《Mahnu, An Immortal's Journey (Complete)》 Prologue
In the land of Kralaide there exists Gods and humans. The God''s thought themselves as master''s and thus they thought that humans were their slaves. In the year 423, there was the biggest war known throughout the history of Kralaide. The remaining free humans were practically surrounded into the King''s Kingdom of Conrella, leaving only 100 000 remaining humans for the final fight for their freedom. A fight against immortals, and that they had more strength, gave the remaining human soldiers doubts¡­Nearly all of them were waiting for their impending deaths. Before the war started, a lone God came before the King of that time, Maximus, and proposed her idea to win the war. Her name was Mahnu, who becomes known as ''The Betrayer of the God''s and the Saviour of Mankind''.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. With the help of King Maximus, his royal guards and prophets, she went forward with her plan to entrap her own kind. The war was won, now known as ''The Siege'', and the God''s were sealed inside a chest, in which Mahnu wasn''t. It was her believe that the chest is where she was supposed to be and pondered many times over why she hadn¡¯t been sealed as well. A short time after The Siege, Mahnu took what contained the God''s, now known as ''The Chest of the God''s'', and hid it by herself, taking many years, as to not have history repeat itself. We now travel to the present year of 1618, were there is no change to Mahnu''s features, yet, inside her was a raging mess. Mahnu was created to be able to hear thoughts of those close by and hear and feel the suffering of the people of Kralaide. With this, her betrayal and herself hatred, Mahnu had lost her speech and had already tried everything she could think of to end her existence, but nothing had worked¡­She now is determined to spend the rest of eternity walking the land of Kralaide alone¡­ Chapter 1
In the year 1618, the King was Richard Demetri Alexander Johnson, Blood of King Maximus, ''Whom fought for Mankind''s Freedom''. Throughout the ages though, The Siege had been totally forgotten, leaving very few that knew the title of King Maximus. King Richard was now 25 but was already known as a mature ruler that has ideas to help the people of Kralaide, so that it could become a more peaceful and prosperous land. His marriage to his Queen had taken place two years beforehand, and an heir was born the year after. He was also gaining the loyalty of his governors, who helped him rule the land in different respectful areas. It was this year that he came across Mahnu for the second time, not even knowing that she had helped to give him this life of the present. The land of Kralaide consisted of nine towns that were all connected by dirt roads, except one. In the middle of the land was the capital, Conrella, popular for the royal lineage and there was nothing that you could not find there. Most of the rice was transported from the south east, the wheat and grain were from the north, most of the rare and common herbs came from the south west and meat came from the north east. A great library, the biggest in Kralaide, was also in Conrella, which had many people go there to either teach or to study. With trade being brought to the capital, it was also giving the outside towns more money to help with their own population. Without the aid of trade to the west and east towns, the King implemented to help them by sending resources to them, to help prevent against starvation and sickness. All types of lands surrounded the busy districts of the capital and to get to any of them from Conrella was a week''s ride of horseback. Having a river going through from the north-east town of Brackan, through Conrella and then down to the south-east town of Bena, made the animals and rice bountiful. East of the river was the town of Nowell, which was surrounded by marsh land and has no connected road to the capital. This was a main reason used that others did not enter the small town, and in return, this made Nowell a solitary place. The north town of Cental was dry with some small hills, where as the south west town of Dragvie, largely consisted of desert. To the north west was a lush green forest, which was perfect for the secret town of Havlish. The south town of Harval was of green land that the children ventured out into happily and the west town of Anddin, was a rocky mountain range that was quite windy. *** It was on the north skirt of the Rocky Mountains, that Mahnu was currently. Wind blew through her hair as she looked out to the horizon, the sun was setting far to the east. The land before her looked as it did all the other times that she had come to this high place, even though that had occurred over a thousand years. It looked...Peaceful...But Mahnu could feel the sufferings of the humans as she closed her eyes. Some were hungry, some were scared, some where in desperation and some were really unhappy¡­ ¡­No matter the era, humans have the talent to get themselves into trouble¡­ Mahnu was thinking about the unchanging ways of humans, as there was still poverty, still skirmishes and still greed. Why did I save them? She asked herself again. Did they deserve to be saved, when they can''t even help themselves? There are no God''s now, and they are still suffering, I just want the voices and feelings in my head to go away. If they went away, then I could sleep. Sleep like a bear and go into hibernation, where even thousands of years will pass by and I do not awaken. Then, if I had to wake, would I wake with a different perspective? Would I want to smile at the humans? Mahnu sighed to knowing that her ¡®talent¡¯ of feeling the suffering of the people wouldn¡¯t disappear, even if she slept for a thousand years¡­Yet, she could not help but ask these questions¡­ She already knew the obvious that asking questions leads to wanting answers, and asking the same questions repeatedly, changed absolutely nothing! Breathing in and closing her eyes, she tried to focus and get rid of some urgent need to clear her head, so that she could...Could what? Eternity was a long time, she thought, opening her eyes. All the hunger she felt was because of them, all the thirst was because of them, all the physical abuse and fear. Mahnu had thought many times, wondering if she had done the right thing of choosing the humans over her own kind. Because if all the humans had disappeared, she wouldn''t feel this way.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But, she knew that the God''s were abusing and killing the humans, so how could she have not betrayed and saved the humans, when she feels what they feel? It was like a trap that she had been in since her creation. That with the ¡®talent¡¯ that she has, she had no choice but to go against her own superior kind¡­ Mahnu sighed, what she hadn''t thought of back then, at the time of The Siege, was that the suffering would continue afterwards¡­And so did she in return... Nonetheless, it was done...There was no turning back...And she wasn''t going to kill all the humans to make herself feel better. She may have attacked humans, but it was through defence and she had never killed anyone before, she wasn''t going to start now...She knew that if she had killed someone, then she would suffer because their loved ones would suffer. It was¡­A lose-lose situation¡­ ...Why...Why am I stuck like this? What does it matter? She resigned, she had already travelled further down the path of questions before. It was time to stop and help without thinking! Don''t think about anything anymore. Nothing! Her selfish desire is to eliminate the cries for help, to put an end to the suffering, even though the war is long past over and even forgotten. Since her plan had been made¡­What is there to question? Yet¡­Questions always spring up in her mind, whether she likes it or not¡­It was just another type of lose-lose situation, which seems to be what her life is based on¡­ Yes, she thought, it''s time to move on...Again. Mahnu wonders which place is suffering the most, to know where to travel to next. She decides to head north, as she already knows about the secret town of Havlish and the King''s Loyal Royal Knights. The assassination attempts upon the King, she finds, is the most crucial matter now, as she wanted this King to continue his reign. He was looking after the west and east towns more as, she knew, that they suffered the most. The previous King looked after the north and south towns more so, which in her opinion they hadn''t needed it! So, her point of view, was that without the King of today, the more of the people and land would suffer. It was more of a long-term type of mission, even though she knew there were a quite a few other important matters as well. But, not only was she already close to Havlish, but if she doesn¡¯t act now, then the King¡¯s life may be forfeit. Again, if she travels north to save the king and someone dies elsewhere due to hunger, it is something that she can¡¯t help¡­It was¡­A lose-lose situation¡­ There was already an assassin hiding in wait for the King''s arrival, and going there will be one step closer into stopping the sufferings¡­Would eternal sleep then be closer? It was a selfish desire, she thought, as she set off to the north. For what she was good at, in her long existence, she endured on, with her denial and torment. *** In the north flourishing town of Cental, the governor was Gregory and he wanted the throne, as Mahnu had heard it. He was in his secret hideout, in a cave amongst the many hills, looking at his assassins. He was telling them that if the others don''t succeed in killing the King in the north west, they are to try when the King returns. It wasn¡¯t like he knew about the secret town of Havlish, nor understood exactly why the King was going to the northwest¡­But that was all irrelevant. The life he wanted to take was going that way, so that is where he sent his men! Gregory leaves for his relatively large estate, which had a big house, on a big hill, overlooking the town that he was very proud of. Cental was the second most popular town in Kralaide, but never able to compete with the capital Conrella. Knowing that he wasn¡¯t able to be as popular as the capital, instead, Gregory had investigated and obtained many people to be in his town. Bought off, or schemed against, Gregory had many assassins and people who would help him achieve his ultimate goal of power. The only thing that he couldn¡¯t seem to possess, was that of doctor¡¯s¡­For some reason, doctor¡¯s where unobtainable. Upon entering into his house, servants bowed and showed him respect, making Gregory hold his head up higher in satisfaction¡­ Gregory''s brother, Zachary, was the governor of the north-eastern town of Brackan and he had come to visit. Gregory greeted his younger brother in annoyance and in reply Zachary snidely remarked of taking his beautiful town away from him one day while he was gone. After a short silence, Zachary tells him that he was going into the capital to confer to His Majesty and to trade, and wonders if he''ll met the governor of the south-eastern town of Bena. "That fox always has a plan up his sleeve!" Zachary said in relation to his secret enemy and the past ploys. Zachary was unsure if any other town or governor had seen what the fox does, as it is done discretely. Buying and selling treasures, profiting a large sum of money. Even some people had gone missing from the town of Bena, and that of his own town of Brackan¡­ "I just wished I cared more for other things, besides the seat with power!" Gregory said, smirking at his brother. He looks so old, Zachary thought, older than his fifty years. It was Zachary''s opinion that his older brother didn''t look at all trustworthy and shook his head to Gregory still being a governor. Zachary thought he made a wasted journey¡­He let out a sigh, us brothers have never been close, and it looks like we will never be. Their past included that of his eldest brother being doted upon so often, that he ended up wanting everything¡­And himself, Zachary, grew up seeing this and only able to have so much, yet wanting to find a way on his own, where he will be recognized for what he¡¯s achieved. Their well-off family had given him enough to be able to learn to become a governor, just like his eldest brother, but he still felt like he needed to do more to be seen¡­ Thinking of his own strong army, he wanted to set that fox down south back into order for the King but is having trouble! It has come to a point where a skirmish may not be prevented, and he knew that the King would not look upon that very well. But¡­The fox down south¡­If only he could find evidence of the traitorous things he has done. Yet, just like his brother, he was unable to find anything concrete and crucial at all¡­Because if he did find something small, and went to make it known, suddenly it would either disappear or someone would be killed¡­So, whatever evidence he finds now, it has to be something big! He looked at his selfish, greedy brother and wondered, even though his thoughts just now were ill of him, if he could get his help in any way¡­What was happening in Bracken, was something different and he needed advice. There was something rising up amongst the people, that Zachary hadn''t kept an eye on and now he feels overrun and even unable to lead his own town! It was even quite embarrassing, he thought, as he put his head in his hands. He already had enough problems! Yet, somehow, now all his other problems didn¡¯t seem to be as important as this one, but, he was stomped on how to deal with it¡­As it was, it didn¡¯t make any sense, it didn¡¯t seem to have an explanation¡­So, how was he going to ask for help when he wasn¡¯t even sure of what the problem was in the first place! Zachary sighed in frustrated, I''m a governor, I must take control! He left his brother''s estate for the week-long journey south to the capital. *** Chapter 2
Mahnu had reached her destination and went to find a safe high place to watch, as she rarely showed herself to others. She looked out at the horizon, from the high vantage point of one of the trees in the lush forest and listened silently to the cries of the suffering humans as she waited for the King and the planned attack. She could hear him coming, as he sees more of his loyal guards who met up with him close by. Strangely, the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights, Marcus, wasn''t there. She had yet to see him in person but as it was, she spent very little time with the humans, especially the royals. Through other''s thoughts, Mahnu could know what the King looked like. He seemed mature looking, with a small clean-cut beard and athletic build. His clothes were obviously that of a grander scale than that of a commoner, but he didn¡¯t look as majestic as she thought he would, as she had seen other Kings look. Looking at his short pony tail, and his shoes being more ordinary, Mahnu finally understood that he wasn¡¯t in a King¡¯s attire, but more of a noble¡¯s. Through other¡¯s thoughts, she realized that he was undercover¡­Yet¡­He even looked somewhat familiar. Surprising her, he sees her as she is looking out over the horizon. She had only been looking at him through other¡¯s eyes till now but seeing herself through his eyes, made her feel strange. That strange that she felt like she should get away¡­But, her position really hadn¡¯t been that revealing and for a moment, she wondered how he had found her so easily! Getting up, to go down from the tree, so she could get away, she finally remembers that they had met once before¡­ Their first meeting was in the year of 1613, when King Richard was 20, and he was leading a small amount of men to the west. She was there discreetly but had come out of hiding to help him unload food, cook and feed the hungry people of Anddin. Back then, it had been the first time that the King had despatched trade goods to Anddin and he participated in giving what he had brought out to the people. It hadn¡¯t been just food that could be stored, but that of materials to make clothes, blankets and medicinal equipment. There were a variety of books and even a few men that would stay, like that of a teacher and blacksmith. Of course, this being the first goods sent, the next lot would not have these people included. Mahnu had liked his way of helping, it had been better than her carting grain, wheat or rice all by herself, not to mention hunting. This, also, was mostly done in the dark, as not to be seen. The travel time that she could spend by helping the people of one town, could potentially outweigh staying in the actual town. Which sometimes made time go by quickly, leaving that town even years later. She could potentially spend months in just travelling from one town to another, bringing back goods all by herself. Normally she would walk to the other town, but then have a carriage bring the goods back to the town, making the trip back a lot quicker¡­ Money was not really an issue for Mahnu, she had gained it throughout the ages easily and didn¡¯t spend it on anything for herself. Since she travelled from one town to another, she had hidden a stash in each of them, retrieving what she would need and then again hiding the rest. Having gotten money, from when saving the humans, had really lasted a long while, but since she had helped a number of people that would give her money with their thanks, even though she had told them that she hadn¡¯t needed it, her stashes had only slowly dwindled over time instead of disappearing completely. Of course, currency had slightly changed since she had received a lump sum from the King back at the time of The Siege, but a couple hundred years ago, Mahnu was able to double what she had, by selling the old currency for the new. And now, she buys what she needs for other people, hoping that this effort will bring her closer to eternal sleep¡­Well, if that reason didn¡¯t work, then she then asked herself what she would spend her money on anyway. She really had no desire for anything, except that of sleep, so why keep it to herself when she can help the sufferings in her head a bit more instead. Honestly speaking, Mahnu was one of the richest people on Kralaide, but she was also one of the poorest in the way of having assets. She owned no other things, even that of clothes, as when she does change attires, she gives away what she had been wearing prior to the new clothes. She had once owned a building that she had let orphans stay in, but through a disagreement and people seeing how well that place had been built and where, they had tried to scheme it away from the owner. So, instead of fighting for the place, Mahnu had given it away to someone else and did not bother to repeat that situation again¡­Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. As it was, she had hardly been around the humans for centuries, not only did she feel that she had to be alone, but she also had no want to be close to another human¡­She¡­Had done that before¡­And so, she often just helps from the shadows, wanting the seclusion and distance that she gives herself. But, that time at Anddin, she took the chance to be seen by others and tried her best to act as they did, even though she refused to speak to them. She didn''t hate the humans...She just didn''t want to like them. She was sure it would mean a double betrayal if she becomes friends with them. And as it was, she had enough troubles already when it came to her own kind and her betrayal¡­It was one reason that she had wanted to end her existence¡­ So...She had scurried to and fro to human homes, that were against the mountains, making sure everyone had their share of what the King had brought for them. The King had noticed that she did not say a word and for some reason that seemed to have irritated him. And before he could have a conversation with her, she had already disappeared. He had asked about her in the village, hearing that she comes to help but no one had known her name. His annoyance helped him forget her, until now. The past was coming back to him as well, as he saw her face. Yes, King Richard also thought, we''ve met before¡­ Back to the present, the King goes to catch up and stop her, after she gets down from the tree. She hadn''t changed at all and he wonders if she''s even real, as he was sure she was the same person! He became a little bit confused... Her age still looks to be from sixteen to twenty, as it had five years ago! Her figure was totally covered with raggedy, dirty clothes and her hair was flowing free and very beautiful. She even had dirt under her finger nails and knots in her black, beautiful hair! Her sad looking eyes were captivating to him, making him feel like he could become lost within their depths! He wondered why he thought such a dirty looking woman was beautiful, seeing even dirt on her face! King Richard shock his head, bemused with his newly founded taste in women, as he normally didn¡¯t particularly have a taste at all. He had no time for women when he had to look after the whole land of Kralaide¡­Even his Queen didn¡¯t appeal to him that much. He had done what was expected of him, by having children, but had not that desperate need to fulfil a desire like other men would talk about¡­ The King''s knights that were guarding him were worried, as she knew because she could hear their thoughts about her potentially exposing the secret town of Havlish, or, if she were from Havlish, she shouldn¡¯t know of the reason why they were there when the women mostly looked after the families instead of fighting. They intervened, telling her that he is the King, in hope that she would venture elsewhere in respect. She heard that they didn¡¯t care about revelling the identity of the King, because this place was safe and since she looked as she did, they were sure that she would leave anyway¡­ She decides to do as asked and disappear, preferring to watch from a far, so she distracted them with a harmless smoke bomb and left. She was glad that she got away as they didn''t trust her anyway. Ironic, she thought, they are probably related to the Loyal Royal Knights that had helped me in the past! But, it seemed to have become difficult for her to hide close by¡­As someone was able to find her easily! Yes, King Richard later saw her high in a tree and he was absolutely determined to hold a conversation with her! I must try and get her to talk! He mused to himself. He just had a feeling that she could talk but didn''t, not quite understanding why he felt that way. King Richard smiled. A fun task indeed, he thought, and started to climb up the tree. The King may have been active in his life, as he liked to keep fit and know a certain amount of strategies to defend himself, but, normally he would not go to the extends of climbing a tree¡­ Mahnu found it somewhat strange that he, again, found her hiding place. Normally, even if people did see where I was, she thought, they had never chased after me! He started yelling up at her, asking questions about the weather and if it was warm. And to his astonishment, she continued to completely ignore him! He hated to admit that her ignoring him, hurt his pride! Ignoring a King? He smirked, liking how much guts she had to act this way towards him. It was¡­Refreshing! He continued talking and climbing with such enjoyment that the guards were wondering if she has become somewhat of a toy to the King but that sounded so unrealistic. They had never seen the King have any kind of toy that he would chase after so completely¡­Unless you call Kralaide a toy, as that was where the King¡¯s attention obviously always seemed to be¡­ They were very confused with the way the King was acting¡­ Is he...A complete idiot? Mahnu asked herself as she saw that he hadn''t given up. He was getting closer now and Mahnu started to panic. Seeing herself so much through one person¡¯s thoughts and sight was not something she was used too! She was a nobody! Yet, here he was eyeing her so much it was nearly uncomfortable! Looking down, she wondered how he could watch her so much when climbing at the same time¡­But, to her interest, it was like he would memorize where his next step would be, only having to look at the branches briefly before moving himself up further towards her¡­ Why can''t he stop and leave me alone! Was this a game to him? She wondered. Just before getting to the top, he was grumbling about his hands hurting because of the bark, so she took that moment to jump down. It was her attempt at keeping a distance, telling him through her actions that she was not someone to get close to. I don¡¯t want¡­People¡­ She watched him get angry and suddenly wanted to laugh as he stayed in the same spot looking down at her, his eyes burning into hers. Mahnu felt satisfied that he had lost to her but at the same time she was impressed that a majestic King had climbed so high up a tree! Chapter 3
She''s strong, he admits, but very annoying. Then King Richard sighs, thinking about his wasted effort of climbing up a tree. How did I, a King, just do that without thinking!? Why am I wasting time on something like this!? Grudgingly, he follows her back down, only to see her gone again upon placing his feet back onto the ground! Exhausted, he flops down to the grass and decides to have a nap, as they weren¡¯t in any hurry... One of the guards let out a small laugh to His Majesty''s behaviour, as it was like he was trying to catch a cat, they thought. Often, their King had never attempted to do anything like this...He was a business man, a man that you never knew if he slept or not because of how much work he does... Should they have captured her for him then? Seeing him sleep so easily, they were quite shocked! Whenever they were to go out venturing like this, they would never see him laze about and sleep anywhere else but his tent or that of the small little palaces that are in each town for him to stay in! It was a first...For quite a number of knights...But, of course, they continued to do their job and make sure that he was safe, even from female''s that made the King...Go up trees... They were sceptical about who the maiden was and why she was here, but seeing the King try to once again get her attention and have her disappear, they started to think that if someone might be in somebody else¡¯s way¡­It might be that the King was in the maiden¡¯s way, instead of the other way around! It was yet again...Another first... The smoke bomb had indeed been scary, and they had become vigilant afterwards¡­But, it had become obvious to most of the guards, that this young woman looked like she wanted to be left alone and had not wanted to get involved with them at all¡­Nonetheless, whatever their thoughts, they will always protect His Majesty first, not putting their trust into their thoughts and kept an eye on what was going on. Even if it looked like she wanted nothing to do with the King, it didn''t mean that she wasn''t a spy...Or that of an assassin! Giving the King some space, they went a few more metres away from him and half of them leaned up against the trees, while the other half kept an eye out in four different directions. This was closer to what they usually did, when coming out here to Havlish, and a couple of them started to quietly talk, speaking aimlessly to pass the time¡­ They all seemed to be still waiting on the leader of the Royal Loyal Knights to arrive, so that they could report to the King on secret journeys that have been made throughout Kralaide. It was only one or two Loyal Royal Knights that travelled to each town, to scout out to see if there was anything wrong. They would meet up back in Havlish, to their leader and King, to report of any misconduct. Throughout the ages, this had happened many times, as the Loyal Royal Guards continued to be loyal to their King. It wasn''t like the governors could not be trusted, it was more so that the King wanted to have another source of information and the knights continued to be used till this day to do exactly that... This would happen three times a year and the knights rarely reported anything that could be regarded as high priority to fix straight away. The biggest worry lately, was that of the small skirmishes that was happening between Governor Zachary and Governor Sedric, that happened every couple of years. They could hardly be called ¡®small skirmishes¡¯, as it didn¡¯t have an army against another¡­It was more of a few people on each side that may bring a person to be harmed but no one seems to have been killed, as of yet. The problem was, the ''small skirmishes'' were starting to happen outside of the towns as well. So, it has started to happen anywhere from the north town of Bracken all the way down to the Southern town of Bena, including the land in the middle of the two¡­Knowing such details, made things difficult, as that meant more people to keep an eye on the land and the towns and governors. It also meant that the law in place of stating these small skirmishes being against it, was also not being taken seriously! ¡­Mahnu sees that the guards were watching the King closely because of the assassination attempts, some in which have already been made on him. There was even an attempt on the heir to the throne, that she could hear in her mind, even seeing it through one person¡¯s point of view, as they had even seen the attack with their own eyes. Luckily, the heir was unharmed, but they never found out who was behind the attempt, due to the assassin killing themselves before any kind of torture could even be started. Innocent children overcoming assassination attempts was not what she had wanted to save! She hated the fact that she had saved this...Lot...Just so they could kill each other! Is that why I think of them as beasts? She wondered. They are territorial and fight for leadership, like that of a pack of wolves! Then, her thoughts were interrupted by what she saw was the King''s dreams¡­ Watching as his dreams proceeded, Mahnu saw herself with others from the past¡­Her past¡­Kralaide¡¯s past! She recognized the prophets, Royal Knights and King Maximus, surrounding the chest that had become ''The Chest of the God''s''. How is it, she wondered with wide eyes, that the current King is dreaming of something that happened over a thousand years ago!? It was pictured in her mind, as no time had passed at all, but it was seen by not her eyes but of the eyes of King Maximus¡­This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Are you sure it will work, Mahnu?" King Maximus had asked her. Mahnu had replied that she had found out through notes that had said it had worked before and if she had done it properly, it should trap all the God¡¯s inside. "We have nothing to lose...I am willing to aid you with my strength!" The King had said, nodding at Mahnu. "Then if you are all ready, place your hand on the chest and chant what I say after me" Mahnu had said. She had waited till they all had touched the chest, before she had touched it herself and provided the power needed for the chest to work. "For we could not achieve peace through words or actions, we entrust our power into this chest to protect the future of mankind." Mahnu waited until the others had finished repeating after her, before continuing, "Each of us are willing to sacrifice, to achieve that peace we could not obtain without this chest." Then light had overwhelmed the room, also waking up the King up in the present¡­ Without knowing, she had left her hiding spot and came to stand before him and he opened his eyes to see her shocked face. As he tried to waken, seeing this, he was wondering what was going on. The King saw the knights start to walk towards them, but the King put his hand up to stop them. They had seen her come closer and closer to the King, making them put their hands upon their swords¡­ He asks if she''s alright, but she gives no answer¡­Just her gaze held him prisoner¡­For the life of him, he didn¡¯t understand why she was looking at him like that! King Richard sighs and scratches his head. Did something bad happen while I was sleeping? He wondered if he had looked ridiculous while sleeping, to try and understand why she was making such an expression on her face. It seemed sweet, how her eyebrows were furrowed in some type of frustration and how she was directly looking at him like he was very important¡­It was nice! And it made all that time climbing up a tree a lot more worthwhile! Suddenly, she stopped something getting close to him, shocking him! She was bent over him, still standing as he was still sitting on the ground¡­She was so close! Even though the sudden closeness had shocked him, he didn¡¯t feel at all impeded upon and already felt himself lost within her eyes¡­Even her light smell started to cloud his thoughts¡­ Hearing a sigh of relief, as she was glad she was here to catch it, she pulled something out of her arm. He was surprised to see that it was a poisonous dart, before she hid it in her clothes, and looked into the bushes. When he looked after her, he saw her following that gaze into the dark. "Wait!" He yelled. But she was already gone! He hastily called for the knights to rush and follow¡­ After some searching, they came across someone that was roped and gagged. King Richard wondered if the maiden had to leave so fast for an antidote, as the knights that were sent out to look for her didn''t find her. After they ungagged the assassin, he was too quick to stop, and before anyone could do anything, the assassin was already dead through poison¡­ King Richard was upset that the maiden had gone through all of that trouble, only for this to happen and he felt pathetic that her efforts had gone to waste! They had been looking at obtaining an assassin, to ask them who was behind the attacks, but they have yet to fully capture one that was willing to talk, before they committed suicide¡­ Silently, the King cursed his knights and their impatience, they should have known that this could have potentially happened! ¡­But, after those angry thoughts, the King couldn¡¯t believe that the maiden had saved him! She had taken a poisonous dart for him, making him want to thank her and see her. Perhaps he could offer something to her in return¡­But he had no idea what he could offer her, as she had not said one word to him and acted like she would prefer to be alone. Yet¡­It gave him a reason to talk to her! And that reason made him worried and excited all at the same time! He was worried that she may not have the antidote and that he¡¯d never see her again¡­And excited because a reason to talk to her was better than none¡­For saving the life of a King, it was definitely a good reason! But, unlike what he thought, where she should be asking for things right in front of him¡­Why¡­ Normally a King wouldn¡¯t need a reason to talk to anyone and would be able to do what he wants, yet¡­She didn¡¯t seem to be someone that would care too much that he was a King, remembering that she had already ignored him earlier¡­ It had been a while that he had to try and go beyond that of a King to get someone¡¯s attention¡­And he was looking forward to it! But¡­Where in the world was she then!? ¡­Mahnu sighs at their bad luck, already knowing herself where the assassin had come from. As there were no other killing thoughts close by, she decides to leave. What good would come out of telling them that a governor is behind it all, it might break all the government currently in Kralaide¡­And that¡¯s if they believed her in the first place! Remembering a certain memory from the past, Mahnu became frustrated and did not want to indulge in staying here any longer, she had done her job of saving his life, now it was time to move on! The King will be safer from now on, as she could hear another¡¯s thoughts coming closer to the King¡­Making her think that he was the leader who had been held back by those in Havlish¡­Having arrived earlier then the King, he had visited his maternal town and a few specific people, making sure that things were also in good order while he was here¡­After all, there was no governor for Havlish¡­The leader of the Loyal Royal Knights, was also the leader of Havlish and he will report anything he needed to directly to the King himself. The King''s thoughts made Mahnu leave even faster, as they did something to her that made her question what it was. And Questions want answers, she thought, so best to leave it be and not think about it. It is normal for me to stay away from others, I''m destined to be alone. Alone and not depending on humans to give me answers! Ha¡­Why would a human know an answer to my type of question anyway? Isn¡¯t me that has lived far longer than them!? She walked away, silently saying goodbye, scaring herself as she didn''t normally even go that far with humans. It doesn''t matter, she thought, I probably won''t see him again and one day he will die, and I will remain here. It''s a huge circle that I can never forget. Humans are creatures that die. I am not. The reason I had come here, is to save the King of Kralaide¡¯s life¡­Why stay longer? Mahnu knew this, knew that her duty was complete¡­Yet, not only questions about the dream but¡­Those eyes of his¡­And¡­Some type of feeling she had while being around him¡­ Mahnu left in more haste, angry and even upset but not knowing why. And she didn''t even want to know why. King Richard didn''t see her again, before returning to Conrella, but he thought about her. Why doesn''t she speak? What has she been through? Did she get the antidote in time? So many questions that he wanted to ask her! It hardly seemed fair that she had disappeared as she had too! Does she truly hate me? Does she really want nothing to do with me? Never having been in a situation where a woman had literally run away from him¡­More then once¡­The King had no idea on how to feel! He was that distracted to his thoughts, that the knights asked him if he was alright. The King snapped back, saying back to them that he was "Fine!" The knights only worried more for the King, who they had never seen this angry before! He hardly ever got angry! Was he that angry that the assassin had died back in Havlish!? "¡­Your Majesty, a note from governor Valtac has come." "Oh...Right." The King said. That''s right, he thought, I''m the King of Kralaide, I have things to do! *** Chapter 4
Mahnu slowly travelled from north west of Conrella, to the East town of Nowell, feeling uneasy. The reason was¡­That Nowell was were ¡®The Siege¡¯ had taken place¡­ The still remaining free humans had led the Gods there, away from the capital, and the God''s had walked right into the trap laid out for them. Mahnu, after using her power for the chest, was unable to move, so she had been still in Havlish were ''The Chest of the God''s'' had been created. The east was where the betrayal had taken place and she felt like she didn''t even have a right to be there. The God¡¯s may have done bad things to the humans, but they were still created at the same time as her, they were still somehow her own family. They were after all, like her, immortals¡­And she had eradicated them from any type of life, any type of future. Had she really had to right in the first place to determine such a fate!? If only¡­ As she walked to Nowell, she heard the news that a princess was born to the King and Queen and how proud the father of the Queen was. She wasn¡¯t too sure of what to make out of that man. He had been the only human to chase after her, and so directly at that! Now he has had another child¡­ As for the King, he was happy to have a Princess, he just didn¡¯t like how it was done. The Queen and himself rarely are intimate and they had only been together a few times to conceive a second child, yet, it had not happened. But¡­Since they had not been intimate for a few months, the King had suddenly woken to the Queen being by his side¡­ The fact that she had drugged him, repulsed him to not return to her bed again, but it had indeed been how the Princess was conceived¡­ The people rejoiced to the fortune of the news, yet they didn¡¯t know that the King had told the Queen that there were no longer going to be intimate in that way again¡­At least not while he did not trust her. Even if they hadn¡¯t been intimate for a whole year, she should never had done that and the King told the guards, that guarded his chambers, that the Queen is not to enter without his permission from then on¡­ The Queen was from the south town of Harval and her father was the governor Valtac. He was smart and Mahnu had known that he was the previous King''s favourite governor. Mahnu also knew that he was shady, and he doesn''t really care much for the people of the town that he governs. Twenty years ago, he had made a big commotion about lowering the tax in the town of Harval but under it all, he had bought any remaining land of Harval at a low price, so that he could sell it for a hefty sum. It was not only for money but to continue to be the governor, as some people had started to have doubts, which changed when the tax did. The people didn''t obviously know that the governor had just schemed them. This was just one of his antics to continue to be a governor and be close to the King. Having taught his daughter what it takes to stay favoured, the Queen has been fortunate to learn this and continue to stay the only woman of the King thus far. Without giving away that Queen was behind anything, women stayed away from the palace and she also made sure that she looked beautiful all the time, so that the King would only see her. She had been brought up to be Queen, and Valtac had always wanted to be the father in law to the King, in which it had come true. He had asked the late King early on, for his daughter to marry the Crowned Prince, who is now King of Kralaide and due to being favoured so much, it was not a problem to have the two children engaged. Mahnu didn''t understand why people wanted so much. The Queen wanted to be the only woman, to always be beautiful and be known as unforgettable and graceful person¡­Her father wanted to be more then a governor and use his ¡®father in law¡¯ status to even make his own type of decisions¡­In at least two circumstances he had used this power to act as ¡®King¡¯, yet he is only a governor. That man is too busy and can¡¯t see with his eyes! Your father in law is too much! Just thinking about that man irritated Mahnu and she scoffed at wasting her time on this! Why should she care if his father in law is using the King¡¯s power to look good? It has nothing to do with her! Politics seemed to be something Mahnu could never understand. To her, it just didn''t matter because as the years passed by, nothing really changed...If politics was something that really did aid to the suffering of the people, then it would have been something she had tried to learn a long time ago.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. But politics seemed to be another word for power. Another way to separate the rich from poor, royal and commoner and power to powerless. Nonetheless, Valtac totally believed in it and valiantly continued to use that word to think he is able to do anything. Mahnu knew her opinions were different to humans, which is another reason to not voice them and stay away. Half of what she thought would properly get her into trouble, in which she would rather avoid. Again, she was glad she didn''t bother to speak or be with anyone¡­Not that she had never tried before¡­Thinking this way was because even if she does voice out certain problems, the problems either return when another person comes along, or she gets into trouble along with her words¡­It was yet, just another reason to give up speaking! As she got closer to the east, Mahnu also heard about the rivalries between the governors Zachery and Sedric. She could almost anticipate that another small skirmish was about to happen between them. The innocent village of Nowell was in between them, so that was how east became her next destination. Mahnu did admit there was something strange going on because Zachary, known of his brute strength and military soldiers, seemed to only want to defend with a small number of soldiers. Zachery was either not into winning or had that much of an ego that he was going to win, that Mahnu wondered if she should intervene. No, she thought straight away. They act like immature children and Mahnu was positive that getting involved may send her back into depression again. Moving her mind instead to the suffering in Nowell, she tried to put that matter behind her. *** It took two months for her to reach her destination from Havlish to Nowell, as she didn''t ride horses. She had all the time in the world, so she didn''t see the point in getting to any place sooner than walking required. Mahnu wondered if it was her own way of rebelling against immortality and smiled. If I were to rebel, who would punish me? Was there anyone with enough guts to punish a God? Mahnu let out a small laugh, something she rarely did, and looked out to see Nowell on the horizon. The mangroves close by was a popular area for many kinds of insects and she sighed as she continued to shorten the distance. The east doesn''t have a leader and the population has always been small, even now it is only three hundred people. It was also known as a haunted area and kept what was needed away, like traders and builders. The people and the land of Nowell was most certainly those who suffered the most in the land of Kralaide. Mahnu has been there often to see no growth from the last time she was there. There was still the rice farm with a dirt area that grew two different vegetables and two different fruit, that she had helped with in her last visit. The people here were still eating once a day and getting not the cleanest of water from a far distance. Mahnu knew that the humans here were quite lethargic because of the amount of food they ate, but she wished they would do something about it! It was a wonder to her how they seemed quite happy to live like this...Did they not know that humans can have three meals a day and snacks!? Didn''t they think there were better lands that their children could play in? It was also obvious that their lives spans were shorter compared to the other humans in Kralaide. Sickness was Nowell''s enemy, as they also had insects and water that needed more attention before drinking. Their lifestyle...Mahnu stopped questioning them yet again. She wondered if they depended too greatly on the King''s monthly transported goods. Mahnu repeatedly wanted to know why they were all still here. She had once, a long time ago when she had spoken, asked the people to move away from the area and in response they asked her where they should go. That had made her feel worse because it was only to make herself feel better about their situation as she had felt it was her responsibility. Yet, here, they were depending on others to survive... It was another reason why she didn''t want to come here. It doesn''t matter anymore, she reminded herself. Why would she care if they wanted to stay here in this desolate place? *** As the years went by, Mahnu was glad that no skirmish had taken place. She helped during the nights, so she was rarely ever seen and now the small village had more food for them to eat. It was the year 1628, King Richard now 35, and an unauthorized skirmish between Zachary and Sedric had finally happened. The King went undercover to find the culprits, which was 51 from Zachary and 157 from Sedric, all caught, except 22 that had died. It was on a whim, after the skirmish, that the King decided to visit Nowell, as he had never been there before. He wants everywhere in Kralaide to flourish but finds that the east may not after he gets there, as they are in a very poor state. Only two farms, three types of vegetables and three fruit trees and everyone was dirty. Were all the goods making it here? He thought as he made a mental note to question it, when he returned to Conrella. As he walks further, he sees Mahnu fighting off someone who had got away. He was wearing the same clothes as the other culprits that they had caught from the south east. Rushing to help, he witnesses her putting him down on the hard ground floor, pressing his head down with only one hand. Her eyes were blazing in anger. "Wow" Escaped from his lips, enthralled by her. The culprit finally said sorry, begging for sympathy and saying that he is alone and doesn''t want to die. She let him go and he went to attack her from behind with a hidden knife. The King intervened, saying that he''s been looking for him and the knights close by immediately took the culprit away. She hadn''t changed, he thought as he turned back to her. He watched her kneel over a mother and child on the ground close by and saw her shake her head. The mother cried louder. A child had died, now he understood why her eyes had been blazing with rage. She was strong willed and fought for even a child. He looked around and believed that they all looked like they hadn''t had a bath in weeks, the maiden especially. He was sure she could look a lot prettier, and then he wanted to know what she would look like being freshly soaked and cleaned. King Richard collected his thoughts, upset that she could intrude on them as she did, especially when there was something so important at hand! He had to think about a child dying and the skirmish! Mahnu was upset with herself. If she wasn''t so concerned about staying away from humans so much, she would have been able to save that child in time. I should have known, she scolded herself hopelessly, that child''s death is my fault! *** Chapter 5
Thinking about state of affairs later in his tent, that they had put up in Nowell, the King suddenly found the maiden that didn''t speak, was staring at him in sadness. He wondered in surprise to how she could just come into a King''s tent like that!? Was that her speciality? He thought. Disappearing and appearing whenever she wants too! ¡­And then he wanted to know why she looked so sad¡­ She heard him, even though a word was not spoken, and silently told him it was his own thoughts that made her sad and her self-hatred for not being able to save the child. It isn''t something she could easily forget, as the child''s mother was now suffering because of it. All the problems he was thinking about and how eager he was to fix them all, made her pity him. She has tried to stop the suffering of the people for so long and here he was trying to make things better in a human''s life span. In over a thousand years, nothing has changed, the humans still suffer and here he was so enthusiastic about it¡­She wondered if she should tell him not to bother. Instead, she found herself kneeling in front of him, wishing him all the best in his mission. She was not just sad though, because his enthusiasm to help people made her happy. It let her know that she was not the only one helping the people after all¡­ King Richard was amazed how heart felt her face and kneeling was to him. It was sincere and to find such innocence these days was hardly heard of¡­ He knelt beside her, asking her what she is trying to say. Of course, though, she doesn''t say anything or move. She''s become a statue...He thinks. Then King Richard sighs, annoyed that she didn''t speak. "Is it that you want to join me?" Her nod surprised him and herself. This is not something she normally does but he does give her questions that she wanted answers to, such as why does he dream about the past, when he wasn''t even there? And why do his actions get to her? There had been a very little number of humans till now that made her feel curious to the extent of staying with them¡­If only for a short while. She knew very well that questions weren''t a direction she wanted to take, but accepting this proposal feels like the right thing to do right now. "I prefer it if you didn''t become a soldier, even though I''ve seen your...¡± The King sighed, then continued, ¡°Ten years ago, you tied up the person who tried to kill me, didn''t you?" He was close to her now, he could smell her. She needs a bath! He thought. She nodded, confused on what he was thinking. Although he was right, that she hadn''t had a bath in a long time, but she hadn''t seen the need to have one. I won''t get sick and I don''t stay near people for them to get sick, she thought defensively. Why does he care so much that I should be clean!? And¡­Why is it that I feel like we aren¡¯t talking about something important!? "But then..." He put his hands through her dirty hair, seeing her flinch and his hands stopped shortly after because of knots. "You ran away. I had worried over you. I wanted to know if you had gotten an antidote in time. I didn''t want to think you would have died because of me...But now, that I see you are unharmed, I''m grateful. Thank you for saving my life." His close contact was scary to her, which wasn''t an emotion that she was used to. Was it because I think he would continue to chase me? Even if that is so, why would that scare me, she thought, angry with herself. Being a God, there wasn''t anything to be scared about, but why him? ¡­It must be because I''m not used to being touched by others¡­ He lifted her head with his hand, so to look at her in the eyes, and said, "You look the same as then too...How old are you?" Her eyes looked wide but gave nothing away. Ten years ago, he had thought of her as a mere child, but now, she looked all woman. How could that happen when she hasn''t changed!? Was it because I¡¯d known her then, and now that time has gone by¡­ The King was quite confused, seeing her young face and thinking these strange thoughts¡­Yet, he wasn¡¯t confused for long, as not only the question he just asked resurfaced in his mind, but that of her lips¡­Her lips taunted him, and he suddenly wanted to own them. "Thirty years?" He asked, as he trailed his thumb over her lips. They were soft to touch, and he wondered what they would taste like. He was a loyal man, but it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t lusted before, as he was indeed still¡­A man. He knew that the Queen had gone to lengths to keep him away from other women, but it hadn¡¯t mattered too much, as he hadn¡¯t lusted for a woman enough to take one, in which he knew he had the power too. He was always so busy, so he thought it would be more unwanted drama to take another woman and that if he really couldn¡¯t hold his desires in, he could have a cold shower or even go to lengths of seeing his sly Queen. But¡­At this moment, the King had found that the lust he had for this maiden, was quite hard to fight against! Thirty years is such a brief time, Mahnu was thinking, trying not to listen to his ridiculous thoughts. She felt his lust for her and knew it was indeed something strong, making her feel weird in return. It wasn¡¯t like she had never felt the lust that someone had for another, it was strange because¡­This overpowering feeling, was for her¡­Only for her¡­ She could safely say¡­That this was the first time that someone lusted after her so much that they could hardly keep it in!Stolen novel; please report. Forgetting the conversation, as she stared back, he brought her face to his and kissed her. He heard her sharp intake of breath but continued anyway. He had never lost himself to a woman, never. Yet, kissing this maiden, had made him feel more then what the Queen had in twelve long years. She was dirty, had a smell that wasn''t of flowers, clothes that didn''t benefit her figure at all. And yet, he desired her. That¡¯s right, the King admitted to his thoughts and feelings straight away¡­That he wanted this maiden. He wanted to taste her lips and now wanted more¡­He could hardly believe it, yet, he was unable to deny it! When she shook her head, parting them, he wanted to pout, totally unsatisfied. His excitement just to kiss her, totally astonished him. What would it be like to be with her in his bed? As he thought about it, he had never felt such a throb of desired passion before. His groan was pure evidence that the King was losing control to his thoughts¡­ The spell had been broken though, and Mahnu blinked, trying to take control again. It was like something had flown into her chest and started fluttering about franticly! A human not only touched her...But kissed her! Mahnu was...Speechless! Remembering thoughts of women in the past about their first kiss, Mahnu could only feel embarrassed. Is this what they were feeling too? She wondered. A blush slowly formed on her cheeks and she could feel her face grow hot¡­It wasn¡¯t a feeling she was used to! Back when she was first introduced to romance and sexual desires from people, she had indeed blushed, but¡­Over a thousand years, it didn¡¯t faze her anymore¡­ Now¡­She felt it grow over her entire face and it was hard to not cover herself immediately to her embarrassment! The moments ticked by and he saw that she bowed her head again and silently thanked her as he cooled his own thoughts. What am I doing? He asked himself. As he let out a frustrated sigh, one of his men came into the tent. "Your Majesty..." When the knight saw her and the King kneeling down upon the floor, they stopped short, asking if they had interrupted something important. The King glared at him, why did they charge in like that!? Am I being too lenient these days with my people! King Richard sighed and asked the knights question again in his head, looking at his desire. He wanted to say yes, as they were interrupting him completely, but felt himself start to blush, knowing there was no other reason to say yes other than that it was personal. And for a King who should look after his people first, how could that be more important then what the man has to say? "No, we are finished. She will come back to the Conrella with us." The knight didn''t respond but looked confused. The King stood up and held out his hand to the maiden. When she looked up at him, he remembered their kiss and felt his body start to heat again. Even just a look from her and he was dazzled! There was something to look forward to, he thought, glad to be about to continue to see her. She would be closer to him, being in the capital, hell, he could give her something to do in the palace, so that she¡¯d be even more closer! Perhaps if I could get her to teach me some of her Martial Arts, so that I could see her then¡­ ¡­The maiden not using his hand to stand silently herself, sent him back into the present, from thinking upon the future. After she left the tent, the King laughed. He didn''t know how to react at all to her obvious dislike of him. Then King Richard questioned again if it was dislike? Or was it possibly indifference...Or something else? He grunted unhappily. My god, he sighed, how am I going to keep my hands off of her? Especially when I want to touch her so much already!? When his men came in to report of the latest news from the capital, the King was momentarily saddened. It had been a long time since he forgot about important matters at hand, to think or want something so totally unrelated to the people or land. In that very short period of time that the maiden had been there, he realized that he had forgotten where they had even been and who he was! It was a scary concept, considering that no one should have that kind of power over a King, yet, it was true! He had only been thinking about her! I want her back already! Was it more like a selfish plea for pleasure...Or torture though!? He questioned, grumbling again. King Richard sighed, again glad that she was returning with him back to Conrella. He had to find a way to coax her over, knowing that she was quite a unique type of woman¡­But¡­How? *** Mahnu didn''t know how to react to the King''s thoughts and her own. After such a long existence, it was surprising that there was still something she had not felt before. Shaking her head, she decided that it didn''t matter. She wanted to help. It has nothing to do with how he treats her or his voice that even touches her skin. She will find answers, help with a few things and leave like she usually did. Nothing was going to change. I will be on my own again and they will live on...To die... The thought of life leaving her here all the time, unable to follow others, was still painful to her. That''s right, she thought, I deserve to stay her for eternity. Not even worth crying for. Mahnu was reminded that she had to endure this till the end, living on as the betrayer of her own kind. For what I have done, living as an immortal and enduring all the sufferings, surely is paying a price. And hopefully, in time, I will pay enough so that I can go into eternal slumber. It was due to so many reasons, such as loneliness, regret, self-hatred, desperation, the unstoppable continued suffering of the people, that Mahnu even lost her speech. With all her might, she tried to stop the feelings and thoughts by helping nonstop, by even not eating or sleeping herself, but it didn''t work. ...It was endless. Since then, she has continued not to bother to eat and take the people''s food and it has been many centuries now that sleep has deprived her. She knows her selfish wish for the sufferings to stop, so that she could sleep, was something that would never happen. She had even tried to put herself in another chest, like the other God''s, feeling that even that would be better than being stuck in Kralaide forever. And when she had lost her voice, she also had lost the reason to talk. Talking, she has thought for a long time, can be misunderstood and misleading, I still don''t see the point to it. Mahnu sighed. Then there was a time when I was in an abandoned, run down, hut and I had laid there unmoving for so long that I was sure I didn''t exist for a short period of time. I had gotten mentally unstable over all the emotions that had swirled in my head. I didn''t know what I had been thinking or feeling anymore, she thought, I couldn''t pinpoint what emotion it was. And going through that helped me conclude that I was better off not feeling anything. It was years of starving myself, unmoving on the dirty floor, trying to feel and think of absolutely nothing. Finally, I had figured out then that I''m better off not asking questions. I had given myself a small wish then, to sleep and wanted to live by that, even though I knew that I was in denial. What saddens me sometimes, is that I can''t go back to that state now, she thought. When I want to feel like nothing, I can''t do it. It''s like I awoke, that the me before was asleep. And now, I can''t seem to close my eyes anymore. Mahnu didn''t quite give up on the concept of being nothing and that''s why her wish ends with sleep. What she thinks awoken her, was someone that had come in to the hut one day and surprised her when the first thing they did was ask her if she was alright. That seemed to have been enough to revive me from the pitch-black hole I had been in. That there were humans that were indeed caring. That had made me feel bad as I was someone that could help people, and there I was wallowing. Wasting my time and feeling useless. I could be out there helping with building, or protecting¡­I could be harvesting or using my knowledge¡­I knew I was strong, and I knew a lot, so why was it that I was not using what I knew to help others? So, with that renewed hope, Mahnu had then left the hut and continued to help the humans, but always staying out of sight or leaving them before a connection could be made. Yes, being alone is my destiny. Because if I get close...Questions...Mahnu breathed in and closed her eyes. If going with the King brings no questions it should be bearable, she thought. Chapter 6
Mahnu silently follows the entourage towards Conrella on horseback, much to her dislike. She was aware of the King''s eyes on her, which brought that feeling of embarrassment back to her again. Why? She asked herself, even though for reasons unknown to her, she found herself liking his attention on her but at the same time unable to meet his eyes. It was the weirdest predicament she¡¯s ever been in! All of a sudden, she was so obviously aware of her gender and she felt all woman! Yet, at the same time, this feeling had never come to pass before, and she had nearly forgotten nor cared that she was a woman! She knew in people¡¯s thoughts that they would act different in times like this, but now, that she was being watched by the other gender and being ¡®desired¡¯, she felt like a complete amateur! Nonetheless, she tried to keep her distance, as this wasn¡¯t something she should take up on. As much as she tried to not think of the future, she knew that hers would hold an eternity¡­And his would not¡­ As the first night came, Mahnu knew the exact second that the King had fallen asleep. It was when the past came before her mind and she could remember it vividly¡­ Again, it was through the eyes of King Maximus and not her own. "Did they follow?" King Maximus had asked his loyal Knight Daniel. "Yes, Your Majesty. It is said that they are following but taking their time." King Maximus had looked over the land that was close to the town now called Nowell and wondered if it would all end here. If The Chest of the God''s didn''t work, it was inevitable they would all die or become slaves to the God''s. "Your Majesty! King Maximus!" The King had looked around, to find the scout they had dispatched earlier, running towards them and quite breathless. "Your...Majesty...They are...With some of us!...They are all carrying weapons and...Armour!" "Us, meaning humans?" "Yes, Your Majesty." The scout replied. The God''s are playing dirty, King Maximus had thought. Using our own to fight their battles, they really think this is a game! He had remembered what Mahnu had said about how close she thought that the God''s had to be for The Chest of the God''s to work. The King¡¯s thoughts hoped upon their own kind not being a problem, because once the God¡¯s are in sight, the chest will be opened, so hopefully, no one should die. It is confirmed that all the God''s have followed us here. Except Mahnu, making him sigh. "Did you leave Mahnu in Havlish on purpose? Wouldn''t it be the best if all the God''s get trapped inside the chest?" Mahnu could hear Daniel query King Maximus. King Maximus had put his hands into fists and looked up. He kept her here because of her talent, he knew she would continue to help the humans. His position of King of this land and the people, was the reason why he didn''t want her here to be taken with the rest of the God''s¡­As she will be something good for the people. The Chest of the God''s was brought up to the King and when the God''s were in sight, it was opened. Leaving humans everywhere waking from a dark dream. Mahnu knew that when one becomes a slave, they are bound to the God who enslaved them to do their bidding. But when they were released from the God¡¯s enslavement, she had found out then that they would remember nothing but will regain their bodies and minds to themselves once again. Having been powerless in Havlish at the time, to knowing very little afterwards, now she was able to understand right from King Maximus¡¯s sight, that this is what happens to ¡®slaves¡¯ after being released from their enslavement¡­ *** The dream had made Mahnu gloomy and the next morning, she remembered King Maximus purposely leaving her in Havlish. She had decided some time ago not to continue hating him for his decision, that nothing is going to change whether she hated him or not. But being reminded of it again, did irritate her. I''m stuck here now and that''s that, she thought, looking out into the distance but not seeing anything. The King watched her and looked out as well. What is she thinking about? She looks...Lonely... Mahnu ignored the King''s thoughts and continued to think. The dreams that the King has had, made Mahnu wonder if that had something to do with what King Maximus gave up for The Chest of the God''s to work. She remembered she couldn''t hear thoughts once she had touched the chest and never heard what the others had given up. Was it dreams? The prophets gave up their future sight, that had become apparent almost straight away.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Within a year or two after The Siege, it became known that Havlish had a plague, taking many lives, and the leader had said sadly that it may have been the price for the chest because nothing else was amiss. If that is true, Mahnu thought, The Chest of the God''s drained a God''s power, took about five hundred lives, the future sight from the prophets and the dreams of any King of Kralaide. It was a large payment indeed, Mahnu sighed, is sacrificing five hundred people worth trapping in all those God''s? Could it have been another payment, instead of lives? Mahnu closed her eyes tight, why do I always find so many questions and so little answers!? It was silly to her that she couldn''t even remember how the notes of the chest had found her. She had been in Bena, the south-eastern town of Kralaide, following a rumour about some strange happenings. But, after that, her mind had gone blank and till this day, she could not remember what had happened. The next thing she knew, she was waking up to see the notes on how to create the chest that will entrap the God''s. Being a God, this type of event had never happened to her before and since, yet it was unexplainable! To never remember meant an extreme power had taken place, yet, if it were a God, why would they give out instructions to entrap their own kind in? But, how was a human able to make a God forget? It was still, to this day, very questionable and Mahnu had never come to any type of answer¡­ In the past, before she went to King Maximus with her news, she had to write the words that allocated why the chest had to be used, with good reason, and the notes sadly stated that sacrifices were also needed. That was when she spoke to the prophets at Havlish¡­On the way there though, she had travelled through Conrella to pick up a chest, that later became ¡®The Chest of the God¡¯s¡¯. Then...She had really become the betrayer... King Richard would question her depressed look, making her give him a stern look. Not a morning person I guess!? He thought, looking at her face, that only made him want to smile in return. She just looks more desirable when she''s angry! He had ordered her to take a bath and comb her hair, so now, Mahnu looked a lot prettier¡­Probably the prettiest she¡¯s been for over a decade¡­ She found it nasty, that a human was giving her orders, but what was strange¡­She did as she was ordered, only glaring in return instead of refusing to do it¡­ Why¡­Why had she done it!? It was easy to tell that something was going on inside her pretty little head, as the little maiden¡¯s face seems to skitter to different expressions. The King was really delighted to knowing that he was able to read her like an opened book. It really was a fresh breeze that was blowing into his business-like life. His governors rarely showed anything personal, yet alone their thoughts, so these days it¡¯s hard to know what is true or false, right or wrong. But with this maiden¡­It really was something appreciated¡­ "Would it be something I have done to upset you perhaps?" Mahnu stared at him for a moment, then shock her head. The King looked down at her. Clearly her answer wasn''t good enough but Mahnu did not want to speak. How could she start now, on this topic, when she hadn''t spoken on more critical issues in the past!? "Does that mean that what I''ve done so far is appropriate behaviour?" Mahnu didn''t know how to respond. Was this some kind of trap? Was he using the fact that she didn''t talk to his advantage? Because¡­His behaviour wasn¡¯t really appropriate at all¡­Was it!? Before she could come up with either a shake or nod of her head, the King interrupted her, "That''s great then. I will continue to be myself!" Her eyes widened, which made him laugh. He didn''t understand his need to want to constantly know what she is thinking. Because of her stern look, he said blankly, that he was worried and cared for her and that''s why he had asked. "So, don''t pull that face on me!" He said pointing a finger at her, feeling like he was talking to a child. She remembered her past that held memories of a little girl and a young boy and believed that she was becoming too close to the King. Also, being close to someone, she knew she would have to endure useless emotions. ¡­The reason she calls them useless emotions¡­Was simply because humans die. Whether they die from old age or tragic deaths, if she got close to them, knowing this fate, wasn¡¯t she stupid? Yet, this ¡®stupidity¡¯ had been done before, and it was something she did want to use as an excuse to stay away¡­If she got too close¡­Then wouldn¡¯t it hurt just as badly as the little girl and boy? ¡­Deciding on watching from a far instead, she left the party silently that very night. *** Mahnu remembered her past and how the two young humans made such an important impact on her existence... It was a couple of years after leaving the old hut and regaining her strength against her emotions, when she met the little girl around the year 680. Mahnu was, at that time, still questioning herself and regretting all over again as she watched the silent small skirmishes from a far, the villagers growing, the corrupt and the greed that was happening all over Kralaide. Kings and Queens coming and going and the petty things that people did. The ones with the power not helping people but themselves, making the difference between the rich and poor grow even bigger. The list, she thought, was too long to name everything. It doesn''t help that I can read thoughts and see and feel all the sufferings. Mahnu had always thought that she has had a cruel fate and whoever had created her must have hated her. But upon meeting the girl, Mahnu could think otherwise, even though it was for a short duration. The girl she had meet had lost her family and also didn''t speak at first. The girl thought that they had grown a small bond, as they had travelled together, but Mahnu had always tried to keep a distance between them. The girl had blossomed to a degree that Mahnu was even envious of. How can she be so happy with the circumstances? It didn''t even take her long to start talking again, whereas Mahnu was sure at that time, she wouldn''t ever speak again. Mahnu''s impression of the difference between her and the girl was quite magnificent, as it seemed like she forgave easily. The little girl even had called Mahnu ''Rose'' and she had wanted to be called ''Princess'', in which Mahnu never called her in person. But Mahnu did call her ''Princess'' in her thoughts. Mahnu had watched her actions, as Princess had been the first human she had spent a decent amount of time with and sometimes she didn''t understand anything that Princess did or said at all. The smallest of things had made Princess smile, for instance, a flower, a butterfly and learning how to fish and it had seemed stupid to Mahnu. But one day, as she pulled a flower apart, she thought that maybe it didn''t interest her because she had existed for so long, that all the flowers looked the same. She tried to remember what she had felt like to see a butterfly for the first time. Had she been as entranced like Princess? I guess I was, Mahnu had resigned to think. The world had looked colourful and full of wonders, although she could only recall very little from the time when she was first created. But why does the land look so bland now? She had wondered. She had stopped herself, this girl was giving her questions in which she had no desire to have answered. If the world is bland, then that is how I''ll live. Mahnu''s heart had closed again. Chapter 7
