Part 07: PEOPLE'S PALACE

The air trembles like a water surface and opens, it is dark in the other side, and Nicci, the Mord'Siths, the Mother Confessor and her Midlands' Army soldiers cross the portal. There is a tent near, and some small campfires nearby. But it is a calm and silent night. Denna runs at the tent, Kahlan follows her. But the tent is empty. No one.

"There!" Berdine says indicating another portal opened.

"Oh Spirits! Nicci's portal keeps still opened! Jagang, Dennee and the Imperial Order went to D'Hara!" Kahlan opens her eyes wide.

"The children!" Cara shouts and runs, the Mord'Siths follow her. Kahlan opens her eyes wide. Children? She looks at Denna with a questioning gaze.

"Mord'Sith's children," Denna answers. Denna looks at Kahlan, sighs, "some Mord'Siths are mothers. Many Mord'Siths had Darken Rahl's children, but many children are already dead just like their mothers. When we returned to People's Palace after Darken Rahl's death, nine children were still alive. The sons of Cara, Dahlia, Berdine, Garen and from other dead Mord'Siths," Denna explains.

Kahlan is perplexed, Cara has a Darken Rahl's son! She never had thought about Mord'Sith like mother until her dream. Knowing about Mord'Sith's children is odd. Mord'Siths are always unemotionally, masters in pain and pleasure. They lost their sense of humanity, at least, it was what Kahlan thought.

"Did you had a child?" Kahlan ask to Denna. They are walking to the portal toward the People's Palace, Nicci goes after them.

"No!" Denna closes her eyes, "I cannot bear a child, in my training, Darken Rahl destroyed any possibility, my uterus had to be removed. I was not fifteen yet." When Denna opens her eyes, they are red with tears. Kahlan gasps and touches Denna's shoulder. "I'm fine," Denna says sadly and walks faster.

Kahlan sighs, clenching her jaw and looks at the ground. If Darken Rahl had not dead, I would kill him.

After everyone crosses the portal, Nicci closes both portals, one toward the Wizard's Keeper and the other toward the People's Palace.

D'Hara is a chaos, the People's Palace has two towers burning, and a big part was destroyed by Imperial Army. There is shouting in everywhere, many D'Hara soldiers corpses thrown on the ground, smell of burning flesh. There are still a big motion inside the People's Palace and at the courtyard behind it.

Cara, Dahlia, Berdine, Raina and Garen disappeared inside the People's Palace. The others are waiting the Mother Confessor comes next them.

"Let's go to find my sister!" Kahlan says, the Confessor's mask on its place. She is the Mother Confessor, High Authority of the Midlands, Queen of Galea, and Queen of Kelton. Two hundred of the Midlands Army soldiers follow after her, besides seven Mord'Siths and Nicci.

They enter in the People's Palace, there are more corpses of people who, probably, worked there. When they passes near the stairs, they hear a loud scream coming from upstairs. Kahlan stops, she recognizes this scream. Cara!

Without thinking, Kahlan runs toward the scream, in the corridor she sees that Berdine is embracing a boy, Raina is standing near Berdine with her hand on Berdine's shoulder. Kahlan passes by them and keeps walking hurriedly. Ahead, Dahlia goes out from a door, she comes with another boy, he resembles with her and she has her hand on his shoulder. Garen comes right behind her with a lifeless boy on her arms. Kahlan opens her eyes wide and clenches her jaw. No! No!

Cara is sitting on her heels, leaning forward, her back is toward the door, her shoulders are shaking uncontrollably, and there is a boy near her, crying too. When Kahlan approaches, the boy looks at her and she gasps. Oh Spirits! Cara's son!

Vigor Mason Rahl is eleven years old, he has blue eyes and dark hair like Darken Rahl, but with Cara's features. Mainly his eyes, his gaze is intense like from his mother.

"Cara, what happened? Is there something wrong?" Kahlan says and then she sees.

