriya’s palace. It was meant to intimidate her.

But Jennie was not the type to crumble down so easily, especially now that she significantly knew her place in the society. Especially now that she was heralded as a legitimate successor and the future of her family’s empire. She was doing an excellent job in leading the Kim Group of Companies and heading the conglomerate at such an age, according to the reviews by business papers and business organizations from around the globe. They had nothing but praises for her. She had a name to uphold and she was doing it impressively. Despite the press launching attacks on her from time to time, provoking her to do stupid things and say stupid words so that they have something to put on their papers. And though she was wounded with how Pranpriya had spoken her name, emphasizing it as though highlighting the monarchial gap between them, she held her head high and met the royal’s cold gaze proudly.

“That makes the two of us, then. Don't you think so, Your Highness?" Jennie dared to speak bluntly. There was no point dancing around and playing diplomacy with Pranpriya anymore. Not now when, clearly, the Thai was still holding grudges against her. And rightfully so, Jennie concluded. But whatever.

Pranpriya stood there on the kitchen doorway with her eyes fiery and her ego wounded. She looked affronted. Jennie ought to be punished for her impudence, shouldn’t she? She squared her shoulders and raised her head before she took quick, long strides towards Jennie’s direction.

“Is that so, Miss Kim?” Pranpriya hissed when she reached Jennie. They were now standing face to face, with a mere foot between them.

“I thought by now you’d have understood perfectly why I did what I did, Your Highness. Or am I wrong? Did the four months that passed not helped you contemplate the point of it all?” Jennie replied.

“The last four months was hell, for your information. And don’t you dare talk to me about contemplation because from my perspective, you ended us without consulting me first, Jennie. And in case you don’t know, you broke my heart into a million pieces. You still do,” Pranpriya spat.

“And you think mine isn’t? Do you really think I did it because I wanted to hurt you?” Jennie retorted.

“I don’t know what you want, Jennie. Except that you clearly don’t want us any longer,” Pranpriya said.

“Don’t say that!” Jennie cried.

“Why? Isn’t that the truth? You could’ve at least talk to me. You could’ve at least tell me, warned me. You reduced me to feeling like an idiot when I woke up that morning and learned that you and your mom had already left and then woke up to that news of you denying what we had in front of everyone. The first part I perfectly understood. But it was cruel of you to call it ‘flirting’ when you knew it wasn’t.”

“I had no other choice. I was left with that option alone. You have to understand. We have roles to fulfill, duties to attend to. This isn’t about us, Lisa. There are far more things bigger than us,” Jennie said.

“What is bigger than love?”

“Duty, Lisa. Our duty to our families. Perhaps it is unfortunate that we belong to a set of families that put us in this position even before we were born. Perhaps it is unfortunate that we have to set aside our personal goals and wants and needs and happiness because we belong to a set of families that want and expect so much from us. Don’t you still get it?”

“I would have risk it all and walk away from it for good, for you. With you. I told you so that night. I don’t care about all of it. You know that,” said Pranpriya.

“But I do, Lisa. We can’t be running away forever. There will come a point when we get tired from running and regret that we ever did. Besides, my dad left me the company. Your father would leave you the crown someday. I mean, sure. You can abdicate or whatever and give way to the next-in-line. But I can’t. It’s either me or my mom and I don’t want my mom to carry the burden that was left for me.”

“You’re a coward.”

“Perhaps. But leaving you was the bravest thing I ever did. To walk away from someone who means so much to me. To give up the kind of love that I know would never find me again in this lifetime. It was the hardest decision I ever made. But I felt braver when I did. I’m sorry.”

“God, you’re driving me insane!” Pranpriya hissed before she pulled Jennie for a kiss.

Pranpriya was kissing Jennie ardently. But it was so unlike all the kisses they had shared before. There was anger, Jennie realized, and so many unspoken words that were meant to chastise her.