A few years after taking in Princess, Mahnu had saved her from being taken away from some thugs. The girl was thankful and while Mahnu had treated to her wounds, Princess had said that life is too short to be sad. Life is short? Is that why humans act the way they do? Mahnu had thought it over in her mind and found herself accepting that to make a lot of sense. I am sure that I would be different if I knew I would die one day, she had thought...A lot different¡­ And to finally know of this, Mahnu remembered thoughts of others close by during times that the humans had panicked. They panicked if they didn¡¯t eat enough, if they were not warm enough, if they weren¡¯t getting in money or if their family members went missing¡­Was it because their life was short? They wanted the best of things like¡­Well, like tomorrow would never come! So¡­Is that how they think? That thought had saddened Mahnu so many times already, she had tried to end her existence and here this little girl was, trying so desperately hard to live and be happy. ¡­The want to live was something she had not felt for a very long time¡­ And, she was far from being a human, as she didn¡¯t have to worry about food to live or being warm enough. She had her own money and no family members. Having thought that through, Mahnu might have understood something, but at the same time she didn¡¯t understand, because¡­There was such a difference between them¡­ Mahnu then had wondered if that was why humans feel that it''s okay to murder another? Because they are just going to die one day anyway? She had known humans did have a conscience, she felt it all the time. They worried and regretted just like she did, so if they had killed someone, they would feel bad...Right? Then, wouldn''t it be better just not to kill that person? Using the reason that they are going to die anyway, is a shallow excuse for killing someone else...Making Mahnu wonder if her opinion of that was too harsh for humans...But it was confusing to her why they still murdered each other¡­ Through the sufferings, some of the murderers would be smiling, some looking like they would never regret it. Was this the reason? No! She had thought, I know humans value their lives...But when it comes to other people''s lives they do tend to get rather thoughtless. But then, there were plenty of humans that value others life¡¯s above their own, so how could that be it! There must be another reason! Even with her being able to read thoughts, most of them were clouded with feelings, and Mahnu was even more confused and conflicted. Because¡­How can emotions led someone¡¯s life like that? Sure, she had been angry and depressed, but she had never killed anyone because of it¡­Was it that humans felt like they could though? It was all¡­So strange¡­ Mahnu had known that she had not quite understood humans all this time, finding this out with King Maximus. He had indeed scolded her on what their difference of ¡®freedom¡¯ was. Remembering that her definition of ¡®freedom¡¯ was becoming nothing and to stop the sufferings, yet, he had stated that ¡®freedom¡¯ was that of having choice and being able to accomplish an obtainable dream¡­Mahnu had been sure there was more to it then that, but she had no longer wanted to think about it. It seemed¡­There was just too much difference between herself and humans and that she may never understand in her entire existence¡­ ¡­Getting back to thinking of why humans wanted to kill another, she still wondered why they did it¡­ Was there even a valid reason at all? Perhaps¡­It¡¯s just something that they did, and that you can¡¯t have one without the other¡­Yet¡­ Even if people had killed someone first? Doesn''t that just breed an endless cycle of hate through revenge? I still can''t understand the idea of humans killing others at all, Mahnu had thought. Am I being closed minded because I don''t want them to suffer like me, or is it so that I can sleep? Is that what selfish desires do, close your mind on other possibilities? It would make a lot of sense, she thought¡­That the reason I don¡¯t want them to kill and that I don¡¯t understand why they do it, is because I selfishly don¡¯t want them too¡­Was that it? Always, always, questions without answers. Mahnu had sighed then, she had never actually asked any of the humans how they felt about killing other people. Is it even worth asking them, she questioned¡­ Mahnu had thoughts of a human''s death, to another prospect. Especially to how Princess acted. Humans seemed to want things impatiently, as though tomorrow would never come. They feared being hurt and worried about not getting things done before dying. They don''t like being alone and have that natural want to be with someone and reproduce. Mahnu had been finally opened to these new things and could understand humans just a tiny bit more. ¡­Even though it made no sense to her¡­ Mahnu had silently wanted to ask Princess what it was that she had desired, seeking to fulfil it. In which, after some time, the girl answered by herself and that was to grow old with a loved one and have a family. It seemed futile to Mahnu, but she came to the conclusion that she should have expected that kind of response. After understanding that little bit more of humans, she felt silly for not having thought of doing this without being told! So, after this, Mahnu kept the same distance between them but attempted, through observation, to find a good young man for her. It wasn''t easy because Mahnu still refused to use her voice, but she found someone good enough, in her opinion, and introduced them to one another through silent means. ¡­Then the girl was gone...Married and had two kids.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Mahnu had returned a few times, to see Princess from a far, refusing to admit that she had missed her. She had told herself that she was checking on the husband, to make sure she had chosen correctly, and she had been relieved about her choice. To a certain degree, that was also the truth, because it was through herself that they had met and Mahnu didn¡¯t want something bad happen because of that¡­But, seeing the Princess smiling and being so¡­Happy¡­Mahnu couldn¡¯t help but reminisce over the small times that Princess would smile at her instead. Was she really happy? Was she better with that man instead of her? As much as she wanted to find fault in the man she had chosen, she couldn¡¯t! He had a job and looked after Princess well, having made Mahnu feel ill at ease for some reason that she couldn¡¯t understand! She had questioned love and wondered if it was that amazing? To live with someone for the rest of your human life and smile every day? Was it really something that could be gained or were they just acting? But as much as she tried to find that they were acting¡­Mahnu found no evidence and saw that it seemed to be true! They were happy! How could they do it? Mahnu found it weird, yet for the first time, she knew it was something very common with humans¡­They wanted to spend their life with someone else¡­ Not me, she had thought, I''m immortal! A betrayer like me doesn''t deserve happiness and...I highly doubt anyone would stay with me for eternity. What could I possibly give someone? I can''t have children and with my unchanging look...It just sounds so unrealistic! Travelling alone, near a hundred years after Princess had died, Mahnu had met a young boy with angry eyes full of malice. Hearing and feeling the continued thoughts of the boy, his parents were killed in front of him and they had protected him. Mahnu, this time, travelled behind him, whereas with Princess she had travelled alongside. Following the boy silently, which she knew he was heading for revenge, Mahnu left food and stood guard while he slept. Protecting more than nurturing. Mahnu saw the obvious difference between the happy, enduring girl, to the angry, rage filled boy. Princess had seen a lot more of her surroundings, whereas the boy was focused on his one goal. Mahnu had felt very strange when she found that she could understand the boy more than Princess...Was it because being alone and thinking about ¡®death¡¯ was nothing new to her? But is that not normal? She had wondered. Was Princess the strange one, being able to live happily, even through what she had endured...? The boy had asked once what Mahnu was doing, saying he knew about the food and her staying close by. But Mahnu hadn''t spoken and stepped away, out of the boy''s sight. Why am I keeping a distance? she had asked herself. Is it because of the girl? Was I...Lonely after she had left me? That''s wrong, she didn''t leave me, I left her! And so, even if I am lonely, isn''t that what I deserve? Questions must seize, she had thought, slamming the door shut to her heart once again. The boys anger subsided as he had continued to see Mahnu''s sweet, unhindered gestures. They had stayed in an area longer, as he was questioning himself. Mahnu had understood him the most at that very moment and she knew that the boy was still getting ready to achieve his revenge, nonetheless. The questions he asked himself where similar to her own. Why did it happen? Have I done something so terribly wrong? Did they deserve that kind of end? Did they have to die? Mahnu had wanted to ask what he desired to do after he achieved his goal. Would his answer be like mine? She had wondered. Before long, the boy had stood near the known aggressor''s place and said, "I know your here, so come out." He had said that he was going to get revenge on his family and asked Mahnu if she was going to follow. Mahnu breathed out, closed her eyes and shook her head. Not stopping him, and his purpose, Mahnu had felt useless to be unable to change it. Was there something else she could have done? There had been already so many regrets in her existence, she didn''t want to regret yet another thing. But yes¡­This was one of Mahnu¡¯s regrets¡­ She had let him go, she had not helped him. Having watched as the boy went into the aggressor¡¯s house ready to feel retribution and accepting death, Mahnu still wished to this day that this past could have been changed¡­ The boy had gotten caught and Mahnu had continued to help him through the bars of his cell, dropping in blankets, water and food. The boy grew slightly and had talked to Mahnu through the walls, "I know you didn''t want me to do it...But you didn''t stop me either. I was angry at you at first...But now, that they are going to end my life...I thought about it...You did try to stop me. All your actions till now...It was like you understood my revenge at the same time, so you didn''t follow me in. And for that, for the look I sometimes see in your eyes...I think you may have gone through even more then I have...Don''t feel bad that I didn''t listen to you. I made my choice and I had felt like I had nothing else to live for anyway..." Silence came through the bars towards Mahnu, who was on the other side, and she had heard every word. She felt strange that he, a young boy, seemed to have figured some things out so quickly! She herself didn¡¯t even know that she was attempting to stop him, just by doing as she had done! She didn¡¯t even know that she let on that she had a past full of suffering! How had he known!? "Thank-You." Just two words...And she was holding back tears, she had put her hand over her mouth, so that no noise would escape. "Life was still worth living all this time, just because you had stayed by my side." I did nothing to help you! Why are you thanking me!? Mahnu had screamed at him in her head. Why are you like this? Weren''t you angry? Didn''t you say that you had nothing to live for anyway? Don''t think you meant anything to me...Don''t... "I''m positive that the next person you will try to help...You will save them¡­Putting them on another path¡­" His words had hurt her heart. He wanted her to help someone else again, after all this! Wasn''t he scared right now? Why was he thinking about her and someone that neither of them had met? Why does he think she would help anyone at all? ¡­Did humans get sentimental when they knew death was right in front of them? Mahnu had put her head in her hands, trying to come to terms with what he was saying to her. None of her questions were ever heard and the only words the boy had said from then onwards, was, "Thank you". The boy was beheaded a month later. Finally, tears had streamed down Mahnu''s face as the young boy''s life had ended. His last words repeating through her, tearing her apart. His last wish just seemed so hard to overcome at that time. What justice was this? She had felt herself getting angry for him. More questions had filled Mahnu''s heart. Human''s and their feelings! Getting close, meant being hurt! Questioning their own loneliness and dying with regrets. ¡­It wasn''t fair! It''s a vicious cycle of humans killing other humans because of their loved ones. That boy''s life would most likely travel the same path, if time had been reversed to his birth, making Mahnu get even more depressed¡­ Where is the hope for mankind to travel another path without revenge and find a peaceful life!? ...I can''t abolish this cycle, Mahnu had taken a deep breath in. ¡­The future had never looked so bleak. She hadn''t even known his name from he himself, only knowing it through his thoughts and memories. All she had known, was that he was gone, and she had wished that she had stopped him because then he would have still been alive then¡­ Her tears had continued for hours or days, time had slipped by her, and she had tried to stop them so many times but couldn''t. She hadn''t cried like that ever before in her entire existence and the feeling had totally overwhelmed her. When she had become a betrayer, she had felt different to this. That time, it was more of a rage, an anger at both the God''s and Human''s. This time, with the human boy, it was a sadness threatening her soul to break into little, tiny pieces. Did human''s feel this too? She had wondered, blurred eyed and looking towards the horizon. How can they live through all of this? These emotions fill you up and break you apart! Mahnu had tried to control herself again and this time, when the door to her heart was firmly shut, she had built a solid wall in front of it. After the boy had died, Mahnu accepted loneliness, for then, she won''t get hurt. Not only that, but she had wanted to kill those people herself¡­She had wanted justice! Her emotions had gone completely out of control and she had gotten away from there quickly, so that she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing¡­ So, not only was Mahnu staying away from people because of being hurt when they pass away, but that too of not wanting to feel those emotions that would lead her to do something drastic and crazy¡­Like the humans did¡­ Coming back to the present, looking into the distance where a few people were still venturing towards Conrella, Mahnu sighed. Feeling the loss of those two young souls and how they inscribed themselves into my heart...Isn''t that why I''m afraid to be close to King Richard? She asked herself. *** Chapter 8
Mahnu, who was still following the King discreetly, was feeling torn on whether to help, due to the continued rotation of the human suffering, or not to help because of her urge to get away from something that could potentially hurt her. Mahnu knew, also, that she was confused on some feelings with the King, but she wasn''t too sure on what she was confused about. It didn''t help when the King could also invoke memories like Princess and the young boy within her. As Mahnu continued to watch the King from a far, she saw that the King got quite angry at her disappearance. The knights guarding him were quite astonished at his stubbornness but he, grudgingly, had continued the journey to Conrella. The King''s thoughts only made her believe that she had done the right thing in leaving. She was surprised on how much he thought of her. His longing engulfed her like big invisible hands over her entire body¡­ It was most definitely a feeling that she had never felt before¡­And a feeling that she was unsure on how to deal with¡­ He also seemed very curious about her, which could be the best reason to stay away! If he found out that she was an immortal person, someone that didn¡¯t need that ¡®antidote¡¯ that he often thinks of, what would happen!? And she was also surprised on how much he intended to make her talk! That he felt so strongly about making her do it, Mahnu wondered if the reason was because he dreamt of her talking to his descendant. That perhaps he unconsciously knows that she could talk, but doesn¡¯t and¡­It seemed to thrill him, much to Mahnu¡¯s infuriation! Actually, he was quite the enthusiastic person, wanting to do many things, whereas Mahnu lacked that precise feeling. But it seemed effective, because Mahnu realized that his enthusiasm seemed to grind into her and make her want the same things¡­Which greatly confused her¡­ Why should I care to want what he wants? Why do I feel like I should try my hardest to make certain to obtain what he wants? Why do I already feel myself slowly wanting to talk again, just because¡­Just because he wants me too!? The King also seemed worried about her too, his thoughts leading to what she may have gone through and that he wanted to protect her. Which lead him to be confused because of how little interaction he''s had with her. That was something that Mahnu had to agree with, as they don''t really know anything about each other¡­ Reaching the capital, Mahnu kept her eyes opened, so that she could find uncomplicated ways to enter the palace, that was situated in the middle of the populated capital. She was glad that the palace was built on higher ground, thinking that it was built like that to remind people of who the royal people were and of their importance...But that also made it easier for her to stay hidden. Guards roamed around the gates and inner palace but Mahnu seemed unfazed as she figured that she would use the rooftops and trees to get around. Getting used to the ins and outs of the palace for the first time, Mahnu found it easy¡­What wasn¡¯t easy, was staying away from the King¡­ At nights, Mahnu had let herself in on the King''s bed chamber, unseen. She sat quietly on the side of his room, in a chair, as he slept in her past. It is a weird connection, she thought, I feel that I belong here, always constantly reminded of my past and feeling wanted by the King''s constant pleasant thoughts of me at the same time. This type of connection isn''t like Princess or the boy, it is different. I don''t know what to call it, she thought. But, already, it was becoming a habit, to always be with him while he¡¯s asleep and follow him around during the day¡­And the more she did it, and found out who he was as a person, the more Mahnu wanted to continue doing so, strangely feeling better because of it. *** When King Richard started to wake in the mornings, he would always feel like he''s been watched over, strangely though, he didn''t feel bad about it. As the King tried to get back into his normal routine, Mahnu followed his every move, fascinated at how much he could fit in one day. His children''s protection was prioritized because of the attempts made on his own life and within the first day of his arrival, the King finds out that his son was under attack once while he had been away. He saw his children two days after his return, and she thought that he was very much the doting father. King Richard listened to his eleven-year-old son enthusiastically, as the small boy went on about his studies and combat lessons.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. They both got rather carried away when the young Crowned Prince mentioned about meeting the people in the south town of Harval for a brief time while the King had been absent. He had visited the Queen''s father, the Queen and Princess also attending. The Prince had loved meeting the people and seeing a blacksmithing shop. Watching the weapons and armour get made was very exciting to him. Mahnu liked the King''s chuckles of laughter at his son''s wide, excited eyes. After the Prince left, the small eight-year-old Princess entered and ran happily to her father. Her voice was still that of innocence, as she told her stories to the King. Mahnu watched her closely and wished all little girls could be as happy as the Princess. She seemed energetic and would jump around to emphasis what she was saying. Her energy had made Mahnu stifle back a laugh, as she was saying something that didn¡¯t require such a dramatic effect. Yes, she thought, little girls like her, who could spread happiness like that, would be great for the humans. There was a great difference between her and her brother, as she was obviously more girly but also more energetic and dramatic and stuck in her own little world. Her brother, on the other hand, was excited and seemed to be someone that wanted to learn and see the world, knowing it held a lot more different things, then here at the palace. It seemed that the Crowned Prince was growing up, faster then the King himself wished, as she heard his thoughts. He loved his children very much and didn¡¯t want them to miss out on being children, just because they were royalty. King Richard also wanted his children to take their time and learn in their own ways for now, as he was willing to wait for them to mature on their own. It wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t have teachers, but Mahnu could see that King Richard had to mature at a young age and that was why he didn¡¯t want that for his children. Mahnu, over the days, started to also follow the Princess. It started to become a game for both of them, when Mahnu would appear and disappear, and the Princess started to look for her wherever she went. When only the Princess was looking, Mahnu gave her a flower and then disappeared just as fast. When the Princess talked to her father about her new ¡®friend¡¯, Mahnu would smile to his thoughts of wondering if it was her or not. Mahnu was surprised on how attuned to her the King was, as he was already thinking that she was there watching over him¡­Even when he was sleeping¡­ Mahnu wasn''t surprised when he even admitted that he liked the idea of her watching over the Princess as well. Even then, it was still apparent that the thought that it could be her close by, distracted the King. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the correct assumption and wished he could find out, but he couldn¡¯t help but think that this was the only answer¡­Or was it the only answer he wanted it to be¡­ Of course, he wanted it to be her, but there was a slight chance that if it was someone else, that could mean that it was extremely dangerous¡­As someone was getting in very close and able to disappear and appear out of nowhere! Yet, giving the Princess a flower¡­And with the known speciality of the maiden of appearing and disappearing out of nowhere¡­ Was he to strengthen the guards for more protection or¡­ The King found it quite annoying, because his children¡¯s lives were precious, yet if he strengthened protection and it was the maiden, wouldn¡¯t he be stopping her from coming to see him and the Princess? The thoughts of others observing the distracted King acknowledged a change in his behaviour, worrying Mahnu slightly. Was it that she was too much of a distraction? So¡­With not much choice, Mahnu could only let the Princess see her better, so that the Princess could state what her new ¡®friend¡¯ looked like, so that the King knew for sure who it was¡­ That night, the Queen could finally see his Majesty and Mahnu was surprised that she seemed mature¡­Until she started to talk. She seems to worry about needless things, Mahnu noticed. She thinks herself better than others. A superficial, materialistic Queen didn''t seem to fit what Mahnu had imagined as the King''s Queen. When the Queen left, after talking, Mahnu wondered why they weren''t closer. Was it because of it being an arranged marriage? Mahnu tried to understand the concept of it and thought it not much of a problem. Is it necessary to become very close to your spouse? Mahnu had seen older people together after a long time and was curious on how they had lasted so long together. Princess had seemed happy with her husband, to stay with him and not be unfaithful¡­And Mahnu had seen unfaithful people and sort of understood them to a degree. Some where unfaithful because they really did want another woman or man. They say they ¡®fell in love¡¯ and that love was not understood by her but seemed somewhat a normal thing to see in her existence¡­For over a thousand years, ¡®falling in love¡¯ was still something used today¡­ Some people were unfaithful because their spouse was not someone that they wanted to be with and Mahnu had seen the spouse being unfriendly or uninviting, making her think that it was normal once again to have the other stray elsewhere to get a more pleasurable experience. What she didn¡¯t understand, was when someone did become unfaithful when they had not ¡®fallen in love¡¯ and their spouse was being good towards them¡­That was when Mahnu did not quite understand the need that others seemed to feel. It seemed men had the nature of being more sexually active then females¡­But females did seem to stray as well, and it was hard for Mahnu to think if it was normal or natural¡­ Some people were unfaithful, and some weren¡¯t¡­ It was a sighing matter, especially when Mahnu felt the breaking heart of those who wanted their spouses¡¯ affections, as they seem to find themselves ¡®unworthy¡¯ or simply jealous. Too many factors and too many different people¡­But here, the King and Queen had not been unfaithful but carried around a solitude air around them like they weren¡¯t lovers or spouses¡­ What a strange relationship, she thought¡­ Were the King and Queen that comfortable together that they didn''t need to see each other for a long period of time and not spend too much time together? Then, wouldn''t it have been easier if they were just friends, so that they could both find someone else that they wanted to be with more? Why do arranged marriages exist in the first place? Even if it was just for the sake of having two families come together, was it something that really worked? Mahnu shook her head. It seemed like she didn''t know or understand much when it came to human relationships¡­ *** Chapter 9
When another attempt at King Richard''s life came, that is when he saw the maiden next. She stopped the arrow right before it would have hit him in the heart. Before she left again, she slightly bowed and swiftly ran into the direction that the arrow had come from. The King forgot about his wife and children, who were attending a walk with him, and ran into the same direction as Mahnu had. He was not sure if he''s more worried about her being attacked or that he doesn''t want her to run away and not see her again. He wanted to see her, see her more than just a second¡­All he noticed was that¡­She still needs a bath! The culprit, this time, was stopped from killing himself and the King let out his anger on him for not being about to see the maiden! The knights were only thinking that he was angry because the King was shot at and that no other reason was necessary¡­But, wasn¡¯t he going a bit overboard? The assassin¡¯s face was swelled up and there was no doubt that under the clothes they had on, there would be bruises everywhere! They were worried that the assassin would die, and they have had so much troubles getting a live one to question, that they nearly attempted to stop the King from his relentless assault! Later that day, when the King went to have his bath, he let the people to help serve him go and he was left alone. It was such a rich room, Mahnu saw, looking around again, it was a huge bath, like a small dam and there was even a two metre or so waterfall to the side. "At least let me thank you for saving my life." She heard the King say. He was sure that she was here, but nothing happened, and he suddenly thought himself so silly that he laughed. Then, suddenly, she appeared! As though falling from the sky, landing easily on her feet. It was almost like some kind of celestial being coming from heaven! She lowered her head and kneeled, but this action of hers just made him angry! King Richard stormed towards her and picked her up, putting her over his shoulder. He heard a small sound from her that made him want to jump for joy. The thrill was almost like winning a war! I knew it! He thought, anticipating that he was going to hear her voice soon! Throwing her into the bath, he stepped in himself. He put his arm around her waist and watch her breath heavy and saw her eyes wide in shock. She was angry...And so very desirable! As he held her tightly, he started to take the clothes of her. But she stopped him. He put his head close to hears and said, "I''m not letting you go until you are nice and clean!" Nothing, ever, had happened to her like this before! Did he even realize that he had just threatened a God!? In return, the King was thinking that she seemed to think she can get away with whatever she wants, even though he was the King! It was a really strange circumstance for both of them, as they both felt like they weren¡¯t treated well enough by the other! His breathing on her neck and his arms tightening around her, made her forget his recent threat though¡­ How or why could she yearn for something like this? Was it that she hadn''t had someone touch her and now that she has, she wants it? Mahnu felt his lips touch her skin and to her surprise, she let out a sigh. It was like his touch was magnified to everything else she had ever known. She had never realised that being touched could cause such sensations! All the years that she had lived, her skin felt more alive now then ever and it felt¡­Really nice¡­ His closeness had distracted her enough to let him take off the dirty clothes that she had on and he held her closer to him, breathing in sharply as he felt her naked body next to his. Mahnu could tell by his thoughts that he too was feeling like herself, that this feeling was, indeed, quite new and interesting. His naked body was quite nice to touch with her hands, although she wasn''t sure on what she had expected in the first place¡­ With her eyes wide and her naked and dripping wet body next to his, King Richard was momentarily paralysed. It was a sight to behold, he thought, feeling himself grow hot with sexual hunger. Then they stared at each other. He hadn''t thought about what he was doing¡­Up till now, it was all just natural instinct. Just what do I plan to do? He asked himself. It was strange that he suddenly became nervous. But, as he continued to stare, he became lost to his urges once again. "You are beautiful" He said and found himself leaning in, kissing her. He didn''t know why he was so captivated with someone that didn''t even know how to kiss! She was pushing him away, but he was sure it was not her full strength. The King felt her shiver as she felt his arousal against her and smiled. He wanted her so badly! The maiden was here¡­Right in front of him and naked¡­ His honest reaction to her only made him groan and want to fulfil his desire to take her¡­Right now!Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Moving a hand down to her higher leg, he brought it up to his hips and started to kiss her neck. Her skin was still soft, even though it was dirty, and he couldn¡¯t help but be even more pleased then just moments ago when they had been further apart. Feeling her luscious body under his other hand, he guided himself towards one of her breasts, touching the nipple with his thumb. Wanting more, he was just about to place himself inside her little nest, when she seemed to jump all of a sudden. ¡°No!¡± Her voice startled him and before he knew it, she was out of his arms and vanished from the room. King Richard took a moment, still stunned to hear her voice, to realize that she had disappeared naked! Putting a hand to his head, he let out a big sigh in frustration. Had I pushed to hard? He noticed that it was difficult to keep calm, as he had never had to hold back before, because he had never felt such desire. This¡­Was so different then being with the Queen¡­That he didn¡¯t put them in the same field at all. No, this maiden was mysterious and cute. She was alluring, even with dirt on her and knotty hair. She was strong and had her own convictions, worried about the people and even going as far as stalking a King! She¡­Was¡­ Entering the cold waterfall, he hoped he could cool down both himself and his thoughts¡­ ¡­Sighing suddenly became a more frequent habit in his life¡­ *** After that night, King Richard tried again to see the maiden while bathing, but she didn''t come even though he apologized. A King apologizing! He sighed in frustration, but what could I do? He asked silently, as he knew that all he wanted was for her to come back! Mahnu was wondering what had happened, still, a day later. There were no words. It was obvious, that they seemed sexually attracted to one another, she was sure of this through other¡¯s past experiences¡­But it was never something she had to worry about before now! She was always dirty, as King Richard would say. She didn''t show herself to others either, he was also the first to see her naked body! Yet¡­She couldn¡¯t deny his thoughts or¡­His body¡¯s reaction to her! Not only had she heard his thoughts, she felt his growing bulge clearly! Was it good though, that he liked my body? She wondered¡­ ¡­Even I rarely see it, Mahnu gulped. But this man touched her and made something happen to her body that no one else had done. The only thing she could come up with, was to have regular baths, so that it wouldn''t happen again! If he doesn''t see her as dirty, then he wouldn''t drag her into the bath like that! But¡­Was that going to solve this? Was that really a good plan? She did have her doubts¡­ She had a feeling that having regular baths would not work¡­But what else was she to do!? Never being in this type of problem where she¡­Wanted a man, she had no idea how to hold it at bay! Watching others get embarrassed and go crazy over the opposite sex hadn¡¯t ever really mattered to her, she watched and that was all to it¡­Now¡­She was in this predicament and had no idea on how to continue! The King¡¯s thoughts of her being dirty was the only thing that made sense, and so¡­That was at least something she could actually do without going strange and having a feeling of heat wash over her¡­As it seemed that her cheeks grew red quite easily when it came to this King! After Mahnu had made the resolution of having baths every day, she felt better and made sure that from now on she should be ok to not get into that situation again. Well¡­At least until she figures out how she should act or¡­Feel about how things were progressing¡­ Having him touch her so intimately had just about drove her crazy! As it was, his thumb on her private area had weakened her to a state of complete addiction or something! His kiss had also been nice, and she could only admit to her wanting more, but¡­Why? Why is she getting addicted to this man!? So, she purposely tried not to think about how he had affected her that greatly and how he could do what he wanted with her. As her body, even now, still responded to him just by watching him from a far! It wasn''t easy to choose to ignore it but, she knew, if she didn''t...It became scary. As it was¡­The reason she had run before, was because the sudden pain she had received from a lower part in her body¡­That was the only reason she had been able to snap out of her¡­ Having seen and heard humans act this way in the past, she knew what her predicament was. It was a ritual or something, they called it sex and yet, she had gone over a thousand years without it and never thought about it. Now, how it had suddenly appeared like this¡­How was she able to fend it off!? Her body doesn¡¯t seem to be listening to her though, as the need to continue what they had started was still there¡­But it wasn¡¯t just her body¡­Her eyes didn¡¯t listen to her either! Always¡­They always look for that man! *** Another week went by and when the King was with the Princess, in the lush and colourful palace garden, he saw the maiden of his desire with some birds. Her smiling face made him feel better and made him angry all at the same time! Anger because she was the reason this week had passed by so slowly and feeling better because he had missed her and now, she was right in front of him. The Princess went to her running and her father followed happily. As he watched the silent maiden with his daughter, he was certain that there was a silent connection between them. From gifting her a flower, then even catching a bird to place into the tiny hands of his daughter, it was strange that no words had been said. One time not only had his daughter stated the maidens looks to him, but she had also stated that the maiden had not said a word and that the maiden must be a magical fairy! The magical fairy can¡¯t talk because she had transformed, and her powers had diminished too much to make her voice be heard by her¡­The story ended up taking ten minutes and King Richard let out a small smile to his daughter¡¯s imagination. Still, the maiden seemed to know what the Princess wanted, because she rarely stopped smiling and ended up hugging Mahnu¡­Who didn''t return the hug. The King saw the maiden stiffen up and wondered why she did that. Then, she looked at him. Her eyes were filled with such sorrow, that his heart hurt. Was she scared of being intimate? Mahnu was dumbfounded to be receiving such an innocent act. How can someone like me, a betrayer, feel this kind of comfort? When the Princess let go of Mahnu and ran to her father, the maiden had disappeared by the time they looked back up. The King told the Princess that the maiden had to leave and that she too should go and eat her lunch. The Princess was upset but seemed to come up with the strange made up fact that the fairy had turned too small now, so her powers were gone! With that idea formed in the Princess¡¯s mind, she ran off with her maids in tow, yelling out that she will wait for the fairy to go back to her home to regenerate her powers and come back to play with her again¡­ Most of the time, King Richard was already loving his daughter¡¯s imagination, but right now, it was particularly comical, and he laughed at his daughter¡¯s thoughts. Left alone, King Richard turned back to where the maiden had been and remembered her face. He pictured himself kissing those sorrow filled eyes and hugging her close. He didn''t want to push away such a scared and timid person...He wondered in what way could he reach out to her and get her to stay? As it was, he was still worried if she was mad at him and if he should get her flowers or... Mahnu was listening to his thoughts and his feelings. It was so tempting to take all of it in, it was new and so thrilling. She knew women had liked receiving gifts from their desired partner but never understood it¡­Until now¡­ When she thought of the prospect of receiving something from him, she immediately smiled, completely surprising herself on how easy that smile came to be¡­ Smiling was something she rarely did, yet here she was, doing it so easily and without hardly knowing! With the Princess, and now with the thought of being given a gift from the King¡­It was¡­Like a fresh and new beginning¡­ She wanted to continue down the road never ventured before in all her immortal years. And there seemed to be some sort of force pushing her towards this one person. A desirable force that now she understood from the past from others¡­She knew that she wanted to be in this man¡¯s presence¡­She desired his presence and wanted him to want her and think of her¡­And since he was already wanting and thinking of her, making her new wishes to come true¡­It was a whole new world¡­A world worth living in, a world that she felt like she has been wanting for all this time¡­ *** Chapter 10
Mahnu had found that her feelings had been changing by the day. It was starting to become even harder for her to stay out of sight from the King. Letting herself become seen by him today was something she wasn''t able to stop. Fighting her feelings had broken down the wall that she had created and her want to be in front of him had won out in the end. Is this what it''s like to have a weakness? She thought. Suddenly, it seemed worth saving the humans all that time ago¡­Even if it was for these last couple of days¡­Even for this short moment in time¡­ A leaf fell from the tree and King Richard looked up¡­And there was the maiden looking down at him. She looked so extremely beautiful that he swore he could stay here like this all day! From the guard¡¯s point view, it was a nice view of the King in his own thoughts, as Mahnu was out of sight¡­But if someone could see both of them, it was quite a precious moment for both the King of Kralaide and the Betrayer of Gods. One was overwhelmed and finally happy to exist, while the other was glad that someone was within their sight and not running away. For a moment in time, at this very moment, all these two were doing, was staring at one another in a type of an amazement that seemed to bring out the depths of their hearts and souls¡­ As for staying like this all day, the King suddenly wanted more! Just staring at her didn¡¯t seem to be enough anymore, he wanted¡­He wanted to know who she was, to speak with her until dawn, until he was satisfied and knew all about her¡­He also wanted to have her with him, beside him wherever he goes, instead of her hiding away. He wanted to touch¡­Touch her everywhere! Claim her past, present and future as his and to never let her go! Was that hope in her eyes, he wondered¡­Does she hope for me to continue to follow what I want to do? Giving her a small smile, King Richard slowly walked to the base of the tree and started to climb it. He wished silently that she stays there...Please! I''m coming for you! She heard his plea and felt the common feeling of wanting to run away but questioned why she wasn''t. This man takes over my senses. Ever since I''ve met him, they just started to belong to him without my consent. I can see colours now, the world is no longer bleak. I can taste the freshness of food through the air. It had been a long time since I''ve had the urge to eat just because of the way the air smelled! His touch is mesmerizing enough that I lose focus and I can''t think! Mahnu shook her head, silently admitting to also having regular baths just because of him. How could I run away from this kind of world now? A world that I feel like I am finally living! Her entire existence has changed! It seemed, her entire existence had becoming meaningful¡­At least for this moment¡­ A fleeting moment of happiness was something that was rarely felt, and this was exactly the reason why Mahnu couldn¡¯t run away. She wanted to grasp this happiness, she wanted to keep it safe and sound and never forget how she feels at this moment¡­If only time could stand still or that this man would never perish¡­ Before, I was walking aimlessly over this land with no sincere ambition or excitement. Now, everything feels more real! This man...She thought...He''s become very special to me. ¡­Mahnu wasn''t sure whether to laugh or to cry. Her new-found knowledge to how she feels about this man had made her feel scared¡­And she couldn¡¯t even remember the last time that she was scared¡­It was at least¡­Two hundred¡­No¡­Four hundred¡­ King Richard balanced himself better in the tree and held out a hand to her. She looked at it for some time, knowing all too well that this will hurt her in the future. He wanted her to know that this wasn''t just any hand for a hand shake. He wanted to hold her hand to have her beside him, always. To share each other''s thoughts and misery''s and that she helps him find peace, away from his duties. He wanted that bond with her so badly that he was worried he had already asked for too much. It wasn''t just sexual attraction that he found between them as to why he wanted to be with her. He could hardly describe much, as they haven''t spent much time together. But...What he has seen, has been engraved into his memory, making it harder for him to be aware of anything else. All her faces so far, running away, showing up in front of him, finally hearing her voice for the first time... It was not something he believed in...Love at first sight...Could it be possible? Why is it everything she does, seems to hold my gaze? He wondered. She slowly put her hand in his and looked up at him. Mahnu, for even just a short duration, wanted to hold this hand. She really¡­Really wanted to hold this hand! His death one day will be very saddening to me, she thought, as she tried to smile at him. Would it be ok...For just a little while...To stay with him? Her smile was sad, and he wondered if she regretted it already.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. He held her hand tighter. "I really don''t want to let go of this hand, you know that?" She nodded. I don''t either, she thought, but will you keep chasing after me if I let go? Like magnets, slowly they balanced closer to one another and he put their hands still together between them and lifted the hands to his lips, kissing her fingers. Then he lifted his head to kiss her. She had given in to the want she had for him and she kissed him back for the first time. After she did that, she noticed that it was a lot different to a one-sided kiss. She hardly knew what she was doing but she felt his warmth and breath becoming a part of her. Mahnu had never really paid much attention to other people when they had kissed but can somewhat understand now that kissing was another kind of communication. She could feel that King Richard longed for her touch and that feeling seemed contagious, as she started to feel the same too. King Richard could suddenly feel that the maiden had been hiding some feelings and a rush of heat filled him, making him notice that he was uncomfortable now. He stopped the kiss and tried to breath properly. Excitement had not been something he usually feels but there was so much of it now that he didn''t know what to do next! "What is your name?" He asked. He wanted to call her name, let her know how special she was. "Mahnu." King Richard breathed out, smiling, her voice was also beautiful. Suddenly, she turned her head, "Your guards are looking for you." The King smiled, still holding her hand. "Mmm?" He was so happy...In a tree, uncomfortable, about to be discovered. But so damned happy! She stifled out a laugh and he asked her what was so funny. "Now, you''re as innocent as a child...But you mature when it''s business." He is sure now, she had been watching him closely. She is so cheeky! He thought, smiling. King Richard leaned his forehead against hers and simply said, "Yeah. Right now, only with you." "They are nearly here." Mahnu whispered. He sighed. She put her other hand around him, put her leg over the branch, telling him to do the same, and jumped down to the ground. Her strength continued to amaze him, as did everything else. He took her in his arms, then said, "Stay close." Kissing her once again. The guards ran out towards them at this moment. "Your...Majesty!" The King let her go and walked towards the guards and their curious glances. Turning back once, to see that ¡®Mahnu¡¯ was still there this time and even looking right back at him, making him smile. His smile grew even wider, knowing that she had been blushing and that it was all his doing! I am lucky indeed, she had not just talked to me, he thought, but also stayed there this time and not disappeared! King Richard tried to pay attention, but it had come to no use. What had just happened between them was a big step that he had been waiting for. Being accepted by her, finally, made him feel a weight off his shoulders. She had lit a fire under his feet and he wanted her to put her feet there as well! There were so many things he didn''t know about her, and yet, she was the person he wanted to know the most. But, he thought suddenly, how did she know about the guards? About the Princess and knowing what she wanted without saying a word? He wondered if it were possible that she could hear someone, even if they don''t speak. And if she did, what have I thought while being with her? Should I be embarrassed? King Richard remembered her face sometimes and thought that it had to be possible! Then, again, he remembers her voice. Mmm, he thought, as he asked for some wine to celebrate his victory. *** The Queen waved her hand, turning away, "Very well, you may leave." "Yes, Your Highness." The Queen waited, as her loyal maid servant left her alone after telling her of the news that the King had been seen kissing another woman. It hadn''t happened before, so the Queen was unsure on how to act, King Richard had never cared for other women besides her, so why now? She wonders who would dare try to kiss the King and wants to ask him directly! Being the Queen and that of the main power of the inner court, she had the power to know of this woman! Afterall, her position was that of looking after the females in this palace and she knew this very well! Yet, having all this power, she had not had to use it till this very day, as the King was quite a boring and faithful King, which only made her happy! If the King was seen kissing someone within the inner palace, the Queen felt like she had every right to find out which maid had the guts to make the King stray towards such a person¡­Because who else could it be but a maid, as there were no concubines¡­ Knowing that she had already bore two children to the King, it still wasn¡¯t enough for the Queen¡¯s satisfaction. Perhaps it was habit or her natural instinct¡­But any women trying to obtain the man that she had married, was someone that she had to erase! Shaking her head, the Queen sat down in haste, her father had warned her of losing the King''s interest. Everything was going so smoothly, making the Queen sigh, why must there be something to break the peace! ...Trying to formulate a plan, the Queen sighed in frustration. *** Mahnu questions why she had finally spoken as she went, secretly, to the King''s next chosen destination. Upon hearing close by thoughts, Mahnu leapt from the roof, to the tree close by, and took someone''s hand, jumping to the ground straight after. Another assassin had made it all the way to the tree close by to the bathing chambers! As quickly as she could, she tied him up and gagged him and took him away. Having had forcefully made him fall from the tree and have him hit the ground hard upon landing had helped a great deal, so tying him up wasn¡¯t hard. It probably didn¡¯t help that this assassin had also seen that he was beaten quite harshly by a woman, as they seemed slightly stunned as well¡­ Her quickness of step was obtained hundreds of years ago. Her strength though, she knew, was just a part of every God when they are created¡­ Before Mahnu had lost her speech, she had been quite determined to help those who suffered. In those years, she had told stories about the former Kings and Queens and passed some much-needed knowledge to the less populated towns. During that time, she had become a student to a monk that had lived in the west, who knew of martial arts. They had met while she was trying to defend some young girls being forcefully taken away by thugs. The monk thought she wouldn''t become a ¡®warlord¡¯ and wouldn¡¯t use martial arts as a weapon, so he had chosen to teach her openly. Mahnu remembered how astonished he was on how fast she had picked up his techniques, but it was because she was able to train without any sleep. She had stayed with him for six months and in that six months she had learnt all but one of his techniques. The last one was for her to call him master and stay by his side to be taught upon other things, like medicine. Mahnu not only knew basic information about medicine but she remembered feeling less and less inclined to stay with him¡­The monk¡¯s thoughts were of thinking that she was special, perhaps someone that could change the world¡­And his opinion of her scared Mahnu enough to leave him faster, to continue her travels. Upon leaving with her thanks, she gifted him an old book that he had wished for many times in his thoughts¡­ Rarely does she think of this monk now¡­She is grateful, yes, but she was far from someone who would change the world! It seems that would be the reason she would prefer to forget this person¡­ *** Chapter 11
All the while, King Richard finished his work late and he called for Mahnu while he continued to drink and had bathed. She didn''t come, and he was out of the bathing chambers sooner, because of being annoyed. He went to his bed chamber balcony, calling for her again, when there was a knock on the door. It was the Queen¡­ She smiled attentively and asked him if he could be with her. When he politely refuses, she asks about the rumour that he had kissed someone. The King sighs at the haste of the rumour getting around the palace and confirms it openly. He doesn''t want to play games, thinking the Queen close enough to understand. Afterall, there were Kings that had more than just the Queen¡­It was perhaps abnormal for him to not have them, yet now¡­He felt like he had just become one of those Kings with more than one woman. Just one more, he thought, Mahnu and no one else. ¡­Besides¡­It wasn¡¯t like he and the Queen had more of a relationship, and he doubted that could ever be fixed. She had deceived him once and he was not looking at trusting her again anytime in the future. As it was¡­She shouldn¡¯t be in his bed chambers, as the rule of her being unable to enter it was still currently in place! The Queen stumbles on words, asking who ¡®she¡¯ is. The King looks at her and respectfully asks her to leave, so that he can go to sleep as he was tired. He knew that he would have to talk to her about Mahnu soon but now wasn''t the time. As it was¡­It seemed that it was a secret and¡­That secret seemed to please him for now. Of course, if Mahnu became known, it might be better, but in a case, it might also be worse. He would obviously go and see her often, wherever she may stay, but¡­Wasn¡¯t she able to be nearby now, whereas if she were stuck in a building in the palace¡­ Yes, now wasn¡¯t the time to tell the Queen about Mahnu¡­Especially when he didn¡¯t know yet how Mahnu felt about him. Which did worry him a lot! ¡­The sad question was¡­Would Mahnu want to be with him¡­ For some unexplained reason, he felt like he never had any right to force her into anything¡­ With knowing her talent of appearing and disappearing as she does, he was afraid that if pushed her into a position of consort, she might just leave and never return! He couldn¡¯t have that! Finally, the Queen leaves his Majesty''s bed chambers angrily. Her father in her head again about keeping the King¡¯s attention. ''I don''t want to see conflict for the throne!'' His words were now, once again, drumming into her ears¡­ Mahnu had heard this past thought from the Queen and it did remind her of some incidents regarding the throne in the past¡­ Jealousy played a part within the past royal lines, as well as power. For centuries woman had tried to control more then what they could handle and most of the time they would die with regrets or feel unjustified¡­ The suffering didn¡¯t stop at the commoners or some of the nobles¡­It continued into the royals and even they themselves felt great pain, just like everyone else¡­Mahnu knew it quite well¡­ As for this current Queen, she was selfish and wanted control. Yet, she was like that because she was forced to be like that, due to her father¡¯s upbringing. But even though she was like this, it felt like she wasn¡¯t all that smart, so she was relatively lucky that she had nothing to worry about when it comes to the King having other women¡­ Should she feel pity for the Queen or distrust? More importantly¡­Mahnu was starting to question whether or not to continue what she was following earlier with her emotions. Was it worth making the Queen of Kralaide feeling this way? She was a betrayer, how could someone like her shake up a Queen this way? Wasn¡¯t it¡­Something that was petty? Was she getting carried away and not realising what was at stake for following her feelings? The King sighs and wonders if Mahnu will see him, even after that conversation with the Queen, because he was sure that Mahnu would have heard it. His desire to see her took him back to the veranda, to say her name once again. She comes, but keeps her distance, "The Queen..." The King sighed, "Please don''t worry about her." He could feel the distance between them already growing. He wanted to keep positive and continue to take that step forward, but he couldn¡¯t help sighing over feeling the obvious distance from when they were together earlier. "¡­I am not one to get involved in petty things." The King got mad, he closed the gap between them, taking her into his arms. "You call this petty?" He kissed her, so that she understands his urgency. She parted her lips and he took advantage of her mouth, melting along with his tongue. How can something that feels this way be petty? He wanted to ask her. He wanted her to fight for this, fight to have this feeling and want, so that she would stay beside him. He wanted her to match his desire¡­If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. And for a long time, Mahnu hearing his thoughts and feeling his touch once again, was refreshed on what it was like to live by the day. Her existence was never based upon urgency, as she had all the time in the world, but at this moment, she started to wonder¡­What if tomorrow never came? What if this is my only chance to be with this man!? **Warning sex scene** Slowly, he started to undress her, and he felt her flinch. Pulling back enough, to look into those beautiful, wide eyes of hers, he asked her if she had come here before. It was an attempt to ease her mind by changing the subject. She breathed in and looked away, making him gather her closer to him. He felt sure that she was a bit shy, as she was not running away. Actually, her actions were sweet and bitter at the same time, as she would sigh and close her eyes, but had not hugged him back yet! "And why didn''t you come to me in the bath when I called?" She looked at him and said, "I was taking care of something." The King leaned towards her ear, asking her what this something was, before nibbling at it. He felt her hands hold onto him then and her breath quicken. It seemed anything she did, even if it was as simple as breathing heavily, it became obvious to him. He liked it¡­He liked her ear lobe, her quickened breath¡­Because he knew he was behind it! And finally, she was embracing him, making him feel very happy! He was sure now, that this woman was feeling like himself and wanted to be with him, just as much as he wanted to be with her. "Well?" He asked again, kissing down her neck. He couldn¡¯t help but smile through his entertainment. It really was so much fun to make her arch towards him! Holding onto her tighter, he also felt her hands grab onto him tighter as well. King Richard almost forgot that he was trying to ask her a question, as kissing her fine, smooth neck was already something that had his sexual hunger being something that already wanted to poke itself into the same body that he was kissing¡­ Mahnu felt utterly defeated, she couldn''t even respond to him properly! The power he has over me is scary, she thought, leaning towards him. "...There was...Another assassin." She had nearly completely forgotten what they were talking about! As it was, her hands had a mind of their own and she felt this man¡¯s hair in her palms. Was this really not petty then? Considering that this was something I had never done in my entire existence, was it really something that I could act upon? Could I¡­Have this man? Having somewhat forgotten what she had just said, it didn¡¯t mean that the King had¡­ The King stopped, he really didn''t like it that she was doing something so dangerous! With his thoughts as such, and being able to read them, Mahnu was brought back from her own thoughts and said, "It''s ok, they are with the authorities now." Her eyes still held desire in them, making King Richard pick her up and take her to his giant bed. He''ll deal with that later, he thought, as right now his mind was completely occupied with her. After removing the rest of her clothes and his, Mahnu become shy, making the King become even more desperate for her. Her innocence was flushed all over her face, and he thought that she looked utterly adorable. "What''s wrong, my dear?" Her face told him that he needed to slow down. He sprawled beside her on the bed and trailed a finger across her belly. "Mmm?" He tried to tempt her to answer. When he kissed her shoulder, she finally answered, "Uh...I don''t know..." King Richard looked at her and put his hand to her face. "It''s okay. Just focus on me...On my hand." He closed her eyes with his hand and put his thumb slowly across her lips. He put his hand slowly down her neck and then over to her left exposed breast. Watching as she let out a sigh, he decided that he had never had so much fun giving someone pleasure before. He had only done quick foreplay before with the Queen, but this was different¡­Every time she sighed or hitched in her breath, he was completely captivated, watching her every single detail that would change. Seeing goosebumbs appear over her skin, he was already having trouble holding himself back from taking her then and there! He took in one of her nipples into his mouth and felt her luscious body beside his move. Letting out a groan, he moved down, kissing her stomach and she said quickly, "What is this!?" The King settled himself lower and murmured, "Desire." A brief moment later, he asked her, "Why are you clean?" What...You want me dirty? Mahnu thought. She didn''t understand why she was angry that he had stopped what he was doing. It had felt like she had been rising towards something that she found herself looking forward to! Putting a finger to where his mouth had just been, he watched as she let out a moan. "Is it because of that other night?" He asked teasingly, watching her has now become his new favourite thing to do. "Ye...Yes" "I want you to have baths with me from now on." He whispered. She responded, but not to what he was saying. She was in his power and he felt obliged to help her reach the peak of that pleasure. Placing himself on top of her, he drove himself into her with haste, unable to wait any longer. His desire was now at a peak that he''d never felt before and he was not normally one to have this type of hunger and have to wait to satisfy it. She held onto him and cried out, making him worry if he had hurt her. Shamelessly, he kissed her instead of asking and drove into her further, making them both groan. Bodies became entangled and shameless moans could slightly be heard from outside of the room...Completely stunning the guards and confusing them. They weren''t sure at first, thinking that they were hearing things, but it was indeed real...The King was bedding a woman! They were not used to this at all and even wondered if another man was in there with another woman! Not wanting to leave their posts or get into trouble by interrupting what was going on inside His Majesty''s bed chamber, they sent out someone to make sure the King was nowhere else first... But...If the King was really in that room and...Bedding a woman...They were sure it wasn''t the Queen... So then...Who would it be? This type of thing was not normal for them, so the guards had a long night of silent questions and curiosity... Was this what it was like to become a woman, Mahnu wondered. It was so exhilarating that she could understand why some humans wanted it so much. Unable to stop herself latching onto the man bedding her, she dazedly looked at him and watched his face show something to her that she had not seen before. He leaned down and kissed her, meshing their tongues together and Mahnu felt the slight pain change into something completely beyond her own imagination! Feeling him thrust into her and hearing him groan out, she felt like something was rising up and there was no way to stop it! His kisses, his hand touching her breast, his manly groans of pleasure and his thrusting seem to bubble her into an unknown state of something completely unknown to her¡­ When King Richard whispered her name, Mahnu whimpered out as a huge, new feeling overcame her. It was such a shock to her that she latched onto him even more desperately as she moaned and felt herself arch back. The feeling overcame her entire being, making her tremble all over and think of nothing else. Having unconsciously arched back, she found that the trusting had gone even deeper as his hand went to her bottom and pushed up towards his body. It was¡­So¡­Good! Heat flushed through her like waves and she found herself moaning, unable to hold in her voice. This kind of feeling was the total opposite of pain, that Mahnu never knew existed. It hardly seemed realistic to her, she would more so believe that she was trapped in some kind of fantasy instead. It was far from what she was used to feeling, that acute, knife searing kind of pain, instead of this¡­Mind blowing, unrealistic, desirable pleasure! Over a thousand years and still learning that such a thing existed, made her want to laugh out in hysterics! Mahnu started to feel normal again after a moment and remembered where she was. "Oh...My!" She said, unable to create any other words. "Mahnu." King Richard whispered in her ear, making her tremble yet again. "Your Majesty?" Mahnu noticed her voice shook. "Call me Richard." He lifted her higher and she could feel the promise of even more pleasure. "Richard!" Mahnu clung to him, as he did her, and they forgot everything else. Chapter 12 King Richard looked down at a very glamorous sight. He had never felt so pleasured before...Ever. He put his head onto her chest and sighed. The King didn''t want to stop but felt himself succumbing to exhaustion and his total contentment, and it was too much to fight! He had felt so proud to making her his new woman, making her go to such a pleasurable outcome, that he had saved himself to give her that feeling again. It had most definitely taken a toll on him, as she did not climax as quickly as she did the first time, but when she did, it was amazing! Having seen her arch back and moan out his name, satisfied him greatly and just a second or two afterwards, he followed her into that same pleasure, releasing himself inside her with no care at all to any type of predicament that would follow afterwards. Their breathing had been completely haggard, sweat was dripping from both of them, but it was immensely satisfying to both of them. But even though it embarrassed the King, he was unable to stop himself from sleeping¡­ Mahnu watched him fall asleep and could see the dreams starting already. What am I doing? She asked herself. She looked around thinking, how could she have even forgotten where she was!? Slowly, freeing herself from his tight grasp, she stepped back from the bed and looked at his naked body. Why is it that I think it''s beautiful? It wasn''t the first time she had seen a male''s naked body, but she had never thought about it and it never had done anything to her. Yet, this person...Not the usual sentimental beautiful but the...What did he say? Desire? Yes...I would say that I desire that beautiful body. She had seen muscular man and lean man, but the King was neither. He had muscle but also a tiny bit of fat that made him look more desirable to her. Having seen him do training and have to walk a lot, he was also sitting a lot, drinking and eating. Putting a hand down his body, unable to stop herself, she felt like she had never seen a more desirable man in her existence¡­Never¡­ Kissing his back, she saw him slightly move, but not wake and¡­The images from his dreams snapped and sealed her desires shut and she put on her clothes. Sitting in her usual place by the Kings bed, she watched his dreams in silent torture and something else she didn''t dare try to figure out. *** The King woke to find himself alone on the bed. Looking around in haste, he found Mahnu with her eyes closed and fully dressed. Sighing in relief, that she hadn''t left him entirely, he walked over to her. "Is this where you would sleep?" "I don''t sleep." King Richard was sure that was an honest answer but how could that be? Perhaps¡­Her definition of sleep? No¡­Then¡­Is that why she is so grumpy? He wasn¡¯t in the mood to questioning more into this at the moment, simply because she look so damned desirable in his own personal bed chamber! He pulled her towards him and kissed her. He was happy how she melted into him, it was like they fit each other perfectly. Mahnu was lost in both of their thoughts again and before she knew it, he had stripped her and placed her on top of him, making her let out a cry. It really happened so fast that any woman would let out a cry in not just the sudden small pain but a cry to the surprise of the quick action! He moved her on top of him as he caressed and kissed her. Seeing now, that it was daylight, her skin was really quite beautiful, he rubbed his hand over the silkiness of it and could only want to plunge himself deeper within her. There were no marks, none, like she had been a noblewoman and never had done anything like farming or kicking a guy and holding him down to the dirt! Her body showed that her hard labour had all been but a distant dream or never been done, making him loss himself to her even more¡­If it were possible! She really was¡­Perfect¡­ She was lost to him. She should be mad because he had made her do this, but¡­She wasn¡¯t¡­ Feeling this different type of intimate way, was just another new thing for her and she kissed him back, feeling the new pleasure of him being inside of her. Having thought, while he had been sleeping, about the last time they had been together, she was glad now to fulfil her new want. The fact that there was something that would seize all her thoughts and sufferings, only made doing this all that more desirable for her and she had even wondered why she had not tried this earlier.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Even though she had these thoughts, it was hard to think of the past and adding this into her life, as...This man had been the only one who had followed her and followed her, making her want this type of pleasure in the first place. Before he awoke, she had come to the conclusion that even knowing now of this type of pleasure, she may not have searched for it anyway in her past. But now...With this man...She found that she was becoming addicted to being in his life...Especially now, being so intimate with him... This time, even though it was done very quickly, she did not feel very much pain at all and was sure that it was because she still felt strangely¡­Wet down there¡­ The King on the other hand was so smitten to have seen her, that even though he should visit another room first, there was just no way he could venture away from Mahnu. Waking up with the usual hard part of his body, it seemed less of a problem on this very morning and he wanted to use this luscious, charming person as an instant release¡­ Of course, that was not the only reason¡­Since he had bedded Mahnu last night, his desire for her had not deteriorated in the slightest and he was sure that he was not going to get enough of her any time soon. Pushing her deeper and closer to himself, feeling her tighten around himself, he felt himself start to be unable to hold on too much longer¡­ What a powerful man, Mahnu thought through her thick desire, looking at him and feeling herself grow in pleasure. She demanded his mouth now and he complied and moved her faster. As she moaned, and she let out the words, "Your Majesty!" "I told you to call me Richard." His said, his voice thick with desire as well. Letting out a cry, Mahnu felt shivers go through her whole body as she felt that crazy, pleasurable feeling overwhelm her. What is this?! Her mind, just like her body, was totally smitten to him! Hearing his thoughts as the same as hers, he held her tighter, releasing more of that same wetness that was still inside of her from their last lovemaking. His groan into her neck made her moan back in response and she liked how he trembled along with her¡­ After another fulfilment of passion, Richard continued to hold her close, breathing in heavily along with her. Never in his life had he woken up so...Well! King Richard chuckled. Letting out a laugh, he said, "You''re stuck with me now! I want to wake up to you every day!" A knock on the door and then someone walking in, stopped Mahnu''s heart. I hadn''t even heard their thoughts coming! How could I not have heard? Am I changing so much that I can''t hear other''s thoughts anymore, besides his and mine? "Oh! Your Majesty, forgive me!" When the attendant left in a rush, closing the door behind him, the King looked back at Mahnu. What do I do? they both thought. Mahnu laughed at his thoughts and the King laughed also. It was a relief to him to see her genuinely smile. Her laughter clutching and tightened onto his heart strings, making him more believe that he didn¡¯t want her to leave his side. He grabbed her close and kissed her. It was obvious that they had been seen¡­And with this position¡­ But¡­Richard didn¡¯t care, he wanted Mahnu. Yes, he wanted to stay, just like this, with this beautiful woman on top of him¡­Naked and full of my desire for her¡­Just like this! Mahnu pulled back and got up shyly. She hadn''t done this before, there was no other experience she had learnt to help with this situation. Especially with the wetness that was creeping out of her and starting to trickle down her leg¡­ Hearing thoughts of others, she got into a habit a long time ago of not preying too much when they had done something like this...Not only that, personally experiencing this was also something that made her shy and embarrassed... "It''s ok...You really don''t know much about love making, do you?" The King asked her, loving the innocence shown on her face. He got up too and held her hands, wondering if he had to talk about the birds and the bees with her. Does she even know what she has become to him now? That she was his woman! "Love?" Her cracked voice surprised him, and he looked into her frightened eyes. He put her face between his hands, and said, "Yes. And it''s going to happen again! As¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get enough of you, my dear¡­But for now, I must go." On cue, another knock came from the door. Mahnu, for some time, was in shock. Do I love him? She wondered. She knew of love and that people were sometimes destroyed because of it. She fell back to the floor and desperately wondered what she had done. Didn¡¯t she only think, yesterday, about what incidents occurred because of royalty? How could she even think that she loves a King? King Richard felt like his Mahnu needed some time to readjust, so he silently got dressed, without the help of another, and left quietly...Hoping that he sees her soon without those eyes looking completely stunned and shocked. Desperately, he wanted her to admit to her feelings, even if it was just her body at the moment that wanted him. He wanted her to stay yet...Why does it feel like I should worry about her thinking and being away from me too long? A sigh escaped him, as he continued his normal morning routine. *** King Richard could not concentrate, Mahnu also, even though other''s thoughts went through her again, she felt...Strange. Mahnu found herself scared for once about the future. Being unable to hear the thoughts of someone coming so close to her, had never happened before! Since her creation, it had been an involuntary aspect but this morning... These changes were...Scary, to say the least! Is there something wrong with me? She thought So...This is what being scared is like? Have I fallen that far in love that I can''t even run away anymore? The scariest thing about it¡­Was that she didn¡¯t want to run away. She still wanted to venture into this adventure, wanting more¡­ Was she¡­Sick? Just like those women that liked married men or other men that were bad guys¡­Was she becoming someone that was becoming infatuated with someone that she shouldn¡¯t want? Shaking her head, to try and keep calm about her feelings and thoughts, Mahnu was lost. If this was something called love¡­Could she really travel this path with him? Could she try it? Cursing at herself, Mahnu didn¡¯t know what to do! What she did know, was that she really liked being with him...Being with...Richard. She liked how he had spoken to her about petty things, making her understand that she probably could have been wrong¡­She liked how he made her feel special, by being the only one that knew her name¡­Chasing after her, even up trees! ...All she could do was sigh¡­ *** Chapter 13
The King finally realized he should pay attention to the Queen but her ploy to convince him to conceive another child had been wasted. Mahnu heard about the angry Queen and pitied her. After that, the King was moved into a meeting with one of the governors. He was good friends with Dominic but today just wasn''t the day for the usual friendly chat, when he was worried about Mahnu. The scared look in her eyes, he thought, if I had told her I loved her, would she have run away again?? "You are occupied, Your Majesty, may I suggest I return at a later date?" Dominic''s question did worry the King, "Am I that transparent?" Dominic smirked, "No offence intended, Your Majesty, but yes. Can I be of help by chance?" The King looked at him and sighed, "I love the Queen and my children, you know this." "Yes, of course, Your Majesty." "I think I''ve fallen in love with someone so deep that I forget I''m a King. I forget everything, it''s like a world with no worry." Dominic looked at his friend, the King, surprised. "Oh..." King Richard laughed at Dominic''s speechless response, "I''m being cruel, aren''t I?" Dominic stared at the King for a moment before answering, "Would you like to hear my personal opinion Your Majesty?" "Yes...Yes, always, Dominic!" He answered him eagerly. "As a friend of Your Majesty, I only wish for your happiness." And he smiled, bowing his head. King Richard smiled back, "Thank you good Sir!" Smacking Dominic on the back. He felt lighter now. Someone close to him was on his side, understanding his feelings. Perhaps I should concentrate again! "So...Business!" Overhearing their conversation made Mahnu wonder if that is what true friendship really is. That they want their friends to be happy. Is that what all relationships are like? Is that what I had wanted for Princess and the boy from so long ago? Mahnu thought about the role between herself and the King and wondered if his happiness would affect her. From what she could see now, the King felt and even acted what she thought was happiness. He was smiling and joking, and he had liked what Dominic had said about being with me. So, I make him...Happy? Mahnu questioned. Me? Should I tell him who I am? Would that stop his happiness? Do I even want him to be happy? Mahnu sighed. She did, secretly, like being able to make someone happy after all this time. And she liked it more so because it wasn''t because of helping the humans. It was generally just her and her presence... Mahnu stopped. Where are the sufferings? How long has it been since I''ve felt them? She hadn''t thought of them all day, as they haven''t interrupted her thoughts...It was...Peaceful. But...Now that she thought about the silence...She suddenly realized that it wasn''t just today that the sufferings had not entered into her head...She can''t remember feeling any type of sufferings the day before either! Is that because of the King? Does he do to me as I do for him in regard to our status of God and King? Was it bad that I am not helping out there? But I am helping... Mahnu was confused, she hadn''t been in this position before... ...There seemed to be a lot of new things that happened to her since meeting this one man! *** "My...My Queen!" The Queen stopped walking and looked at her loyal maid servant, who was out of breath, "What is it?" "It is said, My Queen...That the King had another woman in his bed chambers this morning. And because of that, there is talk that there will be a consort entering into the palace." This news of course was strange, because it looked like a consort had already unofficially entered into the palace! "Why is a rumour already saying..." "It was seen, My Queen, from an attendant that cleans His Majesty''s bed chambers.¡± The Queen showed a deep frown and was really surprised. She on purposely did not let many maids go near His Majesty''s bed chambers, quite simply because of the small chance that he would take them in as consorts...But it looked like a maid had gone against her wishes completely! If this was true...Then she already had someone else in the harem, someone that she must take care of straight away! How dare she!? The Queen wonders how to deal with it. Even she, the Queen, had not woken to His Majesty like that, for he had already left before dawn! A headache started to form, and the Queen tried to calm her thoughts, but nothing helped as her father''s words seemed to grow louder within her mind... The Queen walked to her room and told her servants that she wished to be alone. As she walked around, she thought about what she should do.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. My father will scold me for letting this happen. Oh God, what if she has a child? The Queen sat down and started to panic. Even though her son was already the Crowned Prince, she still did not feel reassured! I had gotten too used to the King not wanting other women and took advantage of it! What am I doing, worrying about dresses and make up!? I should get him back! Surely, he might just want a woman for the night. It would make sense since we haven''t been together like that in years. I''ll just become that woman and he won''t need her anymore! And, instead of my father scolding me, I could give him good news! Yes! The Queen thought. I will go to him tonight! And I have just the thing to wear! Mahnu hears the Queen and worries about the problems in the family that could be caused by her being close to the King. She knows that his family is important to him and wonders if she should stay away again... Perhaps I should talk with the Queen and tell her that there isn''t a problem. She is only worried about the throne...Right? How could I take that from the Crowned Prince anyway...I don''t want it in the first place! Mahnu sighs in frustration. The Queen was worried about useless things and Mahnu had not been in this type of predicament before! She watched as others worried endlessly, but for the first time, she was the cause of someone feeling inadequate¡­Or was it that the Queen felt wronged? Whatever the Queen was feeling, Mahnu felt like it was her fault and for the first time she felt like a big problem arose, even though it shouldn¡¯t have in the first place! Yet¡­Would that mean that the best solution to the Queen¡¯s worries was for her to leave? But could I stay away now? Mahnu questioned. It had become such a happy routine to follow, to hear and watch King Richard daily...But...Who knows what would happen with the Queen already unable to wait to meet this ''maid'' and punish her accordingly... Again, Mahnu sighed to her thoughts... Thinking about him made her decide to see him while he was going to take his bath, as she knew that the Queen was already waiting for him in his bed chambers. "...You''re here." He looked so glad to see her that she had already lost her composure. He beckoned her over to him and shyly, slowly, she stood closer to him. ...He looked up at her with happy eyes...That slowly turned into desire... "Join me in here." He said, "After you undress." Watching her with his eyes, she could feel them taking her in and intoxicating her. He groaned as the clothes fell to the floor. He put out his hand and she took it, lowering herself into the water. How can she make the simple task of getting into a bath look so seductive? King Richard couldn¡¯t help but intimately think of his Mahnu, as her luscious body went into his embrace. It just seemed so unrealistic that she had not been with a man before him¡­Yes¡­He had seen it and felt it. He was positive that he had been her first! He was also quite glad that she had dressed the way she had previously, as if she hadn''t, he was sure there would have been men going for her a long time ago! Her body seemed so soft and silky, it seemed like the perfect woman''s body. If he only knew that she had an immortal body that heals itself, he would probably understand a bit more on how her skin was so soft. Yet, if he also knew that Mahnu had done many bad things to her body, that no human could withstand, he may even get scared! In fact, he would not only be scared, but he would be mad at her as well! Nonetheless, he didn''t deny the fact that he was glad he had been her first and hoped that it would only be him in her life. Normally he wouldn''t feel insecure, as the only other woman he had was the Queen, but with his Mahnu, he felt like he could loss her at any time...Perhaps he really did need to pronounce to the world that he has another woman and tie her down to the palace... ¡­His thoughts surprised both himself and Mahnu, as he never knew that he was so possessive before! He tightened his arms around her, and said, "Why hasn''t anyone touched you before?" "I never thought to do this before." Mahnu answered honestly and thought that in her entire existence, it had never mattered. Even the fact that she had never done it before, which would consider her being a virgin, it had not bothered her. She didn''t understand the importance of virginity. She had seen on two occasions virgins being used as a sacrifice, but beyond that, all it was to Mahnu was just someone that had not being sexual with another person...That was all... At first, a very long time ago, she had thought that virginity is taken even if your private area is touched with a hand. But after just a number of months, she grew to realize that virginity is lost through intercourse instead. Nonetheless, virginity still didn''t seem to mean anything to her... "This is the natural way for humans to reproduce, did you never consider having children then?" Mahnu let out a small laugh and replied, "Impossible." God''s didn''t ''reproduce''! He looked at her, a little upset, "Is that so?" She looked away, "Yes." For some reason, she felt sorry for him. She heard his thoughts of her being the mother of his children and stiffened. He felt that, and she heard his thoughts of if it mattered that she didn''t bare him any children. Would she leave him? His question surprised her and his feelings on how much he hated her to leave him. Then, he thought, ''No, I want her by my side.'' That thought made her smile. Since she had been created, she had never felt so special. At the same time, he grabbed her closer and she held onto him tighter. ''By my side.'' His thoughts repeated in hers as he looked into her eyes, as though wishing it to the future. Mahnu put her head down to his and she felt sad to bring up this subject, especially because of what he was thinking. But she had to confirm if he is the reason that she didn''t hear the suffering of humans anymore. "I may...Have to leave for a brief time." He stiffened, staying silent. What was a short time for a human? She wondered. A day? A month, a year? "Why?" His voice was soft. She could see he was trying to hold in his anger as she could hear his thoughts. ''Can''t you see how much I want you by my side, how much I already love you?'' His thoughts stunned her into silence. He...Loved her? He kissed her then and she responded, he wanted to show her, and she believed that she wanted to show him too. The urgency in the kiss only led to him placing her on top of him, making her let out a groan on the pain and shock. She heard him think he was sorry, but he didn''t want to stop. She was surprised that she felt the exact same way... She held on tighter as they moved faster, and she heard his plea for her not to leave. His thoughts telling her that he was addicted to her in every aspect and wanted to see her every day. They could play with his daughter together, go on trips together. He was still as eager as days ago, to find out about her past and more about her personality. He still hadn''t had the chance to give her flowers yet! How could she leave so quickly!? Suddenly, he moved her to against the wall and pushed himself into her further. So...Good, Mahnu knew that they both were thinking the same thing. It almost felt like the end of the world, that those feelings that she had never understood from the humans. But here she was, not wanting tomorrow to come and time to stand still. Was it because this beautiful man is all I want right now? Mahnu couldn''t contain any other thoughts. Holding tighter, she felt that amazing sensation go through her, that only this man has ever done for her. ...You are my home, his thoughts said as they flowed right into her heart, making her want to cry. This man continued to say and do things that made her feel special, making her feel like perhaps she shouldn''t leave, even if it was for a day. All she wanted to do now was be here with him, even though it was just moments ago that she had stated that she was leaving... Mahnu sighed. She knew of the saying, ''Home is where the heart is.'' Perhaps, he too, was her new home...The only real home she has ever had... "If I ask you to stay?" King Richard said, not showing his face. Mahnu put her hands through his hair, loving the feel of it, and said, "I don''t think I could stay far from you for too long...But there is something I must confirm." He looked at her then, his eyes so intense that she couldn''t look away. She never had eyes just for her and now it made her feel so good that she knew how that feeling felt like...It was quite a unique and special feeling. "Like what?" He asked, still not happy. Mahnu didn''t want to lie. "Since being with you...Uh...Something..." She couldn''t believe it! She didn''t know what to say! "Something?" He asked pressing into her, feeling her reaction of tightening her legs around him. This man really was relentless! He drove himself into her like a punishment, a sort of punishment where she forgot anything else but him! "I can''t hear!" She let out in a loud voice, unknowingly. He moved her up. "Hear what?" And took in his mouth a hard nipple. Why? How can something be so intoxicating! "Ahh!" The King chuckled. Chapter 14