Cara straightens her back and rises on her feet, she does a movement and a little blonde head is put delicately on her shoulder. As if struck by lightnings, Kahlan's body trembles and her heartbeats accelerate absurdly. The Mord'Sith with a baby in her arms...

"I tried to help him, Mother, I tried! I swear!" Vigor says, his voice failing because of his crying.

Cara turns around, her eyes full with tears, she passes by Kahlan, in her arms she holds the lifeless body of her younger son, Markus Mason Meiffert.

Kahlan's heart tightens, looking at Cara with her dead son. Kahlan wants uncontrollably to hug Cara and comfort her.

Vigor comes right behind his mother, "I was late, when I arrived here they had already killed him. I could not control, and my magic was released " the boy sobs.

Then Kahlan looks around, there are dozens of Imperial soldiers corpses. All in pieces and burned.

Cara walks, holding the corpse of her younger son, she crosses the bedchamber and put her son on his cradle. She caresses his few blonde hair, kisses his forehead and cover him with his mantle.

Kahlan is at Cara side. She is keeping in her memory this moment, and she is perplexed. Never in all her life she could think that Mord'Siths care about someone besides Lord Rahl. She thought that feelings and emotions were dead to a Mord'Sith. But, living together with these Mord'Siths in this few time, it has showed Kahlan that Mord'Sith are not so emotionless like this.

Cara looks up at Kahlan and her tears fall down, Kahlan pulls her close in a tight hug. The Mord'Sith sobs in Kahlan's arms and then, pulls her older son close to her, but just for a moment. Then, Cara pulls Kahlan away, "let's go to look for your sister." Cara turns to her older son and kisses his forehead, "you and the others need to stay here. Look for a safe place. Later, I will come back," Vigor nods to her mother and Cara squeezes his shoulders before leaving.

When they arrive in the courtyard behind of the People's Palace, there are hundreds Jagang's soldiers and more corpses of D'Haran soldiers. Jagang and Dennee are not there. When Jagang's soldiers see them, they attack them. It is a hard battle. The Jagang's soldiers never end.

Kahlan grabs an Imperial soldier neck and releases her magic, "command me Confessor!" the confessed man says.

"Where is the other Confessor and Jagang?" Kahlan asks, recovering her breath.

"They went to Garden of Live, Jagang is going to do the Confessor to confess all Commanders of the D'Hara Army. He wants to rule D'Hara and then the Midlands." the man says.

"Die!" Kahlan orders, with all authority and posture of a Mother Confessor. The man chokes and he is dead before his body touches the ground. All Mord'Siths look at the Mother Confessor in awe.

More Jagang's soldiers come toward them, "we need to go to Garden of Life. Mord'Siths. Nicci. You all come with me," Kahlan commands and turning to her Captain, "you and the Midlands soldiers must stay here and prevent that the Imperial soldiers go after us," then, Kahlan turns to Cara, "take us to Garden of Life." Cara nods and goes.

Near the Garden of Life, the air twists and Richard, Zedd and Shota appear in front of them.

"Richard!" Kahlan runs into him, hugging him. Cara clenches her jaw and looks at the ground.

"Mother Confessor, you cannot enter there, you are unprotected against Jagang's magic," Shota says dryly.

"She is right, my child. We have to take off Jagang and Dennee from there and bring all of them toward the courtyard. Then, chant a spell and send all the Imperial Army back to the Old World." Zedd explains.

"Well, if you truly recite the devotion to Lord Rahl, the Bond of the House of Rahl can protect you against dreamwalker magic," Shota adds, "but I think a Midlander will not go on her knee and will do devotions to a D'Haran." Shota arches her brows.

"I will," Kahlan stares at Shota, arching her brows. "I will do it to Richard."

"It is not Richard who has the Bond of the House of Rahl anymore. It is Cara! If you will do the devotions will be to her." Denna says, looking at Cara.

"What?" Kahlan asks confused, but quickly, she remembers what Richard did before being unconscious. The Mother Confessor steps forward and kneels on one knee, she looks up at Cara. Nicci follows Kahlan and kneels on her knee. Then, Richard and Zedd and Shota.

