Remember Me

"Zedd, hurry up! Richard is hurt." Kahlan shouted at the wizard as he was making his way to her after she had sent Cara to get him. "What happened?" He asked as he knelt down next to Richard. "We were caught in an ambush. Richard had a bad feeling going here but Cara and me didn't want to listen. Zedd, please, heal him." Kahlan couldn't believe that Richard got hurt because of her stupidity. He knew that something would happen but they didn't want to listen. Just because they had reason to believe that Nicci was close.

What was she thinking? As if they had a chance against Nicci and most powerful Han, the world has ever seen. Nicci already made it to get out of the clutches of Darken Rahl. Why would she let her guard down right now where she was on the run?

But there was one little thing Kahlan couldn't understand and that was, how Nicci was able to get rid of her Rada'Han. Her power couldn't be more powerful than a Rada'Han. Or could it? Kahlan tried to forget those thoughts for the moment. Her stupidity brought Richard in danger. Just because he always kept an eye on her. He was always there to protect her but this time as he needed her, she let him down. "How could this happen, Kahlan? Richard is always careful. What happened?" "I'm so sorry, Zedd." Tears started welling up in her eyes and made her vision blurry. "Kahlan and me were chasing after Nicci, while Richard stayed back to fight off Nicci's guards. I wanted to help him, but he made me promise that I keep the Mother Confessor save. That her life is far more important so I ran after her to protect her, because I thought that Richard would wanted me to do that." "It's alright, Cara. I can heal him. So it's not so bad. Kahlan, I promise you, he will be okay." Kahlan heard Zedd's words, but she still saw Richards blood everywhere around him. It was a cruel sight. Seeing the man she loves lying on the floor with his blood everywhere and not reacting to her. It seemed as if he was dead, but fortunately he was just unconscious. Just! It could've been worse. And what if Cara wouldn't have been able to... Kahlan tried to banish those thoughts from her mind. Everything was alright now. Zedd was healing him. And as far as she knew Richard he wouldn't blame her for it. Although, she blames herself. "It's done," Zedd explained as he leaned back on his heels.

Waiting expectantly for Richard to wake up, Kahlan was holding his hand close to her heart. "Maybe we should bring him back to the palace now so he can rest and recover completely." Cara suggested. From aound her, Kahlan heard Zedd agreeing with her. But she was fixed on Richards face waiting for him to open his eyes. To look at her with all the love he felt for her and only her. That's what she needed now. Having Richard to tell her how much he loves her and that he doesn't blame for everything that happened. And the finally his eyes started to flicker and then he slowly opened them. Still looking a bit confused, he looked around and then his eyes found hers. But something was different. There was no small smile playing around his lips as he saw her. He was simply staring at her.