King Richard didn''t get more details out of Mahnu, but they had made love again before she got out and said, "I''ll be back soon." The King watched her as she went to leave but she stopped and turned back. "Oh, the Queen." "The Queen?" He interrupted. Mahnu pointed towards his bed chamber, "She is still waiting for you." King Richard wondered how she would know! No one told him! Can you read minds? He asked her silently. "Yes." She said and was gone before he could answer. He was speechless. He had been right! It made a lot of sense, with her look when he woke up that time near Havlish, with the Princess, with the guards, with the assassins... His thoughts stopped there. Does she...Does she know who are behind the assassins? But wouldn''t she tell me if she knew? The King shook his head. Too much, it''s been a long day and... He was suddenly depressed... ...She''s gone... King Richard sighed unhappily. By the time he got back to his bed chamber, he had forgotten that the Queen was there waiting for him. Mahnu, he thought, come back soon. Having come to a new low in his life, the King sat there in a daze, not even remembering that the Queen was right there in front of him... "...Don''t you think...Your Majesty?" The King looked up to the Queen stunned, he had no idea what she had been talking about. "I''m sorry...What?" Already, he felt like a part of him was missing. *** The King''s absentmindedness was seen by not just the Queen but everybody else around him. The days were slow and he found himself often looking out into the horizon, wondering where his Mahnu would be. How could someone become so dear to me in such a short amount of time...And then leave me! He knew that he was mad at her and that he missed her, all at the same time, but he couldn''t do anything about it. As much as I want to lock her in my chambers, I know I can''t! King Richard sighs loudly. All he could do, was find some nice flowers that he could pick for her for when she returns. It was not as easy as he thought, as flowers had different meanings and the first two that he picked had to be discarded! His daughter had gone as far as getting someone to make her a special dress and when she had shown her father, he had agreed to play with her when the maiden returns, but fell into a daze afterwards... There was even a special order of clothes to be made, only now waiting for the person to measure, as the materials and seamstress was already been taken care off. It was all a sighing matter, as King Richard thought of the mean and cruel...But all so wonderful and beautiful woman... The rumour of a consort coming into the palace was brought up in front of the King by the Queen''s father, as he visited the capital the next day. But, King Richard flatly refused the rumours coldly, saying that the subject of having a consort was not a subject to discuss...At least not until the one being discussed returned! Without anyone knowing where the woman was that he had apparently bedded, some people started to believe that it was not real and was in fact just a rumour. Yet, some knew for certain that it was real, but had to agree to stating that the woman seemed to no longer appear within His Majesty''s chambers... With that being said, confusion fell onto the Queen, her servants and her father. "Rumours are called that for a reason, My Queen." Valtac said to his daughter. They were by themselves in a meeting but he had spoken softly. "I am sure it was no lie, father! It was seen!" Valtac sighed, to believe it true would be against his wishes but he was becoming old and frail as the time went on. "I want to believe that it is what the King says...But if otherwise...Be prepared! I haven''t worked this hard for nothing! I will take my leave!" The Queen flinched to his words, they hadn''t changed since she had become the fianc¨¦ of the Crowned Prince, all that time ago. Then, what am I supposed to do now? She wondered. The ''maid'' seemed to have appeared and disappeared into nothing! Worse yet, it seems she has lost face in stating one small matter with the subject of consort, which ended up being made to see that she was a ''jealous wife''. All the years had gone by, and many knew of her rules of less maids around His Majesty, so she had blatantly said that this ''maid'' had gone against the rules and should be punished...That was all she had said, but it has completely backfired and a few of her noble lady friends seemed to have scorned her behind her back and did not turn up for a morning tea that she had arranged the day before...The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Luckily, His Majesty did not say anything, but she did not think that since he said nothing that she lost even more face. If she noticed that he had not said something good, to protect her from her silly outrage, she would be feeling even worse... *** Mahnu had decided to travel west. After leaving the King, the suffering, she realized, started to grow two days later, louder and then louder again. Was it always this loud? She thought with impatience. Mahnu tried hard not to think of King Richard, but that was nearly impossible! To stop thinking of how she felt while she was with him, she realized that she had never missed someone so much in her entire existence! Being apart from him was quite different, she never knew the habits that she had started while being with him and watching. For a start, her nights were much longer. As she would walk or even sit in a tree for a break, she found that she had liked being indoors. The crickets, frogs and owls were too loud now! She also missed the Princess. Had it been that much fun playing with her? Mahnu laughed, it all seemed so ridiculous! After so long of being alone, it was all changed within weeks! I won''t be able to hear Richard''s sarcastic attitude that he tends to hide from everyone. I won''t be able to touch him while he sleeps. Mahnu sighed. She already knew her answer and wanted to go back to his side. His power of silencing the sufferings was something that she yearned for now. It was also something that she wanted to take advantage of...Especially when she was immortal and that this was the first time this has happened to her! If she knew keeping the sufferings away was as simple of being with someone that was special to her, perhaps she should have spent more time with the humans. It had been pure bliss, just for those couple of days, and now that she had them back, she realized even more how great it was that they had disappeared. It was just something else that made Richard more special to her now. Something else that she now missed while being away from him... Mahnu had made up her mind. I''m going back but I''ll just check to make sure there''s nothing too important that I shouldn''t miss. It was a bit harder to concentrate, since she had time off, but seeking through all the sufferings... She heard about one of the Loyal Royal Knights going missing, feeling the family being worried about him, and thought that this would be a good thing to help Richard. Being able to report back to the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights, when she returned back, sounded like a great idea! She then ventured to Havlish, already excited to return to Conrella...Back to her home... *** After her horseback ride, unable to walk now that she wanted to rush back to Conrella, Mahnu hid in amongst the trees at Havlish. As she tried to get closer, to what she thought was the center of the secret town, she could see that their security got tighter and it made it harder for her to move around without getting caught. Finally, close to headquarters, she could hear the thoughts of those in charge and got information that the leader was on his way, and also the King, but they were arriving separately. It seemed close to the time that they gather and give their secret reports about all the towns. Mahnu was still, as she felt emotion run through her. It had been about two weeks since she last saw him and just the thought that she was going to see him again soon, made her remember his touch. Excitement ran through her body and she was angry that she was unable to stop it... As she stayed in hiding, by jumping from tree to tree, she continued to hear the thoughts of those close by. It seemed that one of the knights had either been taken or left about two months earlier, and two weeks ago, a tablet that the prophets had left, from a long time ago, was stolen. She wanted to know what was written on the tablet but those who thought about it didn''t seem to know. The leader of the Loyal Royal Knights arrived in a rush, and that was when Mahnu was shocked into disbelief upon what was written on that tablet! "I came as soon as I heard!" The leader Marcus said, forging into the headquarters. "Is it confirmed, is the tablet gone?" "Yes, Sir. And Knight Peter is still missing." Already knowing of this fact, Marcus still had waited until now to come here, hastening his journey upon finding out the tablet had gone missing. Since the King was to arrive in only a few days time, the King decided to move up his journey and travel most of the way with Marcus as well. Marcus sighed and thought about the contents of the tablet. Mahnu gasped. It was everything that happened at The Siege and... At his next thought, she appeared before him in anger. How stupid, she thought, the prophets wrote down the location of The Chest of the God''s before they lost their future sight because of it! Marcus reached for his sword and went to strike her. She was that angry that she stopped it with only one of her hands and held it tight, so that he couldn''t get it back. Blood spilt onto the floor and she sneered. Humans! Closing her eyes, she breathed in, knowing that she needed to calm down. She let go of the sword and it fell to the floor, making the only sound within the small area. He was staring at her in a daze, seemingly not even aware of how angry she was. She listened to his thoughts as he put them all together. She is strong and angry about something...The tablet? Perhaps she knows something but how? I know more than anyone except... "Mahnu?" He asked in wide eyes. "Is that you?" "You know of me?" She asked, which confirmed his theory. He bowed before her, the Goddess, the Betrayer, the Saviour of Mankind! He had never thought his grandfather''s wish to meet her would come true in his time! "Tell me, who has the tablet?" Marcus lifted his head and nodded to his man standing by the entrance, who answered for him. "We are uncertain...We don''t even know the direction they traveled in. We didn''t even know of its importance straight away...We still don''t...Sir, am I to get people to widen our search for it?" As it was, the only thing they had done, was immediately tell the leader and searched around Havlish...That was it... Marcus looked at Mahnu apologetically. He wondered if he should have told the rest of the Loyal Royal Knights, maybe then the tablet would have been properly protected. "The tablet should have never been written in the first place!" Mahnu yelled, startling herself, as she hadn''t raised her voice in a very, very, long time. "...But it is done and I can understand why they did it." The prophets knew that they would lose their gift of foresight, so they left something to prove that they used to have it. Mahnu sighed and wondered if there was another reason. What could be gained from someone finding this tablet? ...She needed to find it! No answers she had come up with, regarding the tablet, had been good ones. If The Chest of the God''s is found, then could a way to open it be found too? Feeling anxious, Mahnu knew that she could not delay any further! "I need a horse...Now!" Mahnu yelled. She didn''t want to take her time to find this and so her reunion with the King, she already knew, would have to be postponed. "I will travel with you." Marcus said, standing up. Mahnu looked at him and knew he just felt guilty. He admired her and just as he first met her, he had let the Goddess down. Mahnu thought that it didn''t sound like a bad idea but she preferred to be alone. Besides, he was the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights... "Do not worry yourself. The King is on his way here. Did you not want to be here on his arrival?" Marcus had learnt about Mahnu and her talents when he had become the leader. Her knowing that the King was arriving soon should have been easy when she can read minds. He was the one that knew the most in his village, he should be the one to inform the King, Mahnu thought. "Stay." Was all she said, as she walked out to the horses. "Then take one of my men with you. William!" Marcus waited until William was standing in front of him. "Stay close to Mahnu. Be as loyal to her as you are to me, understand?" "Yes, Sir!" Mahnu put a saddle on a horse and said, "I prefer to work alone." Marcus stopped her, "If you find something, send him back to me." Mahnu looked at William and knew it was a wise choice to agree to it, especially at a time like this. She nodded back at Marcus and left in haste, William quickly trying to follow. Chapter 15
In their haste to leave, Mahnu could tell that the King was due to come on an expected path and veered down another path instead. The swift, fast action confused William, who asked why they are traveling down a longer road. But then, he suddenly came to question of why she knew of this road in the first place! The secret of this whole forest wasn''t just the town of Havlish, no, even the paths were hidden...A strange trap was set throughout, making the areas into mazes where one could easily get lost and be led out, instead of going in further... How could an unfamiliar person know of such things...And, wasn''t this woman also in the headquarters, and...She had been talking to our leader...Who was she!? Mahnu didn''t answer him, instead made the horse go faster, it wasn''t time to chit chat, she thought. Her companion got confused again when they stopped suddenly, but, when he went to ask this time, Mahnu shushed him before disappearing into the bushes. After Mahnu left, William wondered if he should have followed. She had just given him the reins to her horse and left without a word. Who was she to have the same level loyalty as the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights? It seemed stranger still that he had not much of an idea why they were in such a rush and why they had to be quiet. What is going on? He wondered. After they started off again, she stopped suddenly, again, and said, "You''ll find an assassin after the King to the Northeast of here, tied up. Take him into custody. Do not untie him!" And they left. William looked behind him, to see someone come down from a tree and run towards where Mahnu had said. How did she know that person was there? He is a secret lookout, yet, how could she know where he had been, even if she knew of him? They continued to travel east in silence, William wondering, among many other things, if they were going to Cental. *** The King arrived in Havlish and then greeted Marcus, who wonders if he should even tell the King, when there was nothing they could do and already waiting on Mahnu''s news. The King asks if things are alright, because he had rushed off to get here earlier. "We are having some...Difficulties." The King looks at him and Marcus asks about what he knows about The Siege that happened in the year 423. Marcus is surprised that the King knows nothing of it, just like the previous King. "What has this Siege got to do with what you hurried back for? And why am I only hearing of this now?" As Marcus tried to find an answer, a tied-up assassin came in, stopping the conversation. "He was already tied up when we found him." The scout said. "And no one was with him?" The King asked. "No, Your Majesty. William''s companion told me where he was before they left." The King takes a second look at how the assassin was roped up and remembered some time ago when he had seen it similar. Both Marcus and the King said, "Mahnu." At the same time. Then they looked at each other in confusion. "You know of Mahnu, Your Majesty?" Marcus asked. "She was here?" His Majesty asked back, instead of answering the question. "She keeps running away from me!" Marcus remembered Mahnu''s anger, and said, "Yes, Mahnu left not long before you got here." "Dammit! Then she would have known I was coming too!" How did he know that Mahnu would know? Why was The King angry with Mahnu? Marcus wanted to defend her, as she was the Saviour of Mankind. "It is my fault that she isn''t here, Your Majesty." "Why did she leave?" The King asks. Again, Marcus questions himself whether to tell the King or not about the history that he had been told through generations of leaders of the Royal Guards of His Majesty. "She heard that a tablet belonging to us has gone missing, Your Majesty...And she volunteered to try and retrieve it." The King was silent for a moment. "Why? Is it very important?" How could it be more important than coming back to him at least first to state that she was doing this? Why can''t she show herself for just a short moment and let me look at her!? This tablet better be important! This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "The contents that the tablet holds is what happened back in the year 423. How and where The Siege took place...And where something is hidden." Marcus didn''t know where to start to tell the King the whole story. "Is it that big? This...Siege?" "Yes, Your Majesty. It was a fight to save mankind. I am also surprised that you and the previous King have no knowledge of it." The King was dumbfounded. How could he not have known of such a drastic event? "I only know of the stories from previous leaders and what is written on the tablet. But there is someone who could tell you all about it from personal experience." "What do you mean? That makes absolutely no sense..." "The Betrayer of God''s, a God herself, who was present in Kralaide when The Siege took place." "A...God?" The King swallowed and repeated the word ''herself'' in his head. Female. "Yes, Your Majesty. Mahnu knows about everything." The King fell into a chair and looked at Marcus with wide eyes. "Mahnu...?" King Richard was surprised, but as he held onto the chair tighter, he found himself thinking about all his encounters with her, making him unable to hear Marcus talking to him or the other attendants wanting to help... ...She didn''t age, she was strong, and she had admitted to reading the thoughts of others. She even seemed traumatized which made more sense to the King now. The fact that she didn''t speak and stayed away from people, just all clicked together inside of the King''s head...And upon one of his first memories of her, one that he had worried about for a long time...Having gotten poisoned from saving his life... If she is a God, wouldn''t she easily overcome being poisoned? Is that why she never brought it up? Because it wasn''t something to worry about? ...Is that why she fought people, because she won''t get hurt and die? For someone who is immortal, what could they have gone through? Those eyes of hers... ...And what did Marcus say, a Betrayer? What has she endured all this time!? The King felt desperately sad for her. Yet, after all this time, after all that has happened...She still looks like she wants to help us...Why? The King felt himself a little crazy because he could believe it! The first thing that came to his mind, after that thought, was that he had fallen for a God! Utterly and deeply, fallen for this God! It was all becoming easier to accept. Even with this ''Siege'' that had happened, seemed somewhat, strangely familiar...Or right to him... But why do I feel like this? It was a question he could not answer...But he wanted answers to the other questions at the very least. What...Is The Siege? "Marcus!" The King looked up to find everyone go silent and still, waiting for him to continue. "Tell me everything you know!" Marcus nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty." As the past was finally being told to the King of Kralaide, Mahnu and William continued to travel east. They passed a third person with only one thing in their mind...To find the tablet. There was nothing else there in their minds and Mahnu started to get a bad feeling... They''re all like the humans who were slaves to the God''s back before The Siege...Time was of the essence! Faster, Mahnu thought, as she made her horse gallop at full speed. William continued to follow Mahnu but after another half a day of venturing east, he asked her if they could stop so that they could eat and give the horses a rest. Her startled look made him worried. If she wasn''t thinking of food, he pondered, this outing might be a more important matter then I thought. Sadly though, the horses needed a break, just as much as he did, and Mahnu could only admit that they will have to have a rest, before the horses die due to dehydration and exhaustion... Finding shade and some water, they stopped. Even though he could have used some time to rest as well, William got ready to leave straight after eating. Of course, he didn''t spend much time catching prey and cooking it, as he had lived half of his life in the bush, just like many others from Havlish. It was just in the last couple of years that he started to do more work in the Loyal Royal Knights...Since it was like this, it was a nice change, considering he''d much prefer less responsibilities anyway, as he liked the sense of freedom and be able to do what he wanted instead...Not that it was happening at the moment, as he was traveling, but being able to travel was still something great in his eyes, perhaps he''ll find something great in the process! Her silent nod, at William''s quick stop, looked like a small thank you and he was glad to have pleased her. ...What didn''t make sense though...Was that he noticed that she did not have anything to eat at all, nor did she look tired... But, without another word, the two set off again. *** Four days later, they finally reached Cental and Mahnu was convinced that somehow, The Chest of the God''s has already been found and opened. The people being controlled was evidence that a God was somewhere... As they had come this way, she had come across more people thinking only about finding the tablet, but otherwise their minds were completely blank. Cental was still busy with daily routines but Mahnu knew that the town had mindless people in it, just by looking around. There were gazes from people looking at those who seemed to be mindless and they looked stunned. One of the people close by, spoke of ''Anderson'' being normal just two days ago, when they had traded some salt for some sugar... It was just like this, many years ago...Slowly and slowly, towns would be taken over and the people were confused and conflicted. They knew these people, some were friends, some might have even been someone they didn''t like...But when they went mindless and didn''t show any signs of paying attention...It was a whole different story... In the past, one town had killed those who had been ''infected'', so that the rest of those who weren''t ''infected'' would not become that way. Another town sent the people like this away, then in another, the people who were still sane had ran away from the town. Remembering these past events saddened Mahnu and made her wish for her existence to scatter into the wind and become nothing was wrong... As, if she wasn¡¯t here right now, how would the humans end up surviving? Do the humans even know about getting a chest to use, and even if they did, what were they going to use to get the chest to work!? They don¡¯t have prophets anymore and if I wasn¡¯t here, they wouldn¡¯t even have my powers to help the chest to work in the first place¡­How could they do it!? ¡­Was this really something that was tied to my fate? That I will never become nothing and sleep for eternity because there might always be some kind of worry for God¡¯s existing? It had been so long, yet¡­ She knew it...She knew...It was nearly the same as back then... Strangely though, at the moment, her existence didn¡¯t sound bad. Most of the time she could say these words with no emotional attachment, but now¡­Now, she felt like she was saying and thinking the wrong things, as she did in fact want to stay¡­Nonetheless, it wasn¡¯t really time to get all muddle headed about how I feel, she thought. They changed horses, Mahnu also allowing William a short rest, as she tried not to feel or think of anything, and they continued east. As they traveled closer to Brackan, more and more people were blank, making it known from which direction that they were coming from¡­And, as much as Mahnu wished for her to see this wrong and think she was instead dreaming or going crazy, it was all there, right in front of her¡­These mindless people¡­ Chapter 16
During Mahnu''s travel towards the north east, the King was trying to wonder how he should feel. Due to this, Mahnu could feel his suffering. He was mostly worried about how he should act, so not to chase her away. He had no doubt there were many sorrows that she had come across, that he may not be able to help with. Would it be asking her too much for her to stay beside me? Especially when I know that she is immortal now...She wouldn''t grow old and die, like me...Is it a completely selfish request? Maybe...I should let her go...But...I don''t want too! He didn''t know what it was, why he felt like he needed her in his life now, but it was something he didn''t want to go without. He had a strange amount of fun making her talk and found it satisfying every time she has opened her mouth since then to speak! Wanting to coax her into his bed was a little harder, but it was all that more challenging! Of course, he had never really admired the fact that there hadn''t been a lady worth chasing...Well, until now...All the other women would only be too happy to do whatever he wanted and it was nice that one of them had said no and does whatever she wants! Sometimes...He felt like she was the King, instead of him...Only because she was so... Sighing, yet again, the King wondered if he should completely let her do her thing and come back to him when she was ready...But what if she never comes back!? King Richard became conflicted with his thoughts and, sometimes, they overflowed into his actions and people became aware that something was making him unhappy. He had traveled back to Conrella, after finally getting in the reports from the Loyal Royal Knight travelers, but spent much time alone and rarely spoke to anyone outside of his duties. Marcus was sure that since the King had become aware of The Siege, he had changed. He decided to simply watch him and make sure that nothing embarrassing happened to the King, just to stop him from doing something that he may regret afterwards. Having so much news become known to His Majesty might have been too much and Marcus wanted to make it up to him but was unsure how. It was true, when Marcus first heard of The Siege from his grandfather, he had not believed it to be the real history of Kralaide! At least the King seemed to accept the past as truth, making Marcus feel somewhat at a loss towards his past self, in which he had needed more time to come to terms with this exact story¡­If the King can accept it so easily, why hadn''t he!? He watched as the King continued his duties and noticed that he was drinking more wine then he used to. Marcus was unable to tell whether he should try to ask His Majesty to confide in him, or to hope that the King might confide in him himself. But as the days went on, the King persisted to remain temperamental, making people start to feel awkward and uncomfortable in his presence. Not only that, the King was starting to get scary when something went wrong within Kralaide... *** Mahnu finally arrived at Brackan, nearly a week later, and stared at the mindless people walking around. How had she not have noticed this drastic change!? The humans might not be suffering but surely why didn''t I notice the whole town becoming like this? She hated herself for spending her time in other areas. Her opinion of the other towns needing more help than this one...Was very wrong! Had she not come here to get meat at some stage recently? No, she thought, after a moment of retracing her steps in the last few years. When she had been at Nowell all those years, she had decided against meat and got rice and wheat instead, thinking it would have been better for the skinny humans in Nowell¡­ If only she had made one trip here to Bracken, she could have seen it! Before that, she had been in the west and had gotten meat from hunting herself, so¡­She had not come to Bracken for well over a decade or two! Mahnu sighed unhappily and was interrupted by William, whom she had forgotten was by her side. William had seemed to become the perfect traveling partner. He was always doing what he thought was best for her and their situation. His thoughts were simple and didn''t make her existence harder and she had even gotten used to them¡­Even his frequent but silent questions¡­ But he knew, even though he was human, that something bad was happening here! "There''s something wrong here." It wasn''t hard to see, even if you weren''t a God that could read minds. The town was a mess, having people scavenge for food thoughtlessly and slowly, like the town was in some sort of time loop. There were some lucky places that hadn''t been touched, but just outside their doors was a mess that didn''t stop for a few metres. ¡­You wouldn''t even be able to ride a carriage through the town... Lifeless eyes, slow movements and even some people weren''t dressed. Many had their hair in knots and were covered with dirty clothes, that they had probably worn for days...If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was truly a big problem...Making Mahnu feel worse, as she took all this in... "Yes. Change your horse and get it ready, you''ll be riding at full speed towards the capital shortly." He looked startled but nodded. "I''ll meet you at the inn there, when you''re ready." He said pointing. William had grown to like Mahnu as she seemed so determined. He still did not understand what was going on, but he trusted her and the importance of what they were doing. Already exhausted, William tended to the horses, to trade them for other fast and healthy ones. Once the saddle was in place, he went to get some food and water for his trip. ¡­It might only be two, small little and easy jobs but... Horses had been let out of the close by stables, leaving none there for William. He had already a bad feeling seeing the gate left opened before he even walked in. Then, when he saw on a piece of parchment, someone selling horses, he went there...Only to find someone had died in the fence...Just laying there, making the fence droop down and most likely letting the horses loose... The sight was something to behold, making William cover his mouth in shock. He had trained to become a knight, but it does not help when you really see a dead body...Especially one that looked mangled because of a fence... If he had no duty to preform, he would happily make a grave for this person, but time might be of the essence and William walked firmly away from the area, already willing to help clean up Brackan later, when he had finished what he has to do. Finally, William found horses at a carriage hire place, as the horses had been tied down, and he took two of them, tying them up at the very quiet inn that had no innkeeper. It was...Like a dead town, a town with nobody...Yet, clearly, rummaging could be heard in the distance. Where they looking for something? He has had so many questions all this time, yet, had learnt a long time ago to never question them out aloud. He had to serve, and do as he was told, never to question what and why...But never in his life, had he questioned so many things in the space of two weeks...And the biggest question was, why¡­Why were the people like this!? Sadly, he was someone that wanted to know facts, especially about history, and William was enthusiastic about how this had happened¡­ After William was completely ready to leave at any given notice, he climbed into a bed at the inn, to wait for Mahnu to return. He hadn''t been able to find one clean room in the whole inn. Each one looked as though it had been ransacked, yet, some personal belongings were still here, making everything all that much more questionable. Having to make room for two people, just in case Mahnu wanted to have a sleep too, William sighed to the trouble''s he''s had since being here. Even having to find food was a lot harder than he had thought! Since the food that was left around and in cupboards had already been eaten in the close by buildings, William ended up finding food in a storage place, that required a key to open it. Seeing that the door was damaged, William shook his head and slammed down a big hammer upon the lock and chains, to try and break it off. After trying twice, the lock fell to the floor and there the stored winter food was. It seemed mostly good still, making William happy. Deciding to take things that would be something that he could eat quickly, William left the rest and the door opened, so that the people around here wouldn''t starve to death... It was a sad thought and William really wanted to bring the food to the people who really needed it, but he also knew...That he needed to rest as soon as possible. He saw that Mahnu seemed to be fine and be able to go with minimal sleep, but he wasn''t as lucky. William had approximately four hours sleep a day for the last week and knew he wasn''t doing as good as he could, as it was obvious because he had to try twice at that lock over the storage shed¡­Especially since knowing he might have to ride out to the capital in a fast pace, he knew he needed as much sleep as he could get, so¡­Helping the people here was just something he couldn¡¯t possibly do right now. Mahnu had ran through the town, trying to track down where the God''s were hiding. This was easier, because she could hear thoughts, but Bracken had around 110k population, so it still took some time to go from one place to another, as it was also quite a large area. A lot of big nice houses were closer to the beach and river, but the God''s hadn''t chosen those houses, making Mahnu lost upon who the God was. As far as she was aware, a lot of them wanted the best of everything, taking whatever they wanted and desired... Since she had gone around the river and beach areas, it only led Mahnu to slowly go closer to the middle of Bracken... It is all confirmed, she thinks. There are definitely God''s making slaves out of the people here in Brackan...But, where were they? As too much time went past, she finally came up with an idea of following a ''slave'' and after the third time, she finally found one that seemed to have been ''summoned'' to go to what she was looking for! Following this slave, Mahnu finally found two God''s. Shaking her head, Mahnu hated that she had found evidence to prove that she had been right...They were in front of her eyes now, she could no longer deny it and think history wasn''t going to repeat itself. She remembered them as Thelmos, a lazy male God and Eliza, a female lust God. Both, in which, had power to make slaves. But it was mostly the slaves of Thelmos that were looking for the tablet, as Eliza''s slaves were different. The powers of the God''s are connected to their personalities, meaning the slaves of Thelmos might be slow but they were easy to manipulate, just like their ''master'' Thelmos. But Eliza''s slaves had a slight temper and preferred to appease to sexual desire, like Eliza herself. Now the few times she had seen those ''sexual desires'' around the town made sense! Since Eliza was female, whom preferred male over female, most of Eliza''s slaves were male and they fought for her attention. And most of her slaves, were handsome and young... Having looked around the area, to see if there were more than these two Gods, Mahnu didn''t find anything. But even though she didn''t find any other God around, she didn''t trust that there wasn''t anymore, as she''d prefer to not make the same mistake again and have mankind back to where they started yet again. She wished for a power that could locate other God''s, so then she could be certain, but... Even if there are more, she knew that these God''s had to leave as soon as possible. If nothing was done, then people may even die from starvation or dehydration because no one was working on any farms or fields, nor getting water to give to people...And already, she had seen at least two dead bodies upon the ground to state this has already happened¡­ If only they had suffered, then she would have known earlier to come here! But she knew better than anyone, that slaves didn¡¯t feel¡­So, they would not think to drink or eat, unless their master¡¯s gave them the order to do so. Going back and getting as close as she could to Thelmos and Eliza, Mahnu waited for any kind of news that could help. Sadly, for a short time, lust noises were made and there was silence, so time went by slowly... Finally, Mahnu overhears them talking about the tablet and other small details before she decides to return to where William was sleeping. Word needed to be sent as soon as possible! Chapter 17
It was a good change for Mahnu, from questioning why Eliza didn''t care that Thelmos was there lazily slumping or sleeping in the same room that Eliza was ''busy'' in. Having thought of having someone else in the room when she was like that with Richard, made her think that those times wouldn''t haven''t happened like that at all! Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, she was surprised that it had taken so long to find them. It was already dark now as she came in through the window, near William, and searched for ink and parchment. Mahnu wrote to Marcus and then woke William up, telling him to not give the letter to anyone else and to ride as fast as he could. "I know you are probably hungry and in need of rest. But..." "Understood, I will go. You can count on me." William nodded before picking up the bag, that was prepared earlier, and left. Luckily, he was able to get a couple of hours sleep...But he felt very tired still, unable to go quickly until he splashed cold water on his face when he got downstairs. Wanting to read the letter, to find out the situation, William could only sigh and remember Mahnu''s face and urgency in her voice. He had to ride now, and he had to ride as fast as he could! Mahnu turned to the town, that now had so many mindless people, and knew that she was heading towards something that could result in torture...But she was resolved to try and talk things through first. She also needed some time to figure out what was going on... If by chance she could find out if there was more God''s or if they had found a way to open The Chest of the God''s and anything else that was on the tablet, it was something only she could do. As...If they tortured her, she will heal and continue to try and find out as much as she could. Not many times had she been thankful for her power of being able to read one¡¯s mind, but on this day, she was indeed thankful of it because she was sure they would not tell her what she wanted to know in words! Their residence was quite unusual but Mahnu didn''t care to waste time and continued through a window. It had been over a thousand years, and now, she finally stood before two of her own kind¡­And they recognized her straight away. "So...It was true...One of our own kin..." Eliza stuttered. "Mahnu?" Was all Thelmos said, neither surprised or emotional. He yawned but did look and start to walk slowly towards her with a lazy, small smile. Eliza stopped Thelmos walking towards her, and said, "Why are you here?" "I want to ask you to stop using humans as slaves and live together with them as..." "What? Friends?" Eliza interrupted Mahnu, and then spat on the floor. "We are their master''s! They need to beg for mercy from us, their God''s!" Mahnu sighed in her head and continued, "Is there anything that will change your mind, sister?" Eliza charged at her, "I''m not your sister!" As Mahnu lost consciousness, due to her neck breaking, she heard Eliza spit again and say, "You...Betrayer!" During the onslaughts of pain from her own kin, Mahnu stopped talking again. They tortured her to a point that humans would have died countless of times and that God''s could not stop feeling an enormous, unstoppable amount of pain. Their thoughts and feelings went through her as well, making her wish that she wasn''t immortal. Thelmos didn''t have many thoughts, but when she heard them, they did state what she feared that they would think. Why did Mahnu want to help the humans? What are we doing wrong? But then, Eliza would bombard her with many questions, both inside her head and out¡­ How could you? To us!? With those puny humans! Break her for every God she betrayed! Break her for every human she saved! Make her hate the humans, that''s right Mahnu, if you want to blame someone for the pain that you feel right now, it''s the human''s fault! It wasn¡¯t just torture to her body, but her mind as well. Those tormenting questions had already been asked by herself before, throughout all these years, now only to hear it from her own kind made her feel even worse! Mahnu didn¡¯t regret what she had done in the past, but she did feel bad about it. Even though her choice had been made and all she could do was stick to it but¡­She sadly had a small hope that she could have been happy to have others like her still here. And that sad hope had already vanished, leaving an empty part in her icy heart. With every wound that they created, Mahnu wasn¡¯t sure whether to apologize for what she had done or to take pity on them. With every bone that had broken, Mahnu wondered if this was the type of punishment that she deserves for her past act¡­ Having no one like her around for over a thousand years had made her feel terribly lonely and now that Eliza and Thelmos were one of her and saying these things, Mahnu was defeated.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She wished that they could have all gotten along, that God¡¯s and humans could have coexisted, at least then she wouldn¡¯t have been alone and had to betray her own kind. But, since it wasn¡¯t like that, all she could do was try to harden her heart and act along with her own problems of feeling the suffering of the people. ¡­There was just no other way but to be selfish and hope that the sufferings would come to a stop! ¡­A small spark of hope ignited in Mahnu when she heard Richard''s sufferings and it helped her calm down. She was able to ignore their pressure to hate the humans and to start thinking rationally about her next step. Again, Richard had helped her...Through the power of feeling the humans suffering, he had helped her. It wasn¡¯t easy to be thankful for this type of power, but at this time when she needed it to not lose herself, she was indeed thankful¡­ *** William rode to where the King was with Marcus, inside of the palace. Even though horses weren''t allowed, he rode until the door, and ran to Marcus with Mahnu''s letter. Marcus waved to the guards chasing after William and hurried to open up the letter. "What is it that someone rode a horse here?" William bowed to the King, "I apologize Your Majesty." The King was silent, seeing Marcus not yelling at these events, and when Marcus finished reading, he knew something was wrong. "William, ride to Havlish and gather the army. Ride to Brackan and I''ll meet you there. I will expect to see you within four weeks near the river just outside of the town, understood...Wait!" Marcus looked over William''s face and saw that he was already exhausted. "Bring another to me, I''ll get them to do it, then you can go and have a rest." William? The King thought. "Yes, Sir!" William said, running off. Meeting another of the Loyal Royal Knights just outside of the room, William told them to go inside for the leader''s orders. Leaning against the wall, William fell limp against it and then found himself falling to the ground. He had stopped minimal times and had very little sleep. And because he had ridden so fast, he had to change horses three times because they had gotten too tired to continue further. William had never been so hungry, or tired, in his life but when he had heard his leader say something about the army, he knew that he had done the right thing. It had been that important that the whole Loyal Royal Army is getting involved and he couldn''t believe he still didn''t understand what was going on! His head found the ground, and William felt himself drift easily into sleep. It didn''t even matter that he wasn''t on a bed, that was how tired he was... His last thoughts were of Mahnu and why she had stayed behind... Marcus sighed and shock his head. After giving such an order, it still didn''t seem real, that the land of Kralaide was slowly getting overtaken by God''s once again. "What is it? He was the one with Mahnu wasn''t he? Let me read the letter!" Marcus hesitated but gave His Majesty the letter. ''Marcus, it has been confirmed that in Brackan there are two God''s. It is unconfirmed if there are more or if The Chest of the God''s has been opened or found. The people here are slaves to them, and I have not found the governor. I am going to try and talk to them, as a war as big as The Siege should never happen again. I also want to try to get more information and to keep them here so that the Chest of the God''s will be safe. On the case that I am unsuccessful at obtaining information, please, you must get a lockable box made from both gold and silver. As long as it has those key ingredients, it doesn''t matter where you get it from or how big it is. Bring that up to Bracken so that I can use it against them, just as in the past with The Siege. I will meet back with you as soon as I can. Mahnu.'' The King looked up at Marcus, "¡­What? She intends to¡­Talk to them?" He had read it twice, before her beautifully written words made any kind of sense to him. Marcus sneered, "She is a fool! If they have the tablet and find out who she is, they will not talk! Peace will not happen!" The King stood up and started to pace. "Are you saying...They will torture her?" Marcus sighed, "Yes, I would assume so, Your Majesty." "We have to save her!" The King said, stopping his pacing and looking at Marcus in alarm. Marcus still didn''t quite understand the relationship that His Majesty and Mahnu had. Had His Majesty spent so much time with Mahnu, to worry over her to this extent? If that was the case, how could I not know? Even if they were torturing Mahnu, His Majesty shouldn''t panic over it, as she was a God, an immortal, someone that doesn''t die...Surely His Majesty remembered this! "Yes, Your Majesty. I have already dispatched someone to get the Loyal Royal Knights Army. As you saw yourself." "I will join you!" The King said in determination. As Marcus knew Mahnu''s immortal, and now so did King Richard, there still wasn''t something that the King wanted to state¡­And that was, he just didn''t want her to take on any more pain! Even if she does live through being tortured, wouldn''t that mean that she would be inflicted so much that she wouldn''t talk again and go back to completely staying away from humans!? The King was extremely worried about Mahnu, especially if right now, she could be getting tortured by her own kin that she had betrayed! The idea of it made him feel weak and sick to his stomach! "It''s dangerous! They are immortal and strong, Your Majesty!" Marcus said, dumbfounded upon His Majesty, the King of Kralaide, being so worried about someone that was an immortal. "I don''t care! I''m going to retrieve her!" The King said stubbornly. It was somewhat of an odd situation...Marcus thinking the King should stay here, yet the King unwilling to do so in the slightest! Marcus breathed hard, "Your Majesty please reconsider! You are this lands King! If something were to happen to you..." The King interrupted, "And you told me that without Mahnu, Kralaide would not have any free humans! How can I sit idle, when she is in danger!" How will she endure the pain? How can I not try to save her!? The Kings thoughts were going red with anger and blue with sadness. He was scared...Scared that Mahnu might be doing all this to go backwards, and he didn''t care for it! He didn''t want her to stop talking again, he didn''t want her to...Disappear...To become part of the scenery of Kralaide once again...No! A sudden different voice stopped both of them out of their discussion and thoughts, "...What are you speaking of?" Marcus and the King turned to the Queen, that was now standing in the doorway. They hadn¡¯t even known how long she had been there for, especially with such a delicate conversation¡­ "Im...Immortal? Free humans...I don''t understand. Mahnu? Is that..." "My Queen, please don''t repeat what you have learnt here and leave." The King said, sighing loudly. "But...Your..." The King interrupted her again, staring at her intently, "I will not repeat myself!" The Queen stared at him, dumbfounded¡­She had never seen him this harsh before¡­ Not once had she seen or even heard of the King being angry to such an extent like this. Previously, if he had gotten angry, she had heard that he had severely punished the person who had done wrong and walked away from everyone afterwards. Even when she had forced drugs and herself at him, he had only placed a rule upon his chambers and stayed away from her afterwards¡­ In a stunned silence, she bowed and left, not having the courage to stay longer¡­ ...What...? The Queen slowly walked away and tried to understand what was going on...But none of it made any sense. *** Chapter 18 With the continuous ache all around her body, Mahnu tried not to fall unconscious again. Her fingers, arms, toes, feet and legs were all broken and being pulled away from her body, so that she couldn''t heal herself. They had tortured her so much that even her clothes had been shredded and fallen, leaving her naked. Dried blood nearly covered her entire body and new blood was falling to the already red floor of the small room, making the place feel extremely forbidden and scary. Being able to read their thoughts, answers were found, and Mahnu couldn''t help but be resigned to this state. Thelmos and Eliza had been here all this time...How could I have not known that? Both of them had stayed behind, when all the others had gone to war, and Mahnu could figure out why...Thelmos would have been too lazy and Eliza might have found...Better things to do. Another thing Mahnu had found out, was that the tablet wasn''t with them, so they still didn''t know where The Chest of the God''s was hidden. It was really unbelievable that they had been happy here in Bracken for quite some time. Even though they hadn''t always been here, but they...Do nothing...Wherever they are. They had no want to take over the world, just slight revenge for the elimination of their kin. They didn''t want much, well, besides that of Eliza''s handsome young males and normal servants to serve them. They had brought people here from other places, holding beauty matches for males, that Eliza would love to judge and Thelmos would just tag along, mostly because Eliza would drag him along. They had the strangest type of relationship... For the most part, Eliza can handle Thelmos, but...If Thelmos wasn''t so lazy, he would have most likely left Eliza a long time ago! He had a strange, innocent and childish type of behaviour, and Eliza was something he didn''t seem to agree with... Eliza seemed to think that Thelmos¡¯s aura of ¡®goodness¡¯ wrapped around her and made her feel good, and in so doing, she felt like even more the appropriate God. Perhaps she did have some sort of self-conscious inside her that she thought she was doing something bad, and Thelmos seemed to equalize that feeling. Mahnu couldn¡¯t understand it at all! Perhaps it had something to do with the men disappearing¡­That perhaps if she had no men, she would have no fun¡­Any other idea that Mahnu came up with didn¡¯t seem to match Eliza and why she would potentially feel that way¡­ Since both of them were rather lazy, they had taken a full year to travel, back when they had moved towns about two hundred years ago. They stopped often, even though they didn¡¯t have their feet on the ground¡­ Besides that, they would spend many days just listening to music, dancing, drinking and having other types of ''fun''... ...It was actually something Mahnu found herself jealous of...That they had each other, whereas, she hadn''t had anybody... It was made quite obvious that Thelmos and Eliza weren''t going to stop slavery and work with the humans. They fully believed that they could do whatever they wanted with the humans and had even slaughtered a few in ''fun'' in the past as well. Eliza cared mostly for sex, nothing close to worrying for humans, and Thelmos slept a lot, laying down and day dreaming...In fact, Eliza had done much flirting, and more, with Thelmos, perhaps giving him that more initiative to stay with her and have no eyes for anything else...Mahnu didn¡¯t look much further into their thoughts upon that¡­Seeing Eliza go crazy, to the point of not caring to hurt the person that she was being intimate too, made Mahnu cringe and wish to be elsewhere¡­ Daily needs for the human''s survival had also led to many humans to die whilst a ''slave'', so that the population had not increased lately, in fact, if any one looked close enough, they would see that population was on a very slow decrease... Eliza¡¯s slaves would eat when she was happy, it was Thermos¡¯s slaves that would die from hunger or thirst, because he was just too lazy to give the slaves the command to nourish themselves¡­No, he was so lazy he did not even think of them to give them that command¡­To a certain degree, Thelmos''s speed of thinking was just too slow and once or twice a week to let them eat, was not enough! It wasn''t like he intended to let them starve, it was more so that he took too long to get to the thought and put it into action! It was when Eliza had taken the long lost Loyal Royal Knight Peter, that she found out about the tablet, that things had changed... Straight away, Eliza had ordered for all but a few of the slaves to find the tablet. Within the last two months, Eliza had doubled her slaves and made Thelmos do the same, and some of those people had indeed come from Cental, making Mahnu see them there as well. Strangely, the capital does have some mindless people there as well, just not as many as Cental and Bracken, because the tablet was known to be in Havlish and most of the slaves had headed in that direction¡­And that was what most of the slaves were still doing, some dying in the process because they don''t even think to eat...Lifeless and with no thoughts and wants, it would be normal for their bodies to start breaking down...It was a sad process...This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. For humans, many times they fight for their dear life to stay alive, but in this way, they can''t even fight...They can¡¯t survive¡­ ...Mahnu also doubted that if she couldn''t talk her kindred into peace, then no one could. She wondered if that was too much of a selfish thought as she let out a small laugh. ¡­As a small amount of blood trickled down from her lips, she wondered if she was truly abandoned from all the God''s now? Mahnu put her head down in defeat, thinking. Did I want forgiveness from them after all? Did I not know over a thousand years ago, that I had gone against them, not expecting forgiveness? Had I been in denial all this time? Mahnu sighed. The candle had breathed it''s last and darkness surrounded her. Mahnu tried to calm her thoughts and zoned in on the King''s sufferings, only then was she able to withstand that little bit more pain. ...I must get out of here... Talking didn''t work, so I must put them away...Put all God''s away. If there were no God''s...Yes, even myself...Even myself...It will be my last service to the humans. ...Then, I will be able to eternally sleep. That''s right, she had time to think of her next step now and what ''sacrifices'' could be made... ...Mahnu felt sad and lost at her last thoughts. She hadn''t wished that normal desire of eternal sleep for a while and now that she had brought it up again, it felt wrong. But...The land of Kralaide will be better without us immortals. They will live on, to die just as they always...Had... A tear fell from her face and Mahnu closed her eyes, feeling like it hurt to do just that...But no...The pain was because she felt like she finally had a reason to stay...And now, she had to leave that reason...Yet, hadn''t her existence always been unfair? Through everything that she had done and achieved, through the years and years of suffering...How could she have the slight inclination to stay? Yet, that was just how she was feeling at the moment... ...She thinks of Richard and knows that he doesn''t like her disappearance. He has missed her, a lot! Still, even though they weren''t together, he was making her feel special! Yet another tear escaped... Mahnu kept her eyes closed, focusing on just one person... He also found out that I''m a God...So now it''s over anyway...Perhaps my destiny was to come to this moment and use what I have to entrap the rest of us God''s...Maybe, I should think of Richard as something I should not have experienced... Yes, it''s time for all God''s to disappear. 3 weeks later Being outside of the town of Brackan, King Richard had to control his urge to march straight into the city all by himself. Looking in the direction of Cental, to the west, for the Loyal Royal Army to show themselves, the King had been impatient for days, as he had waited and waited. Doing reports, he would be outside and facing west. When eating, he would be outside, facing west... They had been here now for three days and many of the people there, for the King''s protection, thought that the King was acting a bit too strangely. A few now knew a little bit about the God''s and understood a tiny bit more, but they still thought that the King was acting too much in gratitude for Mahnu. Considering that they had only been given a small amount of information about the God¡¯s, mostly stating facts that would help them out if they had to fight, these people did not particularly understand what Mahnu had done in the past. Perhaps if they knew that if it weren''t for her looking for something to entrap the God''s and using her powers to make that object work as such, and thus saving the rest of mankind back over a thousand years ago, they might understand the King''s urgency even more. And well, that''s if they believed what they had been told in the first place... Yet, there was no one that still thought that the King in front of them was in desperate need to have his woman back in his arms... The strategy had already been thought of over these last few weeks, but the biggest problem was waiting... Noise was finally heard, another two hours later, stomp, stomp, stomp...This noise was something that gave the King the first smile in weeks! "Finally." King Richard says, as the Army could be seen in the far distance. Some of the army were on horseback, but it looked to be a few hundred men that weren¡¯t, and they were running towards us in big, strong steps. The army was great indeed, going for quite a distance along the horizon. As a few minutes went by, more and more of the army came into view and the King finally felt like he had hope. That even though there were immortals in Bracken, and that they were going to confront them, there was a chance that they could win! They had won once before, and they will do it again! Not only did he want to save Mahnu and bring her back to his side, but he had also personally seen a lifeless looking person walking around the day before and they had no idea upon who they were and where they were...All they had wanted...Was a tablet... So...Saving Mahnu and entrapping those evil God''s, should save the people too. That was the major plan! Now that the army was here, he was one step closer to accomplishing this goal! Marcus had never seen His Majesty like this. Something as drastic as including an army, had never happened in King Richard''s reign. Yet, as though he was going to war like it was a regular occasion, here His Majesty was, finally satisfied that the army was nearly here. "Your Majesty, are you sure this will work? It is very risky plan, please..." At least once everyday, Marcus showed his concern towards the King''s safety. Since it was his duty, he had every right to continue to bring this subject up, yet every time that he had, the King would either ignore him or tell him that the plan is set and that was how it was going to happen. The King interrupted Marcus, "You know of my plan, I will not go over it in such details again." "Your Majesty..." "Enough, are they ready?" Marcus couldn''t settle down, he hesitated to answer, knowing that if he answered yes and complied with the King''s plan, it could be his and the entire Kralaide''s defeat! ...The King as bait, to save Mahnu, was putting everything on the line! Marcus remembered the King''s words, ''That is why it''ll work.'' And His Majesty''s proud nod. "It''ll work Marcus, she''ll be free." Having the rest of that day to get everyone into order for the next day, there was no longer anything they could do, as... Marcus watched as the King walk towards the city of Bracken, all by himself. He prepared the rest of the knights to sneak around, so that the God''s wouldn''t get distracted by them. ''I don''t see this as a good plan, Your Majesty.'' These words were still repeating in Marcus''s head, and then the reply...The King had looked at him, determination in his eyes, ''Numbers, Marcus. Spread them out in commoners¡¯ clothes. Make the town yours in five minutes. Find Mahnu. A call for whoever finds her and all rush to that direction.'' Marcus sighed, how had he accepted that as a plan!? Seeing the King, like he had finally woken up since a month ago, must have startled me into thinking that this plan would work¡­There is no turning back now... Shaking his head to this stupid ''plan'', Marcus could only do as he was ordered and attempt to help find Mahnu within the shortest amount of time possible! The quicker that they let the signal go off, stating that they had found her, the quicker His Majesty and his knights could also run and get out of danger as well! Chapter 19 The Army was already split up everywhere on the outskirts of the city of Bracken, ready to go in search or Mahnu. All they had to worry about, was to not hurt any of the strange looking people, that seemed almost lifeless. It nearly looked like the dead had come back to life! Most of the soldiers were new to war, and seeing these people freaked them out somewhat...Even some of the ones that had endured through a fight or two in the previous King¡¯s reign, or the skirmishes that had happened recently, they tried extra hard to not look at anything other than to find out if they knew the person was or wasn''t Mahnu. Having seen a painting of her, they all had a fair idea on what they were looking for...What was disturbing though, was having to have to look at all these strange people, to try and find the person that they were looking for! Especially if they laying still...And even worse, having no pulse...Or...Some being naked or a couple who were walking with a limp, dragging one of their legs. It was an horrific sight, something they did not ever think that they had to live to see. War was two armies against each other and swinging swords, blood and death...This was...Well, it was confusing, worrisome and scary. Confusing because most of the people were alive, even though they looked lifeless. Worrisome because none of the members of the army wanted to become like this, and scary because...Perhaps what they had been told about the God''s...Had been real... Mahnu felt Marcus''s suffering over the King becoming bait and felt a rush go through her. She needed to keep him safe. What is he thinking? How can my capture be worth him risking his life like this? ¡­At first, she had thought it was a joke! Who would risk their life like this for her!? It looks like I completely underestimated or missed something! It just didn''t make much sense to her, why someone who do something like this for her...She was immortal! She was...Alone! But whether she thought these things or not, didn''t change the fact that the King was in fact doing exactly what she never thought anyone would ever do! Anger whelmed up inside her, as she slowly accepted the truth and understanding the danger that could arise from the King''s actions. No! No one can die! No one! Especially...Especially that idiot! The urge to hit Richard was so strong that she felt herself become lose from the ropes that was holding onto one of her arms. She pulled at the arm, her anger fueling her entirely, and felt pain go through her again, as the arm and fingers started to heal when they got loose. This¡­Had never happened to her before. Anger, it seemed, has given her more strength¡­ With the idea of Richard being in trouble seemed to make her pull so hard that she had not thought in the slightest of her pain¡­Or was it¡­That I want to protect him? Whatever it was¡­She felt that she could get out of such a contraption! Pulling at her other arm, it fell limp to her side and Mahnu closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. The pain was almost unbearable! Earlier, her screams that she had let go of when they pulled and pulled the rope, Eliza had seemed satisfied with her response. Her smirk, sigh and raised head had ended the torment and then Eliza wanted to leave and find ¡®something better to do¡¯. Now, she was angry and trying very hard to not let anyone know that she had started to get free, but it was almost impossible! The urge to utter her pain out through voice was almost involuntary and she bit her lips to help prevent herself from doing it. The throbbing agony in her arms and fingers started to disappear, as both attached properly and became normal once again. Finally, she was looking more and more human again¡­Instead of some creepy, misplaced¡­Thing. But it wasn¡¯t the end yet, only half of her body was no longer being pulled and broken¡­There was still the bottom half of her body that looked terrible when she briefly looked down upon the situation. Letting out the first normal breath in so long, Mahnu cringed as she knew her legs were next. Her legs weren''t fully attached to her, but it was enough for her to feel the pain of it every second passing. Mahnu tried to reach for what was pulling at them but it was out of reach. Her toes were being pulled, her feet snapped at the ankle and her knees were being pulled along with them. Her higher legs were out of the hip joints, making her hips feel bigger and flimsier then what they should be, but she had not been able to heal because of the pull¡­ Mahnu grabbed her higher leg and pulled, trying to forget the pain. Her first attempt, she stopped and looked away, letting out tears. It was going to so painful! All she could do was to remember that afterwards, she would be free and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the pain. Taking a few deep breaths, she psyched herself up and this time, no matter how painful it was, she wasn¡¯t going to let go until she had broken away from what was pulling at one of her legs. Letting out a piercing cry and tears, Mahnu wanted to let go again but she knew that she had to hurry to save the King. Pulling harder, she could finally feel her leg escape the bound, making her let out yet another shout of extreme pain. Mahnu kept her eyes shut and clenched her teeth as the agony started to subside. All those other times that she had tried to kill herself might not have been as bad as this. This was¡­ Remembering how she had hung herself and jumped off a high mountain, she would end up blacking out and finding herself back to normal again afterwards. Chopping of her hands had only been ever done once because it had hurt too much¡­Drowning and even cutting her neck opened or her wrist. Those times had not been like this at all. What Eliza had achieved, was torturing without having the person not faint. Continuous pain that never really stopped, and¡­It was like she somehow knew that Mahnu was somewhat afraid of pain. Not having much happen in many years, Mahnu¡¯s pain threshold may be different to what it used to be but it still did not help much to Mahnu not wanting to feel anything¡­And now that she thought about it and most of the suicide attempts that she had in the past¡­Most of them were suppose to be quick and painless, nothing too drastic¡­ "Ahh!" Her cry made her hit herself and she tried to change the pain to her hands, but it was still there. Opening her eyes and wiping away her tears¡­She saw that the foot from her ankle had fallen off, making blood go everywhere.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Breathing in sharply, through her clenched teeth, she reached her leg down to the abandoned foot and waited for it to reattach itself to her. She could feel herself start to faint, as her mind was in so much pain. Richard, Richard¡­Richard¡­ It was so sore, so bad, so agonizingly painful! Richard! Just think Richard¡­You must help him! It felt like hours were slipping by her, that her thinking of anything else was the hardest step that she¡¯s ever had to make! She wanted to be able to open her eyes and start doing her next leg and get out of there, but those thoughts had halted for some time. Banging her head against the wooden plank, to try and help herself endure slightly better, Mahnu could only wait for her foot to fully reconnect¡­ ¡­She waited the tormenting seconds go by as the ache in her leg finally started to subside. Breathing in and out to calm herself, Mahnu started to look towards her other leg and figured that this time she should be able to get the straps free. Bending and stretching, as far as she could, Mahnu finally found herself free and she fell to the floor in a big thump. There was just no way that she was able to stop her knees from hurting and her hands had not been able to support herself, as her head also hit the floor. With being in so much pain and feeling weak, Mahnu just had no strength left at all¡­ Leaving her head to the ground, she closed her eyes tight, clenched her hands, bit her lips and waited for the tremendous pain in her newly freed leg to subside. After some time, she held her head with one of her hands and ended up biting into her other hand, tasting blood but unable to loosen her bite¡­But this time, she was able to hold back from letting out a scream¡­ As her breathing started to become normal again, she rolled over and laid there for moment, finally realizing that she had done it¡­She was free! Mahnu started to stand up, feeling more and more strength coming back to her. Feeling the worry for the King once again, all her past worries and anger welled up once more and she started to search in which direction the King would be in. Bursting the locked door opened, with her angered strength, she skilfully put the two guards outside to sleep and rushed out, after quickly getting dressed in one of the guard¡¯s undergarments. There simple wasn¡¯t enough time to put on the other gear that they had, but she didn¡¯t need it¡­And there was no way that she was going out there naked! She knew that many humans were here looking for her and that she already had a lot of attention¡­She didn¡¯t need any more attention by having them see her naked! She could barely keep up with the attention that she got just from the King! That stupid King¡­She thought as she could feel herself getting closer and closer to him¡­And closer to the other two God''s! "What an honor, for the King of Kralaide to pleasure us with his company...All by himself. What should we do with you?" Eliza smirked. "I''ve come to negotiate peace." King Richard said. He tried to look like a leader and in control¡­But he felt like the opposite! Making the plan was one thing¡­Now that he was here and knowing that they were immortal and made slaves, King Richard started to worry if his plan was going to completely fail! There was one thing that reminded him though, that he shouldn¡¯t let on about his insecurities¡­And that was getting Mahnu back! "How daring of you, so you know we are God''s and you still stand before us, demanding something like you are equal to us?" Eliza breathed out a laugh. How obstinate! Then she looked over at Thelmos, to see he wasn''t laughing with her. "Thelmos?" He slowly turned his head to look at her, with the same droopy eyes as always, and said, "The slaves outside the Betrayer''s room are unconscious." Eliza widened her eyes, what is going on here? She turned back to the King of Kralaide, who was standing quite a few steps away from her, and saw him sigh in relief. Of course, he was relieved! The idea that Mahnu would be safely taken out of the city now was the best news he¡¯s heard in a long time! She¡¯s safe, and I¡¯ll see her soon! "You!...You deceived us!" The woman¡¯s loud voice interrupted the King¡¯s thoughts and he rapidly started to realize that this wasn¡¯t the time, nor place, to get lost in his thoughts¡­Since Mahnu was safe, it was time to go! The King started to back away, while shrugging back at the God¡¯s in front of him, "Yes, well, if you did want some kind of peace, I was sure that I would have heard about it by now. Considering you''ve been here a long time, I thought that it obviously wasn''t going to happen." He didn¡¯t know what it was¡­But he felt powerful right now, even though the two in front of him were immortal¡­A small part of himself did shriek to what he had just said to them, but having grown up as a King, how could he shrivel up? No, he could back off and still state what he wanted to say, and no one was going to stop him! "You are just a lowly human! We would never want peace with the likes of you!" Eliza spat out in disgust. Then smirking, Eliza came up with a great idea, "Perhaps the King of Kralaide would make the best of slaves. You¡¯re handsome¡­Mmm¡­Yes, why hadn''t I thought of it before?" Thelmos sighed lazily, "You did¡­About a hundred years ago¡­But you decided against it." His talking was slow, letting King Richard go further away from them and slowly irritating Eliza because of the situation¡­ In the truth of Thelmos¡¯s words, it was simply because taking the King of Kralaide as a slave would probably bring them too much trouble! Thelmos might not understand why, but Eliza didn¡¯t want the burden of having people come after her or taking the throne and having more work to do! "Why you! Shut up!" Eliza hit Thelmos. He didn¡¯t have to state that nonsense! King Richard had used that moment to turn around and start running. Before Eliza turned back, the King was already quite a distance away already! "Quick! Thelmos, make him a slave." "No!" The yelling voice stopped King Richard in his tracks, and he turned to see Mahnu tackle Thelmos and break his neck. "...Wow..." He muttered proudly. Eliza stammered back and glared at Mahnu. Remembering that Thelmos had said that the guards had gone unconscious, she thought to herself that she should have known that Mahnu would probably come for them, but it happened so quickly that Eliza was a bit shocked! Thelmos¡¯s neck had been broken a few times, even by her, so that wasn¡¯t much the surprise, it was that Mahnu hadn¡¯t run away and instead came straight on the offense. She had been so timid before and did not show any type of this behavior! As Eliza calmed herself down, she thought that she truly never knew much about this Mahnu sister of hers! Mahnu stood up and glared back at Eliza. "Did you really think I''d let you get away with it?" Eliza continued to step back as Mahnu walked towards her, then she looked at Thelmos and willed him to heal faster. Admitted that she was a little skeptical to knowing if this type of Mahnu, who acted strong, could stay this way, Eliza still had no other option but to deal with her. Seeing Mahnu look very angry and not showing that defeated look she had given before, Eliza once again quickly looked at Thelmos and found a topic to speak about. "How did you get free?" Eliza asked, feeling more like herself once again. Putting a hand on her hips, she looked at Mahnu with expectation. That¡¯s right, she was my play toy and I should lock my toy back up! "When I heard the King coming here all by himself, it made me angry!" Mahnu quickly turned to King Richard. Her glare changed to defeat when she read his thoughts on her being dirty and needing a bath. She couldn¡¯t blame him for thinking that though, she looked terrible! She had dried blood everywhere! But Mahnu didn''t have enough time to talk, instead, she raced towards Eliza and snapped her neck! She wasn¡¯t stupid, immortals weren¡¯t something you could play with and talk to for ages. Getting in and getting the job done was better! Especially if you take them off guard, as she had with Thelmos! But, she hadn¡¯t any choice then, because they may have really turned the King into a slave! With Eliza being a woman that didn¡¯t want to break a nail, she had been relatively easy to break¡­She might be good at sex and have that Immortal strength, but Mahnu had learnt martial arts and had used her strength to rush right in and not give Eliza a chance to defend herself. "Run!" Mahnu yelled at the King. "Then come with me." He said, holding out his hand. Suddenly, a loud whistle was heard from close by, it was to state that someone had got Mahnu free. Well, perhaps they hadn¡¯t gotten Mahnu free, but at least they had found her and made the decision to let everyone else know where she was. A flare also went up and Mahnu could sense quite a number of people coming their way! Mahnu turned away from Richard, to Thelmos. "I will stay until you and the knights are free of the town." "They were supposed to be there to free you, but...It looks like they weren''t needed." Mahnu snapped the God''s newly healed neck again and turned back to King Richard. "And who''s fault is that!" The King tried not to smile. What a relief, he thought, she''s safe and even angry at me! His desire for her just continued to grow¡­What had been dormant, like that of a dark small room with no windows, was now awake! As soon as Mahnu had arrived, he had watched her and felt safe, even though there was only her against two Immortals. Ah, it was a good sight indeed! "Your Majesty!" The knights stopped on the other side of Mahnu. There were men in commoner clothes coming from all directions from inside the city. "Mahnu! Your safe!" Marcus said in relief. "Yes, now go to the King, I''ll stay here till you are out of town." "But..." "Do it!" Mahnu snapped back. "I would do as she says Marcus." The King yelled out towards him, smiling at Mahnu. "Ah! Yes, of course!" As the knights ran through, to get to the King, they saw Mahnu snap the neck of the female God, without any reservations. Whispers went through the troops and they were also starring in awe to her strength. Some were scared to seeing such a malicious thing happen, yet some where considering whether or not it was enough to stop the immortals¡­Considering that they don¡¯t die¡­ "I''ll see you soon." King Richard said. Mahnu looked up and glared at him. Turning to leave with the army, the King let out a relaxed laugh, confusing many of the knights shadowing him nearby. Chapter 20
