Title: Domination
Author: LOTSlover®
Characters: Richard / Kahlan / Zedd / Cara / Characters I created
Rating: PG – 16 / T
Timeline: Takes place after my story Nightmares
Story Type: Angst / Romance
Spoilers: Anything from Season 1 and Season 2 up through Torn
Disclaimer: I love them and love to write about them even though I don't own them or make a dime.
Summary: Richard and company face a new adversary bent on taking over the Midlands.
Domination (Chapter 1)
Having been shielded by the thick blanket of dreary clouds that had blocked it all day, the sun was making its descent in the sky unbeknownst to anyone. A dense fog concealed much of the lush D'Haran landscape save for the People's Palace which stood out like an ominous formidable beacon cutting through the thick blanket of clouds to make its presence known.
As bleak and menacing as the exterior was, the inside of the People's Palace was not much better. The halls were cold and sinister, a heavy cloak of evil threatening to suffocate the life out of everything that entered its menacing domain. The only sound was that of the quick determined strikes of boots beating the stone floors and echoing throughout the pitiless corridors. There was much work to be done and everyone was busily attending to their assigned tasks with a great deal of attention.
She sat at her dressing table staring at her reflection in the ornate mirror hanging before her while two women dutifully combed and braided her thick auburn hair. Her striking emerald eyes fairly sparkled with the plans and schemes that were constantly developing and evolving in her mind.
Being on the precipice of gaining more power caused a thrilling anticipation to tingle throughout her body. Power had become intoxicating, an all-consuming passion that possessed her soul and relentlessly occupied her every waking thought as well as most of her dream-filled nights.
Unbeknownst to the occupants, the three territories were on the verge of a new era. There would no longer be the tyrannical rule of the House of Rahl. No, it was the dawning of a new age – the age of the Mord'Sith, led by none other than her.
Behind every great Lord Rahl, there had been the Mord'Sith, the true power and authority over D'Hara. The Mord'Sith were virtually unstoppable in part due to their brutal training as well as their ability to repel magic.
"Tighter! It looks sloppy. Start over and make the braid tighter," Kiana snapped, clenching her teeth as she glared into the mirror. The two Sisters quickly began unbraiding her hair before obediently smoothing it out and starting all over again…for the fifth time that afternoon. "I am meeting the Ambassador of Glenshire for their unconditional surrender to me. I will not look like I just wrestled with a gar!"
As the leader of the Mord'Sith, Kiana had to look perfect, convey an air of absolute and total authority. She had not risen to her current status as leader of the Mord'Sith by appearing unkempt or displaying carelessness. She had toiled relentlessly, betraying and eliminating anyone who got in between her and her goal. She had brought order and much needed structure to the Sisters of the Agiel when there had been nothing but chaos and confusion with Lord Darken Rahl's death at the hands of the Seeker.
The Seeker. Richard Rahl, the rightful heir to the throne of D'Hara, the position she had seized and now occupied. She had spent many a sleepless night going over ways to eliminate the Seeker of Truth. Although very skilled, Mistress Denna had lacked the ability to bring Richard Rahl under proper control and absolute submission. She had underestimated the Seeker's unconditional love and devotion to his Confessor. Not even Denna's torture and training had been able to break their bond of love. If Denna had done as Darken Rahl had ordered, Richard Rahl would not be a threat to her or her plans now.
Kiana knew that the Seeker would not sit idly by for long while she swept through the territories like a wildfire, razing towns and devastating families and businesses. She would soon draw his unwanted attention as well as the attention of the Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell.
The Mother Confessor brought her own set of problems to Kiana's plans for domination. She knew the Mother Confessor would also not stand by and let Aydindril or the Midlands fall into the controlling hands of the Mord'Sith. Kiana knew that she would have to devise a way to deal with both the Seeker and the Mother Confessor before they interfered with her plans.
The wheels had already been set in motion after Mistress Kiana had seized control of D'Hara and had taken over the People's Palace as her own. She had learned long ago from Darken Rahl that you had to know your enemies. Research and know everything about them. Learn their strengths and weaknesses, their abilities, their tendencies and their past.
Standing to her feet, Kiana ran a hand over the cool scarlet leather of her uniform. Snatching her agiel from the dressing table, she hooked it to the belt at her waist before turning to leave. Rubbing the palm of her hand over the weapon, Kiana relished the spine tingling pain that surged through her body, welcoming the twisting pain as it enveloped her. The Seeker and the Mother Confessor were no match for her. They would both pay dearly for the titles that they held.
XXX
"I should have gone with them," he huffed as he paced back and forth in front of the Wizard who sat devouring the leftovers of their supper from hours earlier.
"I'm sure they're fine, my boy. Now sit down and enjoy some fruit with me," Zedd munched absentmindedly as he watched the Seeker's agitation grow with every step his boots took. He was like a wild animal trapped in a cage about ready to slash his way to freedom.
