The Loyal Pin – Episode 3

By: Lisa Steinberg

As the episode opens we see that Princess Anilaphat (Rebecca Patricia Armstrong) has returned to the palace with her brother.  As Princess Alisa (Alicia Hiranprueck) rounds the corner, she notices Anil and the two embrace.  Her mother is excited to see her and asks why she didn’t know that Anil was coming home.  Anil says that she asked her brother to keep it a surprise.  Anil hugs her mother further and tells her how much she has missed her and everyone – she says this over her mother’s shoulder while smiling and looking directly at Lady Pin.

Next we see Lady Pin (Sarocha Chankimha) and Princess Padmika (Charm Osthanond) sit around the table having tea and talking while Prik (Orntara Poonsak) serves them then waits nearby.   Padmika tells the two that Princess Anil has come back so that she can attend her brother Prince Anan’s engagement and wedding reception.  Anil isn’t going to be staying permanently though. Pin inquires if it will be a few days that Anil is staying and Padmika tells her that it should be a few months.  It’s during the end of semester holiday for Anil and the Prince wanted to make sure his sister could attend his wedding.  The two discuss about how Prince Anna loves Anil so much and Padmika comments he loves her as if she were his own daughter.

Cut to the Pine Palace where Anil and her two brothers head into in order to look around at the Princess’ new home.  Anil takes an extended look around and when she comes down the stairs she tells her brothers that it is exactly how she had designed it. Prince Arnon (Danny Luciano) comments that Prince Anan (Kanin Stanley) had workers building the Pine Palace at all hours and Prince Anan made sure to oversee everything.  The group then take the stairs to take their own tour of the upstairs together.

Back at the table Lady Pin inquires to Padmika if she knew that Anil would come to attend the wedding.  She advises that Prince Anna just told her a few days ago.  Pin goes on to ask then how come Princess Alisa didn’t know that Anil would be coming.  She states that Princess Alisa’s children wanted it to be a surprise for their mother.  Mae Koi (Anna Maria Benedic), another servant, comes to interrupt them and tells Padmika that Princess Anil has requested her presence.  The camera pans to Lady Pin and we see her share a sweet smile.

Princess Anil and Princess Padmika sit together in the Lotus Palace along with Lady Pin and a watchful Prik.  Padmika opens open a beautiful box and we see a gorgeous perfume bottle within its contents.  Princess Anil says that she has brought this as a gift from England for Padmika. Anil asks Padmika for permission for Lady Pin and Prik to join her to roam around the Pine Palace that day.  Padmika says that Anil doesn’t need her permission, she just needs to ask Lady Pin.  A smiling Lady Pin says she would love to join Anil.  Prik exuberantly says that she would also like to join.  Padmika chastises her and says that Prik didn’t even wait for her permission and that Prik must stay behind and make sure the preparations are done first. 

At the Pine Palace Lady Pin and Princess Anil sit together as Anil takes out some gifts that she has brought to Pin from England.  Pin seems indifferent about the gifts.  The two exchange looks between each other. Anil says that ever since she and Pin left the Lotus Palace that Pin has been looking at her as if she was someone else.  Pin confesses that it’s probably because she hasn’t seen Anil in so long and that in her memory is Anil as a young girl.  The Anin that’s in front of her is a beautiful lady and she seems like a stranger to Pin.  Anil replies that she is not upset about what Pin told her, but that she just feels sorry for taking that little Anil away from Pin.  Pin tells her she doesn’t have to be sorry, as she is also not the little girl that Anil used to know.  Anil replies that she feels otherwise.  That the moment she first saw Pin she was happy and overwhelmed to see her again.  She further says to Pin that whether it’s young Pin or Lady Pin in the letters that Pin sent to her, or even the beautiful woman that is in front of her today, she loves them all. Pin asks of Anil in what way does she love her.  As Anil is about to answer, she spots Prik hiding and the conversation is interrupted. Anil grants permission for Prik to come in and she tells her that she has gifts for her too.  As Prik comes running and the two smother each other in hugs, the camera pans to Pin who is sporting an annoyed face. Pin tells them now that Prik is there, she is going to excuse herself to go and prepare the Princess’ bedroom.  Anil gives Prik the gift she brought her and excuses herself saying she is going to talk to Pin first.  In the bedroom Anil approaches Lady Pin quietly.  Anil asks her what is wrong and Pin plays it off saying it is nothing important. Anil tells her that she wants to see Pin smile, that she is always pretty when she smiles. Pin shoots back that she should ask Prik to smile for her since she seems to have missed each other so much. Pin turns to leave but Anil catches her by the arm. She tells Pin that she does miss Prik, but she misses her only as a friend, but with Lady Pin, it’s much more than that. Pin tells Anil that she doesn’t understand.  Anil tells her that she misses her so much she can’t put it into words.  She says that the days were hard and painful while she was away from Pin, and that receiving and reading Pin’s letters made her feel delighted. She confesses to Pin that she kept asking herself that if her heart keeps yearning for someone all of the time whether asleep or awake, is it just affection or something more.  She goes on to say that she found her answer, and for her it was more than affection, it’s a burning desire.  Pin says she is confused and doesn’t understand. Anil tells her that Pin might not know it today, but one day she will make Pin understand the true meaning of those words.