"Zedd, Cara, he's awake." The both of them were there in no time. Asking him how he's feeling and if he still remembers how it could happen that he was overrun by the guards. But Richard said nothing he was staring at them. "Maybe we should go now. It's quite a walk back to the palace. Cara and Zedd stood up to grab all their stuff. And Kahlan stood up and held her hand out for Richard to help him stand up. But he still was just looking at her. She couldn't shake the feeling off her that something was wrong but she couldn't put her finger on it. And then at last as he was standing on his own two feet again, he started to talk. "Where am I?" was his first question. Surprised that he didn't ask her if she's alright, Kahlan turned to him. "We're close to D'Hara and the People's Palace." "D'Hara? People's Palace?" His voice was raspy and hoarse. "What are we doing here?" He asked all of them as he slowly got up into a sitting position. It was also the first time as Kahlan noticed that his sword was nowhere to be seen. "Richard, where's your sword?" She had to ask him. It was then as Zedd and Cara noticed it too. But Richard was just blinking in confusion at her. "I don't know. Did I have a sword with me?" "Yes, of course you did. You always have it with you. You're the Seeker and it's your sword. The sword of Truth." "You didn't answer my question, ..." "Kahlan. Her name's Kahlan," Cara answered his unspoken question. "Kahlan. Alright. What are we doing here?" "We were chasing Nicci. She was so close we almost had her. "Nicci... Why were we chasing after her?" "Because she is dangerous, Richard. Why don't you remember that?" "I don't know. Why is she dangerous?" "Because she has the most powerful Han." Zedd explained to him. "Come on, we get you back to the Palace." "Who's palace?" Kahlan and Zedd were exchanging worried looks as Cara answered him. "Yours. You are the new Lord Rahl!" "I am who? What is going on here?" "Richard, what do you remember?" Zedd asked him in a suspicious tone. A tone Kahlan didn't like one bit. It meant that he thinks that something is wrong with Richard. "I remember... I think..." It took an awfully long time until he finally gave his final answer. "I can't remember anything." "WHAT!" Kahlan's voice almost squeaked. "You have to remember that you killed Darken Rahl and saved all the people and then not long ago you saved the world a second time. You defeated the Keeper, Richard. You have to remember all the things we've been through the last year." But Richard didn't remember anything of it. He had no idea what happened but in his mind everything was just black as if nothing happened before he woke up on the ground. But he could see in Kahlan's eyes that a lot of important things had happened. "Do you remember me?" Cara asked without hestitation. He looked at he for a long moment, but then he shook his head. Zedd asked him the same question and again he just shook his head. And then Kahlan asked him if he still remembers her. He looks right into her eyes. As if he was searching for a solution or something else in her eyes. She knew the answer already before he slowly looked down onto the ground and shook his head.

That moment was the longest in Kahlan's entire life. Richard couldn't remember her anymore. Whatever had happened, it was her fault that he couldn't remember her and the others now. It broke Kahlan's heart to see him, being able to touch him, to talk to him, but to know that he didn't remember that he loved her more than life itself. Was she selfish to think only of herself? After all it must've hurt Zedd as well that his grandson couldn't remember him. And Cara, she loved her Lord Rahl. Now, he didn't know her. Any of them! "Zedd, what are we going to do now?" He was scratching his scalp and bit his lower lip while he was thinking about a solution. But it turned out that he didn't know what to do.

XXXXXXXX

The weeks passed by and Kahlan, Zedd and Cara tried everything to make Richard remember anything, but nothing worked. On the morning, Zedd told them that he will ride to the Wizards Keep to see if he can find something there to bring his memories back. Kahlan suggested that Cara should accompany him just in case Nicci appears again. First Cara hadn't liked the idea of leaving Kahlan and Richard alone but Kahlan reassured her that they wouldn't leave the palace for anything. And she would keep her word, but Kahlan already had a plan in her head how it to get Richard's memories back. He had saved her so many times now it was up to Kahlan to save him in a way.

The days after Zedd and Cara were gone have been quite awkward for Kahlan. Usually, Richard and Kahlan would have been happy about a bit privacy but now it was just strange. Kahlan spent her whole time with Richard she told him everything that had happened and how they had met. And she could swear that she saw something in his eyes as she told me about the fateful day in the Hartland woods. But she couldn't tell what it was she saw in his eyes.

The days passed by and Richard and Kahlan became more and more familiar with each other. They went to the Garden of Life. They just walked through the palace to notice in the end that they lost their way. Or they were sitting in one of the libaries in the palace and were looking through the books there. Kahlan couldn't remember having so much fun before. Without any problems or threats. She could just enjoy Richard's company, even when they weren't talking. She enjoyed every minute of it. She loved just to watch him when he was reading something. The way his eyes followed the line he was reading. Everything he did was so familiar to her but still he couldn't remember that he loved her. And that was the most hurtful part of it all. She was so close to him but not close enough. Kahlan just wanted to feel his warmth, telling her that everything will be alright. Or holding her at night when she was lying in her big bed and wishing that he would remember her. Sometimes she lay awake for hours and cried.

