CHAPTER 13 (Part two)
"Mahnu...The horses..." Half an hour later, William"s voice came through the window.
Sighing, Mahnu wasn"t sure what to do...
"Why don"t we take you and Jaclyn on horseback?"
His 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.
"Understood."
"Stop and let the horses rest."
"But...Mahnu..."
"What else are we to do?"
Jaclyn found herself not as scared. Is it because I don"t think anyone is following us?
When the carriage stopped again, Mahnu got out 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!"
"And what of her safety?"
William looked at Jaclyn, now out of the carriage. 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 him, also saying, "They are right behind us. You will have to go around."
"Yes, understood. Your Highness."
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."
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. Why did she say that? Is she in complete denial, as well as delusional? Trust her? She wants me to believe her...But...
Just as she 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.
"I have to protect you."
"But..." If it was all true they would..."We have to go back!"
"No. We are going to the King."
"Mahnu"s in danger!"
"I am following orders!"
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? How did she know? "Two of Sedric"s men, they are after me."
Jaclyn couldn"t work everything out but this "secret" she was talking about, seems to be something that is endangering her life. Should I get involved with this?
"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!"
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.
"What"s going on!? Why aren"t you with Mahnu!?"
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, I was ordered here 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.
He had accepted everything that was said without question. Everyone else raced up to catch up to the King and Jaclyn admitted that she did finally fear for Mahnu"s safety.
"Your master isn"t worried about taking someone close to the King? I believe that would be a death sentence." William said to Sedric"s men, who were slowly cornering Mahnu and the two knights.
"No one will know."
"The King is coming." Mahnu said.
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 moment they charged with their swords and they clashed into the knights. Mahnu watched but stepped back, cursing because her G.o.dly 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 she could intervene.
"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 are all deathly blows that she had to avoid. His thoughts connecting to hers and she could see Sedric tell them, "She"s a G.o.d. Knock her out completely!"
Mahnu bit her lip, just one wrong move, that was all it would take.
She couldn"t keep dodging 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.
"Mahnu!"
Finally, she thought as she watched the man in front of her, Richard is here!
Just as Mahnu stepped back, she saw Sedric"s man come charging at her. The King intervened and kicked him 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 serious trouble now.
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. "It"s so different fighting...when you"re a human."
She felt faint and said, "I"m okay. I"m not hurt."
Jaclyn was there too, checking over her condition.
"Is she okay?"
Jaclyn smiled, "Yes. But she should rest."
"Mmm." Was all Mahnu could do as she closed her eyes.
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.
Orders were given and they 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.
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.
Jaclyn watched as the King moved a strand of Mahnu"s hair. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but how did you two 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?"
"Yes! Ah, she stopped the poison dart with her own arm. She also caught the a.s.sa.s.sin! Truly...I worried about her after she disappeared again."
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?"
"It"s fine, it wouldn"t have done anything to her then. She would have been poison free within the day."
"How is that possible? Did she already know of what antidote to use and have it with her?"
"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!"
How could she believe that? It is unheard of!
"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, she must be older then I 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."
"A consort was able to leave you, Your Majesty?"
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. After that, it got worse. Really bad."
Jaclyn wanted to know how or what could have happened? Was this all part of the "secret" 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.
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