TITLE: Christmas Blessings

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan

RATING: PG-16 / T

TIMELINE: Anything up through S2 season finale (Tears)

STORY TYPE: Angst / Romance / Adventure

SPOILERS: Anything from Seasons 1 & 2

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

SUMMARY: A Christmas present for all my Seeker friends that I've made because of our favorite show, the #FanGirls, and especially for JlynCSS who is my brain-twin. Thanks for always following my fics! You guys are the best!

Christmas Blessings

Snowflakes fell sporadically from the gray sky as they made their way, the snow crunching softly beneath their boots. Holding his hand firmly in hers, Kahlan led her husband through the woods just on the outskirts of the city of Aydindril. Thick blankets of snow outlined each and every branch of the trees and brush they passed, the wet flakes bathing everything they touched in pure white. She had wanted to take him on this little adventure for quite some time, but duties and busy schedules had unfortunately prohibited it until now. This would probably be the last snowfall before spring and she wanted to enjoy it with him.

After sealing the rift and defeating the Keeper, they had returned to Aydindril where they were soon married. Demands as Mother Confessor and endless meetings with the Council had kept both of them occupied most of their days for the last six months. Kahlan was more than ready for a break from the monotony to spend some alone time with her husband and she knew that Richard was in the same state.

Softly brushing his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand, Richard was completely preoccupied with his wife. She probably couldn't feel his affection on the back of her hand through the thick woolen gloves that she wore, but he was just so thrilled to finally have her to himself for once that any sort of contact with her was pure heaven.

They'd had precious little time alone since being married, seeing each other at the end of a very long day, sharing a meal together and falling asleep in each other's arms. Then the morning would come and too soon the day would start again, just the same as the day before. During meetings with the Council, Richard often found himself staring at her, daydreaming about her, unable to wait until he could be alone with her in their suite, reigniting the passion that always simmered just beneath the surface.

They'd been granted a few days alone after their wedding ceremony, but it hadn't been nearly enough in Richard's opinion. Of course, there was never enough time when it came to Kahlan. Glancing over at her, he couldn't stop the smile that repeatedly crept to his lips whenever he looked at her. She was just so beautiful, so amazing. And she was all his.

"What are we doing out here?"

"You'll see soon enough," she teased, bumping her shoulder against his as they walked side by side.

"I just don't know how you managed to get the whole afternoon cleared for the both of us."

"Well, I am the Mother Confessor you know," she said, flashing him a smile.

"It pays to be married to the most powerful woman in all three territories," he proudly replied. It still astounded him that such an extraordinary woman would chose a man like him, someone from such a humble upbringing and background.

Pausing, Richard pulled her to him, brushing his nose against hers before connecting their lips in a soft kiss. Her skin was cold, but the kiss was quickly warming her clear to her toes. Parting her lips, Richard immediately took advantage, sliding his tongue inside, relishing the sweet warmth of her mouth.

Sighing, Kahlan drew back to catch her breath, knowing that if she didn't stop this now they would never get to enjoy what she wanted to show him. Besides, she had something else in store for him as well and she wanted this to be the perfect day for them.

"Come, it's just ahead," she murmured against his lips before kissing him once more.

Richard groaned at the loss of contact with his wife, but readily followed her. He knew that she had something special planned for them and he didn't want to ruin it. Besides, they still had this evening all to themselves. The thought alone began to create amazing warmth deep inside of him that quickly spread throughout his body.

They finally came to a stop at the edge of a large frozen pond. Sitting down on a fallen log, Kahlan loosened the tie on her white fur cloak, pulling out blades from under her wrap. Patting the spot beside her, she motioned for Richard to come join her.

Sitting down beside her, Richard watched as she put the blade on the bottom of her boot and began fastening the straps. Handing him the other pair, Kahlan started on her other boot, fastening the straps before standing to her feet.

Turning to face him, she knelt before him and removed her gloves. Taking his boot in her hand, he watched as his wife deftly began fastening the blades. Putting her gloves back on, Kahlan took his hands in hers, wordlessly pulling him up to his feet, a child-like smile dancing on her lips. She looked just like a little girl beginning an exciting new adventure. It warmed him to his core to see her like this.

"Have you ever skated before?"

