Mahnu waited until the knights and the imbecile King was out of town and then she left also. When she reached the river out of the town, she found a rock and cleaned herself. Thinking back to all the times when she had been dirty and never really cared to clean herself, she was surprised to be wanting to be clean before standing in front of that man again…

The rock made her bleed again in some places, but the water was washing both the old and new blood away. Unable to clean everywhere, Mahnu could only put the clothes on herself again and search where the King was, practically running in that direction. As soon as she was close enough to read his thoughts, she smiled and was glad she went towards the southern road that lead into Bracken.

Richard was even waiting for her, giving her directions to find him. She shook her head but laughed. She had missed him! She found herself unable to stop herself from feeling happy, even with the way things were. There were God’s running amuck and there were slaves that could die within the next day or two…But it was hard to stifle down the happiness of seeing that man again…Richard. The one who had helped her the most while she had been tortured and who had helped her be able to free herself was none other than the one that she was going to see very soon!

Hearing other’s thoughts now, she knew that the King was hiding himself away from the others and that he didn’t want her to be seen by them. He wanted to see her first!

Upon finally being in front of the idiot King, Mahnu felt a strange need to rush into his arms…But…He had been very silly! The anger hadn’t completely disappeared, and Mahnu felt like she had to let it out!

Mahnu stared at the King, and said, "You're an idiot!"

"Yes, I'm an idiot. But now you're free, so it worked! Now come here."

King Richard put his arms out to her, and she stopped in front of them. She really wanted to go into them, but…She wanted to scold him some more!

Why was it that she wasn’t as angry as she was a second ago though?

‘Come here.’ Repeated into her mind and she couldn’t help but feel special. Of course, he had missed me too!

She felt it, heard it and knew it completely…That he had missed her just as much as she missed him…Perhaps he had even missed her more!

At a loss, because she had never felt so special, Mahnu could only stand there in a daze…

The King smiled and stepped forward, taking her into his arms. "Mmm...I've missed you."

I know, Mahnu though, letting herself be embraced by him and feeling better. She had definitely missed this! It had taken a while to get used to the touch of another, now, she felt like she didn’t want to do without it. His smell, his warm hands and how she fit nicely against him, only made it feel like the only good fate she ever had, was meeting this man! How can something so small, make everything better?

Just one human, made my existence feel worthwhile…

Finally, the King felt normal again…Even though it really hadn't been that long since he saw her last. Now, holding her, he finally let go and relaxed, like he'd come home after years of being away.

He stepped back against a tree, taking her with him, and sat down. "You are really adorable when you're angry."

Mahnu lifted her head and looked at him furiously, only for him to pull her head towards him for a kiss.

Her anger vanished completely, unable to fight at all against something that she also wanted, and she lost herself to him easily.

She found it quite weird that all the time without him seemed to wash away as she let her mouth get taken away by his. Without having done this type of thing for a thousand years, how was it that she was able to do this like she had a month ago?

Feeling his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her as she was him, she felt like time was stopping, or at least it slowing down.

Her sufferings had disappeared the moment that she had gotten angry and it seemed like nothing else mattered right now. Nothing else, besides his lips…Besides this man that made her feel special…

They didn't part till they were panting, both Mahnu and the King though had still not gotten their fill of the other. They hadn’t seen each other for weeks and just one hug and one kiss, was not enough!

Mahnu was more thinking that she wanted to make her time with Richard as grand as it good be, with the little time that she had left with him. The King on the other hand had found that natural part about himself that seemed to only come out with Mahnu. He as a man wanted this woman by his side, he as ruler, wanted to relieve himself of his duties just by being in her company. He knew that it was somewhat unexplainable, but it was something that he had accepted, even before Mahnu had left him in Conrella.

Should I tell her that I know she's a God? He asked himself.

Her body went stiff and he remembered that she could hear his thoughts. He held her tighter and said, "It's fine. Marcus told me what he knew. But even though you are a God, you shouldn't have let them capture you."

Mahnu put her forehead against his and remembered the past month. "They didn't capture me. I wanted to try and talk them into peace."

"So, they didn't torture you?"

Mahnu made a face of pain, shivering slightly, and King Richard said in haste, "They did, didn't they?!"

"It's okay. It's nothing I don't deserve. Besides, I'm free now and we have to get the box ready."

"…Not yet."

Mahnu looked at him, his voice was strange, and his eyes stared at her with longing. "What's wrong? They won't stop..."

The King, holding Mahnu even closer, stopped her. He looked at her with eyes full of desire and pushed her against him. Even through all the layers of clothes, she could feel his obvious want for her…

Just a little bit longer, his thoughts penetrated hers and she consented to him as her body and her heart were unable to say no. Now that she was with him again, she found that all that time without him had been building up inside of her and she had missed him more then she had originally realized. She had already known that she had missed him, but it was surprising on how much!

