Mahnu silently follows the entourage towards Conrella on horseback, much to her dislike. She was aware of the King's eyes on her, which brought that feeling of embarrassment back to her again.

Why? She asked herself, even though for reasons unknown to her, she found herself liking his attention on her but at the same time unable to meet his eyes. It was the weirdest predicament she’s ever been in!

All of a sudden, she was so obviously aware of her gender and she felt all woman! Yet, at the same time, this feeling had never come to pass before, and she had nearly forgotten nor cared that she was a woman! She knew in people’s thoughts that they would act different in times like this, but now, that she was being watched by the other gender and being ‘desired’, she felt like a complete amateur!

Nonetheless, she tried to keep her distance, as this wasn’t something she should take up on. As much as she tried to not think of the future, she knew that hers would hold an eternity…And his would not…

 

As the first night came, Mahnu knew the exact second that the King had fallen asleep. It was when the past came before her mind and she could remember it vividly…

Again, it was through the eyes of King Maximus and not her own.

"Did they follow?" King Maximus had asked his loyal Knight Daniel.

"Yes, Your Majesty. It is said that they are following but taking their time."

King Maximus had looked over the land that was close to the town now called Nowell and wondered if it would all end here. If The Chest of the God's didn't work, it was inevitable they would all die or become slaves to the God's.

"Your Majesty! King Maximus!"

The King had looked around, to find the scout they had dispatched earlier, running towards them and quite breathless. "Your...Majesty...They are...With some of us!...They are all carrying weapons and...Armour!"

"Us, meaning humans?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The scout replied.

The God's are playing dirty, King Maximus had thought. Using our own to fight their battles, they really think this is a game!

He had remembered what Mahnu had said about how close she thought that the God's had to be for The Chest of the God's to work. The King’s thoughts hoped upon their own kind not being a problem, because once the God’s are in sight, the chest will be opened, so hopefully, no one should die. It is confirmed that all the God's have followed us here. Except Mahnu, making him sigh.

"Did you leave Mahnu in Havlish on purpose? Wouldn't it be the best if all the God's get trapped inside the chest?" Mahnu could hear Daniel query King Maximus.

King Maximus had put his hands into fists and looked up. He kept her here because of her talent, he knew she would continue to help the humans. His position of King of this land and the people, was the reason why he didn't want her here to be taken with the rest of the God's…As she will be something good for the people.

The Chest of the God's was brought up to the King and when the God's were in sight, it was opened. Leaving humans everywhere waking from a dark dream.

Mahnu knew that when one becomes a slave, they are bound to the God who enslaved them to do their bidding. But when they were released from the God’s enslavement, she had found out then that they would remember nothing but will regain their bodies and minds to themselves once again.

Having been powerless in Havlish at the time, to knowing very little afterwards, now she was able to understand right from King Maximus’s sight, that this is what happens to ‘slaves’ after being released from their enslavement…

 

***

 

The dream had made Mahnu gloomy and the next morning, she remembered King Maximus purposely leaving her in Havlish. She had decided some time ago not to continue hating him for his decision, that nothing is going to change whether she hated him or not. But being reminded of it again, did irritate her.

I'm stuck here now and that's that, she thought, looking out into the distance but not seeing anything.

The King watched her and looked out as well. What is she thinking about? She looks...Lonely...

 

Mahnu ignored the King's thoughts and continued to think. The dreams that the King has had, made Mahnu wonder if that had something to do with what King Maximus gave up for The Chest of the God's to work. She remembered she couldn't hear thoughts once she had touched the chest and never heard what the others had given up. Was it dreams?

The prophets gave up their future sight, that had become apparent almost straight away.

Within a year or two after The Siege, it became known that Havlish had a plague, taking many lives, and the leader had said sadly that it may have been the price for the chest because nothing else was amiss.

If that is true, Mahnu thought, The Chest of the God's drained a God's power, took about five hundred lives, the future sight from the prophets and the dreams of any King of Kralaide.

It was a large payment indeed, Mahnu sighed, is sacrificing five hundred people worth trapping in all those God's? Could it have been another payment, instead of lives?

Mahnu closed her eyes tight, why do I always find so many questions and so little answers!?

 

It was silly to her that she couldn't even remember how the notes of the chest had found her. She had been in Bena, the south-eastern town of Kralaide, following a rumour about some strange happenings. But, after that, her mind had gone blank and till this day, she could not remember what had happened. The next thing she knew, she was waking up to see the notes on how to create the chest that will entrap the God's. Being a God, this type of event had never happened to her before and since, yet it was unexplainable!

To never remember meant an extreme power had taken place, yet, if it were a God, why would they give out instructions to entrap their own kind in? But, how was a human able to make a God forget?

