Chapter 3 – Oblivious
Kahlan ran in front of him, her hand holding his tightly. Richard did not know what had caused this sudden need to run, but he was willing to follow. Wherever Kahlan led, he would follow.
They went plowing through the foliage, making no excuses for the harshness of their treatment to any fern or branch that got in their way. Kahlan was in a frantic state, her chest was heaving and her eyes wild, as if she was afraid of something. It worried Richard. He had hoped that when she had returned they could continue where they left off. Richard was looking forward to getting to know his wife all over again.
If she was truly his wife, he wanted nothing more in this world than to get to know her… all of her. Explore her and allow her to explore him. He wanted to feel her touch, her caress, to know what it was like to be with her, the woman who loved him, who had married him and stayed by his side when he had suffered this troubling memory loss. It was not just her physical beauty that attracted him to her, but something about her spirit… it was so strong and noble, so breathtaking. And so very enticing. She was gorgeous, both inside and out, and he wished to know her fully, like he obviously had before.
They ran for a while, Kahlan leading, until the rain stopped and they approached a clearing with a fallen tree covered in thick greenish white lichen. Kahlan paused, breathing deeply, her eyes looking around, as if surveying the area for any danger. Richard stood behind her, catching his own breath, his chest heaving with each gulp of air. Finally, she seemed to relax and she turned to face him.
Richard lost his breath at the sight of her. She was soaked, and her skin glistened in sweat. Her bosom heaved with each breath, all slick and moist with the evidence of their rapid exertion. He could not help but stare at her breasts, as with each breath, they rose and fell before him. The corset she wore pressed them together, and they were practically begging for release.
Her mouth was slightly ajar, her lips quivering and supple, looking oh so inviting. Her cheeks were flushed with the rush of adrenalin from their stampede through the forest, giving them a rosy color. Her eyes… her beautiful sparkling blue eyes looked at him with a concerned and worried look, as if she was afraid, yet he knew not why.
"Kahlan… what is it?" he asked, panting, wanting to know what had caused the drastic change in her mood.
Without answering him, Kahlan dropped the pack, letting it fall to the grass covered ground with a thud, and pounced on him. Her supple and soft lips met his. Richard groaned in delight at the feelings her lips summoned up inside him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him closer, pressing her breasts against his hard chest. His hands sought out her silky hair and he caressed her, rubbing the pad of his thumb across her jaw, as she pushed into him even harder.
Richard stumbled backwards as Kahlan pushed him to the fallen tree. He sat down, as she wrapped her legs around his middle. He was rapidly loosing all self control and worry. Simply having this wonderful woman kissing him with such abandon and passion was enough to distract him from the nagging concerns and questions roaring in the back of his mind.
He groaned as he felt her thigh brush against the growing arousal in his trousers, and she let out a soft laugh, feeling it. She arched her neck back and allowed him access, as he slammed his mouth against the inviting flesh between her neck and shoulder, giving her wet kisses as he sucked and tickled her.
He backed away as she removed her jacket. Her blue eyes were glassy, fogged with lust and desire. He took a deep breath, worried that now was not the right time to do this. After all, just a few moments ago something had terrified her enough to cause her to direct them to flee from their sheltered spot. But as she began undoing her corset, giving him teasing glances at her flesh, Richard lost all inhibitions, losing himself in the beauty that was Kahlan.
Richard let out a throaty breath of want as her breasts came free of their prison, Kahlan tossing the corset aside. She grabbed his head in her hands, plunging his face into her chest. He kissed and licked her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue. Kahlan moaned softly and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him tighter, commanding him to continue. He brought his hands up to join his mouth. He squeezed and caressed her breasts, loving the feel of them in his hands. He tickled her and teased her, only causing his wife to laugh slightly and groan in want.
Then she pushed him back and grabbed his mouth in hers, shoving her tongue in, igniting a burning feeling in him, as he closed his eyes, savoring the taste of her… his brow furrowed. Something was different. They had kissed like this before she had went off to find their pack; she had tasted very differently then. He was confused and perplexed, the change vexing him.
