The rifts had been sealed and they were finally able to rest, though they rarely found the time. Each moment was spent together, kissing, touching and disappearing into the trees for hours at a time. There weren't enough of them, they wanted more and more of the other and neither minded giving it all away. After spending several weeks of travel in each other's arms, the time came for them to go their separate ways. While Kahlan went home to the Confessor's Palace, Richard went on to the People's Palace to take the throne of D'Hara.

Richard took charge immediately, finding it easier to jump in and help his people, instead of asking for permission. Darken Rahl had left them all terrified of who sat in his throne, but the Seeker was determined to make everything right. Those who were starving were given food and not only that, but it was delivered by the Mord'Sith. After Cara's objection, he told her that they needed to be told in every way that things had changed and they had nothing to fear. He wasn't sure the tactics would work, but after four months, when he would walk through the city, people wouldn't dart their eyes to the ground, they met his with a friendly greeting. Everything was at last coming into place, but there was still one thing missing.

He sat in his office, staring down at a countless number of scrolls. After hours of working through them, they all began to blend together. He had wanted to give them all his full attention, but the words now slurred into nothingness. Laying his elbows on the desk, Richard laid his head in his hands and sighed.

The door opened, but he didn't move. There was only one person who would enter without knocking. "Richard," Cara said in a voice that pulled his attention instantly. "Something's happened."

Shoving back the chair, he moved to his feet and hurried her direction. "What happened to her?"

Hurrying through the halls, she worked to keep up. "She was attacked. They sent for the wizard, but no one knows where he is." Without Zedd, there was no one to heal her and from the tone of his friend, Kahlan was badly injured. "Christine and Brenda have our horses ready and Samuel packed your things. We can leave now."

******

Pushing open the door to her bedroom, Richard walked in and hurried to the side of the bed. He almost didn't recognize her; the sight made him feel sick. She lay nearly naked on top of the blankets, kept warm only by the fire burning in the fireplace on the wall across from the bed. Her body was almost completely broken, blood staining the sheets beneath her. Her face was open-cut bloodied and bruised, but from the rags and bloody water in the bowls on the bed tables told him that the wounds were cleaned constantly. He forced his eyes to continue their journey over her.

Her neck, shoulders and chest matched her face, covered in blood that blended with the dark purple and black bruises. The cuts were deeper, bleeding every time her chest rose for each shallow breath. Her breasts were wrapped with a light, brown cloth, clearly having been one of the few places untouched by her attackers. The bottom of the cloth was stained a dark red as it lightly grazed another open cut that went all the way across her ribs. It must have been one of the deepest, because it was the first he had seen that was sewn closed. He could almost imagine what she had been through, each wound telling a story of its own and he still had more to view.

Her sides had one, two- three- four stab wounds that were bruised around the openings. The beating she had been given must not had been enough for them. His fingers reached out to touch her, to provide a feeling of anything but pain, but he feared the light graze of his fingers would break through the skin. Pulling back his hand, he covered his mouth and continued his eyes journey over her body. Another cloth was wrapped around to keep her hidden from others, but the once tan fabric was a blood red, bringing him to pray that they hadn't done what screamed in his mind. Her legs had few deep cuts, but they were covered in scrapes and bruises, stopping just above her calf where her boots had stopped. Her ankles were wrapped in more cloth, thicker than the others, holding them in place if she was to wake up and begin to move.

Returning his eyes to her face, he whispered her name breathlessly, reminding him that he had been holding his. The door creaked and he jumped to his feet, pulling his sword in a fiery rage, thinking that their enemy had returned to finish their job. To his relief, Cara entered. She froze at the body before her, the same sickness within him hitting her as well.

"What did you find out?"

She shook her head, unable to take her eyes off of her friend. "No one saw where they went, they were concentrating on her and she killed the only people who could have told us anything."

"Killed?"

"They left their bodies where they were. Kahlan killed six of them before falling off of the cliff. If she hadn't just come from Confessions, she may have killed them all."

Slamming his fist on the deep oak bed table beside him, Richard shouted, ignoring two of the water bowls that fell to the ground. "Why would they let her go alone?!"

"She does it every day. They saw no danger-"

"No danger?! Have they seen her?! Look at her! If there was no danger, she wouldn't be like this!" Tightening his hold on the Sword of Truth, he growled. "Bring them to front gates of the Palace."

Nodding, the blonde pushed back the urge to vomit and turned on her heels. She would enjoy their punishment almost as much as he would.

******

The High Council didn't try to stop him as he removed the heads of four of their Palace Guards and had them left in front of the palace as a warning to others. His anger was clear to see and they all feared that he would find them guilty as well.

When he returned to her room, it was filled with people who were trying to help clean and care for her wounds. She moaned in pain, her body jerking over and over again with each touch. Cara and he stood on the far side of the room, away from everyone as they watched. Richard managed to control his tears, but the anger still boiled within.

Turning his head, he met his friend's eyes. "Find Zedd. Get him here now."

"No one knows where he is."

"That's why I said to find him," he barked. "Go." She left instantly, pushing through the crowd of people that filled the room. "Alright, that's it!" he shouted, gaining almost everyone's attention. "If you're not helping right now, get out!"

