CHAPTER 5
The King woke to find himself alone on the bed. Looking around in haste, he found Mahnu with her eyes closed and fully dressed. Sighing in relief, as she hadn’t gone, he walked over to her. “Is this where you would sleep?”
“I don’t sleep.”
King Richard was sure that was an honest answer but how could that be? Is that why she is grumpy?
He pulled her towards him and kissed her. He was happy how she melted into him, it was like they fit each other perfectly. Mahnu was lost in both of their thoughts again and before she knew it he had stripped her and placed her on top of him, making her let out a cry.
He moved her on top of him as he caressed and kissed her.
She was lost to him.
What a powerful emotion, she thought, looking at him and feeling herself grow in pleasure.
She demanded his mouth now and he complied and moved her faster. As she moaned and she let out the words, “Your Majesty!”
“I told you to call me Richard.” His said, his voice thick with desire.
Letting out a cry, Mahnu felt shivers go through her whole body.
What is this?! Her mind, just like her body, was totally smitten to him!
After another fulfilment of pa.s.sion, he continued to hold her close, breathing in heavily along with her.
Never in his life had he woke up so…well! King Richard chuckled.
Letting out a laugh he said, “You’re stuck with me now! I want to wake up to you every day!”
A knock on the door and then someone walking in stopped Mahnu’s heart. I hadn’t even heard their thoughts coming! How could I not have heard? Am I changing so much that I can’t hear other’s thoughts anymore, besides his and mine?
“Oh! Your Majesty, Forgive me!” When the attendant left in a rush, closing the door behind him, the King looked back at Mahnu.
What do I do? they both thought. Mahnu laughed at his thoughts and the King laughed also. It was a relief to him to see her genuinely smile. Her laughter clutching on to his heart strings.
He grabbed her close and kissed her.
Mahnu pulled back and got up shyly. She hadn’t done this before, there was no other experience she had learnt to help with this situation.
“It’s ok...You really don"t know much about love making, do you?” The King asked her, loving the innocence shown on her face.
He got up too and held her hands.
“Love?” Her cracked voice surprised him and he looked into her frightened eyes.
He put her face between his hands and said, “Yes. And it’s going to happen again. But for now, I must go.”
On cue, another knock came from the door.
Mahnu, for some time, was in shock. Do I love him? She wondered.
She knew of love and that people were destroyed because of it. She fell back to the floor and desperately wondered what she had done.
***
King Richard could not concentrate, Mahnu also, even though other’s thoughts went through her again, she felt…Strange.
Mahnu found herself scared for once about the future. Being unable to hear the thoughts of someone coming so close to her had never happened before. Since her creation, it had been an involuntary aspect but this morning...
These changes were...scary.
Is there something wrong with me? She thought
So…this is what being scared is like? Have I fallen that far in love that I can’t even run away anymore?
The King finally realized he should pay attention to the Queen but her ploy to convince him to conceive another child had been wasted. Mahnu heard about the angry Queen and pitied her. After that, the King was moved into a meeting with one of the governors. He was good friends with Dominic but today just wasn’t the day for the usual friendly chat, when he was worried about Mahnu.
The scared look in her eyes, he thought, if I had told her I loved her, would she have run away again??
“You are occupied, Your Majesty, may I suggest I return at a later date?”
Dominic’s question did worry the King, “Am I that transparent?”
Dominic smirked, “No offence intended, Your Majesty, but yes. Can I be of help by chance?”
The King looked at him and sighed, “I love the Queen and my children, you know this.”
“Yes, of course, Your Majesty.”
“I think I’ve fallen in love with someone so deep that I forget I’m a King. I forget everything, it’s like a world with no worry.”
Dominic looked at his friend, the King, surprised. “Oh…”
King Richard laughed at Dominic’s speechless response, “I’m being cruel, aren’t I?”
Dominic stared at the King for a moment before answering, “Would you like to hear my personal opinion Your Majesty?”
“Yes…Yes, always, Dominic!” He answered him eagerly.
“As a friend of Your Majesty, I only wish for your happiness.” And he smiled, bowing his head.