Mahnu waited until the knights and the imbecile King was out of town and then she left also. When she reached the river out of the town, she found a rock and cleaned herself. Thinking back to all the times when she had been dirty and never really cared to clean herself, she was surprised to be wanting to be clean before standing in front of that man again¡­ The rock made her bleed again in some places, but the water was washing both the old and new blood away. Unable to clean everywhere, Mahnu could only put the clothes on herself again and search where the King was, practically running in that direction. As soon as she was close enough to read his thoughts, she smiled and was glad she went towards the southern road that lead into Bracken. Richard was even waiting for her, giving her directions to find him. She shook her head but laughed. She had missed him! She found herself unable to stop herself from feeling happy, even with the way things were. There were God¡¯s running amuck and there were slaves that could die within the next day or two¡­But it was hard to stifle down the happiness of seeing that man again¡­Richard. The one who had helped her the most while she had been tortured and who had helped her be able to free herself was none other than the one that she was going to see very soon! Hearing other¡¯s thoughts now, she knew that the King was hiding himself away from the others and that he didn¡¯t want her to be seen by them. He wanted to see her first! Upon finally being in front of the idiot King, Mahnu felt a strange need to rush into his arms¡­But¡­He had been very silly! The anger hadn¡¯t completely disappeared, and Mahnu felt like she had to let it out! Mahnu stared at the King, and said, "You''re an idiot!" "Yes, I''m an idiot. But now you''re free, so it worked! Now come here." King Richard put his arms out to her, and she stopped in front of them. She really wanted to go into them, but¡­She wanted to scold him some more! Why was it that she wasn¡¯t as angry as she was a second ago though? ¡®Come here.¡¯ Repeated into her mind and she couldn¡¯t help but feel special. Of course, he had missed me too! She felt it, heard it and knew it completely¡­That he had missed her just as much as she missed him¡­Perhaps he had even missed her more! At a loss, because she had never felt so special, Mahnu could only stand there in a daze¡­ The King smiled and stepped forward, taking her into his arms. "Mmm...I''ve missed you." I know, Mahnu though, letting herself be embraced by him and feeling better. She had definitely missed this! It had taken a while to get used to the touch of another, now, she felt like she didn¡¯t want to do without it. His smell, his warm hands and how she fit nicely against him, only made it feel like the only good fate she ever had, was meeting this man! How can something so small, make everything better? Just one human, made my existence feel worthwhile¡­ Finally, the King felt normal again¡­Even though it really hadn''t been that long since he saw her last. Now, holding her, he finally let go and relaxed, like he''d come home after years of being away. He stepped back against a tree, taking her with him, and sat down. "You are really adorable when you''re angry." Mahnu lifted her head and looked at him furiously, only for him to pull her head towards him for a kiss. Her anger vanished completely, unable to fight at all against something that she also wanted, and she lost herself to him easily. She found it quite weird that all the time without him seemed to wash away as she let her mouth get taken away by his. Without having done this type of thing for a thousand years, how was it that she was able to do this like she had a month ago? Feeling his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her as she was him, she felt like time was stopping, or at least it slowing down. Her sufferings had disappeared the moment that she had gotten angry and it seemed like nothing else mattered right now. Nothing else, besides his lips¡­Besides this man that made her feel special¡­ They didn''t part till they were panting, both Mahnu and the King though had still not gotten their fill of the other. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for weeks and just one hug and one kiss, was not enough! Mahnu was more thinking that she wanted to make her time with Richard as grand as it good be, with the little time that she had left with him. The King on the other hand had found that natural part about himself that seemed to only come out with Mahnu. He as a man wanted this woman by his side, he as ruler, wanted to relieve himself of his duties just by being in her company. He knew that it was somewhat unexplainable, but it was something that he had accepted, even before Mahnu had left him in Conrella. Should I tell her that I know she''s a God? He asked himself.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Her body went stiff and he remembered that she could hear his thoughts. He held her tighter and said, "It''s fine. Marcus told me what he knew. But even though you are a God, you shouldn''t have let them capture you." Mahnu put her forehead against his and remembered the past month. "They didn''t capture me. I wanted to try and talk them into peace." "So, they didn''t torture you?" Mahnu made a face of pain, shivering slightly, and King Richard said in haste, "They did, didn''t they?!" "It''s okay. It''s nothing I don''t deserve. Besides, I''m free now and we have to get the box ready." "¡­Not yet." Mahnu looked at him, his voice was strange, and his eyes stared at her with longing. "What''s wrong? They won''t stop..." The King, holding Mahnu even closer, stopped her. He looked at her with eyes full of desire and pushed her against him. Even through all the layers of clothes, she could feel his obvious want for her¡­ Just a little bit longer, his thoughts penetrated hers and she consented to him as her body and her heart were unable to say no. Now that she was with him again, she found that all that time without him had been building up inside of her and she had missed him more then she had originally realized. She had already known that she had missed him, but it was surprising on how much! He lifted her clothes and put his to the side and he placed her on top of him, guiding her body to where they both seemed to want to be. Mahnu let him guide her and felt a bit of pain, but it went away quickly. Feeling one of his arms around her waist, helping her move up and down from his lap, his other hand was around her neck. Not going against his push, she melted as he started to kiss her once again. From this kiss, it led to more as he wanted her to move, so that he could take her breasts into his mouth, then he nibbled onto her ear. He kissed numerous other places that he thought might have been tortured and not only that¡­He wanted to refresh her memory upon making love to him¡­He really didn¡¯t want her to leave him again¡­Ever! Mahnu was helpless against his hands and mouth¡­It wasn¡¯t too long before she felt the overpowering, great feeling start to grow inside her and make her hear herself unknowingly moan in return to the pleasure. When Richard felt like Mahnu was starting to get taken by the feeling and slow down, he put his hands upon her lower waist and made her go faster, loving her reaction to it! Not wanting her cries, plea¡¯s and moans to be heard any longer, Richard claimed her mouth with his and pushed her hard into him. It wasn¡¯t easy to keep her voice at bay, especially when he wanted to be deep within her and keep at a pace that was making her look completely gorgeous in his eyes! Not wanting to stop, he took some of her clothes into one of his hands, while his other hand continued to move Mahnu. Her tightened and trembling, heavy breathing and smooth skin nearly tipped him over with her into heaven, but he was holding himself back! Even if it took another hour, Richard was determined to make this person unable to live without him! He wanted more conversations, more moans and pleas, more touching and smiling¡­He wanted more! They felt everything else around them disappear, eagerly discovering each other once again and they both continued to think¡­Just a little bit longer¡­ *** After, when their breathing started to slow, the King looked at her, "I want to hear about you after this. I want to know everything about you." Her blushing, desire look started to disappear as she took a small moment¡­ Mahnu had time to think, as she had been tortured and left in the dark for those days, and this sentence saddened her¡­But¡­She didn¡¯t want Richard to know just yet. If she told him that she was determined to disappear with Thelmos and Eliza¡­ Mahnu sighed, laying against him and she could only say, "I''ve lived a long time..." King Richard interrupted her, "Yes, that you have, but you aren''t alone now, and I want to share your loneliness and all that sadness you felt in the past." He put a hand lovingly on her face and looked down at her as though she was the most precious thing on the land. "Will you share...Will you share yourself with me?" He asked her. Actually, he wanted more. He wanted to share everything, she with him and he with her. For some reason, that sounded like a great plan! And he wanted it all right now! ¡­He never knew how impatient he was! Mahnu stared back at him. Her heart was captivated by him and his words, it was the most beautiful question she''d ever heard. No one had ever wanted to get to know her in the past. Even King Maximus had not asked about anything that didn¡¯t relate to the God¡¯s and what they needed to do. Of course, King Maximus knew that she was being a betrayer, but he never really got to know personally upon who Mahnu was. For over a thousand years, she had been so alone, and no one really knew how she had lived¡­ ¡­She really wanted to just blurt everything out, let him know everything! From being new and freshly made, to having hearing thoughts and knowing the past¡­To how she had overcome her depression and helped the humans in the past¡­She just wanted to let it all out! Why? Why did she want to let her secrets out? It was scary to ask this question, because it would obviously lead to trust, yet¡­She knew she already trusted this man. This man had made her feel special and already knew that she was a God, an immortal that doesn¡¯t die¡­ A unknowing tear fell down her cheek and the King wiped it away gently. He put his other hand on the other side of her face and kissed her eyes. My beautiful Mahnu, please don''t cry. But his thoughts only made her want to cry more¡­ "Ah! Your Majesty...Excuse me." Mahnu looked away and covered her front, wiping at her eyes, while King Richard answered. "Yes?" The King didn''t even try to hide his naked chest and some of Mahnu¡¯s exposed naked thighs. Even though Mahnu could read minds, Richard wasn¡¯t sure why he didn¡¯t do anything just now. Whether it was because he wanted people to know that Mahnu was his woman, or something else¡­It confused him, but yet again, it was just something that he accepted¡­Well, just as long as they don¡¯t see too much of her, Richard thought, as he decided to cover her thighs a bit more. "The knights are restless. They have finally accepted what was said about the God''s and are getting scared." Mahnu looked at Marcus and said, "I don''t blame them, we should finish this before they open The Chest of the God''s or use the slaves for war or..." "Okay!" King Richard sighs, "We will be there, as soon as I am finished here!" "Yes, Your Majesty." Marcus bowed and walked away, still in shock of their close relationship. He knew King Richard wasn''t normally someone that had other women besides the Queen¡­But, remembering the King''s expressions and words when it came to Mahnu, it seemed to all make sense now! Could it be possible? Not only for the King to love another woman but for a God to fall in love? Whether he could answer those questions or not, it didn¡¯t matter now! It was obvious that the King had a new woman and that she will most definitely hold some other kind of power now¡­ Not only was she a God, an immortal, she was now a woman of the King¡­How much power could one woman have!? Marcus didn¡¯t want to go more in depth into that question¡­ Chapter 21
King Richard did not let go of Mahnu''s hand, even when walking up to Marcus and the rest of the knights. They had all gathered away from the tents, close to the river that led into Brackan. Only two big torches were used to light up the area, yet it still wasn¡¯t enough to show all of the soldiers there. So many of them were in the dark and one couldn¡¯t tell when they ended, and that the scenery began. As the King and Mahnu arrive, the knights all went silent and Mahnu heard their confused thoughts. Not only were they thinking about the two God''s inside of Brackan but her as well. The King nodded to a few of them, looking totally oblivious to the aura of doubts surrounding him at that moment. Even if he did understand their thoughts and feelings¡­It seemed like he was just too happy to care at the moment! But Mahnu could not act like Richard, how could she when she heard what they weren¡¯t saying? "I will not harm you." Mahnu said. "Yes, please men. Be rest assured Mahnu is and has always been on our side." Marcus said out loud and proud. "But isn''t she a God?" "We saw it!" "The God''s really don''t die!" Mumbles of scared soldiers went around their gathering and Mahnu was at a loss for words. To speak to so many to declare her innocence, seemed to be such a big step for her. She was still getting used to talking to only one person... "Enough!" King Richard said firmly. "Mahnu is our saviour. Without her, we wouldn''t even be here today! If that is not enough, then I can tell you that in my time, I have only seen her help me, this land and the people. In my eyes...She is the heart of Kralaide!" Everyone went silent and showed many different looks. Some didn¡¯t believe it, some did but were confused on how it had happened. Some were still scared and unaccepting and then there were the few that admired her¡­ Mahnu looked at the King and heard what wasn''t said, while he turned and looked at her. That''s right Mahnu, you hold my heart too. He squeezed her hand, in which were now hiding behind him, and he then turned back to the knights. "And now we depend on her once again for the future of mankind. Put your trust in her, as I do, and we can contain the threat that those two God''s have...Marcus, did you bring what Mahnu asked for?" Marcus unwrapped something in William''s hands that revealed a box. Mahnu nodded to William in acknowledgement at his smile. ¡­Why was he so eager to talk to her? Not having enough time to read William¡¯s direct thoughts, Mahnu was interrupted by Marcus who came to stand before her and the King. "Is this sufficient enough for our needs Mahnu?" Marcus asked, picking up the box and giving it to her. Mahnu only quickly examined it, seeing it had all the ingredients needed and nodded, "Yes, good job. A lockable, contained box with gold and silver. Thank you." "What happens now?" King Richard asked her. "In the previous chest, to contain approximately one hundred God''s, it took the future sight from all three prophets, about five hundred lives from Havlish, dreams of any King and drained my God powers for about a month." The hush that went over the gathering still seemed loud to Mahnu, as the humans heard the price of their freedom. She looked at the King, to see his questioned look back at her. "Yes, Richard, you have dreams of The Siege, even though you weren''t even there." King Richard stared back at her and finally nodded. "I know I had dreams, but it was hard to ever recollect what they were about." The soldiers were completely stunned to the truth. Even every King was involved in what was sacrificed? How would they ever create something like that again! Even prophets no longer existed! Five¡­Five hundred people¡¯s lives¡­ There was one person though that had different thoughts, most likely because they already knew much about The Siege¡­And that was, he had heard Mahnu call His Majesty ¡®Richard¡¯¡­ "I realized after the first time you fell asleep, and I was close enough to read your thoughts. King Maximus wanted any future King to remember what had happened and that is how you remember it. It really stunned me, seeing my own past through you..." The King squeezed her hand again, understanding a few more things about her and himself. Remembering why she had looked at him so strangely when he had been at Havlish that time and maybe¡­When they had been on the way to Conrella, was she grumpy because of his dreams instead? Silence filled the gathering and Mahnu listened to their thoughts. A question lingered on many of their minds and that was sacrificing lives to entrap the God''s inside. "I do not think it will be the same this time." Mahnu said, seeing everyone look at her. She had enough time while being tortured to think of this very solution¡­ "I will be the only one to sacrifice this time." She said, not daring to look at the King. "Mahnu?" Both King Richard and Marcus said. "I will sacrifice my immortality instead. So, human lives should be spared."Stolen story; please report. Again, there was silence. To everyone else, they could possibly hear birds chirp from a far distance or a pin drop to the ground, but to Mahnu¡­It was not silent at all¡­ King Richard wondered a question that she was unsure of how to reply to. ¡­Does that mean you will die? Marcus concluded to the same question also. "No!" They both said to her. "You know everything that happened, you could teach the people..." King Richard interrupted Marcus, "How is it right that the Saviour of Mankind becomes the sacrifice? That isn''t fair!" I want you to be with me! The Kings pleading thoughts made Mahnu finally look at him. "Then you want to kill people, Your Majesty?" She knew her words would hurt him. But, realistically, that is what would happen. Sacrificing one life for many...A King should know which one to pick, she thought. King Richard gave her a pained look and turned away from her. Just when I get you back...You continue to try and escape my grasp every single time...If there was a way to have no sacrifices, I would choose that! His thoughts hurt her in return as she knew that would be a better solution but knew that this outcome was forced upon them. ¡­Through this though, she realized he was still holding tightly onto her hand. He didn¡¯t hate her, nor was he mad at her, he just wished that the circumstances could be different¡­ Wanting to take this opportunity, Mahnu took a deep breath in and cleared her throat, "It''s settled then." She knew doing this was going to be difficult, especially since she had to say goodbye to the only thing that made her existence worthwhile¡­But saying that it was settled, nearly already broke her heart! I¡¯m not ready¡­But¡­Would I ever be ready and willing? Again, she questioned her fate¡­ "Wait! What about the other sacrifices?" Marcus asked. Mahnu breathed in again, "I will also fulfil those too." "No!" Again, both Marcus and the King responded. "Why you?!" The King yelled, startling many. "Let us do them, you already have done enough!" Marcus pleaded. Their words were really sweet to her. For so long she wanted to not exist or sleep for eternity and here they were fighting for her to stay! "Please don''t." Mahnu said, covering her mouth and turning away from everyone. How could they deny her this? I have already excepted this fate! She had come to this conclusion while being tortured, that she was going to give all of herself for this box. That it could possibly be what she was destined to do all this time. Because of what she could do, it made sense that this could be her last act. It would remove all of the God''s from Kralaide, and the humans will have to help themselves from that point onward. "Put the box away for now, we need to discuss this further." King Richard turned, pulling Mahnu with him as he walked towards his own personal tent. Once the two of them were inside the King''s tent, he grabbed her shoulders and angrily said, "What are you thinking? Do you hate the thought of being here that much!?" ¡­Do you hate the thought of being with me!? Mahnu looked away from him and his thoughts, "Do you know what it''s like to be stuck here, branded as a betrayer, immortal and knowing the suffering of all the humans? Don''t you think I''ve endured enough?" Her voice ended close to a whisper. Already, King Richard felt like she was like the breeze. In one swift moment, would she just disappear? His heart ached for her to stay! She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. ¡­There was no point in becoming emotional now that I have already decided to end my fate. It was just¡­The King¡¯s feelings were washing over her and making her really sad now and she was unable to be indifferent at this precise moment¡­ "I doubt I have ever come close to what you have had to endure...But Mahnu...Is it so much for a man to ask for his woman to be by his side!?" Mahnu looked at him and saw his face. He looked so sad. His question was really quite simple. Not a King or a God. Nor what town you¡¯re from. Just for one person to be with another. She put a hand to his face and whispered, "Do you not know how special you are to me?" He leaned his head into her hand and Mahnu thought for a moment he might cry. "Is there...If you give up your immortality...?" Mahnu answered, trying hard to stay emotionless but felt herself tumbling down from the big emotional cliff that she had tried to place herself on, "I am not sure what will happen¡­I am sorry, but it is something that I must do..." The King grabbed her, forcing her closer, "Why? If something is to happen to you, then I''d be sacrificing too! Do you want that?" He was mad at her. She could understand...But she was sure this was the best solution for everybody. How could her existence, which meant little, be more meaningful to humans who had loved ones? She really could see the difference! She had very little humans she was close to and even though she had helped people survive all these years¡­Could she stop now? Had she not done enough? Had she not sacrificed enough? With Mahnu was asking these questions, tears did threaten to once again fall from her eyes, because she knew that for once, she didn¡¯t want to leave! She wanted to stay! She wanted to live a life with Richard and experience what he has to offer her! But¡­She knew if she opened that part of her heart, she probably wouldn¡¯t have the courage to do what she must! "Dammit!" King Richard yelled. I don''t know what to do...How do I keep my beloved with me, without sacrificing any human lives? His thoughts were quite traumatized, holding a lot of emotion, making Mahnu stay silent. Letting her hand fall, she stood there quietly, waiting for him to calm down. "Thank you, Richard." Mahnu finally broke their silence, "Just to have you react this way, really makes everything worth it. I''ve never felt so loved by another before...And...Thank you..." A tear fell to his clothes and Mahnu tried to calm down also. Why does she feel like her heart was breaking? Saying goodbye was something she had really never done before. Not to Princess or to the boy, not to towns, not even previously to Richard¡­Actually, hadn¡¯t she done so once already? That¡¯s right, Mahnu wiped her eyes and sighed, even back then she had felt somewhat connected to him, even if it was only because of the past that he dreamt about. But, now, that there may not be a future, she felt absolutely obligated to tell him how special he was to her! How much he has done for her and how much he made her happy! That her existence felt like it had a purpose when she had met him! King Richard pulled her face towards him and kissed her gently. He thanked her in his thoughts. While kissing her eyes, he thanked her for seeing him for himself. Kissing her mouth, he thanked her for taking the chance to talk to him. Nibbling on her ear, he thanked her for listening to him. All these feelings reminded her of the boy from a long time ago. He had thanked her and said that she had suffered. Mahnu closed her eyes thinking, yes, yes, I have suffered¡­ Mahnu was defeated with all of Richard''s thanks and accepted each and every one because she wasn''t sure how much time she had left. She wanted tonight to be special, so she tried not to think of the big possibility that she may never see this man again. She had never felt closer to humans, as she did now, as she finally understood about being worried that tomorrow would come sooner then she wants it too. She wanted time to stop, she wanted to make the best of what she holds dear to her heart¡­ And just how Richard had thanked her, Mahnu thanked him in return, kissing his eyes, mouth and ears. She took the courage to leave marks on his body, giving her a sense of pride as well as selfishly wanting him to not forget her easily. She made him lay there, while she took control, making him unable to do anything, because she wanted to show him how much she wanted him, how much she wanted to tease him and wanted him to beg her to him give more¡­Of course, she did what she was told! She gave her all to him, even when he took over afterwards, and Richard did feel a strange difference this time when they were making love but didn¡¯t question it¡­As he was too busy with his blushing beauty! *** Chapter 22
After the King finally fell asleep, Mahnu escaped his grasp and got dressed. Her plan was clear, but her heart was completely the opposite as it was rendered into a state that Mahnu had trouble moving around. Fighting herself, she breathed in and briefly wrote a note to leave on the table. Without turning back, she left the tent, feeling like she had lost some part of her soul. But¡­She knew if she didn¡¯t get out now, there was absolutely no chance of her leaving at all! Never having been so close to another, whether they be human or God, Mahnu was desperately struggling inside. She felt like she deserved to stay and experience this great journey and be with Richard¡­Yet, she knew that it was best for everybody if she was to leave and do as she had intentionally had thought of before¡­For the sake of the human lives, the slaves, the future¡­The best thing would be for her to sacrifice herself and her powers to entrap the God¡¯s. Knowing that it was only two God¡¯s, instead of close to a hundred, Mahnu did hope silently that she would be able to stay, she hoped¡­Yet, could not afford to dream of this, she did not want to rely on it and give it a chance. If she had told the King of the small chance that it may happen, he may get his hopes up and if it weren¡¯t to happen? ¡­So, that was why she didn¡¯t say anything, she did not want to lie, as she didn¡¯t know¡­ She just hoped, hoped for a second chance, for a life with her loved one¡­ There were some knights that were on guard, but they had no way to defend against her, as a God. Nonetheless, she tried to stay out of combat as she didn''t want to hurt anybody anyway. The biggest reason was, if one of them saw her, they would probably make it known to either Marcus or the King and her plans may even fail! Sneakily, she roamed in between the tents and used the trees nearby as well. It wasn¡¯t like Havlish though, where trees were everywhere, so sometimes, she had no other option but to be on foot. Finally, she found the box in Marcus''s tent, as he was sleeping right beside it. And silently, Mahnu crept over to it, wondering if he''ll wake up. The box went into her hands easily and Mahnu left the tent, quickly jumping into a tall tree before being seen by a knight. Mahnu knew that what she was doing would hurt Richard but how could he ask her to do it? Even some of the other humans thought it best that she do this but didn¡¯t have the courage to ask¡­ Her hand patted the chest with respect as it would help her accomplish her last act as a God. This small item was going to end all God''s on Kralaide. Mahnu held onto it tight as she jumped further and further away, from the camp full of knights...And closer to the two God''s inside the town of Brackan. *** The King awake to noise just after dawn and got up, noticing straight away that Mahnu wasn''t there. Before he could wake up completely though to that realization, Marcus rushed in, "Your Majesty! The box is gone!" King Richard took a few moments, before adding, "So is Mahnu." "Could that mean..." Marcus stopped midway, seeing that the King''s face dramatically changed. The fact of the King being naked, only having a blanket to cover his bottom half was not something Marcus questioned, especially at this time! "Dammit!" The King yelled, throwing an unlit candle stick at the tent. He then put a hand to his head in frustration. Of course, he thought, of course she would do this! Why didn''t we guard her and the box better? Oh...I am such a fool! "Your Majesty, there''s a note here." The King raced to Marcus, completely disregarding his lose of any type of clothing, and took the small parchment from him. ''My dearest Richard, By now you have probably found that both the box and I have disappeared. I have it and I will end all God''s. If you see the box again, assume it contains us and hide it very well. Through over a thousand years, you have made my existence worthwhile. For that, I am more thankful then you will ever imagine! Yours Eternally, Mahnu'' King Richard wanted to tear the letter apart in anger, but he loved it too much. How could I get rid of evidence that she was here, and especially when she had written, ''Yours eternally.'' ...I will not accept that you don''t exist! "Marcus..." "Yes, Your Majesty?" Marcus answered, unsure on how to act. "Mahnu has the chest, we are going after her! Wake the men! We are going back to Brackan!" The King yelled as he started getting dressed. "Yes, Your Majesty!" Seeing that he had placed the clothing on backwards, the King cursed and roughly changed to wear the clothing properly. He wasn¡¯t in the mood for this! Nor did he have the time! *** Half an hour after they had found Mahnu''s note, the army of the knights and the King entered a disheveled town. The people looked dazed and when asked if they were all right, they looked skeptical. "I don''t know. I feel like...I''ve been sleeping for a long time." When the King saw the evidence of a small fight, it became certain that the God''s were no longer here. Not only because the slaves seemed to have reawakened¡­But the damage caused was not something men could do¡­An entire brick wall had a big hole in it and some dents had been made on the tiled floor. It was once an opened area not too far from the Governor¡¯s place where students would gather to be taught¡­Now, it looked like a few dozen men had come to spend all day to rip it apart¡­If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. King Richard put his hand against the broken wall and closed his eyes, "Has the box been found?" Marcus answered, "No, Your Majesty. I had even got the men to look for the two God¡¯s that they had seen the day before, but no one has seen them. The people¡­The people have also returned to normal, but¡­They can¡¯t remember what happened while they were a slave." The King turned around and sat against the leaning wall, looking up at the sky. "Shut everyone''s mouth. It is to be kept a secret." Even though the King had been vague on his words, Marcus understood. The God¡¯s had to be kept a secret, so they will have to come up with another reason why the people felt this way¡­ King Richard put his head in his hands and sighed. "Calm the people down and search the area for Mahnu. I''ll...Be in my tent down by the river." Marcus ordered his knights to make sure that they all knew all of His Majesty''s commands and went to be at His Majesty''s side. King Richard read and re read Mahnu''s letter. How could she leave me! No one had agreed to this outcome! Did last night mean nothing as you gave yourself to me? The King sadly laughed, no, it was, and is obvious, that she was saying goodbye. "Your Majesty?" Marcus stepped into the tent. "Did you find her!?" Automatically, King Richard asked this in high hopes. "¡­No, Your Majesty. We didn''t find her or the box." Earlier, they had already come up with an idea to calm the people down. Anything was better then the people being scared of immortals that took slaves and didn¡¯t die, so they had stated that people had been sick instead and that they finally found the cure. It was obviously something that could be questioned, but this was all that any of them had said to anybody that asked and they did not give any more information. In another day or two, the King will personally gather everyone and help to rebuild Bracken to its former glory. Already, he had been told about some misfortunes, so he was trying to come up with ways to help the people overcome what has happened by implanted a few more doctors and inserting a temporary Governor¡­As¡­They had no idea where Zachery was at this moment! Even the army was to stay for an extra month or two to help and give the people a sense of safety. The problem was, the King was having trouble concentrating¡­Always waiting for someone to rush in and state that they had found Mahnu¡­Yet, no one ever came to utter these words¡­ The King sighed loudly to his frustrated heart. "Your Majesty...How long do you want us to search for her...It''s been half a day and nothing..." Interrupting Marcus, the King yelled, "Forever! Never stop!" King Richard stopped. What was he going to do if he couldn''t find her? "Sir?" A voice was heard outside the tent. "Yes, William." William came inside, the King couldn''t help but hope for good news, "Have you found her?" "...No, Your Majesty. But, please, allow me to search for her...Even if I spend the rest of my life doing so. I won''t stop until I find her." The King smiled, looking at William in hope. "You will...Search for her?" He couldn¡¯t help but stand up from his temporary desk and walk over to William. William went down on one knee, putting his hand over his heart. "Yes, Your Majesty." "Can I put all my faith in you finding her?" The King knew he must look pathetic at the moment, but he needed someone who would do this, put their life down for hers. To find¡­His home¡­ "Yes, Your Majesty. I will not stop believing that she is alive. I will never give up." Breathing out, the King smiled. "Thank you, William. You have my royal degree to go look for her and use whatever means necessary. I will await your good news." William got up and walked out of the King''s tent with the King¡¯s token in his hands. With this token, he will be able to get whatever he needed, whether it be an army or a bed or food. He could also use a person to directly go to the King with a letter, which is probably one of the biggest reasons why the King had given him this token. He wanted to find Mahnu as well, since finding out that she was a God, William has been curious. In his life, he has followed tradition and lived the way he was supposed to, but now he was excited of what he could find out! He had to find her! She was a living history chronicle! *** 2 years later Giving the reigns of his current horse to the stable keeper, William sighed. He hadn''t been in Brackan for a year, but it was time to start his search from scratch again. Staying two months, after the disappearance of Mahnu, William had decided to widen his search and after he had searched Cental, Conrella and Nowell, he had returned back to Brackan, only to find nothing once again. After that, William had set out to search for Mahnu in the remaining parts of Kralaide. Obviously, there was no such luck¡­ There had been people that he had stopped to look at, because they had a similar feature to Mahnu, but they ended up being somebody else. He followed two rumours of ladies but, again, nothing had come out of it. The roads were mostly always empty, but he stopped to search them as well. It had been a tedious long journey that seemed to show more and more signs that Mahnu was no longer living. But¡­ William couldn¡¯t shake a feeling that something was amiss. Considering that the box has also not been found, he felt like there was no possible way that he could stop his search for Mahnu. Even though it was a tedious journey, and finding Mahnu was always his number one priority, William could not also shake away his curiosity from being in places that he had never been to before. He did not go out of his way to enjoy any type of scenery, but he did look around and try out some different foods when he could. So, to him, the journey was not at all tedious! In fact, if it took another two years to do the exact same thing¡­He was willing! Sitting down at a dumpling business, William ordered a meal and then turned to the busy streets of Brackan. Brackan had gotten back to normal the last time he was here but William hadn''t been able to watch, as his priority was Mahnu. Seeing it now, while he was having his first meal of the day, he let himself look around at the change from the last time he remembered being here. Since all the streets had already been cleaned and that they still were, he was not surprised at seeing carriages being used once again. The people looked better though, as they had taken some time to get over what had happened. He had already thought about it earlier, that not knowing what you had done for so many days and what not, would just about scare anybody! There were a few incidents that William wasn¡¯t even aware of, but the King knows of them well enough. A few prisoners in the prisoner cells had been let lose and had to be found. A few maidens had come to crisis too, as they found themselves not pure anymore or with someone that wasn¡¯t their husband¡­A total of three women killed themselves, and then another twenty or thirty needed further help, whether it was because they were shocked or scared¡­Or pregnant¡­ The King wasn¡¯t even sure where the Governor Zachery was for a few weeks, stating him as missing! But, a lot of information was withheld, and the laws did stretch for a certain period in Bracken, so that people were able to move on better from what had happened. Cental, Nowell and Conrella was a lot easier to sort out, because there was a lot less ¡®slaves¡¯ that had been there¡­ The trades where back, perhaps even better now and Bracken seemed a tiny bit more friendlier, as he saw some young children run around in a section, in the distance from where he was. It really had been wrecked, but now, it was like people had been able to move forward and live once again¡­It was¡­Good. Nearly finished taking his meal, William sighed and thought about how he should start searching for Mahnu here. His quest might have been abanded by others by now, but William found that he got more and more involved as time went by, especially because he didn¡¯t feel bound to just being a knight! He felt freer and preferred to travel and learn new things¡­He even wished that after he found Mahnu, he might be able to travel again and learn some more¡­Except, after he thought that, he also realized that he might learn more from Mahnu and decided it might be better to just stick by her side instead! He couldn¡¯t deny his want to know more about the history of Kralaide, it was always something that excited him ever since he knew that there used to be prophets in the past! Feeling that seeing the King personally, to tell him where he''s been, only made William feel like he would be wasting time. He hasn''t seen his leader either. Even looking for the box had been too much of a bother after the first two months! Using the token only twice to send a letter, to state where he had been and that he had not found Mahnu yet, William had used it more for beds, food and horses instead. ¡­It was time to search again, William thought, getting up from his seat and stretching. *** Chapter 23
A couple of days later, William stood by the river, that flowed through the town, and put down his bag. Running around all day had made him sweaty and he was going to dip in the water, to cool himself down. It had been a normal week, looking at woman, or girls, that had any kind of resemblance to Mahnu. He¡¯d looked at the two temples, the Governor¡¯s place, and then went to a tea party that was being held for the young ladies¡­But never found her. He¡¯d looked around in the animal farms, the beach, and even followed a lady to a rich house before he could find out that she wasn¡¯t who he was looking for. There were just a few more places and then he was wondering if he should go elsewhere once again. Normally he would stick around and listen to news for a short while longer, but this was the third time now that he was looking in Brackan and he was wondering if he should go elsewhere, where he had only looked once before. As he started to take his clothes off, someone jumped down from the tree close to him. She didn''t speak to him, but¡­She looked exactly like her, but just a bit older¡­ William was caught in a stunned silence. Mahnu...Mahnu stood in front of him and he could scarcely believe it! "Mahnu?" Her eyes searched his, before she asked, "Do you...Know me?" He watched her take a step back as she looked a little scared. "I''m not going to hurt you." He stated, trying to look very friendly. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her¡­He needed to know how to get this girl with the King, not make her run away and have to look for her again¡­ She made no reply, she just stared at him. "You don''t...Remember me?" William asked. She shook her head and William wondered..."Did you lose your memory?" She nodded, then said, "I''m going now." William didn''t want to let her go but didn''t know how to proceed. He can''t just take her against her will and go to Conrella, so how was he going to let the King know that she was here? I could send a rider¡­But¡­ He decided to follow her and look around to where she stayed instead... The first thing he needed to do, was to know where she was at the very least¡­He could decide on what to do after that. For a full day William became a full citizen of Brackan. He deviously did small, easy jobs for people close by Mahnu''s residence, to gain information. Apparently, they had been here the whole entire time. William had dropped what he was carrying when he was told that, making his toes very sore. How had he not found her before now? Trying to find out if the two older people, that she was staying with, and Mahnu would leave to go elsewhere, he heard that they wouldn¡¯t, and he decided to leave for Conrella on the next day. Deciding against sending a rider, because it was such delicate news, William was excited. Willing to leave this place for two weeks, even though Mahnu could disappear once again, William wanted to take the risk and relay this news to His Majesty himself! Not only because his quest was finally finished, but because he wanted to see that man¡¯s face when he hears the news! He knew little of what was going on, but from what he had heard, the King had somewhat changed since Mahnu¡¯s disappearance and William hoped that the King will be happy once again. Besides that, he would also like to report to Marcus, to state that he had not been slacking off! Knowing that if it wasn¡¯t for the King¡¯s direct order to finding Mahnu, William was sure that he¡¯d be doing extra training and he was glad to have missed the opportunity! 1 week later William went straight to the palace, leaving his horse to the guard. The guards went to stop him from entering but stopped when they saw that he was a knight...A knight with the King¡¯s token¡­ William couldn''t blame them. He hadn''t been here in two years...And he needed to cut his hair and shave. Which was possibly another reason why Mahnu might not have recognized him¡­ Not only that, the King¡¯s token was very rarely used, and they had to look at it carefully, before they finally understood what it was! Running, William couldn''t contain his excitement! It had been two years! Two years of being out and about, not having much to do with the knights or Conrella. Even Havlish wasn¡¯t a place that he had stayed for very long! Two years¡­ He had already asked where the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights was and headed straight there, sure that he would be with the King.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Charging through the door, leading to the King, William interrupted a meeting with a Governor, but he didn''t care. "Your Majesty!" Bowing on one knee, he put a hand to his heart, not caring that someone was there trying to get him out of the room. "William?" Marcus asked, his voice questioning and somewhat irritated, because of the sudden intrusion. William looked up and smiled at the King, who stared back at him blankly. Yes, the King was not putting any hopes into anything¡­Even if this person in front of him was William¡­ Finding it easy to tell the people to leave, the King took in a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm himself down. Two years had indeed been too long for him¡­He did not let himself hope anymore and would much rather work hard and sleep¡­Just so that he would not¡­ Opening his eyes, King Richard prepared for the worse. Perhaps his nightmares of her body being found might be said¡­Or that they had found the long-lost box without his precious Mahnu beside it. Maybe a momentum of her was left behind with a letter, stating she was never going to return¡­Or worse, that perhaps she did survive but didn¡¯t want anything to do with us ¡®human¡¯s¡¯ anymore¡­ Preparing for one of these outcomes, the King could wait¡­He¡¯d much prefer to have a small hope that she had survived¡­But what were the chances? Standing up, William apologized for the intrusion, then walked up to His Majesty, "I have fulfilled your wish, Your Majesty." He watched as the King''s eyes slowly began to sparkle, but showed not an ounce of a smile, confusing him completely. Does His Majesty no longer care for Mahnu? Losing a bit of his excitement, William wondered if the King had sent out a note that he didn¡¯t receive, to state for him to stop searching¡­ While two men were thinking and were silent, Marcus led the Governor out of the room and had already returned. "Where...Where is she?" The King couldn¡¯t take it anymore! William had come in here with a smile, and now he looked different¡­Before he could stop himself, he had asked this because he was already losing his mind! Was it¡­That her body was found? His voice had cracked, and the King looked away and cleared his throat. For a long time, he had forgotten what it was like to show his endless worry and desperate want for Mahnu. For two years, he had learnt how to hide it¡­Showed others that this was not something he thought about, but¡­With William in front of him, he could no longer hide it! Taking a deep breath, William said, "She has always been in Brackan, she has also lost her memory." The King continued to stare at William in a daze. Did¡­Did he just state that she¡­Was alive!? Unknowingly, the King felt slightly dizzy, finding out he had been holding his breath and let himself slightly relax¡­Even if this news was false¡­Even if it wasn¡¯t her, this was something! Yet, becoming so dependent upon this¡­ Trying to remember that he was the King and that he should not break down, King Richard finally asked, "And you''re sure it''s her?" William smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty...I don''t have much more information, but I didn''t think I could bring her here as she was timid and a little scared." "I see." The King smiled for a short moment, then said, "Go back to Brackan and keep an eye on her. We will meet on the road and I will make arrangements as soon as possible to leave here." William bowed and smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty!" King Richard didn¡¯t hear Marcus¡¯s next words¡­He was completely within his thoughts¡­ Really? Could I¡­Hope? Clenching up his hands, the King could not let the matter go, he just couldn¡¯t let the chance go by! He had to go! What if¡­It was really her!? What if¡­She had survived and as William said, she had lost her memory? What if¡­ Originally, the King was not going to rush to Brackan, but just within a few minutes, he did a quick few things and said a quick few words, before leaving a few hours later¡­ Marcus had tried to state that they leave the next day and have a good night¡¯s rest, but how was the King supposed to sleep!? Even¡­Even if it wasn¡¯t Mahnu, this was the best news he had heard in two years! Two years! 1 week later The King orders everyone to be quiet upon who they are. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare what William called ¡®Mahnu¡¯ away. Becoming known that you¡¯re amongst people from the palace and even the King, might completely scare his long-lost lover away¡­And well, if it wasn¡¯t her, then it wouldn¡¯t matter, they would just leave without hindering their lives. So, he just didn¡¯t want to take any chances! He had everyone, including himself, dressed in normal attire, to give them more success! Even before they had arrived here, King Richard had glared at one of his guards when they had called him ¡®Your Majesty¡¯! The guards shrunk back in fear and tried not to talk again for the rest of the trip because of this! But¡­They all saw a change within their King in the last couple of days. He wasn¡¯t like the soulless, busy King at the moment, he was angry and happy¡­He was more alive¡­ Marcus did ruin one of the days, by asking what the King would do if this ¡®Mahnu¡¯ refuses to be with him and the King answered him sadly that he would let her go. Of course, before letting her go, King Richard would do his utmost to win her back first¡­But, what else is he to do? She was once again the savior of mankind and if she wished for him to disappear from her life¡­How could he not try to do that for her? That day, the guards felt that the atmosphere had dimmed completely, and it was very quiet in their entourage¡­ The idea that Mahnu had lost her memories seemed like a good idea to King Richard, because he might be able to get her to fall in love him all over again¡­Actually, the idea of doing that made him feel pretty good! All he had done with her, was be himself, and if all he needed to do is that for her to fall for him again, how hard could that be!? He¡¯d happily climb trees and make her talk all over again! Whereas¡­If she had remembered everything, then that would mean she had stayed away from him all this time and he couldn¡¯t fathom why she would do that! Well, he did have an idea¡­But it was more so he was in denial about it. He didn¡¯t want to think Mahnu would stay away because she felt like she was a betrayer and didn¡¯t deserve any type of happiness¡­It was much better to believe that she had lost her memory! The journey to Brackan had its ups and downs, but finally, when they had made it just before the town begins¡­They saw William there laying upon the grass, lazily in the shade, with his hands under his head. Meeting up with William, whom had now shaven and cut his hair, they see him relaxed and enthusiastic, and back to his familiar, normal look. "William, please tell me you weren''t lying." Again, the King could only expect this to be a prank¡­ Yes, he had made it all the way here to Brackan¡­But¡­What if it wasn¡¯t her¡­ "No. On my honour as a knight, I''m telling the truth, Your Majesty!" William said easily, bowing on one knee and put a hand to his heart. He looked up and gave His Majesty and very happy smile. The King dared to smile in return, he let himself hope that he was right. "Good. Take me to her." William chuckled, while standing up. He hadn¡¯t originally thought of meeting up with the King here upon the road. He was going to check in at the King¡¯s residence within Brackan once a day¡­Yet¡­Here he was¡­ He¡¯d only been back a day or two, wanting to make sure that Mahnu was still here, having rushed along the road back towards Brackan. After he returned, William slept and then had just stuck to Mahnu like glue, only to find her come out here on her own¡­It was like¡­Fate¡­ The King looked at him in worry, his hopes starting to fade already. Was this a joke? "What?" Looking up in the nearby tree, William saw Mahnu. She was looking out in the far horizon and swinging one of her legs from the branch she was sitting on... Pointing, he said, "She''s there." Chapter 24
The King looked up to where William was pointing, and he felt his heart beating once again. He put his hand to his chest and let out a small cry. Mahnu, do I dare to believe my eyes? He found himself getting off his horse and slowly walking towards the tree, it was the same type of pull that he¡¯d only felt with Mahnu. Already, he was sure¡­He was positive! That beautiful body, that pose, the far away look¡­ Then, she suddenly moved, making him stop in his tracks and he watched her in a daze, as she started to climb down the tree. When she gets down, the King immediately runs to her and hugs her, unable to stop himself! I can''t believe it''s her! Her hair has grown, and she looks a little bit older but it''s Mahnu! Mahnu! He let her go and asked, "What happened!? Where have you been!?" She didn''t answer him, only making him more certain it was her. Even that confused and stunned face made him want to laugh, reminding him upon when he had first put her into his bath! So, I have to get her to talk again!? An excitement went through King Richard, something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time! She picks up her items and tries to walk away but he stops her, making her drop everything on her toes. Immediately King Richard apologizes, looking from the fallen items to her¡­Whom was jumping around, then suddenly falls to the ground and closes her eyes to the sudden pain. What had fallen seemed to have been some tools that she was supposed to deliver to somebody. But the tools were no longer in King Richard¡¯s eyes as he is unable to hold himself back yet again¡­ He picks her up and that''s when she finally talks, saying to put her down and that he''s going the wrong way! "Ah, so you can talk! And you tried to walk away from me!" "It is not a sin to walk away from a man when a woman is by herself, now put me down!" "You''re hurt." "I am not...Broken! I can still walk, please, put me down!" He stops but doesn''t put her down, "I am so glad! Really!" He hugs her tighter. "You still respond to me exactly the same way. I thought that I''d never see you again and that if I did, you would be different." His gentle face and words stunned her for a moment, "You...Know me?" "My dear! Yes! I''ve been looking for you everywhere!" King Richard had indeed sent some of his people out whenever he went to Havlish, or visited any other town in the last two years¡­ "I can''t remember who I used to be...I''m sorry. Are you sure...You mean me?" "Yes. Mahnu is your name and you are my woman. Don''t you ever forget that!" "You''re...You''re woman!?" Her shriek at saying those words only made him happier. There was a small glimpse on her angry look, making him remember how adorable she was when she was angry. The King laughs then, he hadn''t laughed whole heartily for so long! It really felt great! He hid himself in her chest then, holding her tight. Breathing in her sweet smell, he also felt a tear falling down his cheek, "I''m finally home!" Unable to move and not wanting people to know that he had tears in his eyes, he tightened his hold on her and went silent. Right now, all he wanted to do was hold her like this, in his arms, so that he could feel normal again¡­ Mahnu was moved, moved so much that she had unknowingly put her hands around him. A redness seeped into her cheeks and she felt strange¡­ Thinking that it was most likely because she had never done something like this before, she tried not to question it more. "I feel bad...That I don''t remember you." Was all she could say at the moment. Yet, she felt like she had to say something to this man that was hiding himself from the world¡­ Then, she started to realize her own actions of having her arms around his neck, and he didn''t move as she tried to push him away, "Not yet." She heard his muffled voice. Raising her eyebrows, she looked at the man that was stubbornly stuck to her chest and she didn¡¯t know what to do! But¡­He looked¡­ Silently staring at him, she saw him rub against her, his head moving from side to side and saw the light shake of his shoulders. He looked sad, was he crying? Why would he be crying though? For a long time, she had felt like it had not mattered that she had lost her memories. Some strange feeling inside made her think that there was no one there looking for her¡­Especially since Betty and Donald had looked for her parents but never found anyone that knew her. For some reason, whenever they tell her that they¡¯ve had no luck upon finding her family, Mahnu was not surprised¡­ She felt like¡­She had no family¡­ But, within just a week, two years after losing her memories, someone was coming up to her and then someone else came up to her, both of them men! She knew she was at marriageable age, and men would look at her and perhaps come up with ways to get close to her but¡­Maybe these two men were part of her history¡­ Seeing how emotional this man was as he was holding her¡­Made her sad¡­She didn¡¯t want him to be sad!A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡­For some reason, she didn¡¯t hate being in his arms, but¡­This really wasn¡¯t something she should be doing right now! Looking out to those close by, that had not come any closer and were looking away from them, she looked back to the man who was hiding himself and really did wonder if she had known these unfamiliar people in the past. King Richard repeated ¡®I love you Mahnu¡¯, a few times in his head. He had not known how much until she had disappeared and until he saw her again. I love you, Mahnu! Now I can finally breath! I can feel my heart beating! "Are you...Okay?" Her voice was so good to hear. He had been longing to hear it for so long. He had even wished that every day he would remember his dreams, just so that he could see and hear her, even if it was through a dream¡­ He pulled back, still not letting her go. "Did you hear what I was thinking just now?" She looked at him confused. "How could I hear what you are thinking? Are you and idiot?" Smiling freely, King Richard started to walk towards his horse, "Yes, Yes, I''m an idiot!" She''s lost her memories and it looks like she''s also lost her immortality and hearing thoughts. Her face doesn''t seem stressed, hopefully she doesn''t suffer either anymore. King Richard sighed inwardly, thinking about that. He was sure that her existence had been very hard to endure earlier, so he was very glad that she looked a lot less stressed then she usually did before¡­ As the others around just watched silently, the King placed her on his horse, and he got on behind her. "We''ll stay in Brackan for now." He said to the others. "Wait, I''ve got to go home!" Mahnu said. King Richard leaned over, pushing her more against his chest and smiled, "Show me where you were staying, I need to thank them." "Thank them?" Unable to stop himself, he moved his mouth to her ear, and whispered, "For looking after you." Seeing her turn around and having and irritated face, the King could only smile in return. Mahnu! King Richard held her to him once again, still not satisfied, even though she was right up against his chest. "Oh, I''ve missed you!" "Are you sure it''s me? I''m not used to this at all." She said, noticing that his hands were roped around her. How could he be so direct like this!? Yet, she didn¡¯t remove them¡­ Confusion settled into her mind and Mahnu could only be silent¡­ "It''s fine, It''s fine. I''ll just get you used to me again. I''ll chase after you every time, Mahnu." Mahnu was speechless. He was definitely like no other man she had met in the last two years. It was a little pathetic to her that he has already done more than any other man has done in Brackan! He was Shameless! A pervert! Yet, she also realized that she hadn¡¯t really fought much against him all this time¡­Not just now, but even just minutes before! What was wrong with her!? Even though she had rarely ever spoken when she left her home, she did have two suitors who had tried to be with her. One seemed to walk away after seeing her scared and that she had no memory previous of when they were ¡®sick¡¯. But the other seemed to follow her for quite some time, thinking that she was still worth considering as a wife, even though she was like that. It had only been two months since he had finally given up and stopped showing up in front of her¡­ Betty had told her that she was pretty, and that she was a lot easier to get along with then some other young ladies, because she simply didn¡¯t talk as much as them. But was that really so? This man, I had only just met him, and his hands were all over me and¡­They were warm and felt good¡­Was it because the feeling of it was familiar? *** After they got to where Mahnu had been residing at all this time, they greeted each other, and the King personally thanked them. He didn¡¯t care where he was, nor the people he was shaking hands with, he was still very happy with finding his beloved Mahnu. It wasn¡¯t like he hated poor houses, it was more so that he wasn¡¯t used to them¡­And shaking hands with commoners was another rare thing he did¡­ But nothing mattered! He had no worries and wore a smile that rarely left his face! The older lady, Betty, looked worried as she stared at Mahnu, "...Have you regained your memories, Cassandra?" ¡®Cassandra¡¯ shook her head, looked up at the man holding her and then looked away. The redness in her cheeks hadn¡¯t subsided this whole time! "Then, sir, how can we be sure? We care very much for Cassandra, we won''t let anyone think that they might know her!" The older lady might not have yelled but she had raised her voice. It was obvious to everyone though, Betty was just looking over her adopted daughter, whom she cared for¡­It wouldn¡¯t be easy to accept a man that she¡¯d never met before holding onto someone she had accepted as her own daughter¡­ Marcus came to step in, but the King waved him away. "I know she does not remember, I also have two people who can confirm it but...I want her to come to me freely." King Richard turned to her then and she stared at him. Putting his hand to her face, he watched her reaction. At first, ¡®Cassandra¡¯ was shocked and took a small step back, but she looked at the man¡¯s face again. For a moment, she was silent as she stared at him. She liked how he was giving her a chance, even though her memories had not come back¡­And truly she had no recollection of him whatsoever! But¡­Her heart was beating so fast that she thought she was getting sick! Her palms felt weird, because they were wet, and she felt the blush that was burning on her cheeks! Even if she had no memory of this man, it seemed¡­That perhaps her heart and her body remembered him¡­ Over this short time, her shock slowly disappeared, to show that she was just a girl eyeing a man that she admired. To many people in the room, ¡®Cassandra¡¯ looked like the typical young lady that had a crush! Putting her own hand up, ¡®Cassandra¡¯ slowly went to touch the man¡¯s cheek, starting with one finger, then after, her whole hand. Silence hit the small room, yet, everyone else disappeared for ¡®Cassandra¡¯. She did what she wanted, by touching his nose and his nicely cut, short beard. He was handsome¡­ Putting a finger over his forehead, she felt that perhaps he had been frowning too much lately because of the obvious dent there¡­Then to touch his lips, she fell out of her daze when she heard a sweet, whispered name that still sounded unfamiliar. ¡°Mahnu.¡± Suddenly, she pulled her hand away and breathed out. "I...Would like to see." Even though she had said these words in a type of settling the conversation and maybe putting it to an end, her blush didn¡¯t dissipate at all and Mahnu really started to worry if she had a fever! "Are you sure Cassandra? Is this what you want?" "If you are worried, then by all means come with us back to Conrella." The King breathed out in relief. He really had taken a gamble! He would be stuck if Mahnu didn¡¯t want to be with him! Breathing out a short breath, the King couldn¡¯t help but just do whatever was necessary and let Betty and Donald come with them! "...Your Majesty!?" Marcus said to the King. Silence filled the room. Betty and the older man, Donald, were shocked but got down to bow in respect. They weren¡¯t entirely sure if the person standing in front of them was in fact the King of Kralaide, but if they didn¡¯t bow, when in fact he was the King, they didn¡¯t want to know the circumstances! King Richard stopped them, "No, it''s fine. Please don''t. I''m not here as the King." The King looked at Marcus, showing that he was annoyed, then turned back to the older pair with a hopeful face, and said, "If Mahnu wants to be with you as well and she is willing to give me a chance, I will be happy to take care of you in Conrella." Conrella? The Capital? Both of the elders looked at each other in astonishment. Could it really be true? That he was¡­The King¡­And¡­ Who was this girl that, the King would do all this!? If she was the King¡¯s woman¡­What was she doing here in Brackan!? It really was confusing¡­And if they asked this question, Marcus and the King would not answer them! So, throughout their whole lives, they never ended up finding out why the King¡¯s woman was in Brackan instead of Conrella! After a short silence, Betty said in haste, "Oh, Oh no! Your Majesty! You don''t have to do that!" The King laughs and pulls Mahnu to him. "What do you want to do, Mahnu?¡± He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it, not helping her cheeks at all! ¡®Cassandra¡¯ didn''t know what to think about! He was the King! We were...Together? Does he know why she doesn''t remember? And who are the other people that know me? She looked at the other two men in the room, who didn''t look familiar, except from meeting recently. What was it they had said? She tried to remember but found herself feeling dizzier and dizzier as time went by. What is it that I want? For some reason Mahnu didn''t like that question. She didn¡¯t want to answer it¡­She didn¡¯t want to think about what it was that she wanted! Just in the space of a few seconds, her head felt sore and she tried harder to focus, especially when everyone was looking at her! As she felt herself start to faint, she asked herself silently, that same question again. What do I want? She felt herself fall and admitted that, right now, she just wanted to sleep¡­ The King caught her, "Mahnu! What...What is wrong with her?" Chapter 25
Betty looked at the King apologetically, showing signs of being scared as well, "I would assume it''s because she''s been out all day and didn''t eat¡­Your Majesty." Closing her eyes to what she said, she really felt like she was going to get a beating for not looking after Cassandra well enough. How dare she not feed the King¡¯s woman well enough!? She was entirely sure that she will get punished for this! "What? Why wouldn''t she eat, dammit!" Gently, he picked Mahnu up and asked where he should lay her down. "It''s properly because she didn''t eat when she was..." The King quickly interrupted Marcus, "Hush, Marcus." He sighed, always so troublesome. He looked at Mahnu''s sleeping face and wondered how he had coped without her all this time. Moving a strain of her hair off her face, he wondered how we had missed seeing her here in Brackan all that time ago¡­ "Has she been with you for two years?" He asked, wanting answers. If only we had looked harder that day! If we had only found her two years ago, I wouldn¡¯t had to endure two years without her! "Yes, we found her unconscious and at the same time we were one of the ones that had also been sick, as it seems to be called." Betty stated this, knowing that more was behind the ¡®sickness¡¯, like everyone else that lived here in Brackan. Luckily, Betty and Donald had not done too much and were basically in retirement, earning small change every now and again¡­So, they had not left their place very often to be spotted to become a slave. They can¡¯t remember a few days at most and had felt very badly that they hadn¡¯t been able to help anybody that had looked lifeless beforehand. They had tried twice to feed and clothe people, but then felt very scared upon seeing more and more people become that way. Thinking ahead, they got as much food as they could and stayed in their small home, waiting¡­Waiting to either become like those just outside or waiting for those outside to become normal again¡­ Upon finding themselves separated when they ¡®woke¡¯ up, both of them rushed back to the safety of their home, only to have found the young lady close by to their humble home¡­ In these two years, Betty and Donald gladly took in the young lady, to make up for the fact that they weren¡¯t able to help back then. They did everything in their power to keep the young lady alive and tried to find her family¡­Yet, no one recognized her when they finally were able make a simple drawing of her¡­And when the young lady finally woke and was walking around, she did not want to meet anyone and ask about her family herself. Betty and Donald took her in after that, calling her Cassandra and their daughter. It was a fulfilled wish, that they finally had a child, especially when they were already so old, but nonetheless, they loved Cassandra very much! "Oh, I see." "She was a frail thing. Didn''t wake for a whole week. Then we were worried because she seemed to be bed ridden, unable to move much at all. But after two months, she was able to move a little bit more. We were often pacing, trying to come up with ideas to make sure she somehow got some food into her and had water a lot. We ended up using that over there, to help her digest everything." The King looked at Betty, shocked, then looked to where she pointed to, seeing an obvious, homemade funnel type contraption, with a tube looking thing attached to it. Donald then added, ¡°At first, doctors were hard to find and then we were stuck by her bed just coming up with this idea ourselves, and even so, we felt like we had lost her twice! We were really scared back then.¡± "Again, Your Majesty..." The King looked at Marcus and silently nodded. They were thinking that it was the same thing that happened with The Chest of the God''s as well. Mahnu had been bed ridden for a month at that time but¡­ The King felt an ache go through his heart, as he pictured his bed ridden woman nearly dying, due to not being able to drink water and eat food. Perhaps that was why that hadn¡¯t been able to find her, because Betty and Donald hadn¡¯t gone outside often enough, or for long, and when they did, they weren¡¯t thinking about what was going on outside and who might be looking for this very person. ¡®We felt like we had lost her twice!¡¯ Those words further silenced King Richard, as he sighed and put a hand to the face that he nearly never saw again. How fortunate! I am so lucky that Betty and Donald were there for you, my dear! So lucky! Thank you for surviving! "It''s best if I get something for her to eat, for when she wakes up." Betty walked out of the small bedroom, to go to the kitchen. The King watched as Betty went to the kitchen and then Donald bent down near Mahnu. "You know how children are lots of work? It was like we had suddenly gained a child, which Betty and I didn''t mind as we couldn''t have any children."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The King waited eagerly for the elder man to continue. "She gets startled easily and sometimes day dreams. It was like she had never seen a flower before¡­¡± Donald lets out a small laugh and continues, "And, boy, does she love climbing trees! Even though she is an adult, it was as though she hadn''t matured properly." The old man sighed, "Betty had to explain the whole womanly thing to her from scratch because she thought that she was dying...For some reason, she hasn''t gotten used to knowing when she''s hungry or thirsty. We''ve tried to tell her...But she always seems to forget. It worries us a lot, especially now that she goes out by herself. She is stubborn, always thinking she should do as what anyone else can, all by herself. She also has quite nerve-racking nightmares. A doctor had said that her past must have held really bad memories for her, so she must have forgotten her past, in a way to safe guard herself. They...Normally make her cry." This was also another reason Betty and Donald only continued to look for her family in secret¡­As they were worried that her family had ill treated her and would be able to keep her away from them, if that was the case. King Richard wondered what to think about first...She was like a little baby chick that was born as an adult. One that seems to need constant watch. It would be better if Betty stayed close by, just in case. Wait...So, she''s definitely mortal? Even the...Of course! She couldn¡¯t even survive without food or water now! She¡¯s most definitely human! King Richard had decided, "Betty, Donald. I would like you to accompany us. I can''t leave without those she confides in. I will make it so that you will be close but have your own space. Mahnu and you will not be stopped to see each other." He couldn¡¯t afford to just take Mahnu away from these people, when they had become a big asset to her. They had helped her with so much and he personally didn¡¯t want Mahnu to go without a father and mother figure¡­Especially when¡­She probably never had them in the past¡­ "We are only but commoners, Your Majesty. How could we accept such an offer?" Donald bowed his head humbly to His Majesty, the King. "Please come, I''d prefer it...I''m sure Mahnu would prefer it too." King Richard looked lovingly back at the sleeping Mahnu once again¡­He was absolutely willing to do anything that would help her¡­ "I don''t know what to say, Your Majesty." Donald said. "Great. Can we help you pack, perhaps?" "Oh! How could we ask for that from our King!?" Betty had replied, looking mortified. Marcus stepped closer to Betty. "Did Mahnu happen to have a box with her when you found her?" Betty looked with wide eyes at Marcus, "¡­Why yes! She did! How did you know!" "The box." The King said. Finally, they had found it! Betty disappeared for a moment and then returned. "Here it is. We tried to open it, but it seemed to be sealed shut and locked so tightly, that no one in town could open it!" Marcus and the King sighed in relief. Then again, they also were conflicted into thinking that this box had been around the town and they had not known at all! If they had found the box, they probably would have found Mahnu earlier too! Why didn¡¯t they put more of a search upon it!? If they hadn¡¯t been so secretive, and openly asked people about it, showing even a picture of it¡­Perhaps¡­ Nonetheless, their relief was high, as they thought back to Betty¡¯s words¡­ If they had opened the box somehow, then what happened two years ago would have been for nought! It was at least a minute before the King broke the silence in the room, "¡­Take it Marcus. You should know what needs to be done." "You...Know what''s inside the box?" Betty couldn''t hold in her curiosity. Cassandra had been doing one thing upon finding her¡­Holding on to this box very tightly. Strangely, after the Cassandra had woken up, she didn¡¯t know what the box was for at all and it looked unfamiliar. They thought that her heirlooms from her family where in it, which is why they tried to open it. Then, seeing that they could not open it and Cassandra did not remember it, all they could do is put it away for safe keeping, having nearly forgotten all about it! She knew it was meant for something but could never find out! Honestly, she had been wanting to find out what was in there since they had found it! King Richard wondered what he should say, "Yes...The reason you were all able to be cured two years ago, was because of this box. It is all because of Mahnu...But for now, we are keeping it a secret. We also need to hide that box very well, so that the past doesn¡¯t repeat itself." Betty looked at the box and questioned if it were true. They hadn''t been told anything on the day that they had been cured. The knights kept saying that everything was to go back to normal and now they were free to go back to living their lives like before. Of course, Betty had seen that others had gotten help over the years but at the time, back then, she had been too busy to look into other¡¯s problems. Had they always been looking for the box and¡­Cassandra? For a slight moment, Betty felt terrified! What if staying home most of those early days, two years ago, was wrong!? Perhaps¡­Are they getting invited back to Conrella to be taken into the capital prison!? Looking at the man that claimed himself as the King of Kralaide, Betty realized that he didn¡¯t look mad. She had said many things today to get herself punished, yet, he had not once stated any kind of punishment¡­Was it ok that they may had made a mistake and he will spare them? She really hoped so! It was clear that nothing more was going to be said by the King about the box, but Betty had heard enough and did not want to pry into something else that might get her punished, so, she was grateful¡­Because now, she also thought that whatever had made the people sick, was inside the box, and if she had opened it, everyone would have gotten sick again! Having caused so much troubles already and not getting punished¡­The box was better off in their hands! The King turned towards William, and said, "Find a carriage, I''d like to leave as soon as possible..." Then, he turned to the elderly couple, "Is that okay with you? Betty, Donald?" "Well, yes, of course. Her meal is ready, so I will start to pack right this minute." The King picked up the meal and sat it beside Mahnu, settling beside her also. "Mahnu." "Mmm..." Marcus left the small room and closed the curtain, to give his Majesty and Mahnu some privacy. Besides, it was a good opportunity to think of the resting place of the small box in his hands. He knew that it would only be safe if it was hidden, so it couldn¡¯t just be stored in a town. No, just like The Chest of the God¡¯s, this box should also be well hidden and just as hard to find! He knew that The Chest of the God¡¯s was hidden out far to the west, so hiding the box deep under Havlish may be the best place for it. Not only because the chest and the box will be separated, but because Havlish was where the Loyal Royal Knights were from, and that they should guard it well¡­ Yes, a deep hole is to be dug with traps, perhaps close to the center¡­And quite a number of men would be needed to help! Chapter 26
