CHAPTER 4 (Part two)
After that night, King Richard tried again to see her 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, they were s.e.xually attracted to one another. 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 the first to see her naked body. Even I rarely see it, Mahnu gulped.
But this man touched her and made something happen to her body that no one else had. 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.
After she had made that resolution, she felt better and made sure that from now on she was to bathe regularly. She purposely didn’t think about how he had affected her that greatly and how he could do what he wanted with her. 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.
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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 at the same time! Anger because she was the reason this week had pa.s.sed 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 could swear there was a silent connection between them.
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 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.
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, 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 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.
She had found that her feelings had been changing by the day. It was starting to become even harder to stay away from him.
Letting herself become seen by him today was something she wasn’t able to stop. Fighting her feelings had broken down the wall she had created and her want to be in front of him won.
Is this what it’s like to have a weakness? She thought.
Suddenly, it all seemed worth saving the humans all that time ago.
A leaf fell from the tree and he looked up. There she was looking at him. Was that hope in her eyes, he wondered?
Giving her a small smile, he 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 it smelled. His touch is mesmerizing enough that I lose focus and I can’t think! Mahnu shook her head, silently admitting also to 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!
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.
He 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 s.e.xual 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 his 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.
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 she had been hiding some feelings and a rush of heat filled him, making him notice he was uncomfortable.
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."
He 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 to happy....in a tree, uncomfortable, about to be discovered. But so d.a.m.ned 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.
The guards ran out at that moment.
"Your...Majesty!"
The King let her go and walked towards the guards and their curious glances. Turning back once to see that she 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, 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 embarra.s.sed?
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 kissing another woman.
It hadn’t happened before, so the Queen was unsure 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.
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, the Queen sighed, 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 and then jumped to the ground. Another a.s.sa.s.sin had made it all the way to the bathing chambers. As quickly as she could, she tied him up and gagged him and took him away.
Her quickness of step was obtained hundreds of years ago. Her strength though, she knew, was just a part of every G.o.d 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 former Kings and Queens and pa.s.sed 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. He thought she wouldn"t become a warlord and use martial arts as a weapon and 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.
His thoughts were of that she was special, perhaps someone that could change the world.
That 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.
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