The jerk of her body woke her, and the sun burned her eyes as she opened them. It was so bright; she had to blink away the tears that collected, trying to protect them. Looking around, she saw a large, armed man sitting in front of her. She sat up slowly, pulling at the rope around her wrists, taking in her surroundings. She was in a carriage. A small one. The man was no more than three feet in front of her. He stared at her, his grip on her daggers tight as he watched her move.
"Who are you?" she asked softly, looking out the window, trying to see where they were.
"It would probably be best if you did not know that. If you escape the- I would be killed if I was how your Seeker was lead back to the- your captors."
She nodded, trying to remain calm. "Can you tell me where we are going?"
"I was told to bring you back."
"Take me back to whom?"
He stared at her, shaking his head, "I cannot tell you. You will find out after sundown."
"Sundown? The nearest town was a day away. How long have I been here?"
"Almost three days. The elixir I gave you kept you unconscious." he met her fearful eyes, "I did not want to hurt you."
"Because you were asked you not to-"
"Because you are The Mother Confessor. I am not a man who would cause you any harm. I do this because I have no choice. You are not an object to be used for power." she could hear the anger in his voice as he spoke, she felt sorry for him. "He wishes to have you as his wife."
"His wife?" she half cried, half shouted. "Why would he want-!"
He leaned forward, dropping her daggers on the small seat behind him, keeping them as far from her as possible. "Shh! Mother Confessor, you cannot stop him. He always gets what he wants and now he wants you."
"Why?" her voice came out softer than she intended, she had not realized how afraid she was.
He sighed, looking away from her. "I cannot tell you."
"Why?" she begged, leaning towards him. "Please, tell me. Why does he want me? He has to know The Seeker will come for me."
"He will not be able to find you. No one has seen you. He will not know where to look. You would be smart to forget about him."
"I will never forget about him."
"I suggest you pretend. He will not like having you think of any other man when he is with you." his voice was soft but hard, making sure she understood.
They both remained silent for a few minutes. Kahlan sat, trying to unbind her hands without losing herself in the rising panic building within her.
Her distress made him uneasy. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I-I do not like my hands being tied."
"I'm sorry, but I could not risk you confessing me. I- I have a wife. A family. I cannot untie you." Nodding, Kahlan took in a deep breath, trying to remain calm as her body jerked around in the carriage. "If you do as he asks, he will not hurt anyone. If you do not, he will not hesitate to hurt you until you are no longer able to resist being a wife to him."
"How can I be his wife? I am a Confessor. My magic will destroy him."
He stared at her, wondering if he should tell her anything more than he had already. "You are no threat to him." She stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but he did. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "It would be best if we did not speak any more."
She did not argue. Looking out of the window, she watched the trees pass faster and faster as they moved through them. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and wake up safe in Richard's arms. After a few minutes, she closed her eyes, allowing her mind to drift off into thoughts of him.
"Mother Confessor," he waited until she opened her eyes before he continued. "We are almost there. Would you like some time to prepare?"
"No." She said quickly, looking down to the floor. "How long until we arrive?"
"Half an hour." He noticed her lightly shaking body, reaching forward; he took hold of her arm. "If I unbind you, will you not-"
"I will not confess you."
"I will have to re-bind you before he comes to you."
Nodding, Kahlan turned, giving him access to the ropes. "Alright."
"How can you all claim not to have seen anything?" Richard shouted as he pushed passed Zedd and returned walking through the town. "Have you seen The Mother Confessor?" he grabbed hold of a man trying to pass him.
"No!" he shouted, trying to remove himself from Richard's grasp.
Shaking the man, Richard raised his voice. "Has anyone passed through here?"
"No. I do not know. I have not seen anyone."
"Richard! Let him go." Zedd called out as he approached him. "He doesn't know anything."
"We cannot know that! Kahlan's not here to confess him!" He shouted back, his face inches from the other mans.