"Mahnu...Wake up." King Richard had gathered her up into his arms, putting her into his lap and whispered in her ear. "Don''t make me ravish you right now!" Mahnu slowly opened her eyes, shocked to see that man so close to her! "Excuse me!" She said, trying to get out of his arms. "You are not going anywhere, until you have eaten!" As he put a bowl into her lap, he remembered a past memory of not letting her go until she was clean. Mahnu only sat there quietly after another few seconds, then asked, "Why do you treat me like this?" "Because you treat me like this." The King laughed at her confused look. He put the forkful of food into her mouth, and continued, "You don''t treat me like a King. So, in a way, you treating me like any other man...You''re... My retrieve." She finished what was in her mouth, and then said, "So, if I treated you like a King, would you..." He put another forkful into her mouth to cut her off. "I just want you to be who you are. Be natural." King Richard sighed. He knew that she had to eat¡­Eat faster, he thought. He could feel his desire for her welling up so fast that he could barely control it. "Are you okay?" Mahnu placed a hand on his forehead. You are putting oil onto the fire, Mahnu, the King thought. He stopped her hand with his, and said, "Eat." "Uh...Okay." Mahnu took the fork and started to feed herself. Feeling him move himself from below her, she really started to wonder if he was sick¡­ The King watched her and put his hand on her waist, unwilling to stop from doing what was right, even though he desperately wanted to ravish her right this instant! After all, she did faint and most likely because she hadn¡¯t eaten enough¡­The only option was to not do anything¡­At least until she had finished her meal! They stayed silent as he moved his hand slowly up, only slightly touching the side of where her breast was beneath her clothing, as it passed onto her shoulder. He willed himself to stop¡­Seriously¡­But, obviously, it wasn¡¯t working very well. He told himself that he was just getting reacquainted with her body and that it was not to lead to anything else... It was hard though, her mouth moving, her warm body on top of his, her eyes and face¡­She was real! The real Mahnu, is right in front of me. I''m not dreaming! The King thought. He then notices that she had slowed down in eating and even had closed her eyes. Sighing, he took his hand away and picked up the fork that she had dropped. Feeding her the last of it, he placed the bowl elsewhere and drank some water. He pulled her close and made her drink from his own mouth, while he could taste her. At first, he did feel her struggle a bit, but gradually she swallowed the water. Pulling apart slightly, her breath and his were combining in front of them and King Richard smiled at her. He felt her hands having his cloths in them and her eyes looked like they were ready to pop out! Her cheeks were getting redder and redder as the seconds ticked by, making him feel utterly proud! Gently, he kissed her lips, putting a hand to her face, then kissed them slightly harder. In just mere moments, King Richard was lost to those lips and was unable to hide away all of his desire to completely relish this blushing beauty! As the kiss deepened, he felt her relax, letting go of his clothes and finally kissing him back, even allowing him to investigate her mouth with his tongue. ¡®Cassandra¡¯ was not sure what she was doing was right or not, but this man was getting harder and harder to push away! What he was doing to her, made her seem to¡­Want more! It made her feel strange¡­Like her insides were getting warmer and fluttering around! Even her heart was frantically beating¡­She could feel it! Yet, instead of pushing the man away and racing to Betty or Donald to state that she was feeling strange, she felt more inclined to stay and experience this¡­Afterall, she knew she wanted it, that it felt good¡­She can just talk to Betty and Donald later¡­ She pulled back after she became breathless and stared at him with wide eyes. She felt like she was going to die! She looked away and finally said, "¡­For some reason, I let you get away with doing what you want with me." The King smiled, pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to Mahnu. She looked over it, seeing that it was creased and looked like it''s seen better days. "I took it with me everywhere." He watched her read her own letter and saw how she obviously didn''t understand it. He was really glad that he had not thrown it out after some many times of wanting too! He was glad that he had never ripped it, after so many times of wanting too! No, he didn¡¯t lie¡­He took this crumpled piece of paper with him everywhere! Having used to looking at it a few times a day, it gradually turned to once a day but just this small parchment still felt like something precious to him¡­Something very dear to his heart.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "I don''t understand." "It''s fine. But here." He pointed to ''Richard''. "And here." He pointed to ''Yours Eternally, Mahnu''. "Did I write this?" King Richard nodded and slowly took the paper back from her, putting it back into his pocket. "Maybe, one day, I''ll explain it to you...But right now..." The King laid her down and placed himself on top of her. He kissed her, his hands on each side of her face and slowly found himself inside of her legs, instead of outside of them. He didn¡¯t want to put too much weight on her, as she had just eaten, but how was he able to hold his feelings at bay for too much longer! At this rate¡­He won¡¯t even be able to last until they get back to Conrella before bedding this lovely woman once again! It had been two years and nearly three months since he been with her like this¡­But it was still so exciting! Just laying on top of her like this, he felt like it should be enough to hold him at bay¡­ Well, his thoughts, already trying hard to help hold him back, his hands were not helping at all. They slithered their way across her attire and cupped themselves around a few areas, stroked a few other areas¡­Making him so hot and bothered that his thoughts gradually dimmed. Just like the first time, and every other time with Mahnu, King Richard¡¯s natural actions started to shine through¡­Especially when he could hear Mahnu sighing or moaning from underneath him¡­ They finally parted, breathing heavily. "I love you, Mahnu." She stared back at him. Her body knew this person. She had obviously known him to the point of giving her heart to him. Putting a hand to his face, ¡®Cassandra¡¯ wondered if this was alright. But why was it that she felt like she didn''t deserve him? She felt like her past held something really terrible, and feeling it now, more then anything else, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like this! "Did I...Do something bad...Before I lost my memory?" She asked quietly. Honestly, she already was sad, thinking that she will get a response that will make the way she¡¯s feeling make sense. The King smiled, "Yes! You left me with a note and disappeared!" Mahnu let her hand fall, not surprised, and looked away, "That probably explains it then." "Explains what?" King Richard looked at her confused. He could tell that she was slipping away. "Talk to me!" He said, starting to panic. "I probably don''t deserve you." She said with a small voice. He may not be familiar, but feeling this sad felt familiar¡­She felt that she should at least trust this familiar feeling¡­Shouldn¡¯t she? He moved her head, so that he could look into her eyes. "My dear Mahnu, of all the people in Kralaide!" He couldn''t continue, he rolled to his back, pulling her along with him. He had already decided he wasn''t going to spend another day without her. He held her tight as he sat up against the wall and kissed her, wishing for her to forget what she was thinking. He knew she would, because he¡¯d seen it before¡­Always so engrossed with what they were doing that she would say ¡®Wow¡¯ and look like it was the first time every time. He continued to kiss her neck and suck on her ear lobe, pushing her into him and feeling her slightly move to feeling his desire against her. Gently, he rubbed her hard nipples over her clothing and went back to kissing her neck, lower and lower¡­ Her sighs satisfied him greatly and he pushed her into his desire once again. For so long, he hadn''t touched anyone. He hadn''t wanted anyone...Except Mahnu. He had not even touched himself, as he would always just keep himself busy so that he wouldn¡¯t think of any kind of intimacy. With just this, where they were still clothed, he could already feel himself just about ready to explode! Two years¡­Mahnu, I¡¯ve been celibate for two years¡­ "Mahnu." He Breathed out heavily, while he started to remove her clothes. Marcus led everybody outside of the small house and stated that the King needed some space for the moment. Betty and Donald were speechless¡­They all were, except for Marcus. He had watched the King more since Mahnu''s disappearance and His Majesty had changed drastically. His Majesty¡¯s new, cold personality may have helped him finally find who was behind the assassination attempts, but His Majesty never, for a moment, had seemed happy. On the rare occasion, the King would smile when he saw his children. Having seen that, Marcus made sure that His Majesty saw his children more often and it did help the King not be so lonely and depressed all the time¡­But¡­The Crowned Prince and Princess weren¡¯t the person he apparently needed, and so the Crowned Prince and Princess could only help to a certain degree. When His Majesty¡¯s duties had been accomplished for the day, the King had shut himself away, demanding to be alone. Many times, he got drunk, many times he got that depressed¡­So depressed that it had showed the next day. Marcus knew what Mahnu gave up for everybody and will forever be grateful to her because of it. But...She leaving the King so...Broken, had made Marcus mad at her. How has His Majesty forgiven her so easily? Marcus sighed. The King had finally smiled, he had finally laughed. Do I forgive her now too? Marcus asked himself. Being the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights, I have to protect his Majesty and that also means protecting his weakness. And that weakness was Mahnu. I will do my job, he thought, I will protect them both...With my life. If King Richard knew what Marcus had done, in giving them space, it would be very much appreciated, but he didn¡¯t even notice the extra silence from within the humble, small house. Upon Mahnu noticing that she had become naked, she panicked, but it wasn¡¯t long before King Richard soothed her into moaning once again. This body... Marking her body all over again, he couldn¡¯t help but feel more pride go directly into his groin. The problem was, he knew that as soon as he undressed himself, he wouldn¡¯t be able to contain himself! So, for a while, he focused upon making his dearest Mahnu want him just as much as he wanted her. With every little thing she did, he gained a bit more courage to continue further. When she put her hands through his hair, he suckled gently upon her exposed nipple. When she pushed herself into him, he placed a finger to her wetness, very gently touching what made her moan even louder. After she arched back, King Richard kissed down her stomach and was nearly prepared to go further, when she came back up and placed her lips greedily upon his own. Before he could concentrate upon kissing her back though, she eagerly started to undress him, and he was helpless! Maybe he wasn¡¯t just doing this for her, to make sure that she would be completely ready for him¡­Maybe he was also preparing himself! But it was of no use now! Within just a few seconds of his clothes being pushed to the side, he immediately placed her on top of him. Hearing her cry out and stiffen up, King Richard stopped and kissed her neck, waiting for her to accept him. Hearing her groan, he placed his thumb over one of her nipples and demanded her lips once again. As the kiss was finally something she responded to, King Richard pushed himself deeper inside her and moved one of his hands down to her hips, impatiently¡­He wanted more¡­So much more¡­ Upon moving her, he felt her move her lips away and then she lightly bit onto his shoulder and let out another groan, but she didn¡¯t stop him from doing what he was doing. Slowly, he was able to completely move her up and down his whole, hardened shaft and King Richard couldn¡¯t hardly contain himself. Feeling her lips upon his neck, King Richard lost his self-control and went faster, pushing her onto him harder and harder. Letting out her name and a strange cry, he released himself inside of her and held her tight¡­ It really was not fair! King Richard was still trembling when the woman on top of him moved on her own and made him tremble even more! Holding her tighter, he felt her sit straight, going up and down¡­ Pushing himself, King Richard took a few deep breaths and took in the enticing, desirable woman that was riding on top of him¡­ She really was magnificent! Trying hard to forget about his trembling and ticklish feeling, he let her continue and touched her¡­Touched her stomach, her breasts, her bottom, her back¡­ Just a few more minutes later of hard work and sweat starting to drip down, both Mahnu and King Richard reached their climax¡­ *** Chapter 27
King Richard kissed Mahnu''s forehead, putting his fingers down her bare back and through her hair. "Are you ok?" He asked. She was slumped against him, with her hands on his chest, "Mmm..." He pulled her face up to make sure and let out a chuckle. Her eyes and face looked relaxed, almost like she would fall asleep. Their breathing was calm once again, but they had not moved from their last position. Their bodies were still one, but their trembling had stopped some time ago. Having been silent all this time, as both in their own thoughts, King Richard had finally broken the silence, wanting to make sure his dearest person was okay. "Did I tire you out?" He asked, putting her head against him again. "...I don''t ...Really know what to say or do." ¡®Cassandra¡¯ really didn¡¯t! This man had completely taken her soul! She had never known that anyone could act like that! At first, she liked how it felt and just kept going, then something totally amazing took over her and it was so great that she now felt tired and completely satisfied! What Betty had told her about a man and woman was not like this! She never said it was great! Why didn¡¯t she say it!? King Richard chuckled again. It was the best feeling in the world. To have her here like this, in his arms, especially naked! Suddenly, he remembered where they were, "Oh...I guess we should dress." She put her arms around him then, holding so tight that it reminded him of that last night before she had disappeared. "Mahnu?" His voice showed his worry of the past reoccurring. "Can we...I mean..." He heard Mahnu sigh. "For some reason, I wanted to..." Her silence made him angry. He wanted to hear what she wanted to say! Then, finally, she continued, "I don''t remember, but when I left you that note and disappeared. I think it might have been a very hard thing for me to do...Right now, I didn''t want to let you go..." How was it that her words could touch me so much! King Richard pulled her face towards him and kissed her. Not yet, both of them thinking, as desire rippled through them once again. How could he let her go now! They had been separated for two years! Laying her gently upon the small blanket, King Richard plunged himself right back into her wetness and groaned. Slowly, he made love to her yet again, watching her desire filled eyes, feeling her wrap her legs around him and her hands hold him tight. He wouldn¡¯t be a man if he didn¡¯t do as his lady wanted! She wanted him to hold her longer, then he will happily do so! Marcus decided to give the command that the house be off limits till the next day. He advised Betty and Donald to follow a knight to go to an inn, so that they can eat and rest. Marcus sighed, he thought that it had been time to leave, but when he checked last...It wasn''t going to be so. He did know that His Majesty hadn''t touched anyone for the last two years and he wondered if the King was making up for lost time...It was something Marcus admitted to not understand. He had never loved a woman or lain with one. He had decided a long time ago that he wanted to make His Majesty his only priority. It wasn¡¯t rare, as many of the leaders of the Loyal Royal Knights were the most loyal to His Majesty even if they did have wife¡¯s. The problem was, he may not have an heir if he continues like this¡­But that didn¡¯t matter, William was a nephew and he was already willing to place the next leadership upon his head instead¡­ Having no other choice, Marcus stayed close and guarded right through the night, knowing he wouldn''t be the only one deprived of sleep. And indeed, it was a long night¡­And perhaps Marcus had been right, the King really did make up for lost time! *** It wasn''t till mid morning that packing continued and it took till nightfall to set out on their trip back to Conrella. King Richard had rarely taken his eyes of Mahnu and still kept close enough to touch her, even when she said her goodbyes to the neighbours close by. Betty and Donald blushed many times to the King''s continued attentiveness towards Mahnu and they were happy for her. Mahnu had silenced their worries of joining them, by stating that if they didn''t mind leaving Brackan, she wanted them to join her. So, they were all on their way, Betty and Donald taking their full carriage and Mahnu was mounted with King Richard, riding a horse. She was shy around him, staring at him and trying to understand her feelings. The King noticed and would chuckle, watching her in return¡­ Mahnu hadn''t been with anyone sexually since the last time she had been with him, and the King was glad. It was like she had been a virgin all over again, all his for the taking. It even heightened his feeling of possession over her, that he knew he already had.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. King Richard smiled. They''re love making had hit even another height that he hadn''t even thought possible! Without her, these two years had slipped away so easily, and he hadn''t touched her with any kind of anger, as he thought he might have. It was more of a sweet reminder to him of how much he loved her and loves her still. Seeing her naked, and the desire for him in her eyes, he wasn''t able to hold anything in! Throughout the previous night he had wanted her all to himself, wanting her over and over again to remind himself that this wasn''t a dream. That Mahnu was real! And she was beside him once again! And beside him, she will stay! *** 4 days later "Cassandra." Betty yelled, "Come and eat." They had all stopped along the road towards Conrella to eat and give the horses a rest. King Richard grumbled, knowing Betty would hear it. "Oh, I''m sincerely sorry, Your Majesty! I will try harder." Betty bowed for her wrong doings. ¡®Cassandra¡¯ put a hand to his, "It''s fine. Let her call me Cassandra." "No." The King replied stubbornly. He had heard enough of that name lately. Even though he has grown fond of the old couple, he wasn''t going to let this continue! Her name had been Mahnu for over a thousand years, it won''t change now! I would prefer a title over Cassandra! ...King Richard finally had an idea, "Is the name Cassandra very dear to you, Betty?" Betty looked down, "It was my mother''s name, Your Majesty." He smiled, "I see. Well then, I have a proposition for you. If you call Mahnu by her real name, from now on, we will call our daughter Cassandra." There were quite a few different reactions to the King''s words. Betty seemed thrilled, "Yes, of course, Your Majesty. I will stop and call her Mahnu from now on!" Donald was speechless. So was Marcus and William¡­ The King turned to Mahnu, to see nothing on her face. She''s turned into a statue, he thought, recalling a similar memory. He took her hands and said, "Talk to me, my dear." He watched as colour entered to her cheeks and she looked away, only making him think that she was adorable. Then she sighed. "I don''t know if I''d make a very good mother." He grabbed her face and chuckled, "Well, there''s always Betty, Donald, Marcus and me to help." "Uh!" Marcus said, but wasn''t heard. "Yes! I''ll help you Mahnu!" Betty''s enthusiasm made the King laugh but Mahnu still looked worried. How can I help with this problem? He wondered. He didn''t want her to think of bad things when it came to motherhood, as he was so delighted with the idea of Mahnu bearing his children, that he was already looking forward to it! He put his hands around her and whispered into her ears, "You became good friends with my daughter before, back when you were last at the palace." "I did?" Ah, her voice sounds curious. Better, he thought. "You used to play hide and seek with her. And you used to make her smile a lot." "Really?" Good, King Richard thought. At least she doesn''t hate it. "Yes!" As they traveled closer to Conrella, King Richard remembered the Queen and wondered how to tell her about Mahnu. He sighed, she won''t be happy. He tried to remember how the Queen has been lately but couldn''t remember. Has she been away or just ignoring me? "Marcus, what has been going on with the Queen?" Marcus wasn''t sure how to respond to the King''s question. "What is it? Is she ignoring me?" Marcus cringed, of course he forgot, he had been drunk at the time. "Your Majesty did not want to see anyone, but the Queen ignored your command and entered your bed chambers." "What? When?" Marcus replied, "When Gregory was beheaded, Your Majesty." Instantly, the King remembered what Gregory was beheaded for... Finding out that his own father had been killed by that man had shaken him up inside...King Richard couldn''t even remember going to bed that night because of how much he had drunk in loathing. The King stared at Marcus and when he shook his head, the King widened his eyes in bewilderment. What happened that it can''t even be said here! Did I...I must have done something to her! "Richard?" Suddenly, Mahnu''s voice vanished any bad thoughts and he looked at her. She looked uncomfortable, turned like that on horseback, but she was searching his face. King Richard smiled. He loved that she had started to call him Richard again. "It''s okay. I think I''ve made a mistake, but I''ll apologize, that''s all." She turned around but put her hand tighter on his arm, that was around her waist. King Richard breathed out, it''ll all work out now, nothing could ever be so bad that Mahnu disappears again. Now that my beloved is by my side... *** When they reached Conrella, the King dropped Mahnu, Betty and Donald off at a residence, close by to the palace, that had been prepared for them at the King''s orders before he had left Conrella. To be more precise, this accommodation was already prepared close to two years ago but had been somewhat abandoned since¡­What the King had informed, was to clean the residence out so that it was ready to take in the person that it was meant for all that time ago¡­ William was told to guard Mahnu as his new duty from now on and he started to help unload the belongings that came from Brackan. Marcus stayed for a quick briefing with William, before he rushed to go back to His Majesty¡¯s side, as the King had to leave nearly straight away and was most likely already getting ready to go to a meeting. Of course, now that William was going to become a guard, he was to start his training once again, but¡­To William¡¯s displeasure, it was quite an astronomical amount of training, that had made him cringe. For a week, he was to only have four hours sleep a night, train before Mahnu awakes and train after she goes to rest at night. He was to run, spar and read about tactics¡­ None of this made William happy, but what was he to do? In the second week, he was allocated five hours sleep but that was the only change to his new agenda¡­It just simply wasn¡¯t fair! But¡­He had no power and no courage to state his thoughts about not wanting to become the next leader of the Loyal Royal Knights¡­Especially when he had been away travelling all this time! He desperately wished that having found Mahnu could have been rewarded with something in return! But no¡­Not the King, or his leader, had suggested anything! Was it because they knew that what he would ask for was to no longer be a part of the Loyal Royal Army? There was one good thing about this, that helped William accept his fate, and that was that he was still by Mahnu¡¯s side and could interact with her¡­Even if it wasn¡¯t for very long! Surely, he should be able to learn something from her, even if she doesn¡¯t remember anything! He was quite observant and did feel that Mahnu acted and spoke slightly different, so he started to wonder if perhaps even speech had changed throughout the years¡­ One thing that started to appear once again, was that stubbornness and determination that he had seen in her, back when he had first met Mahnu. With the King, he had seen a more gentle, bashful side of her that he never knew existed¡­But after he left, Mahnu would be grumpy to have to sit and eat and didn¡¯t want to sleep! Watching Betty and Donald take what seems to be a normal role of coaxing over the young lady, William couldn¡¯t help but smile and shake his head¡­ Woman like this were troublesome and he hoped to get a very normal girl one day that would be a lot more easier to handle! Chapter 28
On his way to a meeting, the King got Marcus to tell him what had happened with the Queen, so that he could try to fix it. Having only been back a short time, to return to his majestic robes of what a ruler wears, Marcus easily caught up with him, before leaving towards this meeting with the Governor¡¯s. The meeting wasn¡¯t anything particularly important, it was a gathering every so often with as many of them as possible¡­Most of the time, there would always be at least one Governor that wasn¡¯t there¡­ Marcus continuously had told the King about this particular meeting upon returning back from Brackan, so the King could not forget about it! The walk there wasn¡¯t that long, so the King slowed down his pace and concentrated upon what Marcus was telling him¡­ "¡­Oh...I see." King Richard said, after Marcus informed him. "I didn''t realize I had become that big of a mess. I am sorry Marcus." Marcus sighed, "I don''t believe it''s me you owe an apology to, Your Majesty." The King looked at him and breathed out, "Your right. Ask the Queen when it would be a good time to see her." "Yes, Your Majesty." Marcus went off to relay the message¡­Only to find out that the Queen was not in the palace¡­ As the King finished walking to his next destination, he felt sick. How could I have done that! Even though she barged in when unwelcome and at a very bad emotional time for me, it doesn''t give me the right to punch her. Dammit! No wonder I haven''t seen her! What a mess... Having just learnt upon the fact that not only was one of his own Governors tried to kill him and his children for years, but that this same Governor that had killed his father, it had not been a good time at all. ¡­I am not normally one to get violent¡­ This was truth, the King had not hit anyone out of a spar before! Even though Marcus had told him that he had looked like he was crying when he had punched the Queen, the King still hadn¡¯t liked what he heard¡­ The Queen had pushed him many times, did she not know when to back off? To leave him be and let him mourn over how his father was lost¡­How his own Governor tried to kill his children? Why then? Why did she have to barge into his own bed chambers when he was in such a state!? ¡­Seeing the door to where he was going, the King stopped in front of it and released a breath. It had taken a while to accept the past, and having gotten used to have drinking alcohol, it was no wonder that he had gotten drunk. Why couldn¡¯t she just abide by the rules and had not entered? Why is it that he will obviously have to do whatever needs to be done, for this matter to be mended!? The King was mad, upset and a bit distressed. It had been a while since he even thought about this too, that there was something else that had made him angry a month or two later. And that was, the Queen had announced another pregnancy, making everyone happy with the news, yet¡­The King was sure that he had not lain with the Queen for a long time. There may have been a few nights that he couldn¡¯t remember, but he can never remember letting the rule off for the Queen to freely enter his chambers¡­ Finally seeing the down points upon his drunkenness from the last two years, the King sighed and put a hand through his hair. Will this child, that I can¡¯t even remember helping to conceive¡­Will it make Mahnu upset? And with the Queen not talking to me¡­ This was a mess! He wanted the Queen on his good side, so that the news of Mahnu would be easier to handle¡­But¡­ Shaking his head, the King decided that business will have to come first right now. ¡­He had just taken two weeks off, suddenly disappearing without giving anyone notice! I will just have to come up with a solution to the Queen later¡­ Walking in, he found the Governors bow at his entrance. "Your Majesty." The King sighed and continued to go sit into his chair, at the head of the large table. "I apologize for having come late to this meeting, please take a seat." The meeting commenced, and slowly, a few of the Governors saw a difference in the King''s attitude. "I am glad that you have returned to your post, Zachary."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Zachary looked down and said, "I still don''t think that I should be a Governor, Your Majesty." "I disagree, you care about your people and land. I remember that you did state your problems and so I believe you are innocent." The King was vague, because the people here didn''t know about the God''s, but he wanted to state his innocence, nonetheless. He also knew that he and his brother had separated relations from decades ago. They even lived in two different towns! How could he blame assassination attempts on him as well, just because he had the same last name? "But my brother..." The King interrupted him. "Your brother did cruel things and now has paid the price of it with his death. I have thought about you and your relation to him but still feel you are a good Governor for Brackan. I just want to conclude that if there are any more skirmishes between you and Sedric, both of you will be demoted. I am sure I have the support of the other Governors upon this statement. Do you understand?" "Yes, Your Majesty." Both Sedric and Zachary said, then the other Governors attending said the same thing. "How is Valtac, I noticed you''ve stood in for him again, Rick." "Still unwell, Your Majesty. But he sends his regards. He hopes that all the royal family will come to see him." "Yes, he is my father in law. Please ask him when it is a good time." "The Queen is there as we speak, with the Crowned Prince and Princess. Would you like me to send a message still?" King Richard was taken aback, as he hadn''t known. "I will try and clear my schedule, even if it''s for a day. Say that I plan to see him within two weeks." Silence overcame the room. Marcus knew why. The King had not publicly ventured out beyond the palace, yet alone Conrella, in the last two years. Upon going to Havlish for his normal reports and a few secret trips out to other places, as far as the Governors knew, His Majesty rarely accepted any invitation to go anywhere else. "Is there something wrong?" The King asked, looking from one to another. "No, Your Majesty. We are just surprised as you haven''t travelled much lately." Sighing, the King replied, "You are right, but things change...Let us retire until next time." They respectfully said their goodbyes and Marcus walked up to the King. "They already notice a difference." King Richard said, then sighed. Marcus replied to the King, "It was a drastic change, Your Majesty. One that, I hope, never happens again." The King sighs once again and continues to walk to his own personal study room. "I need to complete as much as possible, so that I have free time." Marcus followed him into the room and stood at his usual spot. It was nice to not be standing on egg shells around the King, but Marcus was worried that things could be diverted back to how it was in the last two years, if something bad was to happen. William, he thought, you must protect Mahnu well. Marcus was indeed worried, the power that Mahnu had over his King, was truly scary¡­ *** King Richard focused while working, so that he could visit Mahnu before the end of each day. Visiting her, at first, seemed to be a surprise to both Betty and Donald. But as the days went by, they seemed to start expecting King Richard¡¯s presence at the end of each day, to spend time with Mahnu and end up spending the night with her. The days normally go by leisurely for them, as they don¡¯t need for anything. Their residence was quite large and luxurious, and they had servants to attend them too¡­ Food, a bigger roof, beds, blankets¡­What matters most was easily taken care of¡­It was just¡­So much different! They had a dining room now and a fourth and fifth bedroom! Then there was also a completely separate room where they could either store some of their things or use it to do sewing or¡­Whatever they want! It was a much different place then their small, humble home back in Brackan. Never in Betty and Donald¡¯s life did they have this type of living arrangement and they were still trying to get used to it! For them, whom always made things work and came up with some ideas themselves, they found it difficult and even sometimes frustrating now when they are always asked where they were going and if they needed anything. To them, they never thought of the servant¡¯s shoes, whom wanted to hug their new master¡¯s thighs as they grew to know that the King of Kralaide was often here at this very place! Mahnu would often tell the servants off for interfering, telling them that she doesn¡¯t need their help to dress or to bathe herself, making the servants ill at ease, but luckily, Mahnu would tell the King stubbornly that it was her who didn¡¯t need their help and so they could only let out a breath in relief! Upon one of the servants trying to get closer to the King, that servant was secretly dispatched to serve elsewhere, but Mahnu didn¡¯t even notice the change¡­ Actually, Mahnu was still her own person, one that wanted to do things on her own and being in a new place, and now with no chores to do, she ended up going out to see how different it was here! The first thing she realized, was that the trees here were mostly around the rich people¡¯s houses and the palace, as the commoner¡¯s area where a lot more densely packed with buildings. Seeing that there wasn¡¯t as much space where she was able to just climb a tree whenever she wanted to, Mahnu had gotten grumpy upon her first outing¡­Only to make King Richard laugh upon finding out why she was like that. On the second day, Mahnu hadn¡¯t come back for a long time and Betty and Donald did their usual of worrying about her. They had no idea upon where to look for her here in this different place and so their panic didn¡¯t subside until she finally came home! Having to tell her that she can¡¯t stay out for so long, especially since they worry if she doesn¡¯t drink or eat, but also because she is supposed to be a consort of the King, they told her that she must be with somebody! William had felt wronged, as he had been following and guarding Mahnu all this time! But Betty and Donald couldn¡¯t possibly let a guard make Mahnu eat and drink, so they demanded that Mahnu take someone with her from now on to make sure of this! On the third day, Mahnu was not just with William, but a servant girl as well¡­And so¡­Mahnu felt disturbed, or strange¡­She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt like she was confined. Feeling conflicted, because she liked Betty and Donald¡¯s care for her but at the same time didn¡¯t like being with someone that she hardly knew to follow her, Mahnu didn¡¯t venture out that much that day! Well, there was that¡­And another reason¡­ William found her antics extremely funny¡­ Mahnu was completely different to any other girl! He had never heard of a girl that would grumble because she couldn¡¯t climb a tree¡­He¡¯d never met a girl that looked antsy when a servant was following them¡­He¡¯d never met a girl that was happy to get scolded! But, as these three days go by, he finally started to understand that Mahnu had been alone for so long and probably had never been scolded and it seemed that she had always climbed trees¡­ She seemed to somehow realize that she knew what to grow in the backyard of their residence too, wanting to do it herself¡­ Seeing her so determined and thinking that they should have at lease one vegetable and one fruit, even though they didn¡¯t need to grow it at all, made William realize that Mahnu might not remember her past completely but she obviously had done a lot of gardening in her time! She was a natural! And yes, William wrote a few of these facts down on some parchment, wondering how many people knew these ideas and situations, when it came to growing or planting something. Chapter 29
After the fourth day of returning to Conrella, they both set off for Harval, leaving Betty and Donald behind. The King was a little sad that Mahnu didn¡¯t mind as much, like she still wasn¡¯t used to having them by her side. She seemed to accept things rather too easily still, whether it would upset her or not. But he was already taking a large group of people with him as it was! Rick had stayed in Conrella these four days to venture back with them and then there were guards and a few servants to help them with eating and whatnot. On top of that, the King had a few extra people, to help bring back his Queen and children that were still in Harval. Choosing to travel by carriage, the King nestled into Mahnu''s hair and whispered, "You''ll get to meet the Princess again." Mahnu entwined her fingers with his and murmured back, "Are you trying to send a hidden message to me?" The King chuckled, thinking it was better to lie, "No! But you will like her. You did before." "Richard..." King Richard sat back to look at her. "Yes?" She smiled but didn''t say anything. For some reason, she always liked that he gave her his full attention¡­ "What?" He said curiously, yet at the same time taken by her beautiful smile. He had rarely seen her smile and for her to do it so easily¡­It was hard to get used to, but he was fully prepared for it! Having his woman smile more, seemed like a new priority of his now! Mahnu laughed, "Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Oh...I met someone yesterday. They had the strangest look on them and that''s why I stopped and talked to them. They said that there''s a strange rumor going around." "Mmm." King Richard murmured, nestling himself into her hair once again. "And?" "Well, they said there''s an old tablet that''s been seen." The King moved back away from her again, looking into space for a moment. "Stop the carriage...Marcus!" The King''s yell startled Mahnu and he squeezed her hand, before turning to the window where Marcus was. "What was the last news of the tablet?" Marcus was silent, they had been searching for it with a third of the Loyal Royal Knight Army all this time. "...It is still not found, Your Majesty." "Mahnu just heard a rumor regarding the tablet...Mahnu tell us again what you heard." Mahnu told them everything, even the part how she had somehow saw the tablet being passed to what she knew as the Governor Sedric. How could she possibly know who that is, when she had never met him before? What she was more worried about though, was how she had seen it in her head. And not only that, but the place where the tablet had been passed to another¡­Was not where she was in Conrella¡­ It was precisely this reason that she had left to go back to the residence the day before, in which William thought instead that it was because she was feeling strange about being followed. When she told them what she had seen in her head, they both just stared at her. "I know it sounds ludicrous, but I think that person has the tablet. And the one that I spoke to...Was there himself, I think, I saw it from his memories...Tell me, there''s something wrong with me." Marcus looked at the King and the King swore under his breath. He did worry about what Mahnu was going through, but at this moment, with what they heard, it was very important to get this tablet! They had so much trouble with it over two years ago and finally they got some news about it now! "Were going to Bena, change the course." The King stated firmly. He will have to visit Harval afterwards, after they destroy this irritating tablet! "Yes, Your Majesty." Mahnu was livid, they believed her? Why? "Don''t look like that, is it so strange for a man to trust his woman?" King Richard bit his lip. She had read someone''s mind, I''d be a fool not to trust her! Mahnu was silent for awhile but she hadn''t felt well for a day now and wondered if she should tell Richard. It''ll pass, she thought, looking out the window. It had started with a dull pain in her head¡­But as the hours went by, it was starting to get worse and worse¡­Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. *** Pain speared through Mahnu''s entire body. Being disconnected in her arms and legs, feet and hands, felt utterly excruciating. "Haha, look at you now. The Betrayer of God''s, Savior of Mankind! Haha." Mahnu screamed as her dream led her to more pain that seemed so overbearing that she felt herself slipping away. It felt like it wasn¡¯t real but real at the same time, that was why she always hated having nightmares. Most of the time her nightmares would show something else, most of the time on a loneliness that would shudder her soul. This time¡­This time was the worst pain that she can ever remember feeling. Having something pull at her body and feeling her body slowly break, even hearing it break, was unbearable¡­ A black darkness came across her then and she again felt that loneliness¡­ "Mahnu! Dammit! My god, Mahnu! Breath!" King Richard had taken her, still screaming, out of the carriage to have her suddenly go limp in his arms. Luckily, he saw that it was only for an instant and she started to breathe again as she had hit the ground when he had laid her down. Mahnu took a deep breath in and opened her eyes. Tears started to stream down her face as she started to recall her nightmare. "I...I was..." "Hush. Just breath. Please breath!" "They...Tortured me! I was torn apart!" Mahnu hiccupped and took another deep breath in." They called me...The Betrayer...Of God''s" Mahnu clung to King Richard and continued to cry. Not just because she felt like what her dream had shown her was the truth, but also because she had never felt so overwhelmed in these two years! She was so thankful right now to be able to have someone to embrace her, after feeling all that loneliness. "Oh, Mahnu! My dearest, Mahnu." The King didn''t know what to say or do as he held her tight. Seeing her screaming so loudly, scared him so much. But he became absolutely frightened when she had stopped breathing! Hell, both of them just had a nightmare! His trembling had not come to an end as he also felt his heart was racing at an extreme rate¡­ He hugged her tighter, rocking her as she continued to cry¡­There was just no way he could be happy to let her out of his embrace until his heart was normal and he was no longer trembling! For quite a few minutes, King Richard hugged Mahnu, unable to leave the place they raced to, outside the carriage. With her hands grasping at his clothes and having covered her face, King Richard couldn¡¯t help but believe that this woman was the most pitiful creature upon Kralaide. Yet, he had never been so thankful for something in his life! Having her come so close to leaving his side forever, he took in deep breaths and was finally able to calm down. ¡­She''s remembering the past...Dammit! The King cursed silently. What''s going on? He stood up, with Mahnu in his arms, and went back inside the carriage. "Go, stay on course until we arrive at Bena. Send someone in advance to find a doctor!" Mahnu laid there quietly, as she listened to the wheels turning over and over on the rocky road. What''s wrong with me? She thought. What kind of dream...Was that? Could it have been real? It felt...Real¡­ "Richard?" She felt his hand on her face. "Ye...Yes?" He said, after he cleared his voice. "Who am I?" Mahnu opened her eyes to see him staring at her sadly. He took a deep breath in and said. "You have a deep past. One that I don''t know much of. But I do know that you help people. You have helped so much, Mahnu. You even saved my life...Twice, or three times!" "Really?" Mahnu smiled. She was glad. But at the same time, not knowing who she used to be suddenly became a big problem¡­ Before now, she had not worried about it, thinking she might be better off not remembering¡­But now, it seemed that she had done something terrible and even had gone through something that she probably shouldn¡¯t have survived! For the first time in two years, she felt a sense of horror to her past. A past that she might have to remember and accept¡­ "Yes, you are remarkable." Mahnu closed her eyes again and sighed. Sleep ended up taking her to yet another place, that seemed like the past. ...It looked like she was back in the town of Brackan. "What are you doing here, Betrayer!?" "It''s time." Mahnu found herself saying to the two others in front of her. One person laughed. "Time for what?" "The time for God''s is over!" Her own yelling scared her. Someone came at her, but she rammed into them too and the earth beneath them shock for a moment, wind escaping in a rush. The power and strength used was out of Mahnu¡¯s expectation and she looked on with absolute surprise and shock! The floor beneath their feet was shattering! Mahnu felt herself talk in haste, "For I could not achieve peace through words or actions, I entrust my power into this box, to protect the future of mankind!" Mahnu stopped talking, as they attacked her, and she was pushed with a huge amount of force into a brick wall, leaving a huge hole in it! With a cough, blood came out of her mouth. She picked up the box and continued, "I am willing to sacrifice, to achieve that peace I could not obtain without this box!" Mahnu heard her thoughts of the time. ''Take my immortality! Take the sufferings I feel from humans. Take my God powers. Even take my hearing thoughts of others and if more is needed take my memories...Take my whole existence!'' ...I must...Lock the box. ...Feeling herself holding onto her consciousness, only through extreme willpower, she locked the small box in her hands and with the last ounce of power she had within her. Only then, was she able to sleep... Mahnu opened her eyes and breathed in. Sitting up in the bed, she found King Richard laying next to her sleeping. "...I was a God." No wonder she hadn¡¯t died to that torturous pain! After a moment, while she became calm again from remembering her nightmare, Mahnu put her hand over Richard¡¯s face and kissed him, waking him up. He kissed her back sleepily at first, but then put a hand to her face and pulled her into him. Feeling her being urgent and aggressive, Richard was unable to stop her and met her half way with everything. If she wanted to ravage his mouth, he let her and did the same to her. If she put a hand inside his inner robe, to start pulling it off him, he let her and did the same in return¡­ To Richard, whom didn¡¯t mind having gotten woken up, he felt like his dearest Mahnu needed comfort. Not wanting, just to pass the time or have fun, but needing it¡­ Nonetheless, whatever she wanted, whatever she needed, he was willing to provide it for her. He was willing to have her take whatever she wanted from him¡­ Yes, she thought, help me forget. For a little while. She put her hand around his waist and her leg over his and he took her invitation to lay on top of her. For a man, seeing a woman take initiative like this could only turn him on. How could he not want the woman of his dreams!? How could he not see how perfect she was for him!? Her soft body beneath his drove him on and he kissed the woman that wanted more¡­ He is so gentle, she thought, his touch is like happiness spreading throughout my whole body. Relief quickly turned into pleasure¡­ "Richard." She moaned, as she put her legs around him. There wasn¡¯t anything holding back Richard¡¯s desire, as he not only entered her, but he groaned out her name. His loving embrace took her away from reality¡­And at the same time completely satisfied and made her lover happy. *** Chapter 30
The next day, at dawn, Mahnu watched as King Richard slept. He was still holding her, and his legs were entwined with hers. He looked possessive, even though he was sleeping. Trying to escape his hold of her, she felt him hold her even tighter. Sighing, Mahnu poked him with her finger, "Let me go, Richard." "...mmnnoo..." Mahnu chuckled at his sleepy mumbles, "Yes!" "Never let you go!" His small voice and possessive movements only made her chuckle again. Mahnu pushed him with all her strength, only to have them both fall off the bed. "Oww! Dam!" The King said, touching where he hit his head. Mahnu got up, laughing, "Well, you should have let me go!" "Oww. I''m sure you could have made it happen another way...Other than pushing me off the bed!" Mahnu stopped, hearing words coming into her head. ''Another way, other ways. What other ways could I try? Did I try them all?'' "Mahnu?" The King''s voice didn¡¯t quite reach her. It had been my own voice, she thought, and it had sounded...Sad. What was the previous me trying to do? "Mahnu!" The King yelled, snapping her back to the present. "I feel like...I''ve forgotten something extremely important." King Richard sighed. Things were already very strange, he thought. He remembered her screaming and not breathing, most likely because of being tortured in her past. She knowing about the tablet, when it was known she could no longer hear thoughts. And now, she seems sure to have forgotten something that seems to be important. But it is interesting that she feels that way. She was trying to get the tablet over two years ago. Does she have that much obligation to finish what she had started? Or is it something else? He sighed, I would be lying if I said I wasn''t worried about her. It really started to dawn upon him on how troublesome this woman of his was! But she was so magnificently naked in front of him right now, how could he feel like she was a burden in any type of way!? Before his desire pooled down to his groin, he tried to calm himself down, seeing her still somewhat serious¡­Again, he was worried¡­ "But what are you worried about? That I might actually remember what it is that I''ve forgotten?" Mahnu stared at him. "That I can read your thoughts? That..." She looked down at her hands, "That I used to be a God..." In a stunned silence, King Richard blinked and felt an ache in his heart¡­ King Richard pulled her into his arms in the next moment, "You''ve remembered? All of it?" Mahnu shook her head, "No...Just glimpses that seem to make sense. But my mind is filling up with them, even right now." The King sighed and wondered if it was okay, even if she did remember. "Do you remember me?" He asked. "Only from two memories...Three. One was when you were alone, and I was...Snapping necks." Mahnu was very confused to this memory¡­ "Right! You were really strong...And angry at me. But I was angry at you too!" The King pointed at her childishly. "Why were you angry with me?" Mahnu asked innocently. She honestly couldn''t remember. "You...You went to them! Honestly, you would have known that they were going to torture you! You shouldn''t have bothered! I mean..." He gathered her closer to him, "You had a nightmare about it, didn''t you?" He knew he could be wrong, that her nightmare could have been from any of those thousand years, but¡­He couldn¡¯t help himself from asking¡­ ¡­Mahnu was silent as she pieced his information to her dream. "Yes, I remember. I put them into the box myself..." King Richard interrupted her, "Another reckless act of yours! Why couldn''t you just..." The King stopped. He knew that without her help, the two God''s might even still be here, or there might have been human deaths. Sighing, the King said, "I''m glad that you are still here¡­I started to think that you didn''t exist anymore and..." He sighed again. Mahnu put a hand to his face and smiled. A flash of more memories hit her, and her head started to ache even more than before.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. It made sense now, why her head was hurting the last couple of days¡­It looked like the reason was because she was regaining her memories. ¡­Was it because she has come into contact with Richard again? Would I have still received these memories, if I had never been found? Unable to question more about it, she put a hand to her hurting head and cringed to the onslaught of pain. "Mahnu?" "It''s fine, my head..." "I''ll call the doctor!" She stopped him, and said, "I''m fine, really. It''s just slowly all coming back to me." The King stared at her in silence. His most treasured person was in pain and he never wanted her to go through anything terrible again. But here she was, accepting that pain easily. For a slight moment, he didn¡¯t feel like much of a man. His pride for doing what he could for his woman seemed to have plummeted¡­ Unable to accept that there was absolutely nothing that he could do, Richard asked, "Mahnu...If there''s something I can do for you. You will tell me?" Mahnu smiled at him, "You have already done so much. When I went back to Conrella with you the first time, you changed my entire existence." She was remembering him now and what she had received. She couldn¡¯t deny that there were a lot of loneliness within her memories, but¡­Remembering the last few months where Richard had come into her life¡­Her feelings skyrocketed. Watching him with his children, listening to his thoughts, following him around. Talking once again, feeling special¡­Wanting¡­Wanting a lot. She had wanted to eat again, to smell, to be with another¡­ All these long-lost feelings and desires flooded into her again and she couldn¡¯t help but feel glad once again¡­Glad to have known Richard and to have experience those most happy times. "What do you mean?" His question made her laugh and she replied happily, "Beforehand I didn''t want to eat, I didn''t have any friends. I didn''t laugh or smile, I didn''t let people see me, let alone touch me! The sufferings were foremost in my mind and I never thought that I could not love someone or have somebody love me in return. You have given me so much, Richard." Mahnu had never really been so open with him before and his thoughts took on a whirlwind of happiness. It felt really good to know that I have been able to give her something in return! He smiled at his own thoughts and kissed her on the cheek, "I love you, Mahnu, surely you must know that." "Yes, I do." Mahnu got up and started to walk away. What do I do when he does that? As far as she thought back to what she knows of her memories, she couldn¡¯t remember it happening before, so she didn¡¯t know how to respond¡­ ¡®I love you, Mahnu¡¯ repeated in her head and she found her heart beating faster and faster¡­She blinked and felt giddy¡­ Even if she hadn¡¯t heard it before, right now¡­She felt pretty good! "Wait!" The King got up and grabbed her and saw her eyes were shining when she turned back to him. She was smiling and even a small laugh escaped her lips. She was happy that he stopped her, he always made her feel special when he did. "You were...Teasing me just now. Weren''t you?" King Richard put his head to her shoulder, a smile on his own lips. Mahnu, he thought, I''ll never stop chasing you! "Are you mad at me?" She asked. It wasn''t really her intent to have teased him, she just wasn''t sure how to respond to his affection. "Yes! Very mad! I was having a sweet moment!" Richard put his hands around Mahnu¡¯s bare waist, as she breathed out and said. "I never knew the feeling of being in love." Mahnu''s memories had very little black spots now. ¡­Her past before meeting Richard...The bleakness of the world, the solitude and loneliness¡­ Then being with Richard and how the world and her had changed. "But when I was with you. I felt like...Maybe it''s that feeling..." Mahnu took a deep breath, why was it so hard to express myself? Was there something wrong with her? Did my head hurt too much? King Richard let out a chuckle and looked at her, "It''s okay, tell me when you''re ready." Mahnu felt wronged! She really wanted to tell him that right now she felt very happy and that her heart was crazily beating for him, it was just¡­Well, she had no idea why she couldn¡¯t just tell him! "But I am ready! It''s...Hard to say...Why is it hard to say?" He smiled at her and put his forehead to hers. "Mmm...Maybe you''re embarrassed, or shy? You were when we first made love." Mahnu looked away from him and breathed in. He was right, she hadn''t felt embarrassed or shy until she had met this particular man, obviously though, she wasn''t so shy anymore. Looking down, to only see their naked bodies, she felt like it was fine¡­Well, to a certain degree¡­ She knew he loved her body, yet, just like a few other girls¡­She did feel shy to do as she was doing! She should get some clothes on¡­ Silence filled the room and the King moved her head gently towards him, before she could have a chance to get away. Of course, she was putty in his hands and heard his thoughts of not having to tell him more¡­That he already felt special¡­ Then he kissed her¡­ *** When it was no longer dark outside, the King got into business because they had made it to Bena the previous day. They were staying at a luxurious house that the King said he had in most of the towns outside of Conrella. Mahnu didn''t know how she felt about that, still to this day, as she had known about it before as well...There are many people without homes, yet, he had homes spacious enough for at least four families! When he wasn¡¯t here, this place was empty, yet livable. It was also situation in a pretty good area that overlooked the rich and the poor. On one side there were little houses all close together, leaving minimal room to use a carriage¡­On the other side, Mahnu was sure without even looking that there was the rich, big houses that could fit up to ten of those little ones! Knowing of what Bena looked like and where they were, her mind quickly told her in which way that Governor Sedric stayed and that this house was not all that far away from it. It was nice though, as the place had obviously been looked after and was filled with furnishings for a King. Apparently, these houses have always been around and always only for the King¡¯s of Kralaide¡­Of course, there was a matter that no one may believe, but Mahnu knew otherwise¡­In fact¡­These mostly abandoned homes held her cash¡­ It wasn¡¯t like she owned the land or the houses, it was the fact that this place was secure and protected well. Within this same location, her buried money was located, and she was sure that it would still be there¡­ The problem was, her treasure was buried under a big tree that she would normally pick up and move¡­Now she probably couldn¡¯t do that, simply because she had lost her God almighty strength! Sadly, Mahnu wasn¡¯t sure what to do now about her buried money that was in nearly each town. Would she even need it now? But, just like this King¡¯s residence, her money was buried in the other King¡¯s residence¡¯s in the other towns too! And¡­The King¡¯s of Kralaide had not always owned these houses at all! This one in Bena hadn¡¯t even been build until two hundred years ago! Before that, it was platformed area, with a small house. It¡¯s use back then was to keep the poor commoners from going into the rich noble area and making a nuisance of themselves. The King of Kralaide, from two hundred years ago, had abolished it¡­Not because he wanted to stop the separation between the rich and the poor, but because it was a very nice piece of land and at that time, he was in Bena for two months in one sitting¡­ There were stories for all of them, in which Mahnu knew, but she got over it pretty quickly when she heard that she had to get back into the bed for the doctor, who was supposed to arrive shortly¡­ Chapter 31
Mahnu could not remember getting here to the King¡¯s residence in Bena, as she had slept a lot the day before. Her dreams and memories had started to flood into her since her nightmare on the carriage ride on the way here. But, apparently, a doctor had treated her already and that he was coming back for the second time. He checked her pulse and breathing. Her temperature had fallen slightly, and he was giving her a rich dose of cold medicine. "Ah, Sir. I don''t think that I have a cold." The doctor looked at her and sighed, "To be honest, I wasn''t entirely sure. Your temperature seems to be the only thing wrong. Your pulse doesn''t indicate any other problems and your breathing seems to be normal. It is peculiar." Mahnu could probably understand the doctor¡¯s questionable gaze. Her memories coming back from a thousand years most likely wasn¡¯t something that happened a lot and would probably do something to her body. Instead, Mahnu smiled and said, "Then I would prefer against taking medicine." The doctor looked worried. "But...The King." "It is okay. You have done well. I will say that to the King." "Yes...Your High..." "Stop! Don''t say that...I am Mahnu." The doctor looked at her astonished, "But the King had said that you were his..." Mahnu sighed heavily. "Yes...Mah...Mahnu. I will take my leave." After the doctor departed, Mahnu got out of bed and slowly walked towards the window. Her head still ached, and she felt a little dizzy, but she guessed it would all go back to normal again soon, since all her memories had returned. Mahnu sat down on the edge, peering out onto the street. The sufferings weren''t with her, silently she hoped that they would not return. But, sometimes, she is able to hear thoughts, in which was becoming more often. Watching a child run away from other children and a few adults doing their own thing, outside of the window, Mahnu got lost into her thoughts. She put into perspective of what she had paid for the box for two God''s. At first it was nearly everything, even her existence had been in danger. But, for quite some time, all she was, was mortal¡­ Just like every other human, she had to drink water and eat food. If she didn¡¯t eat or drink, she would become weak and faint. She has also seen a change in her appearance, like time no longer stood still for her looks. It was pretty much conclusive that she was no longer an immortal¡­ Yet, in the past few days, she had regained her memories and was able to hear other¡¯s thoughts again¡­Perhaps¡­ Mahnu wondered if she had even become immortal again now¡­ Picking up a knife, Mahnu went to a candle and lit it. Putting the knife through the fire, she heard someone walk into the room. "Mahnu? What are you doing?" It was William. Mahnu wasn''t surprised, knowing already that William would have been watching her like a hawk. Ever since he found her at Brackan, he''s rarely left her side. Remembering that boy who had followed her with silent questions and did everything he was told, she still valued this person, so she decided to answer him. "I am getting an answer." Mahnu said, as she slightly sliced her arm. It made her cringe to the pain, but now that she had her memories back, she felt like it was something small and harmless¡­Even though blood started to trickle down from her arm¡­ William rushed towards her, putting his grip over the cut and looking for material to put over it. "Wait. Please. I just need to see..." ¡­If it will heal, she thought. She removed his hand and blood seemed to be still flowing from the cut. From the past, something as small as this would heal in no time¡­Yet¡­It was still bleeding¡­ Just in case she might be wrong, and that it may take longer because she was just regaining what she used to have, she gave the wound another minute or two, but¡­If anything, it looked worse then before, blood not coming to any kind of halt. She looked at William, who had a piece of material now and put her arm out for him to strap it. "Why did you do that?" He asked. Mahnu looked on, as he continued to press the material to her wound, "I wanted to know if it would heal. My memories have been restored. I am starting to hear other¡¯s thoughts again...Wouldn''t you be just as eager, as I, to know if I could heal or not?" He sighed, "No. I will get scolded now that you''ve been hurt." Mahnu found it stupid that someone else should get punished for what she did herself, "I will protect you."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Mahnu!" He said, irritated. "You do not need to protect me or anyone else anymore! It''s time for you to relax. You have done enough!" Mahnu sighed, feeling irritated to this predicament. For her own actions, someone else getting hurt, then for them to feel like they owe her this? And now¡­That person was angry at her!? Humans were strange¡­ All Mahnu could say was, "I am sorry for making you angry." William let out a deep breath and went back to the door. "I''m not angry. But...Let us protect you now." He went back to his post without looking back, leaving behind Mahnu who had more questions than she did before¡­ Mahnu was conflicted. She didn''t know any other way. For two years, she had lived without being a God, but she had hardly been herself and it doesn''t even come close to the habit she had for over a thousand years! What...Do I do with my existence now? What am I supposed to do? Taking the strapped material around her arm off, she saw that it still hadn''t healed. Well it''s confirmed, I''m still mortal. For some reason, she didn¡¯t know whether this was a good or bad thing. Already knowing the advantages of being a God¡­Mahnu was now seeing the disadvantages of being a human. Food and water were a big problem already! Now, she wasn¡¯t healing! At this moment, if she were to choose between human or God, she would choose God¡­Yet¡­This also brought her back into her memories when she had wanted to sleep for eternity¡­God¡¯s couldn¡¯t be killed, yet human¡¯s¡­ Leaning in the opposite direction now, thinking that being a human might be better then a God, Mahnu felt even more conflicted¡­ William suddenly took her arm forcefully and silently strapped it again. She hadn''t even realized he had come back into the room again. Do you want to be immortal again? Do you miss it? His thoughts made her wonder. "I don''t know..." When William finished, he left again. Guess I can''t blame her for being confused, he thought. Mahnu walked towards the door and leaned on the frame. "I will try and not be a bother to you. But will you do me a favour?" William turned to her willingly, "What would you like, Your..." "Stop!" Mahnu was not in the mood to be called, ''Your Highness.'' It was just a stupid title. She much preferred her own name. "My name is Mahnu, William! You will not call me otherwise! Do you understand?" William was taken aback...Is this how the doctor had felt like just before! Seeing William shocked, Mahnu sighed. Standing up straighter, William collected himself, "Yes, Mahnu. How can I help you?" Cringing, Mahnu got up her courage and finally said, "¡­Please bring me some food." Never¡­Never had she asked anybody for food! She felt¡­Embarrassed¡­Useless! Someone like her, who would travel for weeks to bring back food for others, yet here she was relying upon someone to give her some¡­ Completely embarrassing! "¡­Food?" William asked in complete shock again! Mahnu, lifted her face, trying not to give away her own shock, "Yes, I''m hungry!" She was still being reminded to eat and drink often, yet now, she felt the urge to eat! I suppose two years of having to eat and drink finally started to become a habit! After a short, stunned, silence, he answered, "Straight away, I will do as you ask...Is there a preference to something you would like?" Mahnu shook her head slowly, "No, not really." "Right. I will return shortly." Mahnu sighed again and smiled. Putting on another coat of clothing, she stepped outside the door. She didn''t have any intention to run away, instead, Mahnu walked towards a nearby garden. It wasn''t big, only three different flowers and a small hedge but she felt a little more freedom. ¡­Now that she remembers who she is, it was like she had awoken for the second time. There seemed to be some things she had to talk to Richard about! One was the title that she wasn''t going to repeat inside of her head again. Her name had rarely ever been spoken as it was! Is it wrong to like having people call me by my name? Mahnu sat on the garden side chair and watched mindlessly as a butterfly fluttered by. I''m not a weak little thing to cage up either. For the second time, she missed her Godly strength that would let her jump from tree to rooftop! First, she wasn¡¯t able to pick up a tree anymore, now she wasn¡¯t able to wonder off by jumping anymore! It really was a sighing matter, as Mahnu could find the beauty of both worlds¡­Yet, now she didn¡¯t quite fit into any of them. She wasn¡¯t quite human, nor was she a God¡­Either way, she was starting to feel like she now had rules that she had to follow by. For most of her existence, she had set her own rules, she had been at her own pace¡­Now, she had a residence¡­ A residence in a town that she could probably see her stuck to now because of Richard. It wasn¡¯t like she was complaining about her lovable man, as she really didn¡¯t like being apart from him, but¡­ I...Don''t want to be stranded in a palace¡­ Mahnu sighed and closed her eyes, knowing all too well that Richard will want to keep her beside him. It''s not like I want to leave him, but... Mahnu looked around and found herself feeling boxed in. Putting her feet onto the chair, she hugged her knees and put her head down. What do I want to do now? She asked herself honestly. Without the sufferings leading her life now, all she had was Richard. He definitely makes me happy but why do I feel like I''m an unfinished puzzle? "Mahnu?" William''s voice startled her, and she saw that he had brought a plate full of food. "Thank you." The plate had a few fruits, then some vegetables and then some cakes and pastries¡­ William stared at her and asked, "I wasn¡¯t sure what you wanted to eat, so I got¡­Are you...Crying?" Mahnu was startled again. She had rarely ever cried in her entire existence and now it seemed to happen a lot more regularly. Wiping at her eyes, she hurriedly said, "No!" William nodded to her but didn''t leave. He watched her pick up some food and eat it. Mahnu...His thoughts again, are you perhaps...Pregnant? Mahnu looked up at him in shock, dropping her food. "Why would you think that!?" William took a moment to collect himself, and said, "Oh, you had never asked for food before now and I''ve never seen you cry so much." "How does..." How does that mean that she¡¯s pregnant!? Mahnu tried to think back to see if she understood the symptoms, by the other women that she may have heard the thoughts of in the past, but she was unsure. He looked away, "Uh! It''s nothing...The doctor would have known if you were pregnant and he never said such a thing. So, forget what I said." Mahnu was silent for a moment and nodded. "Okay." William wondered if the doctor had got it wrong but Mahnu interrupted further thoughts, by saying, "Enough William! Go far away now, please." He put his head down and walked away. Being alone, Mahnu picked at the food in front of her in silence. Well, it might have been silent, but her mind was wondering off¡­ She had way too much to think about all of a sudden and she felt dizzy! She wanted to find out why she felt like an unfinished puzzle. Also, she didn''t want to depend on Richard. ¡­But the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Sighing, Mahnu tried to make her thoughts simpler. What is it that I want to do? Well, I used to help the humans, do I intend to continue doing so? Mahnu admitted that there were still things left to do, to finish what she had started. The tablet...Mahnu nodded to herself. The tablet needed to be found! But...She wasn''t a God anymore. Her strength is only that of a female human...She remembers what the monk had taught her centuries ago but doing those actions now would be different, she was sure of it. Nonetheless, the tablet seemed to fill up an empty spot in her heart and she already felt happier! Feeling herself slowly become renewed, that she had found a purpose, she continued to wonder how to get strength...To help her finish what she had started¡­ *** Chapter 32
