She looked around bewildered at the Confessor's Palace, taking in the sights as Richard walked her through the halls, taking her to their bedroom, where he asked Zedd to meet them. Most of her strength had faded on their journey back, though she refused to admit it, but now she was mostly leaning on him, needing him to help keep her moving. He looked at her instantly as they entered their room, hoping that it would be some place she would remember, but she didn't show any sign of it.

Carefully, he and Zedd laid her down on the bed, Richard quickly pulling the covers up over her, trying to cover her as best he could, while leaving the wounds exposed for the wizard. Biting down on her lip, Kahlan closed her eyes for a moment, wincing through the pain of being positioned onto the bed.

"This is Zedd." Richard said softly, seeing the way she was looking at him. "He's my grandfather and a wizard of the first order. You can trust him."

"I don't trust any of you." she said softly, returning her attention to Zedd, who pulled the cloth from her leg, sighing at the sight.

"This is going to hurt, but you shouldn't move."

"Here." Richard offered, laying down beside her. She moved away from him, not wanting him to be so close to her, but he grabbed her, gently pulling her into his arms as his grandfather took hold of her leg.

Grabbing his arms, Kahlan let out a cry of pain digging her nails into his skin as she pressed her head to his chest. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her to him as he tried to give her comfort from his arms.

"You've lost a lot of blood, dear one. You're going to need time to rest and regain your strength." She was barely able to make out his words as she tried to remain awake. "Just a few more moments and you will feel a little better." He whispered as he laid his hand on her head, moving his fingers through her hair, trying to find where the blood was coming from.

The room went dark.

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked around, instantly seeing Richard sitting in a wooden chair beside her and the way he looked, told her that he had been there for a while. She didn't move. She laid there, staring at him, watching him as he stared, without blinking, at the ceiling.

"You don't remember anything do you?" he asked softly, surprising her. He closed his eyes when she didn't reply, knowing that she hadn't. "I'm sorry." he whispered.

"Why? You didn't do this to me."

"Because I failed you. I promised to keep you safe and then I promised to give you your memories back. I failed to do both." He looked at her, his face and eyes filled with sadness. "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be." she replied softly.

"Yes, I should be. I should have protected you. I should have-"

"No." she interrupted him, shaking her head. "I may not remember you, but I- I don't even know why, but I know you did everything that you could." she looked away from him, embarrassed. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Can you?" he asked moving to his knees before the bed, resting his arms on the side of the bed. "What do you see now?"

Meeting his eyes, she took in a deep breath and tried to read him. "You're going somewhere. You're pushed in anger and you won't let it end like this." she said softly as he nodded. "Why can I- How can I know that?"

Richard leaned closer, moving slowly to give her the option to move away. His intentions were more than clear. He pressed his lips lightly against hers, kissing her. She didn't pull back; instead, she returned his kiss, leaning in closer to deepen it. Slowly, she reached out, raking her fingers through his hair as she always did, making him forget that she wasn't the same woman she had been. She moved on instinct and followed what her body wanted, pulling him onto the bed beside her.

Almost instantly, he pulled back, breaking their kiss, before running his hand over his lips. "I'm sorry, I can't-"

"I know." she said softly, closing her eyes for a moment as she traced her tongue quickly across her lips to taste him once more. "I- I just wanted to know-" she smiled quickly as her cheeks reddened and she looked away as she realized that she was naked. "What happened to my clothes?" she asked softly.

"Your hand servant took your dress to be repaired. She would have redressed you, but she- I was afraid they would reopen some of your wounds. I'll send for her to take care of you."

She grabbed his hand, keeping him from walking away. "Please stay." She whispered, turning her head towards him. "I don't want to be alone and you- I feel safe with you near me."

"Alright." he said softly, reaching behind him, he grabbed the chair and pulled it closer to him.

"Lay here with me?" She asked, hoping that he wouldn't deny her this. "Just for a little while."

"Kahlan, I- Are you sure?"

"Yes." she said quickly, pulling back all but one of the blankets, she kept one around her, keeping her covered as he moved to lay beside her. "Can I ask you another question?" she asked as his head hit one of the pillows, her own body moving in closer to his.

He didn't answer for a moment, almost afraid of what it was that she wanted to ask. Looking over to her, he studied her face, wishing that she wasn't so good at hiding her feelings as she lifted herself up onto her elbow and looked down at him. "Alright."

"Before all of this- Before I was taken away, did we do this?"

"Do what?"

"Just lay here?"

A small smile crossed his lips as he nodded. "Yes. We did this a lot." She watched the expressions on his face change, never turning to something unpleasant as he allowed himself to remember.

"I'm sorry." she said softly when his eyes opened.

Richard turned his head towards her, confused. "Why?"

"Because I'm no longer her- I'm not the woman you love." His eyes closed to her words, feeling them push through him like knife. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, Kahlan. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I feel like I did."

Without thinking, he pulled her down to him, wrapping her in his arms as he had done so many times before. "You didn't do anything wrong." he said into her hair, holding her head against his chest, his fingers wrapping themselves into her hair. "I'm going to make this right, I promise."