Laying his hand on his shoulder, Zedd pulled him back. "Let him go. A scared man will not lie to you."
"I would not lie to the Seeker." The man corrected just as Richard released him. "I am sorry you lost her, but I have not seen anything. I only returned this morning."
Releasing a sigh, Richard ran his fingers through his hair, turned away from the others and stared off into the town. "I will find you, Kahlan." he whispered to himself, before walking away quickly.
"You are the Seeker right? I've seen you before. You were with The Mother Confessor."
He turned around quickly, "Have you seen her?"
"The Mother Confessor?" she asked. He nodded and walked towards her. "I cannot be sure."
"What do you mean?"
She looked over his shoulder as Cara and Zedd walked up behind him. "A carriage came through here the evening before last. There were two people sitting in there. Her hands were tied, but she looked alright."
"Was it Kahlan-The Mother Confessor?"
She looked back to Richard, taking pity on him from the feared look on his face. "I cannot be sure, but she wore a white dress."
"Which way did they go?"
She reached out, touching his arm gently, trying to give him a small amount of comfort. "I cannot be sure it was your Confessor."
"But you cannot be sure it was." not he replied, looking down to her hand. "Please, I have to find her. Which was did they go?"
"They were traveling north. The only place they would be going is the palace."
Confused, he shook his head "Palace? Whose palace?"
"Tzadok."
The name froze Zedd still, "Spirits." he whispered softly, closing his eyes.
"Who is Tzadok? Zedd?"
"He is the ruler of these lands. I had not realized we had gone this far."
"Zedd!" Richard shouted, trying to get his grandfather to explain. "Who is Tzadok?"
He moved in close, standing inches away from him. "Richard, if he has Kahlan, he has plans for her."
"Plans you will not like." The woman said softly, looking up to Richard. "If he has requested her, it will be for one reason. He has yet to choose a bride."
He felt as though his heart was being cut slowly from his chest. Every thought of what was said made him sick. He had to save her. He could not fail her again.
"Welcome to your new home." His voice made her skin crawl; he spoke as though she was only an animal being brought for his pleasure. And she was. He opened the carriage door and looked inside, giving the man sitting before her a small nod before allowing his eyes for soak her in. The way he stared at her made her feel dirty. Her heart hammered in her chest as his hand reached inside the carriage and touched her cheek. "Come now. You must be ready for your guests."
She did not speak as the pulled her out and walked her up the palace steps. Looking around, she tried to find a way to escape, but with her hands bound and the few dozen men surrounding her, she knew it was not an option. He kept a hand on her, reveling in the success of his plan. "Tell me," he whispered into her ear, moving his body closer to hers, "did you enjoy the ride?" his tongue crept out as he finished, sliding over her earlobe, making her shudder with disgust.
Pleased by her reaction, he continued. Nuzzling his nose against her, he took in a deep breath. "Ah. You are indeed a prize." Tzadok's smile widened as they walked inside. "Tonight, you will become my wife."
"What makes you think I will agree to this?" her voice was soft, firm and she was sure he could hear her anger.
"I do not think. I know. If you refuse me, I will find your lover. The Seeker he is called, is he not? I will find him and I will kill him." He smiled, pulling her to a stop and stepping in front of her. "Before he dies, he will be tortured. Not your usual torture," he continued, feeding off her fear. "No, that would be too easy. I will make him suffer in ways he never thought imaginable. Then once he begs for his death, I will be more than happy to chain him up and watch as I have my way with the woman he loves."
She opened her mouth to breathe as she nodded slowly, the thought of him going through any pain because of her made her sick. She would do anything to keep him safe and he knew it. She knew that he knew it as well.
Turning to the men around them, he pushed her into their arms, making her struggle to remain standing. "Take her; be sure she sends word to Ayindril. They will not come looking for her if she orders them not to. Get her ready. You know what she needs." Then he was gone.
