Standing in front of her, he pushed her into the wall with his chest, running his hand up and down her arm as they waited. "How long do you think it will last?"

"Getting tired of guarding me?" she teased softly, grabbing his waist and pulling him closer. "They will be out in a few minutes. Ann never sits in a meeting through lunch."

"No, I'm not getting tired of guarding you. It's just getting hard standing here, when I am unable to kiss you."

Grinning, she turned her head and looked down the hall, trying to keep herself from being the one to kiss him. "I don't mind if you kiss me." Returning her gaze to his, she released his shirt and sighed. "We shouldn't do this. It's never going to end well."

"What? Kahlan, I know that you don't think that it's a good idea, but it is. It's not wrong for us to be together, for us to want this."

"Then why are you looking at me like this?" she sighed, pushing her hair behind her ear. "You say that you want to kiss me, but you won't because you know that it's all we can do. It's all that I can give you."

Pushing himself against her, he kissed her, hard and full of passion, holding her to the wall as his hands moved over her. She kissed him back just as hard, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she pushed herself into him with a deep moan. "Kissing you is all I need," he breathed out as he pressed his forehead against hers, giving them both a moment to catch their breaths.

"Someone's coming," she said softly, looking back down the hallway. "What are you going to do?"

"Protect you. If Ann is working with Fran, then we have to get every other member of the council on our side. We need one person to keep you alive until they can see, until they know the truth. I'm not going to let them hurt you."

"Then, let's go. They don't know anything yet. We can just- we can be happy for a little while," she said into his ear, wanting him to come back to the room with her. She knew what would happen if he spoke to any of the council. She wanted a few more moments in happiness. "You can talk to them tomorrow."

"Is that what you really want? Do you want to hide in your room until they come for you?"

"If I'm with you, yes. Richard, the moment you say something to one of them, they will turn on you. Do you remember when we first got here and you said that you wanted to stay? Do you remember what they told you?"

"They said that I didn't belong here."

"Yes, but you and I knew better. You wanted to be here, so you belong and I wanted you to be here, so they allowed you to stay."

"If I spoke to them, they would make me leave?"

She nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat. "If you told them anything, they would do anything to make sure you couldn't help me. Making you leave is not something they would settle for. Please, let's go back."

"I can't sit there and wait for them. I'm not going to let them win and if we leave now, they will." Caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, he kissed her quickly and stepped back. "You will be safe, I promise."

Just as she was about to beg him not to, he turned and walked down the hallway, meeting three members of the council. She heard nothing as she watched them look over his shoulder at her, each shaking their heads in disbelief as he explained what had happened. Looking away, she walked to the window across from her and stared out, imagining the feel of the sun against her face and the light breeze pushing past her. Taking in a deep breath, she smelled the kitchen, strongly, making her sick for a moment until she began to breathe through her mouth. Touching her hand to the window, she was surprised by the coolness of the glass as the sun shined down upon it. Looking back to Richard, she sighed at his frustration as she watched him push his fingers through his hair, the way that he did when he was nervous or upset. A part of her wanted to go to him, to take him away from his problems, but she was his problem.

Without looking back, she turned on her heels and rushed down the hall, her white dress flowing freely behind her. She walked without thought and without hesitation. There was no doubt where she was going. Stopping at the door, the Confessor clenched her fists in anger, her body heating as she tried to stop herself. Once she entered the room, there would be no going back. She needed to decide, in a single moment, everything she held dear could be taken away from her. Taking hold if the handle she pushed the door open.

Their eyes locked instantly, Kahlan began to feel tears as she walked toward her friend. "I've failed them all, Fran. I was given a simple task and I- I can no longer feel the child within me. I will be dead before daybreak tomorrow. You must promise me something, before I go, I must know if you will protect him."

Stretching her arms out, Fran pulled Kahlan into her arms and hugged her. "I will do everything that I can to make sure he is all right."

She thought she might vomit, hearing the woman she thought was her friend lie about the man she loved made her sicker than she thought possible. "Thank you. You are a dear friend." Pulling back, she pushed the other woman's hair over her shoulder. "I always adored your blonde hair. It's beautiful."

"When did you tell them?"

"I haven't. I will as soon as I leave here. I couldn't go in there without knowing if Richard would be safe."

Nodding, the blonde smiled warmly and grabbed her friend's hand. "I understand. It must be painful for you to do this."

"You have no idea. Would you come with me? I don't want to do it alone."