But Kahlan's ministrations pulled his thoughts away from the questions beginning to form in his mind, as she slowly slipped off his lap, kneeling on the wet ground before him. Her delicate fingers deftly unbuckled his belt and unlaced his trousers. Richard's eyes widened as he watched her hand slip to his trousers, grabbing him in her hand and pulling him out. And then she was on him, opening wide and taking him into her mouth.
Richard arched his back and his head rolled backwards as he groaned in exquisite pleasure as the warmth and wetness of her mouth descended upon his aroused state. Her tongue teased him and her fingers fiddled around the base of his hardness, tickling and exciting him in ways that were too indescribable to put into words. His arousal was becoming even harder in her mouth as she continued to work on him. Richard tugged at her hair, brushing it back from her face to watch, shivering and gasping in panting breaths at the pleasure she brought him.
Her wonderful blue eyes looked up at him and she backed up, teasing the tip of his hardness with a kiss, before holding it in her hands and slowly stroking it. "Richard," she spoke softly, her eyes gazing up at his with such wanton desire that all he could do was gasp her name in response. "Will you do something for me?"
All he could do was nod in affirmation.
"Make love to me, Richard, please," she begged, pouting.
"Kahlan, I don't know if it's wise to do so, under the present circumstances," he breathed, trying to protest.
She had already done enough to prove just how much she loved him… how much she would do to please him. He would never have asked her to do what she had just done. No woman should be forced to do that to a man against her will, but she had done it on her own accord. Without him having to ask, she had sought to bring him pleasure, not because he had asked, but because she loved him and wanted to please him. At least, that's what his mind was telling him.
"But, Kahlan, what about the loss of my—"
Kahlan placed a finger on his trembling lips as she rose above him, silencing him. Her hand darted under her skirt, and he watched as she tugged her underthings down past her knees. She moved over him, positioning herself.
"I'm your wife, Richard Rahl," she told to him, looking deeply into his eyes. "And you're wife has certain needs. Needs that as her husband, you must fulfill when called upon." She paused, leaning down to kiss him. "And now, I'm telling you to make love to me, my husband, my Lord Rahl… my Richard."
Richard closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How could he refuse this woman? She was his wife, and he her husband. He had already made love to her, she had said as much before. Even if he had no memories of the events surrounding their betrothal and marriage, they were wedded and in love, as she had told him, so why shouldn't he make love to her?
"Whatever you command, Kahlan," he submitted, holding her in his arms, as she lowed her hips over him. Her mouth dropped and she let out a soft gasp as he entered her. Their eyes locked as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and together, as one, they began to make love.
XXX
"No," Kahlan wailed, tears dripping down her cheeks, unable to stop what she was being forced to watch. She knew she could not blame Richard, not with how the woman looked like her, and especially with the loss of memory. A sharp tug pulled her eyes away from the sight. The last she glimpsed was Richard pushing the woman to the ground, fully freeing himself of his trousers, as Cynthia spread her legs wide, inviting him to plunge himself even deeper into her. Cynthia moaned and arched herself into him as he made love to her.
Kahlan fell onto the ground crying as a sharp cruel laugh filled the afternoon air. She looked up and glared at her captor. It had been clear from the first that the woman was a Sister of the Dark, the red robes she wore under her cloak giving her away. Kahlan had been unprepared for the attack, and had been utterly shocked when she had grasp the woman's neck and tried to confess her, only to feel nothing inside her rise up. No powers, no storm. Nothing. Her core was empty and she had no ability to defend herself with the use of her powers.
The Sister of the Dark had quickly subdued her with her magic and then chained her with a collar and leash. The Sister had laughed, telling her companion that she had always wanted a pet, but had never thought to have one as exquisite as the Mother Confessor. Kahlan turned and had looked upon this companion and had lost her breath.
Bewildered and shocked, Kahlan had found herself staring at a mirror image. The woman looked exactly like her, even down to her eyes and the shape of her body. Spirits, even their breasts looked the same size. The woman was an exact match to her. The Sister grinned, pleased with Kahlan's reaction.
"Yes, Cynthia," the Sister said. "What did I tell you, even the Mother Confessor, herself, sees the resemblance."
Kahlan shook her head and turned back on the Sister of the Dark. "What do you want!" she cried, despite herself.