She stood, staring herself in the mirror, her body shaking in horror of what she was going to do. The Rada'Han around her neck glared back at her, from her reflection, mocking her. She took a deep breath as the women around her attempted to dress her.
"He cannot risk you confessing one of his servants and have them help you escape." Smiling, the woman looked up from the hem of Kahlan's dress. "He will remove it after the wedding. Once you are taken to his bed. You will be required to wear it whenever you are away from him." She was pretty; her blond hair flowed freely over her shoulders as she sewed the holes on the Confessor's dress.
"What is to keep me from confessing him?"
"I am sure you would like that. It would make this easier for you. He cannot be harmed by your magic. I do not know why or how, but I do know it to be the truth. There is no escape."
"I would not escape." Kahlan said flatly, looking down at the woman.
She looked up immediately meeting her eyes. "He has someone you love too?"
"Not yet. Who does he have-"
"My son. He is eleven. He remains in the dungeon until Tzadok finds use for him."
"I'm sorry."
She stood up; she was eye to eye with her. "Once you are married, you can help him. You can get him out of there."
Kahlan looked past her, into the mirror as she thought. "If I can. Something good should come out of this."
The woman grabbed her hands in tears, "Thank you, Mother Confessor. Thank you." her arms wrapped around her for a brief moment, thanking her.
Tzadok, smiled widely as he stepped to the center of the great hall with his new bride. The room was crowded with people she had never seen before, with people that stared at her in ways she was not used to. They bowed as they passed, sending their respects to them.
"Thank you all for being here on this occasion. The Mother Confessor and I could not be happier to share this day with you all." Giving Kahlan a sideways glance, he tightened his hold around her waist. "We hate to leave you-No, we are pleased to leave you and retire to our chambers. Please enjoy yourselves." He pulled her close to him as they hurried through the doors.
"I have been looking forward to this since I received word of your capture. I have heard of your beauty, but I must admit that you are more than expected." His eyes remained on hers as he led her through the halls. "You will learn to like it here. As my wife you will do as I ask. I am sure you understand my meaning." She did. "I am also sure that you will be satisfied with my performance. I have yet to meet a woman who was not been."
"I am sure a woman would say anything to keep you from killing her."
He pushed her hard, slamming her against the nearest wall. "You will not speak me to me like that!" the slap of his hand coming into contact with her cheek echoed through the hall. The servants walking by, quickly turned their heads away and dashed off. "I am your husband and you will treat me as such!"
She looked back at him, eyes wet with tears that she refused to let fall. "I-" she could bring herself to go along with it. All she wanted to do was grab hold of his neck and release her magic into him. The Rada'Han prevented it. She would have to wait.
"Yes. Speechless will work for me as well." He jerked her forward, off the wall. "Come. I will have you in my bed."
He closed the door behind them, turned and met her eyes. He smiled at the horror within them. This is what he wanted. Taking a few steps, he stopped inches from her shaking body, reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a tiny key.
"There is no reason for you to wear that now that we are alone." Unlocking the Rada'Han, he tossed it into a chair beside the door behind him. "Remove your clothes."
She stared at him, trying to find a way around it. Lunging forward, she grabbed his throat, pushing him backwards with her force and released her magic into him. He grabbed her quickly, turning her around and holding her wrists behind her back. "You will not get be rid of me that easily." He whispered, pushing her face down into the bed. "Remove your clothes or I will tear them from your body."
"That is the only way they will be removed." Kahlan stated through gritted teeth. Her heart pounding so hard, she felt weakened. "I will never lay with you."
"If you do not remove your clothes and make love to me, I will have my men find and kill your Seeker."
She waited, giving herself a moment to think before she jerked her hands from his hold and pushed herself up off the bed. "If I do this, you will leave him be?"
"Yes."
Staring into his eyes, she knew he spoke the truth. It frightened her all the more. "Alright." She breathed out as the tears began to fall down her cheeks.
