CHAPTER 12 (Part one)
The next day, they travelled 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. Mahnu looked around but stayed silent as the governor welcomed his Majesty.
Having a robe with a hood, on Richard"s commands, was to help keep attention away from her but she already knew that it hadn"t worked.
"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. 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.
They were seated and Sedric was having a happy talk with the King, when the subject turned to her once again.
"Your Majesty, I didn"t think you were going to have more wife"s. I"m glad I am wrong. There is way too many pretty flowers, to ignore them all would be quite rude."
Mahnu took off the hood, getting everybody"s attention and 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.
Mahnu got up and without a word walked away, William following after her. She knew exactly where she was going and what she was looking for.
"Ah!...Sedric when...when will we expect the next trade of rice?"
The King inwardly sighed at Mahnu"s ways but he knew what she was doing.
"Mahnu...Normally we do things more politely." William continued 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.
"If thoughts could be heard, the one who isn"t being polite would have been Sedric."
William stopped, astonished, "What did he think?"
"He only acts like a normal gentleman...but beneath..."
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 suppose to do."
"Valtac?" William was a bit worried. Gregory was trying to a.s.sa.s.sinate the King, was he like that too?
"No...he uses the people for his own gain and Sedric ignores the people. That is why I say they shouldn"t be governors."
"Why don"t you tell the King?"
"Is reading minds a common thing?"
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."
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. Others before them..."
"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...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."
William waited for her to continued.
"One governor buried me alive, the other got me exiled from the capital, in the process it shock 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.
"Greed is a human"s downfall."
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, G.o.d"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.
"Sedric! Please..."
Sedric interrupted the King, "Give it back!"
Mahnu stood her ground and watched as William stood in front of her.
"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.
"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 G.o.d!
Mahnu took a breath in and Sedric saw it. They were silent because of her reaction and she heard his next thoughts. My dear, you are definitely worthy of me. You are even better then the tablet!
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 me."
The King stared at her and he continued, while walking out. "Mahnu?" He asked.
She could feel his uneasiness. "He wasn"t sure about what was written on the tablet...Until he heard my name and remembered it."
Mahnu looked back, "He will pursue the tablet further from what he remembers. He may, even now, look for The Chest of the G.o.d"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.
Mahnu looked at him, "Nonetheless, that is what he"s thinking."
***
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.
"I cannot defend myself anymore." Her voice shock a tiny bit and King Richard held her close.
"William will watch over you...Marcus too."
"No, Marcus is your Loyal Knight, he does well for you." Before the King could talk, she continued, "Give me another, so 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 lady"s safety, the King pressured him to find another that could guard 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 G.o.d. How ironic, she thought, now I can"t do without it!
The King walking back in to the room to find Mahnu sleeping. Letting her sleep, he reads over memorials and waits for the return of Marcus.
When, finally, Marcus returns from smashing the tablet and 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.
"...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 Mahnu and looked away.
Marcus was unsure whether to trust her or not with that action.
"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.
"The doctors of Bena are told to get as much as they can, wether 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."
The lady bowed down and put her head to the floor. "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!
"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 say she is a few weeks into her pregnancy."
It seemed that it was the same as the Queen, quite some time ago. Only on the wedding night 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.
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 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."
The King looked at her and 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.
"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.
"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 him in the way he thought it might. But he wondered if it was good or bad that this was happening at this time.
"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 had to follow suit.
"Good." Was all His Majesty said.
Is it a secret from Mahnu, who could read minds...or perhaps someone else?
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. Keeping this secret wasn"t specifically for Mahnu, it was because he was still unsure what to do about her and the palace. Leaving her outside the palace and everyone knowing that she has become a consort, has never been done before. Wife"s or future wife"s 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. 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. Then there was the talk, the day before, when Mahnu totally rejecting her t.i.tle but made him realize that he had been right to want to keep her away from the palace. 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.
The King sighed again, he wasn"t too sure about trying to get the doctor to accompany them. But he wanted someone to make sure that Mahnu was healthy all the time. He knew he would feel better if there was a doctor by Mahnu"s side.