Most of the servants left at once, leaving only three, who hadn't stopped working since they arrived. The oldest woman was working on Kahlan's face, her own nearly touching as she gently worked a light green gel into the wounds. Another woman, a blonde, whose bangs were the only part of her hair that was visible, was bent over the Mother Confessor's chest and stomach. Her actions matched the older woman's the same green gel being applied to the long gashes and deep cuts. The last servant worked her legs on the bed, pulling slightly until the bones popped. The sound was deafening.

They left the room quietly, waiting until they were on the other side of the closed door to speak. He could hear them whisper as they walked away and it made him fear the worst. Returning to his place at the side of her bed, laid his hands beside hers, hoping that she could feel him.

"Zedd will be here soon to heal you. I sent Cara; she won't let us down." He stared at her, waiting for her eyes to open and meet his. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here. I shouldn't have let you go alone." He smiled for a moment, his mind drifting back to a short while after the rifts were sealed. "I should have made sure we stayed together."

*memory state*

Her hand slowly moved across his chest, growing closer as she lifted herself onto her elbow. He was asleep, looking peaceful as her eyes traveled over his face. Without thought, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, waking him instantly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as her cheeks turned a light pink.

Turning his head, Richard met the bright blue of her eyes and grinned. "You're going to have to wake me up like this every morning."

She returned his smile in full. "If we get any sleep."

Snaking his hand up her spine, he pulled her closer and soaked in the warmth of her skin against his. "I think I like what we do instead, much more than sleep."

"You think?" she teased with a tilt of her head and sly smile.

"Only one way to be sure."

He knew every curve of her body. Every movement that could be made to bring her more pleasure was stored in his mind and he took full advantage of it. Moments after he pulled her to him, he had her on the edge, barely able to hold on. It thrilled him to see her like that, her eyes dark and not just from her magic. He could see the desire blending with her power, giving the darkness a little push that couldn't imagine life without.

When her magic was released, he would move quicker, keeping her pleasure flowing until another burst ripped through her. The thin lines down his back from her nails had become some kind of trophy, his constant reminder of the special moments they spent together. She always knew when he was on the edge and made sure to send him off with as much power as possible. They ended together, every time and each session left them unable to move.

***End Memory***

"I'm going to find them, Kahlan. All of them and they will pay for what they've done to you." He paused pulled his hands down his cheeks. "I killed those men, Kahlan. The guards who left you alone. I did it, even when I knew what you would have said- what you would have wanted. I can never be as just as you."

"I'm not sure you can hear me, but I want to believe that you can. I need you to hold on and I can't imagine how much pain you are in, but I know that you're strong enough to endure it. I can't do any of this without you." Staring at her face, he tried to picture the way it was before, the flawlessness that captivated him at all times. "We have so much more to do, Kahlan. We have to start our family..." Sitting back in the chair, he leaned his head back against the wooden back and closes his eyes. "I know we've only talked about it a once, but I've been thinking about it every day. I know that you never really imagined having children, but... I don't think I ever imagined it so much before I met you."

"Now I'm thinking about names, how they would look- their laugh. Our daughters Kahlan, they'll be special. They will be just like you and the people, our people, they'll love them. Kahlan, we can have that life together."

A soft moan of pain sent a vibration through him, bringing him to sit at attention as he ran his eyes over her. Her teeth were chattering together as her body slightly shook. He wanted to pull a blanket up, but he was afraid it would hurt her more. Giving the table tops another glance, he looked for something to give her, something for the pain. Moving to the table on the other side of the bed, he lifted the cup and brought it to his nose. They had been giving her wine for the pain, but it wouldn't be enough. Laying it down, he rushed through the door. If all they had was wine, he knew the plant that would help.

***

It took him nearly an hour to find it. Atropa mandragora, the only flower he knew that would come close to giving her some kind of relief. He felt lucky to find it, lucky that it grew in the Midlands at all. When he returned to her room, she looked the same, but her moans were consistent and she was gritting her teeth. She was close to awaking and when she did, the pain would be nearly unbearable.

Moving quickly, he put the mandrake of the pant into the wine and brought it to her lips. She choked as the cool liquid entered her mouth, Richard's hand easing behind her head to lift it as he continued to allow a few more drops to fall.

"It's alright Kahlan, I promise. This will help you feel better." It wouldn't be instant, but she would have relief. Her body lifted from the bed, her eyes opening, the blue filled with pain as they met his. "I'm going to make sure you're alright." Their eyes locked for a slit second and he could swear that she looked relieved. Her hand reached for his just as she lost consciousness and he responded instantly, taking hold of it before her eyes fell closed.

He managed to drip a little more of the wine into her mouth before setting the cup down. Keeping a gentle hold on her hand he lowered himself to his knees beside the bed. She was breathing deeper now, the rise and fall of her chest now in a steady rhythm; a comfort to his eyes. The mandrake was beginning to take effect and not too soon. The long wound across her stomach was bleeding again, the thin thread having ripped when she moved. Ripping a piece of his shirt, he laid it over it and pressed, slowing the blood flow.

When he felt confident that he could move his hand, he reached back to the bed table and grabbed one of the bowls that held the gel. Removing his other hand from hers, he began to scoop some of the light green gel into his fingers and bring it to her skin. He could imagine the burn she must have felt as the part in her lips widened with a soft groan. The blood hardened, the gel having sealed the wound. He began to wonder why they hadn't used it instead of the thread.

Taking hold of her hand again, he pressed his lips between her thumb and index finger. It seemed to be one of the few places she wasn't injured. "Zedd will be here soon."