And then one night as she couldn't fall asleep, it knocked on her door. "Kahlan? Are you still awake?" It was Richard's voice. Kahlan sat upright in her bed, clutching at her blanket and not knowing what to do. "Kahlan, can you hear me?" If she wouldn't answer him he would think that she would be asleep. Was it that what she wanted? He would just leave again. "I am still awake, Richard." Her voice was shaky and she didn't know why. Probably because she just had cried about her loss. And that she allowed her thoughts to think that she had lost Richard forever. Her plan to make him fall in love with her again didn't work out. Instead it seemed as if he was more interested in one of the palace staff. Of course, that girl was beautiful but Kahlan couldn't bear the thought of losing Richard to her. But he spent more and more time with her.

"Can I come in?" What! Did he really just asked for permission to enter her bedchambers? Yes, he did. Kahlan swollowed past the lump in her throat and answered. "Yes, please, come in." The door opened and Richard peeked his head through the small opening. "I'm sorry to knock this late at your door, but I thought you would still be awake." "It's alright, Richard. Come in." Slowly, he entered her bedchambers. The same chamber where they have spent their first night together after they returned to the People's Palace after defeating the Keeper. But all this seems to be over now, Richard doesn't seem to remember her anymore or anything. And her plan that he might fall in love with her again didn't work out either. Kahlan's hopes and dreams were just shattered this afternoon as she saw him talking with the girl from the Palace staff. He made her laugh and he laughed too. It broke her heart that it was another woman who made the man she loved so much laugh and not her. Just because Nicci put some horrible spell over him. And now Richard was probably there to tell her about his feelings for the other woman.

And even if he would do that, Kahlan would still love him. Quietly and very careful Richard came closer to her and the bed. Every movement Kahlan had memorized over all the months they had travelled together. Her gaze fell upon something shiny at his left hip. It couldn't be... It was... But how? It was lost and no one knew where it was. How does Richard could have it now? Her gaze lingered on his sword. The sword of truth! It was back again. "What are you looking at?" "Your... You have your..." She could form a real sentence. And as Richard was standing right in front of the footboard of the bed, Kahlan looked up, just to find his warm brown eyes fixed on her. And there it was the spark of love she was hoping to see someday again but doubted that it would ever happen. "Your sword!" she blurted out. "Yes, I was searching the surroundings where I fought all afternoon long. And then shortly before I wanted to stop because I had lost my hope I saw it. It must've been kicked away. But now I have it back. And it never felt better." Kahlan was on the verge of tears. He had his sword back but he didn't seem to remember her. Or anything they had been through. He was lost to her. She closed her eyes and hoped that she could hide her tears until he left the room. She heard his footsteps, he was moving. 'That's it,' she thought. But his footsteps didn't disappear in the distance they came closer. And then she felt the mattress move under his weight. Why was he sitting down on the bed? And then she felt his arms around her. His breath on her cheek. Richard was so close to her. He kissed her cheek and comforted her. Her tears had changed into uncontrollable sobs. She let go of everything the whole anxiety of the last weeks. She felt so save in Richard's arms. Knowing that this would probably the last time that he would hold her and comfort her. She gripped his shirt as if she would hold on to dear life. He was smoothing down her hair and shushing her.

As she felt his warm breath right next to her ear. "Everything is alright, my love. There is no reason for you to cry." Shocked Kahlan stopped sobbing and freed herself from his arms. "What! What did you say?" "What? Am I not allowed to call my furture wife 'my love'. If she doesn't like it she can tell me without pushing me away." "Are you saying that you... remember me then? And everything else?" "Yes, I do. I don't know how or what I did or maybe it was Zedd, but I remember everything. Thank you so much for not giving up on me." But Kahlan didn't respond. She finally had her Richard back. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed every inch of his face. Surprised by her attack, Richard lost his balance was laying on his back with Kahlan above him kissing him without a pause and mumbling in between kisses 'You remember me!"

The End