Pranpriya’s mouth was crashing against Jennie’s, crushing the objections that formed on Jennie’s protesting mouth, while cupping the back of Jennie’s head with her left hand; her other hand was anchored on Jennie’s back, preventing Jennie from moving. Pranpriya grazed her teeth against Jennie’s mouth, biting and sucking the soft flesh of Jennie’s lips. And when her tongue invaded the Korean’s mouth, it invaded with such intensity. It was sweeping and searching until Jennie let out a moan.

She should be furious, Jennie thought desperately when Lisa was starting to suck the skin on her neck, leaving marks there surely. She should be offended with how Pranpriya was pushing her back and pinned her against the door and positioned herself between her legs. Jennie’s brain was urging her, demanding even, to protest. It was nagging her to push the Thai away. To reclaim her dignity and to stop this madness. Because this was madness, wasn’t it? The way her body was convulsing to the royal’s touch and the way her mouth was responding with the same intensity was outright madness. It was madness, right? When she could feel the wholeness of her body being set on fire and her flesh, inch by inch of it was clamouring to be touched. To be kissed. To be glorified once again.

It was madness! And yet, her hands seemed to possess a mind of their own. Because instead of pushing the Princess away like she genuinely intended to, her hands mechanically slithered and clung on Pranpriya’s arms. And as if it wasn’t betrayal enough, her arms then eventually wrapped around the Thai’s neck, as though she was holding on for dear life. Because she felt as if she was, indeed, holding on for her life or else she would sink to the floor because her knees were now starting to quiver. Strength had left her. Her body was defying her. Jennie knew that it was only a matter of time before her legs would give up on her completely.

The kiss deepened while they navigate their way away from the door and on towards the depth of the privacy of the place. The ire on Pranpriya’s kiss was gone and all that was left was the intense, burning passion that quickly seared the remaining sensibilities left between them. And before they both knew it, they found themselves stumbling on the bed, with Jennie beneath Pranpriya and only broke the kiss when they wriggled desperately to free themselves from the restrictions of their clothing.

The sun was already up in the sky and the street outside had come to life once more. Where the sound of the early pedestrians and vehicles prompted the start of a new day. But there, inside the privacy of Pranpriya’s place echoed the sharp sighs and moans and jagged breaths, as they explored once again the universe that they had both explored and journeyed before, together. And when they were done and returned from their jaunt, they laid naked on mattress, with their limbs still intertwined while catching their breaths, inhaling the sweet smell of sex and saline and the mixture of delicious aroma of spicy stewed fish and galbi being cooked from the nearby restaurants down the street, seeping through the window gaps, promising a bounty feast of a new day ahead. They laid there in silence, calming their breaths until exhaustion found them. They laid asleep holding on to each other, the enormity of their actions forgotten altogether.

An hour later (or what seemed like an hour later), Pranpriya woke up with a start when she thought she heard reverent knocking on the door downstairs.

“Your Highness? Are you awake?” the lady captain called.

Pranpriya shut her eyes closed and sighed.

“Damn,” she muttered then pulled herself from the bed after she finally disentangled herself from Jennie, who was still sleeping peacefully beside her. She smiled despite herself and despite the circumstance that they both were in. For she found it ridiculously amusing how she and Jennie had ended up in bed again when she thought that her convictions to never entangle herself again with Jennie and her resolve to leave Korea peacefully without so much as trying to know where Jennie was and how Jennie was doing wasn’t strong enough as how she hoped it would be. A sign of weakness, she told herself while putting on her robe.

Pranpriya sighed once again while staring down at the sleeping Jennie on her bed. She was beautiful as ever, Jennie was. Unperturbed and serene. Jennie might had lost a little weight and the ghost of tension was written on her pretty face, but Jennie still looked perfect in every sense of the word. With her dark hair cascading indolently, covering half of her face, and her mouth slightly opened while in deep sleep. Pranpriya’s heart ached. She wanted nothing else but to wake up everyday, for the rest of her life, marvelling at Jennie’s existence while telling herself how lucky she was.

