A couple of days later, William stood by the river, that flowed through the town, and put down his bag.

Running around all day had made him sweaty and he was going to dip in the water, to cool himself down. It had been a normal week, looking at woman, or girls, that had any kind of resemblance to Mahnu. He’d looked at the two temples, the Governor’s place, and then went to a tea party that was being held for the young ladies…But never found her.

He’d looked around in the animal farms, the beach, and even followed a lady to a rich house before he could find out that she wasn’t who he was looking for.

There were just a few more places and then he was wondering if he should go elsewhere once again. Normally he would stick around and listen to news for a short while longer, but this was the third time now that he was looking in Brackan and he was wondering if he should go elsewhere, where he had only looked once before.

 

As he started to take his clothes off, someone jumped down from the tree close to him. She didn't speak to him, but…She looked exactly like her, but just a bit older…

William was caught in a stunned silence. Mahnu...Mahnu stood in front of him and he could scarcely believe it!

"Mahnu?"

Her eyes searched his, before she asked, "Do you...Know me?"

He watched her take a step back as she looked a little scared.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He stated, trying to look very friendly. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her…He needed to know how to get this girl with the King, not make her run away and have to look for her again…

She made no reply, she just stared at him.

"You don't...Remember me?" William asked. She shook her head and William wondered..."Did you lose your memory?"

She nodded, then said, "I'm going now."

William didn't want to let her go but didn't know how to proceed. He can't just take her against her will and go to Conrella, so how was he going to let the King know that she was here? I could send a rider…But…

He decided to follow her and look around to where she stayed instead...

The first thing he needed to do, was to know where she was at the very least…He could decide on what to do after that.

 

 

For a full day William became a full citizen of Brackan. He deviously did small, easy jobs for people close by Mahnu's residence, to gain information.

Apparently, they had been here the whole entire time. William had dropped what he was carrying when he was told that, making his toes very sore.

How had he not found her before now?

Trying to find out if the two older people, that she was staying with, and Mahnu would leave to go elsewhere, he heard that they wouldn’t, and he decided to leave for Conrella on the next day.

Deciding against sending a rider, because it was such delicate news, William was excited. Willing to leave this place for two weeks, even though Mahnu could disappear once again, William wanted to take the risk and relay this news to His Majesty himself!

Not only because his quest was finally finished, but because he wanted to see that man’s face when he hears the news! He knew little of what was going on, but from what he had heard, the King had somewhat changed since Mahnu’s disappearance and William hoped that the King will be happy once again.

Besides that, he would also like to report to Marcus, to state that he had not been slacking off!

Knowing that if it wasn’t for the King’s direct order to finding Mahnu, William was sure that he’d be doing extra training and he was glad to have missed the opportunity!

 

 

1 week later

 

William went straight to the palace, leaving his horse to the guard. The guards went to stop him from entering but stopped when they saw that he was a knight...A knight with the King’s token…

William couldn't blame them. He hadn't been here in two years...And he needed to cut his hair and shave. Which was possibly another reason why Mahnu might not have recognized him…

Not only that, the King’s token was very rarely used, and they had to look at it carefully, before they finally understood what it was!

Running, William couldn't contain his excitement!

It had been two years! Two years of being out and about, not having much to do with the knights or Conrella. Even Havlish wasn’t a place that he had stayed for very long!

Two years…

He had already asked where the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights was and headed straight there, sure that he would be with the King.

 

Charging through the door, leading to the King, William interrupted a meeting with a Governor, but he didn't care.

"Your Majesty!" Bowing on one knee, he put a hand to his heart, not caring that someone was there trying to get him out of the room.

"William?" Marcus asked, his voice questioning and somewhat irritated, because of the sudden intrusion.

William looked up and smiled at the King, who stared back at him blankly.

Yes, the King was not putting any hopes into anything…Even if this person in front of him was William…

Finding it easy to tell the people to leave, the King took in a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm himself down.

Two years had indeed been too long for him…He did not let himself hope anymore and would much rather work hard and sleep…Just so that he would not…

Opening his eyes, King Richard prepared for the worse.

Perhaps his nightmares of her body being found might be said…Or that they had found the long-lost box without his precious Mahnu beside it. Maybe a momentum of her was left behind with a letter, stating she was never going to return…Or worse, that perhaps she did survive but didn’t want anything to do with us ‘human’s’ anymore…

Preparing for one of these outcomes, the King could wait…He’d much prefer to have a small hope that she had survived…But what were the chances?

 

Standing up, William apologized for the intrusion, then walked up to His Majesty, "I have fulfilled your wish, Your Majesty."

He watched as the King's eyes slowly began to sparkle, but showed not an ounce of a smile, confusing him completely.

Does His Majesty no longer care for Mahnu?

Losing a bit of his excitement, William wondered if the King had sent out a note that he didn’t receive, to state for him to stop searching…

While two men were thinking and were silent, Marcus led the Governor out of the room and had already returned.