The Mord'Siths look at them, then at Cara. It is an odd view to see the Mother Confessor of the Midlands, the Seeker, the First Wizard, the Sorceress and the Witch, on their knees, bowing and going to recite the devotion to a Mord'Sith. Denna, on one knee, slowly recites the Lord Rahl devotion, then, they can repeat it after her. Soon, all Mord'Siths are on their knees, reciting the devotion too.

"Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours." Then, they repeat it thrice.

Cara's body is trembling with the strength of the Bond inside her. It is the first time, she receives the devotion. There is an incredible strength increasing inside her like if each part of her body is being renewed. Cara does not take her eyes off the Mother Confessor. And something new invades her heart and grows warm, a new sensation. She wants to hold the hand of the Kahlan and raises her, she wants to look at Kahlan's bridget blue eyes and from there, receive her strength.

After the devotion, Cara uses the Bond to summon the D'Hara Army. They will take the Jagang's soldiers to the courtyard and will keep them there.

Kahlan sees Dennee before entering in the Garden of Life, Kahlan stops and catches her breath because of the view. Her sister has her face swollen, purple with bruises on her right cheek and her right eye, her lower lip bleeds. She is sitting on her heels, her arms down at her sides, her upper body is slightly leaning forward and breathless. Dennee is exhausted because of the many confessions. She is in front of something that looks like an altar and Jagang is standing up at her side. There are six D'Hara Commanders already confessed and staring at Dennee with adoration and a small smile in their faces. And there are more fourteen Commanders to be confessed. Kahlan sees that her sister is under Jagang's magic, then, she runs. Dennee will die before confessing all these Commanders.

When Jagang sees the Mother Confessor running toward her sister, he tries to control Kahlan's mind, but it does not work. Then, he sees the Seeker, the First Wizard, the Sorceress, the Witch and the Mord'Siths following the Mother Confessor. He tries again on them, but his magic fails. He looks at his soldiers standing up behind the Commanders still not confessed, he shouts an order and the Jagang's soldiers behead all of them, and one of them was Benjamin Meiffert. The D'Haran Commanders die before Kahlan is near Dennee. Those same Jagang's soldiers, the own Jagang and the twenty Jagang's soldiers standing up on lateral from Garden attack them.

Jagang runs toward Dennee grabbing her hair and raising her violently. He has the Sword of Truth up in his other hand. Kahlan stops and her body shakes violently, her head is thrown back. Nicci's magic stops Jagang of beheading Dennee with the Sword. But Jagang forces and the Sword's lamina comes slowly approaching of Dennee's throat. Kahlan straightens her posture and looks at Jagang, her eyes all black and deep dark red veins around her eyes, her hair flowing softly like if there was a breeze there.

All Mord'Siths stop in their track, opening their eyes wide and step back because they senses the blood rage. Jagang senses the Mord'Siths' fear and commands his soldiers to kill them.

Zedd, Nicci and Shota use their magic together to protect Richard, the Mord'Siths and themselves from the Con-Dar. They create a concave around them and transport them outside the Garden of Life. Cara and Denna is not among them. They look terrified toward the Garden of Life by the small slits.

The tip of a sword cuts the shoulder of the Mother Confessor, when Kahlan feels the pain she turns around toward her attacker and sees Denna burying her agiel in the back of the neck of her attacker. The Mother Confessor stares at Denna, pinning her on the spot. Denna opens her eyes wide, she does not move neither breathes. My death is coming.

"I need to save Denna," Nicci whispers to Zedd. "No! You can die! No magic is stronger than Confessors' magic!" Zedd says worried. "I have to," Nicci nods and squeezes Zedd's shoulder before disappearing.

