Chapter 1 Part2 (1/2)

CHAPTER 1 (Part 2)

Their first meeting was in the year 1613, when King Richard was 20 and leading a small amount of men to the west. She was there discreetly but had come out of hiding to help him unload food, cook and feed the hungry people of Anddin.

Mahnu had liked his way of helping, it had been better than her carting grain, wheat or rice all by herself, not to mention hunting. This, also, was mostly done in the dark, as not to be seen. The travel time she could spend by helping the people of one town could outweigh staying in the actual town. Which sometimes made time go by quickly, leaving that town even years later.

But, this time, she took the chance to be seen by others and tried her best to act as they did, even though she refused to speak to them. She didn’t hate the humans…She just didn’t want to like them. She was sure it would mean a double betrayal if she becomes friends with them.

So…She had scurried to and fro to human's homes, that were against the mountains, making sure everyone had their share.

The King had noticed that she did not say a word and for some reason that seemed to have irritated him. And before he could have a conversation with her, she had already disappeared. He had asked about her in the village, hearing that she comes to help but no one had known her name.

His annoyance helped him forget her, until now. The past was coming back to him as he saw her face.

Yes, King Richard also thought, we've met before.

Back to the present, the King goes to catch up and stop her, after she gets down from the tree. She hadn't changed at all and he wonders if she's even real, as he was sure she was the same person!

He became a little bit confused…

Her age still looks to be from sixteen to twenty. Her figure was totally covered with raggedy, dirty clothes and her hair was flowing free and very beautiful. She even had dirt under her finger nails and knots in her black hair!

He wondered why he thought such a dirty looking woman was beautiful.

King Richard shock his head, bemused with his newly founded taste in women.

The King’s knights that were guarding him, were worried, as she could hear their thoughts about exposing the secret town of Havlish. They intervened telling her that he is the King, in hope that she would venture elsewhere in respect.

She decides to disappear, preferring to watch from a far, so she distracted them with a harmless smoke bomb and left. She was glad that she got away as they didn't trust her anyway.

Ironic, she thought, they are probably related to the Loyal Royal Knights that had helped me in the past!

King Richard later saw her high in a tree and he was absolutely determined to hold a conversation with her.

I must try and get her to talk! He mused to himself.

He just had a feeling that she could talk but didn't, not quite understanding why he felt that way.

King Richard smiled, a fun task indeed, he thought and started to climb up the tree.

Mahnu found it somewhat strange that he, again, found her hiding place.

Normally, even if people did see where I was, she thought, they had never chased after me!

He started yelling up at her, asking questions about the weather and if it was warm. And to his astonishment, she continued to completely ignore him! He hated to admit that her ignoring hurt his pride!

Ignoring a King? He smirked.

He continued talking and climbing with such enjoyment that the guards were wondering if she has become somewhat of a toy to the King.

Is he...a complete idiot? She asked herself as she saw he hadn't given up.

He was getting closer now and Mahnu started to panic.

Why can't he stop and leave me alone! Was this a game to him? She wondered.

Just before getting to the top, he was grumbling about his hands hurting because of the bark, she took that moment to jump down. It was her attempt at keeping a distance, telling him through her actions that she was not someone to get close to.

She watched him get angry and wanted to laugh as he stayed in the same spot looking down at her, his eyes burning into hers. Mahnu felt satisfied that he had lost to her but at the same time she was impressed that a King had climbed so high!

She's strong, he admits, but very annoying. Then King Richard sighs, thinking about his wasted effort.

Grudgingly, he follows her back down, only to see her gone again!

Exhausted, he flops down to the ground and decides to have a nap. One of the guards let out a small laugh to His Majesty's behaviour. It was like he was trying to catch a cat, they thought.

They all seem to be still waiting on the leader to arrive so that they could report to the King on their secret journeys throughout Kralaide. It was only one or two Loyal Royal Knights that travelled to each town to scout out anything wrong. They would meet up back in Havlish to their leader to report of any misconduct. This would happen three times a year and the knights rarely reported anything.

The biggest worry lately was that of the small skirmishes that was happening between Zachary and Sedric that happened every couple of years.

She sees that the guards were watching the King closely because of the a.s.sa.s.sination attempts, some in which have already been made on the him. There was even an attempt on the heir, she could hear. The heir was unharmed but they never found out who was behind the attempt, due to the a.s.sa.s.sin killing themselves.

Innocent children overcoming a.s.sa.s.sination attempts was not what she had wanted to save!

She hated the fact that she saved this...lot...just so they could kill each other!

Is that why I think of them as beasts? She wondered. They are territorial and fight for leaders.h.i.+p, like a pack of wolves.

Then her thoughts were interrupted by what she saw was the King's dreams.