Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or The Sword of Truth series. They are owned by ABC and Terry Goodkind. The use of the materials in this are used primarily for entertainment and no profit is made from the use of the characters and plot.
"We are going back to Aydindril." Richard stated, as he began to pack up their things. Kahlan grabbed him by the arm and held him firmly in place.
"No, Richard! We can't. That's at least a week's ride in the opposite direction. We cannot take time away from this quest."
"Kahlan, I am not risking yours and our child's safety. We get attacked nearly every day. You could lose the baby."
"Richard, I'm not incapable of fighting. Every day the veil is open, the Keeper grows stronger. We need to find the stone and close the rift."
"But what about when you are too big to fight? Or you give birth while on the quest"
"Spirits willing, the rift will be closed and the keeper defeated before the baby comes. As for the pregnancy, I can take it easy when the time comes. You, Cara and Zedd are more than capable of handling what comes at us. And I can always use confession."
"Kahlan, please."
"Richard, listen, the only way I can leave you is if I find another confessor to protect you and unfortunately the only confessor left, besides myself, is our child. The seeker must have a confessor."
Richard sighed, running his hands through his hair. He did not want to put his family in danger. But what choice did he have? Every point she made was the truth. He had to have a confessor at his side.
"Alright, but I swear Kahlan if something happens, I'll never forgive myself." He said, pulling her into his arms. Kahlan kissed him softly.
"Don't' worry. I can take care of the both of us. Now I must get dressed before Zedd and Cara arrive."
"I rather enjoy seeing you like this." He said kissing her collar bone. Kahlan whimpered at his touch but pulled away.
"Richard, as much as I would love for you to take me right here, we can't. We agreed to meet Zedd and Cara by sun up. They should be here soon. I'm not so sure they would like to see this side of the Mother Confessor." She said, as she bent over to gather her clothes. Richard groaned as she moved. Kahlan giggled.
"Richard, stop staring and get the stuff packed." She said, as she slipped on her short pants and went to put on the corset.
"Should you be wearing that?" he asked. Kahlan looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I always wear this," she stated.
"Kahlan, you're pregnant. Wouldn't that harm the baby?" he asked. Kahlan laughed and slipped the corset over her torso.
"Richard, first the confessor corset is just made to wear under our dresses as underthings. Due to the design of our dresses, we can't be bare beneath them. Secondly, the baby isn't even formed yet. I conceived just last night. The corset can't hurt her. When I become larger I will forgo the corset all together and have a different confessor dress to wear to accommodate the pregnancy." She explained. She picked up the white confessor dress and slipped it over her underclothes. Richard nodded and continued cleaning up their campsite.
"I don't want Zedd and Cara to know yet." Kahlan said, not looking at him for his reaction.
"Why?" she heard him ask.
"Zedd will not understand. He'll think I've jeopardized the quest. He will want me to leave too. That I'll be too much of a distraction." She explained. Richard nodded in understanding. He knew that her pregnancy would complicate things eventually. He hoped that their quest would be over before the time for Kahlan to give birth.
"I understand, Kahlan." he said and folded the green blanket they had used last night. He placed in the bag just as he heard the footsteps behind them. Kahlan turned and smiled as the other half of their traveling crew joined them.
"Hello my boy!" Zedd exclaimed. Behind him, Cara led a horse weighed down with supplies. Richard grinned and met his grandfather with a hug. Kahlan walked past them to her own white mare and loaded up the saddle. She climbed aboard the horse and took the reins in her hands.
"We should get moving." She said. She didn't want to delay their quest any longer. The sooner they sealed the rift, the sooner they'd be back in Aydindril. Richard nodded up at her and Zedd began to protest that he'd not eaten breakfast yet.
"Grab an Apple, Zedd. We should go. We need to get the stone and defeat the Keeper." Richard said, climbing aboard his own horse. Cara grabbed an apple from the saddle and tossed it to Zedd.
"Here, Wizard. Eat up." She said and climbed onto the horse she led.
As the weeks progressed, Kahlan's pregnancy remained a secret. She had been careful not to let the nausea take over. She would excuse herself to use the bathroom when she felt the need to vomit. She was sick all the time, but Zedd never seemed to notice. He was always preoccupied, thanks to Richard. She had grown up with pregnant confessors but never had witnessed anyone as sick as she seemed to feel. She guessed that they were sick when she wasn't around. She had been good so far, but she didn't know how long she would be able to hide it.
