Mahnu, Her Journey Chapter 14 Part2

CHAPTER 14 (Part two)

"What about His Majesty's father?"

Mahnu looked at the King in the dark and asked if that was ok. He nodded quietly.

"King Matthew, father of one son, formally...Two sons, informally."

The King stood up and rushed 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?"

"I'm sorry, Richard. He came to the same fate as your father."

King Richard closed his eyes and then slumped forward.

"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. They 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 his very own family.

"King Matthew adored governor Valtac. Letting the Crowned Prince become engaged to Valtac's own daughter. He also allowed the engagement of your sister to Valtac's advisor Rick. King Matthew also treated governor Gregory well. He never knew, until death, that he 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 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 them trample over him. Kralaide went backwards in his reign...but he dearly loved his family. I dare say the deaths of his children is why he didn't become a better King."

Mahnu knew what she had said was harsh, biting her lip, she looked away from King Richard. He 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, "Your mother decided to follow your father 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 ghostly silent.

First, they were pitying the King, yet proud of his achievements. Then Gregory's nasty, devilish ploys against the throne had them all very angry! Afterwards, they all 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.

All the emotions flooded into Mahnu and she felt overwhelmed and was nearly about to cry

William broke the silence. "Is there a King or Queen that was totally 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 no great King." He mumbled.

"It's not based on what you, as the King, personally thinks or feels. It's the peoples point of view."

"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 a.s.sa.s.sins, because I wanted you to live."

King Richard contemplated her words, he sat properly on the bed, 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 G.o.d."

"Were you going to kill me?" He asked, his eyes sparkling.

William and Jaclyn started to notice that Mahnu and King Richard were in their own little world.

"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."

"No. I'm not talking about G.o.d's. Besides they didn't die."

"I wonder how many times you would have died if you weren't a G.o.d..." 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..."

"Richard!" He looked at her 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 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.

***

The King and Marcus had been busy as they had deployed knights everywhere. One 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. Several knights had been dispatched to protect The Chest of the G.o.d's, until further notice, with the order that if any outsiders close by The Chest of the G.o.d's were found, they had to be brought back to the capital to be questioned. More were coming to Bena for the protection of Mahnu and her travel back to Conrella. Many more knights 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.

William started to write down as much as he could from what Mahnu had said previously and from her continued stories and Jaclyn became a good support and friend for Mahnu, as the days went by.

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 him to stay. The King 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 left every knight there to keep her safe, except for Marcus, and even though she tried to persuade him otherwise, he didn't listen.

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.

But things changed after the King left. Mahnu felt out of place and lonely. 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 on both to stay together.

***

King Richard had visited Betty and Donald on his arrival in Conrella but didn't stay long. He withheld the news of Mahnu's pregnancy so that Mahnu could tell them instead. The King had turned quiet also but Marcus saw he didn't turn back to what he was like when Mahnu had gone missing. He caught up with his work only because he wanted to keep busy, so not to think of being away from Mahnu.

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.

Several days after returning, 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!"

Marcus looked down, unable to meet His Majesty's eyes.

"Tell me!" King Richard yelled.

"Reports stopped coming in two days ago, I don't know what is transpiring, Your Majesty."

"Dammit!" The King left the room and started walking, Marcus following.

"Your Majesty?"

"I'm going to Bena."

"But...you just returned to Conrella. You have..."

"Enough!" The King yelled. He stopped walking and leaned against a pillar, "Why are there no reports...What happened?"

Marcus breathed in, "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?"

"The report didn't say."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Marcus sighed, "Your Majesty, I didn't think much was wrong and that a report should arrive 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. "Replace yourself and get out of my sight."

The King walked away, leaving Marcus mortified. A few moments past but Marcus was still bowed and unmoving.

His King...Abanded 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.

Marcus stood up straight and wished to know why, which part of what he did, was so wrong that he is now replaced. It was obvious, everything changed when the King had met Mahnu. Mahnu has controlled the King all this time. It's all...Mahnu's fault! If she hadn't existed 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! She mustn't be with the King, she mustn't come back and help bring Kralaide to ruins!

Marcus dropped his gear, leaving 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, never to return.

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.

Getting up, 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.

On the ground was his knights attire, abandoned. For a knight...To abandon...

The King 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 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 him...

***