He woke to the feeling of drowning. The world suddenly became bright and painful as he opened his eyes, the room blurry as he looked around. Richard felt the muscles in his neck strain to hold up his head as it turned for a better look of the room. His arms were numb from the continuous hold of his body off the ground. His eyes fell upon a man, standing before him in the uniform of a soldier, bucket in his hands as he smiled up at him. Turning his head, Richard then saw Lord Cater standing in the corner of the room, speaking to a small man, who appeared to tremble in fear before him.

He wished he could see the other man's face, but his eyes couldn't focus. They were swelling shut from the beating that had taken place throughout the night. After a few hours, the Lord had grown tired and called for someone else. Richard hadn't been able to see his face. There was never a moment when his eye could remain open long enough to need to blink. The man that had taken over the questioning was clearly bigger and stronger than Lord Cater; the force of one punch would knock him unconscious for a few moments.

The night had seemed to last forever, until at last it ended. Without warning, the punches and voices disappeared, leaving him swinging through the air, alone and in the dark. For what seemed to be hours, he hung there, trying to remember Kahlan's smile, but he couldn't. Her face seemed to be slipping from his memory and he began to wonder if it was their intention. The more she faded, the harder he held onto her. She was his life, his love and his hope. He would need her to survive this. She was all he had.

Walking slowly, Lord Cater made his way towards his prisoner, pleased at the sight of him. He studied the man hanging before him, stained in his own blood. Reaching out, he pushed a couple of fingers against a long gash that spread from his shoulder to his waist on the other side, tearing the wound open slowly. Richard's cry made him smile; thrilled that he was able to cause him so much pain with a simple touch. "Tell me Seeker, are you ready to tell me what I need to know?" He remained silent, straining his eyes to look at his captor. "No?"

Cater smiled, pulling his fist back and preparing to strike, wanting to give Richard a moment to rethink his silence. The blow swung him backwards, his arms jerking against the chains as they held him in place, returning him to the Lord's fist. His grunts echoed throughout the cell, drowned out only when Richard would release a cry of pain. A burst of laughter exploded through the room as he cried out in agony. A knife suddenly plunged into his chest and pushed down, opening his flesh further.

Her name left his lips as blood pooled down to the ground, her face the only thing he could see. The night brought her back to him, his memories refreshed, giving him something to hold onto. He could hear her whisper his name, telling him to hold on, that she loved him. He tried to whisper back to her, but his voice wouldn't leave his lips. Squeezing his eyes shut, he forced himself to focus on her, knowing it was the only way he would survive.

The room was dark as he walked to the window, stepping up close behind her. The feel of her body against his was intoxicating, the only feeling he ever wanted. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, he began kissing her skin, every inch that was exposed to him. Running his hands over her stomach, he pulled her closer, relishing in the soft moan that escaped her soft lips. Her head leaned back against him, her hold tightening on him as she turned around in his arms. Pulling his shirt from his body, she began kissing his chest, slowly pushing him backwards towards their bed.

Lying back against the bed, he watched carefully as she climbed over him, her hair flowing over her shoulders as she looked down at him. He enjoyed seeing her life this, sexual and unafraid. It was a side of her no one had ever seen, a side that she only showed him. She looked beautiful as she at above him, her hands tracing over his chest. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Lifting his head off of the bed, he watched as she began kissing her way up his chest, her tongue sneaking out for a taste every few seconds.

"Welcome back," Lord Cater whispered as he held Richard's eyes open. "You cannot escape the torture that I inflict upon you."

"I already have."

Richard cried out as the man pushed his thumb into both of his eyes. "You will not escape the pain." After a moment he pulled back his hands, watching as he blinked his eyes, trying to see something.

The room was once again, dark. Richard couldn't see anything.

She felt numb. Lying on her side, she stared over at the door, waiting for him to walk in. Waiting for him to return home and crawl into bed with her. Tightening her hold on the blankets, she curled herself up, pretending that he was beside her. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine his arms around her, holding her tightly the way he always did. She couldn't get warm; her body shook as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arm around her legs for comfort. After a moment, she began rocking herself slightly, trying to calm herself as her mind imagined what Lord Cater would do to Richard.

She wondered if he would tell Richard what he had done to her. He would never pass up the opportunity to tell the story of raping The Mother Confessor when she was a child. He enjoyed it too much. The thought of the man she loved hearing about it from anyone other than her frightened her. How could he look at her in the same way again? How could she expect him to?

