Mahnu, An Immortal's Journey

Chapter 32

The King returned in the early afternoon, to see Mahnu at the windowsill.

"Have you been resting well?" He asked, after kissing her head.

"I feel fine now."

King Richard felt something strange as he saw that she hadn't even turned to him.

Was she in a bad mood? Did I do something wrong? He wondered.

"Yes! Don't make people call me by a title. I have a name!" Mahnu's outburst shocked both him and herself!

The King didn't know how to respond. "They call you that because..."

"Yes, I know. Make it stop, please."

But, it's tradition to call a King's woman, Your Highness, he thought.

"I will not answer to it!" Mahnu stated, putting her arms across her chest!

The King found himself a little scared. His woman was really angry, and she still had yet to turn around and look at him.

Including of what she was demanding, King Richard felt like there was something wrong. "Mahnu? What's wrong?"

Mahnu finally turned to him and he saw a bandage around her arm. "Are you hurt?!"

"Stop it!"

The King stopped. Something was desperately wrong. "Mahnu?"

"That's right!" She sniffed, a tear running down her cheek. "That's my name! Please don't take it away from me!"

Sitting down next to her, he sighed to her worries, then he pulled her into his arms and heard her start to cry. He patted her head and rocked her, trying to understand why she was suddenly...Like this...

My sweet, beloved Mahnu, I will never forget your name...Please don't get upset...

Surely, she couldn't be upset to this degree just over that...Was there another reason?

Mahnu stopped crying as his warmth filled her. Had she always found comfort in his embrace?

Now that he was here, Mahnu felt herself calm down. Had she got mad because she missed him? It seemed so strange to her that she no longer was mad or sad now that he was holding her.

"I'm sorry but I feel better now." Mahnu sat back against the wall of the window again and wiped her eyes. "I've felt strange today. Maybe I'm having withdrawals from being a God...Or too much has happened too fast..."

The King picked up her arm, to investigate her wound, but said, "Did the doctor give you medicine?"

Why is she hurt?

"Don't get mad at anyone. I did that. It looks like I am still mortal...And I told the doctor to not worry about medicine."

Swearing under his breath, he stood up but Mahnu stopped him. "I told you not to get mad."

The King sighed, and said, "Then what am I supposed to do!?"

Mahnu continued to stare at him. "The doctor only found that my temperature was a little higher but that nothing else was wrong. I told him I felt healthy. You know as well as I that getting my memories back would do something! Let it go..."

Closing his eyes, the King slowly breathed out, wishing he had brought along his own personal doctors, "But he is to check you again tomorrow."

Mahnu smiled and nodded.

"And this?" He put her arm gently in front of her, demanding an explanation. "Are you..."

King Richard put his other hand to his mouth, unable to utter another word.