Authors note: This is set just after Desecrated and is about the confessors' reaction to the massacre in Brennidon. I thought I should mention this is totally based on the TV series so sorry if I get any facts wrong that are in the books.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the LOTS stuff, just the story line
A lot had happened on Richard's birthday and he was unsure what to think about it. Although, one thing that stood out to him was how sad the Midlands felt on that day. It was almost like everybody was mourning the massacre of Brennidon. He decided to ask Kahlan about it as she had lived in the Midlands all her life. Of course, it would have been a lot easier to ask Zedd or Cara, but neither of them lived in the Midlands and even if Cara knew about it, she would never mourn it.
It was that night, when they were sat around the campfire, that he posed the question, "Kahlan, does everyone mourn the massacre of Brennidon?" Kahlan looked almost scared by his question, as if there was something she didn't want to tell him.
Knowing her confessor mask was slipping, she strengthened it, wondering how she was going to answer Richard's question without telling him the whole story. She decided to play dumb, "As far as I know, most towns do. I would be surprised if there was one that didn't, you have to remember that this was the first real attack on the Midlands Darken Rahl made." She snapped her mouth shut, hoping Richard would just leave it at that, but she knew Richard, and he knew her. He could read her every thought and tell when she was hiding something.
Again she was right, "But there's more to it isn't there?"
"Yes and no." She replied, wishing he would just drop it. His inquisitive mind was mostly a good trait of his, but sometime it could get very annoying.
"Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?" He was wondering what she had managed to hide from him all this time. Whatever it was, it sounded important, her secrecy made him want to know even more.
Kahlan laughed at the thought of Richard trying to guess, he never would. She began her story, her voice wavering slightly "Before the massacre, I had only heard of the Seeker in songs and fairytales, but I knew he had the potential to exist in the real world. It was about a week after, that a messenger came from Aydindril bearing news of the massacre. I remember my mother falling to the floor and weeping, my father holding her and me crying because she was. Although, it was mere moments before she controlled herself and stood tall again. The messenger also said that my presence was needed in Aydindril and that we were to leave immediately."
"Wait, I thought you were younger than me, how can you be remembering all that if you weren't even born then?" Richard started to wonder how old Kahlan really was. He suddenly realised that he had never even asked when her birthday was, let alone how old was she.
A sharp slap on the head bought him back to reality. "Where are your manners Richard? You never ask a woman for their age, even if you're only implying it. When will you ever learn?" Zedd scolded him.
Richard scrambled around for an answer, "I didn't mean it like that I just..."
"It's ok Richard, I don't mind you asking. I was four at the time; I am twenty-seven now." Kahlan interrupted Richards mumbling, grinning at his embarrassed frown. Deciding she'd better carry on before Zedd got into a lesson on etiquettes, she continued:
"Although, my mother was confused by the request, she took me to Aydindril, leaving Denee at home with father. She could not understand why they wanted to see me, as I say I was only four and barely able to control my powers.
When we reached Aydindril, I was very nervous; I'd never seen such a grand place in my life. I held my mother's hand the whole time it took us to get from the gate to the main palace. From there we were lead through the marble halls to an anti-chamber. I remember being in ore of the marble masterpiece, knowing that one day, it would be my home. As, we walked, I saw confessor after confessor, all smiling at me in a way that was supposed to be reassuring, but it just made me even more nervous.
We were told to wait and were left alone. It was then that my mother told me that I was outside the mother confessor's private chambers and that not even she had been inside. She said that I was the youngest person ever to see beyond those walls.
My nervousness turned to fear as I saw three people walking towards me. The first was obviously the Mother Confessor. The way she walked slightly ahead of the other two told me she was defiantly in charge. This was the first time I had ever seen her and I was struck by how beautiful she really was. Next was a man that I soon found out to be Daniel Yates, wizard of the second order. The man behind him confused me; he seemed no more than an average librarian. I cannot remember what his name was.
When they reached us, I followed my mother's example and bowed, trying to look confident at the same time. The Mother Confessor introduced herself as Rosalinda and beaconed for me to follow. When I pulled my mother up with me she shook her head and said just me. I remember feeling so lonely when I let go of my mother's hand, as if my home was gone. Seeing the fear in my eyes, Rosalinda picked me up and whispered to me "Don't worry, your mother will be here when we get back. We are just going to have a little chat that's all." Her voice was so calm, so persuasive, that I let here lead me into her chambers.