Giving up trying to get some sleep, Kahlan crawled out of bed and walked over to the window, sitting down in the chair Richard had made. Looking outside, she watched as the leaves of the trees swayed in the wind, nearly blown from the limbs that held them. Pushing open the window, she took a deep breath, smiling at the scent of the woods around them; the smell that had become Richard's. Some nights, she was able to look out and see him standing in the trees; it was where he loved to be.

She had often thought that he would be happier back in Hartland, but when she would ask, he would always tell her that as long as he was with her, he could be no happier. Even though she believed him, she wished that things were different, wishing that she didn't need to remain at The Confessor's Palace and she and the man she loved could live wherever they wanted. If things were different, she thought to herself, he would be with her now. They would be lying in bed right now, holding each other as they tried to come up with a name for their daughter. She reached down, laying her hand on her stomach as a smile crossed her lips. Richard would be thrilled.

She turned her head towards the sound of the knock on the door, standing up and walking quickly to the bed, she grabbed her robe and covered herself as she walked to the door. Opening it, she was met by the concerned eyes of her sister, who stared at her. "What's wrong?"

Reaching out, Dennee handed her a scroll. "This just arrived for you from one of Lord Cater's men." Kahlan swallowed the lump in her throat, the fear rising up within her as she wrapped her fingers around the paper. She couldn't look at her sister, afraid that she would see the horror in her eyes and know everything. "He is waiting in the courtyard for your reply."

Nodding was all she could bring herself to do. Closing the door, Kahlan opened the scroll, tears falling instantly at the blood that stained the paper. She had no doubt who it belonged to. Reading through it quickly, she tried to push past the sick feeling that boiled up within her. Dropping the paper, she turned around with a cough, covering her mouth to keep from vomiting all over the floor. Falling to her knees, she let out a heartbreaking cry as she leaned lover, her face inches from the marble of the floor.

Slowly, she reached back to the scroll and pulled it to her, clutching it in her hand as she tried to stop her tears. Standing up, she rushed through the door, pushing past her sister, who had been waiting outside of her room. Running through the halls, she ignored the stares of a few servants that were still awake and rushed to their dungeon.

Entering the cell, Kahlan grabbed the blonde by her hair and lifted her up into the air, walking towards the stone wall. Pushing her against it, she placed a hand on the woman's throat and squeezed. "How could you do that?" Taking a step back, she pulled her arm back and tightened her hand into a fist, slamming it roughly into the woman's face, sending blood flying from her lips. She couldn't stop as she gave herself over to her rage, the sight of Nicci, bringing back all the anger and fear that she had tried to push down within her. She felt the skin on her knuckles begin to tear off as she continued hitting the woman. Her mind only on the thought that somehow it was justice to the man she loved. Even as the blonde fell to the ground, Kahlan continued ramming her fists into her, hitting everywhere and anywhere she was able. She wanted to hurt her.

Using her feet, she kicked her over, making it easier for her to hit the woman in the face as she sat over her. Nicci remained quiet as she tried to free herself, moving her arms in attempt to stop her. After a few minutes, she began screaming in anger, in heart break and betrayal. She could feel her own life draining and she blamed the woman beneath her. If it hadn't been for her, Richard would be with her, lying in her arms, instead of strung up and beaten like he was now. Her mind imagined what she had read in the letter, the terrible things Lord Cater admitted to doing to him and it was killing her.

Breathing heavily, Kahlan fell to her knees in tears, abandoning her attack on the other woman. Her hands covered in blood, some of it her own, burned with pain as she continued to clutch her fists tightly. She wanted to kill the woman laing before her, but she knew that Richard would never wish her to die. Richard wasn't here, she thought to herself as she leaned closer to the other woman, he didn't have to know. She pulled herself backwards, slamming her back against the wall as she cried out in frustration. Her head pushed into the rock of the wall, using the pain as a distraction.

Reaching to her stomach, she gripped her robe tightly, trying to focus on the life growing within her. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breaths in gasps as she tried to calm herself for the sake of the child. Opening her eyes, she met Nicci's cold, hard eyes. She stared at her, waiting for her to attack once again, but she didn't. Coughing, the blonde tried to sit up, her hands moving to her side as she stretched the bruised muscles.

"Why did you do it?" Kahlan whispered through her tears.

The blonde stared at her, trying to understand what was happening. Kahlan was a mess, her eyes were red and puffy from crying, sweat covered her face and chest and her hair, tangled and a mess. "What are you talking about?"