Confused, Fran shook her head. "What about him? Wouldn't you want him with you?"

"No. I can't have him see me like that. He shouldn't have to watch me die." Turning around, Kahlan fought back the anger, the pain and the urge to murder the woman standing so close behind her. "I can't do this with him."

Grabbing her arm, she turned the Confessor around to face her, a small smile on her lips. "Does this mean that you and he will spend the day together? You can make love to him now and he will be freed when they... You have the opportunity you have always wanted."

"Confessing the man that I love is not what I wanted. I will die the way I have always known that I would. Cold and alone."

"I will be there with you. You will not be alone, but please think about what I said and take the opportunity to be with him. You deserve that much."

Shaking her head, Kahlan pushed back the rush of nausea that flooded through her. "I do not have the time. I go to them after I leave you."

"No, go to your room, take him with you and make the most of the time you have left. Make you both happy."

"I'm afraid. Being with Richard, making love to him, it would destroy him. It would take away everything that I love about him, it would take him away." Walking to the door, she looked back to her friend and gave her a sad smile. "Do you really believe that I should?"

Moving closer to her, the blonde nodded with a smile. "Nothing would make your last hours more wonderful. You've spoken about him since your return, you love him. Allow yourself the small comfort of his love for you."

"All right. If you see him, will you send him to my room?"

"I would be happy to." She replied softly, opening the door for her friend. "Go, I will go and find him now."

Hugging her tightly, Kahlan beamed. "Thank you. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you."

"Go, have fun."

The moment the door closed behind her, Kahlan took off in a half run, falling to her knees in tears the moment she rounded the first corner. Leaning over, she covered her face in her hands and screamed. Arms were around her before she knew it, holding her tightly. She didn't have to look to know who it was. Turning around, she pulled him closer to her and brought her lips to his ear. "She's going to be looking for you." Using him to help herself up, she quickly wiped her tears and stepped backward. "She can't find us together."

"Kahlan, what happened? Why did you go in there?"

"I was going to kill her," she answered softly, looking around to be sure they were alone. "She will be looking for you. She believes I will confess you tonight. Then she will have you killed."

"You told her that you were going to go to the council didn't you?" he whispered, grabbing her face in his hands. "Why would you do that? Kahlan, the council members that I spoke with, they are willing to wait, to have it confirmed."

"No they aren't. Richard, when I went in there to see her, she didn't hesitate when I told her that I would be dead by daybreak. She already spoke with them."

"That's not possible, Kahlan they had no idea what I was talking about. They were surprised that you were carrying a child." She stared up at him, waiting for him to continue, for him to explain, but he didn't. "Kahlan, they're not going to kill you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I told them they would not live long enough to reach your door." Taking her hand, he began to walk down the hall, leading her back to her room, where he was sure that she would be safe. "Why would she think that you would confess me?"

"She said that since it was my last night, I should... She thought that it would be a good way to spend my last night."

Tightening his hand around hers, he pulled her closer. "She has a point. If it were my last night, I couldn't imagine anything better than being with you."

"You would be destroyed."

He grinned widely. "I wouldn't care. It would be the greatest night of my life if I was only allowed to hold you."

Turning her head, she caught his eye, "There's a Rada'Han inside my second dresser."

"No," he said quickly, instantly dismissing the idea. "If you wore it, you would be hiding a part of you, a part of you that makes you who you are. If I were to be with you while you wore one, I would be making love to a part of you. I don't want just a part of you. I want all of you."

Stopping, she turned in his arms and looked into his eyes, seeing the truth. "Why?"

"Because I love you. You. Not a part of you, all of you." He spoke softly, whispering so that only she would hear him. "Kahlan, I know that there may never be a way for me to tell you how much I love you, but I don't ever want you to wonder why. Everything about you is the reason I love you. I could never find words to explain it to you, but I do love you."

"I know, but I- I don't understand how. You should be terrified of me. You shouldn't want to be near me, but you do, you never look at me in fear of your life, but you should. Especially now."

Grinning widely, he looked over her. "Why?"

"Because I want to do it."

"Do it."

Walking away from him, she shook her head, sighing at his ability to make the situation seem so easy. He believed that the idea of her confessing him was as simple as deciding what he wanted for breakfast. That was what she could never understand. "I would never hurt you."

"I know," he told her tenderly, moving to walk beside her. Taking her hand in his once again, he grinned. "Kahlan if you wanted to, if you want to, I would understand. I would not try to stop you."