At night time Prik sits and talks while Anil stalks around the room. Prik tells her she believes that Pin doesn’t believe that Anil is yearning for her. She says maybe she thinks it is a joke. Prik tells her she is moving too fast, that she threw herself at her the first day Anil arrived. Anil replies that she has to hurry and do what she can as she doesn’t have much time. Anil asks Prik to tell her the name of all of the men who are after Pin. Prik details the men: a close friend at university too afraid to tell her how he feels, the brother of another university friends who frequently drives Pin home from school and Khun Kuea who is a friend of Anil’s brother and who has ingratiated himself with Princess Padmika – he is Anil’s number one enemy! Anil says being apart from Pin this long has made her understand her feelings for her, but she doesn’t know how Pin feels. Anil decides that she must try to get closer to Pin and win her heart soon.

The next day Pin is walking the palace grounds lost in her thoughts. She is thinking back about her conversation with Anil with Anil’s words replaying in her head about affection and burning desire. It’s clearly having an anxious effect on her. Princess Padmika finds Pin and tells her that during these days she doesn’t have to do her chores, she wants her to do something else. Cut to a flashback of Princess Anil asking Padmika if Lady Pin could prepare her food for her daily. In the present again, Padmika tells Pin if the Princess needs anything she should take care of it, especially her food. Pin is hesitant, but then agrees. We then see Princess Anil seated at the table awaiting her morning meal. The servants bring it in and she is confused as to why Lady Pin hasn’t come with the plates of food herself. Prik suggests maybe Pin is trying to avoid her. Anil sends the food back to the kitchen and Prik tells Pin that the Princess is sick of Western food and if she wants to know what the Princess will eat, she should come ask her herself. Princess Anil asks Pin if she is avoiding her because she hasn’t come to keep her company and says she feels lonely. A reluctant Pin agrees to come and sit with Anil, but first she has to tell her what she would like to eat. Once Anil gives her order Pin goes off to make it. Upon her return with the food, Princess Anil is pleased. Not for long though as Pin refuses to sit down and eat it with her, replying she has other matters to attend to. Before leaving, Anil reminds  Pin about her afternoon snack and gives her order for later.

In the afternoon Anil is sitting reading a book when Pin approaches with the requested afternoon snack. Princess Anil requests that Pin feed her the snack, saying that her hands are busy with her book. When Pin attempts to feed Anil, Anil attempts to eat the offered snack seductively, and then instead of biting the snack, she takes a nibble of Pin’s finger! Anil just looks at Pin licking her lips and smiling as if she were a Cheshire cat.

Now with Pin in Anil’s bedroom, Anil is admiring her dress in the mirror. A shy Pin turns her head away. Anil then undoes a a few buttons and asks Pin if her dress is pretty. Pin stares directly at the unbuttoned area. Anil questions her about the staring and Pin tells her the neckline is too low. Anil then unbuttons her dress more and shows Pin. Pin turns her head and asks why Anil did that when she had told her already the neckline was too low. Anil playfully tells her the reason is because that way when she only had done a few buttons earlier, it wouldn’t be considered too low.  She goes on to say she saw Pin staring at her chest earlier, so she made it easier for her to look at. When Anil asks if she should undo more, Pin scurries off awkwardly.

