궁Goong : Princess hours 궁

Episode 3-4 one shot episode

Contains Spoilers for Episodes 3-4

Chaekyung is getting princess lessons, and I'm officially having flashbacks of Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries. But Chaekyung's transformation is less about appearances than about manners, although seeing Chaekyung in hanbok is just too funny, since this is the girl who likes to wear sweatpants under her school uniform skirt.

Exhausted By Life. And By Hanbok.

The rest of the royal family is currently worrying about the king's secret disease. I now begin to notice that this is not the healthiest royal family. The old king died just after his oldest son died in a car accident, and now the new king is probably dying. It makes me feel a pang of concern for Shin and Yul. They're not destined to live past 40, are they?

During the pre-wedding preparations, Crown Prince Shin goes to see his bedraggled fiancee Chaekyung. He brings her a present of some candies and chocolate, but Shin also tries hard to cultivate an aloof, unfeeling image for himself. So even while they should be becoming allies, there's always a distance between Shin and Chaekyung.

Metaphorical Distances: He's Outdoors and She's Indoors.

Shin makes a deal with Chaekyung: in a few years, if she can't bear the pressures of palace life any longer, he'll grant her a divorce so that she can escape. He doesn't say it in the sweetest way, but it's actually a kind offer, when you think about it. Then it's time for the internationally televised royal wedding ceremony! It involves a lot of calmish, inexplicable things like drinking tea slowly and holding a live dove in a brightly patterned scarf.

The Bird is the Word.

Prince Yul shows up in the crowd at the wedding, looking wistful. I can't tell if he's missing his deceased father, or wishing that he was the Crown Prince, or what. Surely he can't be wishing it was him going through this endless formal ceremony to marry a near stranger? It's hardly an enviable position.

And the Ceremony is Essentially a Parade of Large Hats.

After the wedding, Chaekyung is trying to figure Shin out. He tells her that he's a cold type who doesn't care for others, but then when she looks sad, he sweetly offers her a handshake and tells her to come to him if she's having problems. He has his moments of jerkishness, but Shin never seems to stick to them for very long. And yet, I think it's kind of awesome that Chaekyung BITES his hand because he's offering her a pittance of attention and courtesy, and she doesn't need it.

This Handshake Does Not End Well.

The marriage isn't consummated because they're underage, and they move into a small palace (more of a summer house) with separate quarters. Yul transfers to Chaekyung's class at school, but because he wasn't visible at the wedding, she still doesn't know who he is and before long, they're good buddies.

And we're back to Hyorin again. She gets all upset because she's losing Shin, so Hyorin turns down an 8-year scholarship to the Royal Ballet School so she can go home and confront a boy who has already married someone else. Oh, Hyorin. Whatever happened to that strong young woman you were in episode 1?

We also finally establish that Yul is jealous of his cousin. He quietly says to Shin's departing car, "Hey you, that's my seat. I should be sitting there." I tend to think that Yul means sitting by Chaekyung as well as sitting in the limo and on the throne.

Channeling His Jealous Energy Into Ironing.