Turning, she pushed him back against the wall, laying her hand on his throat as she locked her eyes on his. She stared at him, reading him carefully, waiting for a moment of fear to reach him. Nothing. Releasing him, she shook her head as he frowned, disappointed that she had let him go. "I could have destroyed you."

They were close to her bedroom door, his heart pounding from being so close. "No, you would have brought me to life." Stepping closer to her, he closed the small distance between them and kissed her.

For a moment, he was almost certain that he could feel her heart beat through their kiss, matching his with its intensity. He inched them slowly to her room, making sure their lips never parted. She pulled at his hair, wanting him closer as her back slid against the wall. They tripped over their own feet, both too caught up in the taste of the other's lips and the feel of their hands moving dangerously over their bodies. Pushing her through the door, Richard lifted her into his arms, struggling with her dress as he tried to wrap her legs around him. Bringing her to the bed, he gently laid her down, moving over her as his lips left hers.

She gasped for air, pushing her head back into the mattress as he began to kiss her neck. Running his hands over her body, he pushed himself down against her, drawing out a deep, long moan from within her. Grabbing the laces of her dress, he pulled them loose, exposing more skin to his lips as he attempted to kiss down her body. She wasn't wearing her corset, making it even more difficult for him to remain calm as more and more of her was revealed to him. Pulling at his shirt, she felt the fabric rip from the force just as he lifted his head from her, allowing it to be freed of him.

Bringing his lips back to hers, he moaned as his chest pressed against hers. The feeling of her fingers touching his back, pulling him close to her was almost too much for him. He had never expected to feel any of this, feel her against him, hear her pant his name as she pushed herself into him. He couldn't believe they had waited so long. His mind began to fill with images, making his heart pound faster as he broke their kiss and looked into her eyes. A sigh of relief left him as he saw that it was still her, still the woman he loved.

Bringing both hands to cup her face, he leaned forward, their noses lightly touching as he stroked his thumbs across her skin. "I love you, Kahlan." The words left his lips in a soft whisper, making her body melt beneath him as he stared into her eyes.

Moving her hands from his back, she held onto his sides and smiled. She knew what he was doing, why he had stopped and it made her love him even more. "You know that I love you too, but I- we can't..."

Nodding his head knowingly, he rolled onto his side, next to her, leaving his right arm draped over her. "What do we do now?"

Turning her head, she gave him a sad smile, laying her hand over his. "We wait. Once they believe we are unable to defend ourselves, they will come."

"Release your magic. They will assume that we have... And then, what better timing could there be?"

Her smile widened as she rolled over to face him. "I'm not sure it would be so quick. They may suspect something," she said teasingly as she raised an eyebrow. "We should wait a little while longer." Sitting up, Kahlan surprised him by removing her dress, not once looking over to him, though he was sure she knew he was watching. "Well," she said with a laugh as she motioned to his pants.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me?" she asked as she pulled the blankets up over her. "I won't look."

"No," he said quickly, stopping her from turning away as he grabbed her arm. "It's all right, I don't mind." She hesitated to look back to him, her mind spinning at the thought. "Kahlan really, it's all right."

He didn't wait for her to look, instantly; he began to untie his pants, keeping his eyes on her as he worked. It took him a short while longer to remove them, his fingers finding it difficult to stop shaking long enough to do anything. He paused just as he finished with the laces, waiting to be sure if she really wanted him to continue. Finding herself filled with confidence, Kahlan turned around to face him. Slowly, she pushed back his hands and grabbed the top of his pants. He gave a light gasp as she gently pulled the fabric from his hips.

Her eyes were on his, unable to tear them away and look anywhere else. The moment his pants hit the floor, he pulled her onto him and held her tightly. Her head rested under his chin; her arms laying at his side, pressed against him for safety. She listened to the beating of his heart, the sound of his life beneath her. It was comforting. Closing her eyes, she found herself almost completely gone in his arms, having never felt this comforted and safe. The knowledge that they were both naked should have her worried, frightened or upset, but she didn't feel any of those things.

Lifting her head, she looked down at him, all sounds other than his breathing and the pounding of her heart disappeared. She could feel him against her, making it harder for her to breathe as she shifted her body above him. His eyes closed with her movement, his lips parting for air as he tried to keep from moving. The moment she started to run her hands over his chest, he grabbed her arms and held her still, her name leaving his lips with a heavy gasp. "You should stop."