“Your Highness?” the lady captain called again, inadvertently waking Jennie up.

“Who is it?” asked Jennie groggily. Her voice was hoarse and her eyes still shut.

“Go back to sleep,” Pranpriya whispered and planted a kiss on Jennie’s temple.

“Did you bring someone along from the kingdom?” Jennie inquired.

“Yes. That’s my guard. You might have met her already back in the palace,” Pranpriya answered.

Jennie frowned and squinted her still bloodshot eyes. “I don’t remember meeting a lady guard in your palace,” she said.

“That’s odd. I thought her unit was on the palace ground when you and your mom arrived. Are you sure you don’t want to continue sleeping?” said Pranpriya when she saw Jennie rose from the bed, albeit slowly and sleepily.

“No. You don’t mind if your guard sees me, do you? Or should I keep myself hidden here and go downstairs only after she leaves?” Jennie asked as she started to pick her clothes from the floor one by one, wrapping herself with a blanket to conceal her nakedness.

“I’m not entirely sure what makes you think that I will allow you such humiliation. So no, I won’t mind. Although, she’s one of His Majesty’s most loyal and trusted guards. And she might not ask tactlessly but she would definitely wonder why you’re here.”

“You can tell her the truth,” Jennie suggested.

Pranpriya opened her mouth to answer and closed it again. Instead, she smirked and said, “I don’t even know what the truth is anymore, to be honest,” said Pranpriya and finally descended on the staircase while the lady captain called once again.

Jennie followed right after when she was fully dressed. She chose to stand under the door frame of the kitchen with an unwitting anticipation while watching Pranpriya get the door.

“Captain,” Pranpriya greeted the woman with a curt nod.

Jennie was eager to see what the lady captain looked like but Pranpriya was mostly occupying the door frame, concealing the woman from Jennie’s sight.

“Good morning, Your Highness. I apologize for disrupting your sleep, ma’am. But we have a situation downstairs. I thought I should let know,” the lady captain said.

“What situation? And does it really require my presence, Captain?” Pranpriya asked.

“It’s about your former assistant in the studio, Ma’am. Bobby? He’s arrived for work and well, he was acting strange when he saw me inside. He was accusing me and insisting that I’m a burglar. As he should, of course. I should’ve left the studio before he arrives, but I miscalculated his punctuality. I apologize, ma’am,” Captain Pakpao replied.

Pranpriya shifted her stance but only a little, but also enough to provide Jennie the opportunity that she had been waiting anticipatingly.

She was one of the most gorgeous woman alive that Jennie had ever seen, Jennie thought while observing the woman whom Lisa was addressing as ‘Captain.’ And that was saying something because Jennie had been surrounded with gorgeous members of the Kim clan all her life. Her mother and Chu, most specially. Not to mention the people she had worked with during her stint as an editor for a fashion magazine in New York, which included top models and celebrities. But there, standing on Lisa’s doorway was no doubt a drop-dead gorgeous beauty, who was as tall and as lean as Lisa, with her olive skin and eyes that sparkled as though there were two galaxies existing inside her dark orbs. She wasn’t smiling but her face was lighting up like the dawn of a new day when she talks and her voice was like music when she speaks their language. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. And instantly, Jennie realized that the woman was aggravating her for some reason. For one thing, she certainly did not like the way the woman looked at Lisa with an almost perpetual reverence.

“It doesn’t matter now. Anyway, I think I know exactly what you mean about him acting weird. Bobby has got a different weirdness in him, especially around women,” Pranpiya commented. “I’ll be there in a minute, Captain. Don’t let him leave.”

“He certainly doesn’t look like he wants to leave, ma’am. He demands that I should provide him my name, my number and an explanation about how I got in. He said he wants to talk to you, Your Highness,” the lady captain said.

“Me? Does he know I’m here?” Pranpriya asked.

