Title: Kahlan's Prince

Author: LOTSoflove

Characters: Richard / Kahlan / Zedd / Cara

Rating: PG – 13 / T

Timeline: Tag to Princess (S2 Ep 13)

Story Type: Romance (with a touch of Angst)

Spoilers: Anything up to Princess

Disclaimer: I love them and love to write about them even though I don't own them or make a dime.

Summary: One-Shot tag to Princess. Kahlan and Richard get a chance to chat about events that occurred after Kahlan was captured.

Kahlan's Prince

"…and you, if you would have done this a year ago Darken Rahl would have surrendered at the sight of you…"

Her words still reverberated through his head, bringing an adoring grin to his face. Relief washed over him like a warm spring rain shower. Kahlan was safely back by his side once more and everything was right in his world again…at least for the moment.

The ever-looming threat of the Keeper, the threat to Kahlan's very existence and therefore to his, was still out there, scheming, plotting, and conspiring to take her away from him forever. The very thought of Kahlan spending even one second let alone an eternity in the presence of the Keeper and Darken Rahl made him internally shudder.

An image of Kahlan in the Underworld with the Keeper and his vile follower Rahl flashed through his mind causing Richard's blood to surge with rage as he felt his chest constrict. He vowed to himself that as long as there was breath in his body he would never allow that to happen.

Richard looked down to see his hands balled tightly into fists. Releasing his grip, he tried to calm the fury that suddenly had a strangle-hold on his body. Kahlan was the center of his universe, the reason he lived, the reason he breathed. She was the reason he fought and the reason he got up in the morning. She filled his dreams and consumed his thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, Richard attempted to calm the storm swirling inside his soul. Having returned Prince Roderick's clothes to him, he had decided to make his way to the lake to remove Zedd's recipe for the perfect hair dye. After Kahlan's reaction, he had been momentarily tempted to keep the blond tresses, but had quickly dismissed the thought. He just wanted things to get back to normal…or as close to normal as things got for them…as soon as possible. He wanted to continue the quest, find the Stone, defeat the Keeper, and settle down with Kahlan.

As Richard approached the lake, he began removing his shirt. Pulling it over his head, he was brought to a sudden stop by the site before him. Kahlan was kneeling at the edge of the small lake, clad only in her corset, skirt, and boots.

The setting sun was casting an array of gold, oranges, and reds, showering her in its glowing brilliance. The colors were playing off of her long raven hair and her creamy soft skin. Richard stood watching in breathless wonderment as his heart began to thunder in his chest.

Bringing a handful of water up from the lake, Kahlan slowly began rinsing the dirt from her arm, running her fingers in caressing circles in her attempts to clean up before heading out again on their mission. Cupping more water with her hand, she continued to massage the dirt away on her other arm.

Deep in thoughts of her own, Kahlan was mildly startled when she felt someone kneeling down behind her. Smiling to herself, she knew the hands that were now gathering her damp hair and pulling it over one shoulder. His warm breath was unexpectedly on her ear as he caressed it with his lips, sending chills down her spine and goose bumps to form on her skin. She loved these unexpected intimate moments of pleasure that came too far between and never lasted nearly long enough.

Seeing her excited response to his presence, Richard continued his tender assault on her ear before wrapping his muscular arms around her small frame. Hearing her release a breathy moan as she melted back into his affectionate hold, Richard's arousal was escalating rapidly as he continued to pleasure her with his lips down her neck to her exposed shoulder. His hands were roaming over the front of her corset, seeking to release her from its confines.

"Why Prince Roderick…you certainly live up to your reputation…"she murmured between moans of agonizing pleasure that was moments from seeking immediate release regardless of the consequences. She knew one day she would be unable to deny him his passion, unable to deny herself the release that was slowly eating her alive inside.

Chuckling in between reveling in the salty taste of her soft skin, Richard pulled back enough to murmur in her ear. "If you only knew the number of handkerchiefs thrown at me, inviting me to come partake of their feminine pleasures, you'd go into ConDar."

"What?!" Kahlan exclaimed as she spun around in his arms, momentarily forgetting the passion that had been swiftly escalating. "Just how many women?"

Richard was both amused by her irritated expression on her face that was absolutely adorable and yet, at the same time, he was berating himself for losing the passionate embrace he had just had on her. He was so close to taking her right there, feeling that she was ready to prove his theory was true, but that moment had just flittered away like a feather in the wind. Now he had a jealous Confessor on his hands whose mounting passion for him had just come to a standstill. Maybe he could bring her back to where he so desperately wanted her which was under him.

"There were quite a few, but I fought them off in order to save you. In fact, I had to fight off the Margrave's own sister which was no easy task. I either had to swear to marry her or be sentenced to death."

"Were they pretty?" she asked with a narrowed glare, not ready to move on despite his attempts to downplay the events surrounding her rescue.

"They were all revolting compared to your beauty," he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her, attempting to recapture the passion they had been immersed in just moments earlier. There was no way he would ever reveal what the Margrave's sister had come close to doing to him. He internally shuddered at the image.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble. I know you went through great risks in order to rescue me," she replied, softening her tone and returning his kiss.

"Kahlan, I would have done whatever I had to do to get you back," he declared, growing serious as the true weight of her circumstances crashed down on him once again. "When I saw those gars snatch you and carry you off…I thought I had lost you forever. I never want to feel that way again."

"I never gave up hope because I knew you'd come for me," she responded as she affectionately ran her hand through his long blond hair.

"I will always come for you, Kahlan. Never forget that," he whispered, his breath caressing her mouth as a sweet prelude to his lips.

Burying his hands in her damp hair, Richard pressed his lips to hers, cradling her head and holding her close. He didn't want this passionate exchange to end. He had come too close to losing her yet again and needed to reconnect with his soul-mate, to taste her and drink in her essence once more.

"...and another thing, you will never get me into a dress like this ever again, do you hear me? I don't care whose life is at stake!"

"I had to wear a dress too, you know…and besides that you didn't have the Margrave's aid making advances at you! Spirits! I'm going to have nightmares for weeks!"

The voices of their approaching friends caused their heated need to reconnect to come to a sudden halt once again. Pulling back in breathless frustration, Richard pressed his forehead to Kahlan's as he gently gripped the sides of her face.

"We will continue this later…and we will test my theory when you're ready," he promised her as he sighed in aroused frustration.

Giggling softly, she placed a soft kiss to his lips before pulling each other to a standing position. "That's a promise I'm holding you to, my sweet Prince."

* I was working on a chapter fic that I'm hoping to get posted soon when this just kind of sprung to mind. Hope you enjoyed it!!