The King returned in the early afternoon, to see Mahnu at the windowsill. "Have you been resting well?" He asked, after kissing her head. "I feel fine now." King Richard felt something strange as he saw that she hadn''t even turned to him. Was she in a bad mood? Did I do something wrong? He wondered. "Yes! Don''t make people call me by a title. I have a name!" Mahnu¡¯s outburst shocked both him and herself! The King didn''t know how to respond. "They call you that because..." "Yes, I know. Make it stop, please." But, it''s tradition to call a King''s woman, Your Highness, he thought. "I will not answer to it!" Mahnu stated, putting her arms across her chest! The King found himself a little scared. His woman was really angry, and she still had yet to turn around and look at him. Including of what she was demanding, King Richard felt like there was something wrong. "Mahnu? What''s wrong?" Mahnu finally turned to him and he saw a bandage around her arm. "Are you hurt?!" "Stop it!" The King stopped. Something was desperately wrong. "Mahnu?" "That''s right!" She sniffed, a tear running down her cheek. "That''s my name! Please don''t take it away from me!" Sitting down next to her, he sighed to her worries, then he pulled her into his arms and heard her start to cry. He patted her head and rocked her, trying to understand why she was suddenly...Like this¡­ My sweet, beloved Mahnu, I will never forget your name¡­Please don¡¯t get upset¡­ Surely, she couldn¡¯t be upset to this degree just over that¡­Was there another reason? Mahnu stopped crying as his warmth filled her. Had she always found comfort in his embrace? Now that he was here, Mahnu felt herself calm down. Had she got mad because she missed him? It seemed so strange to her that she no longer was mad or sad now that he was holding her. "I''m sorry but I feel better now." Mahnu sat back against the wall of the window again and wiped her eyes. "I''ve felt strange today. Maybe I''m having withdrawals from being a God...Or too much has happened too fast..." The King picked up her arm, to investigate her wound, but said, "Did the doctor give you medicine?" Why is she hurt? "Don''t get mad at anyone. I did that. It looks like I am still mortal¡­And I told the doctor to not worry about medicine." Swearing under his breath, he stood up but Mahnu stopped him. "I told you not to get mad." The King sighed, and said, "Then what am I supposed to do!?" Mahnu continued to stare at him. "The doctor only found that my temperature was a little higher but that nothing else was wrong. I told him I felt healthy. You know as well as I that getting my memories back would do something! Let it go¡­" Closing his eyes, the King slowly breathed out, wishing he had brought along his own personal doctors, "But he is to check you again tomorrow." Mahnu smiled and nodded. "And this?" He put her arm gently in front of her, demanding an explanation. "Are you..." King Richard put his other hand to his mouth, unable to utter another word. "It was...I was checking, it''s not deep and I treated it." Mahnu didn''t understand why he was so saddened. She wasn''t dead¡­ "Please, no more checking if you are mortal or not." His voice was thick of emotion and Mahnu found herself nodding because of it. He hugged her then and Mahnu hugged him back, "I''m sorry." She realized that she had been apologizing a lot lately! She heard him let out a breath and say, "It''s okay...You really know how to stop my heart though..." Marcus turned, from watching the King and Mahnu, and walked towards William. "Speak!" Upon hearing the King''s and Mahnu''s last conversation, Marcus was alarmed. William openly told his leader everything that had transpired, while they had been away. He knew he was in the wrong completely and did not miss a single bit of information. Marcus laid out punishment for William, which was failing his duty, and returned back to his Majesty. The two were laughing and giggling like fools, making Marcus not understand anything! Not only did His Majesty completely get over the two years without her, now he was so completely smitten by her that he rushed his official duties¡­ He didn¡¯t understand why Mahnu was so special, beyond saving them from the God¡¯s. She was demanding and idiotic. She did things without asking and made His Majesty stress uselessly about her¡­ Nonetheless, His Majesty¡­ Sighing, Marcus calmed himself down and took that time to re evaluate what William had told him. First, the doctor¡­Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. He decided he will get another, for a second opinion. Then, the demand for her name to be used instead of the title...All he could do was, while he was alone with her, he will do as she pleases but otherwise, he could not. As His Majesty¡¯s subject, and not hers personally, he will do what was best for His Majesty and keep up tradition. Mahnu asking for food for the first time and her crying...Marcus wondered if her moods were fluctuating, withdrawals or, perhaps, depression? Marcus decided to speak to the new doctor, prior to Mahnu''s next examination. ¡­Hurting herself was a problem and Marcus could not let that happen again! Turning, he spoke to the newly returned and slightly hunched over William, "She is not to even be scratched, understand!?" William got down on a knee, just a bit slower than usual, and put a hand to his heart, "I will guard her with my life!" Marcus knew he meant it, then added, "Find another doctor and report back to me." "Yes, Sir!" Women seemed to be more trouble then he had originally thought! Till this day, he was glad that he had not got himself a wife! *** Even though the King became increasingly busy, with memorials from the capital, Mahnu stayed beside him. They were on the bed and one of his hands were within both of hers. Mahnu had fallen asleep but King Richard still did not pull his hand free from hers as he found that it was really nice that he could be with her, even though he was busy. Concentrating wasn''t even as hard as he had expected it to be! He thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to do a thing with the most beautiful woman beside him, but he was glad to see that he had been wrong¡­ In fact, he preferred her presence, then not having it at all¡­Even if she was sleeping and grasping onto one of his hands¡­ Moving away the parchment in front of him, the King fixed the wooden holders on a new parchment upon the small table on top of his lap. Marcus looked at the King and said, "Your Majesty?" "I will need more ink for this reply." It was becoming normal to see the King quickly do his memorials now, but when the King had looked up at him in expectation, Marcus was new to the sudden need to have to help him with ink¡­Normally someone else would help with that¡­But King Richard didn¡¯t want anyone else in the same room at the moment, Marcus was the only exception. Marcus helped straight away, taking a glance in Mahnu''s direction, he asked, "Should I perhaps move her?" "What?" King Richard looked at Marcus in surprise. "No. She is no bother to me." Marcus sighed but became silent again. He had not had to grind ink for months! He only needed to do so when he had his own reports in Havlish, but they had not gone to Havlish for quite a number of weeks now¡­ Hoping that this won¡¯t become too often, Marcus continued to silently endure¡­ "She will accompany us tomorrow, when we are to see Governor Sedric." The King said, dipping the brush into some more freshly made ink. "Your Majesty!?" The King put his free hand angrily up to his lips. "Shh!" Marcus bowed and apologized in a lower voice, silently grumbling over why he permitted her so close, while doing something important. Not once had he seen a King have a woman present when he was busy with official matters! It was¡­Abnormal¡­ Silence filled the room and Marcus could feel himself getting angrier and angrier. It was scary to him on how much power this one woman had! To change a King so easily was unnerving and Marcus wondered if her being beside him would hinder the future of Kralaide. "Marcus." Looking up at the King''s voice, he replied, "Yes, Your Majesty?" "...If I were to disappear, what would you do?" His question astonished Marcus into silence. King Richard looked up at him and continued, "Would you perhaps stay as the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights?" "I...Don''t...Why are you speaking of such things, Your Majesty?" The King looked down at Mahnu, and then sighed. "My beloved had a long day. But she made some decisions...Even though I wish she would include me more." He looked at Marcus again. "What I asked you, I wanted you to understand something." Marcus was only more confused. How could he understand anything from that!? His job was to keep His Majesty safe and sound! On his watch, something like this would never happen! The King continued, "She knows things have changed now. She knows that she is no longer a God that doesn''t die but wants to make sure that everything will come to an end. Mahnu asked for my assistance, to aid her with the tablet, and wanted to know the box containing the two God''s will be well buried forever." Thinking about the box, Marcus answered, "Tomorrow I will send someone for the news about the box." The box would have made it to Havlish by now, but the orders to trap it deep underground may have just started¡­ "Please do." The King said. "And once we retrieve the tablet...It will be destroyed into unreadable pieces." Marcus stared wide eyed, at the King. "Your Majesty?" "It was Mahnu''s idea and I agree with her." "But the history..." "Mahnu has consented to talk about her past and have it written down. But the locations of both, The Chest of the God''s and the box will not be written down, nor will information be given about whether they exist or not. People may eventually come to think of it as just a story, which is what I would prefer. We will also not put this history in the library for quite some time, just in case." Marcus took a moment to think and then nodded, "It is a wise plan, Your Majesty." "You can thank Mahnu for that." Marcus looked at the woman on the bed beside His Majesty and admitted that she had thought that out well. "So, you will assist in her protection, as she finishes her journey as a God¡­I can''t deny her of my help...Just like you, I''d assume you would continue being the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights, if something happened to me." ¡­Marcus finally understood. The King wanted him to know that Mahnu had unfinished business. *** The next day, they traveled to Governor Sedric''s home. It was more grand then the King''s home that they were currently staying in, while in Bena, but something was missing from the house as Mahnu looked around. Sullen, quiet, soulless guards and workers looked at her and she heard their thoughts on their master. Some had been punished over small things, some had families that Governor Sedric contained and some had seen death happen in front of them, making them too scared to do anything. Out of the people that worked in the household, Mahnu had an idea that near eighty percent of them weren¡¯t happy and were forced into situations that they couldn¡¯t handle¡­ How was it that this man¡¯s deeds had not been detected till this day? Seeing flashes of some of the people, Mahnu saw families crying and then a flash took her by surprise, as Zachary had recently conceded to Sedric¡­ So¡­The skirmishes that happened between them¡­ It was because Zachary knew of the treacherous ways of Sedric but was never able to gain enough evidence to support his claim! Between the two of them¡­It seemed that there was quite a lot of history! Mahnu looked around but stayed silent as the Governor welcomed His Majesty. Clenching her fists, Mahnu could hardly tolerate this man that would make her last job harder¡­ It was people like this that always made her suffer! People that had no care for others, that didn¡¯t think that other¡¯s had feelings and could suffer loss and pain! People like this made her thousand years of existence extremely difficult! But¡­She was no longer a God that was feeling the sufferings anymore¡­And she asked herself why she cared so much. Was it because it became a habit to worry over the humans? Silently trying to breath normal, Mahnu looked down and tried not to think more of it, as even if she did worry over the human¡¯s, right now they were here for the tablet¡­ Having a robe with a large hood, on Richard''s commands, was to help keep attention away from her but she already knew that it hadn''t worked. Sedric was very observant, he was also sly and wanted to make a lot of things his and his only. He was not one to keeps his mitts out of other people¡¯s business! "And who is your companion, Your Majesty?" Sedric came to stand in front of her. William stepped forward, from Mahnu''s right side, stating, "She is His Majesty''s consort." Sedric looked at William, then back to Mahnu. "Why is a consort here and not in the palace?" "That isn''t of your..." The King interrupted William, "Sedric! Please, let us enjoy some of your fine tea." Looking to the King, Sedric smiled, "Of course. I am much obliged!" Before he went to lead the way, he looked at Mahnu once more, making her feel sick to his inner voice¡­ I dare say, she is prettier then the Queen. His thoughts didn''t betray on Mahnu''s face and she could tell straight away that she didn''t like this man. No, she didn¡¯t just dislike him¡­She hated him! People like him, who knew what they were doing in harming or giving others pain was wrong and yet still didn¡¯t care, should not have the power like he has! He would be better being in isolation or locked up¡­Or given the death penalty!! Chapter 33
They were seated and Sedric was having a happy talk with the King, when the subject turned to the woman by His Majesty¡¯s side once again. "Your Majesty, I didn''t think you were going to have more wife''s. I''m glad I am wrong. There are way too many pretty flowers¡­To ignore them all would be quite rude." Mahnu took off the hood, getting everybody''s attention, and she stared at Sedric for a moment. Mahnu had enough of his silent snide comments at the King. He was such a nasty person beneath his exterior that she wanted to move on with her plan! "Tablet." Everyone was quiet after her one word and she could see that Sedric thought about what she was talking about. "Is there something wrong? Your Highness?" His words seemed unconcerned, it was more like he was happy to have the chance that the ¡®flower¡¯ was talking to him. Mahnu got up and without a word, walked away, William followed closely after her. ¡­She knew exactly where she was going and what she was looking for. What worried her¡­Was who was it that Sedric was going to give the tablet too in a day or two? His mind had been fuzzy, and she had not been able to see the memory properly¡­All she got was that Sedric had a need, for no explainable reason, to show someone this tablet soon¡­ "Ah...Sedric when...When will we expect the next trade of rice?" Trying to get the people¡¯s attention from the slightly rude behaviour of Mahnu, the King could only bring up business matters. The King inwardly sighed at Mahnu''s ways, but he knew what she was doing. The idea of the tablet being said more then it is required, was a better option then asking for it politely and having the chance that Sedric would state that he has no idea upon what they would be talking about¡­But the King still didn¡¯t like that the only person who could retrieve the tablet, was his lovely woman¡­ "Mahnu...Normally we do things more politely." William said, continuing to follow her into a room that resembled a bedroom. It seemed like the master''s bedroom, as some expensive items were around¡­The walls had not only tapestry, but artwork and some ornaments were near the bed head and also on the dresser. There was left over wine beside the bed and the bedsheets had yet to be made¡­Only making Mahnu feel sick once again¡­ Sedric¡¯s lifestyle included women¡­Women to warm his bed¡­And whatever woman he wanted at the time. Whether it would be another¡¯s wife that goes missing for a few hours and threatened before returning or a woman that was ¡®more experienced¡¯¡­ Obviously, he had been intimate with another, not long before they had arrived. "If thoughts could be heard, the one who isn''t being polite, would have been Sedric." Mahnu easily took this moment to speak badly of the Governor. William stopped, astonished, "What did he think?" "He only acts like a normal gentleman...but beneath..." Clenching her hands again, Mahnu sneered. Beneath his ¡®Gentleman¡¯ he is a creep! A creep that kills and takes whatever he wants! He was more then a creep¡­He was a human monster! As she continued to look for some time, of a spot from his memory, Mahnu tried to wonder how she had not come here earlier when she was a God and take care of this Governor herself! Touching a strange device, Mahnu turned, remembering that she didn¡¯t like getting involved with Governors¡­ William watched as she got the tablet, from a hiding spot in the wall, and turned back towards him. "Valtac and Sedric, Gregory...They don''t do what Governors are supposed to do." "Valtac?" William was a bit worried. Gregory was trying to assassinate the King, was he like that too? "No...He uses the people for his own gain and Sedric takes the people for granted and scares them. That is why I say they shouldn''t be Governors." William was still shocked¡­Could she be telling the truth? As far as he was aware Valtac had a reputation of being a good Governor, Sedric didn¡¯t seem to have much of a good or bad reputation, just a Governor that did his job¡­Where they both bad? And if they were¡­ "Why don''t you tell the King?" William asked. "Is reading minds a common thing?" There was a reason why Mahnu had a response to this question. It is because there was a past that she had done exactly as William asked¡­ William followed her out of the room, a bit baffled to her change of subject. "No, I''ve never met anyone besides you that can read minds." "Exactly." Mahnu concluded, not elaborating for the confused William whatsoever.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. William was confused. "I don''t understand" Mahnu stopped before they reached the corridor, that led back to the King. "Humans." Was all she said. Standing there with her, William thought that she should help because she knew about it. "And?" William replied, "And what?" "If I wasn''t here? What then? I can only do so much William. Other previous Governors also...They started okay but did the same thing and used their power over the people. Others before them too..." William stared at her, swallowing, then said, "So, the Governors became corrupt, after..." "Precisely. Evidence plays a part...Gregory never intended to follow and help in the first place, but he wasn''t the first nor will he be the last. Governors hold a lot of power...And my word is all I have." William stared at her. He hadn''t thought much beyond his own time. How many Governors were corrupt, how many became corrupt? "I tried twice...Knowing that those Governors were bad for the people." And to ease her workload¡­ William waited patiently and curiously for her to continued. "One Governor buried me alive, the other got me exiled from the capital, in the process it shook up the whole lot of them and even the King. It took Kralaide a year to get back to normal." He saw that Mahnu was looking far away, perhaps to a time well before he was born. And she was¡­Back to when she had tried to tell people that the Governors were using their power to extort people and do whatever they wanted. The Governor that had buried her alive had done it to silence her and did it behind the King¡¯s back. After she got out of where she was buried, she found out that the Governor had been questioned but had gotten away with what he was doing, simply because she was no longer around and that he covered up his tracks better then he had already done so. The second Governor had schemed against her vigorously! He had entrapped her and even ¡®killed¡¯ her, but Mahnu had tried her hardest to find the evidence that the King apparently needed¡­It was at this time that she realized that her honest voice was not enough¡­That her seeing into a person¡¯s mind and hearing their thoughts, gave her no such luck into doing what she thought was best for the humans. No, they needed something called evidence, simply because they didn¡¯t want to put someone away when they were innocent. What was the point then? If she wasn¡¯t able to find evidence, then the innocent people that the Governor hurts, did their voices mean nothing too? Mahnu still did not quite understand it all¡­On how a Governor can silence so many people and how evidence was needed, when she knew through and through that the man had been bad¡­ It had taken her many years to figure out that it all ended up with trust. The humans didn¡¯t trust the word of someone they didn¡¯t know¡­And that humans were scared. Scared of dying and that she still hadn¡¯t understood that feeling¡­ In the end, Mahnu had dressed as someone else, but the Governor had recognized her and became very scared, immediately scheming against the new person she had become, to get rid of her once again¡­And so, after that, she kept her distance from each and every Governor. They had ¡®killed¡¯ her twice and had schemed against her to not be allowed within the capital. Had she not done enough? She had tried, she had given it her all for two Governors and she had achieved nothing! Why were humans so quick to ¡®kill¡¯ or ¡®scheme¡¯ when someone was just telling the truth? Was it because¡­They knew they were bad and needed to silence whomever was against them? Then¡­The question that confused Mahnu the most was, if they get worried so easily, why do bad things? All she could think of, is that when someone has a lot¡­They seem to become someone else and become greedy, a liar, someone that does bad things so that they don¡¯t lose what they have¡­To that¡­Mahnu wondered if she should steal every single piece of money from the whole of Kralaide¡­Wondering if doing that, they then could change? Yet¡­She did not do that¡­ Instead, she did as she was told and just focused upon the people in the towns and stayed away from the humans completely. After that though, she didn¡¯t want to be near them, she didn¡¯t particularly like them much back then and found it easier just to stay away¡­ Of course, this was already over five hundred years ago now¡­Yet, she still felt betrayed by humans¡­ "Greed is a human''s downfall." This is what she has discovered all these years¡­ She suddenly moved again, and William couldn''t continue their conversation as they were already seen by the others waiting for them. His and Mahnu''s worlds were completely different. Hers was full of the real humans, God''s and a lot of bad things in this world¡­And William felt like he didn''t know anything at all. "Wait! That''s mine!" Sedric pointed to the tablet that Mahnu was holding. Mahnu ignored him and went to the corridor, that led to the exit. She really did want to ask Sedric about the person he was supposed to see in a day or two, but it was clearly out of the question¡­Seeing him want the tablet back so badly, Mahnu knew that she was better just to get out of here as fast as possible first. "Sedric! Please..." Sedric interrupted the King, "Give it back!" Mahnu stood her ground and watched as William stood in front of her for protection. "Sedric!" The King''s words finally got through to him and he turned to the King. "I''m sorry, Your Majesty. But that..." The King interrupted his Governor, "No, I apologize. I will pay double with the next trade of rice...Marcus, make sure I remember." With the King''s demand, all Sedric could do was go silent and nod but Mahnu knew there was a lot more too it then that¡­He was looking at getting some revenge in the future for this¡­And on top of revenge, he was also going to get the tablet back¡­ "Again, my apologizes, but Mahnu seems to be tired and I must leave." "Mahnu?" Sedric asked. Mahnu? It seems familiar. Where have I heard that before? "Yes, please. I would like to return." Mahnu said in haste. There was only one Mahnu, she was sure, and he didn''t know my name before now. ¡­It was clear that Sedric has read the tablet! The King got up and stood beside her, looking at Sedric. "I am glad we had a chance to meet. I look forward to reuniting again in Conrella." A chance to met me. You just wanted my tablet...Mahnu? Mahnu...That''s right! Mahnu the God! Mahnu took a breath in, worried, and Sedric saw it. They were silent because of her reaction and she heard his next thoughts¡­My dear flower, you are definitely worthy of me. You are even better than the tablet! I will get both of you back here in no time! As the King turned her and walked her out of Sedric''s home, Mahnu breathed out. "He knows who I used to be and will try to take both me and the tablet." The King stared at her as he continued walking out, nearly tripping on the way. "Mahnu?" She could feel his uneasiness. "He wasn''t sure about what was written on the tablet...Until he heard my name and remembered it from reading the tablet." Mahnu looked back, "He will pursue the tablet further from what he remembers. He may, even now, look for The Chest of the God''s." "It would be stupid for him to even consider taking you, Mahnu." King Richard said. It is well known that it is death to hurt or take a consort of the King. He couldn¡¯t even remember it happening to any consort in a very long time! Isn¡¯t it because people are scared to do so? Why should they start to worry now? Mahnu looked at him, "Nonetheless, that is what he is thinking." *** Chapter 34
In the rush back to where they were staying, nothing was said. The King gave commands to Marcus, that he alone should destroy the tablet, and he looked back at Mahnu in worry. He believed that she could read minds, but¡­If it were true and Sedric was thinking of taking her¡­ He couldn¡¯t deny that he was worried, even though they had people here to protect her. "I cannot defend myself anymore." Her voice shook a tiny bit and King Richard held her close. "William will watch over you...Marcus too." The King could only think of adding more guards to her full-time protection¡­Who other then give her the best, which was Marcus. "No, Marcus is your Loyal Knight, he does well for you." Before the King could talk, she continued, "Give me another, so that William will be able to rest. He does well but...He puts me first too much. Let him be able to sleep a good rest every day." The King let her go and walked to William. Even though William had stoked his honour to his woman''s safety, the King pressured him to find another that could guard only Mahnu. William bowed, saying he would do so and that he would tell Marcus on his return. "Actually," The King said, stopping him, "Get two more instead of one...Trustworthy Knights, loyal to you as well, William." "Yes, Your Majesty." Mahnu sighed, it was still midday and she already felt like she had a long day. Laying on the bed, she felt herself drift into sleep easily. She remembered the times of wanting to sleep like this when she was a God. How ironic, she thought, now I can''t do without it! The King walked back in to the room, to find Mahnu sleeping. She seemed already out to the world as he took his place sitting next to her on the bed. She didn¡¯t move or anything and it had only been a few minutes since their return to the room! Moving a strand of her hair out of her eyes, he remembered how she looked when she wore all of her hair down. Now she has it up a lot and he missed it down¡­He also wondered how she had fallen asleep so easily with her hair still up. Wasn¡¯t it uncomfortable? Finally letting her sleep, he reads over memorials and waits for the return of Marcus. When, finally, Marcus returns from smashing the tablet, he asks the King quietly, "Would you like to use the remnants of it, Your Majesty?" King Richard looked at the bag that held the tablet, that could no longer be read. "Either that or scatter the pieces to make sure¡­I will leave the decision to you." "Yes, Your Majesty." Marcus left and William spoke to him about Mahnu''s safety, in which Marcus agreed to two more knights to guard her. Afterwards, the doctor came, and Marcus spoke to her before she entered the room that Mahnu was sleeping in. At first, he was astonished to find the doctor as a female, but it was not rare, just uncommon. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would be an advantage or not, as Mahnu was also female¡­Nonetheless, Marcus thought that if he needed to, he would just get a third doctor in if he had too. William told him just earlier that doctors were strange here and had heard some strange rumors about them, but rumors tended to lead one away from the truth¡­So all Marcus could do, was see how this doctor did¡­ The doctor nodded her head to Marcus¡¯s words and fully accepted them, as though she was already on the job, taking it very seriously. Seeing her like this, Marcus was very happy and did not waste time. After everything was said, he stated to the King that the doctor was here, and the doctor was allowed in not too long after that¡­ "...I think I misheard you." Marcus looked on as the King stumbled over his own words. "The pulse is small, but readable, Your Majesty. She is, indeed, pregnant" Watching over the sleeping body of Mahnu, Marcus nudged his Majesty in the shoulder, to shake him out of his surprise. It had been quite obvious to him that the King had wanted a child with Mahnu. "Congratulations, Your Majesty!" "Wait!" The King said. They had a different doctor yesterday, how could things change in a day? "The doctor, yesterday, didn''t say she was pregnant." The lady pulled her fingers away from the sleeping Mahnu and looked away. Marcus was unsure whether to trust her or not with that action. He already had doubts, now they were started to show that it could be real¡­ "I am not a doctor of Bena." Both Marcus and the King were silent and confused. While she continued. "I am a doctor of Kralaide, I will help anyone, whoever they may be...The proper way." "What''s the difference?" Marcus asked, thinking of William, who got this doctor. This woman seemed to be spouting nonsense! ¡®A doctor of Kralaide¡¯ had never once been uttered before, even by a male doctor! And¡­William was the one that had found her! But before Marcus turned to glare at William, the lady doctor spoke again. "The doctors of Bena are told to get as much as they can, whether the patient is sick or not. They hardly qualify and they rarely get the right diagnosis...I used to be one of them, but I learnt how to be a true doctor in Conrella¡­It is my dream after all."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The lady suddenly bowed down and put her head to the floor, scaring everyone awake in the room, "Your Majesty, I am not lying! Please help the people who are sick here and trust my judgement." The King was silent for a moment and Marcus was worried. This type of scandal was pretty big and there would be quite a few people involved! Thinking about it¡­The rumours that William had said¡­Could they have possibly been true then? "Is she really pregnant?" His question halted Marcus and he wondered if he had heard right. "Yes, Your Majesty. When I felt her womb, it was slightly swollen but there is an extra beat in her pulse to state that she is a couple of weeks into her pregnancy." It seemed that it was the same as the Queen, quite some time ago. Only on the night of their marriage, did the King lay with his new Queen and that had been enough to conceive his first child. Now, King Richard wondered if this child had been conceived the same way with Mahnu a few weeks ago, from their first time together. He seemed to have a special talent to impregnate a woman on the first night! Marcus watched the King let out a sigh and the lady smiled at him. "She has no illness, Your Majesty. Fatigue, being emotional and hunger, are all symptoms of pregnancy." "Hunger?" "Yes, your knight here told me beforehand, of what she has been going through...I am certain of my diagnosis, Your Majesty, and wish you my congratulations." At that moment, Mahnu moved but didn''t wake, and the doctor said, "She will be tired for awhile. Please don''t let her strain herself." "Yes, very well. Thank you very much." Finally, the King was able to talk normal again. "I will take my leave then, Your Majesty, and write down a prescription for her to take." The King looked at her quietly for a moment, and then said, "We have somewhere to travel soon and I would like you to accompany us." Marcus was unsure what it was that His Majesty wanted, but it was a good idea. As it was, they had not brought doctors with them from the capital and it would calm His Majesty, if a doctor was constantly by Mahnu¡¯s side. "Your Majesty?" The doctor was uncertain. "My beloved has suffered much, and I''d prefer it if you could accompany her as a friend and her doctor." Not only protection with guarding but, of course, now that she''s pregnant, protection with a doctor. It was understandable, Marcus thought¡­He just wasn¡¯t sure if a ¡®friend¡¯ would happen. Mahnu¡­Mahnu was¡­ Unable to classify Mahnu into any specific type of personality, Marcus could only let it go for now, as the conversation was still going. "I was..." His Majesty interrupted the doctor, "Please, Mahnu..." The King looked at his beloved and back at the doctor, "Please?" The doctor breathed out, taking into account that the King himself was pleading with her, and said, "When will you leave here?" Marcus went to speak but His Majesty talked first, "We will leave tomorrow. But Marcus..." Looking at His Majesty, Marcus bowed his head. "Arrest that other doctor and look into others. We can''t have people being taken advantage of, especially when they are sick." "Yes, Your Majesty!" He had worried for nothing, Mahnu''s pregnancy didn''t affect His Majesty in the way he thought it might. But he wondered if it was good or bad that this was happening at this certain time¡­As¡­It wasn¡¯t even a day and the King had asked for more protection for Mahnu because of Sedric¡­ "And Marcus." Marcus stopped from leaving the room, and turned back to the King. "Yes, Your Majesty?" "At the moment, this is a secret, even from Mahnu. It''s not to leave this room." Then the King let out a small chuckle. Marcus blinked and stared for a moment. "Please understand, miss, of why I asked you what I did just now." Both the doctor and Marcus were speechless. Why keep it a secret? "You too, William...Agreed?" William agreed whole heartily, in which Marcus and the doctor felt like they could only follow suit. "Good." Was all His Majesty said in return. Is it a secret from Mahnu, who could read minds...Or perhaps someone else? Thinking that far, Marcus was suddenly aware of the Queen yet again, and had a slight understanding of why a pregnancy could not be said, when Mahnu had yet to be officially accepted as a consort. Normally, there was a type of wedding and celebration with the people, for a consort to enter into the harem and none of that had yet to be completed! And now¡­Mahnu was already pregnant! Marcus could only sigh to the dilemma that the King is in! Again, he was glad he had no wife! When everyone left the room, King Richard covered his mouth and looked away from Mahnu. He couldn''t help but smile. He knew she was going to question this when she found out but at this moment, he let himself feel like he was the proudest man on earth. Sighing, he put his hand down and wondered how she would act. Would she not like it? Would she be happy? After all, she had never had a child and she had lived all these years¡­ King Richard felt giddy and strange all at the same time. He hoped, he longed, he worried, and he wished. He hoped Mahnu would accept this easier then he believes so. He longed for this child, even though¡­It wasn¡¯t a very good time¡­He worried that Mahnu might not like this and being the stubborn and obstinate person that she is¡­Then¡­He wished that Mahnu will see how much he loves this situation! It really was overwhelming for a King like him to be so happy about one small little thing¡­Oh, and that small little thing will grow and become cute and adorable, just like their mother¡­ Oh, a little Mahnu¡­ For quite some time, the King of Kralaide was stuck in his own thoughts and smiling like a fool¡­ Keeping this secret wasn''t specifically for Mahnu, it was because he was still unsure on what to do about her and the palace. Leaving her outside of the palace and everyone knowing that she has become a consort, has never been done before. Wives or future wives of the King had always been invited into the palace and stayed there. Looking at Mahnu, he knew he couldn''t do that to her. He wished it so, so that he would always be with her, but she was a free spirit. She rarely counted on anyone for support and to have that knocked out of her, would be upsetting to both of them¡­Because, that was one thing that he loved about her¡­ She didn¡¯t act like everyone else, she was her, someone who had opinions and someone that had her own plans¡­ Becoming pregnant with his child already has made things difficult and if word gets out that his child is not being taken care of by the imperial doctors of the palace, what would happen!? The King had tried to keep things about Mahnu quiet but already people have referred to her as ''Your Highness'', without him asking them to do so. Actually, it wasn¡¯t like he was being very discreet¡­He couldn¡¯t help but blatantly state it to the people that are close, like Betty, Donald and the people who are here with them now. He had thought about this before, but why should he worry about what people will think! He was the King! Why should he worry so much about being so secretive!? So, knowing about Mahnu and her being new to becoming royal, he did hold himself back, but only to a certain degree! Then there was the talk, the day before, when Mahnu totally rejected her title¡­But it made him realize that he had been right to want to keep her away from the palace so far. That is why he asked for their unborn child to be kept a secret. He didn''t know how he was going to do it, but he knew he had to try. He was probably going to be the first King in history to keep his beloved woman outside of the palace! Of course¡­There will be setbacks because of this reason and he knew this, but the idea had taken hold and he wanted to do the best he could to make this happen. He had a lot of ego right now, so he was very courageous about thinking that Mahnu was able to do as she pleases. Touching Mahnu¡¯s flat tummy, not feeling anything different to the first time he touched her like this, the King definitely had a huge ego! He was proud, just like any father¡­ The King sighed again, he wasn''t too sure about trying to get the doctor to accompany them. All he knew, was that Mahnu needed another friend, someone who wasn¡¯t him, her lover, and someone that wasn¡¯t William, her protector. He wanted a woman friend close by her side, so that she had someone else to confide in, and this person being a doctor was just an extra¡­ If the doctor could be a friend and discretely keep an eye upon their little bundle of joy at the same time, it only looked like a positive outcome! He wanted someone to make sure that Mahnu was healthy all the time as well. He knew he would feel better if there was a doctor by Mahnu''s side...At least¡­Well, they could give it a try¡­ But¡­Just like Marcus¡­King Richard was unsure how this would go, with Mahnu being quite stubborn and obstinate¡­ Chapter 35
Keeping a secret wasn''t a simple matter. Marcus and William, who could venture their minds into guarding, found it a little easier but...His Majesty looked really happy, while he went through a couple of memorials...They were sure, that if anyone would uncover the secret to Mahnu....It would be the King himself! Mahnu, luckily, didn''t wake until late afternoon and Marcus found himself on eggshells again. "I''ll be going to the arrested doctor, I''ll return later." He said to William, who nodded. It was stupid, he thought, while walking away. How could you keep a secret from someone that could read minds? Stopping himself from thinking further, just in case, he then forcefully made himself think upon business. The doctor that they had arrested, had been taken an hour ago to a close by abandoned residence and roped up. Marcus had waited to see him until Mahnu had awakened, to drag out the time and to make sure that he wouldn''t be the one to go against His Majesty''s orders...Even by accident. Being the one to tell Mahnu that she was pregnant, was not going to be him! "Are you a true doctor?" The doctor looked at him, scared, and he stammered through his words, declaring that he was a doctor. The last person he had checked, was a consort of the King! Now this person seemed to have people to serve him, he was perhaps another that held power¡­ Marcus sat down and said to untie him. "Good, now tell me what''s wrong with me." The doctor looked happy and slowly examined him. Having been taken forcefully like that had really worried him, but his worries were for nothing! This person must be some type of thug, probably having no other way to get a doctor¡­It was what they did after all, demand and take¡­ But, feeling like he would be fine, as the people around didn¡¯t look as though they wanted to kill him, the doctor thought that he will just do his job and leave, hopefully never to return! There were many places for him to go here in Bena, so he will just go to the south eastern part of the town after this, just so the thugs won¡¯t find him after he leaves. The doctor¡¯s thoughts were very different to Marcus¡¯s though¡­ You''ve fallen into my trap so easily, old man! Using the knowledge and rumors that they had gotten, Marcus wanted to see what this old man could conjure up out of thin air! It was lucky that the doctor hadn''t seen him before now as Marcus himself could use this strategy, knowing full well that he was perfectly healthy beforehand. It wasn¡¯t even two hours ago that he had gotten the lady doctor to check him, just because of this current situation¡­ ¡­Now, I can take advantage of that fact, with an easy way to find evidence against you! In which case, the doctor was arrested again when he had tried to diagnose Marcus with something that costs a lot in medicine, even bluntly declaring for money for his inspection as well. He truly had a lot of guts now! In mere moments though¡­That courage completely disappeared! After a swift glare, Marcus then told his men to rope him back up once again, and that the doctor has plainly lied, wanting to extort money from people. Within seconds, things completely changed! The doctor tried to step back, to get away from the men that were quickly closing in on him. He already he had lost the look of being a professional¡­Instead, the doctor looked like he did when he just came in, from being locked up quietly for a few hours¡­He was scared and stammered through his words¡­ He fell to his knees, whimpering, finally saying, "This is all I know¡­And they told me I passed! It''s not my fault!" His yells continued as he got taken away, leaving Marcus there shaking his head. He laughed and thought that he shouldn''t rush back to His Majesty just yet, even though he had finished his job and was ready to inform the King. Taking his time, he tortured the doctor to get more information, to find that the lady doctor¡­Had been telling the truth¡­ For so long¡­Doctors had been doing this to the people¡­ They had to get to the bottom of this! *** This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Mahnu found that after she woke up, the atmosphere was strange. Richard acted busy, he tried so hard to think that he was busy, that Mahnu laughed. "What?" He asked. His thoughts were worried, wondering if she had found out. Mahnu stopped laughing and asked, "What is going on?" "Nothing!" His response was adorable and Mahnu walked to him and smiled. He looked uncertain. Should I hug her or do my work? Mahnu laughed again. "What?" He asked again. Taking him into her arms, she hugged him. "You are an idiot." King Richard smiled and responded the same as he did always, "Yes, yes, I''m an idiot!" Looking up at her, he kissed her, already getting taken away from her shining eyes and smile. Just as she started to kiss him back, he pulled away suddenly, and thought, work...Work! I have to Work! "Okay, I''ll let you work!" As Mahnu walked towards the door, she heard his thoughts of regret and wanting to kiss her again¡­ Laughing, Mahnu walked outside and saw William. "Good afternoon." She said. He replied and stared at her. Mahnu turned to him again, and asked, "What?" She was sure that something mysterious was going on¡­Especially with the way Richard was acting! William thought of their last conversation, at Governor Sedric''s home, and asked, "Mahnu...Will you tell me some more?" If Mahnu wasn¡¯t able to read thoughts, she probably wouldn¡¯t understand what he was asking for, "It''s not a fun thing...Learning about the bad things of your own race." William squinted his eyes at her, "Does that mean you still think yourself as a God or that you''ve accepted that you are a human?" "No, I''m not a God now...But I was not born like a human. I was created." Stating this fact, Mahnu frowned. "But you aren''t putting yourself like us...?" He asked in confusion. Mahnu looked at him, then away, "Living for thousands of years, would not make anyone feel human, William." "But if you are hurt, you don''t heal straight away. So now, you are human..." William¡¯s determination echoed in Mahnu¡¯s head, not just his words were stating this, but also his thoughts. "Then, you classify somebody that can read minds a human?" Mahnu questioned stubbornly. William breathed in angrily. "Till this day, from the first day I met you. You were human!" ¡­Mahnu was taken a back from his words. She regained herself and responded. "I was a God the first time I met you!" "No! God''s make slaves and make human''s call them their master''s...You are human! Always have been!" William¡¯s determination seemed to clash offensively against the stubbornness of Mahnu, as they glared at each other! Mahnu was getting red with anger to his stubbornness, "Humans don''t live for over a thousand years!" "But they feel things Mahnu! You were the odd one out! Because of what you felt! Maybe you are half human all this time and you didn''t even know it!" Mahnu put her hands into fists, "It''s not how it works William! I wasn''t born from either a God or human. I was created! When you saw me the first time...That was me on the first day of my creation!" Why does he keep questioning me!? William took a step closer to her. "We, humans, accept you, just as you are. You are a little evolved, but you can think you''re one of us now." Why was William so daring? Why is he thinking about her like this? "Stop it, Stop it!" She loudly said, putting her hands to her ears. William took her hands away by force, reminding Mahnu of her puny womanly, human strength. "Don''t be mad." Looking up at him, she saw him smile. "I would be honored to think you were human. I would think of you as my sister." ...Mahnu was so surprised that she let out a breath and looked down. Her arms fell down by her side and William put his hands on her shoulders. "I''ve decided." He said, to what seemed to feel like a huge decision. Mahnu looked up at him. He continued, "I¡¯ve decided¡­It doesn''t matter." Living for a long time, can hear thoughts, it doesn¡¯t matter because¡­To me, you¡¯re my sister! Mahnu put her hand to her mouth and tried not to cry. William hugged her and said quietly, "I''d prefer little sister, but I think big sister would be more appropriate." Mahnu let out a whimper. William was the second person that completely accepted who she was. For so long, she had been alone, and now two people wanted her to be a part of their life! Remembering the jealously from what Eliza and Thelmos had, Mahnu was having a hard time accepting this¡­She had been the opposite and accepted that she was alone. Now¡­It looked like she could actually depend on having someone to share her life with! It really was¡­A great feeling! Trying to keep calm, she said, "Thank you." Not knowing how to react, she just stood there, trying not to cry¡­And to William¡¯s eyes, she looked pitiful. He wanted to hug her and tell her that there was no ¡®Thank you¡¯ needed, that he truly would feel grateful to call her his sister¡­ The King didn''t like the look of their embrace...He wanted to snatch her away from William and declare Mahnu his! Knowing their subject of conversation, and that William only saw her as a sibling, prevented King Richard from moving. He clenched his fists in irritation but stayed silent and hoped that Mahnu would stop the tears that were showing up on her face...In the future, though, he had already decided that he will have a talk to William, to make sure he kept his distance from Mahnu! No one but him should touch her! ¡­Even if they are her brother! William continued to speak to Mahnu, not knowing of the jealous King''s thoughts, "I have to admit, I am a little...Fascinated...In you as well. I mean¡­I¡¯m fascinated with your history¡­I want to know what you''ve been through in the history of Kralaide. I want to learn from you...So that us humans might be able to learn something. To be honest, I have always been interested in the history of Kralaide. As you see though...I was born in Havlish and becoming a knight is what most of the men do from there." Mahnu wiped her eyes and smiled at him, "Then as your older sister, I will tell you my stories." He looked so happy that Mahnu laughed, and the King sighed from his place inside the room. ¡­At least she wasn¡¯t crying anymore¡­ "Oh! Please would you? Really?" William put his hands together, his eyes shining with his plea. Mahnu nodded again and William started to chatter on about needing lots of ink and parchment, so that he could write it all down¡­ *** "Do we have enough time now for a story?" Mahnu knew they were leaving tomorrow but they had some free time, now that they had finished eating dinner. She watched the King try to look busy, but she knew he wanted to hear her talk as well. "Okay, but where do I start?" William sat down like a child, and said, "Something happy!" Mahnu could only stare at him silently. Something¡­Happy? ¡­Do I even have memories of being happy? "What''s wrong?" William asked. She sighed, then said, "I don''t have many happy memories." She heard the King silently say her name in sadness¡­ Again, she sighed, wanting to cheer Richard up, "I do recall helping a little girl grow up and get married though." They stayed quiet but were confused, trying to picture it. As they knew her of being stubborn and obstinate, both men in the room saw Mahnu as someone that wouldn¡¯t play with a little girl, however much the little girl would try! Mahnu laughed, "It''s not like that! Truly, am I that bad?¡± Luckily no one answered her and Mahnu finally started to speak, after narrowing her eyes at both of the men in the room. Chapter 36
As Mahnu told Richard and William the story of Princess, they both interrupted, asking why she didn''t talk and why Mahnu had felt different to Princess. They turned silent at her answers, as they were sad, and she continued on so they wouldn''t pity her¡­ They laughed when she told them about teaching Princess on how to clean, sew, fish and play an instrument, while without speaking. As she said these matters, Mahnu flew along with the story as though she had gone back in time. Now that she thought about it and told others, it was actually embarrassing and funny¡­Back then though, she had thought it troublesome! It had been so many years, but it looked like her view upon the world had changed since then. She didn¡¯t even know that she used to be worse than she was now, with how stubborn she was! Telling people about her past, made her realize this fact and Mahnu couldn¡¯t help but get hurt by their laughter! She felt like it wasn¡¯t funny enough to go red with laughter, when she had ¡®stolen¡¯ Princess¡¯s husband, having him nearly fall down a tree. Another time they had gone red, was when she didn¡¯t think that pointing to an ingredient when cooking, could cause so much trouble! Princess was to blame for this! She took the wrong ingredient and dinner that night had been terrible! How could she watch each and every movement she had done! And, on top of that, Princess had made what it was, just a few days earlier, yet she had already forgotten what ingredient was needed! Then, Princess told her future husband that Mahnu was strange¡­In the past, Mahnu didn¡¯t find herself strange at all and had wanted to speak of this but did not dare open her mouth for something so trivial! What she saw though, was that conversation seemed to have given them something to break the ice and start a conversation! It took a while, but after some time, Mahnu realized that she had done a great job! She had found the best husband and the reason they were able to start to get to know of one another, was because of her! Pride filled her, remembering these memories, and Mahnu showed it in her speech¡­ When she had finished talking about Princess, they were quiet, William thinking that if that was a happy story, then how sad would a sad story be? He finally saw that the story that was told was more based upon misunderstandings and bad reasons that landed upon survival and a forced relationship. Fair enough, he learnt that in that time the relationships were a little different, but now, that he thought back to when he had laughed, he suddenly felt that compared to jokes and other funny stories¡­This one was sad¡­ A little girl not talking, she needing help to survive, being taught things by a stranger, who didn¡¯t talk herself due to misfortunate circumstances¡­Nearly being taking away by thugs¡­ William took a breath and didn¡¯t think that the history of Kralaide would be as sad. He was thinking that perhaps they had a golden age and the children where freer then they are today. More money, more happiness¡­But, suddenly, all his ideas seemed to go up in smoke! ¡­And it wasn¡¯t just William that worried about Mahnu¡¯s history¡­ The King was staring at her, having stopped his ¡®busy¡¯ work quite some time ago. He smiled when he thought that they will make some beautiful, happy stories. Stories where Mahnu can bring true happiness to not only herself but to those who hear it! Mahnu smiled at him but looked away, not daring to get her hopes up. Talking about her past had made her a little emotional and tired, and as she looked out over the quietness of the town, she was sure it was really late into the night¡­ "I think that''s enough for today, William." The King was very attuned to Mahnu, seeing her look out the window and her exhaustion, he did not want Mahnu to say any more of her stories. William got up, nodding, and went to his post, his childlike behavior completely gone. He was no longer the smiling child on the edge of his seat, waiting impatiently to hear a story¡­It was more like all the air inside of him had been completely deflated¡­ The King took Mahnu into his arms and quietly said, "You look tired, my dear." She rested against him, "I suppose I am." She had been storytelling for well over an hour or two and she hadn¡¯t really eating much or done any type of exercise, so she was a bit tired now.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. He picked her up from where she had decided to sit a few hours ago and put her on the bed. "Rest" The words in his head came to her, ¡®Don''t let her strain herself¡¯. The King leaned over her and kissed her on the forehead. "Did another doctor come to see me while I slept?" Then the doctors visit flashed into her mind. She immediately saw the doctor diagnose her and Mahnu blinked to her surprise. Was this another memory? Does this have to do with her? As Mahnu herself came into her head, from Richard¡¯s sight, she still couldn¡¯t believe it! She¡­Pregnant!? She was a God and God¡¯s don¡¯t reproduce¡­ It was like another person¡¯s story laid out to her in her head, and Mahnu could not take it realistically¡­ She didn¡¯t know how to think or feel, thinking that perhaps¡­This ¡®memory¡¯ was instead a wish! A wish that had practically died a very long time ago¡­ Knowing that she can¡¯t reproduce, she never thought that a wish to once have a child had gone dormant, instead of completely disappearing¡­But¡­ How could it be!? She¡­Does she even deserve to be a mother!? The King sighed and looked at her, waiting for her reaction. Mahnu blinked...What... King Richard laid down next to her, pulling her into him. They were silent as she digested the news and she put her head deeper into his chest, looking like she was hiding¡­ Just moments ago, she had looked scared, yet Richard was smiling gently upon the little bunny that was hiding. He knew that this would become a shock to her¡­He knew he should wait for her to take it all in¡­But¡­At the same time¡­He wanted to let her know how happy he was! I didn''t want to pressure you, Mahnu. The King was thinking. But as you can see, it''s really happening, we are going to be a happy family. "Are you sure?" She asked, her voice was muffled though because she was still hiding. The King pulled back to look at her, "Yes, I was already so happy to be with you. But now, that my very own seed is growing inside of you, that makes me even happier!" Mahnu didn¡¯t understand¡­Why could a man be happy that he had impregnated a woman¡­ "You already have children." Was all Mahnu could state¡­As it was the second thing she thought of. Having had a conversation with Richard about children before, back in Conrella, she remembered feeling like it was ok not to bare this man¡¯s child¡­Because¡­He already had two¡­ The King hurriedly said, "Yes and I love them dearly. I won''t ignore them Mahnu. I will teach everything I know to the Crowned Prince and watch the Princess grow to become a beautiful woman¡­But I won''t stay a King forever and when I step down...I will live the rest of my life, away from the palace, with you and our children. That is why I haven''t rushed to name you officially as my consort. I''ve been trying to work out what I want and what you want¡­But you may need to wait for a while...Will you wait for me?" Mahnu nodded slowly, the news he said just now, and the previous news of her pregnancy had silenced her. She still felt like she had just woken up, finding out that she had been a God and that she can read thoughts¡­Now it was just too much, as she was now also pregnant¡­ The King moved down and kissed her tummy. He then looked back up at her sternly, "You will let me be happy about this, won''t you?" Mahnu sighed and shock her head in astonishment, "Do I have a choice?¡± He smiled, "No!" She stared at Richard, then put her head down in defeat. How could I not let him be happy? Truly, since I have met this man, he has always done whatever he pleased! Putting her hand over her tummy, she wondered if she was happy. I''m carrying a child, something that I''ve never done before in over a thousand years. It was yet, another thing that Richard has done for me. New experiences, new feelings and most of the time, I wasn''t getting pulled along, I would step into these experiences willingly. ¡­What is it to be a family? Do I want to find out? Do I want to do as I have done before and step into this willingly too? With this man¡­ "Mahnu?" She suddenly pulled him towards her, while leaning towards him and kissed him lightly. They fell back onto the bed and she continued to take the next kiss deeper. He put his arms around her and Mahnu decided that what mattered most, was that she loved this man, so deeply, and she was determined to stay beside him. That this child, it was not just a child¡­It was something that her and Richard had made. It was just as much a part of her as it was a part of him. This child, was theirs¡­It was¡­Precious¡­ She pulled away and looked at him and he stared back at her. His eyes were glowing, like they were shiny crystals. Her mouth was put into a relaxed smiled, making her completely defeated once again¡­He really was¡­Like no other that she had met before! "I love you." ¡­Mahnu blinked¡­Did she just say that? He was so surprised that he didn''t move or speak, and she was exactly the same¡­ After a few seconds of silence overtaking the room, Mahnu finally got her strength back. Didn¡¯t she just admit that she loved this man!? Of course, she would tell him that she loved him! Wasn¡¯t this normal for someone who loved another? As much as she tried to come up with reasons why she had blurted out ¡®I love you¡¯ to this man, she didn¡¯t think too much of why it had suddenly popped out like that¡­ It was done¡­And she didn¡¯t regret it¡­Especially when he looked so shocked and dedicated all his attention to her like this! Inside¡­She felt like she had made herself proud but didn¡¯t understand why¡­ She smiled at his shocked eyes and she went to kiss him again. As he responded to her, he held her closer, saying her name. Being intimate with him was different this time. He was so gentle and treated her as a treasure, making her feel special. In fact, Mahnu came to a certain realization when it came to this man and how she felt¡­And that was, the ultimate thing he did for her¡­Was made her feel special. The way that he thinks of her and how often. How he had climbed trees for her when no one else does. How he demanded her embrace and wanted her clean. How he had gotten her to talk and wanted her close by. Looking for her when she had disappeared and rushing to finish his work just to be with her longer. Yes¡­She thought, this man makes me feel special¡­ He slowly made love to her and Mahnu felt like she had become one with him. She knew that a couple of times she had demanded this type of intimacy to forget, yet this time¡­This time she felt like both of them had connected through touch and feelings, through thoughts and wants. ¡­Connected in so many ways that Mahnu felt like this night, was the best night of her entire existence! Nothing else seem to have mattered at that moment. There was no one else, they had no worries and their minds only thought of the other person. Being with Richard, like this, made Mahnu wonder if she had found some kind of paradise. Never in her existence had she felt so...Complete, so fulfilled in passion and happiness, that she never wanted it to end...And what made her even happier, was that Richard felt exactly the same way... There was nothing more important...Then being with the other person in their arms¡­ *** Chapter 37
The lady doctor came the next day and Mahnu sat with her, while others got ready for the trip to Harval. Since now that they have dealt with the tablet, the King had decided to see Valtac next, as he had promised to do so before even leaving Conrella. "I''m pleased to meet you, Your Highness." "Please, call me Mahnu." Mahnu insisted, just about ready to glare at this new addition. "But...I can''t..." Mahnu interrupted her, "Yes you will. Mahnu is my name...And I will also call you by yours." The lady doctor was stunned. "Yes, Your...Mahnu...I am called Jaclyn." Mahnu smiled, happy that her order had been followed through. "Nice to meet you Jaclyn." Jaclyn was silent for a moment, she noticed that Mahnu had an aura around her that spoke volumes. And it was too early to say if she liked her or not¡­ To see this lady in front of her, ¡®Mahnu¡¯ seemed like any other rich and noble daughter, and Jaclyn was sure that she had gotten whatever she wanted all the time. Her hair was much nicer then hers, probably because rich ladies were able to afford to look after their hair better. Her attire looked beautiful, having a nice soft color and certain areas that showed some lace¡­A rich woman¡¯s dream¡­ Jaclyn hadn¡¯t really been extremely poor, but she was fair from being rich¡­And seeing a pretty hair clip that looked as though it fluttered whenever Mahnu moved in the slightest, Jaclyn nearly rudely slumped her shoulders in defeat. She already didn¡¯t want to go with this lady! "In advance, Jaclyn, I am not going to harm you, nor will I force you to like me." Mahnu could only sigh to Jaclyn¡¯s thoughts. Seeing assumptions being made like this, made Mahnu angry, but she knew from a long time ago that many humans did assume¡­It was a thing that they did, and sometimes they didn¡¯t even know that they were doing it¡­ Jaclyn stared at the consort and wondered if she tried to become a consort to have the power of having His Majesty''s favor. Mahnu knew about this ¡®favor¡¯ and how people have tried to get power through it, she also knew that Jaclyn hadn¡¯t thought too much into it and wondered if Jaclyn was someone who schemes or not. But¡­Her thoughts only tended to think of if Mahnu herself was scheming, not letting Mahnu know if Jaclyn is one that schemes or not. "No. I despise that kind of power Jaclyn. Let it be known to you that I love King Richard. And I don''t say those words casually." Mahnu stated frankly to Jaclyn¡¯s personal thoughts. In fact, Mahnu was wondering how she was doing. Was she talking like everyone else? Was this what it was like to have a conversation with the same sex? Was this what women¡­Talked about? What they thought about? Mahnu was trying for Richard¡¯s sake, yet¡­It was so difficult! Already she had been assumed to be a rich, noble lady and that she was scheming to get Richard¡¯s love for power! Jaclyn shook her head, "I''m sorry, Your Highness, but I didn''t say that!" "Mahnu...Please call me Mahnu...And now I will tell you something that you can''t repeat, do you understand?" Jaclyn nodded. "You''re scaring her, Mahnu." The King stood behind Mahnu, putting his hands on her shoulders, and watched as Jaclyn got up and bowed to him. "I apologize for my beloved. Mahnu still has trouble socializing with others." Actually, the King knew and didn¡¯t care to apologize, he was more teasing his woman! Mahnu glared up at him, and said, "You don''t have to make excuses for me!" "It''s true though, my dear." He said, smiling at her. Even though it¡¯s true, my love, it doesn¡¯t make me love you less! "I know how to talk to people, now go away!" Mahnu blushed, showing that she was angry when she knew she wasn¡¯t¡­It was because¡­He was so open with his love for her! She still wasn¡¯t quite used to it! Knowing and feeling the heat in her cheeks, Mahnu wanted him to go, before she felt more embarrassed¡­ He chuckled and left, winking at Jaclyn beforehand. He knew it could have been taken the wrong way, but he winked to give Jaclyn some courage. Walking away, the King smiled and realized he¡¯s become a bit more¡­Well, he seems to flirt a lot more now!Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Feeling giddy, King Richard couldn¡¯t help but already want to go back to her, his woman! But¡­He had to give the two ladies time to talk, as they hadn¡¯t had the chance yet! Jaclyn had never seen such a sight between two people. Even more so, one of those people was the King of Kralaide! Is that how she treats him all the time? How can he love a woman that would tell him to go away? Completely confused, Jaclyn hadn¡¯t heard Mahnu trying to get her attention back. "Jaclyn!" Mahnu spouted out, not wanting to question the same questions¡­ She hasn¡¯t been all that confident with her relationship to Richard, but she was not going to change who she was¡­Besides, confidence or not, she knew that he loved her. So, she just won¡¯t question those thoughts¡­ Turning quickly, she stammered, "Yes, Mah...Mahnu." "Mahnu!" Mahnu sighed at being interrupted once again. William stood beside her and smiled at Jaclyn quickly, before saying, "We are ready to depart, they said for you, the doctor and I to go on ahead." Getting up, Mahnu sighed again, "I will try again in the carriage." It seems she will no longer be able to continue the conversation with this new addition at this present moment. Seeing things this way, Mahnu instead thought that perhaps she should not bluntly state who she was so early to Jaclyn. Perhaps she should wait first¡­ After Mahnu walked away from them, William looked at Jaclyn. "...Are you ok, miss?" "Oh...Yes. Thank you." William looked away but didn''t leave. "...Just say whatever is on your mind. Mahnu would prefer that." With Mahnu being able to read minds, it wasn¡¯t like you could keep any secrets¡­So, he was hoping that this advice would be taken and used. Since having found Jaclyn himself, he felt a strange type of want to make sure things work out. He wanted the King¡¯s idea of Mahnu and Jaclyn of becoming friends and for Jaclyn to stay by Mahnu¡¯s side¡­Not only that¡­Jaclyn was a pretty cute girl. He had already taken in her petite size and dimples, as well as her hazel eyes¡­ Only finding himself somewhat happy to being able to keep an eye on this dimpled cuteness, William wanted the King¡¯s idea to work, so that he could continue to watch! But¡­Right now, his priority was to¡­It was to¡­ The carriage, he will go back to the carriage¡­ Jaclyn watched him leave and wondered why Mahnu was held in such a high regard from everybody here. ¡­So far, everyone seemed to dote on her...Why? It was common to think that the King only had one woman, and that was the Queen. All of a sudden, this other woman had come along and stolen the hearts and souls of everyone! How did she do it!? Walking inside, to see the King, Mahnu asked if he and Marcus were staying because of the doctor problem happening in Bena. She wanted to bring the matter up, just in case he wanted her to help him. "Yes, I''m going to try and talk to the fake doctor. I''m sure there''s more. We have the place that they taught others like him surrounded, I''ll be closing it down. But he doesn''t seem to think anyone is behind it, which doesn''t make any sense." King Richard furrowed his brows and shook his head slightly to this news. Upon not knowing who was behind this strange occurrence of doctors trying to get money and not caring about the sick, he was at a loss of what to think about it! The person behind it all obviously didn¡¯t care about the loss of lives and they seemed to need money¡­So, something had to be done! But¡­Nothing like this had ever happened before and both Marcus and the King were stomped that there seemed to be at least thirty others like this ¡®fake¡¯ doctor that they had already met. What was really going on here!? As it was, the people of Bena will be without doctors for close to two weeks, as he had a message sent out to send some here from Conrella. The lady doctor talked of a couple of doctors that were like her and that they did the right thing, but they had not been found yet and he did not want to completely depend on them¡­Especially if there was a huge amount of people that needed doctors. Two weeks¡­ It pained the King¡¯s heart that he hadn¡¯t thought about this before he asked the lady doctor to come with them. Perhaps he should have left her here to treat the people instead¡­ Putting a hand to his head, he couldn¡¯t help but leave his own entourage here for a bit longer, before he met up with Mahnu¡¯s entourage a bit later¡­ Going to Harval will also help, he thought, he could get a few doctors from there as well and send them here to Bena¡­ If worse comes to worse and he was still here for another day or two, Mahnu¡¯s entourage will be able to send the note of sending doctors here¡­Just, the King did not want this to happen. He was planning to met up with Mahnu in a few hours, not days! Mahnu put her hands around King Richard''s neck, as she was standing behind him, then he put his hand on top of hers. Not liking Richard at a loss, Mahnu couldn¡¯t help but offer her services, "I could..." "No!" The King said, stubbornly. Reading minds could definitely help but he did not want to depend on her gift. Her gift was also something that he would prefer to keep hidden as much as possible as¡­People might want to take advantage of it or take her completely away from him for other reasons¡­ Just the slight chance that another man might forcefully take her away from him, to have this beauty by their side instead, made the King unhappy! The least he depends on Mahnu¡¯s gift, the more safer she should be! ¡­Besides, he did not want to rush Mahnu¡¯s entourage. They were to stay well rested and well feed, just in case¡­ Which was another reason King Richard wanted to do this in hours and not days, he was very much aware of the threat that Governor Sedric might act upon. His knights have surrounded the exits and entries into Bena, especially the road that travels from Bena to Harval, so no small army will get past them. But¡­There still could be a chance that a few people could get passed with excuses of doing something else but really were going after his beloved. That was why Mahnu¡¯s entourage consisted of Jaclyn and William. Then there were two others now that will be there for her and a few servants to help out. ¡­For anyone leaving Bena, that consisted a party of four or more, the King was going to stall them for a time and let them go after he was to leave and catch up with Mahnu. Mahnu smiled at his thoughts, feeling special once again, "Okay. Then I will take my leave." It was obvious that he was really busy and wanted to finish what he was doing quickly¡­And to her, she wanted the same¡­ He got up and kissed her, pulling her into him. Holding her tight and making sure that she thinks of him, he ravished her mouth and even lightly bit her lip¡­ He didn''t exactly want her to leave without him, but he knew it would be for a short duration as they would see each other again very soon. ¡­Still, the King knowing that, he already missed her! When he let her go, he sat back down, and said, "Don''t be nasty to the lady doctor!" "I''m not nasty!" Mahnu said, walking out. She heard him chuckle as she continued to the carriage that was waiting for her¡­And as for the King, he quickly started to get ready to meet this ¡®fake¡¯ doctor and check out this strange place with no boss. The faster he finishes here in Bena, the faster he can catch up to his beloved! *** Chapter 38
Riding inside the carriage, Mahnu didn''t speak, which made Jaclyn become very nervous. What do I do? What do I say? How will I be about to stay with her like this? Maybe I could get them to find somebody else...I mean, this lady¡­She¡¯s the consort to the King¡­The King! Revelation had gone through Jaclyn¡¯s mind at being aware of who Mahnu was. Her life had been through thick and then, but that was probably normal for a commoner¡­But never did she think she¡¯d met the King, yet alone become his consort¡¯s doctor! Was it luck or not? Having been to Conrella to study, she had liked it there better then Bena, especially because she knew that Bena had some problems. It was a big city that she had not seen much of and had wanted to go back again¡­ The problem was, a past trauma led her back to Bena and be a good doctor to those who needed her. If it wasn¡¯t for¡­Well, nonetheless, she felt like she could help more people in Bena then in Conrella¡­ Now, she had the chance to return to Conrella, in what would be known as good circumstances¡­But her position was¡­It was the responsibility that she was afraid of! If she makes a mistake¡­Will they kill her!? Sighing, Mahnu looked at Jaclyn, "Why are you so nervous? Is the King so frightening? Am I that frightening?" "No...Your...Mahnu." The glare Mahnu gave her, made Jaclyn drop her head and gulp. She twisted her fingers together, that were in her lap, and her eyes moved quickly from place to place. She was so terribly nervous, and she couldn¡¯t seem to calm down at all! It wasn¡¯t like Jaclyn couldn¡¯t deal with situations, it was just this particular situation! She knows how to treat someone who was poisoned, and someone that has the flu. She can sort patients out from who needs the most care, to who needs the least. She can travel with people and be a doctor for them. She can stick up for others when a doctor states one thing, but she knows that his diagnosis is wrong. She was not a push over, yet¡­There was a power that would always overwhelm another¡¯s¡­And that was royalty¡­ Strict manners are used, strict attire was probably also used. Most, including the King¡¯s own children, probably needed to go through a lot just to meet up for the King for business! How was it that it would be okay not to call a consort of the King, ¡®Your Highness¡¯? "I''ve rarely heard people call my name. That''s why I want them to say it...It''s nice." Jaclyn looked up. Her change of talking was more opened and even sad. Why hadn''t people called her name? Jaclyn wondered. "Because I rarely spoke to humans." Mahnu spoke honestly, still wondering if Jaclyn could be someone that could stay by her side. Jaclyn frowned, "Humans?" Why did it sound that she was different to Mahnu¡­No¡­That everyone was different to Mahnu!? Perhaps¡­Mahnu is sick¡­ "People." Mahnu changed the word she had used, after clearing her throat. Even though she had used the term ''humans'', for over a thousand years, it looks like she will have to change her ways... ¡­This may even be the first time that she used the word ¡®people¡¯ out loud to another! "¡­Why not?¡± Jaclyn asked, nearly having completely forgotten what they were talking about! Mahnu looked at her. She wasn''t going to give her the story of her existence...At least not yet, "It is hard to say." Jaclyn still looked nervous, making Mahnu start to lose her patience. "It would be understandable if you were scared of me over two years ago but if you feel that way towards me now...It would bother me." Two years ago, she had been still a God, able to jump onto a rooftop and left a relatively large tree from its roots! So, that was why Mahnu stated that she would understand another being scared back then¡­ "I''m...Not scared." Jaclyn stated in a low voice¡­Completely stating a lie to her inner thoughts and emotions. Nonetheless, Jaclyn wanted to look tough and did want to think tough, but¡­Royalty! "Your thoughts tell me otherwise, Jaclyn." Mahnu sighed, nearly at her limit at Jaclyn thinking continuously about royalty like this! "Pardon?" Jaclyn said, frowning. It wasn¡¯t the first time someone caught her lying! She used to show a lot on her face, but had gotten better at not showing so much in the last couple of years¡­Was it¡­Was it written on her face that she was lying? Grumpily, Jaclyn looked away, but Mahnu found that Jaclyn wasn¡¯t twisting her fingers anymore.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Seeing a slight change in Jaclyn, Mahnu smiled and hoped that Jaclyn would not worry so much. "Just be yourself, please. I''m not going to hurt you." Jaclyn just looked at her and gulped. Be herself? She had told older doctors that were men, that they had been wrong¡­You, you are a consort of the King! If I told you that you were wrong, how would I get punished!? ¡­How could I be myself!? "If you insist you can''t handle being with me. I will let you go. It is not a problem." Mahnu lost her patience. It seemed that this girl couldn¡¯t get over ¡®royalty¡¯ and that she was just simply too scared. Why bother to continue to befriend her and do as Richard had asked? In Mahnu¡¯s eyes, Jaclyn had made her decision and she was not going to fight it. Just let the girl go¡­ Jaclyn on the other hand was stunned to what Mahnu had said! How was it that she had said that, knowing that I had already thought that? Jaclyn wondered if Mahnu was really smart, as she had met quite a number of people who had ¡®read her mind¡¯ throughout her life. "No. I wouldn''t classify myself as smart." Mahnu stated sincerely. Actually, now that she had given up on keeping Jaclyn with her, it was starting to become extremely funny for Mahnu, as she had said so much to Jaclyn and yet the girl had no idea that she has answered her thoughts so many times! A laugh nearly escaped¡­ "Uh?" Mahnu could no longer hold it in and laughed. Jaclyn was quite slow but innocent. It seems she still didn''t know that Mahnu could read minds¡­Even with the subtle hints that she had given away! Mahnu then decided to change the subject, "I hear your dream was to become a doctor." "Yes!" Mahnu was glad Jaclyn looked excited, "Are you happy now, that you''ve fulfilled your dream?" Jaclyn smiled, "Yes, helping others makes me feel good." "Makes you feel good?" Mahnu had repeated Jaclyn''s words in curiosity. "When they had been sick, then got better. The people were genuinely thankful to me and I would be glad for both their thanks and well being." "Do they all thank you?" Mahnu asked curiously. Jaclyn nodded, "Yes, on most occasions." Watching some of Jaclyn''s memories, of the people that she had helped previously, and saw them thanking her, Mahnu thought of when she helped the humans in the past. Were they thankful? Remembering King Maximus, Mahnu sighed and believed he was thankful. Then¡­Richard, he was also thankful, especially when she had saved his life. He thanked her even after ten years from it happening! But¡­With others¡­ Mahnu wanted to laugh at herself because people can¡¯t thank her if she was not around showing her face to them! Then¡­Did she regret not showing her face? Would it have¡­Made me feel good to get that ¡®Thank you¡¯? Did it make me feel good to have helped them without it? Not sure how to think further about it, Mahnu decided to think of the matter when she was alone¡­Which¡­Doesn¡¯t seem to happen so much anymore¡­ She always had someone close by, and most of the time, they weren¡¯t just guarding her. William would talk to her, Richard would talk to her, so she was rarely able to be on her own to think to herself anymore¡­And¡­ Secretly smiling, Mahnu liked it. She liked that she wasn¡¯t alone anymore¡­ Jaclyn watched Mahnu, as she had gone silent, and wondered what she was thinking about. Had she never helped someone before? It would be understandable if a rich, noble lady didn¡¯t have much to do with commoners like herself¡­ But this¡­Lady¡­Consort¡­Is so mysterious...Her questions were strange, and she was different to all the other girls that Jaclyn had met at her own age. Thinking that¡­Jaclyn finally found herself go back into a professional stance, as she broke the silence, "May I ask how old you are? Your...I mean, Mahnu." Mahnu looked at her and laughed. "Let me ask you...Are you staying with us? Or are you leaving?" Jaclyn became silent as she thought about it. I don''t really have a home or family...I know I''d be able to get to help more people if I leave. But could I leave when His Majesty had asked me personally? "Don''t worry about the King. Don''t leave or stay on his behalf." Her words worried Jaclyn, who could say ¡®no¡¯ to the King!? "I told you to forget about the King! Make your own choice! You have my word that you are free to do so!" Jaclyn looked away, Mahnu''s raised voice did scare her and her words were weird. Is this what the King liked about her? ¡­Every time she had raised her voice in front of a male¡­They didn¡¯t seem to like it at all! In fact¡­She had seen looks of disdain¡­ How is it that Mahnu could do it and that I don¡¯t dislike her for it? Weird¡­ "It is a big decision Jaclyn. I like you because you are honest, but to stay with me, you have to be prepared to protect the biggest secret in Kralaide!" Jaclyn looked at her, eyes wide in shock. "What do you mean, secret?" Mahnu smiled at her, "I would tell you everything, but I want you to decide for yourself first whether you stay with us or not." A secret? So, is it something that the King knows? "Yes, the King knows. The leader of the Loyal Royal Knights knows, and William does too." She pointed out to William through the window. He was on horseback traveling beside them. "Miss." He said, through the window, "It isn''t life threatening. I will ensure your safety, like I do Mahnu. And if you stay, you could hear all her stories!" "William!" Mahnu glared at him. He laughed but didn''t talk further. "Stories? Stories about what?" Jaclyn continued to get more and more confused, especially when Mahnu nor William didn¡¯t answer her question. What does stories have to do with secrets? Was this all a game to them? Are they¡­Making fun of me? *** They traveled in silence again, all the while Jaclyn looked out the window. Another hour went by and they stopped to eat lunch. No one still had spoken, which surprised Jaclyn. If they were so keen to have her with them, wouldn''t they be pressuring her? But it was quite the opposite, only confusing her more. She couldn¡¯t help but think that this was a game! They must be playing her! "Will you tell me another story tonight, Mahnu?" William suddenly said. He looked relaxed, eating an apple and sitting on the top of the biggest rock not far from them. Jaclyn stared at his relaxed form and wondered why she questioned if they were playing her. He looked so¡­Free. Eyeing this ¡®William¡¯ out, Jaclyn bit down on her own apple, noticing his excitement. He was¡­Sorta good looking¡­She thought. "When will the King be with us again?" Mahnu asked, trying to be serious¡­Yet, Jaclyn nearly made her spit out some of her fruit. "They should be here shortly." William answered getting up. He couldn¡¯t believe it¡­Cute dimples had been staring at him! He had nearly forgot what he had been talking to Mahnu about, nearly instead going to Cute Dimples to sit beside her instead¡­Then he heard Mahnu speak, finally reminding him¡­ "I''d rather give Richard the choice to hear it or not. Besides, now isn''t the time to talk of such things." William cleared his throat, and said, "¡­So, you won''t indulge your little brother, even if His Majesty isn''t here?" He then proceeded to pout, wanting Mahnu to indulge him, her little brother! "Brother? So, you''re siblings?" Jaclyn asked. "Not by blood." Said Mahnu frankly, but nonetheless, William put his face close to Mahnu''s, and said, "She agreed to be my older sister, so yes! We are siblings!" Mahnu sighed and pushed him away, where upon he just winked happily to Jaclyn. Blinking to the wink, Jaclyn dropped her apple¡­ Snapping herself back to normal, Jaclyn tried not to even look at the man that winked at her¡­ Picking up her apple, she frowned, then found another apple fall into her lap. Seeing William wink at her again, Jaclyn looked at Mahnu, to see her smiling helplessly at William. Jaclyn watched as the two acted and thought that they do seemed to be close¡­Probably too close! Isn¡¯t this lady a consort of the King!? Chapter 39