"I shouldn't have let them go off alone. It's too dangerous with the prophecy about Kahlan and the rumors about what's been happening in D'Hara. It's only a matter of time, Zedd, before they start taking over the Midlands," Richard fumed as his troubled thoughts came tumbling out, momentarily stopping his pacing to study his grandfather. Zedd was being way too relaxed about all this for his liking.
Resuming his pacing, Richard ran a hand through his long hair as he released a haggard breath, his frustration and anxiety running deep and growing by the moment. It never once relaxed its grip on his heart, becoming an ever constant companion.
It had been well over two weeks now since the mining incident with the ayon. After rest, Richard and Cara were good as new. Kahlan had recovered enough to begin traveling again, but found that she still tired easily at times. Richard had noticed that her appetite had not improved much since leaving the Inn in Irica. She ate little and what she did eat seemed to make her nauseated. Zedd had reassured him that it was just the lingering effects from inhaling so much ayon and should resolve with time. Richard, on the other hand, wished he could be so confident.
"…and did you see how little Kahlan ate again tonight?" Richard continued his rant while he had the Wizard's undivided attention. "Three bites! That's all. Three bites, Zedd! It's been over two weeks since Irica and she still hasn't gotten her appetite back. She's losing weight, she looks pale, she's exhausted," the Seeker began counting her symptoms off one by one on his fingers. "I'm really worried, Zedd. I think we should take her to a healer to make sure she's alright."
"Settle down, my boy! You're getting your britches in a bundle over nothing," Zedd grumbled as he picked out another appetizing piece of fruit, polishing it on his robe before taking a large bite. "I'm telling you she has ayon poisoning; it's just the lingering after effects. It's going to take time for her to recover from it. She inhaled a lot more of that hideous poison than either of you two did."
"And what if it's not? What if there was some permanent damage we don't know about yet? What if the ayon didn't mix well with her Confessor powers?"
"You're wearing a path in the dirt with all your pacing back and forth; it's accomplishing nothing to worry about something that might not even be!" Zedd exclaimed, trying to talk some sense into him.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Richard knew deep down that his grandfather was probably right, but didn't feel as though he wanted to admit it at that point. It felt better to worry and pace than to sit there helpless and doing nothing.
"I'm going to go look for them," Richard finally announced. They had been gone for almost three hours. It was dark and there was no telling what could have happened to them. Richard decided that he wasn't going to wait around any longer recounting all of the terrifying possibilities that could have happened to her.
"Richard, Kahlan is more than capable of taking care of herself. Besides, Cara is with her. You know she'll protect Kahlan with her life. Now sit before I cast a Wizard's web around you and make you sit down," Zedd ordered the uptight Seeker, raising a bony hand in an attempt to enforce his warning. "You're making me exhausted just watching you pace back and forth like that!"
Richard dropped down to the ground on the other side of the campfire with a huff of agitation. If they weren't back in the next few minutes, Richard was going after them with or without Zedd and his threats of Wizard's web.
Hearing the sudden sounds of hushed voices approaching them, Richard jumped to his feet in eager anticipation, hand on the hilt of his sword in preparation for a fight if necessary. The Seeker relaxed, however, when he heard the light laughter of his Confessor that floated through the air, tickling his ears, and warming his soul. He loved the uplifting sound of her laughter.
"I couldn't believe he tried that!" Kahlan laughed again as they entered the clearing. Brushing her hair back from her face and hooking it behind her ear, she cast a bright smile at Richard upon seeing him waiting impatiently for their return.
Richard felt his heart soar whenever she smiled at him, making his insides warm with desire. It was something that no matter how bleak things looked, it always lifted his spirits and gave him infinite strength. Even through her smile, though, Richard could see the fatigue that touched her eyes. He silently berated himself for allowing her to go to town with Cara. He should have made her stay back and rest while he went with the Mord'Sith.
"Well, he had obviously never met a Mord'Sith before," Cara grumbled with a self-satisfied smirk.
"What took you two so long?" Richard asked, relief and irritation mingled in his words as he made his way to them.
"It took a while to find the man that Zedd had arranged the meeting with. We waited at the tavern forever until we finally found him," Kahlan replied as she wiped a stray tear caused by her laughter. "Cara made a new friend, though." Moving past Richard, Kahlan placed a reassuring hand on his arm, giving it a loving squeeze before heading to her bedroll. She knew that he had been worried, but they were safely back now and she was more than ready for bed.
"What were you able to find out?" Zedd interjected between munching bites on his apple.
"It's worse than we originally thought. A Mord'Sith by the name of Kiana has taken over the People's Palace and has amassed an army of Mord'Sith under her control," Kahlan answered, attempting to stifle a yawn. "She has seized control of D'Hara. It's rumored that Aydindril and the Midlands are next on her list."