This particular day had been a rough one for Kahlan. It seemed that she had been sick for most of the day. The ride and even the smell of the pine in the trees made her want to vomit, but she'd been able to overcome it. Richard had finally decided that they could all use a rest and Kahlan wanted to thank him for suggesting the rest. They made camp in a clearing and Richard and Zedd took off to hunt, leaving Kahlan and Cara to set up the campsite. As they cleared the pine needles away to make the ground more comfortable, Kahlan's nausea got the best of her. She stood up and quickly excused herself and ran off to vomit. When she returned, Cara was standing in the same place staring at her.
"What?" she asked.
"You can't hide it forever, Kahlan."
"Can't hide what, Cara?"
"You know what I'm talking about."
"Not a clue."
"The baby, confessor." She stated, placing her hands on her leather clad hips. Kahlan's eyes went wide and she ran over to Cara.
"You can't say a word, Cara. Please. Richard and I do not want Zedd to know yet." She explained.
"It's none of my business. But my question is, how?"
"How what?"
"How did you guys manage without you confessing him?" he asked. Kahlan smiled.
"At first I tried to use a Rada'Han, but Richard made me take it off and promise we'd at least try."
"A rada'han? How did you manage to get a rada'han?"
"I've had it. I was given the rada'han when I first went into the Con Dar. I requested it. I didn't trust myself. Anyway, I told him we would try but the rada'han would go back on if I couldn't control it. I ended up not being able to control it. I released my power into him."
"He's confessed?!" Cara exclaimed. Kahlan clamped her hand over the mord'siths mouth.
"Shh!" she said and released Cara.
"Do that again and you'll feel the wrath of my agiel."
"I'm pregnant. Would you really hurt your Lord's child." She said. Cara pursed her and folded her arms across her chest.
"As I was saying. I released my power into him and he felt it but it let him go. It was like it couldn't find anything to grasp onto. Richard said he felt it leave his body just seconds after it entered him." She explained.
"So you can't confess him?"
"Apparently. It doesn't make sense but Richard seems to think our love is stronger than my power."
"Perhaps he is right. But you can't keep this hidden for much longer. The wizard may be oblivious to the vomiting, but he's definitely going to notice this." She said pulling back the overcoat Kahlan was wearing. Beneath it you could see the slightest hint of a bump. Kahlan rubbed her hand over the swell of her stomach and sighed.
"I know. The corset is killing me. I can barely breathe with it on, but I can't take it off until I can get a new dress. I plan on getting one in the next village, which I had hoped we would have reached tonight but my child had other plans." She said, laughing.
"Why not tell him?" Cara asked.
"He'll want me to leave and go back to Aydindril. I can't do that. Richard needs my protection."
"He has me and Zedd, he's well protected."
"A seeker needs his confessor. You know that as well as Zedd. The only other confessor grows right here." She said, looking down at her belly. "I can't leave him."
"Let's just hope that you don't have that kid out here. That's all we need is a baby in tow. We are already a circus act." She said rolling her eyes.
"Thank you, Cara." She said and sat down on the grass to tend the fire. She looked up at Cara and sighed. "Cara, may I ask you something?"
"If I say no will you ask it anyway?"
"Yes."
"Then ask."
"You had a child. How was your pregnancy? Were you as sick as I've been?"
"I'm mord'sith; we are trained to overcome all pain and discomfort."
"I know, but you at least had to have the nausea."
"I did, and no it was nothing to what you've experienced."
"And the birth?"
"I never screamed. We are taught to separate out minds and as my child was born I did that."
"Thank you." Kahlan said and placed the overcoat back around her as she heard the men approach the camp, a rabbit in tow. Kahlan grimaced at the kill. Cara noticed the grimace and took the animal from them.
"That thing looks like it's seen better days. I'll look for fruits and plants."
"I want meat Cara." Zedd told her.
"If you want meat, then you can eat it over there. I can't stomach the look of the thing." She said and threw the rabbit away from the campsite, then went into the forest. Zedd stomped off for the rabbit and sat down to skin the animal. Richard watched the exchange and laughed.
"She knows." Kahlan said. Richard turned to her.
"About?" he asked, looking to her stomach. Kahlan nodded and pulled back the coat just enough to reveal her stomach then closed it quickly.
"She's not going to say anything, but we have to tell him soon. I am starting to show. Just a little. It's enough that the corset is uncomfortable. I need a new dress. When we get to the next village I have to get one. Zedd will question why and we have to tell him, Richard."
"I know. We will get to that when we get to it. Right now, you need to rest." He said and kissed her cheek. Kahlan didn't protest. She laid down on the blanket she had spread on the ground and was asleep in minutes.