In all my life, I have never seen a bedroom so grand. Marble pillars as high as the ceiling, a roaring fire despite the mild weather, but the best bit of all was the ornate mirror in the corner. It had been handed from Mother Confessor to Mother Confessor since the first.
I was lead to a chair, perching on the edge; I carried on staring at the mirror. Rosalinda caught my eye and smiled. It seemed odd, the Mother Confessor smiling over something so simple as a child and a mirror, but then I remembered behind all that class, she was the same as any other woman. I was about to ask her a question about the mirror when she said, "You are a very important girl Kahlan Amnell." The way she said it made me feel slightly nervous again.
Trying to look her straight in the eye, I asked "Why do you say that?" She smiled at me again and by that time, I was beginning to wonder if the other two could even talk.
"I had a very strange dream last night. I dreamed about the Seeker, you know who the Seeker is, don't you Kahlan?"
I found it quite scary; I had heard about the Mother Confessors dreams. As true as prophecies, that's what they said. "I've heard the songs, if that's what you mean" I knew that was not what she was talking about. So I spoke again "I heard he was born in Brennidon and that he was the first true Seeker in a thousand years. But then I heard he died and now we are in a war with D'Hara."
"Yes, he was born in Brennidon and yes he is the first true Seeker in a thousand years. Although, I don't know where you heard about the war, we haven't even told our armies yet. Listen Kahlan and listen carefully, the Seeker is still alive but he is in hiding. The wizard Zeddicus Zul'Zorrander has taken him across the border and into Westland, he will be safe there. With the war approaching it will be too risky to send anyone after him, but we will send someone, someday and that someone will be you Kahlan Amnell." I was shocked by what she had told me. Shocked and scared.
"But I can't even use my powers yet. I can't fight or anything like that. How am I supposed to protect the Seeker?" To tell you the truth, I was trying to find a way out of it. I was so scared that I would not be able to do anything useful. I remember crying for hours after; I really didn't know what to do.
Then she told me the truth. "Kahlan in my vision you weren't a child, you were a woman and the Seeker a man. I'm not going to send you this year or the next. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if two decades pass before I send you."
I remember thinking that I was so stupid for missing the obvious. How could I forget that you were only just born?"
"So all this time, all the time you were growing up, you knew you would meet me someday?" Richard wondered why she had never told him before and why was she so surprised when she met him?
Almost as if she were reading his mind she replied "I knew I would meet the Seeker, but I didn't know who he was or what he looked like. Anyway, I agreed to take up the position as your protector. I took the oath that day; I was the youngest confessor ever to take it.
After I had taken the oath Rosalinda lead me to the mirror and told me to look at it. I only saw a little girl staring back at me, but when she placed her hand on the jewelled rim, the image changed. I was no longer a little girl; I was a grown woman smiling down at myself. There was a yellow tinge to my reflection, as if I were in a circle of light. I remember asking her what it meant and her saying that I had the potential to become the Mother Confessor. When she removed her hand, the image faded, along with the colour.
She let me run outside and tell mother what had happened. My mother was very proud, but then they asked me to stay in Aydindril to be trained. I was all up for staying, Rosalinda was kind to me, asking my permission before doing anything. Although my mother did not agree, she wanted me to have a normal childhood, away from the hustle and bustle of Aydindril. I'm glad she did, otherwise I would have never of been able to protect Denee."
"Wow your life is more interesting than I thought." Cara was intrigued by the fact that the Mother Confessor had been pushed around so much, even before her mother had died. She thought Kahlan had had a similar childhood to her: one day it was perfect, the next it was over.
"Err thanks Cara. I was still unsure about my decision, but it was too late to go back. When the sisters of the light found me, they seemed to know who I was and sent me Aydindril at only twelve. The day I arrived was the day everything went wrong. Rosalinda had been shot dead; I arrived halfway through the funeral. I've never felt so helpless, Rosalinda was one of the main reasons I wanted to return to Aydindril.
"Kahlan I'm so sorry. I never knew" The compassion was clear in Richards's voice.
"It's ok Richard, confessors are taught to deal with pain. After all, if I had never met her I would have never met you." She cringed at the thought of never meeting him; she would probably just be an empty shell, mindlessly doing what she did best.
Later that night, Richard sat unable to sleep with Kahlan's tale still fresh in his mind. Thinking about all that she had told him, he decided she was right. His life wouldn't be the same without her; he just hated all the pain she had already faced in her short life. He prayed to the creator, asking her if she could protect Kahlan from anymore sorrow, he couldn't stand to see her cry.