After that we see Pin speaking with Padmika and Pin is in shock. Padmika tells her that Anil has requested a massage and a body scrub and Padmika wants Pin to do it. Pin asks why can’t Prik do it, and Padmika explains Princess Anil does not want any servant to touch her bare skin. It would only be appropriate for Lady Pin to perform the requested services. Cut to Anil laying down wrapped around a sheet and there are candles lit all around her room. Pin sits next to her and begins to put oil on her hands to give Anil a massage. As Pin massages Anil she intermittently looks away and Anil calls her out about it. Anil tells Pin to look with her eyes wide open and then lowers the sheet on her back. Anil tells her that Pin told her earlier that she felt like a stranger to Pin and so she is trying to help Pin become more familiar with her, so she can finally understand the meaning of “burning desire.” Pin threatens to leave and Anil retorts that if Pin leaves, she will just pull down the sheet further. Pin replies that if Anil keeps teasing her, she won’t come and visit her anymore. As Pin goes to leave Anil reaches out and clutches Pin’s arm, pulling her down on top of her. She says that she isn’t teasing, she is being very serious. Anil inches close to Pin’s face, seemingly as if she may kiss her. As they brush noses, Pin turns away and bolts out of the room leaving a smug Anil.

While walking back to the Lotus Palace in a fret, Pin comes across Prik. Prik asks Pin why her face is so flushed red. Pin tells Prik that ever since Anil came home she has been naughty, often making her heart race and skip a beat. Pin goes on to express that Prik should inform Anil that she won’t be available to hang out with her from the next day on as she has some university matters to deal with. When Prik gives the news to Anil, an angry Anil tells her that she should inform Pin that she doesn’t have to worry or take care of her anymore. 

The following morning Lady Pin is ready to head to the university, but she looks around to see if Anil is lurking anywhere. When she doesn’t see her, she gets into the waiting car ready to take her to school. Just as Pin sits and gives a sigh of relief, she sees Anil sitting in the seat opposite of her. Anil states that she is coming with Pin to the university. At the university Pin sits with her two friends as they try to write a report together, only the friends comment that something seems off. Cut to see Anil at a nearby table staring intently at the trio as they work. The friends feel intimidated by Anil and offer to finish the report so that Pin can leave and they will cover their part. Pin tries to refuse but Anil packs up Pin’s belongings and hurries the two off.

Back at the palace Lady Pin is very irritated by Anil and walks ahead of her. Pin asks when is Anil going to stop bothering her with her mischievous behaviour as she has a lot of work to do. Anil counters that she doesn’t have many friends there and she just wants to know what Pin does in her daily life. Anil expresses that she she just wants to spend as much time as she can with Pin before she has to go back to England. She walks off tear eyed.

The following day Lady Pin sits and strings garlands of flowers. She looks around for Anil but doesn’t see her. Mae Koi tells Pin that she heard Lady Uangfah was coming to visit Princess Alisa at the palace. She says she tells this to Pin as she noticed her glancing around for Anil. Pin inquires if Anil has to stay at the palace today because her cousin is visiting and Mae Koi confirms same. Lady Pin looks back at her task but seems a little troubled in thought.

At the palace Prince Anan is conversing with Lady Uangfah (Sarochinee Petampai) when Anil walks in on them. Uangfah says she has heard about how the Pine Palace was designed by Anil, she if she would mind giving her a tour. At the Pine Palace the two walk inside and Uangfah compliments Anil on the beauty and coziness of her home. Anil and Uangfah sit for tea and Anil asks about the health of Uangfah’s father’s health. She also says while she is home she wants to make time to visit Uangfah’s parents to pay them respect. While the two converse, Lady Pin walks in on them with the garlands she has made. She aplogizes and says she will come back but Anil stops her and introduces the two Ladies. Lady Uang excuses herself and says she has to leave as Princess Alisa asked her to join her for some shopping. Anil jokes that now she knows why her mother didn’t ask for her, her mother was already going to be spending time with her favourite niece. As Pin watches their interactions, her eyes flit around as if she is lost in thought. Outside as Uangfah leaves, Pin tells Anil it seems she is receiving a lot of guests recently at the Pine Palace. Anil responds that isn’t true, it’s just been Uangfah, who is her cousin. Pin walks off back into Pine Palace and picks up the bowl of garlands that she had brought with her. Anil asks her if it’s an apology gift for the day before when Pin was upset. Pin insists that it’s not, she just remembered how Anil likes the scent of cork tree flowers, and so she made the garlands. Anil takes one of the garlands and strings it around Lady Pin’s pink hair bow. She says with the garland on Lady Pin, everything looks lovelier than ever. 

The episode ends as Anil smells the garland of flowers in Pin’s hair and says that the flowers smell sweet, but the scent from Pin’s cheeks is sweeter. Anil drags her nose against Pin’s cheek smelling the scent so reverently, and then she gives Pin’s cheek a kiss.

Be sure to follow along to @TheLoyalPin2024 for updates, information, links, and more about the series! Watch new episodes every Sunday at 10:15 PM on Workpoint Channel 23, and see the uncut version following on Idol Factory’s Youtube channel.