King Richard smiled back, “Thank you good Sir!” Smacking Dominic on the back.
He felt lighter now. Someone close to him was on his side, understanding his feelings. Perhaps I should concentrate again!
“So…business!”
Overhearing their conversation made Mahnu wonder if that is what true friendship really is. That they want their friends to be happy.
Is that what all relationships are like? Is that what I had wanted for Princess and the boy from so long ago?
Mahnu thought about the role between herself and the King and wondered if his happiness would affect her.
From what she could see now, the King felt and even acted what she thought was happiness. He was smiling and joking and he had liked what Dominic had said about being with me.
So, I make him…happy? Mahnu questioned. Me?
Should I tell him who I am?
Would that stop his happiness? Do I even want him to be happy?
Mahnu sighed. She did, secretly, like being able to make someone happy after all this time. And she liked it more so because it wasn’t because of helping the humans. It was generally just her and her presence…
Mahnu stopped. Where are the sufferings? How long has it been since I’ve felt them?
She hadn’t thought of them all day, they haven’t interrupted her thoughts…it was…peaceful.
Is that because of the King? Does he do to me as I do for him in regards to our status of G.o.d and King? Was it bad that I am not helping out there? But I am helping…
Mahnu was confused, she hadn’t been in this position before.
“My…My Queen!”
The Queen stopped walking and looked at her loyal maid servant, who was out of breath, “What is it?”
“It is said, My Queen…That the King had another woman in his bed chambers this morning. And because of that there is talk there will be a concubine.”
“Why is a rumour already saying…”
“It was seen, My Queen, from a maid that cleans his Majesty’s bed chamber.
What? How dare she?! The Queen wonders how to deal with it. Even she, the Queen, had not woken to his Majesty like that for he had already left before dawn.
The Queen walked to her room and told her servants that she wished to be alone.
As she walked around, she thought about what she should do.
My father will scold me for letting this happen. Oh G.o.d, what if she has a child?
The Queen sat down and started to panic.
I had gotten too used to the King not wanting other women and took advantage of it! What am I doing, worrying about dresses and make up!?
I should get him back! Surely, he might just want a woman for the night. It would make sense since we haven"t been together like that in years.
I’ll just become that woman and he won’t need her anymore!
And instead of my father scolding me, I could give him good news!
Yes! The Queen thought. I will go to him tonight! And I have just the thing to wear!
Mahnu hears the Queen and worries about the problems in the family that could be caused by being close to the King. She knows that they are important to him and wonders if she should stay away again…
Perhaps I should talk with the Queen and tell her that there isn"t a problem. She is only worried about the throne...right? How could I take that from the Crowned Prince anyway...I don"t want it in the first place! Mahnu sighs.
But could I stay away now? Mahnu questioned. It had become such a happy routine to follow, to hear and watch King Richard daily. Thinking about him made her decide to see him while he was going to take his bath, knowing the Queen was waiting for him in his bed chambers.
“You’re here.” He looked so glad to see her that she had already lost her composure.
He beckoned her over to him and shyly, slowly, she stood closer to him. He looked up at her.
“Join me in here.” He said, “After you undress.”
Watching her with his eyes, she could feel them taking her in and intoxicating her.
He groaned as the clothes fell to the floor. He put out his hand and she took it, lowering herself into the water.
How can she make the simple task of getting into a bath look so seductive? It just seemed so unrealistic that she had not been with a man before him. He was quite glad that she had dressed the way she had, if she hadn’t, he was sure there would have been men going for her a long time ago. Her body seemed so soft and silky, it seemed like the perfect woman’s body. He didn’t deny the fact that he was glad he had been her first and hoped that it would only be him. His thoughts surprised him, he never knew that he was so possessive before.
He took her into his arms and said, “Why hasn’t anyone touched you before?”
“I never thought to do this before.” Mahnu answered honestly and thought that in her entire existence, it had never mattered. Even the fact that she had never done it before, which would consider her virgin, had not bothered her. She didn’t understand the importance of virginity.
“This is the natural way for humans to reproduce, did you never consider having children then?”
Mahnu let out a small laugh and replied, “Impossible.”