They had started to pack up to leave from having their lunch, when Mahnu suddenly said, "Wait!" William ran to her and became alert, looking out over the land around them. "What is it?" "...Two of Sedric''s men. They are after me." Jaclyn looked around but didn''t see anyone. "Over there." Mahnu pointed, and William asked if they will attack. "Yes¡­But since I pointed in their direction, they are a little conflicted, especially since we are alert to their presence now." Jaclyn looked at the rock, to where Mahnu had pointed, and saw that it was still quite a distance away. "How do you know someone''s there?" "Shh!" Mahnu said, pulling her head down and she ducked down as well. Moments went by, then Mahnu said, "One of them will leave to report back soon, we''ll leave then. Jaclyn, you and I will immediately go to the carriage and we''ll all leave as soon as possible. Don''t worry about packing up any more things. Do you understand?" "Ah...I don''t see anyone." Sincerely, Jaclyn had tried to look in the direction Mahnu had pointed in but did not see anyone at all! Is Mahnu sick? Was this the secret? That she was paranoid or something? Maybe she has a huge imagination and is fun, and¡­Maybe that¡¯s why the King likes her so much? "William, you may have to pick Jaclyn up, she''s questioning things." Mahnu didn¡¯t put Jaclyn¡¯s thoughts into her mind at all, while she focused upon the two men that were some distance away. "Yes. But don''t leave my side." William stated, putting a hand on Mahnu¡¯s shoulder. Looking up at William, Mahnu gave him a small smile and raised her eyebrows, "It''s not far to the carriage, William, it''ll be fine." A minute went by and Mahnu spoke again, "Okay, one has left. Let''s go." Mahnu grabbed Jaclyn''s hand and raced to the carriage, William watching from behind. "Go!" Mahnu said, upon sitting in the carriage with Jaclyn, and their entourage left in haste. Being pulled by the hand and now back inside the carriage, Jaclyn looked at Mahnu, worried. People shouldn¡¯t play along with something like this, if anything, the person making up these stories and what not should be treated by a certain doctor. Jaclyn wasn¡¯t only worried about the people here doing as Mahnu stated, but she was also worried about the King. What if these ¡®episodes¡¯ would put the King in danger? Frowning, Jaclyn started to ponder upon how she would treat this type of problem. She was a doctor, tending to wounds and colds, but this type of sickness was something to do with the head and she had not looked much into it at all¡­ A few minutes went by, as they continued to go at a fast pace towards Harval, then Mahnu looked out the window of the carriage, and said, "William?" "I''m here." He rode his horse closer to the moving carriage. "They are both behind us again. They had horses too, he must have raced to get the other to return and to follow us again." Mahnu sighed. They were in the open, hardly any place nearby offered somewhere to hide. She cursed silently and put her hands into fists. "Mahnu? You need to calm yourself down." Jaclyn''s voice surprised Mahnu. "It''s...It''s not good for your health." Mahnu stopped to Jaclyn''s voice. She put a hand gently over her tummy and nodded, "Okay." The sudden urge to protect her child was a new feeling to her. But even though it was new, the amount of protectiveness she felt, was quite a large amount and Mahnu was surprised at herself¡­ She had protected Princess, the boy and Richard¡­But this was different¡­ This was something she hadn¡¯t felt before¡­ Jaclyn sat beside her and asked if she could check her pulse, having accepted that her job, at the very least, required her to look after this unborn child. Mahnu consented to the doctor''s orders willingly and was even eager for Jaclyn¡¯s response. Just the idea of something going wrong with Richard¡¯s and her child, made her feel alarmed! Jaclyn remembered the King''s words, about keeping Mahnu''s pregnancy a secret, but with Mahnu''s obvious action of touching her tummy...Does she already know? Mahnu closed her eyes and put her head back, trying to become completely calm once again, but it was difficult. Hearing the thoughts of the two men following them, how could she become calm!? Mahnu¡¯s forehead was checked, and Jaclyn moved around, before saying, "Drink some water, please, Mahnu." Mahnu did as she was told and felt a little better. "Thank you." "Water, you must drink more of it." Complying, Mahnu drank some more water, as they silently continued.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Drinking was still a hard task and Mahnu had troubles when she tried to continuously gulp the water down. Not only was drinking water not a normal thing for her, but she had no thoughts to how she was drinking it either. She just did not want anything wrong happening to their child, as she was worried¡­ Jaclyn saw that and stated that sipping the water should be fine too. Mahnu smiled happily, feeling like her situation wasn¡¯t as dire as she had thought, and converted to sipping the water instead. Jaclyn was a bit worried. Mahnu was a consort of the King and the normal behaviour of a consort with a beverage, was to sip it...Did she not know the proper way for a consort to act? Mahnu grudgingly ignored Jaclyn''s thoughts. ¡­She had really thought that she had to get as much water inside her as quickly as possible, never having thought that ¡®looking like a consort¡¯ was something she had to worry about! ¡­Sometimes, this Jaclyn was too much! *** "Mahnu...The horses..." Half an hour later, William''s voice came through the window. Sighing, Mahnu wasn''t sure on what to do... Sedric¡¯s men had followed them the entire time, not relenting at all! As they had travelled further along their designated path, closer to Harval, Mahnu felt worse and worse as the time moved on. The carriages were jumping around and the constant sound of the wheels turning and the horses galloping, made Mahnu felt like she could throw up! But all she could do is think about what they should do, since they were still getting tracked and the threat was still looming¡­ "Why don''t we take you and Jaclyn on horseback?" William¡¯s question seemed plausible to Mahnu, but Jaclyn interrupted her thoughts, "Ah! William...Mahnu can''t...Shouldn''t..." Jaclyn didn''t know how to say that riding a horse, while pregnant, wasn''t a good idea. Well, it wasn¡¯t like it couldn¡¯t be done if their life was on the line, it was just something that should at least be thought of against if otherwise. ¡­And to Jaclyn, this wasn¡¯t a life and death situation¡­She found herself having no choice but to just play along with Mahnu¡¯s antics. Her job¡­Was to look after the King¡¯s child, and this was at least something that she could do! "Understood." Mahnu stated, sighing and going silent again. Being able to have let go of the carriage may have given them more time, but the idea was completely void now! "Stop and let the horses rest." Mahnu suddenly said. "But...Mahnu..." William was sure that Mahnu would still be safe but wasn¡¯t it best that they try and keep their distance, even if they slow down, it¡¯s better than stopping completely! "What else are we to do?" Mahnu said, angry that she felt sick and had to endure the carriage being so bumpy! If they kept going, she might just do something really embarrassing! She had been a God for so long and vomiting now¡­ How could she let the happen!? Not only that, but there was only two men chasing after them, not a whole army! Only two! She wanted to take her anger out on one of them! ¡­Already, Mahnu was ready to go one on one with one of the people following them all this time! Jaclyn found herself not as scared. Is it because I don''t think anyone is following us? In fact, even she was a bit stressed out to how fast they were going! It¡¯s no wonder Mahnu wanted to stop, as Jaclyn figured that she might feel even worse, being pregnant and all. When the carriage stopped again, Mahnu got out, nearly tripping upon the last step! Letting out a grumpy moan, Mahnu stood up straight and went to William. "Just in case, I think one of you should take Jaclyn to the King and let them know we are being followed." "But...Your safety comes first, Mahnu!" William stated frankly. He liked the cute, dimpled girl but his job was Mahnu after all¡­ "And what of her safety?" Mahnu asked, just as frankly. William looked at Jaclyn, now out of the carriage. He couldn¡¯t deny it, he wanted her safe as well, so to give an answer, of course he could only agree. After nodding, he pointed to one of the two knights that were travelling with them. "Take Jaclyn and ride to the King. Tell him two of Sedric''s men are after us...Protect Jaclyn." Mahnu looked at the knight, also saying, "They are right behind us. You will have to go around." "Yes, understood, Your Highness." Even though Mahnu hated the verse, ¡®Your Highness¡¯, this was no time to quarrel¡­ Mahnu walked to Jaclyn, and said, "No questions. Get on the horse and go with him." "¡­This is getting a bit out of hand, Mahnu." Jaclyn said, pity in her eyes and her voice clearly stating that something was wrong¡­ Ignoring her, Mahnu looked at the knight, and said, "Take her and go." "Wait! This is preposterous, Mahnu...I think that you are sick!" Mahnu stood before Jaclyn, now seated on the horse. "Can you trust me...If you can''t...Go back to Bena...Now, go!" Jaclyn looked back at Mahnu, while being carted away by a knight and his horse. She had no time to say anything! All of a sudden, in this strange behaviour, Mahnu thought that she was suddenly in peril and Jaclyn wished she had enough courage to state to the people here that none of this was real! Why did she say that, though? What does this ¡®episode¡¯ have to do with her trust? Is she in complete denial, as well as delusional? Trust her? She wants me to believe her...But...Look at what they were doing! They were running for nothing, stressing out for nothing! This all was¡­ Just as Jaclyn was questioning her own sanity, someone on a horse cut them off. "Are you Mahnu?" What? "No, she''s not." The rider left, back to the direction of Mahnu and they continued to gallop in the opposite direction. "Wait! Why did you claim I wasn''t!?" She yelled at the knight. Before she knew it, everything was already over! Who was that person, and¡­Asking for Mahnu¡­ What was going on!? "I have to protect you." "But..." If it was all true, they would..."We have to go back!" Whether it was true or not, someone had asked for Mahnu and he might hurt her! "No. We are going to the King." The knight stated bluntly. She always hated people who just did as they were told and didn¡¯t ask any questions! "Mahnu''s in danger!" Jaclyn yelled angrily. "I am following orders!" The knight yelled back, not slowing down in the smallest degree. Jaclyn looked back to see nothing. Mahnu had been already out of sight for some time. Mahnu''s words, were they true the entire time? But if they were¡­Then how did she know? ''Two of Sedric''s men, they are after me.'' She had not seen anyone until that unfamiliar man had asked if she had been Mahnu¡­What if he was there all this time¡­ Could it¡­Have all been true? Jaclyn couldn''t work everything out, but this ''secret'' she was talking about, seems to be something that is endangering her life, when they had stated that it wouldn¡¯t...Should I get involved with this? ''It is a big decision Jaclyn. I like you because you are honest, but to stay with me, you have to be prepared to protect the biggest secret in Kralaide!'' All her words...Were they all true!? ''Can you trust me?'' ...What do I do? Jaclyn asked herself. Jaclyn didn''t feel like they were riding long before they came before the King. Looking at him, Jaclyn quickly looked away. She felt guilty¡­ She even felt ashamed. Still not sure on what to think¡­She decided to say nothing¡­ "What''s going on!? Why aren''t you with Mahnu!?" "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was ordered to come to you directly, to tell you that two of Sedric''s men are after Mahnu and I had to protect the doctor." "Dammit!" The King galloped ahead at full speed, surprising Jaclyn. The King had already felt weird, ever since passing by the obvious place that Mahnu had probably had her lunch. Seeing that some things had been left behind, a ominous feeling had taken place, making him go faster than they had already been going¡­ Seeing the King this way¡­ Had he accepted everything that was said without question? If perhaps Mahnu had told me, I might know why people were acting like this¡­But I had not given Mahnu a chance to trust me¡­ If there was a problem¡­Maybe the problem was me¡­ With wide eyes, Jaclyn watched the King race off, seeing that even the horse she was on, travel back as well¡­ Everyone else raced up to catch up to the King and Jaclyn admitted that she did finally fear for Mahnu''s safety. If it were all true, then¡­Those men might get her! *** Chapter 40
"Your master isn''t worried about taking someone close to the King? I believe that would be a death sentence." William said calmly to Sedric''s men, who were slowly cornering Mahnu and the two knights. Just as Mahnu said, it hadn¡¯t taken long for the Sedric¡¯s men to come into sight. One came from the direction Jaclyn had travelled in and the other came out to the other side, making things difficult. With Mahnu¡¯s quick orders, to get everyone else besides the three of them, out of the way, the servants seem to have it lucky¡­They had not been touched and it showed the two¡¯s men¡¯s clear goal¡­ William was completely on guard, glad that he only had one to worry about. If the servants had been here too, it would have made his job harder. "No one will know." Was all one of the men said in return. "The King is coming." Mahnu said. She did not show happiness but at the same time, she did not show that she was worried¡­ Deep down, she hoped she would at least be able to hit one of them! ¡­She was still angry! One of them scoffed, "They hadn''t left when we did, which was quite some time after you. I doubt your words!" Mahnu smiled, "You can doubt my words all you like but the fact remains." "So, where is he then!? Is he perhaps...Invisible?" The other person laughed along with him. William looked at Mahnu, but she quickly said, "Don''t take your eyes of them!" In that small moment, they charged with their swords and they clashed into the knights. Mahnu watched but stepped back, cursing because her Godly strength was gone. One of the men stabbed the new knight in the arm and then continued, charging straight at her. Mahnu sneered and picked up some dirt, throwing it into his face. He yelled out fiercely and wiped at his eyes. Mahnu patiently waited for his next move, so that she could intervene. Having lived a long time, her stance was rarely offensive as she didn¡¯t want to kill anyone. Yet, being defensive was still a good procedure to take when fighting, especially when she could use some of their moves against them. "Mahnu!" William yelled, still holding the other man off. "I''m fine, just focus!" Mahnu yelled, not even glancing in William''s direction. Side stepping a fist coming at her, she noticed he was trying to knock her out in any way. They were mostly all deathly blows that she had to avoid. His thoughts connected to hers, and she could see Sedric telling them, ''She''s a God. Knock her out completely!'' Oh, how she wished she was a God at this very moment! But she couldn¡¯t think more as she dodged yet another attack. Seeing that his fist wasn¡¯t enough, the men brought out his sword and started to get serious. He had not thought that this missy had known any type of Martial Arts and had thought it easy to get her knocked out¡­ As the men swung his sword, Mahnu was focused completely on the fight at hand. She dodged but felt like these fast movements were not easy. She had not trained daily as a God, but now¡­She realized that as a human, she should have done some training. Feeling slightly winded now, she stopped one of his attacks by holding his arm, yet he was strong, making her nearly get hit by his other hand, that was fisted to hit her in the stomach. Anger brewed inside of her and Mahnu growled, feeling that strange and new protective feeling come across her once again. Having turned to get away from his fist, she then pulled at his arm and kneed him into the groin, but he moved back, pulling out his hand from her grasp. Mahnu bit her lip, just one wrong move, that was all it would take. Just now he had aimed at her stomach, and she realized that she not only had to dodge for her, but the child within her as well. She couldn''t keep dodging though, as he kept his attacks and she saw his next move and took advantage of it by ducking and swinging her legs around to trip him. With a thump, the men fell on his back and the sword sounded out it¡¯s hit to the ground. Taking up this moment, to get rid of some of her anger, she raised her foot and slammed it down onto his groin, making him yell out to the pain. Seeing him squirm around, holding onto his manhood, Mahnu breathed in deeply, satisfied. That felt better! "Mahnu!" Finally, she thought, as she watched Sedric¡¯s man continue to squirm in front of her, Richard is here!Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Just as Mahnu stepped back, she saw the other man come charging at her. William was chasing after him, yet was still too far away. Mahnu knew though, that she didn¡¯t have to do anything¡­ The King intervened and kicked the one chasing his woman to the ground. "You dare try to take my woman!" Mahnu let out a small laugh to the King''s words and watched as Sedric''s men were caught. They looked at the King with disbelieving eyes, they knew they were in some serious trouble now¡­ The problem was, they were in quite a bit of pain and that seemed to make them somewhat forget their predicament for the time being. One could hardly move, as he was still in pain to Mahnu¡¯s attack¡­The other had been kicked from a horse, hardly able to breath for a near minute afterwards! The King got off his horse and went towards Mahnu, "Mahnu! Are you alright?" Finally able to catch her breath, she smiled at King Richard and found herself falling into his arms. Uh? Mahnu felt weird, "It''s so different fighting...When you''re a human." She felt faint, yet not understanding why, and said, "I''m okay. I''m not hurt." Hearing voices fade around her, Mahnu was unable to stay conscious. Having been stressed and worried, angry and focused¡­She had relaxed as soon as Richard was by her side and suddenly¡­ Not only was fighting difficult, she started to also see that sometimes getting all worked up and then being relaxed seems to be too much! Being a human¡­Is difficult! Jaclyn was there too now, checking over her condition. Seeing the last minute of two of the fight, Jaclyn could not think it through at the moment, as her job required her to make sure that Mahnu was alright. "Is she okay?" The King asked, very worried that Mahnu may have been hurt or¡­ Jaclyn smiled, "Yes. But she should rest." "Mmm." It was like the sleeping Mahnu was agreeing to this, as this passed through her lips. The King picked her up and headed for the carriage. "What did she mean just now, Your Majesty?" King Richard looked at his beloved, then at Jaclyn, "I will leave you in her hands." Then he went inside the carriage. For a moment, Jaclyn just stood there taking in his words. So¡­If she wanted to find out, it seemed that Mahnu would have to tell her¡­Or did he mean something else then? That he trusted her? ¡°Get the doctor in here and let¡¯s go! We¡¯re returning back to Bena!¡± The King¡¯s yell was heard to just about everyone hovering around. Scrambling back to their horses and whatnot, the entourage continued shortly after, but this time, back on the road that they had travelled on earlier. *** Orders were given and the expanded entourage started back for Bena. Arresting Sedric was made a degree and his two men were gagged, roped and tied to the carriage, forced to walk the whole way back to Bena. They already knew of their fate of getting beheaded and had fallen into despair. One still felt pain to what Mahnu did, while the other felt slightly winded still. Having stumbled often and even fallen and been dragged upon the ground once or twice, they no longer looked like the men that had stopped them earlier¡­ The King was inside the carriage with Mahnu on his lap and, on his request, with Jaclyn. They had been silent for some time and Mahnu was still sleeping soundly, in a slightly dishevelled state. Having travelled and then fought, her hair had nearly come out of it¡¯s hold on top of her head. King Richard had wanted to clean her yet didn¡¯t have to heart to wake her. He tried to tighten what held Mahnu¡¯s hair together but found it difficult because she was in his lap. He could only sigh, thinking that he just had to wait until they get back to Bena, before he can clean her up himself! Jaclyn watched as the King moved a strand of Mahnu''s hair. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but how did the two of you meet?" The King chuckled, still looking at Mahnu. "The very first time we met, she ran around feeding everyone in Anddin, but she disappeared before I could talk to her. The second time I found her in a tree in Havlish and she tried to run away, like a scared little rabbit...She saved my life..." "Saved your life? Your Majesty?" Jaclyn asked, stunned to hear such a thing. "Yes! Ah, she stopped the poison dart with her own arm. She also caught the assassin! Truly...I worried about her after she disappeared again." When he looked at Mahnu, Jaclyn saw how gentle his eyes looked and started to truly believe that perhaps Mahnu really did have something the King could fall in love with. ¡­If it were true, and the King was indebted to Mahnu for saving his life, it was probably understandable. But¡­A woman¡­Saving a man¡¯s life? Jaclyn looked at Mahnu in astonishment. She saw a little of the fight earlier and Mahnu was able to handle herself...Poison? "Getting poisoned at any stage, makes life of that person harder. Did things change for her after that? Your Majesty?" Mostly, Jaclyn was just asking about the poison, especially since Mahnu was pregnant now. Poison, if it were still inside Mahnu¡¯s body, could have a high chance of harming the child as well! Even though she was sure that she found no poison, when having checked Mahnu¡¯s pulse, she wanted to know of this potential danger! She decided to take a better attention the next time she was to check Mahnu¡¯s pulse. "It''s fine.¡± The King stated, letting out a little chuckle, ¡°It wouldn''t have done anything to her then. She would have been poison free within the day." He wished he had known that back then though! How he had worried about her! "How¡­How is that possible? Did she already know of what antidote to use and have it with her?" Jaclyn wanted to believe the King¡¯s words, but she couldn¡¯t help but question things, just in case¡­ "She was the antidote!" The King laughed after what he had just said and looked at Jaclyn. "She saved me a second time, by catching an arrow!" King Richard rather liked talking about his beloved, he found himself excited and wanting to speak more! Sadly, for him, Jaclyn was put into a state of shock and didn¡¯t respond to him straight away. How could she believe that? It is unheard of! Jaclyn¡¯s thoughts were a bit of a mess, but King Richard hid his grin, before continuing, "The third time I saw her, was ten years after the second. She was sad because a child died...Uh, she ended up following me to Conrella. Of course, she disappeared...But I found out later that she was following my every step the whole time! That''s when she stopped the arrow and started to talk to me." Mahnu seems like she''s had a tough life, and she must be older then I had originally thought¡­Jaclyn wondered if the King would know Mahnu''s age but thought against asking as it would be rude. "We were together for a little while, but she left me." The King¡¯s voice this time wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic, it held a bit of anger and he looked like he was pouting. A King pouting¡­Because she left him? "A consort was able to leave you, Your Majesty?" Jaclyn asked, thoroughly confused. The King sighed, "She wasn''t officially my consort, she still isn''t. But she had something to find out and I believe I was distracting her.¡± The King sighed, then looked like he started to reminisce, ¡°After that, it got worse! It was¡­Really bad." Two years without her¡­ Jaclyn wanted to know how or what could have happened? Was this all part of the ''secret'', that Mahnu was talking about? How were they able to be together, when she wasn''t a consort? How did she follow the King around? Deciding against asking all these questions, Jaclyn stayed silent, after checking Mahnu''s pulse and forehead again. And even though Jaclyn payed more attention, she found no traces of poison within the pulse that she read¡­ After that, nothing was said¡­ They continued to travel to Bena in silence, one curious and troubled, while the other was thankful and looking down at the woman in his arms. *** Chapter 41
When they got to Bena again, it had been well into the night and Mahnu woke up as King Richard picked her up from the carriage. "Richard?" "Mahnu! You''re awake..." The King sighed with relief. The only reason he had let her sleep was because Jaclyn had said that she was fine and didn''t look worried...But he had been worried and felt better now that she had awoken. Mahnu, widened her eyes and quickly said, "Wait...Let me down." He quickly put her down and she vomited near the pathway, that led into where they were staying. "Jaclyn!" The King yelled out. Jaclyn came to Mahnu and examined her. "Well!? What''s wrong!?" King Richard said impatiently. Mahnu didn''t talk but sat there silently as Jaclyn said, "I''m not worried, Your Majesty. With the trip and her condition, I''m sure it''s fine." "...This is fine!?" He asked appallingly. For once he wished he had spent more time around the Queen when she had been pregnant. If he thought this was normal, then he wouldn''t be so scared! "Richard!" Mahnu said weakly. "Mahnu, are you okay?" She nodded and he picked her up again, to take her inside, not wanting her to get a chill on top of everything else. Mahnu didn''t know why Richard was worrying so much! He was adorable and it made her feel special, but she couldn''t let him continue on like this when she knew that Jaclyn was not worried, "Calm down, Richard, I trust her words." She trusts me? Jaclyn was momentarily paralyzed. ...Even though I hadn''t trusted her earlier, she still trusts me now? "Yes, of course, you are the doctor." Mahnu said, looking at her from the bed that she had just been laid on. "...Oh." Jaclyn forgot. Of course, the words of a doctor should be able to be trusted. "Don''t get upset Jaclyn, it''s not just because you''re a doctor. I already trusted you before we started to get followed." Her words were clear and stating basic fact. As Mahnu knew many of the thoughts that Jaclyn had back then, they were still very innocent and if she was to put herself in Jaclyn''s shoes, Mahnu thought that she might have even thought and acted similar to what she had...So, she couldn''t blame her. The reason why she trusted her wasn''t just because of her innocent thoughts, but also because she had not thought of herself, putting her unborn child first. That...And if any one of them was a schemer, Jaclyn thought it to be Mahnu! Thinking back to all the times that Jaclyn had put Mahnu down, it was still laughable, but good, because Jaclyn had not thought how to use Mahnu or how to even flirt with the King. At first, Mahnu had not thought of this, but during their journey, it had come to pass because the ride had been boring and made her feel sick, so she just tried to think of something to try not to think about her circumstances at the time...And this was the decision Mahnu had made. Jaclyn was silently happy and smiled back at her. "Thank you." King Richard was sitting on the bed, playing with Mahnu''s hands, when Marcus came in. "Sedric is gone. He disappeared yesterday." Mahnu then spoke in a croaky voice, "He was asking those men to knock me out cold, yesterday at Sedric''s house. He told them to take me to his hideout, as he was going to go there after." "You can''t get anything else?" Marcus asked hesitantly. Jaclyn gave her water, not able to understand how Mahnu knows all this but, for some reason, believing the words to be true. "I think..." Mahnu cleared her throat. "I think..." She put her hand over her mouth and sat there unmoving. Jaclyn quickly got something to hold out in front of her. For the life of her, Mahnu could not help but feel the unfamiliar need and want to vomit! She really couldn¡¯t believe that for centuries she had not done such a thing, to do it twice in just mere minutes! If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Mahnu vomited again and Marcus could only grimace and ask if she was okay. Giving Mahnu more water, Jaclyn said, "Vomiting is a symptom of pregnancy. A very normal symptom, but I will continue to watch her closely." Marcus seemed glad and Jaclyn looked over to the King, to see him looking at Mahnu in worry. "I think it would be a good idea to send people to the site of The Chest of the God''s, to protect it." Mahnu¡¯s words were croaked out, sounding very difficult. "I agree." Marcus said, nodding as well. "Marcus?" Mahnu was looking at something beyond the bed in front of her. "What news on the box? What has been done?" Her voice got crisp again and Jaclyn gave her more water. What in the world are they talking about? What¡¯s this ¡®box¡¯? Jaclyn took the glass back away from Mahnu and sighed¡­Box¡¯s could hold many things, how will I have any idea what would be inside it!? "I''m sure it''s hidden deep within our lands Mahnu. I ordered that we set traps to have it get stuck or go deeper into the ground if someone were to try and dig it up. Confirmation won''t be for another week or two though, at the very least." Mahnu looked relieved, smiling very gratefully at Marcus, "Thank you." Marcus smiled swiftly at her, Jaclyn thought that he may have been a little troubled because of the look Mahnu had just given him. Mahnu sunk in the bed further, closing her eyes. "I made The Chest of the God''s very hard to get, hopefully it will all stop at Sedric." She looked absolutely worn out! King Richard kissed her on the forehead, let go of her hand and turned to Jaclyn, "I''ll leave her to you...Take good care of her and our child." Jaclyn nodded, then he and Marcus left. They would spend the next couple of hours dealing with Sedric. Not only were they going to look for him and hopefully apprehend him for his crimes, they also had to consider on who else was a part of his scheme, where the location was for his hideout was and what was to be done about governing Bena¡­ It was most likely going to be a long night for Marcus, the leader of the Royal Loyal Knights, and for the King of Kralaide¡­ On the other hand, Jaclyn didn''t try to think about what she did not understand. Instead, she found herself admitting defeat to Mahnu. Giving Mahnu a quick wipe over, she left not long afterwards, not wanting to wake the exhausted, unique lady up. Having the helping hand of a maid, Jaclyn then made some soup, that would be easy to digest and keep down. Letting the soup simmer, Jaclyn decided to have a quick nap while Mahnu was not in need of her at present. With the kitchen not far from Mahnu¡¯s quarters, where she was sleeping, Jaclyn rested close by and used her arm as her pillow. No one had told her if she had a place to sleep, but at the same time, she was unsure if the King had wanted her to be too far away from Mahnu, so all she could do was lean against the wall and put her head on her arm, hoping to catch up on some sleep while she had the chance¡­ Awakening, a few hours later, the soup was ready but Mahnu was still asleep. Jaclyn then felt that she had the time to think deeply about what she would do¡­ I feel that I will be able to do my job well enough. I know about pregnancy and what is and isn''t best for Mahnu. I have also grown used to the people and feel welcomed. Mahnu trusts me¡­And I want to prove to her that I do trust her now too. Overhearing the conversations about a ¡®chest¡¯ and a ¡®box¡¯ and ¡®God''s¡¯, was a little worrisome, but, if the King already knew about it... Obviously, they were in the middle of something and Mahnu''s life was at risk for some reason. If her life is at risk, someone like me should be by her side and make sure that she will be alright¡­That the child should be alright¡­ What if the risk would involve me¡­Will I allow that to stop me from being Mahnu''s doctor? How could I cower when she isn''t, when the King himself isn''t! It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t have courage! Why¡­Why should I be scared of a bit of risk? And well¡­ Having been sitting in between the kitchen and the bedroom, that Mahnu was sleeping in, Jaclyn looked at the bed. Wasn¡¯t she a doctor of Kralaide? Isn¡¯t that what she wanted to be? If this ¡®mission¡¯ or ¡®secret¡¯ was very special, why wouldn¡¯t she want to be a part of it!? With the King, it was most likely something that had to do with protecting Kralaide or doing what¡¯s best for the people, how could I not be a part of something like that!? Jaclyn hardly believed herself when she now suddenly agreed that she was firm on staying beside Mahnu. She also admitted that she truly respected Mahnu, like everybody else around her, and genuinely wanted to help her¡­ Getting up, taking a deep breath in, Jaclyn then walked into the bedroom, with the soup, to find that Mahnu was awake already and smiling at her. Being sure that Mahnu was sleeping just moments ago, Jaclyn was somewhat startled to seeing Mahnu like this! "You''re awake, Mahnu!" "Yes! I feel better and I am very hungry, smelling this food! I think it woke me up!" Jaclyn laughed and put the soup upon a small table and lifted it, to put it on Mahnu¡¯s lap, upon the bed. "Thank you!" Mahnu said happily, startling Jaclyn. As far as Jaclyn was aware, she hadn¡¯t really seen her this happy before! And¡­Didn¡¯t Mahnu have troubles eating before now? Marcus had told her that a few days ago, that Mahnu has been known to faint due to forgetting to eat¡­ Even though Jaclyn knew that Mahnu was pregnant, she just never thought that she would be this happy to eat! ¡­Perhaps she was more similar to the rest of us females then I had originally thought¡­ Mahnu went quiet to Jaclyn¡¯s thoughts, while she ate and as Jaclyn examined her. In fact, now that Jaclyn had thought of that, Mahnu was startled as well¡­ For her to be this happy, just over food¡­What was going on!? But¡­At the moment, she didn¡¯t feel sick and was really impatient to get something into her stomach! She couldn¡¯t deny her want to fulfill these new and strange urges, having made her change into someone else! But¡­Wasn¡¯t it a good thing? Wanting to eat, now that she was human, could only mean that she was somewhat getting used to it¡­It was just¡­It really had excited her so much¡­ So strange, she thought, that such small things can make me¡­Happy¡­ "Have you been pregnant before?" Jaclyn asked. Mahnu started to cough, to the sudden question. She put the food to the side and took some moments to reorganize herself, then answered, "No, I haven''t. This, among a few other situations, is a first for me." "May I ask how old you are?" As a doctor, Jaclyn wanted to see what Mahnu might have been through, so to help with her condition. After all, it wasn¡¯t like people didn¡¯t know that age could pose a problem to pregnancy¡­And with the King stating years between their meetings¡­Jaclyn couldn¡¯t help but be worried, even though Mahnu still looked like a girl in her early twenties¡­ Mahnu looked worried, so, Jaclyn continued, "Sometimes, depending on age, a pregnancy could be harder." Understanding Jaclyn, Mahnu took a deep breath in and let it out. It was time to tell Jaclyn whatever she wanted to know, as Mahnu knew that Jaclyn had joined her, "Well, I was a God for over a thousand years, then I turned mortal about two years ago." Jaclyn gabbed, her mouth rudely wide opened in front of Mahnu, and time seemed to completely stop! Chapter 42
Repeating Mahnu¡¯s words in her head, Jaclyn still could not make out anything from it! It simply did not make any sense! Gods...They simply don¡¯t exist! Only stories had God¡¯s! In this present age, even stories with God¡¯s in it were rare to find¡­Well, they were rare to find in Bena at least¡­ ¡®Well, I was a God for over a thousand years, then I turned mortal about two years ago.¡¯ ¡­I think I heard her wrong¡­No, I must have heard her wrong! "You didn''t hear me wrong." Mahnu stated, watching, hearing and waiting on Jaclyn¡¯s reply, thoughts and actions. Again, Jaclyn went quiet, still in shock. "Mmm, too much of a shock, I believe...You''ve gone quiet. Both inside and out..." Mahnu sighed, and then said, "Do you think that any of that news will be bad for the baby?" True and honest curiosity was asked in that question, as Mahnu hoped and hoped that this did not pose a problem. She knew how much Richard wanted a child and¡­Now that she was pregnant, she really did hope that this child would really come to be¡­ What if this child does not get born? What if I suddenly become a God again? Would this child then disappear!? It was scary! It was¡­ Looking at Jaclyn, waiting for her answer and hoping for it to be a positive one, Mahnu felt her heart beating faster and faster, as the time went on¡­ Jaclyn looked back at her in bewilderment. How...How should I know that? Upset, because Mahnu didn¡¯t get the answer she wanted, she rubbed her stomach gently and tried to calm herself down. "Then we will have to wait and see how it will go then." Stammering, Jaclyn asked, "Is it true? You¡­You were a...God?" Mahnu nodded. "I wasn''t the only God. But they tried to take over Kralaide...Twice. So, now, there are no more God''s left." "Other...God''s!?" Jaclyn gulped. Mahnu nodded. "But, like I said, they are all gone now. As you see, even I am mortal now...I am telling you this because you have agreed to stay, so I will answer any questions that you have." "How...How did you know? How did you know that¡­" Jaclyn asked falling to her knees, as her legs could no longer hold her up. Mahnu chuckled, "I''m surprised you haven''t noticed, Jaclyn! I''ve been answering your thoughts since we''ve met." "¡­What?" Jaclyn really couldn¡¯t comprehend the words Mahnu just said¡­ With wide eyes, she stared at Mahnu and she didn¡¯t realize that seconds had turned into a minute that had passed¡­ Smiling, Mahnu said, "Don''t speak. Think of something and I will show you." Seeing that actions might bring Jaclyn out of her shock, Mahnu gave herself a small nod to see that it had worked¡­ Jaclyn closed her eyes and thought of her late brother, who had died a few years ago now. The reason she first dreamt of becoming a doctor, was because of him. He had a sickness that no one seemed to know how to cure and it had made her mad. Six doctors and having to pay them to state that they could do nothing! They had not been rich, they had given so much just to hear that nothing could be done! In the six months that her brother had been sick and stuck to the bed, Jaclyn had felt utterly hopeless and all that hopelessness turned into her want to become a doctor, a doctor that could treat an illness like that and save someone! Because¡­In the end¡­She hadn¡¯t been able to save her brother¡­ He had laid there, weaker by the day and she had to endure through saying goodbyes, feeling the body grow cold and unmoving! "¡­I''m sorry." A voice broke her out of her memories and heartache. Jaclyn opened her eyes, to see Mahnu looking back at her sadly. "What?" "Your brother...The reason you dreamt of becoming a doctor." Jaclyn stood up in shock, leaning across the bed, "¡­How¡­How did you know that!?" Breathing out, Mahnu said back, "I can read minds that are close by..." "¡­Uh?" Jaclyn fell to her knees and her eyes were wide opened once again¡­ Mahnu looked away and sighed. Moments of silence went by, then Jaclyn got up. Watching Jaclyn take the dishes and walk away silently, Mahnu did as Jaclyn did, and tried to calm herself down. How can someone be that slow? Mahnu breathed out and put her head down. But she has a heart of gold, that girl. Not sure on what to do, Mahnu closed her eyes and just listened to those nearby. Story? Please, please, please. I know you''re awake. Story time! "Shut up, William!" Mahnu yelled, irritation clearly within her words. "Come on, Mahnu. You have to stay in bed, but you might as well talk to me!" He had come inside now and had sparkles in his eyes. "You rarely asked for anything when I first met you, you''ve changed!" Mahnu said, folding her arms across her chest. William just rudely sat on a chair and stared at her in anticipation¡­Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Mahnu laughed, covering her mouth when she didn''t stop. "You''re...A nasty little brother!" She said, trying to sound firm. William smiled but continued to stare at her the exact same way. "What do you want to hear this time?" Mahnu asked, shaking her head in defeat. "The previous Kings and Queens!" He said, he had already thought about it and decided earlier. Mahnu thought about it for a moment. "I didn''t know all of them, but I''ll try." "Yes! Yes! Please do!" William said, nodding eagerly. Mahnu could tell that the King was behind the door, as he had returned, and Jaclyn had entered the room again but Mahnu went on like it was only her and William. "King Maximus, on purposely left me here." William didn''t understand and Mahnu chuckled. She continued to tell them about The Siege and how it had come to pass that she didn''t go in The Chest of the God''s with the other God''s. Mahnu also included information that was in Richard''s dreams, even though she hadn''t been in Nowell, and with that, she was able to completely tell the story and finished in an hour. During this time, the King had silently come in and sat on a chair and Jaclyn had sat on the floor¡­ "What about His Majesty''s father?" William asked, after a few moments of silence. Mahnu looked at Richard in the dark and asked if that was ok. She knew that he was tired, as he had not slept yet and the sun would rise sometime soon. If he wanted her to stop, she would happily do as she was told¡­ He nodded quietly in reply. He knew a few things yes, but he was also curious to know that if there was perhaps something he did not know. Only now, did Mahnu feel like she could continue, knowing the curiosity of Richard, "King Matthew, father of one son, formally...Two sons, informally." The King stood up, standing still for a moment, before rushing to Mahnu, "I...Have a brother?" Mahnu nodded, "You did have a brother." The King sat on the bed, "Why...Why haven''t I heard...Until now?" It was a valid question¡­He should know more about his own family then Mahnu, yet here he was hearing something like this for the first time! "I''m sorry, Richard. He came to the same fate as your father." ¡­Mahnu finally saw the problem of continuing to speak. For her, this was mostly a story, something of her past that became known to her, yet¡­For her man, the King, this might not be nice to hear¡­ To a certain degree, Mahnu regretted that they did not stop earlier. She hadn¡¯t even thought of what this might do to Richard until now, and she felt terrible because of it¡­But¡­She had already started, and Richard was¡­ King Richard closed his eyes and then slumped forward when he realized what happened to his unknown brother. His feelings went straight into Mahnu and Mahnu swallowed, trying not to feel so much when this was already in the past¡­It wasn¡¯t easy though¡­ She loved Richard and found that whenever he was hurt or upset, it hurt and upset her too¡­ "He had been only two years old¡­Formally, he died as nature taking its course but informally, he was poisoned. Your mother took it very hard and never wanted to talk about it, it become a taboo subject within Conrella...Also, King Matthew¡­Was a father of two daughters." King Richard looked at Mahnu again, and she nodded. "One you know of but the other was like your older brother. They took precautions with more safety and protection after that and then you were born. The King had then decided to stop having children then¡­It was a worry for a short while, as they had thought your sister might have to take the throne." Pain showed on King Richard¡¯s face to the news that he had never known about, even though it was about his very own family. Mahnu had spoken quite quickly, now, she slowed down, thinking the worst of it had been said. "King Matthew adored Governor Valtac. Letting the Crowned Prince become engaged to one of Valtac''s daughters. He also allowed the engagement of your sister to Valtac''s future advisor Rick. King Matthew also treated Governor Gregory well and he never knew, until death, that his supposedly loyal Governor had been the one that had killed some of his family¡­I hadn''t known that due to being nearby and reading his thoughts, I felt it through his suffering. He was greatly affected by the news and tried to survive by any means to claim retribution for his family, but he was stabbed by Gregory himself...With no chance of survival." Mahnu really wanted to change the subject but she didn''t, "¡­Your father was used, he let those he trusted to trample over him and Kralaide went backwards in his reign...But he dearly loved his family. I dare say that the deaths of his children was the reason why he did not become a better King." Mahnu knew that what she had just said was harsh¡­Not having worried at all just a few minutes ago, she was now starting to panic, feeling Richard¡¯s emotions wash over her¡­ Biting her lip, she looked away from King Richard, extremely sorry to have brought him pain. She was sure that anyone else¡¯s family story, she wouldn¡¯t have cared so much, but her heart ached for Richard as he felt not only deep regret but also anger. He then suddenly put his hand in hers and squeezed it. "It''s okay. I knew already that my father let Kralaide go backwards." Mahnu squeezed back and took a deep breath in and out...Then continued, desperately wanting to finish this conversation, "Your mother decided to follow your father in death and so you ascended the throne at the young age of fifteen. Your father''s mother has spent much of her time, after your father''s death, in a temple, I believe...And you were left alone, to rule the entire nation of Kralaide." Many mixed thoughts came into Mahnu''s head but for others the room was ghastly silent. In this silence, Mahnu held back from speaking further about Richard¡¯s father. There had been more, of course, but she did not want to trouble Richard with anything else¡­ Now that she thought about it, perhaps it would have been better to speak of the other things that she held back on instead, because at least then he would not be so sad now¡­ As the silence dragged on, at first, William and Jaclyn were pitying the King, yet proud of his achievements. Then they thought of Gregory''s nasty, devilish ploys against the throne and it had them both very angry! Afterwards, they wondered how it would be like if the royal family hadn''t died at the hands of Gregory...It would be different now...A different past, a different future¡­ All the emotions flooded into Mahnu and she felt overwhelmed and was nearly about to cry, especially the Richard¡¯s thoughts of loss. For years, in his childhood, he had been watched and could not do much. He had been suffocated to the point of becoming angry at both of his parents for not letting him out beyond the palace walls. ¡­He had never understood! Now knowing that they simply wanted him to be safe and not have a repeat to happen to him as to what happened to his elder brother and sister, he felt ashamed of his younger self. Not once had he stopped to try and understand! He had cursed his mother and father and even after they had died, he had only felt the normal sense of loneliness that he had already felt prior to their deaths. Why does he feel the loss now, years after their departure, and not then when he was younger? ¡­Why didn¡¯t he question why his mother was so sad? Why hadn¡¯t he asked why he was being detained as he was? All he could do back then was learn, sleep and eat, so why didn¡¯t he give himself time to question things!? Putting his face in his hands, Richard shook his head in sadness. He had been such a fool! All this time, he had felt like he was just a pawn in his father¡¯s and mother¡¯s eyes, not opening himself to what was really going on! Perhaps¡­Marcus knows more of this¡­ Yet¡­Thinking of Marcus, Richard only got sadder because of the way Marcus had treated him when he had become the King. Marcus¡­He was very patient and was by his side all the time! Of course¡­Marcus probably knew of his elder brother and sister, he probably knew that he had been immature and didn¡¯t use his head when it came to his parent¡¯s behavior! But not once did he scold! Not once did Marcus get angry! Remembering now, on a conversation that Marcus and he had one time, Richard could only conclude that Marcus was indeed more to him then he had ever realized! When his son and daughter had been born, he had spoken to Marcus about giving his children more freedom then to what he had when he had been younger and Marcus had replied with, ¡®Your Majesty, freedom and safety are two different things. If you are to give the Crowned Prince and Princess more freedom, then I, the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights will do my best to give them every bit of safety that they will need!¡¯ ¡­If Marcus had not put more effort into safety for my children¡­ Richard was speechless¡­Completely speechless to what he had just found out and thought about. In the process of not wanting his children to grow up like himself, he probably put them more at risk to dying to Governor Gregory¡¯s hands¡­But all this time, Marcus had done his best to dedicate so many of his knights just for their safety! Yes, he was thankful, very thankful¡­He also felt like he treated Marcus poorly in return! Feeling like he¡¯d just worked out something very important, Richard finally put down his hands and opened his eyes. He was determined to state how grateful he was to Marcus! Should he give him a gift as well? Some land or something else? How could he¡­Show and let Marcus see how deeply grateful he was to have him by his side all this time? Chapter 43
William broke the silence that had been going on now for quite a number of minutes. "Is there a King or Queen that was extremely great?" Mahnu looked at William, and smiled, "Yes!" William got excited, "Who!? Tell me!" "He''s right here." Mahnu laughed and looked at Richard. "¡­I''m not a great King." He mumbled. As it was, he just realized how great his Knight was! How he had treated his mother and father poorly in the past! Richard felt far from being a great King! "It''s not based on what you, as the King, personally thinks or feels. It''s the people¡¯s point of view." Mahnu stated frankly. As far as she was aware, in her existence, a good King was someone who thought of his land and people. Yet, this statement stunned King Richard, "The people like me?" "Of course! They all saw the change of Kralaide from your father''s reign to yours. They are much happier now. I even liked you when I hadn''t met you. I remember thinking that you made a good decision to help the west and east with provisions just for them, even though they could give you nothing in return. And that''s why I ventured to save you from the assassins, because I wanted you to live." King Richard contemplated her words, while he sat properly on the bed beside Mahnu, putting his legs out in front of him. "So that''s why we were able to meet?" Mahnu smiled at him. "I felt sorry for you in Nowell. Here I was, an immortal, trying to help people for over a thousand years and there you were wanting to solve everything in a human life span. I even wondered if I should''ve told you not to bother." The King chuckled, "So, that''s what you were thinking then?" "Yes. But you stunned me when you kissed me. Afterwards, I thought that you had a lot of nerve to kiss a God!" "Were you going to kill me?" He asked, his eyes sparkling, remembering his own thoughts back then too. William and Jaclyn started to notice that Mahnu and King Richard were in their own little world. They had been practically forgotten about and started to feel uncomfortable¡­ "No...I...I''ve never killed anyone before. Grant you, I did hurt people, if they hurt others, but I never killed any human." The King was surprised, "No one?" Mahnu shook her head. "¡­You killed Thelmos and Eliza a few times." The King finally said. "No. I''m not talking about God''s. Besides, they didn''t die." Mahnu retaliated, showing a frown. "¡­I wonder how many times you would have died if you weren''t a God..." William''s quiet, curious words made everybody look at him. Silence filled the room and William shrank into his chair. "I''m sorry¡­I shouldn''t have said that." "Leave." The King said coldly. Mahnu put a hand up, "It''s fine." "It''s not. Your name and death, in the same breath..." Just the thought of it made the King close his eyes to take a breath and try to calm himself down. "Richard!" He then looked at her, obviously annoyed, and Mahnu sighed, "It is not like William wishes me dead. He was curious." "I don''t want to talk about it." The King mumbled. William got up and bowed, "I apologize, I will never say those words again." And he left¡­ Jaclyn also left, leaving Mahnu alone to comfort King Richard. She didn''t speak but pulled him down to her lap. Hastily, he turned around and put his arms around her waist possessively. He kissed her tummy and closed his eyes, while Mahnu played with his hair. Watching him fall asleep, Mahnu smiled, then looked out to see that dawn settle upon the land of what she could see outside the window. ¡­It has been a long day¡­ *** The King and Marcus had been busy as they had deployed knights everywhere. One knight had left for Harval, to tell the Queen and her father that the King won''t arrive, as for both Mahnu and the King''s next destination had changed to Conrella.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Several knights had been dispatched to protect The Chest of the God''s, until further notice. These several knights had the order that if any outsiders close by to The Chest of the God''s were found, they had to be brought back to the capital to be questioned. More knights were coming to Bena, for the protection of Mahnu and her travel back to Conrella. Many more knights, that were already in Bena, were dispatched to search Bena, for Sedric, the wanted Governor. Since so many knights were needed, they had to send for more from Havlish, which would lengthen the time that Mahnu was supposed to return back to Conrella. Being the King, he already had quite a few knights that followed him for protection but Mahnu was already down by one because of Sedric''s men, so, King Richard made sure that her safety became top priority. After all this work, that was when the King had come back to Mahnu, to hear her story. In the following days, not only were they waiting for more knights to arrive, but they were waiting upon finding the hideout of Sedric and finding Sedric himself¡­So, having not heard much, it was rather quiet in the King¡¯s residence that was situated in Bena. One person seemed to feel like he had a lot to do! Not only was this person guarding, training and having to fit in a few hours¡¯ sleep in a day, but¡­William started to write down as much as he could from what Mahnu had said previously and from her continued stories in his free time. Him doing this, made one feel like he had too much to do in a day, but really¡­His favorite time of day was listening and writing all this down! Mahnu would silently laugh at him repeatedly each time seeing him this way, but William would enthusiastically keep up this routine without showing any type of boredom or exhaustion! On the other hand, Jaclyn became a good support and friend for Mahnu, as the days went by. There were a few more unstoppable pregnancy symptoms that Mahnu started to get disgusted with, but Jaclyn did not find anything else wrong, besides that of Mahnu having to drink more water. And, with William around, as he was excited, Jaclyn started to get excited too about hearing more of Kralaide¡¯s past history! They both listened to each story diligently and even ended up starting to sit next to each other in the last three days. Mahnu knew that Jaclyn hadn¡¯t thought too much into a relationship with William, but her thoughts on William being handsome and cute continued¡­William, on the other hand, didn¡¯t put much effort into it either, as he was just too busy, but it was still obvious that he liked Jaclyn as he had gone to call her ¡®Cute dimples¡¯ often in his head. Mahnu could only smile at them, as it seemed they both liked each other, but it just wasn¡¯t the time to start something. Normally she did not interfere with any human affairs, as she did not seem to think it would be worth her showing herself in front of them¡­Yet¡­She felt the want to get these two together at some point¡­ ¡­Perhaps when they are back in Conrella, she could find a way to show the both of them their own feelings¡­ It was a week after they had returned to Bena, that it was past due time that the King had to leave. Now that a new temporary Governor for Bena was initiated and they had found no other leads about the doctor¡¯s leader, there was no more reason for His Majesty to stay. Of course, if he were to leave, it didn¡¯t mean that the search to find Sedric was going to stop, it was just that the King was not personally going to oversee its continuation. King Richard didn''t want to leave but Mahnu told him that Kralaide was waiting for him and that she would be in Conrella soon anyway. He wanted to leave every knight there to keep her safe, except for Marcus, and even though she tried to persuade him otherwise, he didn''t listen. Mahnu knew of his potential regret of if something would happen to her, but in her eyes¡­The King was more important this she was and didn¡¯t want anything to happen to him on the way back to Conrella, feeling the same type of potential regret¡­ After the King left, Mahnu demanded that a couple of his knights go back and follow, without being seen, to safeguard the King until he safely arrives in Conrella, and they could only comply to her instructions. ¡­But things changed after the King left. Mahnu felt out of place and lonely. She had not foreseen that she would feel this way upon Richard¡¯s departure and even somewhat disliked herself for relying so much upon him¡­ It also wasn¡¯t just about relying on Richard, she came to notice, but it was also something about not having anything to do¡­ For over a thousand years she had one goal, and that was to sleep because she would make the sufferings disappear. Now¡­She had accomplished getting the tablet back and it was now smashed. The God¡¯s were gone, and she no longer had the sufferings circulating in her head to know which way to go to help people. It was a whirlwind of wondering what she was to be now, what she was to do, and her silence may have been over looked but over this time, she was really thinking about how to live the rest of her mortal life¡­ Jaclyn tried to comfort her but after a couple of times, she realized that Mahnu really depended on the King. If she had known about this earlier, she would have insisted that both of them stay together, travelling back to Conrella at the same time but¡­Not only is this in the past now and unavoidable, but how could she even ask that of the King of Kralaide in the first place!? For Mahnu to become the person that Jaclyn had never seen, it was a bit scary¡­ Not only did Mahnu eat less and go back to forgetting to eat once again, but many times she would be seen to be looking far away, outside of the window, looking lost and insecure¡­ Stories did not get told anymore and due to Mahnu becoming a bit sullen, William did not ask for them like a child, worried it might cause Mahnu more problems. In just two days, Mahnu had gone into a shell that worried everyone else to no end! It was really¡­A problem that could only be solved by having the King back to being by her side¡­ *** King Richard had visited Betty and Donald on his arrival back to Conrella but didn''t stay long. He withheld the news of Mahnu''s pregnancy so that Mahnu could tell them herself instead. The King also had turned quiet upon leaving Bena, but Marcus saw that he didn''t turn back to what he was like when Mahnu had gone missing for two years, in which made Marcus feel relieved. Marcus watched as His Majesty caught up with his work, only because he wanted to keep busy, so not to think of being away from Mahnu¡­But it was still far from the drunk and isolated person that Marcus was worried to see once again. The news of Sedric reached the other Governors and the new temporary Governor for Bena was introduced to any other Governor that was in Conrella at the time. He had, of course, followed His Majesty to Conrella but left within two days to return back to Bena. Some type of disease had been reported from Anddin and King Richard ordered a few specific doctors to go and help the people and hopefully, completely cure the disease. Also, the King had a nice chat with his old friend, Governor Dominic, from Dragvie, making that day pass a bit more smoothly then the others since he has returned¡­ But¡­There was only so much that work could accomplish and during times of trying to sleep and being with his children¡­King Richard would be reminded of the beloved woman that he left behind in Bena¡­ ¡­I miss you, Mahnu¡­ Chapter 44
Several days after returning to Conrella, the King demanded to know what was going on as he hadn''t heard news of Mahnu, just the news of Sedric not being found. "Marcus! If you know something, please tell me!" King Richard stated, using his authority, which was rarely used upon his good friend. Upon their trip back to Conrella, King Richard had talked to Marcus and they had become closer, but at this point in time he wasn¡¯t thinking of their friendship, but of the fact that he had not heard anything about his beloved Mahnu! He had been unable to stop himself from thinking of the worst-case scenarios that could happen to her¡­What if Sedric was going to go after her, now that he had gone? What if she is taken captive? What if¡­She was hurt!? Marcus looked down, unable to meet His Majesty''s eyes. He had been trying to prepare himself for this very question for days, but still failed to feel that way¡­ That was because¡­ "Tell me!" King Richard yelled. "¡­Reports stopped coming in two days ago, I don''t know what is transpiring, Your Majesty." Marcus could only tell the truth¡­He could only¡­Watch and hope that His Majesty does not loss himself to this news¡­ "Dammit!" The King left the room and started walking, Marcus following and having a bad feeling... "Your Majesty?" Marcus asked, already feeling like that the King was already acting different, just after hearing one sentence¡­ "I''m going to Bena!" This response¡­Marcus started to feel anger grow inside of him, "But...You just returned to Conrella. You have..." "Enough!" The King yelled. He stopped walking and leaned against a pillar along the path, "Why are there no reports...What happened?" Marcus breathed in, seeing that the King had stopped, it gave him some hope that His Majesty won¡¯t do something rash, "The last report announced that Mahnu had started to travel here, that they had made it to the first rest point with no problems. They planned to continue to travel here and return one week from departure." The King turned to him with a questioning look. "But the knights wouldn''t have gotten there yet...Why did they leave without extra protection?" Marcus silently cursed those who had made this decision, "The report didn''t say." "Why didn''t you tell me?" The King asked Marcus. Didn¡¯t he know how important Mahnu was to him? Marcus sighed, "Your Majesty, I didn''t think much was wrong and that a report should arrive at any minute. But if there were a problem, how would you act? Bad enough to hit the Queen again?" King Richard stared at Marcus with wide eyes. "You...Refused to report to me...Because of how I might act?" Marcus bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty." The King went to strike him but remembered his words. ¡®Bad enough to hit the Queen again?¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t Marcus be right if I were to hit him right now? Dammit! Lowering his arm, he felt himself start to tremble and he clenched his hands together to try and stop it! He couldn¡¯t blame Marcus, yet¡­ Mahnu was just too damned important to hold in this information! What if she was being followed!? What if, right now, she was in so much trouble that I wouldn¡¯t ever get to see her again!? What if Marcus told me as soon as he knew, and we were able to stop some calamity from happening!? It was at this time that King Richard could not hold in his anger! If he were to find out that something happens and that he could have acted earlier¡­ "Replace yourself and get out of my sight!" The King walked away, leaving Marcus mortified. Wind blew across his face, a servant walked passed seeing his bowed figure, yet didn¡¯t say anything¡­But all this was not seen by Marcus. His whole life seemed to have cracked and he didn¡¯t know what was happening¡­The tight rope that connected him to reality was damaged, his existence, his goal¡­Shattered¡­ A few moments past but Marcus was still bowed and unmoving. His King...Abandoned him... Had he done something so terribly wrong to lose his position of Leader of the Loyal Royal Knights? He was loyal! He was trying to do what was best for His King and Kralaide. Even though¡­Even though His Majesty had been angry, and it was evidently heard, but how could he be that angry that he had done this!? Marcus stood up straight and wished to know why, which part of what he did, was so wrong that he is now replaced. His family, for generations, had been the leader¡­He knew of nothing else, this was his life! He was born to serve His Majesty with his entire being¡­ Lost¡­Shattered¡­ As anger rose to the point of being unable to continue being the close friend and defensive person that he used to be, Marcus fell into a vortex of strange new feelings¡­Of hate and doubt¡­And so, his thoughts completely changed with his anger¡­A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It was obvious to him, that everything changed when the King had met Mahnu¡­Mahnu has been controlling the King all this time! It''s all...Mahnu''s fault! If she hadn''t of entered into the King¡¯s life in the first place, the King would be as he was before he met her and not someone that became temperamental. It is my duty to protect His Majesty the King, even protect him from Mahnu! And how could something like this happen? How can Kralaide continue with this type of threat!? What would happen to the Queen, if Mahnu were to get jealous? What would happen to the Crowned Prince, if Mahnu suddenly wanted her future child to be on the throne instead! She mustn''t be with the King, she mustn''t come back and help bring Kralaide to ruins! ¡­Rational thought had disappeared when he was ¡®abandoned¡¯, Marcus now did not think of any type of future or any type of loss that could potentially occur¡­His vortex had seemed to swallow him up whole¡­ Dropping his leader¡¯s gear, that was unique to his status, he left it on the ground and raced to get a horse. He knew he was angry! He knew he wasn''t thinking straight but he continued on his new journey that took him out of Conrella¡­ ¡­To never return alive¡­ *** The King sighed. Did I take it too far? Marcus has been loyal all this time and he is still loyal with what he had said. He wanted to protect me and by that, Kralaide. How can I make him give up his post for that? ¡­It was a bad, spontaneous decision and the King already regretted it. He had been angry, yes! Angry to the point of stating one sentence without even thinking twice about it! His emotions had played out through him completely! It wasn¡¯t often that King Richard would feel so emotional that he would do something like this, because he just simply can¡¯t do that as a King¡­Yet, here he was, being immature and temperamental! Isn¡¯t that what Marcus was afraid off! And he¡¯d done it! He¡¯d done exactly what he shouldn¡¯t have! Regret washed through him like a ripping wind and King Richard felt completely in the wrong! He wanted to make it up to Marcus straight away and deal with this properly! It had only been a matter of minutes, since storming away from Marcus, and look at himself! He had just wasted this time of finding a solution to Mahnu¡¯s problem, because he had been too angry! Again¡­He remembered why a King could not act out his emotions and decided to watch himself from now on¡­ Quickly getting up from his seat, the King looked for Marcus but couldn''t find him. The guards hadn''t seen him come this way, so King Richard walked back to where he last saw him and stopped. He had not readied himself at all to see the sight before him¡­ On the ground was his knights¡¯ attire, abandoned. For a knight...To abandon... Silence came across the King as he stood there in utter astonishment¡­That same regretful feeling rooted itself deep into his heart and it made it hard for him to breath¡­ Marcus was his right-hand man, his left-hand man, his brother, his father¡­His friend¡­ How, after everything he¡¯s done¡­How could he have treated him like this!? Just in one action through emotions, had he ruined everything? Finally, feeling himself want to rush to fix what he¡¯d done, King Richard quickly wondered upon what to do! The King then ran to the closest guard and asked him the direction that Marcus had left in. He was really worried now, for Marcus to do such a thing...Was he going to end his life? Would I never see him again, would I ever speak to him again? The King followed the trail that Marcus left behind and stared at the horse stable in disbelieve. Has he lost his closest friend? Is he really...Gone? The King tried to act but couldn''t do or say anything for the moment. He''s gone... What...Is he going to do? A guard interrupted his thoughts and finally he started to think calmly, "We need to get Marcus back." ¡­It''s all my fault¡­ Marcus was already on his way to Bena, to find Mahnu. Not knowing in the least upon what he was going to do yet, Marcus just rode his horse in anger. Abandoned...Was he truly not worth anything in His Majesty''s eyes!? The anger did not diminish, instead it seemed to boil hotter and hotter inside of him...Thoughts upon his future actions or rage had not yet surfaced in his mind at all¡­He was doing just as the King had done and used his emotions to decide¡­All he knew though, was that everything started to change when Mahnu became more then the Savior of Mankind and the Betrayer of God¡¯s to His Majesty! When Mahnu became His Majesty¡¯s woman¡­The King changed¡­ *** Two days passed and Marcus finally saw Mahnu''s carriage, that had stopped alongside the road towards the capital. People were bunched close together and there were a few guards that guarded the small area, a few meters apart from one another. Since they were closer to Conrella now, there were more hedges and trees around but¡­To angry to even question why this sight looked strange, Marcus continued, with one goal in his mind. Mahnu notices Marcus''s thoughts and for a moment, grows weak at the knees in pure terror! Even seeing glimpses upon why Marcus felt this way, she still asked herself why¡­Why is he like this!? This person was like a stranger to her¡­Someone plainly wanting to hurt her, was not the Marcus that she knew! "Mahnu?" Trying to calm down, Mahnu looked at William, trying ever so hard to keep the horror out of her eyes and face. They were already in a predicament, with Sedric''s men that have nearly surrounded them. But now, it seemed another problem has arisen¡­A dark problem¡­A problem that she had to find a solution for right now! This very moment¡­ From what she feels, Marcus didn''t seem to be thinking straight, so Mahnu couldn''t depend on his help. But...He did want to take her away...Which seemed to be quite an important solution to her other problem¡­ Sedric''s men were all here for her. Having surrounded them while on the carriage, they had traveled until they could travel no further and basically have been stuck since. At first, there were only ten of Sedric¡¯s men following them, then there was twenty, but Mahnu heard the thoughts of Sedric¡¯s men and they were willing to wait to have more people to catch her. Recently, they reached approximately fifty people and Sedric himself was on the way, so they were going to wait for their master before attacking¡­ ¡­And the innocent lives of these other people in her group¡­What if they were killed, just because of her? Mahnu looked around, she could possibly save these people, by going with Marcus...But...His thoughts...They were dark, ruthless and a raging mess. With his one goal already known to her, would it still be wise to go with him knowing all this? Mahnu quickly tried to make a choice. Lives were on her shoulders, including her own¡­ Would Sedric¡¯s men leave these other people alone, if she were to go with Marcus? Would they¡­Be safe? The humans in her entourage were quite a number, reaching forty or fifty. There weren¡¯t all guards, like William, some probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to defend themselves! Feeling them already being a bit skittish, because they knew they were being surrounded, Mahnu could only see one choice. ¡­And this choice reminded her of when she had taken the box and gone into Brackan, alone. Sacrifices¡­Wasn¡¯t that what she always was? Sacrificed her own kind, her power, her time, effort, and now, her future with her loved one¡­Their own child¡­Her mortal life¡­ ¡­Sacrifice¡­Was that the bane of her existence? Was this the end? Her destiny? Mahnu wanted to hope that the Marcus she knew could be there, somewhere inside of him. Her hope for that was small because of his hatred¡­Anger¡­But she needed to rely on that hope to have courage to leave with him¡­ It was like he had been holding it in for many years. That he hadn¡¯t vented his rage at any point in his life and now¡­All of it had overpowered the man she had once known¡­And this rage¡­Was all directed at her! I¡¯m sorry Richard, Mahnu cried out inside her heart¡­ ¡­I may not come back this time¡­ With a broken and bleeding heart, Mahnu strengthened her resolve, to once again become the sacrifice to save lives. If she wouldn¡¯t do this, she would regret it! There was¡­No choice¡­ "William." Mahnu said softly, "Don''t follow us until Sedric''s men are gone." "Mahnu? What are you talking about?" William looked at her curiously. He had no idea that Marcus was coming towards them or of his intentions towards Mahnu, so his confusion was understandable, just, Mahnu didn¡¯t have time for it! It was then that Marcus rode up to Mahnu, and immediately demanded, "Come with me!" Mahnu looked at William sadly and put her hand towards Marcus. He pulled her savagely towards himself and galloped off without another word, leaving a confused William behind as he watched Mahnu go towards the east with his leader. ¡­What¡¯s going on? *** Chapter 45