"Lord Cater has taken Richard prisoner. He's killed everyone we sent with him. Everyone that would have been able to save him." Nicci continued to stare at her, stunned by her words. "You knew he would be captured and you-"

"I did not. I informed you on everything that I knew. I knew nothing of this man."

Tilting her head, Kahlan wiped back her tears, her heart pounding in fear and anger. "You didn't know it would be Lord Cater that captured him, but you knew- You knew that Richard would be captured! You knew and you told us everything to ensure he would go!"

"I did what I needed to."

"You needed to send the man I love to his death?"

"I am not the one who sent him," Nicci said softly, a smile playing on her lips as she coughed through the blood. "If he is to die, you sent him to his death."

"No," it was spoken as a whispered plea, her mind not wanting to believe that she had condemned the man she loved to death. "Why did you tell us Darken Rahl was there?"

"I didn't. I said he was traveling in the direction of his land. I said nothing about him going into it." Sitting up straight, the blonde groaned in pain. "You cannot blame me for his death. I expect our agreement to be upheld and my release discussed."

"You're not going anywhere," Kahlan said coldly. "I will not release someone we cannot trust. When you tricked us into letting Richard go, you lost all hope of receiving your freedom."

"You cannot leave me in here forever."

Shaking her head, she stood up, looking at the woman she held captive. "I can do whatever I please with you. You are my prisoner and by sending Richard to his death, it would only seem fair that your life be taken as a small balance."

Enraged, Nicci reached out, trying to grab hold of The Mother Confessor. "You will release me!"

"Richard trusted you. If you hadn't betrayed him, you would have been released. Your death will be your own doing. It's what is called for under such betrayal. You've murdered the only person who would have fought for you."

Richard cried out as a blade was pulled down across his cheek, slicing through the skin. Still unable to see, Richard waited blindly for the next strike, the next area of his body that would have him screaming in pain. The beatings had stopped and they had moved on to other ways of torture. A blade was against his skin constantly, he was beginning to wonder if he had any skin left for them to cut. He could barely remain awake, their sessions leaving him weak from the blood loss.

Each night after they were finished, they would pack the wounds with some kind of putty, sealing them to prevent the blood from escaping throughout the night; in the hope that he would still be alive in the morning for them to begin again. The room seemed deadened by his screams, they no longer echoed throughout the room or if they did, he couldn't hear them. Letting out a loud cry, Richard felt his side go numb moments after one of his wounds were ripped open. He could suddenly hear his captor's voice, booming in his ear as he questioned him once again. Richard didn't understand why all of his questions somehow lead to Kahlan.

He ignored the man's words; trying to keep from giving him anything that would bring harm to the woman he loved. Each moment he remained silent, Lord Cater grew angrier, making his next move hurt more than Richard thought possible. After some time, his questions began to change, asking about things that were personal. He wanted to know everything from the way she held him when they made love to the sounds she made. He could hear the laughter in his voice as he spoke. Lord Cater was enjoying the response his captive gave.

"You must miss the feel of her around you," He laughed, pushing his finger into the hole on his shoulder. "She must have felt much more… pleasant. I do remember the feeling, though the squirming made her more desirable. She doesn't do that for you, does she? No," he answered himself, "I wouldn't think she would." He smiled again, wishing that his prisoner was able to see his face as he spoke. "Tell me, how many times have you had her?" Richard remained silent, waiting to see what he would say next. Fearing what he would say next. "I had the pleasure to experience her on more than one occasion and I must admit, each moment spent with her was more pleasurable than the one before. Oh yes," he widened his smile as Richard's jaw locked in anger, "I enjoyed her very much."

"How could you do that to her?"

"He speaks!" Lord Cater cried out with a laugh. "I have told you before. She was payment for what was owed to me. She had the chance to save herself, but she refused. You know how sisters can be. They will do anything to protect the other. I didn't care which I had at first, but after your Confessor, I haven't found anyone who can compare. You must understand the frustration."

"I will never be with another woman."

"I'm sure I will be able to change your mind." Turning around, he grinned widely with joy. "Bring him some slaves. Pretty ones. And be sure he is well satisfied."

"Never." Richard breathed out in anger.

"Once you have been touched by a woman, your body will be unable to deny what it wants. You will enter the women and you will enjoy it."

"Why?"

"Because I now realize that the pain this will cause you is far greater than I can inflict with my knife."