Mahnu, Her Journey Chapter 13 Part1

CHAPTER 13 (Part one)

The lady doctor came the next day and Mahnu sat with her, while others got ready for the trip to Harval.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Your Highness."

"Please, call me Mahnu." Mahnu insisted.

"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. "Nice to meet you Jaclyn."

Jaclyn was silent for a moment, she noticed that Mahnu had a aura around her that spoke volumes. It was too early to say if she liked her or not.

"In advance, Jaclyn, I am not going to harm you nor will I force you to like me."

Jaclyn stared at the consort and wondered if she tried to become a consort to have the power of having His Majesty's favour.

"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."

Jaclyn shock her head, "I'm sorry. Your Highness, but I didn't say that!"

"Mahnu...Please call me Mahnu...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 her. Mahnu still has trouble socializing with others."

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.

"I know how to talk to people, now go away!"

He chuckled and left, winking at Jaclyn beforehand.

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?

"Jaclyn!"

Turning quickly, she stammered, "Yes, Mah...Mahnu."

"Mahnu!"

Mahnu sighed. 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."

After she walked away, 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."

Jaclyn watched him leave and wondered why Mahnu was held in such high regard with everybody. So far, everyone seemed to dote on her...Why?

Walking inside, to see the King, Mahnu asked if they 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.

"Yes, I'm going to try and talk to the fake doctor. I'm sure there's more. We have the place they taught others surrounded, I'll be closing it down. But he doesn't seem to think anyone is behind it, which doesn't make any sense."

Mahnu put her hands around King Richard's neck, as she was standing behind him, then he put his hand on top of hers.

"I could..."

"No!" The King said, stubbornly. Reading minds could definitely help but he did not want to depend on her gift.

Mahnu smiled, "Okay. Then I will take my leave."

He got up and kissed her, pulling her into him. He didn't exactly want her to leave without him, but he knew it would be for a short duration before they would see each other again. 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.

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...

Sighing, Mahnu looked at Jaclyn, "Why are you so nervous? Am I that frightening?"

"No!...Your...Mahnu."

The glare Mahnu gave her made Jaclyn drop her head and gulp.

"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? She wondered.

"Because I rarely spoke to humans."

"Humans?"

"People." Mahnu changed the word, even though she had used the term 'humans' for over a thousand years.

"Why not?

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.

"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."

"I'm...not scared."

"Your thoughts tell me otherwise, Jaclyn."

"Pardon?"

"Just be yourself, please. I'm not going to hurt you."

Jaclyn just looked at her and gulped.

"If you insist you can't handle being with me. I will let you go. It is not a problem."

How was it that she had said that knowing I had already thought that? Jaclyn wondered if she was really smart.

"No. I wouldn't cla.s.sify myself as smart."

"Uh?"

Mahnu laughed. Jaclyn was quite slow but innocent. It seems she still didn't know that Mahnu could read minds. If she wanted to leave though, Mahnu had decided that she wasn't going to tell her.

"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 wellbeing."

"Do they all thank you?"

Jaclyn nodded, "Yes, on most occasions."

Watching some of Jaclyn's memories of the people she had helped previously and saw them thanking her, Mahnu thought of when she helped the humans in the past. Were they thankful? Did it make me feel good to have helped them?

Jaclyn watched Mahnu, as she had gone silent, and wondered what she was thinking about. Had she never helped someone before? She is so mysterious...Her questions were strange and she was different to all the other girls she had met her own age.

"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 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 but her words were weird. Is this what the King liked about her?

"It is a big decision Jaclyn. I like you, 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."

A secret? So is it something 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 travelling 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.

***

They travelled in silence again, even though Mahnu didn't answer her last question, 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.

"Will you tell me another story tonight, Mahnu?" William suddenly said.

Jaclyn noticed his excitement.

"When will the King be with us again?"

"They should be here shortly."

"I'd rather give Richard the choice to hear it or not. Besides, now isn't the time to talk of such things."

"So you won't indulge your little brother, even if His Majesty isn't here?"

"Brother? So you're siblings?" Jaclyn asked.

"Not by blood." Said Mahnu 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.

Jaclyn watched as the two acted and thought they do seem to be close.

They had started to pack up to leave, 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 them 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.

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."

Is Mahnu sick?

"William, you may have to pick Jaclyn up, she's questioning things."

"Yes. But don't leave my side."

"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 and they left in haste.

Jaclyn looked at Mahnu, worried.

A few minutes went by, 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.

Jaclyn sat beside her and asked if she could check her pulse. Mahnu consented to the doctor's orders. Jaclyn remembered the King's words about keeping Mahnu's pregnancy a secret but with Mahnu's last action...Does she already know?

Mahnu closed her eyes and put her head back. Her 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. Drinking was still a hard task and Mahnu had troubles when she tried to continuously gulp the water down. Jaclyn saw that and stated that sipping the water should be fine too. Mahnu smiled happily 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 the sip it...Did she not know the proper way for a consort to act?

Mahnu grudgingly ignored Jaclyn's thoughts.

***