A cruel twisted smirk formed on the Sister's mouth. "Why you, of course, Mother Confessor," she said. "The Emperor has been chomping at the bit to have a taste of the Mother Confessor, and apparently he soon will. With the Chimes unleashed, all magic is failing. I believe we have you to thank for that, Kahlan Amnell."
Kahlan shuddered with the realization that the words she had spoken had, indeed, been as dreadful and terrible as Zedd had feared. Magic was a crucial part of the Midlands. Of life. There were many magic creatures that could not survive without it, and if they died, the circle of life, the balance that had been kept would be broken, and soon everything would die. Kahlan looked up at the Sister and saw gloating sparkling in her green eyes.
"You know this, don't you, Mother Confessor?" the Sister asked, leaning forward, pulling at the chain. "Good!" Her mean green eyes scanned her then saw something. "Cynthia, come here!" she ordered the woman who looked so much like her.
Kahlan watched as the woman came over and averted her blue eyes from her gaze. It still startled and scared her at how the woman seemed to be a complete likeness of her. And since magic was indeed failing, she knew that this trick was not something done with a spell. Which, unfortunately, meant this woman truly resembled her in body, and had required no magic to help with that.
She had a feeling that this woman had been abused and manipulated into doing what she was, but it was still hard to watch as the Sister of the Dark yanked her wedding ring off and slid it on Cynthia's. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the woman pick up the pack and dart away from them, heading back to Richard.
The Sister turned on Kahlan and pulled at the chain, pulling her along behind her. Kahlan did not know what was going to be done with her, but with the threats of the Emperor wanting to "taste" her, Kahlan feared the worse. And because of this look-alike and his loss of memory, Richard would not know that she was missing. He would not be able to save her this time. She was going to have to do that herself.
What Kahlan had been unprepared for was when the Sister of the Dark had pulled them in the direction the false Kahlan had ran, taking them behind, following at a steady pace. Through the pronged ferns and wild brush that lay before them, Kahlan saw Cynthia sitting up in Richard's lap, his head buried in her exposed breasts. She cried out as the evil Sister forced her to watch as the twin took Richard into her mouth. Pain rippled and agony writhed and twisted through her as she saw the pleasure on Richard's face.
Behind her, the Sister laughed as Kahlan began to sob, seeing the woman climb back up on the Seeker and lower her hips on him. She tried to look away as Richard began to make love to the woman she knew he thought was her, but she could not. Her eyes were locked on the sight. She wished it was her there, that she had not left him, but had stayed and created that knew memory, but she had not.
She had left to retrieve their pack and now Richard was making love to another one. Albeit, it was a woman who looked exactly like her, but it was another one nonetheless. If Richard had been well and full of mind, she knew he would have known the difference. However, in his current state, she could not trust him to even know that. She wept more for that, than the act itself.
Part of her was thankful when the Sister of the Dark pulled her away as Richard shoved the woman to the ground and crawled up on top of her, as Cynthia spread her legs to accept him in more fully. Kahlan could not bear to watch as Richard reached climax with another woman. It was too painful just seeing him kiss Cynthia.
They went tumbling back into the woods, the Sister of the Dark, small and slender, leading the way. Kahlan could have taken her, but her shock and despair over what was happening behind them had left her numb and unable to respond. And even with her daggers gone, Kahlan knew she could overpower the sorceress, even if for some reason the Sister still seemed to possess some of her powers.
"Do not go thinking you can overpower me, Mother Confessor," the Sister of the Dark snarled back at her. "Without your powers, you are nothing. Unlike you, and all those feeble minded fools who follow you and your husband, I am loyal to the Keeper of the Underworld. So, thanks to him, I still wield the magic he has blessed me with. You… you have nothing, and soon will be submitting yourself to a man much more powerful and in command than the Lord Rahl."
Kahlan shuddered and tried to steel her mind, and put on her confessor's mask. But the threats of being raped by the Emperor of the Imperial Order, and the idea of leaving Richard behind with a false version of herself were too overwhelming. Her mind was reeling with everything that was going on. Why? Oh why did this have to happen to her… to them? She bit her lip and looked down, relegating herself to the role of a slave for now, silently vowing that she would find a way out of this predicament and return to her love… even if he could not remember who she was.