Kahlan knew the chaos and unrest in D'Hara was rapidly growing more out of control and would soon spill into the Midlands. They needed to devise a plan to stop Kiana, but at the moment all she really wanted to do right now was sleep. She wished she could get over the ayon poisoning that still affected her. It was frustrating to feel so run down all the time. She felt like she was letting the others down by not being able to keep up like she always had before Irica.
"Cara, do you know this Kiana?" Richard asked as he went to sit down beside Kahlan, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. He relaxed a little as she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Unfortunately yes, we were trained together. She was always after more power, more control over anything she could get her manipulative little hands on. She is definitely not someone you want to deal with. She makes Denna look like an innocent little school girl. Kiana is the most dangerous Mord'Sith you will ever have the displeasure of meeting."
"We have no choice; we're going to have to meet her head on and stop her from taking over the Midlands. The Stone of Tears will have to wait for now," Richard reluctantly replied. He hated putting off finding the Stone, but there was no way around it. They could not let Kiana take over the Midlands as Westland would surely be next. They would have to put a stop to Kiana and then the Keeper.
"Don't be fooled into thinking that she hasn't already started taking over the Midlands. It's rumored that she is meeting with the Ambassador from Glenshire. She has an army there right now occupying the town. The Ambassador is ready to give complete and total surrender to her and D'Hara."
"We'll pass through Glenshire on our way to Aydindril. Maybe we'll be able to do something; Kahlan's presence might help. Glenshire has always been strong and influential supporters of Aydindril and the Mother Confessor. Their surrender will weaken the territory; others will quickly follow their lead," Zedd ranted, astonished by Glenshire's hazardous decision to join the likes of the Mord'Sith. They won't be any better than the tyrannical reign of Rahl.
"Like I said, Kiana is not someone you wish to tangle with; she always gets what she wants. I know Kiana. She already knows that we will be trying to stop her and has devised a plan to eliminate us," Cara warned, crouching down by the fire to add some smaller branches. "Our biggest advantage is her over-confidence. It's her greatest weakness, but it's her only weakness."
"We'll just have to be ready for whatever she throws at us. We should leave for Glenshire at first light," Richard recommended, releasing his hold on Kahlan before standing to his feet to prepare for bed.
XXX
Lying down beside Kahlan, Richard reached a hand out to brush her hair behind her ear, pausing to caress her pale face. Opening her eyes, Kahlan smiled her special smile as she stared into his warm brown eyes that were laced with obvious concern just as they had been since Irica.
"Are you alight?" he softly asked as he continued to stroke her face.
"Yes, I'm just tired," she replied, trying to reassure him. He had only asked her that for the hundredth time in the last two weeks but she never grew tired of him asking. She loved that he wanted to take care of her. No one had ever wanted to take care of a Confessor let alone the Mother Confessor. It was nice to have someone that loved her and worried about her.
"You didn't eat much again tonight. Do you want something before you go to sleep?"
"No, I'm not hungry; just tired."
"I've missed you…and that nightdress you wore at the Inn in Irica," he seductively said, his hand buried in her hair, resting behind her neck.
"I've missed you too. Do you think we'll ever get some time alone again?"
"I will do everything in my power to make sure of it," he breathed as she pressed closer to him, their mouths just inches apart.
"You better, Richard Cypher, because I have the biggest, softest bed in all of Aydindril that I'd love to try out with you," she temptingly informed him before leaning in and pressing her lips to his.
Richard groaned into her mouth as she kissed him, the thought of making love to her in her bed in Aydindril causing a rush of barely restrained desire to course through his body. It was all he could do not to take her right there regardless of who was around them. The last two weeks of worrying about her and not being able to be with her had been pure torture.
"Get some sleep you two! We have a long journey ahead," Cara loudly reminded them with as she continued her watch of the camp.
Giggling as she kissed him, Kahlan reluctantly pulled back. "I guess that thought about my bed will just have to hold you over until we get there." She caressed his cheek one last time before pulling back, her eyes never leaving his though they were rapidly growing heavy.
Releasing a sigh, Richard replied, "That is unless I can steal you away for a while before we get there."
"Good luck with our body guard over there," Kahlan murmured, barely able to keep her eyes open any longer.
"There is absolutely nothing in this world that can keep me away or from making wild passionate love to you," Richard softly promised her.
Rolling over on her other side, Kahlan snuggled against him. Wrapping his strong arm around her waist, Richard gently ran his hand over her ribs and abdomen. Leaning forward, he placed a tender kiss to her temple. "Get some sleep, my love."
Richard could feel her relax as sleep swiftly overtook her. No matter how many times Kahlan told him she was just tired and Zedd told him that she would be alright, Richard still couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening to his Kahlan…