Episode 2

Title card

"A Flower Falls on a Misty Night" is the second episode of the ''Patalliro'' anime, originally airing on April 15, 1982.

## Summary

Patalliro meets his estranged cousin Thatcher, who tries to assassinate him and get his throne.

## Story Recap

Back in the country of Malynera, the Majesty is ill and Patalliro is fulfilling his duties as Crown Prince by stepping in. While frolicking in his ways, the guard brings bad news that His Majesty’s is in crtical condition. Later on, the news report that the Great King Higgins the Third pass away due to heart failure.

In his state of grieve, Patalliro visits London via a chartered plane and requests for Bancoran to be his bodyguard again. Bancoran declines but his boss pressures him into accepting the mission as Patalliro will be the next King of Malynera as the current king has just passed away.

Bancoran questions Patalliro’s motives this time and he reveals that he is looking for his cousin. Patalliro’s aunt had eloped with a travelling musician, became a commoner and settled down in London. She had a child but had died recently. Patalliro is certain that his cousin would want to come back to Malynera and thus the reason for his visit.

Patalliro and Bancoran meets the cousin, Thatcher, who is a bishounen and Thatcher immediately falls under the charm of Bancoran. Patalliro tells Thatcher to stay in the neighboring room before he heads back. Thatcher proceeds to aid the Tamanegi in serving tea. Bancoran comments that Thatcher is too good to be his cousin and Patalliro explains that his aunt refused any assistance after her elopement and thus Thatcher must not have a good childhood and hopes to make it up to him.

In the evening, Bancoran was briefly asking Thatcher on Patalliro’s whereabouts when a gunshot was heard. Thatcher immediately exclaims to Bancoran that he is running in the wrong direction as the gunshot came from the Tamenegi’s HQ. Patalliro appears and tells Bancoran that he was in the toilet for 2 hours reading a book.   When Bancoran reaches where Thatcher is, he find a Tamanegi guard unconscious with a gunshot wound and a fallen cup of tea on the floor. Bancoran inspects the room hastily and concludes that the assailant had escaped through the window. Bancoran instructs Thatcher to call and ambulance for the wounded guard immediately.

Patalliro raises questions on the whole affair as the Tamanegi are trained Royal Guards and hence it would be unthinkable for them to experience a frontal assault without any resistance. Thatcher claims that the assailant might have confused the Tamanegi guard with Patalliro and hence was assaulted in his stead. Patalliro thinks the explanation is too simplistic.

The next day Bancoran reports to his boss to give him a status update leaving the guarding of Patalliro to his subordinate for the day. Bancoran’s boss hands over a report commissioned by Patalliro to look into body of the wounded Tamanegi. The report reveals that there was a lot of aesthetic in the bloodwork. Bancoran immediately calls Patalliro to relay the news.

Shortly after, Thatcher arrives with the usual tea and inquires on the whereabouts of Bancoran to which Patalliro replies that he is currently at MI6. Patalliro proceeds to drink the tea served by Thatcher and Thatcher leaves the room. The next scene shows Patalliro slumped over the table with his tea cup spewed.  A recording at the back of the room plays a gunshot and Bancoran’s subordinate is startled. Immediately, Thatcher screams, “Patalliro” and heads towards Patalliro’s room in breakneck speed reaching the scene faster than the MI6 agent.

Thatcher, first to reach Patalliro room, brings out a gun equipped with a silencer and just as he was about to shoot, his face changes to one of astonishment as he sees Patalliro wide awake at his desk.

Patalliro questions Thatcher about his motives and Thatcher proceeds to lock the door preventing the MI6 agent from interfering. Patalliro goes on to describe Thatcher’s modus operandi of drugging the Tamanegi to sleep in the tea served and being the first to rush to the room to shoot at the guard with a silencer and once again questions his motives. Thacher replies that it is obvious that this all is an act of revenge against the Royal Family of Malynera as they have heartlessly kicked his mother out of the Royal Family and would not even give any financial assistance causing her to suffer in later life. Patalliro answers that Thatcher mom had left the Royal Palace willingly and refused all aid and it was Thatcher who is mistaken. Thatcher refuses Patalliro’s version of the story and says that someone had told him the real truth and that Thatcher will be the next king of Malynera should Patalliro perish to which Patalliro replies that there are plenty of successors after the Crown Prince and Thatcher’s turn would be remotely next in line. Thatcher turns furious and just as the room is about to be breeched by the MI6, Thatcher gripes at the trigger… a gunshot is heard.

Patalliro clutches his heart and stumbles back, calling for Bancoran. Bancoran appears at the door and Patalliro tells him that he is a little too late. Bancoran tells Patalliro that the sound of the gunshot came from Bancoran (since Thatcher’s had a silencer). And so Patalliro is safe.

Thatcher’s right hand is wounded. Both Bancoran and Patalliro chides him for believing in unfounded lies and question Thatcher on the person behind the scenes. Thatcher refuses to cooperate and escapes by crashing himself out of the window. Patalliro gives chase and as Thatcher runs along street, a black car in waiting speeds up to mercilessly knock him over. Thatcher’s last words revealed that he is glad to die in Bancoran’s arm and that the mastermind is the guy driving the black car. Thatcher dies and Patalliro vows to catch culprit.

## Differences From The Manga

Only the first half of the adapted chapter is covered, with the rest of it being in the next episode.