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, as they haven't interrupted her thoughts...It was...Peaceful. But...Now that she thought about the silence...She suddenly realized that it wasn't just today that the sufferings had not entered into her head...She can't remember feeling any type of sufferings the day before either!

Is that because of the King? Does he do to me as I do for him in regard to our status of God 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...

...There seemed to be a lot of new things that happened to her since meeting this one man!

***

"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 that there will be a consort entering into the palace."

This news of course was strange, because it looked like a consort had already unofficially entered into the palace!

"Why is a rumour already saying..."

"It was seen, My Queen, from an attendant that cleans His Majesty's bed chambers.”

The Queen showed a deep frown and was really surprised. She on purposely did not let many maids go near His Majesty's bed chambers, quite simply because of the small chance that he would take them in as consorts...But it looked like a maid had gone against her wishes completely!

If this was true...Then she already had someone else in the harem, someone that she must take care of straight away!

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!

A headache started to form, and the Queen tried to calm her thoughts, but nothing helped as her father's words seemed to grow louder within her mind...

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 God, what if she has a child?

The Queen sat down and started to panic. Even though her son was already the Crowned Prince, she still did not feel reassured!

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 her being close to the King. She knows that his family is 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 in frustration.

The Queen was worried about useless things and Mahnu had not been in this type of predicament before! She watched as others worried endlessly, but for the first time, she was the cause of someone feeling inadequate…Or was it that the Queen felt wronged?

Whatever the Queen was feeling, Mahnu felt like it was her fault and for the first time she felt like a big problem arose, even though it shouldn’t have in the first place!

Yet…Would that mean that the best solution to the Queen’s worries was for her to leave?

But could I stay away now? Mahnu questioned. It had become such a happy routine to follow, to hear and watch King Richard daily...But...Who knows what would happen with the Queen already unable to wait to meet this 'maid' and punish her accordingly...

Again, Mahnu sighed to her thoughts...

Thinking about him made her decide to see him while he was going to take his bath, as she knew that the Queen was already 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 with happy eyes...That slowly turned into desire...

"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? King Richard couldn’t help but intimately think of his Mahnu, as her luscious body went into his embrace.

It just seemed so unrealistic that she had not been with a man before him…Yes…He had seen it and felt it. He was positive that he had been her first!

He was also quite glad that she had dressed the way she had previously, as 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. If he only knew that she had an immortal body that heals itself, he would probably understand a bit more on how her skin was so soft. Yet, if he also knew that Mahnu had done many bad things to her body, that no human could withstand, he may even get scared! In fact, he would not only be scared, but he would be mad at her as well!

Nonetheless, he didn't deny the fact that he was glad he had been her first and hoped that it would only be him in her life. Normally he wouldn't feel insecure, as the only other woman he had was the Queen, but with his Mahnu, he felt like he could loss her at any time...Perhaps he really did need to pronounce to the world that he has another woman and tie her down to the palace...

…His thoughts surprised both himself and Mahnu, as he never knew that he was so possessive before!

He tightened his arms around her, 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 being a virgin, it had not bothered her. She didn't understand the importance of virginity. She had seen on two occasions virgins being used as a sacrifice, but beyond that, all it was to Mahnu was just someone that had not being sexual with another person...That was all...

At first, a very long time ago, she had thought that virginity is taken even if your private area is touched with a hand. But after just a number of months, she grew to realize that virginity is lost through intercourse instead. Nonetheless, virginity still didn't seem to mean anything to her...

"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."

God'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 that 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 that she felt the exact 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 in every aspect and wanted to see her every day. They could play with his daughter together, go on trips together. He was still as eager as days ago, to find out about her past and more about her personality. He still hadn't had the chance to give her flowers yet! How could she leave so quickly!?

Suddenly, he moved her to against the wall and pushed himself into her further.

So...Good, Mahnu knew that they both were thinking the same thing.

It almost felt like the end of the world, that those feelings that she had never understood from the humans. 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.

This man continued to say and do things that made her feel special, making her feel like perhaps she shouldn't leave, even if it was for a day.

All she wanted to do now was be here with him, even though it was just moments ago that she had stated that she was leaving...

Mahnu sighed. She knew of the saying, 'Home is where the heart is.' Perhaps, he too, was her new home...The only real home she has ever had...

"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 that she couldn't look away. She 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?" He asked, still not happy.

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.

This man really was relentless! He drove himself into her like a punishment, a sort of punishment where she forgot anything else but him!

"I can't hear!" She let out in a loud voice, unknowingly.

He moved her up. "Hear what?" And took in his mouth a hard nipple.

Why? How can something be so intoxicating! "Ahh!"

The King chuckled.