TITLE: Marked

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan / Cara / Zedd / Original Characters

RATING: PG-16 / R later

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

TIMELINE: Anything up through S2

DISCLAIMER: I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

SUMMARY: Sequel to my fic Revenge, Richard finally has Kahlan safely back with him, but does he really?

Chapter 4

Returning to camp, Kahlan noticed Richard kneeling by the fire, a look of hurt mingled with anger still a mask upon his handsome face. In her efforts to protect him, she had only caused him more sorrow. Protecting him from any more pain was worth the uneasy tension that hung unseen in the air between them, the frosty chill that had replaced the warmth of love and longing.

Averting her eyes, she silently made her way to where her things were, wanting so desperately to hold him and reassure him that she was fine…but she wasn't fine. In fact, she was far from it.

She knew that she'd never been able to lie to him, to tell him that she was alright. He could always see right into her very soul no matter how hard she tried to hide her thoughts and emotions.

Dousing the fire, Richard looked up to find his Confessor packing her things, her entire countenance teeming with fatigue as well as overwhelming sadness. It tore like daggers at his heart to see her like this, but he couldn't help her when she refused to talk to him.

Feeling his eyes on her, Kahlan forced herself to focus on what she was doing, unable to bear seeing the hurt that she had put there. Kneeling down, she began folding her green blanket before stuffing it into her pack, reminded of how her morning had begun in her Seeker's protective embrace. She swore she could still feel her lips tingling, his woodsy scent lingering on her clothes.

She had wanted him so badly, had wanted him to take her right there by the heat of the campfire. It had taken every ounce of strength she'd had to stop him, to pull away from him. It had hurt her greatly to push him away like that when all she had wanted was to draw him even closer, to feel his chest pressed against hers, his hardened form moving so forcefully inside of her and over her.

But they couldn't and it was all because of her. It was her fault that they couldn't be together, her magic that stood between them like an impenetrable wall that no one could ever breech, not even the mighty Seeker himself.

With a deep breath, she shoved aside her own hurt, swallowing her heart and insuring her emotionless mask was still set firmly on her face. She finished gathering up her things, knowing that they needed to focus on getting out of here and finding the Stone of Tears. They were in a deadly race against time now and she was not about to let the Keeper or Darken Rahl escape their prison.

Standing to her feet, Kahlan slipped her arms through the straps of her pack, a sudden sharp pain piercing her head and causing her to momentarily sway on her feet. It felt like ice water trickling through her veins as she tried to catch her breath. Closing her eyes, she tightened her grip on the straps, taking slow deep breaths as she waited for the strange sensation to pass.

A sudden hand gripping her elbow caused her to immediately jump, her eyes flying open in wild panic. Without a second thought, she instinctively jerked away from the hold on her, fear spiking sharply through her as her hand came up to confess whoever had touched her.

"It's just me," Richard gently said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry," she ashamedly murmured, lowering her outstretched hand and rubbing her arms to banish the cold that still permeated every fiber of her being. "I didn't realize it was you."

"I think we're ready to go if you're up to it," he said, keeping a little distance between them.

He had pushed her this morning by the lake, wanting to know everything that had happened to her in the Underworld. He never should've tried forcing her to talk to him like that especially so soon after getting her back. He had allowed his own fears to rein over logic. He couldn't do that to her again.

"Please don't worry," she replied, forcing a small smile to reassure him. "I'm fine."

Drawing a deep breath, Richard nodded his head in response, knowing that she was far from it. He hoped that she would be alright someday, that in time she would truly be his Kahlan again. And he would be there every step of the way, helping her if she would only allow him.

He just hoped that she would eventually let him in, would let him help her through this. He needed her as well to help him deal with everything that had happened, to deal with losing her not once, but twice.

Turning to follow Zedd and Cara who were waiting for them, Richard couldn't help the fear that nearly took his breath away. She would be in constant danger until Demos and the Keeper were defeated. Only then would they be able to live in peace and Kahlan would truly be safe at last.

He was more than determined than ever now to make sure that happened, to make her his wife, his lover. Nothing was going to get in the way of that reality for them.

XXX

He strode through the corridor with his usual haughty air, a dark aura constantly encompassing him and inciting deathly fear in all who came into his presence.

Demos barely noticed those around him, annoyance lighting his face as staff quickly scampered out of his way. They immediately fell to their knees before his guards came along and broke their legs, forcing them to the ground in the divine presence of the reigning Lord Rahl.

A thick cloak of darkness continuously hung over the Palace, permeating its walls and corridors. A bleak dreariness seemed to press in from all around, threatening to suffocate the very life out of those who resided there within its stone walls.

But this was the way Demos liked it, a constant sense of fear and dread clutching at the throats of his people, keeping them in complete submission to him and him alone.

And soon, he'd have his very own Confessor at his beck and call; helping him control those that he deemed a threat to him. She would be his own personal mercenary, confessing and eliminating all those who stood in his way.