"Where...Where is she?" The King couldn’t take it anymore!

William had come in here with a smile, and now he looked different…Before he could stop himself, he had asked this because he was already losing his mind!

Was it…That her body was found?

His voice had cracked, and the King looked away and cleared his throat. For a long time, he had forgotten what it was like to show his endless worry and desperate want for Mahnu. For two years, he had learnt how to hide it…Showed others that this was not something he thought about, but…With William in front of him, he could no longer hide it!

Taking a deep breath, William said, "She has always been in Brackan, she has also lost her memory."

The King continued to stare at William in a daze.

Did…Did he just state that she…Was alive!?

 

Unknowingly, the King felt slightly dizzy, finding out he had been holding his breath and let himself slightly relax…Even if this news was false…Even if it wasn’t her, this was something!

Yet, becoming so dependent upon this…

Trying to remember that he was the King and that he should not break down, King Richard finally asked, "And you're sure it's her?"

William smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty...I don't have much more information, but I didn't think I could bring her here as she was timid and a little scared."

"I see." The King smiled for a short moment, then said, "Go back to Brackan and keep an eye on her. We will meet on the road and I will make arrangements as soon as possible to leave here."

William bowed and smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

King Richard didn’t hear Marcus’s next words…He was completely within his thoughts…

Really? Could I…Hope?

Clenching up his hands, the King could not let the matter go, he just couldn’t let the chance go by!

He had to go! What if…It was really her!? What if…She had survived and as William said, she had lost her memory? What if…

Originally, the King was not going to rush to Brackan, but just within a few minutes, he did a quick few things and said a quick few words, before leaving a few hours later…

Marcus had tried to state that they leave the next day and have a good night’s rest, but how was the King supposed to sleep!?

Even…Even if it wasn’t Mahnu, this was the best news he had heard in two years!

Two years!

 

 

1 week later

 

The King orders everyone to be quiet upon who they are. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare what William called ‘Mahnu’ away.

Becoming known that you’re amongst people from the palace and even the King, might completely scare his long-lost lover away…And well, if it wasn’t her, then it wouldn’t matter, they would just leave without hindering their lives. So, he just didn’t want to take any chances!

He had everyone, including himself, dressed in normal attire, to give them more success!

Even before they had arrived here, King Richard had glared at one of his guards when they had called him ‘Your Majesty’!

The guards shrunk back in fear and tried not to talk again for the rest of the trip because of this! But…They all saw a change within their King in the last couple of days. He wasn’t like the soulless, busy King at the moment, he was angry and happy…He was more alive…

Marcus did ruin one of the days, by asking what the King would do if this ‘Mahnu’ refuses to be with him and the King answered him sadly that he would let her go.

Of course, before letting her go, King Richard would do his utmost to win her back first…But, what else is he to do?

She was once again the savior of mankind and if she wished for him to disappear from her life…How could he not try to do that for her?

That day, the guards felt that the atmosphere had dimmed completely, and it was very quiet in their entourage…

 

The idea that Mahnu had lost her memories seemed like a good idea to King Richard, because he might be able to get her to fall in love him all over again…Actually, the idea of doing that made him feel pretty good!

All he had done with her, was be himself, and if all he needed to do is that for her to fall for him again, how hard could that be!? He’d happily climb trees and make her talk all over again!

Whereas…If she had remembered everything, then that would mean she had stayed away from him all this time and he couldn’t fathom why she would do that! Well, he did have an idea…But it was more so he was in denial about it. He didn’t want to think Mahnu would stay away because she felt like she was a betrayer and didn’t deserve any type of happiness…It was much better to believe that she had lost her memory!

The journey to Brackan had its ups and downs, but finally, when they had made it just before the town begins…They saw William there laying upon the grass, lazily in the shade, with his hands under his head.

Meeting up with William, whom had now shaven and cut his hair, they see him relaxed and enthusiastic, and back to his familiar, normal look.

"William, please tell me you weren't lying." Again, the King could only expect this to be a prank…

Yes, he had made it all the way here to Brackan…But…What if it wasn’t her…

 

"No. On my honour as a knight, I'm telling the truth, Your Majesty!" William said easily, bowing on one knee and put a hand to his heart. He looked up and gave His Majesty and very happy smile.

The King dared to smile in return, he let himself hope that he was right. "Good. Take me to her."

William chuckled, while standing up. He hadn’t originally thought of meeting up with the King here upon the road. He was going to check in at the King’s residence within Brackan once a day…Yet…Here he was…

He’d only been back a day or two, wanting to make sure that Mahnu was still here, having rushed along the road back towards Brackan. After he returned, William slept and then had just stuck to Mahnu like glue, only to find her come out here on her own…It was like…Fate…

The King looked at him in worry, his hopes starting to fade already.

Was this a joke? "What?"

Looking up in the nearby tree, William saw Mahnu. She was looking out in the far horizon and swinging one of her legs from the branch she was sitting on...

Pointing, he said, "She's there."