It was another two hours after Mahnu had been taken away by Marcus, that the King arrived and finally saw Mahnu''s carriage. Sighing, he continued, but was interrupted by one of the knights following him. "Your Majesty. I just saw someone hiding!" The King stopped. What was going on? Her carriage is right there! Why? Then more people were seen coming out of the close by hedge. Some of them went to kneel, putting down their weapons, others were running away in fear¡­ "Get them all!" King Richard yelled. He then galloped towards the carriage in haste, worried for Mahnu''s safety, leaving his knights to his order. These people have surrounded this area, were they after Mahnu? Does that mean that they are Sedric''s men? Is that why reports had been stopped, because they had been intercepted!? Mahnu!? He searched and searched and finally stopped his horse in front of William. "Where is she!?" William looked up from his strategy plans of attack and couldn''t believe that the King was in front of him. "Your Majesty!" "Where''s Mahnu!?" William took a moment to respond. "She was taken away by Marcus, about two hours ago, Your Majesty." Having Sedric¡¯s men not attacking but not dispersing upon Mahnu¡¯s leave, William figured that not only were they confused like him, but earlier, Mahnu had stated something about Sedric himself coming and that they had been waiting for him¡­So, the best William could do is keep defending this area and possibly come up with a sure method of attack¡­But he had not come up with very much, since he did not have many knights here to help him¡­ The King frowned, not understanding what Marcus¡¯s intentions were, "What...Marcus?" "Yes, Your Majesty." William said, bowing before his King. He didn¡¯t know whether it was planned or not, but since Mahnu¡¯s quick escape, Sedric¡¯s men had continued to do nothing, so perhaps Mahnu had on purposely left to save their lives¡­ Not wanting to be someone that Mahnu had to defend and protect, William had tried his hardest to come up with a plan to get rid of them so that he could go back to Mahnu¡¯s side¡­ He was a knight! He was Mahnu¡¯s main protector, yet, every time, she was always doing this to him! "Why?" The King asked, really desperate to wanting to know what Marcus¡¯s thoughts were. William was confused. How can the King not know? Marcus was his most trusted Loyal Knight! In haste, William thought back to when he saw Marcus last. "He came, Your Majesty, and then he ordered Mahnu onto his horse and took her. She told us not to follow until Sedric''s men were gone." The King stared at William... What was Marcus doing? Why was it like this? What could he plan on doing? Was it¡­To save these people? These questions didn¡¯t matter though, as the King was desperate not only for Marcus, but for Mahnu as well¡­ What if they had followed after Marcus and Mahnu? He had faith that Marcus would protect Mahnu, but realistically he wondered if Marcus could hold himself against fifty or so men on his own, and the King started to panic just thinking about it! "Sedric''s men are being attended to now. We will pursue after Marcus and Mahnu. Jaclyn, you will accompany us! What way did they travel?" William ran to a horse and helped Jaclyn onto it, and they followed the King, as he had already started to travel in the direction that William had pointed to. With the King¡¯s rushed attitude, seriousness overcame those close by and not another word was said as they raced after Marcus and Mahnu! *** Marcus had taken Mahnu to the road that goes between Harval and Conrella. They went to an inn there, that was situated along the roadside, and he starts to interrogate Mahnu as a hostage. "Tell me one good reason why I should let you live!" Marcus asked, glaring at Mahnu. He had already tired her up after rashly throwing her onto the floor¡­Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Mahnu had kept silent this entire time. She was unable to do anything due to Marcus''s anger and her own puny, human strength. Her bottom hurt as he had thrown her to the floor and her hands and feet were very tightly bound¡­ She felt...Absolutely...Helpless... Was she going to see Richard again? Was she really to blame? If she really ran and tried to live, would she get away? Should she pay with her life? And what of this innocent child''s life? His question ran through her head and she blurted out, "I saved the humans!" She did have resolve to stay alive, but she also felt terrified at the same time¡­Having answered this question, it was the first thing that came to mind. This answer had been her self sacrifice for more than a thousand years! Even if one asked her the same question in another hundred years, she would most likely answer in the exact same way¡­ Marcus uttered some words that Mahnu didn¡¯t hear, but she heard his thoughts about the last couple of years. Richard when he was drunk, Richard when he was angry, Richard when he was absentminded or temperamental¡­Then¡­Richard when he had told Marcus to leave his post¡­ At Marcus remembering this, his anger spoke once again, "And now, you are ruining the King and with that Kralaide! That reason is no longer sufficient!" Mahnu helplessly tried to free her hands, from the rope above her head, but it was of no use. She was trapped with a person with one goal¡­Just like the little boy from centuries ago. The boy had continued with his goal and what if Marcus continues with his? But what was different from the boy to Marcus¡­It was that this time...The goal was her and her existence! Her life was on the line! Her child¡¯s life was on the line! For a thousand years, she had wanted to die¡­She had wanted to rest for eternity¡­But, now that she was mortal, she desperately wanted to live! She wanted to spend the rest of her days with her family, that was what she has decided! Wasn¡¯t it ironic though¡­As soon as she had decided on a future, something worth living for, something that filled the small, empty hole in her heart¡­Something wants to come along and destroy it¡­ Now¡­Now¡­It was probably not going to happen¡­ The only thing that she could try to do, is to reach Marcus outside of his emotions¡­If she could find out how to get the Marcus both she and Richard knew, would he continue this? ¡­Marcus''s normal goal was to be by His Majesty''s side...How could she change it back when she knew that they had a fight? Mahnu was really at a loss for words...She had no idea on how to change the situation¡­ Marcus sneered at her and got closer. "I don''t understand the power you have over His Majesty...Is there perhaps gold on your body?" He stripped her harshly and Mahnu felt a tear drop down her cheek. She felt utterly powerless. Before, when she had been a God, no one had treated her like this¡­Now, she felt like Marcus had gone too far but was unable to do a single thing about it! Her body being laid out to display in front of another besides Richard, made her feel angry and disappointed¡­Now, will Richard even want her? But then¡­Did she want to come in between those two in the first place? Moving her bound wrists, she just continued to sit there, not looking at Marcus. He was Richard¡¯s friend and family, yet she was angry¡­Was this what it was like¡­To be human? To be entrapped to a place of not feeling I belong anywhere? The wish that they could all get along was simply shattered in her heart¡­Perhaps¡­Marcus was right¡­ She was not supposed to be beside Richard ever¡­That perhaps she should have stayed away, never to indulge in the feelings that she had never encountered before¡­ Marcus touched her skin and saw how soft it was but found no gold. Not daring to look, Mahnu shut her eyes tightly, knowing Marcus was still curious. He had never touched a woman like this in his entire life. His libido was starting to become unleashed and Mahnu knew it could be intense¡­She wished that he goes no further but did not think this wish would come true! She flinched to his touch and tried to move away, making Marcus let out a husky laugh. "I don''t see any gold! Why does he like you so much to go to such lengths? It has to be here." He put a finger over one of her nipples. "Surely, your body holds his desire. But he loves the Queen, he doesn''t have to love you. He just loves your body, right?" Mahnu let out a sob, hearing his thoughts of anger and rage flow through her. She could see that if she didn''t do anything to change the outcome, he was going to rape and kill her! His curiosity and anger together, really weren¡¯t a very good combination! Breathing in sharply, Mahnu calmly said, "I''m sorry that you had a fight with Richard..." Suddenly, he slapped her hard! She had never seen it coming! Pain washed over her cheek and her head was thrown to the side, due to the force of impact¡­ "Don''t call His Majesty that!" Marcus yelled at her. Mahnu turned her head and stared at him, not letting the pain show, "You know your King! He is a good man! You know he probably regrets saying what he did to you!" Marcus stopped for a moment and Mahnu thought that she may have gotten through to him. But then he laughed, took out a knife and started to slowly drag it over her skin. It was very sharp, leaving a thin line of blood from where it had traveled down the side of her body. Letting out a few whimpers, Mahnu took in some deep breaths and tried to calm herself down. If she was going to die, she would at least state one more thing. This thing, which he helped her accomplish, was something that she still does not regret, even though she was enduring this pain. She interrupted his cold silence, having gained courage, "Thank you. I assume the people back at the carriage are now safe because of you." "¡­What?" His surprised answer gave her some hope amongst her gratitude. Letting out a small cough, Mahnu continued, "¡­We were being surrounded by Sedric''s men." Marcus was stunned. He hadn''t even realized. ¡°They only wanted me, so I willingly came with you in hope that the rest of their lives could be spared, to that I must thank you.¡± Mahnu cleared her throat, never did she want water more than she did right now¡­ Losing the despair in her eyes completely, Mahnu looked at Marcus and smiled, "I could have told them your thoughts too...But I don''t want you to be hated by others and scare them about my safety. Now, they probably think that you are a hero." Marcus stared at Mahnu. She was right, she would have known what he was thinking, but instead of saying anything, she had taken his hand. ¡­Why? Why had she taken his hand when she knew his thoughts? Why is she looking at me like that? Why is she smiling like she is in no trouble!? "For anything..." Mahnu coughed, due to thirst, then continued, "For anything you do, whatever you do to me...I forgive you...I know this isn''t the real Marcus. But at least I don¡¯t regret coming here with you¡­Even now¡­" He let out a laugh. How is that possible? He could go to the lengths of raping her and killing her! ¡­Forgive me? Seeing her figure bare to him to see, then setting his eyes upon her hands and feet, Marcus blinked then took and unplanned step back away from her¡­ ¡­What was he doing? Chapter 46
Marcus may have not known that he had taken a step back and suddenly looked stunned, but Mahnu saw it¡­ Before she lost her chance to speak more to the Marcus that was now listening to her words, she spoke once more, "That''s right. You could go that far...But you still love your King and Kralaide! I understand why you are angry! So, if it makes you feel better, use your hate and anger...But only on me! Don''t hurt anyone else...¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t we go back...Together...After you have calmed down." Mahnu had no other way, this was it¡­If he didn¡¯t agree with her and still killed her, then at least she had tried. But¡­Honestly, she did mean what she said. Marcus was emotional and she knew that he was loyal¡­She also hoped that it wasn¡¯t too late to turn things around to have Marcus as a hero instead of someone who had done a criminal act. She didn¡¯t want that! She was also sure that Richard also didn¡¯t want that! "Haha! Tricks! You want to run as soon as I turn my back!" Marcus stated, but he took another step back without even knowing. Seeing her feet tied and even a red mark around where the rope had moved, an ache settled inside of him and suddenly, he remembered that this person had saved humanity. If it wasn¡¯t for her¡­ Mahnu coughed again, she tried very hard to ignore the hunger, thirst and pain flowing through her, "If I wanted to run or wanted you killed. I would have snitched your thoughts!" Seeing that Marcus was starting to think more clearly, Mahnu sighed in relief, she had been honest with her words and hoped that they went through to him. Even if he didn¡¯t like her, but could go back to Richard¡¯s side, she will then endeavor to do as he asked. If they could not live together like a family, like friends, she was not going to be the one to destroy it! Marcus had been silent for awhile now and Mahnu didn''t want to interrupt him. He had thought of what she said to a degree and he somewhat believed her. But why? He looked at her and wondered why she would still want him to return with her when he had hurt her. His thoughts all changed before Mahnu could stop it. It was such a quick change that Mahnu was startled and didn¡¯t know how to act. His sadness and regret took over and he couldn''t even hear her call out his name. The reason why I had lived, was for the King and Kralaide. I had abandoned my post, I defied the last orders given to me, I ran away, kidnapped His Majesty''s woman...Touched her skin, made her bleed and tied her up! There was no chance...I can''t go back... My reason for living...Is gone... As Marcus¡¯s heart shattered, so did Mahnu¡¯s. She felt is agony as it raced through her, as it raced through him, as he realized that he had done wrong and did not think he could get out of it¡­ His pain was nearly unbearable as she cringed and tried to get out of the rope, to save him from his thoughts. But what could she do? Douse cold water over him? Kick him? But none of this could be done while she was tied up! Mahnu shouted and shouted, with her voice now so husky that it could hardly be heard, it had no effect! In sorrow, Mahnu could see his next course of actions¡­ She couldn''t hear her own weeping and wondered why her eyes, that were watching Marcus, were getting blurry. There was just no way...No way she could let him do that! Why was he so closed off now? His mind had even become blank! He put food and water by her, covered her up with his outer clothing, then cut the rope with his dagger. Mahnu raced to take the dagger from him but Marcus held it too high. "I will do it myself." Wiping her eyes, she could still see only blurry objects as she heard is sorrowful voice. His words cut her heart into pieces and she whimpered in despair. "Don''t hurt yourself! Please! I don''t want the dagger to take your life!" No, I want the dagger so you can¡¯t take your life! Please Marcus! Don¡¯t do this to Richard! Marcus tried to push her away gently, but she continued to pester him, so that he wouldn''t attempt suicide. "I don''t want to hurt you anymore! Move away!" His yell was full of emotions but that didn''t stop her from continuing to try to save his life. But...Marcus had enough...He pushed her down to the ground. Walking to another room, he closed the door and locked it¡­ Mahnu tried to open the door, crying and shouting, "Please! Please! Marcus don''t! Don''t kill yourself, please!" His voice went through the door to her, silencing her for a moment. "Look after His Majesty¡­And all his children." Tears continued to blur her vision and her hand touched to door softly, in hope that she could still save him.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You help me, help me look after them, Marcus! I am still learning, I¡¯m still¡­Please!¡± Then...A noise of someone groaning and knife entering flesh stopped her, she even stopped breathing¡­ Unknowingly, she slumped to the ground and she started to shake her head in defeat, "No! No! Marcus!" Mahnu wanted to scream, she wanted her voice to be strong enough so that he would open the door for her. But it was so weak, she was so weak! ¡­Nothing¡­ There were no thoughts coming from the next room¡­None¡­ ¡°No, Marcus! No!¡± Letting out mournful cries, Mahnu put her head against the door, not even knowing how much she was trembling. It''s just, so hard...She thought. So hard! She had traveled far, done many things, yet, still couldn¡¯t save a life! Was this what it was like to lose someone you trusted? To lose someone close to the one you loved? Her pain went out to Richard, who she knew, valued Marcuse very highly. So hard¡­To live¡­Is living worth going through all this¡­Loss and sacrifice? How¡­What¡­ Feeling utterly defeated, she felt like her life had just puffed up in smoke. Her hand fell from the door and limply stayed beside her. Her tears fell to the floor and she could hardly feel her legs. Pain, Sorrow, regret... Humans were pitiful¡­They were weak¡­They were emotional and cowardice¡­ ¡­And it felt like she was becoming more and more like a human. She felt a terrifyingly deep sadness from what she had just experienced, and she really did wonder how many humans went through something like this! Is this¡­What it was like being human!? That life was valued so highly that you wanted to be angry, you wanted to find a way to bring those close to you back! That¡­It was painful! One death could make so many sad¡­Yet, death was a part of a human¡¯s life! She had never known¡­Never known this! With just one death¡­ Something that was bound to happen, happened¡­How long would have Marcus lived if he hadn¡¯t killed himself? Would he have a family or not? Would he have grown old and grey by His Majesty¡¯s side? If¡­If she had not come into the King¡¯s life¡­Would Marcus have lived a long life? Mahnu tried to block it all out, she didn''t want to feel anything anymore. It was all too much! Not knowing or caring for how long she had spent in that spot, but she didn''t move and found herself falling asleep due to exhaustion¡­ It had been a long time since she welcomed sleep so openly¡­ *** Mahnu faintly felt warmth, unconsciously she leaned towards it, so to have it somehow transfer her coldness. She felt like she had been in the dark, with this one spot of light that was making her want to reach out towards it¡­ Something very nice went down her throat and she drank it hungrily, and now, feeling more comfortable, she drifted back into a deep sleep. ¡°He is clean, Your Majesty. He didn''t..." King Richard close his eyes tightly and interrupted the knight, "I get it!" "What do you want to do with the Leader''s body, Your Majesty?" It was clear that this knight really didn¡¯t wanted to deal with this, as their voice was soft and sad. The King hugged Mahnu tighter in his arms. He didn''t know what he was feeling right now. So many mixed emotions and questions made it hard for him to think of how to answer the question... "Don''t...Don''t hurt him...Keep...His body safe." Those words were so hard to say. Upon seeing Mahnu as she was, he knew something had happened! Rope marks, her clothes¡­Why? My dearest friend¡­Why? "Yes, Your Majesty." Jaclyn finally finished examining Mahnu, after she had been placed onto a bed, and gave the King a frown. "I would prefer it if she were to wake up and eat." Getting the food, that was on the floor, Jaclyn looked at it and tasted it. To make something specifically would take some time, instead Jaclyn took out the big pieces of food from the bowl. The bowl was more like a soup now, so that it would be easier for Mahnu to eat, and then Jaclyn gave it to the King, with some fresh water. "I will make her something, but this should be okay for now.¡± After having taken Mahnu¡¯s pulse, Jaclyn was a bit upset to see that Mahnu had vomited out everything and had an empty stomach for a number of hours now. Water needed to be replenished as soon as possible, as it looked like Mahnu hadn¡¯t even had that for hours now. It wasn¡¯t like this was of most importance, as Mahnu would not die, but Jaclyn wanted to do her job, and this was it¡­Mahnu had to drink and put something into her stomach¡­Especially since it looked like Mahnu was also very distressed. Being this emotional while pregnant could be scary in the first trimester and Jaclyn wanted to try her best and keep a miscarriage from happening. King Richard nodded and worried over what she had just said. Both Mahnu and this child was already extremely precious to him, how could he wait one second later to do as the doctor asks! It was also a welcomed job for him to help him not think of Marcus and of what had happened here before he had arrived. Having forcefully opened the door, to find Mahnu as she was outside of another door, had taken him completely by surprise. Then, to find her clothes in complete disarray, he had immediately covered her with his cloak, glaring at anyone who had their eyes on her. Seeing the red marks and line of blood on her exposed body, panic had driven him, and Jaclyn had snapped him out of it by stating to put her on the bed. With gratitude, the King complied, unable to think for himself at that moment. Except when¡­ He had nearly dropped Mahnu from his arms when he saw Marcus kneeling with a sword impaled into his body¡­ Jaclyn had to once again get the King¡¯s attention because for a long moment, all he had done was stand there and stare at Marcus¡­ The King tried talking and moving Mahnu, but she didn''t wake. Lightly, he taped her cheeks and she still didn''t wake. King Richard started to worry and become impatient. "Mahnu! Wake up!" He pinched her belly in hope to fully awaken her. Finally, her eyes flattered opened, but she didn''t say anything. King Richard wasn''t going to take no as an answer and already went to give her a spoonful of food. Now, looking at her face¡­He stopped what he was doing, feeling his heart break. Tears were forming at her eyes and then she covered her face with her hands. The King pulled at her hands, but she was stubborn. As she tried to hide from him, he was trying to find her, and not once did he feel that he had any right to loss patience with her. If anything, he felt like this was all his fault! The reason why Marcus¡­ And the reason why she was not wanting to look at him¡­It was all his fault! What could he do? I need her, I need her to drink and eat¡­ She was obviously thinking about something sad and he knew¡­He just knew that he had to try and stop that¡­So¡­How was he going to do it! Especially when he was sad as well!? Putting down the bowl, the King took her into his arms and wrapped her up tightly in his arms. Rocking her, the King rubbed her back and kissed her wet cheeks¡­ My sweet Mahnu, what am I going to do? Chapter 47
For a number of minutes, there was no talking between both King Richard or Mahnu. They stayed in each other¡¯s embrace until Mahnu was able to stop trembling and sobbing¡­ Pulling away from her, King Richard moved a piece of her hair out of her face and gently looked at her¡­Finally coming up with an idea! Sighing, King Richard asked, "Tell me about King Jeffery." Mahnu was silent... The King picked up the bowl of ¡®soup¡¯, as he continued, "My grandfather...Was he a good King?" Finally, her hands were slack by her side, instead of clenching his clothes, and King Richard put the spoon in front of her mouth. "He wasn''t the oldest...Right?" She looked at the food and then stared at him, still not speaking but finally opening her mouth for the food. King Richard silently cheered to himself for getting her to eat. Filling the spoon again, he spoke again, ¡°His elder brother was the King but didn''t have any children, so my grandfather became the next King." Even though King Richard had initially wanted Mahnu to talk, King Richard rambled on as he fed her more and more food. And as he told Mahnu everything that he knew about his late grandfather, Mahnu continued to eat but stayed silent. Feeling lucky, the King realizes that she had eaten all the food and he chuckled, "Do you remember?" Picking up the water, he drank some and then took her head gently in his hands and kissed her. He hadn''t expected her to not just take the water but then to continue to kiss him back afterwards. But as she deepened the kiss, he returned it, unable to help himself. He was a man after all! Being close to his beloved woman was if not the first best thing in the world, it was followed closely after by being the second! Mahnu¡¯s hands went to his head and her fingers went through Richard¡¯s hair, making him feel like he could be swept away¡­ King Richard moved one of his hands down to her waist and cuddled her. Bringing her up to a better upright sitting position, he pulled her closer to him. So easily he was taken by this woman in his arms¡­ When their lips parted, both were breathing heavily but stayed very close, making their hot breath mix together. With this, Mahnu felt the warmth¡­She felt better being close to Richard, like he was a shield against her mixed emotions¡­ Again, it was like her hands and body had a life of their own and it was obvious that they desired this man, just like the first time they had been intimate together. Willing to do as her hands and body pleased, she continued to let herself get taken away by this special man. He kissed her again softly and she continued to kiss him back, while moving a hand inside his robe. He knew now was not the time to become so intimate, but he couldn''t stop her, or himself. Her desire and his desire had already connected, and he felt like she needed to be close to him. That perhaps, he himself would be some kind of medicine for her. To that thought, the King could just happily oblige her and hoped that she will soon be herself once again. If it stopped her from crying, it was already something that he could happily do¡­As her crying face hurt him, making him unable to think of his friend at all. He knew he was hurting, but at the moment Mahnu¡¯s tears wiped this certain worry away for now. He also wanted her to know that he did not blame her for his friend¡¯s death. He did not blame her at all! ¡­But instead of saying this in words, Richard instead cherished Mahnu¡¯s body, showing her that she was still very important and special to him. People left the room, quite confused, but when that door was shut, King Richard pulled the desire, hungry Mahnu to be on top of his lap. When she finally spoke, it was soft and sweet and...It was his name, making him feel happy. He said her name back to her and put his hands inside her clothes, kissing her body. As he kissed the light redness around her wrists and where the dagger had drawn blood, Mahnu felt like she was becoming new again, as though he was purifying her. She wished for Richard to continue, to make her forget, to make her think of only one thing and not of anything else besides him.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡­She didn''t want to think about how sad she was about Marcus''s death. She didn''t want to think that she had been forcibly taken away. She didn''t want to think about the last week of being lonely or if Richard did truly want her¡­ She wanted to be filled again, filled so much so that her eyes could take what they see again¡­So that her heart can handle more. To continue to live here with her beloved man, she wanted to be stronger! Making love to Mahnu and getting her cleaned and feed throughout the next day, had made a change to her eyes. Upon seeing them filled with sadness and sorrow, upon finding her the day before, then to seeing them go a bit dull and like they had no light¡­Over the trip back to Conrella, a few times now, her eyes would sometimes change, to show a faint interest or sparkle. Since then, King Richard became very attentive and patient and made it his number one priority to try and make her smile. By the time they made it back to Betty and Donald in Conrella, Mahnu had only spoken two things. One was, ''I''m sorry.'' In which was breaking the King''s heart, and the other was his name. Luckily, and surprising King Richard, Mahnu started to smile naturally again when she saw Betty and Donald. Seeing his beloved become a bit clingy to Betty, the King could not do anything about it¡­Making him sure that Mahnu needed some type of nurturing from the older lady. The news of Mahnu¡¯s pregnancy was not told straight away, as King Richard wanted Mahnu to feel more at ease first. He wanted Mahnu to be ready, ready to speak of it herself and it wasn¡¯t like it would be bad if they were to delay this news becoming public anyway. As it was, the King was still trying to find a solution to keep his beloved from entering into the palace and being stuck there, so his child was still going to be a secret for now. Staying with Betty and Donald for a day, the King was happy to see Mahnu start to be herself once again. Not everything about Mahnu¡¯s normal personality went back to normal, but her much loved stubbornness came back when he would want to go for a short walk with her, mostly to be alone, and to get her to eat more then she had¡­ Then, before he left for the palace, Mahnu said something short about King Jeffery. She wasn¡¯t starting a conversation, she also didn¡¯t say anything too specific, it was just something that King Richard had forgotten to say that day and afterwards Mahnu thanked him for being there. She took the initiative to hug him then and put her head against his chest, saying once again, ¡®Thank you.¡¯ He wished he could ask her what happened, but the risks seemed to be too great. She was just starting to smile and talk again, so how could he attempt to ruin that? No, we¡¯ll be together for a long way to come and it¡¯s only been a couple of days, a few more days can¡¯t hurt. For now, what happened with Marcus has been left in the air, but the King will change it as he pleases when he knows what Mahnu wants. The only problem was, the body of Marcus had obviously started to decay, even if they kept it as cold as they could, but it was still a secret upon where and kept intact¡­ Before Marcus''s case started to become big news, the King used that time to arrange for the beheading of Sedric and his followers upon returning back to the palace. All this time they had been looked up and interrogated, but now it was time to bring down punishment! It was then though, that the King found himself at a lose without his good friend and loyal knight. Marcus would always be by his side and now that he was gone, the King found that he couldn¡¯t remember many other knights¡¯ names. They all felt so unfamiliar, making King Richard miss his friend even more so¡­ Once he caught himself talking to ¡®Marcus¡¯, only to realize he wasn¡¯t there¡­And¡­Thinking about replacing him was not something that King Richard could think about right now. The idea of replacing his good friend only brought back the fact of what he himself had done, before Marcus had left Conrella. For one night, the King did not go to see Mahnu, but went to his own bed chambers alone. Since he felt upset and even regretful, the King thought it better to give himself some time to feel better and try to sort through his emotions. Mahnu had enough troubles getting over what had happened, so, with his mind now on Marcus, he did not want to bother her¡­ Taking that time, to be on his own, a few tears were shed to losing his good friend that had been there for him for most of his life. At times he wanted to punch something, due to his regret and anger to himself, and then at other times he felt useless and didn¡¯t feel like he was a good person. After a few hours, the King finally got some sleep¡­He knew though, that it would take a lot longer then a few days to mourn for his good friend, Marcus¡­ Mahnu attended the beheading of Sedric, it wasn¡¯t because she contained endless hatred for him¡­It was for two other reasons. One reason was that she wanted to be able to become stronger, so the scene of his last breath would be forever remembered by her, so that she couldn¡¯t forget to stay strong and become stronger. Mentally, physically¡­Emotionally stronger¡­ She will remember how Sedric and his men had tried to kill her, twice, and that if he hadn¡¯t been involved because of the tablet, Marcus may still have been by Richard¡¯s side. They wouldn¡¯t have had to go to Bena to collect the tablet and then post so much knights for her safety and have her wait to return back to Conrella. If the King and her had gone to Harval instead, and stayed together, perhaps Marcus and the King may not have fought¡­ Because¡­The reason they had fought, was because of her¡­That she had been in Bena without him and they had not received word¡­ If she had never been stuck there, or had not done as Jaclyn and William demanded and leave Bena earlier then expected, Marcus may still be alive¡­ But¡­Wouldn¡¯t their messages still have been interceded anyway? Sighing, Mahnu couldn¡¯t help but think that it perhaps didn¡¯t matter if they had left early or not¡­But then, Mahnu thought that the extra time to take for Marcus to find her in Bena might have cooled his anger a bit more and perhaps he might have had second thoughts¡­ Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she knew¡­She knew from a long time ago, that time could not change. They can¡¯t go back in time and change something, this was how it was! But¡­For the second time, she really wished¡­Really wished that she could have changed someone else¡¯s fate! The boy¡­And now, Marcus¡­ If only¡­ Feeling that familiar feeling of regret and feeling useless overcome here, Mahnu attempted to harden her feelings and stop questioning things that shouldn¡¯t be questioned anymore¡­ Mahnu knew that she had to accept this, this present day, even if it was what she didn¡¯t want. ¡­She made herself stand there, seeing the lifeless head on the ground, and she, finally, remembered Marcus willingly. Chapter 48
Mahnu had not thought about Marcus since that day¡­That day, she had tried not to think of anything related to what happened at all...But that didn¡¯t stop a different type of nightmare that would interrupt her sleep on the occasion. Instead of a nightmare, of being alone in the dark and the never-ending sufferings plaguing her, this nightmare was about loss. Mahnu would hear Marcus talk and then stop talking and know full well what he had done, then she would wake up with tears in her eyes¡­ But now¡­The memories of Marcus all streamed into her, and tears started to fall down her cheeks and she closed her eyes. Marcus being angry and attacking her, bowing, being excited when he found out who she was. He protected her, he wanted her to stay alive before Eliza and Thelmos were gone. He had slowly warmed up to her again after the two years that she had gone missing. He listened to her, protected her again, acknowledged her ideas¡­ She knew that he had been thankful of what she had done to her own kin, but she also knew that he also was questioning why she had to be close to His Majesty. Previously, she had not gone too much into it as she was too busy trying to remember who she was and dealing with her new human ways. But now¡­She felt like she should have done more to gain his trust. She should have shown that she did not want to pose any type of threat towards His Majesty or to Kralaide¡­She should have¡­ ¡­In the end, he still hadn¡¯t killed her, or the child that was still safe inside her. He had given her mercy and for that¡­Mahnu felt completely grateful. His last wish came to her once again and another tear escaped. ¡®Look after His Majesty¡­And all his children¡¯ Yes Marcus, I will! I will do my best and make sure that I won¡¯t be a burden, that I won¡¯t do as you were worried for! I promise to not take the throne and cause harm to Kralaide, I promise to watch over the Crowned Prince and Princess like they are my own children¡­ Mahnu took a deep breath, hoping that she could do a good enough job to make Marcus proud¡­She had never been a mother before and didn¡¯t understand much about family, but she wanted to fulfill this last wish from Marcus! She sniffed, wiping at her eyes. She was thankful that she was alone, to the side and behind a curtain. Trying to calm herself, she tried to smile. ¡°Thank you, Marcus.¡± Mahnu bowed to nothing and no one, just the image of the Loyal Royal Knight inside her mind. She was not only thankful to have had him as a friend and that he hadn''t killed her and the child within her, but she was also promising to do as he had asked of her. She was also¡­Accepting that he was now gone and that she will try to get better soon so that she could then help Richard overcome the loss of his friend. Now that she had finally started to think more clearly, Mahnu was eager to help Richard overcome this sad situation and be there for him! She had been selfish lately and had not spoken about Marcus to Richard at all¡­It made her frown, as she wanted to do all she could for Richard as he has done for her! It was his turn now, his turn to cry and for her to make him smile again! Standing up again, she put her hand to her womb. She would never forget Marcus! They were here today because of his mercy! ¡°Mahnu?¡± Mahnu looked around, the sun had moved across the sky, making her gasp. Her thoughts had made time slip away while thinking of Marcus and the reasons why she felt she had to watch the beheading of Sedric. King Richard moved to his beloved¡¯s back, placing his arms around her. Mahnu closed her eyes, feeling his warmth flow into her. ¡°Will it be alright¡­To use ¡®Marcus¡¯ as a boy¡¯s name?¡± He smiled and turned her around to face him, ¡°Yes! Our first son will have the name of Marcus!¡± It was so easily done that Mahnu was shocked and didn¡¯t know how to respond. King Richard smiled at her lovingly, ¡°I would have expected that you hated Marcus but¡­I¡¯m very glad that you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­No. I don¡¯t hate him. I didn¡¯t want him to¡­¡± Mahnu looked away. Her feelings were still raw, still new¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t hate why he came after me either. In a sense, maybe he was right. But the person who took me away, it wasn¡¯t the Marcus we all knew¡­It took so much to get him back. Only for him to¡­¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Hearing some of Mahnu¡¯s details, King Richard started to understand, and he closed his eyes tight for a moment. There were still so many questions he wanted to ask but he continued to hold back. They were both silent for a time, till Mahnu spoke, very quietly, ¡°What was done? With his¡­¡± ¡°Nothing, I wanted to leave it to you to decide.¡± The King hugged her tighter. ¡°He¡¯s a hero that saved lives, let him rest in peace.¡± Her voice shook a little, but her determination made King Richard sigh in relief. Mahnu was coming back to normal, talking again and showing emotions. Already he felt like he was getting too much, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mahnu pulled away to look at him, and nodded, ¡°He deserves that, he did save our lives too¡­And I want he, who helped me finish my task on saving the humans from the God¡¯s, to be a hero.¡± This was Mahnu¡¯s second reason to watch the end of Sedric. It was the completion of her task. The box had been reported as hidden deep underground and under constant watch of the Loyal Royal Knights, the tablet was smashed to be unreadable and Sedric, who knew of The Chest of the God¡¯s, was now gone. Her task of over a thousand years¡­Was now complete¡­ ¡°I will leave the guarding of both the box and The Chest of the God¡¯s in your hands, my King.¡± King Richard chuckled at her bow. Pulling her back into his arms, he said, ¡°I will look after them, and now, you can just live normally¡­As my woman and mother of my children.¡± Mahnu sighed, glad to hear Richard¡¯s chuckle. She was also feeling very relaxed now, knowing her task was complete. Can letting such a task be removed from oneself, make you feel this way? For no reason, she found herself smiling very easily. It felt so good to be alive and feeling free from such a burden¡­ Suddenly, she felt the most freedom that she had ever felt before. That some invisible shackles that had been tying her down all this time, had now disappeared! To a strange extend, she even felt at a loss¡­ Losing such a reason of living for so long, Mahnu suddenly felt worried. What am I to do now? It was that moment that the King got on his knees before her and he touched her slow, growing tummy. Nothing could be felt down there, and her tiny bump wasn¡¯t even seen with the clothes she had on. But¡­Both of them knew of the precious little bundle hidden away¡­ He kissed it, and smiled, ¡°Little one¡­You have the most remarkable mother!¡± Mahnu stared at the King. Right¡­How could I forget that we wanted to have a happy family!? Of course¡­I haven¡¯t lost anything! I¡¯ve gained so much, how could I think like I had no reason!? It was also something that she had thought of earlier but had forgotten, due to her emotional time in the last couple of days. She wanted to be part of a family! ¡°¡­Richard?¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± His ear was against her tummy now. To his want to feel or hear anything, he was a bit upset that nothing was happening¡­ My child! Wake up and nudge me! ¡°Let¡¯s be a happy family¡­I want that!¡± Mahnu lost the nerve to look at Richard then. Having asked something that to her was somewhat a big favour, she was suddenly perplexed and worried if he were to say ¡®no¡¯, or for any other answer that he might have. Richard laughed and looked up at her, ¡°Of course! Actually, aren¡¯t we already a happy family?¡± The King stood up and gathered Mahnu into his arms and kissed her. Moving her hands around his neck, she returned his tender kiss. Just like the first time of being swept of her feet by this man, she still felt very taken by him even now. She still felt extremely special, she still wanted to experience this feeling, this fate¡­ ¡°It may not be easy, Mahnu, but I love you and our child. I will do my best to make sure we are happy!¡± He kissed her again and Mahnu sighed to his words, as well as his touch. He was right, living isn¡¯t easy. But she knew that she wanted to be by his side forever. I will overcome the hardships, I will be strong! She didn¡¯t feel like an unfinished puzzle anymore¡­Now, at this moment, her puzzle was finished. She felt like she was finally where she was supposed to be, that she was exactly where she belonged! *** Within a week, the capital changed yet again. This time it was to welcome the return of the rest of the royal family. Since the King did not go to Harval, the Queen, the Crowned Prince and Princess were now returning, as they had not seen their father for a while. Since the children were so eager and the Queen was getting late into her pregnancy, she had willingly left her father to come back as well. So, just over two weeks of news that the King was returning back to Conrella, the Queen¡¯s entourage walked through the capital¡¯s gates and made their way through the happy crowd towards the palace. On the other hand, back inside the palace, the King breathed in and out slowly, thinking that now was just the beginning... He will teach the Crowned Prince, starting from today, taking him everywhere, to learn how to become a ruler! The Queen was another matter though, and due to her, the King was rendered utterly speechless! It was some time before he knew why the Queen had not come together with the Crowned Prince and Princess, directly to the palace¡­ The Queen had indeed, visited Mahnu instead! To see the new ¡®consort¡¯, was indeed another reason the Queen had traveled back to Conrella! Being in Harval had been pleasant and a lot easier to bear with her pregnancy, but just a couple of days before their departure, she had heard news of this new ¡®consort¡¯. How was it that a ¡®consort¡¯ had come to pass, when she, the Queen, had not given permission!? How was it that the King was able to get close enough to a woman that she would even become a consort!? Still to this day, the Queen had made sure that rarely any woman stayed close to His Majesty at any time! So, how had this happened!? Her father was clearly upset when he heard the news and his condition took a turn for the worse! Seeing her father, already said to be on his death bed, the Queen could not help but get angry at this so called, new ¡®consort¡¯! If the rumor didn¡¯t come to pass, her father might be able to live longer! Just a few hours upon leaving Harval, to return to Conrella, the Queen resented the new ¡®consort¡¯ further as she saw her father go into a coma¡­ This wasn¡¯t very good news¡­ The doctors that treated her father all concluded that her father will most likely pass away soon and that this news was to reach His Majesty as soon as possible¡­ But, before she could get to the King, anger overruled the Queen¡¯s emotions and she went directly to where her news said that this new ¡®consort¡¯ was currently staying¡­ It was good, the Queen thought, that this consort has not entered into the palace. It looked like the King was being respectful to me and that I should be the one to welcome her! Sneering inside, as she had already parted ways with her two children, the Queen started to plan about how to conquer this so called ¡®consort¡¯! CHapter 49
¡°The Queen requests an audience!¡± Before the words could finish, the Queen walked into the sitting area that Mahnu, Betty and Donald were currently in. Her aura was full of power, that she was on top¡­And everyone else was below her! ¡°Your¡­Your Majesty!?¡± Betty stammered and promptly followed Donald to bow. Mahnu slightly bowed her head. ¡°Insolence! You must show respect to the Queen of the nation!¡± Mahnu knew, they wanted any reason to get rid of her, even if she didn¡¯t hear thoughts... But, her respect for this Queen, this person, only was as much as lowering her head slightly. Power would not make her get onto her knees! To this, Mahnu stubbornly stayed silent. Shocked faces looked at her, yet, she was still unmoved. This was what she had thought of ¡®petty¡¯ quite some time ago. Remembering of making unnecessary problems for the Queen, Mahnu could not help but not regret and still deciding to have done the same again and get involved with Richard in the past. There were no regrets in Mahnu¡¯s eyes, if anything, her eyes showed her determination. The problem was, she knew, her determination to stay by Richard¡¯s side, was instead being seen as determination to make things hard for the Queen. The Queen sat into the most comfortable chair, to further look like she had the power. ¡°Make her kneel to me!¡± Her words were angry but under control. People started to walk towards Mahnu, but she stared at them coldly. ¡°Do not touch me!¡± They stopped at her cold words and stared at her in a daze. No one had ever done this! In their days of service, they knew that the Queen should have everything her way¡­Was this person sane? ¡°My orders will overtake hers always, now make her kneel!¡± The Queen yelled at her complexed servants. They continued, as they thought the Queen was right! But none of them got near as William came between them. ¡°You will not touch her!¡± ¡°Who are you to defy my orders!?¡± The Queen became stupefied, never anything not gone her way! Mahnu went to stop William talking, by touching his shoulder, and then spoke herself, ¡°You have come into my house, uninvited, yet we welcome you without complaint. You have used power to try to force me to kneel, giving no other reason behind it, and now you are yelling at my brother! If you do not want your secret to be known to others¡­I suggest you leave quietly.¡± The Queen stared in shock at Mahnu. Secret? How could she possibly know? It must be just luck of words! I cannot let her treat me, the Queen of this nation, like this! Well, my dear ¡®consort¡¯, aren¡¯t you just putting yourself into a trap? ¡°Forcibly take her for slandering the Queen!¡± The Queen stated firmly. She watched as William took out his sword, with the look that he had the intention to kill. How dare he do this to my people! The Queen narrowed her eyes and decided to use one of her father¡¯s tactics that he had taught her, ¡°If you don¡¯t put back your sword, you will lose your life. Good man, come to my side, where I can protect you!¡± Putting out her hand, in invitation, the Queen looked righteously at William, wanting to take whomever Mahnu would have on her side. This was what her father had taught her, to take her enemies people! Mahnu scoffed, unable to hide her anger. The Queen was acting like she was the innocent, yet, does the innocent lie and go behind others backs? Do they use other people? Kill other people? Does she even have a heart? ¡°¡­You want another guard to get you pregnant in secret? My Queen?¡± The Queen gasped¡­So did all of the others inside of the room! How did¡­How did she know!? No one had known! Even most of her close servants didn¡¯t know about her past lover! ¡°Were you going to continue to lie to everyone? Are you completely unwilling to tell the truth? Is this something that you think the Queen of this nation can get away with?¡± Mahnu asked. ¡°Is this the way a ¡®Queen of the nation¡¯ should act!?¡± The Queen was speechlessly silent. This was not supposed to happen! No one had known and the guard had already been silenced! She looked around at her people and Mahnu saw that an inner conflict was going on inside the Queen¡¯s head. If people know my secret¡­My reputation, even my¡­My life was in danger! All these people who were opened to the idea, they all had to die! ¡°Now, she wants to kill us all!¡± Mahnu sneered again.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. She had tried to let the Queen go, to keep this secret¡­The Queen had instead wanted to make things hard on her and anger had made Mahnu let out her secret, now, the Queen wanted to kill anyone that knew this truth? Humans! The Queen had done wrong, yet how many lives will she silence because of this wrong! Did she not know that each person here is connected to someone! Did she know that one death can hurt at least one person in return! Did she not care for life at all!? Each person here had a mother and father, perhaps a sibling and friends. Maybe their parents might be gone, or they had no siblings, but there would most likely be at least one person that would be heartbroken if they died! What would she do then if the mourners of these people wanted revenge!? Mahnu couldn¡¯t let this happen, especially since she herself being killed would deeply upset Richard. She didn¡¯t like the idea of him being sad and depressed¡­ Before Mahnu could speak though, The Queen¡¯s voice spoke first. ¡°No! She is telling lies! How could I do something so terrible! Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± The Queen clenched her fists, in attempt to stop trembling. When she had gotten punched by the King, many months ago, the Queen had been truly astonished. She remembers, even now, that aggrieved wronged feeling and wanted to get justice! From that day, she got a specific servant, that was already on her side, to tell her whenever the King was drunk and kept note of it, planning to use these dates later to help her get back at him. For days afterwards, she had stayed away from the King, in hope that he will come to apologize to her! She had wanted to demand another child in compensation¡­But he had never come¡­ It had been a strange time and the Queen had drunk so much that she could hardly remember a night so long ago. That night, she had let a random guard be with her as she spoke, letting out all her worries and the guard had been very patient with her. He had not punched her, he sat with her for over an hour, as she cried out all her sorrows. It had been¡­Nice¡­ In the next couple of days, the Queen remembered this guard and spoke to him again, then she finally came up with a plan to not only get back at the King, but to accomplish a wish that she had in a long time. She wanted another child¡­ The guard was not willing to become intimate with her at first, because she was the Queen, but he was also inexperienced and each time she had touched him where others had never touched him before, he was amazed and unable to stop her from continuing. From what started out as plan to get herself pregnant, ended up as an affair that went on for a couple of months. She the Queen, made him want her and it didn¡¯t take long for the guard to become fixated on doing just that¡­ The problem was, both the guard and the Queen started to share more then intimacy moments together and the Queen was forgetting her plan, getting lost in the man that was spending quality time with her. It came to a point where they did not have to do anything but cuddle and speak to each other like real lovers did, and that was something she had never dreamed about¡­Just simply being in that man¡¯s arms, felt like all her troubles slipped away¡­ He listened to her, made her feel good, made her want him and she liked how he wanted her in return¡­She had felt¡­Special. For the short time of their relationship, she had felt like a teenager all over again and laughed without any worry. She even felt strangely happy about keeping their secret and going behind people¡¯s backs¡­It made it more pleasurable and exciting¡­ For the first time in her life, she felt like she was really living! She was getting swept away and didn¡¯t bother much about the status she had¡­That man, had liked her for who she was¡­Not what she was¡­ It was like a dream¡­ Until¡­She was suddenly pregnant. As soon as the Queen realized that she was getting sick by just smelling food and was extra tired, the Queen hardly needed a doctor to state that she was with a child. After the happiness of being pregnant died down, the Queen found herself really sad when she knew she had to start realistically thinking of her situation again and finally remembered her plan from months before. Now, she was having a wish come true, by being with a child, and she also had to pay back the King for punching her! She even come up with a date in order to state when she and the King had ¡®conceived¡¯ this child¡­Just, she hadn¡¯t had to use it yet! For her to give up on the man who held her and let her speak of her misfortunes, the Queen was adamant to fulfil her plan! The one she had now, with the so called ¡®consort¡¯ in front of her, was obviously just to get rid of her before anything else can happen. Just one reason is enough, and since she was the Queen, she should be able to accomplish this quickly, before Mahnu had completely come to the palace and become known throughout the capital of being a consort of the King! ¡­She had to kill the first man that she had ever loved! She can¡¯t turn back now! The Queen was now standing and pointing angrily at Mahnu. ¡°You have offended me by accusing me of being and adultier, I simply came here to officially accept you into the palace, yet you already come across as a jealous woman! You state that I do not act as the Queen of the Nation, yet here you are not showing respect and speaking such lies! How could I, the Queen, let someone like you near His Majesty the King! Get her and throw her into prison! Let it be known that this woman is jealous and does not respect others!¡± Mahnu looked at the Queen¡¯s guards coming closer. There were ten of them, and there was only William and herself. ¡°Did anyone notice the guard named ¡®Thomas¡¯ disappearing? The Queen killed him herself¡­With poison! You may have not realised that because the Queen had told you lies, that Thomas had said often that he was becoming weak and that he may die soon. You took her words as truth, but don¡¯t you see that he was poisoned!¡± Mahnu was looking at the guards, who have halted their attacks. ¡°She used him! Are you going to believe the words of the one who killed Thomas? One of the Loyal Royal Knights!¡± Everyone was quiet and unmoving. The Queen was so surprised, that her mouth was wide opened. The painful memories of seeing her lover poisoned came to surface in her mind and her eyes got watery. She herself had started to give him tea with poison, after she found out that she was pregnant¡­After Thomas would leave her, she would cry. She would cry and then remind herself of her plan¡­ Each and every tea that he had, made her cry harder but at the same time made her more determined¡­It was¡­The hardest thing that she ever had to do! And it was as this so called ¡®consort¡¯ had said, all of it! But¡­But¡­ The guards watched the Queen, at first, they did not believe it, but now, seeing the Queen so shocked and looking like she was just about to cry¡­They wondered if it could be true¡­Could it be? Really¡­That the Queen would do such a thing to one of their brother¡¯s? Thomas had still been young, having been placed to be a guard for the Queen for about two years¡­Had his short life already come to an end because the Queen¡­ Waiting for orders, the guards became astonished that nothing was said. The Queen¡¯s face and untold orders furthered their distrust of their very own Queen! Then they turned their heads and they saw William, still standing tall, he was ready to defend this lady till the end. They knew of William, he was loyal, he was the next in line to be the Leader of the Loyal Royal Knights! Was he blind? Was he on the wrong side? What are they supposed to do? Their loyalty to the Loyal Royal Knights or to the Queen of the nation? After all, it was an enormous difference in choice! ¡°If you want to solve this¡­One of you get the King and bring him here.¡± Mahnu said unhurriedly. When seeing the Queen walking into this room, Mahnu never thought this meeting would go on like this. If they had talked properly and she had just bowed her head more, would they have been safe? Knowing the answer to that, Mahnu sighed inside her heart. As soon as the Queen was in distance to her being able to hear thoughts from her, Mahnu knew that the Queen would have tried to do anything to get Mahnu into trouble. Even now, it wasn¡¯t ¡®prison¡¯ that the Queen meant, it was for her head to be chopped off! Chapter 50
Seeing the thoughts and feelings from the Queen, Mahnu was upset that the Queen and Thomas could not have been together. Having remembered previously, quite some time ago, she had wondered if arranged marriages worked or not, she saw that by the look of this particular one, with the King and Queen¡­It hadn¡¯t¡­ If the Queen had not married the King, back then¡­Would she had met Thomas at some point? Or someone else¡­And had lived better then now? Having been full of her father¡¯s wishes and words, the Queen seemed to have become someone that hardly lived to enjoy life. She was afraid¡­ Afraid that her father was right, and she should do all that she had to do to keep the King¡¯s attention on only herself. But¡­Since she had been hurt by the King and had felt wronged¡­Mahnu couldn¡¯t blame the Queen of going down the path that she had. It was because she was brought up to make the best of her situation as the Queen, and as doing what she wanted¡­ The only thing to do¡­Was let the King, her husband, deal with her. As a third party, Mahnu felt like she couldn¡¯t interfere any further. In fact¡­Mahnu was starting to wonder if revealing the Queen¡¯s secret was a bit harsh now. The Queen might have had an affair and gotten pregnant with another man¡¯s child, besides her husband, but¡­Perhaps it was still too much¡­ Having been provoked, and recently been in bad circumstances, Mahnu was feeling very defensive and knew that it couldn¡¯t be helped any longer¡­The King will have to take over now¡­ No! The Queen thought in sudden panic. She had come here without His Majesty¡¯s consent, she had wanted this girl under her, before she returned to the palace. She had wanted to scare her and have her answer her every command! If that wasn¡¯t going to happen then she would find any excuse to get rid of her! But¡­This wasn¡¯t working...Proof¡­She would need proof! ¡­There¡¯s nothing! Ha! What am I afraid of!? Bring the King! Let him see this girl make a fool of herself and have no choice but to kill her for slandering the Queen! Haha! Not only that, wouldn¡¯t it also make him not like her? Perhaps this silly, little girl will be abandoned after today! Finding herself calm once again, the Queen smiled smugly at Mahnu. Girl, you have just killed yourself! Mahnu just stared right back at her¡­She wasn¡¯t sure whether she should pity the Queen or frown to the Queen¡¯s foolishness¡­ They waited near an hour, for the King to arrive at Mahnu¡¯s residence. He raced into the sitting room and went straight to Mahnu, not sparing a glance at the Queen. ¡°Mahnu? Are you okay?¡± He asked checking her attentively. The Queen was shocked! ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The King turned to the Queen, finally, and she could see that he was unhappy. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Is she not a consort? I came here to formally invite her into the palace. As Queen, is it not my duty to do so? Instead, this girl slandered the Queen of this nation, I demand justice!¡± ¡°Are you in denial? Will you continue your lies¡­Queen of the nation?¡± Mahnu¡¯s voice rang out in righteousness, making others see that power over a title was being used. ¡°Lies?¡± King Richard asked, wondering what was going on. ¡°I have no need to speak. This girl wants my position! She does not deserve to be by your side, Your Majesty!¡± The Queen pointed to Mahnu, looking just as righteous as Mahnu. Again, Mahnu was angered by this materialistic and selfish Queen, ¡°You, who deceives the King of Kralaide, think she deserves the position of Queen of the nation!?¡± ¡°Deceives? Tell me what you are talking about!¡± The King yelled impatiently. Mahnu looked at the King sadly. She suddenly lost the courage to talk¡­It was considered as telling another¡¯s secret¡­Was this a good idea? Before she could answer the King though, William said what he had heard and spoke instead, ¡°From what Mahnu had said, a guard, named Thomas, had died about three months ago.¡± Mahnu looked at the Queen, hearing her thoughts of letting them continue to speak, to dig their own graves. Mahnu then continued herself, not wanting to get William into trouble, ¡°The Queen killed him with poison that resides in a secret compartment under the floor, under her bed. Once she found that she had conceived his child, she killed him to keep the truth from being told. She was going to make this child yours, knowing months ago you drank often and would just make up the time and say it easily that you had forgotten. She wanted to get revenge for you hitting her¡­She wanted a child¡­And then there was Thomas. This plan started from then, for six months, until she became pregnant. When she finally got the news of her pregnancy, she wanted to keep her adultery a secret, so she silenced Thomas. She was going to keep it secret till the end but¡­Not only did she keep her poison¡­Thomas had written letters to her¡­They are also hidden in another secret compartment in her wardrobe.¡± ¡°Preposterous! Do¡­Do not listen, Your Majesty! Close your ears to this girl¡¯s dirty lies and schemes!¡± The Queen was scared stiff. How had she gained so much information? How did she know of the letters and hidden compartments?Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. As far as she was aware, she had never seen this woman and can¡¯t ever remembering on having her inside her inner chambers to have to chance to look for them! The Queen looked at the King, then seeing his disgust, the Queen staggered, falling down onto the chair. If she only had the heart to get rid of those letters! But¡­Even now¡­She can¡¯t! Those words kept her going! The poison though¡­How stupid of her to have kept it just in case for the future! Now¡­It may very well be a beheading! ¡°Check the Queen¡¯s chambers¡­Go!¡± The King yelled impatiently. The Queen started to cry, how had it come to this? She got up in a hurry and kneeled at her husband¡¯s feet, "Your...Your Majesty! Please...You mustn''t..." He interrupted her, "Mustn''t what!?" The Queen''s tears ran down her face. What could she say? What could she do? The Queen was not sure how to continue to fight...They had proof to adultery...Wouldn''t that...Wouldn''t that be her death? "Make sure she doesn''t kill herself." Mahnu said to the guards. She had only done what her father said! She had only wanted another child! Why¡­Why is it so hard to accomplish these two things!? Was I asking too much!? But, it¡¯s only two things! Why can¡¯t I just do this! This child, I would have looked after this child so much and what if they want me to get rid of it!? How could I!? Please¡­I haven¡¯t done much wrong! And I will never do it again! ¡­Everyone was still in shock but watched the Queen as she started to cry¡­ The Queen sobbed and sobbed, until the proof was in front of all of them. Mahnu had heard all of her thoughts and bent down slightly to the Queen. "The Queen''s position was not what I was after. Your hastiness in thinking that you had to secure it, lead to you making a bad choice...Bad choice or not, we can''t allow anything to happen to you until the innocent child inside of you is born." Mahnu reflected on her words and silently asked herself if the Queen really did make a bad choice¡­She had felt loved in that time¡­Perhaps instead of saying ¡®bad choice¡¯, maybe instead it was just something a married lady shouldn¡¯t have done, yet not wrong¡­It was¡­Confusing¡­ King Richard had been raging inside of his heart all this time but Mahnu''s words made him calmer. "Mahnu is right. Thomas''s family will be informed and given the chance to raise their grandchild." The Queen remained silent, regretting her life. Her father had always made her worry¡­She had become this person because of him! Seeing him recently, on his bed, he was still implementing her power inside her mind. ¡­Now, everything was finished...If only she could have been with Thomas in the open, if only she had married him instead! But¡­ What was she to do now? This child¡­They are going to save it? That¡¯s good¡­ "Her father brought her up to use her power..." Mahnu said. Hearing those words, the Queen looked up in surprise. "How?" Mahnu didn''t answer her, just asked another question, "Do you want to live?" The Queen nodded in haste. She wanted to bring up this beloved child so much! Would he or she look like Thomas? And¡­My Crowned Prince and Princess, I want to be with them too! "Mahnu? How could we save her?" King Richard wondered why Mahnu asked that question, when what the Queen did could only court death! "You love your children?" Mahnu asked the Queen, ignoring the King. Images of the Queen doting her children came into Mahnu''s mind, especially a want to dote on the one that was still growing within her. "Yes! Of course!" The Queen answered. Silence filled the room as Mahnu stared at her. "Mahnu?" The King asked again. Finally, Mahnu looked at him. "She''s not wholly bad, just led astray. If she doesn''t meet her father and demoted to a maid, to serve her children...I''m sure she would do so wholeheartedly." The King stared at Mahnu, she wanted to save the Queen? And the Queen gasped. A maid? Not see her father? A Queen to be demoted? Everything seemed so terrible and overwhelming to the Queen¡­That she fainted¡­ "Look after her until her child is born." Mahnu said sadly. "Agreed." The King said, "Take her to a cell and keep an eye on her. An imperial physician will be allocated to her for the well being of the child. For now, this will stay secret and we will conclude it when the child is born." After some time, the place was cleared of everybody, except Betty, Donald, Mahnu and the King. "Why do you want to save her? If the people find out about what happened, they will want her killed." King Richard was curious, Mahnu''s mind was something that he had always wished he could read. "Didn''t she try to harm you?" Mahnu looked up at him sadly, "She only committed wrong because of me...She might have been materialistic and listening to her father''s words...But she went this far because of me." Mahnu stopped for a moment, "¡­Marcus was worried that I''d be the ruin of Kralaide. I don''t want...To be the ruin of Kralaide." King Richard sighed, his Mahnu was so sensitive. Pulling her into his arms, he said softly, "I can''t see that being possible Mahnu. I said it before, and I''ll say it now, you are the heart of Kralaide...To be honest, I didn''t even think of sparing the innocent child''s life¡­It was probably my fault, as I am the one that hit her, yet, I wanted to kill the Queen just now...You are nicer then I am." He kissed her forehead, and continued, "If they find out..." Mahnu interrupted him, "I know, it would be hard to keep her alive. At least, they might wait until the child is born, that would be enough." They embraced each other lovingly, both of them even more glad to be with each other now. Richard had been worried, when he found out that he was summoned by the Queen to come here. At least Mahnu wasn¡¯t put into a tough situation of being forced into the palace. If the Queen had done that, there might not have been anything that he could have done. ¡­On the other hand, Mahnu was still unsure that she had done the right thing¡­Even when one of the guards had been close to Thomas and became really angry upon finding out what happened to their friend, Mahnu still wasn¡¯t sure if she should have brought this secret into the open. Thomas needed justice, yet the Queen didn¡¯t have a black heart¡­ This is exactly why she felt like she needed to become stronger! Snuggling into Richard¡¯s embrace, Mahnu felt like she could accomplish anything though. If she had been summoned into the palace, just as Richard¡¯s thoughts suggested¡­She would have gone¡­Simply because she adored this man! King Richard could only see a brighter future for Kralaide, with Mahnu by his side, and Mahnu was no longer as stressed. She may have been a reason for the Queen to act that way but...The Queen had chosen the journey of being married and having an affair and killing someone all by herself. Finding justice for Thomas became something that Mahnu thought was right, she just wished that it could have been done another way¡­ Mahnu decided then that she definitely didn''t want to make choices that would hinder what she had strived so hard to get. She also wanted to get used to not using her ¡®gift¡¯ to get back at others, just because she was angry¡­She also wanted to think a bit more before she acted¡­Seeing now what the truth does to some people, she wished she had spent more time with humans, so that she knew how to act when she was in a predicament. Her time of being a human had only just begun, leaving her Immortal God days behind¡­ Kralaide was now free from God¡¯s and she held the person she held most dear within her heart¡­ She wanted people to be free to make their own choices. She wanted to give them the choice to live for themselves and their desires... And finally, now, it''s all up to them¡­ *** Epilogue
In the following years, a few certain events took place. The Queen ended up being trailed by poison, after she gave birth to the child, and just as the King wished, the child went to Thomas¡¯s family to be brought up. Sadly, this child may have been taken in by the grandparents, but they were unable to show love to the child of the person who had killed their son, so the child grew up to not know of love¡­ What the Queen had done, was found out by the people and they had wanted her to pay with her life for what she had done to Thomas and for deceiving the Royal family. The rumors originated from the Loyal Royal Knights. It was a tragic ending for the Queen, who had been Queen for well over a decade, as her father had died, and she had lost most of her want to live. Having seen her newborn daughter, she gave her a kiss before the child was taken away, never to be seen again before her death. Governor Valtac had a normal burial, for one that was a father in law to the King, people had questioned things, but the King could not give his father in law a bigger funeral, because of a few reasons. One was because he had made his wife into someone that schemed, and the other reason was because the King had found out, after his father in laws death, that Valtac had not governed Harval very well at all¡­The people quickly stopped speaking highly upon Valtac after finding out about this news and finally accepted the King¡¯s choice of Valtac¡¯s funeral. The Chest of the God''s was guarded for several years, then the knights were able to go back home to retire. One guard from then on was to keep an eye on it, but they were also allowed to sleep and find a hobby that they liked to do in the meantime¡­ The Crowned Prince learnt from both Mahnu and his father, being obstinate at first because of the death of his mother. After a month, King Richard was no longer able to tolerate his son¡¯s behavior and could only speak of his mother¡¯s deeds, so that his son understood what happened. Telling his son everything, the King wanted him to grow up a bit faster and possibly learn from his mother¡¯s mistake. King Richard also told his son everything about the God''s, so that he could understand King Maximus and sacrifice. The Crowned Prince was also by his father''s side with every duty that a King would have, he was even asked for his own opinions on some matters, now that he was older.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Mahnu didn''t take the position as Queen and that left the position opened, only filled when the Crowned Prince became the next King, as the current King had decided against it. Not only did he already want to abdicate the throne anyway, but if Mahnu wasn¡¯t going to be Queen, then he didn¡¯t want anyone else to do it¡­And it was also to show his last respect to the late Queen¡­ William did not take the position as Leader of the Loyal Royal Knights, instead, he continued to follow Mahnu in guarding and writing her past. The position of the Leader of the Loyal Royal Knights was instead done like it had been a few centuries ago, and that was a fight! The fight became somewhat an interesting event to many, and many people came to Conrella to celebrate the new Leader, as well as have some fun! Conrella had never been so full and loud! In the end, a knight was chosen and gifted the title, then he was full of surprise when he was told about the past. For a whole day, he couldn¡¯t believe what had been told to him by not only King Richard, but William and even Mahnu¡­ ¡­He had not thought that his job would be like this! But, as each passing day went, the new leader got into a routine and did as the King ordered and made sure that he followed the Crowned Prince faithfully. Mahnu was able to understand further about how happiness could be found in a family. As time passed, she was able to feel life within her and realized what was going to happen! She would have someone to completely depend on her and that she had to be ready! Her tummy grew and grew and soon she would find out what childbirth is like, and like any other women who give birth, Mahnu was in pain and stated to her beloved man that she didn¡¯t ever want to give birth again! ¡­Later, she called family ''very fulfilling'' as her family grew. She had to learn patience and how to be gentle. She had to learn how to teach and make sure that she showed her love¡­It was also very tiring! Sleep came easily, something that she had always wanted when she was a God¡­And now¡­She can¡¯t get enough of it! Nonetheless, promises were kept¡­The King and Mahnu''s first girl had the name of Cassandra and their first boy had the name of Marcus¡­ After a few years, Richard abdicated the throne, passing it to his eldest son, and he couldn¡¯t wait to spend the rest of his life with his beloved Mahnu. Through long days, hard days, tough days, their relationship only grew and allowed both of them never to feel lonely¡­ Right up until a final day, where Mahnu would pass away, her life had been full. She loved her family very much, she didn¡¯t regret her existence in any way and even had thought for a while¡­That instead of her existence being a cruel fate, it was instead something that she accepted and realized that perhaps fate instead led her to seek out what she had not experienced in over a thousand years. ¡­In her opinion, her greatest victory was not over the God¡¯s, it was also not over accomplishing her goals¡­It was filling her life with happiness and experience¡­ It was extremely worth it¡­ Just a few Tid Bits
Mahnu is from the word human (no she isn''t half human). And as far as I''m aware, I made up this name! Rick, who is married to Richard''s sister, becomes the next governor of Harval and fixes Valtac''s mistakes. He was also the one that gave the King the evidence of what Valtac taking advantage of Harval¡­But yes, he waited until the old man kicked the bucket first¡­Sadly, he did not have children as his wife had been poisoned a long time ago and was not able to have children. Retirement, Mahnu, Richard and the kids went to Nowell and made it better. (so that the town wouldn''t depend on food from the King and they also built dirt roads and bridges that connected Nowell to Conrella.) Jaclyn and William end up together, having two children. They started with teasing each other than William would start leaving a kiss on her cheek, before he¡¯d walk away. Mahnu ended up getting sick and tired of their built-up feelings for each other and locked them into a room together¡­ Zachary had the tablet before the God''s Eliza and Thelmos were put in the box. Mahnu and William had passed him on the way to Brackan. (He had the tablet, so he wasn''t thinking about anything, that''s why Mahnu didn''t know he was there.)You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The Chest of the God''s was buried in the desert South west of Conrella. Kralaide is surrounded by deep water, no other land. God''s were created in the year 1, left to do what they pleased. Mahnu was created the way she was on purpose, to do what she had to do in this book. It was destiny! (Had to be right? Otherwise I couldn''t have written this...) Richard wasn''t particularly part of her destiny at first but became a part of it. Richard played a big role to Mahnu''s well being after the box. Mahnu''s history didn''t go into the library at Conrella ¡®til centuries after she and Richard passed away. (They were afraid someone might take it literally and attempt to look for the ¡®Chest of the God¡¯s¡¯ or the box, even though their locations weren¡¯t written down.) The Crowned Prince doesn''t make Kralaide go backwards or forwards. Ends up with a few women and several children. The Princess, daughter of Richard and the Queen, was named Helen. And the Crowned Prince''s name was Samuel. I didn''t know the ending of this book, even when Mahnu found out that she was pregnant. I just knew that I had to finish up with the box and Sedric. (tablet was already smashed by then.) I really enjoyed writing this story! I also made a map of Kralaide but have had problems putting it on this website¡­ ...Biggest Secret of All... How Mahnu was able to create The Chest of the God''s! The city Bena holds a secret that the Mahnu was forced to forget. Try to take a guess! Well, if you read ¡®Loralle, becoming a Vessel¡¯, you¡¯ll find out¡­