Soon all three territories as well as the Old World would be kneeling at his feet.

There would be no empathy for those who stood in his way. Compassion was a sign of weakness. There was no room for it when ruling a territory. It was a useless quality that only eroded the very fabric of society as a whole, giving people a free license to do as they pleased. When people began to believe that they had free will, the only outcome was utter chaos.

Demos ground his teeth the longer he thought about it. D'Hara had had it far too easy under his twin brother's weak-handed rule. He had much work to do if he was going to restore order.

And he would do it with Kahlan Amnell's help.

The Mother Confessor would become his, would be his personal angel of death, broken and molded to be in the image he wanted her to be.

Just the thought of her being untouched, of being the one to break her and take away her purity created a dark gleam in his eyes. He wasn't sure what excited him more – taking Kahlan Amnell to his bed or forcing his brother to watch.

The best part was that Kahlan would be coming to him. There was no need to send Quads after her or try to steal her away from Richard. Kahlan would be the one to turn against her own friends, the man that she loved.

And Richard will never see it coming.

Sweeping past General Egremont, Demos entered his private sanctuary that he'd had built just for him. He needed to consult his books, to make certain that there were no flaws in his plan. He didn't like being taken by surprise.

His excitement was building the longer he allowed himself to dwell on it, the idea of Kahlan belonging to him and no one else heating his blood. If everything went according to plan then the Mother Confessor should begin noticing some subtle changes very soon. It wouldn't be long after that.

Coming to stand before his book lying open on the special podium, Demos began skimming the pages, his mind buzzing with anxious anticipation. If they only knew what he had done, Richard would be banging down his door, begging for his forgiveness and help to save the woman that he loved.

Unfortunately for Richard and Kahlan, her fate had been all but sealed as soon as she drew her first breath again.

"How long will it be before it begins to take affect?" Egremont asked.

"Should be noticing something by now," Demos absentmindedly muttered as he flipped through the pages of his ancient book. "The mark should have appeared already. It'll only be a matter of time before the changes begin to take hold."

"And by then it'll be too late," Egremont nodded his head in understanding.

"That is what I'm hoping," Demos frowned, his lips twisting into a sneer as he paused to look at the General. "Unfortunately, there is a way to prevent the change. I'm just hoping that they won't be able to discover it out before the changes become permanent."

"And you'll possess the most powerful Confessor who has ever lived."

"Indeed, I will," Demos grinned, his dark eyes gleaming.

XXX

"Which direction is it pointing now?" Zedd asked, coming to stand beside his grandson.

Richard stood holding the compass open in the palm of his hand, his brow creased in thought. "It suddenly changed for some reason. It wants us to head towards that valley to the right."

"And that bothers you?"

"I'm not sure," he muttered, snapping the compass shut before slipping it back into his vest pocket. "I just thought that we'd still keep going south."

"Further away from the People's Palace," Zedd said.

"Yes," Richard sighed heavily. "I don't like the idea of still being this close to the People's Palace. I want to steer clear of Demos until I'm able to really deal with him. Besides, I'm hoping that my brother will lose interest in Kahlan over time and find something else to occupy himself with."

"Do you really think that will happen?"

Richard's mood darkened even further, his shoulders suddenly slumping under the unseen weight he carried. "No," he admitted. "I saw something so dark so…wicked…when I looked at his eyes with the way that he was staring at Kahlan. It was pure evil, Zedd; darker than anything I've ever seen before."

The quiet horror that filled the Seeker's voice did not go unnoticed by his grandfather nor did the fear that flashed through his eyes. Zedd drew closer, placing a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder. Richard continued on before his grandfather could even form a response.

"How can such wickedness exist in a person, Zedd?" he softly asked as his eyes grew distant with memories of that moment. "That same Rahl blood flows through my veins too. What is keeping me from being just like him or my ancestors?"

"This," Zedd simply said, placing his hand against Richard's chest right over where his heart was steadily beating. "And, of course…her," the Wizard nodded in the direction where Kahlan was.

Richard turned his head, watching as she knelt down by the spring filling their water skins. She was the very reason that he lived and breathed, the purpose behind everything that he did in life. For her, he would do anything; give her his all.

Zedd smiled as Richard stared at Kahlan. He could feel his grandson's heart suddenly beating faster beneath his hand as his grandson watched his Confessor, his eyes full of such love and longing. The Wizard finally allowed his hand to fall by his side once more.

"Richard, you have a pure heart," he told him.

"I just hope it's enough," the Seeker murmured, finally tearing his attention away from Kahlan.

"You always do what is right, my boy."

Richard shook his head, unconvinced. "But I know it's still inside of me, Zedd. The rage that I felt when I was with the Minders was so intense, so all-consuming. I could have so easily gone down that same path as my ancestors, allowed my rage and hatred to take control of my heart if Kahlan and Cara hadn't stopped me."

"Yes, you could have," the Wizard agreed. "But you fought it and you won in the end. That's what matters, Richard. There is potential for wickedness in all of us, but there's also the potential for good. It's what we decide to allow to rule us, what we allow to rule our hearts."

