Mahnu, An Immortal's Journey

Chapter 36

As Mahnu told Richard and William the story of Princess, they both interrupted, asking why she didn't talk and why Mahnu had felt different to Princess.

They turned silent at her answers, as they were sad, and she continued on so they wouldn't pity her...

They laughed when she told them about teaching Princess on how to clean, sew, fish and play an instrument, while without speaking. As she said these matters, Mahnu flew along with the story as though she had gone back in time.

Now that she thought about it and told others, it was actually embarrassing and funny...Back then though, she had thought it troublesome!

It had been so many years, but it looked like her view upon the world had changed since then. She didn't even know that she used to be worse than she was now, with how stubborn she was!

Telling people about her past, made her realize this fact and Mahnu couldn't help but get hurt by their laughter! She felt like it wasn't funny enough to go red with laughter, when she had 'stolen' Princess's husband, having him nearly fall down a tree.

Another time they had gone red, was when she didn't think that pointing to an ingredient when cooking, could cause so much trouble!

Princess was to blame for this!

She took the wrong ingredient and dinner that night had been terrible!

How could she watch each and every movement she had done! And, on top of that, Princess had made what it was, just a few days earlier, yet she had already forgotten what ingredient was needed!

Then, Princess told her future husband that Mahnu was strange...In the past, Mahnu didn't find herself strange at all and had wanted to speak of this but did not dare open her mouth for something so trivial!

What she saw though, was that conversation seemed to have given them something to break the ice and start a conversation!

It took a while, but after some time, Mahnu realized that she had done a great job! She had found the best husband and the reason they were able to start to get to know of one another, was because of her!

Pride filled her, remembering these memories, and Mahnu showed it in her speech...

When she had finished talking about Princess, they were quiet, William thinking that if that was a happy story, then how sad would a sad story be?

He finally saw that the story that was told was more based upon misunderstandings and bad reasons that landed upon survival and a forced relationship.

Fair enough, he learnt that in that time the relationships were a little different, but now, that he thought back to when he had laughed, he suddenly felt that compared to jokes and other funny stories...This one was sad...

A little girl not talking, she needing help to survive, being taught things by a stranger, who didn't talk herself due to misfortunate circumstances...Nearly being taking away by thugs...

William took a breath and didn't think that the history of Kralaide would be as sad. He was thinking that perhaps they had a golden age and the children where freer then they are today. More money, more happiness...But, suddenly, all his ideas seemed to go up in smoke!

...And it wasn't just William that worried about Mahnu's history...

The King was staring at her, having stopped his 'busy' work quite some time ago.

He smiled when he thought that they will make some beautiful, happy stories. Stories where Mahnu can bring true happiness to not only herself but to those who hear it!