Moving his hands lower, she lowered her lips to his. "I don't want to." She kissed him, wildly, slowing the speed of her hands. "I can give you this."

Pushing her off of him, he laid her down onto her back and leaned over her. "I don't want this, I want you."

"But I can't give you me."

He smiled a sad smile, his body still aching for hers as he looked down at her. "Let's just lay here and be together."

"If I die tonight, I don't want- I don't want you to wonder if I wanted- if I loved you."

"I know that you love me, Kahlan. I will never wonder about that. If you didn't, you wouldn't be willing to sacrifice yourself to save me." The look of surprise didn't stop him. "I know that you went to Fran as insurance. You went there to make sure that I would be all right. You knew how much it would hurt you, but you went anyway. I have no doubt that you love me." Lying down beside her, he rested his chin on her shoulder and took in a deep breath. "This, right here, this is our love."

"But you could have so much more."

"No, I can't. This is everything."

Laying her hand on his arm, she pulled him onto her, making him look into her eyes as she ran her hand over his chest. "But I want to give you more. I want to please- I want to make you happy."

His eyes closed as she lowered her hand, reaching for him. "Kahlan, if you do this, I won't be able to control myself. I can't be like this with you and not want to-"

"It's all right, I won't let anything happen."

He stared at her, giving her a moment to think about what she had just said, when she didn't continue or change her mind, he lost it. Pressing his lips to hers, he lowered his chest against hers, leaving room for her hand to move between them. The moment she touched him, he broke their kiss with a gasp, his right hand moving to cup her breast, hoping that it would be something for her. She moaned his name, grabbing his hand with her other hand, she held him to her, pushing up into his touch. He couldn't wait another moment, grabbing both of her hands, he held them to the bed as he kissed her. Their bodies pushed against each other, desperately trying to get closer.

Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her from the bed, repositioning them both. She pushed her fingers over his neck and into the back of his hair, drawing his face closer as her legs wrapped around him. Their kiss heated with every second, finding it more difficult for them to catch their breath. With a gasp, he pulled back and brought his lips to her neck, kissing, sucking and licking every inch he could reach without pulling any farther away.

Her hand snaked between them, taking hold of him as their lips reconnected. After a few moments he grabbed her hand and pulled it from him, laying her back to the bed as he moved over her. Without thought he pushed into her, bringing out a loud cry of pleasure from her as her fingernails scraped across his shoulders and back. Continuing to move above her, her covered her chest with his hands as their lips danced on fire. Her mind nearly exploded at the sensations within her, her body on the edge of release. "Richard!" she cried out as a warning, letting him know that her magic was rising within her.

Dropping his head in the crook of her neck, he panted her name through his release, clinging to her as though he was afraid that she wouldn't be there when he looked up. He rolled off of her almost an instant later, wanting to make sure that he didn't upset her by remaining in place. Sitting up, she let it go, her magic ripping through the air, the sight of it taking his breath away. Falling back beside him, she struggled to find her breath, to keep her eyes open and look at him. It had been perfect.

Rolling onto her side, she pushed herself against him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder to hold him close as she took in what had happened. Tears collected in her eyes as she replayed it all in her mind, her body shaking from its passionate release. He held her tightly, knowing that after what they had done, he may never have the opportunity again. Whispering softly, he began to tell her how much he loved her and how amazing their time had been, needing her to know.

Pulling back, she reached up to his face, gently laying her hand against his cheek as she smiled warmly. "I never knew anything could feel like that."

"Me neither. That was phenomenal; I didn't want it to end."

Nodding she felt her cheeks grow red as she noticed the way he looked at her, hungry for more. "Me neither. I almost didn't stop you."

Pulling her back into his arms, Richard began running his fingers through her hair, calming both of their pounding hearts. "It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. When you released your magic, Kahlan, it was beautiful. I wanted to touch you, hold you in my arms- I felt like it was a part of us both."

"I felt it too." She smiled against his chest, remembering the way it felt when the magic left her. "It was powerful. I wasn't sure if I could keep my eyes open."

"Want to do it again?" he asked, making her laugh.

The door opened as Kahlan began to answer, stopping her before anything left her lips. Turning to the door, they watched a group of four guards rush in after the head of the council, Ann. "Now you have confessed the Seeker? Was it not enough that you killed your own child?"

Kahlan said nothing, as the guards rushed to the bed and took hold of her. Watching in confusion, Richard shouted for them to let her go, that she hadn't confessed him, but they didn't listen.