She didn't reply as he looked at her. Her eyes were closed and at last she slept peacefully. Feeling more than the safety his arms provided.

She was stirred from her dreams as she felt him move beneath her. Carefully lifting her from his chest and moving her to the bed beside him. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if he had woken her, but she didn't move. Slowly, Richard dropped a leg over the side of the bed, lifting the blankets from him as he followed it with the other. He froze as the bed shook with her movements. Turning his head, he caught sight of her in the corner of his eye, seeing her just as she turned over, now facing away from him. He felt his heart skip a beat at the sound of his name softly leaving her lips.

He waited another moment, trying to be sure that he wouldn't wake her when he left. Turning around, he looked down upon her, watching as she pulled at the thin blanket that kept her well hidden, trying to gather more of its warmth. Kahlan had once told him that they only needed the blankets when they weren't together, that the warmth of his body was all she would ever need. The way she clung to the blanket made him smile at the thought that it was still the case, though she was not the same woman.

Growing frustrated with the lack of warmth, she pulled roughly at the blanket, pulling all to her chest, exposing her back completely. His eyes flowed over the open skin, his mind resisting the urge to kiss the soft flesh that he loved to taste so much. Slowly, Richard reached over, taking the other blankets and pulling them up, trying to bring them to her shoulders. There it was again; his name leaving her lips, this time in a familiar tone. Instantly, he returned his legs to the bed, turning around completely to face her. She didn't move.

He pressed the tips of his fingers to her back, gently running them over her the way he had done several times before. It was how he had woken her nearly each morning after they had married. It started with a single touch, just bringing her lightly out of her sleep and then followed by a kiss that stirred up her senses, bringing her to the place where they only existed and they were all that they needed. Slowly, she rolled onto her back, abandoning the blanket that she had held so tightly. Opening her eyes, she looked at him, meeting his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Richard shook his head, his eyes searching her's, looking for anything that resembled the woman he knew and loved. "Nothing's wrong. I- you were talking in your sleep."

"I was?" she looked away, worried that she might have said something she wished she hadn't.

"You seemed content."

"Because you were here." she said softly. "I feel safe with you here. I can feel you beside me and I-" Moving to him, she kissed him, letting out a soft moan of pleasure as pressed herself to him. She grabbed his hand, keeping him from pulling it away as she moved over him. A knee on either side of his waist, she pushed him down to the bed, her tongue pushing past his lips to meet his.

"Kahlan," He whispered her name in a way that sent her heart into a pounding frenzy. The look in his eyes told her that he said her name in that manor often. "Stop."

"You said I was your wife." She said in a hardened tone. "Then this is something that we do."

"Yes, but Kahlan-"

"Is the child I carry not yours?" she asked softly, surprising him. He had no intention of telling her. Not until he had to.

"You remember?" he asked, his voice filled with hope that faded quickly as she shook her head. "How did you know?"

"I can feel it. She is yours?" Richard nodded, his eyes meeting hers briefly before fleeing again. "How can you be sure?" she asked, bringing a smile to his face. "What?"

"I have no doubt that it is mine." He half laughed at the thought of her with anyone else, but then his face lost all happiness at the images of how he found her came to mind. "There could be no other father to this child."

"You have a lot of faith in her."

"As she does in me." He replied quickly. "We love each other. We care more about the other than we do ourselves and there is nothing that could change that. I trust her more than anyone else. The child is mine."

She moved quickly, pressing her lips against his and pulling him forward onto her. He pulled back, surprised by her actions, but he didn't move out of her arms. Watching her carefully, he waited for her to open her eyes. A small smile crossed her lips as she looked at him. "Do that again." She said softly, pulling him back to her. The moment their lips reconnected, she saw it. Their first night together, she could feel the grass and leaves against her skin as though they were still there. She reached up, holding his head to hers as she kissed him desperately, trying to see more.

Moving over him, she kept little distance between them, using the feel of him to remember. She pulled away every few seconds, needing a moment to soak in what was running through her head. Suddenly pulling at his clothes and running her hands over his chest.

"Kahlan," he breathed out when he managed to take a breath, "stop-"

"I need to remember." She whispered, pressing her forehead against his, breathing deeply. "This is the only way I can remember." Her lips were upon his once again, her mouth hungrily attacking his.

Holding her to him, he sat up, pulling his lips from hers as he held onto her shoulders. "It's not the only way. Come here." He pulled her against him, hugging her tightly in his arms. He could feel the pounding of her heart; feel the warmth of her breaths as she tried to calm herself. Richard closed his eyes at the feeling of her tears running down his neck, unable to stand the pain she was feeling. Gripping his shoulders tightly, Kahlan pushed within her mind, retrieving every memory she had received in the past few minutes and searching them, trying to find out more. His voice pulled her further into her thoughts, bringing the memories to life.

Soft words, moans, gasps and cries escaped her lips as she tightened her hold on him, her body blending with his. His hands moved over her back, slowly drawing circles with his fingertips as he rocked them, holding her the way he had done only nights ago. His heart sped up as she moved her hands from his shoulders to his chest, gripping his shirt in her fists as she began to cry.

