After leaving me doubting the Prince’s motives last week, I’m happy to report that all my faith in him has been restored! (Hooray!) He’s still a bit of a spoiled punk but I supposed that’s to be expected from one who’s grown up as a prince.
As I’m sure you all remember, we left off last week in the middle of a rather stupid duel between Sohyeon and Dal Hyang and while, at the time, I couldn’t really see the point of such nonsense, I’ve come to appreciate what that duel actually represented. I’ll be the first to admit that I found this whole fight between these two, to be nothing more than a petty grudge match, disguised as something greater (because following the King’s orders blindly is always the best plan…) but now that I’ve seen the bigger picture, I’ll freely admit that Sohyeon was right in testing Dal Hyang. Sometimes a trial by fire is the only way to uncover the true character of a person and I believe that, now Dal Hyang has been tested, he’s also been found worthy.
At least that’s what I’m choosing to believe. Why else would Sohyeon ask Yong Gol Dae to help him beat Dal Hyang? The Prince knows he has to beat Dal Hyang down a bit in order to raise him back up and he also knows he can’t win against Dal Hyang with an injured arm so turning to Gol Dae for help was a wise move. I just wish Dal Hyang could have learned his lesson a different way. To feel betrayed by someone you trusted is painful and he got a double dose of it, being reduced to nothing by the Prince and having Yoon Seo so obviously take the side of Sohyeon. Which, of course, is how it should be. I’m not really sure if Dal Hyang expected the Princess to take his side but if he did, he’s kind of an idiot. Whatever feelings Yoon Seo had for him in the past have been replaced by feelings for the Prince and though they may be unrequited at this point in time, she’s still the wife of the Prince and I believe she’s the type of person to remain true to her spouse, no matter what.
That being said, I’m not fully convinced I can say the same about the Prince. It seems that Sohyeon is slowly warming up to Yoon Seo but it’s obvious he’s still harboring feelings for Mi Ryeong. Whether those feelings are of a positive nature or not has yet to be determined but the fact that he’s so desperate to find this girl that he’s willing to accept Dal Hyang’s help, even after their whole stand-off, says a lot. Any time a guy is so obsessed by a girl that he has to meet her, no matter what, you know bad things are going to happen and in this case, it looks like a whole lot of bad things did happen! Why on earth would Sohyeon walk blindly into what was obviously a trap, if he wasn’t blinded by his feelings for Mi Ryeong? It’s not like he wasn’t expecting the girl he told to go die would actually welcome him with open arms… Was he? The Prince has proven his intelligence time and time again, so I can’t believe he would actually think, even for a moment, that Mi Ryeong would want anything from him but revenge but I suppose we all become stupid when it comes to matters of the heart and it would seem even princes aren’t immune to basic human weakness.
At least Sohyeon has enough wits to deal with both Gol Dae and Kim Jae Jeom. I’m not sure he’s treating Gol Dae as well as he should but he is protecting him from the King’s manhunt so I suppose Gol Dae can’t be too upset. Still, being locked in a library for days on end, with very little explanation as to what’s going on, doesn’t really build the best rapport so I hope Gol Dae is more understanding than he looks. If he’s not, the Prince could soon find himself on Gol Dae’s bad side and then where would we be? I suppose that might be a better place to be than in a standoff with Kim Jae Jeom. That man is more wily than a coyote and he’s got the position, money and influence to make things happen which makes him a dangerous opponent. If the Prince isn’t careful, he’s going to find himself in a difficult position and there’s not going to be an easy way out. Oh wait…
I guess with a knife stuck in his chest, the Prince’s position is looking pretty bleak. I have no doubt he’ll recover, at least in time, but what’s going to happen between now and then? Will Dal Hyang be reinstated or blamed for abandoning the Prince at a most precarious time? Will Jae Jeom decide to frame the Prince when he doesn’t receive an answer? There are so many questions yet to be answered! I guess that’s why we keep coming back for more…
So tell me, what are your thoughts on this week’s developments? Do you have as many questions as I do or are you content to just watch how things play out? I’d love to know what you’re thinking so be sure to leave me a comment below!
 You can catch up on all of my reviews of The Three Musketeers here:
While I know that Dalhyang’s charm is his simple and straight forward outlook to life, the fact that his enemies and conqueror can read him like a book is worrying and dangerous for his own well being. But I suppose given that there will be 3 seasons in this drama, we will get to see the many trials of Park Dalhyang and witness his growth from boy to man and how he ends up as a wise old army general.
I’m glad I’m not the only one worried about how easily Dal Hyang can be read by his enemies. That’s pretty unsettling but at the same time, if he can learn from his mistakes, he has the potential to grow into a truly great man. Like you said, with three seasons, we’re going to be able to see a lot of growth in Dal Hyang which is something I’m really looking forward to. There’s nothing I like better than watching a hero grow. 🙂