"Once…it didn't go well…at all…" Richard warily admitted, somewhat embarrassed by the memory of that first time skating. "I'm not sure this is a good idea, Kahlan."

"Well, you've never skated with me before," she grinned, her sapphire eyes sparkling like the brightest stars he'd ever seen as she moved gracefully across the frozen pond.

His legs felt wobbly, reminding him of the very thin blade of metal strapped to his boots that barely held him up. He felt so vulnerable, so defenseless as he allowed Kahlan to drag him out onto the icy pond. Not even the Sword of Truth could save him now. He stared helplessly into his wife's face, anxiety creeping into his eyes the further away from the safety of the hard ground they moved.

Notcing the disconcerting look on his face, Kahlan momentarily released her hold on him, moving her hands up to his forearms. Gripping his arms tightly, she drew him closer to her. "Trust me," she softly said, attempting to reassure him. Leaning in, Kahlan placed a sweet kiss on his lips, rapidly melting away some of his anxieties and doubts. "Just take it slow and don't let go of me."

"You don't have to worry about that," he nervously muttered, concentrating on his feet as they slid smoothly across the ice, his knees stiff, his legs like wood. He immediately gripped her forearms as well, linking them together as one. Sweat was breaking out on his brow despite the chilly climate.

Looking up, Richard momentarily lost his ability to breathe as he gazed into his wife's eyes. They were so full of life and happiness, reflecting as well the deep love she held in her heart for him. The contagious smile on her face spread from cheek to rosy cheek, her raven hair falling down in loose curls past her shoulders, the silky strands collecting the delicate flakes. There was a radiance about her that pervaded her every movement, her very essence illuminating from deep within her.

His heart began to drum rapidly against his chest as his eyes followed down the length of her form, taking in the graceful sway of her hips beneath her fur cloak, the confident steady pace of her long legs as they glided across the ice. It was peacefully quiet save for the rhythmic sound of Kahlan's skates as the blades cut evenly through the ice. Snow was lightly falling about them, tickling her face and causing her to wrinkle her nose, eliciting a soft chuckle from her husband. Kahlan was hastily making him forget where he was or what he was doing.

It was then that his skate suddenly caught part of a small stick partially exposed in the ice, causing him to stumble. His skates began skittering wildly out from under him, his feet moving faster than his body. Kahlan calmly kept a firm grip on his forearms as she saw panic flood his face, channeling her strength into him through her hold on his arms.

"It's okay…I've got you, Richard," she reassured him, tightening her hold on him.

Concentrating once more, the Seeker was able to right his skates just before they flew out from under him, almost taking them both down. His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest as he gasped for air. His eyes were still wide with fear of falling as he focused once more on the fluid, elegant strides of his wife.

"You're doing great," she cheerfully encouraged him as she moved them around the pond, giving him the unique smile that belonged to only him. "What was so bad about the first time you tried to skate?"

"It was horrible!" Richard groaned before a soft chuckle escaped his lips, the memory roaring back to life as if it had all happened just yesterday. Suddenly, he was a little boy back in Hartland with Michael and his parents. With a sigh of resignation, he decided to delve into the humiliating incident.

"I was six years old. Michael and his friends were going down to the lake to skate and I decided I wanted to go along because I had never skated before. Michael wasn't too thrilled, but my mother made him take me with them. I went out onto the lake and my skate caught in a crack in the ice. I fell and landed hard, hitting my face on the ice causing blood to pour from my nose. If that wasn't terrifying enough, the ice began splitting apart all around me. Michael had to crawl over to me and pull me to safety."

"Oh, Richard, I'm so sorry…I had no idea…" Kahlan replied, guilt filling her heart for bringing him out here when he'd had such a horrible experience before.

"It's not your fault, Kahlan. You had no way of knowing," he quickly said, seeing the regret permeating her eyes. "Anyway, after that I never tried to skate again…until now. I always wanted to, though, but I was too afraid to go out on the ice again…"

Richard stopped in mid-sentence when he suddenly noticed that Kahlan had released her hold on him and he was skating…without help. Feeling guilty, Kahlan bit her bottom lip, concerned that he would become panic-stricken again. Instead, she was delighted and relieved when a surprised smile slowly spread across his face. She had hoped that once she got his mind off of what his feet were doing that his body would naturally take over. It had worked.