He lifted her clothes and put his to the side and he placed her on top of him, guiding her body to where they both seemed to want to be.

Mahnu let him guide her and felt a bit of pain, but it went away quickly.

Feeling one of his arms around her waist, helping her move up and down from his lap, his other hand was around her neck. Not going against his push, she melted as he started to kiss her once again. From this kiss, it led to more as he wanted her to move, so that he could take her breasts into his mouth, then he nibbled onto her ear. He kissed numerous other places that he thought might have been tortured and not only that…He wanted to refresh her memory upon making love to him…He really didn’t want her to leave him again…Ever!

Mahnu was helpless against his hands and mouth…It wasn’t too long before she felt the overpowering, great feeling start to grow inside her and make her hear herself unknowingly moan in return to the pleasure.

When Richard felt like Mahnu was starting to get taken by the feeling and slow down, he put his hands upon her lower waist and made her go faster, loving her reaction to it!

Not wanting her cries, plea’s and moans to be heard any longer, Richard claimed her mouth with his and pushed her hard into him.

It wasn’t easy to keep her voice at bay, especially when he wanted to be deep within her and keep at a pace that was making her look completely gorgeous in his eyes!

Not wanting to stop, he took some of her clothes into one of his hands, while his other hand continued to move Mahnu. Her tightened and trembling, heavy breathing and smooth skin nearly tipped him over with her into heaven, but he was holding himself back!

Even if it took another hour, Richard was determined to make this person unable to live without him!

He wanted more conversations, more moans and pleas, more touching and smiling…He wanted more!

They felt everything else around them disappear, eagerly discovering each other once again and they both continued to think…Just a little bit longer…

***

After, when their breathing started to slow, the King looked at her, "I want to hear about you after this. I want to know everything about you."

Her blushing, desire look started to disappear as she took a small moment…

Mahnu had time to think, as she had been tortured and left in the dark for those days, and this sentence saddened her…But…She didn’t want Richard to know just yet. If she told him that she was determined to disappear with Thelmos and Eliza…

Mahnu sighed, laying against him and she could only say, "I've lived a long time..."

King Richard interrupted her, "Yes, that you have, but you aren't alone now, and I want to share your loneliness and all that sadness you felt in the past."

He put a hand lovingly on her face and looked down at her as though she was the most precious thing on the land. "Will you share...Will you share yourself with me?" He asked her. Actually, he wanted more. He wanted to share everything, she with him and he with her. For some reason, that sounded like a great plan! And he wanted it all right now!

…He never knew how impatient he was!

Mahnu stared back at him. Her heart was captivated by him and his words, it was the most beautiful question she'd ever heard. No one had ever wanted to get to know her in the past. Even King Maximus had not asked about anything that didn’t relate to the God’s and what they needed to do. Of course, King Maximus knew that she was being a betrayer, but he never really got to know personally upon who Mahnu was.

For over a thousand years, she had been so alone, and no one really knew how she had lived…

…She really wanted to just blurt everything out, let him know everything! From being new and freshly made, to having hearing thoughts and knowing the past…To how she had overcome her depression and helped the humans in the past…She just wanted to let it all out!

Why? Why did she want to let her secrets out?

It was scary to ask this question, because it would obviously lead to trust, yet…She knew she already trusted this man. This man had made her feel special and already knew that she was a God, an immortal that doesn’t die…

A unknowing tear fell down her cheek and the King wiped it away gently.

He put his other hand on the other side of her face and kissed her eyes. My beautiful Mahnu, please don't cry.

But his thoughts only made her want to cry more…

"Ah! Your Majesty...Excuse me."

Mahnu looked away and covered her front, wiping at her eyes, while King Richard answered. "Yes?"

The King didn't even try to hide his naked chest and some of Mahnu’s exposed naked thighs. Even though Mahnu could read minds, Richard wasn’t sure why he didn’t do anything just now. Whether it was because he wanted people to know that Mahnu was his woman, or something else…It confused him, but yet again, it was just something that he accepted…Well, just as long as they don’t see too much of her, Richard thought, as he decided to cover her thighs a bit more.

"The knights are restless. They have finally accepted what was said about the God's and are getting scared."

Mahnu looked at Marcus and said, "I don't blame them, we should finish this before they open The Chest of the God's or use the slaves for war or..."

"Okay!" King Richard sighs, "We will be there, as soon as I am finished here!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Marcus bowed and walked away, still in shock of their close relationship. He knew King Richard wasn't normally someone that had other women besides the Queen…But, remembering the King's expressions and words when it came to Mahnu, it seemed to all make sense now!

Could it be possible? Not only for the King to love another woman but for a God to fall in love?

Whether he could answer those questions or not, it didn’t matter now! It was obvious that the King had a new woman and that she will most definitely hold some other kind of power now…

Not only was she a God, an immortal, she was now a woman of the King…How much power could one woman have!?

Marcus didn’t want to go more in depth into that question…