"She rules my heart, makes me want to be a better man, so much more than I already am," Richard thoughtfully said, his focus returning to Kahlan once more. "She deserves only the very best and I never want to let her down."

Staring at his grandson, Zedd could see the deep love he felt for his Confessor, a love that went far beyond just physical attraction or passion, beyond even friendship. It was like he had found the other half of soul that he'd had no idea that he'd been missing until she had unexpectedly swept into his life that fateful day.

"I doubt you could ever do anything to truly disappoint her, Richard," Zedd reassured him. "She knows the man that you are and loves you deeply because of it. Nothing could ever change that."

"I don't know, Zedd," he said. "I hurt her this morning."

"I highly doubt that, my boy," his grandfather scoffed. "What happened?"

"I tried to push her into telling me what Darken Rahl had done to her while she was in the Underworld," he softly replied. "She wouldn't talk to me, just completely shut me out. What happened to her in the Underworld is affecting her more than she admits, more than we all thought and it terrifies me."

"Richard you both went through more than any of us can possibly begin to imagine," he said. "You need to give each other some time. She'll come to you when she's ready. She always turns to you."

"I hope so," he murmured, sorrow constricting his throat.

"It's going take quite a bit of time until she's fully recovered, Richard," Zedd reassured him. "She went through a horrific experience."

"I know and it scares me," he softly admitted. "I can't help feeling that I'm going to lose her again."

Zedd's heart felt so heavy for Richard and Kahlan. Their lives were wrapped up in so much chaos and danger, steeped in more prophecies than they could begin to know. He knew, though, if anyone could handle it, it would be these two.

"I wish I could say that the road ahead for the two of you will be easier, but I'm afraid I can't. You know as well as I do by now that nothing is ever easy for those who carry the title of Seeker and Mother Confessor."

"I know," he nodded. "I want more than anything to take Kahlan away from here, go back to the mountains in Westland and just live together in peace, but I know it's not possible."

"Someday I hope you and Kahlan can have the happiness you both deserve."

"Right now, I'm just thrilled to have her alive and with us where she belongs," he told him as he walked away.

Kahlan folded her arms against her chest, shivering despite the sun's rays warming her face. It was that deep bone-chilling cold that she just couldn't seem to escape no matter what she did.

It felt at times as if something was happening to her, something that she couldn't quite explain or understand. She felt different somehow…changed in a way. She didn't know if it was because of being in the Underworld for as long as she had been or just still trying to deal with what Darken Rahl had done to her.

Either way, she hated it. It was coming between her and Richard, adding to the already simmering tension that her magic had created between them, keeping them apart.

Richard came to a stop behind her, careful not to touch her despite the aching need inside of him that only seemed to intensify whenever he was near her. He reminded himself that she just needed some time after everything that she'd been through, but it did little to diminish his desire for her in any way.

He ached to hold her, to take away her pain and fears. He wanted to kiss her and erase the bad memories that chased her into her dreams. He wanted to make love to her, releasing them both from the cruel confinement her magic had sentenced their love to.

"Kahlan," Richard softly said. "I was just coming to see if you were ready to move on or if we should make camp early."

Kahlan suddenly spun around, staring at him for a long moment as if trying to process what he had said to her. Her eyes frantically darted about her as if searching for an unseen attack, confusion clouding her mind as well as her gaze.

"Hey, there's no one else here," he gently told her as he moved closer to her, his forehead creased with concern.

He slowly reached out to her, carefully taking her hand in his. She immediately began to pull away before finally relaxing her grip and allowing him to take her hand. His gaze narrowed, her reaction to him worrying him.

"I'm sorry, Richard," she murmured, tears rising to the surface as she pulled her hand free from his grasp. "I didn't know it was you."

"It's alright, Kahlan," he reassured her; unable to shake the dreadful feeling that something was happening to his Confessor.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked, scratching her forearm.

"What's the matter with your arm?" he asked, suddenly realizing that she'd been scratching it all day.

"It's just a bite mark of some sort," she shook her head. "I noticed it this morning when I was bathing at the lake."

"Let me see," he said, taking her arm and pushing her sleeve up.

Richard's brow furrowed as he lightly ran his finger over the mark on her arm. It was red and swollen, about the size of his thumbnail. "I've never seen a bite quite like this," he muttered as he inspected it. "I'll make a poultice for it after we set up camp tonight."

"It's nothing, Richard," she insisted, quickly pulling her arm free from his hold on her.

"Kahlan, please…let me take care of you," he snapped, his frustration evident in his eyes as well as his voice.

"Alright," she slowly nodded, feeling guilty for hurting him once again.

Richard immediately regretted his tone as they turned to rejoin Zedd and Cara. He hated this thick tension that hung between them now, threatening to suffocate them. He wished more than anything that he could just start this whole day over, go back to this morning when he was holding her close in his arms and everything seemed so perfect for that brief moment.