Without a moment wasted, she pulled back and grabbed his head, her fingers inching into his hair. "How did you know that would work?" she smiled, pressing her forehead to his so that they shared their breaths. "How did you know you would make me remember?"

"I didn't, but I saw the memories flash in your eyes when you kissed me and I had to do something." Richard pulled back, looking into her eyes, smiling widely as he cupped her cheeks in his hands. "Spirits, I was so afraid that you wouldn't remember."

"Me too." she admitted softly. "It was all I could think about. You were sitting there beside me and all I kept thinking was how could I not remember you?"

Just as the words left her lips he pressed his against hers, kissing her as he had done a few nights before, as though it had been months without her. Her kiss, now how it used to be, thrilled him, making him pull her even closer to him. A light giggle escaped her as he pushed her back to the bed and laid over her. Frantically, she pushed at the blankets, not wanting them to get between them. Pulling his shirt over his head, he leaned over her, kissing her neck and chest as his hands roamed over her.

She refused to let go of him, for the small fear that with him, all of her memories would fade away. With her head resting peacefully against his chest and a smile on her lips, she breathed deeply as her strength slowly returned to her. "Spirits, that- that was amazing."

"Always." he replied, grinning widely himself. "Kahlan," he said as the smile faded from his lips, knowing that he had to ask her now. "Before- When- There was something you didn't tell me, something that scared you. What was it?"

Instantly, she sat up and covered herself with one of the blankets, keeping her eyes on his chest. "It's nothing." she lied, knowing that she met his eyes he would know.

"It's not nothing," he sat up, taking her arms in his hands and turning her body towards him. "What is it?"

She turned around to face him, tears spilling from her eyes. "It's not important."

Now he was concerned, "Kahlan, please, if it scared you-"

"Everything scared me." she said softly, "Richard you scared me. I didn't remember anything and what I went through- Everything scared me." She moved back as he tried to wrap his arms around her, trying to comfort her. "He didn't just stand in the door."

He grew angry instantly at the thought. It was Darken Rahl that she had said stood at the door before and now that she told him the truth, the thoughts of what he could have done to her made his blood run cold. "Did he-"

"I don't know." Slowly, she reached up, covering her mouth with her hand as she shook her head, her voice shaking. "One minute he was standing before me and then- I don't know what happened. I woke up and he was walking away. He was laughing." dropping her hand to her lap, she turned around to him. "He wanted me to tell you something, but I didn't know who you were."

He pushed back the thoughts that flooded his mind, forcing himself to speak. "What did he want you to tell me?"

"It doesn't matter what he said." she whispered, fighting back the tears. "He only said it to hurt you and if I don't tell you, it can't."

"How did you know he said it to hurt me? You didn't know who I was."

Looking away, "I knew because of the look in your eye when you asked me if he- It had to be you. I almost told you too. When we were on our way back and I wanted you to let me go. I almost told you but-"

"You didn't. Why?"

Meeting his eyes, she blinked back the tears. "Because for some reason I trusted you. I didn't know who you were, but I trusted you. I felt safe. I didn't want you to change your mind about bringing me back."

"Kahlan,"

"If I tell you, it will start a war."

"He's already started the war. He started it when he took you from me, when he had those men- those men do that to you." Richard took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself from shouting. "He started this war, but I will end it."

"We shouldn't-"

"What did he tell you?"

Slowly, she turned away from him, facing her entire body towards the wall on the other side of the room. "When he comes for you and he will come, he will not care about the others. Me, he cares about and I have tainted what is his. He will never know the full extent of damage I've caused. You tell him that and each time he looks at you or touches you, he will see my face. And when he comes for me, we will rip the heart from his chest." She didn't move, though she could feel his eyes upon her, waiting for her to turn around to look at him.

He wanted to grab her shoulders and turn her around, ask her why she had said that hadn't touched her, but he already knew the answer. She was afraid that what Darken Rahl had said would be true. Maybe it was. No. He shook his head, nothing could ever change the way he looked at her. "Kahlan, look at me." Moving slowly, he pressed his chest against her back, wrapping his arms around her while pressing a light kiss to the back of her shoulder. She turned her head, only enough to catch glimpse of him behind her. "It wasn't just me he wanted to hurt."

He continued pressing short, light kisses along her back and shoulder, tightening his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. After a few moments, she reached up, holding his arms around her. "I wish I knew what happened." she whispered as she lowered her head, her hair falling around her face. "I want to know what he did to me."

"I don't want you to know." he said softly, his breath warming her skin. "Kahlan, I don't want you to have to live with that."

"You want me to live with the thoughts? Not knowing just makes me think of all the things he may have done." She tightened her hold on his arms as he let out a sigh. "Each time I think something could be the worst, it's not."

Pressing his forehead to her shoulder, he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Kahlan."

"Promise me something?" she asked softly.

"If I can."

"Before you kill him, make him tell you." He said nothing as he nodded, his tears sliding down her back, making her tighten her hold on him.