It was still, to this day, very questionable and Mahnu had never come to any type of answer…

In the past, before she went to King Maximus with her news, she had to write the words that allocated why the chest had to be used, with good reason, and the notes sadly stated that sacrifices were also needed. That was when she spoke to the prophets at Havlish…On the way there though, she had travelled through Conrella to pick up a chest, that later became ‘The Chest of the God’s’.

Then...She had really become the betrayer...

 

 

King Richard would question her depressed look, making her give him a stern look.

Not a morning person I guess!? He thought, looking at her face, that only made him want to smile in return. She just looks more desirable when she's angry!

He had ordered her to take a bath and comb her hair, so now, Mahnu looked a lot prettier…Probably the prettiest she’s been for over a decade…

She found it nasty, that a human was giving her orders, but what was strange…She did as she was ordered, only glaring in return instead of refusing to do it…

Why…Why had she done it!?

It was easy to tell that something was going on inside her pretty little head, as the little maiden’s face seems to skitter to different expressions. The King was really delighted to knowing that he was able to read her like an opened book. It really was a fresh breeze that was blowing into his business-like life. His governors rarely showed anything personal, yet alone their thoughts, so these days it’s hard to know what is true or false, right or wrong. But with this maiden…It really was something appreciated…

 

"Would it be something I have done to upset you perhaps?"

Mahnu stared at him for a moment, then shock her head.

The King looked down at her. Clearly her answer wasn't good enough but Mahnu did not want to speak. How could she start now, on this topic, when she hadn't spoken on more critical issues in the past!?

"Does that mean that what I've done so far is appropriate behaviour?"

Mahnu didn't know how to respond. Was this some kind of trap? Was he using the fact that she didn't talk to his advantage? Because…His behaviour wasn’t really appropriate at all…Was it!?

Before she could come up with either a shake or nod of her head, the King interrupted her, "That's great then. I will continue to be myself!"

Her eyes widened, which made him laugh.

He didn't understand his need to want to constantly know what she is thinking.

Because of her stern look, he said blankly, that he was worried and cared for her and that's why he had asked.

"So, don't pull that face on me!" He said pointing a finger at her, feeling like he was talking to a child.

She remembered her past that held memories of a little girl and a young boy and believed that she was becoming too close to the King. Also, being close to someone, she knew she would have to endure useless emotions.

…The reason she calls them useless emotions…Was simply because humans die. Whether they die from old age or tragic deaths, if she got close to them, knowing this fate, wasn’t she stupid?

Yet, this ‘stupidity’ had been done before, and it was something she did want to use as an excuse to stay away…If she got too close…Then wouldn’t it hurt just as badly as the little girl and boy?

…Deciding on watching from a far instead, she left the party silently that very night.

 

***

 

Mahnu remembered her past and how the two young humans made such an important impact on her existence...

It was a couple of years after leaving the old hut and regaining her strength against her emotions, when she met the little girl around the year 680.

Mahnu was, at that time, still questioning herself and regretting all over again as she watched the silent small skirmishes from a far, the villagers growing, the corrupt and the greed that was happening all over Kralaide. Kings and Queens coming and going and the petty things that people did. The ones with the power not helping people but themselves, making the difference between the rich and poor grow even bigger.

The list, she thought, was too long to name everything. It doesn't help that I can read thoughts and see and feel all the sufferings.

Mahnu had always thought that she has had a cruel fate and whoever had created her must have hated her. But upon meeting the girl, Mahnu could think otherwise, even though it was for a short duration.

 

The girl she had meet had lost her family and also didn't speak at first. The girl thought that they had grown a small bond, as they had travelled together, but Mahnu had always tried to keep a distance between them. The girl had blossomed to a degree that Mahnu was even envious of. How can she be so happy with the circumstances? It didn't even take her long to start talking again, whereas Mahnu was sure at that time, she wouldn't ever speak again. Mahnu's impression of the difference between her and the girl was quite magnificent, as it seemed like she forgave easily.

The little girl even had called Mahnu 'Rose' and she had wanted to be called 'Princess', in which Mahnu never called her in person.

But Mahnu did call her 'Princess' in her thoughts.

Mahnu had watched her actions, as Princess had been the first human she had spent a decent amount of time with and sometimes she didn't understand anything that Princess did or said at all.

The smallest of things had made Princess smile, for instance, a flower, a butterfly and learning how to fish and it had seemed stupid to Mahnu. But one day, as she pulled a flower apart, she thought that maybe it didn't interest her because she had existed for so long, that all the flowers looked the same.

She tried to remember what she had felt like to see a butterfly for the first time. Had she been as entranced like Princess?

I guess I was, Mahnu had resigned to think.

The world had looked colourful and full of wonders, although she could only recall very little from the time when she was first created.

But why does the land look so bland now? She had wondered.

She had stopped herself, this girl was giving her questions in which she had no desire to have answered. If the world is bland, then that is how I'll live.

Mahnu's heart had closed again.