King Richard did not let go of Mahnu's hand, even when walking up to Marcus and the rest of the knights. They had all gathered away from the tents, close to the river that led into Brackan. Only two big torches were used to light up the area, yet it still wasn’t enough to show all of the soldiers there. So many of them were in the dark and one couldn’t tell when they ended, and that the scenery began.

As the King and Mahnu arrive, the knights all went silent and Mahnu heard their confused thoughts. Not only were they thinking about the two God's inside of Brackan but her as well.

The King nodded to a few of them, looking totally oblivious to the aura of doubts surrounding him at that moment. Even if he did understand their thoughts and feelings…It seemed like he was just too happy to care at the moment!

But Mahnu could not act like Richard, how could she when she heard what they weren’t saying?

"I will not harm you." Mahnu said.

"Yes, please men. Be rest assured Mahnu is and has always been on our side." Marcus said out loud and proud.

"But isn't she a God?"

"We saw it!"

"The God's really don't die!"

Mumbles of scared soldiers went around their gathering and Mahnu was at a loss for words. To speak to so many to declare her innocence, seemed to be such a big step for her. She was still getting used to talking to only one person...

"Enough!" King Richard said firmly. "Mahnu is our saviour. Without her, we wouldn't even be here today! If that is not enough, then I can tell you that in my time, I have only seen her help me, this land and the people. In my eyes...She is the heart of Kralaide!"

Everyone went silent and showed many different looks. Some didn’t believe it, some did but were confused on how it had happened. Some were still scared and unaccepting and then there were the few that admired her…

Mahnu looked at the King and heard what wasn't said, while he turned and looked at her. That's right Mahnu, you hold my heart too.

He squeezed her hand, in which were now hiding behind him, and he then turned back to the knights. "And now we depend on her once again for the future of mankind. Put your trust in her, as I do, and we can contain the threat that those two God's have...Marcus, did you bring what Mahnu asked for?"

 

Marcus unwrapped something in William's hands that revealed a box. Mahnu nodded to William in acknowledgement at his smile.

…Why was he so eager to talk to her?

Not having enough time to read William’s direct thoughts, Mahnu was interrupted by Marcus who came to stand before her and the King.

"Is this sufficient enough for our needs Mahnu?" Marcus asked, picking up the box and giving it to her.

Mahnu only quickly examined it, seeing it had all the ingredients needed and nodded, "Yes, good job. A lockable, contained box with gold and silver. Thank you."

"What happens now?" King Richard asked her.

"In the previous chest, to contain approximately one hundred God's, it took the future sight from all three prophets, about five hundred lives from Havlish, dreams of any King and drained my God powers for about a month."
The hush that went over the gathering still seemed loud to Mahnu, as the humans heard the price of their freedom.

She looked at the King, to see his questioned look back at her. "Yes, Richard, you have dreams of The Siege, even though you weren't even there."

King Richard stared back at her and finally nodded. "I know I had dreams, but it was hard to ever recollect what they were about."

 

The soldiers were completely stunned to the truth. Even every King was involved in what was sacrificed? How would they ever create something like that again! Even prophets no longer existed! Five…Five hundred people’s lives…

There was one person though that had different thoughts, most likely because they already knew much about The Siege…And that was, he had heard Mahnu call His Majesty ‘Richard’…

"I realized after the first time you fell asleep, and I was close enough to read your thoughts. King Maximus wanted any future King to remember what had happened and that is how you remember it. It really stunned me, seeing my own past through you..."

The King squeezed her hand again, understanding a few more things about her and himself. Remembering why she had looked at him so strangely when he had been at Havlish that time and maybe…When they had been on the way to Conrella, was she grumpy because of his dreams instead?

Silence filled the gathering and Mahnu listened to their thoughts. A question lingered on many of their minds and that was sacrificing lives to entrap the God's inside.

"I do not think it will be the same this time." Mahnu said, seeing everyone look at her. She had enough time while being tortured to think of this very solution…

"I will be the only one to sacrifice this time." She said, not daring to look at the King.

"Mahnu?" Both King Richard and Marcus said.

"I will sacrifice my immortality instead. So, human lives should be spared."

Again, there was silence. To everyone else, they could possibly hear birds chirp from a far distance or a pin drop to the ground, but to Mahnu…It was not silent at all…

 

King Richard wondered a question that she was unsure of how to reply to.

…Does that mean you will die?

Marcus concluded to the same question also.

"No!" They both said to her.

"You know everything that happened, you could teach the people..."

King Richard interrupted Marcus, "How is it right that the Saviour of Mankind becomes the sacrifice? That isn't fair!"

I want you to be with me! The Kings pleading thoughts made Mahnu finally look at him.

"Then you want to kill people, Your Majesty?"

She knew her words would hurt him. But, realistically, that is what would happen. Sacrificing one life for many...A King should know which one to pick, she thought.

King Richard gave her a pained look and turned away from her. Just when I get you back...You continue to try and escape my grasp every single time...If there was a way to have no sacrifices, I would choose that!

His thoughts hurt her in return as she knew that would be a better solution but knew that this outcome was forced upon them.

…Through this though, she realized he was still holding tightly onto her hand. He didn’t hate her, nor was he mad at her, he just wished that the circumstances could be different…

Wanting to take this opportunity, Mahnu took a deep breath in and cleared her throat, "It's settled then."

She knew doing this was going to be difficult, especially since she had to say goodbye to the only thing that made her existence worthwhile…But saying that it was settled, nearly already broke her heart!