G.o.d’s didn’t ‘reproduce’!
He looked at her, a little upset, “Is that so?”
She looked away, “Yes.” For some reason, she felt sorry for him.
She heard his thoughts of her being the mother of his children and stiffened.
He felt that and she heard his thoughts of if it mattered that she didn’t bare him any children. Would she leave him? His question surprised her and his feelings on how much he hated her to leave him.
Then, he thought, ‘No, I want her by my side.’
That thought made her smile. Since she had been created she had never felt so special. At the same time, he grabbed her closer and she held onto him tighter.
‘By my side.’ His thoughts repeated in hers as he looked into her eyes, as though wishing it to the future.
Mahnu put her head down to his and she felt sad to bring up this subject, especially because of what he was thinking. But she had to confirm if he is the reason she didn’t hear the suffering of humans anymore.
“I may…have to leave for a brief time.”
He stiffened, staying silent.
What was a short time for a human? She wondered. A day? A month, a year?
“Why?” His voice was soft.
She could see he was trying to hold in his anger as she could hear his thoughts. ‘Can’t you see how much I want you by my side, how much I already love you?’
His thoughts stunned her into silence. He…Loved her?
He kissed her then and she responded, he wanted to show her and she believed that she wanted to show him too.
The urgency in the kiss only led to him placing her on top of him, making her let out a groan on the pain and shock.
She heard him think he was sorry, but he didn’t want to stop. She was surprised she felt the same way.
She held on tighter as they moved faster and she heard his plea for her not to leave. His thoughts telling her that he was addicted to her every aspect and wanted to see her every day.
Suddenly, he moved her to against the wall and pushed himself into her further. So…Good, Mahnu knew they both were thinking the same thing.
It almost felt like the end of the world, these feelings she had never understood and had thought of as petty. But here she was, not wanting tomorrow to come and time to stand still.
Was it because this beautiful man is all I want right now?
Mahnu couldn’t contain any other thoughts. Holding tighter, she felt that amazing sensation go through her that only this man has ever done for her.
…You are my home, his thoughts said as they flowed right into her heart, making her want to cry.
Mahnu sighed. She knew of the saying, ‘Home is where the heart is.’
“If I ask you to stay?” King Richard said, not showing his face.
Mahnu put her hands through his hair, loving the feel of it and said, “I don’t think I could stay far from you for too long…But there is something I must confirm.”
He looked at her then, his eyes so intense she couldn’t look away. She had never had eyes just for her and now it made her feel so good that she knew how that feeling felt like…It was quite a unique and special feeling.
“Like what?”
Mahnu didn’t want to lie. “Since being with you…uh…something…” She couldn’t believe it! She didn’t know what to say!
“Something?” He asked pressing into her, feeling her reaction of tightening her legs around him.
“I can’t hear!” She let out in a loud voice, unknowingly.
He moved her up. “Hear what?” And took in a hard nipple.
Why? How can something be so intoxicating! “Ahh!”
The King chuckled.
He didn’t get more details out of Mahnu but they had made love again before she got out and said, “I’ll be back soon.”
The King watched her as she went to leave but she stopped and turned back. “Oh, the Queen.”
“The Queen?” He interrupted.
Mahnu pointed towards his bed chamber, “She is still waiting for you.”
King Richard wondered how she would know! No one told him! Can you read minds? He asked her silently.
“Yes.” She said, and was gone before he could answer.
He was speechless.
He had been right! It made a lot of sense, with her look when he woke up that time near Havlish, with the Princess, with the guards, with the a.s.sa.s.sins…
His thoughts stopped there. Does she…Does she know who are behind the a.s.sa.s.sins?
But wouldn’t she tell me if she knew?
The King shook his head. Too much, it’s been a long day and…
He was suddenly depressed…She’s gone.
King Richard sighed unhappily.
By the time he got back to his bed chamber he had forgotten that the Queen was there waiting for him.
Mahnu, he thought, come back soon.
“Don’t you think...Your Majesty?”
The King looked up to the Queen stunned, he had no idea what she had been talking about. “I’m sorry…what?”
Already, he felt like a part of him was missing.
***