“No, ma’am. I don’t think so. But he’s been trying to call you on your mobile and has threaten me that he would call the police after he talks to you.”

“Alright. I’ll talk to him. And oh, by the way. I thought you should know that Miss Kim is here, Captain. She was here before we arrived last night. I only found out when I found her sleeping in my bed with my cats. You can tell His Majesty that when he asks. I’ll explain the rest to him.”

“As you wish, ma’am,” Captain Pakpao replied and bowed. She then looked past Her Highness’ shoulder and finally saw Jennie Kim standing under the kitchen door frame, with her long dark hair cascading magnificently on her shoulders and wearing a pair of suit that was obviously tailored specially for her size and with a look that could only suggest she spent the night on Her Highness’ apartment. They both bowed courteously at the same time when their eyes met.

The woman in her tight jeans and dark jacket looked unsurprised to see her, Jennie noticed. Or maybe it was part of her training as Pranpriya’s guard – to look and act calm in every situation. She looked friendly enough, though – the lady captain was. In fact, if Jennie was right, she thought she saw a hint of a smile at the corner of the woman’s lips when the lady captain bowed once again to her right before Pranpriya pulled the door shut.

“That was Captain Pakpao. She’s been assigned by His Majesty to serve as my personal escort. She’s also teaching me to fly since she’s part of the royal air force. She had flown the plane on our way here and I was co-pilot,” Pranpriya said.

‘Escort’ didn’t sound appealing to Jennie but she chose to let it slide. Mainly because she knew that Captain Pakpao was serving Lisa just like how Manager Young was serving her, only to realized so suddenly that she didn’t like the idea of Pranpriya spending most of her time with the gorgeous royal guard. She felt the acrid taste of jealousy rising from her throat to her mouth.

“She’s pretty,” she said casually.

“Who is?” asked Pranpriya.

“Your guard,” Jennie said.

“I guess so. I haven’t really looked,” Pranpriya replied with a shrug.

“That’s strange,” Jennie commented.

“Because?”

“Nothing. I mean, Manager Young and I do spend a lot of time together and believe me I do look at him from time to time,” Jennie replied.

“That is strange,” said Pranpriya. “Will you be staying here and wait for me after I talk to Bobby?”

“No, I’m coming with you,” Jennie said. “I should be leaving after, anyway. What?” she asked when she noticed the look that Pranpriya was giving her.

“We need to talk, Jennie. About what happened,” Pranpriya said.

“I was thinking the same thing. But first, Bobby. Your captain said it’s an urgent situation. So, what will you tell Bobby?” Jennie asked while she and Pranpriya descended the steel staircase outside.

“It depends on whether or not he knows anything. I also have to discuss with him about the future of the studio and his future, as well. Or at least some parts of it,” Pranpriya replied.

“You know what? You’re pretty and I really like your slang. It’s different, it’s cute. But I still won’t overlook the fact that you’re trespassing and you haven’t yet told me how you got in. Because I know I’ve secured the lock before I left yesterday and my boss will definitely kill me if she finds out someone has gotten in here. That is, if I ever finally find out where she is. She hasn’t called and she hasn’t been picking my calls, either. This is actually so frustrating. Can you at least tell me your name and give me your number? No? Fine. We’ll probably just spend the day here staring at each other.” They overheard Bobby talking from inside the studio.

“Bobby?” Pranpriya said as soon as she admitted herself inside the studio.

“Boss? BOSS!” Bobby exclaimed with glee and looked genuinely shock when she saw Pranpriya. And before everyone knew it, Bobby jumped and lurched himself forward towards Pranpiya. He pulled the royal for a bear hug, shocking everyone, especially the lady captain who looked scandalized and deadly.

“Oh my god, boss! You’re real! You’re back! I missed you! I can’t believe I said that,” Bobby was screaming merrily; his arms still wrapped around Pranpriya. He genuinely looked happy.