I’m not ready…But…Would I ever be ready and willing?

Again, she questioned her fate…

 

"Wait! What about the other sacrifices?" Marcus asked.

Mahnu breathed in again, "I will also fulfil those too."

"No!" Again, both Marcus and the King responded.

"Why you?!" The King yelled, startling many.

"Let us do them, you already have done enough!" Marcus pleaded.

Their words were really sweet to her. For so long she wanted to not exist or sleep for eternity and here they were fighting for her to stay!

"Please don't." Mahnu said, covering her mouth and turning away from everyone. How could they deny her this?

I have already excepted this fate!

She had come to this conclusion while being tortured, that she was going to give all of herself for this box. That it could possibly be what she was destined to do all this time. Because of what she could do, it made sense that this could be her last act. It would remove all of the God's from Kralaide, and the humans will have to help themselves from that point onward.

"Put the box away for now, we need to discuss this further." King Richard turned, pulling Mahnu with him as he walked towards his own personal tent.

 

 

Once the two of them were inside the King's tent, he grabbed her shoulders and angrily said, "What are you thinking? Do you hate the thought of being here that much!?"

…Do you hate the thought of being with me!?

Mahnu looked away from him and his thoughts, "Do you know what it's like to be stuck here, branded as a betrayer, immortal and knowing the suffering of all the humans? Don't you think I've endured enough?" Her voice ended close to a whisper. Already, King Richard felt like she was like the breeze. In one swift moment, would she just disappear?

His heart ached for her to stay!

She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry.

…There was no point in becoming emotional now that I have already decided to end my fate.

It was just…The King’s feelings were washing over her and making her really sad now and she was unable to be indifferent at this precise moment…

"I doubt I have ever come close to what you have had to endure...But Mahnu...Is it so much for a man to ask for his woman to be by his side!?"

Mahnu looked at him and saw his face. He looked so sad. His question was really quite simple. Not a King or a God. Nor what town you’re from. Just for one person to be with another.

 

She put a hand to his face and whispered, "Do you not know how special you are to me?"

He leaned his head into her hand and Mahnu thought for a moment he might cry.

"Is there...If you give up your immortality...?"

Mahnu answered, trying hard to stay emotionless but felt herself tumbling down from the big emotional cliff that she had tried to place herself on, "I am not sure what will happen…I am sorry, but it is something that I must do..."

The King grabbed her, forcing her closer, "Why? If something is to happen to you, then I'd be sacrificing too! Do you want that?"

He was mad at her. She could understand...But she was sure this was the best solution for everybody.

How could her existence, which meant little, be more meaningful to humans who had loved ones?

She really could see the difference! She had very little humans she was close to and even though she had helped people survive all these years…Could she stop now? Had she not done enough? Had she not sacrificed enough?

With Mahnu was asking these questions, tears did threaten to once again fall from her eyes, because she knew that for once, she didn’t want to leave! She wanted to stay! She wanted to live a life with Richard and experience what he has to offer her! But…She knew if she opened that part of her heart, she probably wouldn’t have the courage to do what she must!

"Dammit!" King Richard yelled. I don't know what to do...How do I keep my beloved with me, without sacrificing any human lives?

His thoughts were quite traumatized, holding a lot of emotion, making Mahnu stay silent. Letting her hand fall, she stood there quietly, waiting for him to calm down.

 

"Thank you, Richard." Mahnu finally broke their silence, "Just to have you react this way, really makes everything worth it. I've never felt so loved by another before...And...Thank you..."

A tear fell to his clothes and Mahnu tried to calm down also. Why does she feel like her heart was breaking?

Saying goodbye was something she had really never done before. Not to Princess or to the boy, not to towns, not even previously to Richard…Actually, hadn’t she done so once already?

That’s right, Mahnu wiped her eyes and sighed, even back then she had felt somewhat connected to him, even if it was only because of the past that he dreamt about.

But, now, that there may not be a future, she felt absolutely obligated to tell him how special he was to her! How much he has done for her and how much he made her happy! That her existence felt like it had a purpose when she had met him!

King Richard pulled her face towards him and kissed her gently. He thanked her in his thoughts. While kissing her eyes, he thanked her for seeing him for himself. Kissing her mouth, he thanked her for taking the chance to talk to him. Nibbling on her ear, he thanked her for listening to him.

All these feelings reminded her of the boy from a long time ago. He had thanked her and said that she had suffered. Mahnu closed her eyes thinking, yes, yes, I have suffered…

 

Mahnu was defeated with all of Richard's thanks and accepted each and every one because she wasn't sure how much time she had left. She wanted tonight to be special, so she tried not to think of the big possibility that she may never see this man again.

She had never felt closer to humans, as she did now, as she finally understood about being worried that tomorrow would come sooner then she wants it too. She wanted time to stop, she wanted to make the best of what she holds dear to her heart…

And just how Richard had thanked her, Mahnu thanked him in return, kissing his eyes, mouth and ears. She took the courage to leave marks on his body, giving her a sense of pride as well as selfishly wanting him to not forget her easily. She made him lay there, while she took control, making him unable to do anything, because she wanted to show him how much she wanted him, how much she wanted to tease him and wanted him to beg her to him give more…Of course, she did what she was told!

She gave her all to him, even when he took over afterwards, and Richard did feel a strange difference this time when they were making love but didn’t question it…As he was too busy with his blushing beauty!

 

***