Author: Raven Shadowrose

Title: Fated Propehecy

Rating: Mature

Pairing: ?/?

Disclaimer: I do not know or own any of the characters from Legend Of The Seeker, any original characters and the story are my property.

A/N: This story is the sequel to the one shots I have been writing; Tides of Time, Somewhere, When You're Alone and I Know Where You Sleep. I would help you to read those first, so you can understand what has happened before this story.


A/N: Thank you to anyone who has left a comment or subscribed to this story :)


Chapter Seven... Darken Rahl.

I watched Alienne and Eva leave the palace, as much as I wanted to say goodbye to them as they left for the evening I needed this time alone. My priorities had subtly changed since I saw Alienne sing on that first night, I hadn't even seen it coming. Hearing her tell me that I was a bad ruler had made me realise just how many things had gone wrong. I had ruled with an iron fist, anyone that had got in my way had been dealt with. I hadn't cared what their reasons were for doing anything, I hadn't asked. I thought I was being strong but maybe I was the weakest person in this world, all the sword training and killing in the world wouldn't change the weaknesses I held.

Alienne was prepared to do whatever it took to secure Eva's future, even the things that she hated like dancing and being around nobility. I was learning much from her as every day went by. I paced back to the table where a bottle of red wine waited for me, every night it was red wine. I poured some into the glass and sipped at it, it tasted of raspberries and blackcurrants. The alcohol warmed my system and I drank the glass down as fast as possible, I'd never had a problem with handling wine but there were times I wished that I could drink enough to make me forget the many things that I didn't want to remember.

I dismissed the servant by the door, I quickly took off my robes and slipped into the dark clothes that I had worn for going to Alienne's house. I made sure that my face was covered properly and in an instant I was nobody, I checked the cloak to make sure that it wouldn't uncover my face and I made my way through the dark passage that would bring me out into the forest just outside of the palace walls. I felt freer now that I was outside of the palace, I moved quickly towards the lights of the houses that were closest. I wanted to get as far away as I could before it was discovered that I had disappeared.

The route to Alienne's house was deep in my memory and I made my way there without thinking about it. It was quite late and I knew that Eva would be in bed, I wasn't sure what I was doing here but I had to get away and this was the only place that I knew that was away from the palace. I hesitated at the edge of the house, I took a few steps forward and then turned to leave. 'It is a bit late to be out of the palace isn't it?' Alienne's voice came from behind me.

'Alienne, what are you doing here?'

'It's my house, I should be asking you that question.'

'Oh, yes, of course.' I was quite flustered at having been discovered, I took a deep breath and regained my composure. 'I just needed to get away.'

'Fed up of your pampered life? It must be hard having your every need taken care of.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'You think that you have it so bad, there are people that are worse off than you.'

'Why do you think the worst of me? I'm just a man, I can get fed up too.'

'Keep your voice down, Eva is in bed and I do not want you waking her up.'

'Right. Forgive me Lady Alienne.' Alienne walked away, it was as if she was determined to hate me, every comment she made was surrounded by sharp spikes.

'Are you going to stand outside for the rest of your life or are you coming in?' It took me a few moments to realise that she was inviting me in. I followed her into the little house and closed the door behind me.

The first time that I had been in this house I had been more aware of the sword that had been almost sticking into me, this time I noticed that there was barely any furniture in the room; a table and a few chairs. A few pictures that had obviously been drawn by Eva were stuck to the walls and were really the only colour in the room. The only source of warmth was a small fire and it was not enough to disperse the chill that was brought in with the wind. 'I've offered you a room full of luxury in the palace and you choose to come back here, why is that?'

'This house is the only place that Eva has any memories of our mother.'

'What happened to her?'

'Our mother, Ava, died giving birth to Eva. It was a difficult birth and the bleeding couldn't be stopped. She told me that I had to save the baby over her if it came to it. I wanted to save them both but it just wasn't possible. Midwives are hard to come by here, especially for those with little money. Eva doesn't know any of this and I would appreciate it if it stayed that way, she would feel guilty and I don't want that.'

'You have my word, she will not hear it from me, I have to wonder though is it for yourself or Eva that you stay?' Alienne glared at me and I knew I was right, she was here because it was the only place that she was able to remember her mother, Eva had been far too young to remember anything.

