Chapter 6 Changes, Lies and Trust

Marianna felt slightly bad about lying. Since she was out of the hospital ward, because her injuries were cured, except her left leg which was not yet fully healed, everybody was really nice to her.

They had pity with her, cos she had no memory, and therefore wanted to make her feel better. But nobody knew that she had full knowledge of what happened to her and who she was. She was to scared to tell them the real reason why she was found barely alive in a boat. Besides she was the enemy in their eyes and if she would come out with the truth, she wouldn´t have time to regret telling them before they would toss her in the dungeon or kill her. No one would ever know that she was Khivars daughter, she would make sure of that. Also she didn´t plan to stay too long. She would play the helpless little girl until she was doing better and then they would never see her again. Until then she had to make sure that she didn´t bind ties to the people of the castle. Althrough it would be difficult for her, because Vilandra and Ava were so friendly to her. They showed her the whole palace and told her stories to every room. Marianna was not used beeing around girls. The only female influence that she ever had was her mother. It was really nice with them and they had no reason to like her, she was a complete stranger and for all they knew she could be an assassin. But they accepted her and made her feel like home. Even Mael and Abidale treated her like a member of their family. They gave her a room where she could sleep as long as she was in the palace. And the King himself did everything to look after her parents or any relations so that her people would know that she was alive. But Marianna knew that nobody would report back. She was surprised that nobody recognized her as Khivars daughter. Or realized that she wore the uniform of the royal soldiers of Khivar. But that was better this way. That way she could rest and restore her power. And when the day came that she was strong enough, she would go back to her father and kill him real slowly. She would let him suffer for all the pain he caused her. And if it would be the last thing she did. She promised her mother that her father wouldn´t get away with this.

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a hand that waved infront of her face.

" Hey, I´m trying to talk to you for a few minutes now", Marianna didn´t know that she was so spaced out. But now she noticed that Rath had made an appearance. He was standing infront of her and looked concerned. His beautiful amber eyes stared back at her.

" Sorry", Marianna shook her head." What is it?"

" Vilandra and Ava are looking for you." Rath seemed to try to remember the reason" Something about new clothes or so." He had to refrain from laughing" I didn´t exactly listen".

Marianna had to laugh. She didn´t know Rath very long, But what she gathered from him was that he hated listening to "girl talk" as he refers to it. He was difficult to read. Sometimes he was so rude and seemed to hate everybody and then she saw the other side of him. The side of the protective brother, the concerned best friend or the good son." Tell them that they should go without me. I´m not up to it today"

" Is everything allright", Rath had noticed that somethimes she would just sit in the family room and stare thoughtful out of the window or other times she seemed to be in her own world. He was afraid that she would remember her parents and then he would never see her again.

" Yeah. I think all the things caught up with me finally", Marianna looked to the sky above her." You know, the strange people and the strange surroundings". And the fact, that she had no home and no family. No one who could help her.

" I understand", Rath caught her suprised look." Ok, I don´t. But if you need someone to listen, I´m here for you", he earned a raised eyebrow." I can listen if I want. Really".

" Thank you", Marianna couldn´t understand why he was so nice to her. After all she had tried to strangle him at the first sight. And now he was always by her side and looked after her. Everyday she was on the brink of telling him her secret. But something told her she shouldn´t do it.

" If you don´t want to be alone, you can go with us. Zan and I are going to a warrior battle"

" No thank you" even if Marianna didn´t want to be alone, she wouldn´t go to such a thing. It was enough when the pictures from the murderer of your own mother disturbed her dreams at night. But to see how two men fought for their lives, that was not something she would do in her free time. " I have plans with your father in a few hours", this time Marianna earned a startled look." Not that, you moron", she punched Rath´s arm lightly." He only wants to speak with me".

Rath rubbed his arm" Ok. Then I´ll see you in the morning".

Before Marianna could reply something he was on his way back to his room. She looked after his retreating back. If she wasn´t careful she would fall for him. And that was the last she needed. No she couldn´t do that to him. Besides he didn´t know who she was. As soon as he would know, he would hate her for sure.

She couldn´t allow to trust this people. She would never trust anybody again. You could only trust yourself and that she would do. She had to harden her heart to the whole family. No matter what they did, she had to stay strong.

With that thought in mind she went to her temporary room. She had to work on her plan to kill her father before she met with Mael.

And after several schemes and tactics how she could attack her father without the guards and the soldier knowing, she discovered that she had to be in the common room.

Immediately she stuffed the evidence under her mattress and made her way there.

With every step she took she grew nervous and the feeling of uneasiness consumed her.

As she stood befor the big wood door a picture of her fathers study door came to her mind and what she awaited behind it.

Marianna shook her head to get rid of the aweful memory and opened the door really slowly.

Her heart was beating like crazy and her hands were shaking.

But then she saw the friendly faces of Mael and Abidale, who were sitting by the fireplace.

Both turned to her as she walked to them. Abidale stood up from her armchair and went to her.

" How are you today?", she asked concerned. She was like her mother and it was nice to know that it mattered to somebody how she felt.

" I´m better, thank you", she replied while she took a seat infront of the fireplace.

" You are wondering why I wanted to talk to you, aren´t you?", began Mael who stayed on his feet and look down on Marianna. She felt like a little girl who did something wrong and was being lectured about it. She nodded and waited what he had to say." My wife and I have long pondered what we could do with you. Nobody knows you or knows where you´re from. And as long as you don´t remember anything, we can do nothing. Therefore we all, meaning we both" Mael pointed to his wife and himself." The queen and the king, decided to take you in our family" he faced Marianna and waited for a reaction.

" But you don´t know me" Marianna was touched if not surprised. Why on earth would they decide to take a stranger in? Why couldn´t they be like her father? Why were they so nice and trusting towards her? They made it really hard on her "No attachment" rule. But what had she to lose? In a few month she was gone anyway.

" It doesn´t matter to us", Abidale laid her hand on Mariannas. The gesture touched something inside of her. Her mother had done that when she was sad. " You´re still young and you need guidance and protection. We can give you that".

" Besides Rath likes you and he doesn´t let people close", added Mael with a smile. He knew his son and nobody had managed to get under his skin so easily.

Marianna couldn´t struggle against the arguments and before she knew she agreed to it. Either it was the hopefully faces or the smell of the room, she didn´t know. But she would be living as a full member of the royal family now. What had she thought? Now she had to move her plan really fast before she began to love this people. Oh Boy what had she done!

TBC