"Not bad, Seeker," she proudly said, unable to hold back her own smile upon seeing his excitement. Skating a large circle around him, Kahlan finally came back to skate along side of him once more.

"I guess I just needed a good teacher," he replied, gaining confidence the longer he was able to keep upright on his skates. "How did you learn to skate so well?"

"My mother taught me when I was a little girl. It was so quiet and peaceful with the snow falling around us, making everything so beautiful," Kahlan wistfully replied, her face suddenly growing sad.

"I got out of practice when my father took me and Dennee away. When I came back to Aydindril to begin my training as a Confessor, I would come out here to escape sometimes, to just be by myself. I would get really lonely sometimes and being out here reminded me of my mother. I feel somehow closer to her when I'm out here."

Kahlan swiftly dipped her head to avoid his gaze, not wanting to ruin their perfect afternoon. Richard could see tears pooling in her eyes as she spoke of her mother. It touched his heart that she wanted to share with him something that she cherished so much. At the same time, it hurt him to know what a lonely life she had led before they had met. He swiftly captured her hand and pulled her to him. Losing his balance with the sudden movement, Richard fell, landing hard on his back and pulling his wife down on top of him, falling into a heap on the ice.

Her face mere inches from his, Kahlan immediately grasped hold of his shoulders. "Richard! Are you alright?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," he chuckled as he stared into her eyes still moist with tears. "It meant so much to me that you would share this with me, knowing it was something special that you shared with your mother. I just wanted to kiss you, to make you feel better."

Laughing softly, Kahlan leaned down, pressing her lips against his. Parting his lips, he begged her to deepen the kiss. She happily complied, her tongue slipping inside and caressing every part of his mouth as his hands roamed over her back, holding her closely to him. Pulling back, Kahlan gazed into his eyes, her gloves caressing his face. Spirits, she loved this man.

"Why don't we take this back to our suite where we can finish this where it's warmer?" Richard muttered breathlessly, his hunger for her beginning to overpower him. Despite the frigid coldness, he felt incredibly warm, the heat of his arousal thawing him completely from the inside out.

"I love how you think, Seeker. How did I ever get so lucky to marry such a smart man," she whispered against his lips, her breath mingling with his. "Let me skate one more time around the pond while you remove your skates and we can head back to our suite."

"Bargain struck," he smiled as he helped her to her feet.

Knowing now how much Kahlan loved to skate, Richard vowed he would bring her out here as often as he could. He knew that he would soon grow to love ice skating as much as she did because it was a part of what made her Kahlan.

XXX

Watching her as they walked through the falling snow, Richard didn't think that Kahlan could look any more beautiful. The radiant glow that filled her face was breathtaking, her long dark hair falling in waves over her shoulders. Her skin was pale, but her nose and cheeks were flushed pink from the cold. Large snowflakes were now falling steadily about them, settling on her face before promptly disappearing, clinging to her hair and her cloak.

He finally looked away when tears stung his eyes. Richard knew long ago that he would happily die for this woman, do anything it took to keep her safe and make her happy.

Richard was unexpectedly torn from his thoughts when he suddenly felt snow hit the side of his face. Turning in surprise, he saw Kahlan with a snowball in her hand, tossing it up into the air and catching it again, a smirk on her face. With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, Kahlan aimed and threw the snowball right at his head.

The Seeker's instinctive response was the only thing that saved him from the sudden attack as he instantly ducked out of the way, dodging the offensive object just before it nailed him in the head. Kahlan broke into fits of laughter, the snow from her first assault still clinging to his hair and face.

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" he questioned with an evil grin as he bent down to gather snow, compacting it into the perfect ball.

Still laughing, Kahlan held her hands defensively up in front of her as she began to slowly back away. "Now, Richard…remember I'm the Mother Confessor…I'm your wife…" she reminded him, a playful look still dancing in her face as she bit her lip to stifle the laugh that begged for release. The stunned look on his face when he realized she'd hit him with a snowball had been priceless.

"Nothing's going to save you now, Confessor," he shot back with equal playfulness as he began to chase her through the falling snow…