'Thank you. Would you like some hot chocolate?' I had detected the wavering in Alienne's voice when she talked about her mother, it was the only gap in her steel armour that I had seen so far. I knew she was changing the subject. 'If you are offering. How old were you?' Alienne handed me the little cup of chocolate and then she poured herself one before sitting back down at the table. 'I was sixteen when Eva was born, with father at work and William training with the scholars it was left to me to look after Eva. A local woman was willing to nurse her and between us we looked after Eva. It wasn't long before father died too, after mother's death he just gave up living, it was as if he couldn't be without her.' Alienne was silent, she had been very young when she'd had to grow up and raise her sister, it had given her a will that was stronger than any I had ever known. 'I'm sorry.' Alienne looked confused. 'About your mother.'

'What do you know about it, it's not like you feel anything for anyone.'

'On the contrary, I know what it's like to lose someone.'

'Like who?'

'My mother. I was only eight when she died, old enough to have memories of her. She was beautiful, long black hair and pale skin. She would sing to me at night as I went to sleep before she got ill. I didn't know what was happening to her, only that she was not herself, I sat with her until the woman who looked after me put me to bed. One day she died, there were many people at her funeral, I knew that life would never be the same. Panis told me that I had to be a big boy and big boys never cried.'

'You don't call Panis father?'

'I never have, living with him wasn't the best experience in the world. He flaunted it in my face that one day I would be killed by my brother and he was waiting for it, wanting and needing it more than anything.'

'You killed him.'

'I did, I don't regret it. I was...'

'You were what?'

'Nothing, it doesn't matter.'

'I'm sorry about your mother.' Alienne sounded sincere, it gave me hope that progress was being made in this strange relationship that we had.

I traced my fingers over the worn surface of the table in front of me, I had revealed more than I intended to and yet it didn't feel wrong. My heart felt lighter having shifted some of the burden that it had carried all of these years. 'Alienne, can I rely on your discretion, I do not want anyone to know the things I have told you.'

'I will not repeat anything that you have told me.'

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' I believed that Alienne and I were on a similar level for the first time since she had agreed to come to the palace and sing for me. We had shared experiences in our lives and it made me feel less alone, her company was comforting and soothing. I was didn't want to leave her but leave I must. 'I have to get back, they will have noticed that I was missing by now.'

'Surely as a ruler you can do what you please.'

'I wish that I could.' I stood up and Alienne followed me to the door, I was unsure as to how to be with her now that I was leaving her home. Part of me wished that she was coming with me. 'Goodnight Lady Alienne.'

'Goodnight Lord Rahl.' I wanted her to call me by my given name but it would probably be a long time before she did that. I secured the hood around my head once more and made my way out into the night.

I moved to where Alienne could no longer see me, she closed the door and after a few minutes the light in the front room went out. I turned away from the little house and walked back to the palace, I retraced my steps all the way back to the palace and into the secret passage. I took off the cloak and the clothes that I had been wearing. I felt a sense of being suppressed now that I was back in the palace. The relationship that I had with Alienne was balanced on the edge of a knife, I was surprised that she had told me about her mother. Alienne was so confusing, one minute she was firing comments at me that were sharp in nature and the next she was confiding in me. I didn't know what to make of her, I had never met a woman that confused me or intrigued me more.

I carefully pulled on my robes, I wasn't quite ready to sleep just yet, my mind was going over everything that had just happened and I was struggling to make sense of it all. I had felt like a normal person while in Alienne's house, a feeling I hadn't had in years. I looked in the mirror, I noticed the difference in myself, it was Alienne's doing of course. I felt like my edges were softer somehow, perhaps it was due to the fact that this body wasn't really mine. Walter's soul had been transplanted into a different body and yet it sometimes felt that there was part of him left behind, or maybe I was trying to convince myself that I was still myself and not changing. The changes did not feel forced, they felt natural, as if I was meant to become this new person. The question is, who am I becoming? I wasn't sure of that answer just yet. What was going to happen to me? Did I need to distance myself from Alienne? A chill ran through me and I knew that I wouldn't distance myself from Alienne, I needed her, my path was entwined with hers whether I liked it or not.