Jennie saw the lady captain stepped forward, ready to pull and toss Bobby away from Her Highness but Pranpriya signalled her to not do anything.

“Let go, Bobby!” Pranpriya said, but not looking displeased.

“Where have you been, boss? You never picked my calls. You never called me. I thought you’re not coming back.”

“Bobby, you’re choking me!” Pranpriya said and tried to free herself from the bear hug.

“Oh! Sorry, boss. I’m just happy that you’re finally here. Your friend hasn’t really been the fun type, you know?” Bobby said with a pout.

“And I’m a fun type?”

“Well, no. But you’re the boss. You can be sulky and grouchy and spend the whole time inside your lab and not talk to me at all but at least you’re the boss and -- Oh, hello!” he said with a wide smile on his face and bowed enthusiastically at Jennie when he finally noticed her.

“You remember her?” Pranpriya asked.

“Of course, boss. I’m good at remembering faces. In fact, I think it’s her I see a lot in the news these days. I didn’t know you’re famous when I first saw you here and – no, wait! Just wait a second! If you’re you,” he said, pointing at Jennie, “and – holy shit! –,” he gaped dramatically with his hand on his mouth and shifted his eyes on Pranpriya, “you can’t be the...the p-princess they’re talking about, are you, b-boss?”

The lady captain took it as her cue to step forward to do her job.

“I’d like you to release Her Highness, Sir. And step away, please? Immediately,” Captain Pakpao said firmly as she pulled Bobby away from Her Highness.

Bobby looked dumbfounded. His mouth dropped and his eyes were literally popping out of their sockets as he looked from Pranpriya to Jennie and to the lady captain and back at Pranpriya again as though the three women were ganging up on him while he stood in the middle of their circle.

“You can’t tell anyone, Bobby,” Pranpriya said.

“Wow!” was the only word that escaped Bobby’s mouth at the very moment before he fell down on his knees and knelt before Pranpriya.

“Bobby, what on earth are you doing?” Pranpriya demanded, looking aghast. “Stand up. Goodness!”

“I can’t...believe...wow,” Bobby stuttered while getting helped to get back on his feet from the lady captain.

“Listen, Bobby. And listen to me closely,” Pranpriya started.

Bobby nodded mechanically.

“I’ll be leaving in three days and I might not be back again—,”

“What?” Jennie interjected.

“The studio will be yours. You can do whatever you want with it but I will take the films with me,” Pranpriya went on as though she did not hear Jennie.

“And the apartment upstairs?” Jennie asked.

“I was thinking of putting it in the market. But since the place serves as your escape according to Chaeng, I’d rather you have it,” Pranpriya replied.

“Meaning, you’re selling it to me?”

“That’s just for formality’s sake. You don’t have to pay for it.”

“Well, now you’re insulting me,” Jennie retorted.

“I’m not,” Pranpriya replied indignantly.

“And the cats?”

Pranpriya sighed and led Jennie away from the lady captain and Bobby.

“I can’t leave them here, Jennie,” Pranpriya said.

“Even to me?”

Pranpriya shook her head and said, “No.” She looked apologetic.

“Of course,” Jennie nodded.

“Jennie—,”

Jennie tiptoed to kiss Pranpriya’s cheek.

“Goodbye, Lisa,” she said and then headed out to the door. Leaving Pranpriya with a permanent whole in her heart and void that Pranpriya knew would only be filled by Jennie.

“Your Highness?” the lady captain called her attention.

Whether to ask subtly if she was okay or only to divert her attention, Pranpriya didn’t know. But it was ineffective.

Was that it? Was that the last of them? Questions had started to swarm Pranpriya’s head as she stood beside the door of her lab. Where Jennie had once invaded despite Bobby’s perseverance to stop her from entering. And where they shared kisses and love and...

Her eyes started to sting. Pranpriya had to blink twice, thrice, to stop the tears from falling. There was no room for weakness in the monarchy.