Dennee shouts and Kahlan turns around toward her and clenches her hands, wind runs inside the Garden of Life, thunders without sounds shake all the wall and widows from big room, breaking the glasses, the floor starts to quake violently, parts of destroyed People's Palace starts to fall around them and outside there, unbalancing everyone, then, Jagang lets to go Dennee's hair. Dennee falls on the floor and Jagang buries the Sword of Truth in her back. Kahlan runs toward Dennee's lifeless body and crouches, then, screams out loud, blue lightning goes out from her body, going around the place and the place shakes violently and strong wind goes sweeping the Garden of Life

Jagang raises the Sword of Truth over his head to bury it in the Mother Confessor's back but Cara stays between Kahlan and Jagang, receiving all Jagang's fury while the Sword's blade crosses her body. The blade tears Cara's flesh above her right breast, breaking her ribs, piercing her lung until the tip of the Sword appears on her back, after crossing her body. Denna screams and runs toward Cara but Nicci's hand on her shoulder stops her. Jagang pulls the Sword from Cara's body, but Kahlan is already on her feet, looking at him. Her face contorted by Con-Dar, her deep red eyes, her hair flowing desperate from one side to another, the Mother Confessor releases her magic.

When the Mother Confessor leaves Dennee's body on the floor, Nicci holds Denna's hand, taking her toward Dennee. The three women disappear in the air, before Confessor's magic fills all the air of the immense room where is placed the Garden of Life.

Jagang, his soldiers and Cara freeze, feeling the Confessor magic entering with fury through their leathers, bones and flesh, a hurricane of emotions and pain invade their bodies, and they shake. Screams echoes in the Garden of Life and faces in horror, far from there and outside from Garden, keep looking at Cara and see when her eyes intense green eyes turns black and go back at their natural color and she fall on her knees together with Jagang and his soldiers.

Dennee awakes up terrified, she touches her face and sits. Spirits! I'm alive! She looks around, only Mord'Siths. She looks at Mord'Sith who gave her the Breath of Life. What is happening here? Why this Mord'Sith brought me back? Her entire body is healed. Then, she sees Zedd, Shota and Nicci. She arises and walks toward them but she stops when she sees her sister inside the Garden of Life, across the slit, in the other side from thick wall.

"Die!" the Mother Confessor commands and all of them die. Less Cara. She keeps on her knees, breathless, winking slowly. Then, she looks the Jagang's corpse and catches the Sword of Truth, fallen at his side. The pain from Sword's cut is intense, but she goes on her feet, staring at Kahlan and steps toward her, when they are nose to nose, Cara memorizes Kahlan's face, "you are beautiful even in Con-Dar", Cara touches Kahlan's face and smirks, "I could not die without doing it," Cara gives for Kahlan a long passionate kiss.

All Kahlan's body trembles and a warm sensation invades her heart and spreads by her body. Her mouth burns with desire while Cara sucks her lips, and her tongue. As electricity, passion and love run in her veins and tames the wrath from Con-Dar, an immense calm falls over her.

When Cara breaks the kiss, she sees Kahlan's eyes returning from deep red to the beautiful bridget blue eyes. Cara gives for Kahlan the Sword of Truth before closing her eyes.

Kahlan is breathless, her eyes wide, feeling the pure love invading her heart, her body, and all her senses, "it's you...you are the one!"

The Mord'Siths, Richard, Zedd, Nicci, Shota and Dennee go to inside the Garden of Life, Kahlan is holding Cara's body against her tightly, in one of her hands on the Cara's back, she holds the Sword of Truth. Kahlan looks up at them, her eyes full with tears and despair, "please...give her the Breath of Life, please!" Kahlan says weakly, her voice going to almost a whisper.

Cara stares at Richard and Kahlan embracing each other, their eyes closed, their forehead touching, on their faces an expression of contentment and relief and something more. Cara looks at the floor and sighs. Kahlan belongs to Richard. Cara closes her eyes, the Breath of Life healed her body, then, she rises and is going to walk away from People's Palace and from Kahlan's and Richard's lives.

In the corridor, Cara runs, her only thought is to go out this place quickly. In the stable, her face is red because of the running, anger, sadness, and weeping, loving the Mother Confessor is as painful as her agiels, maybe more deep and bitter.

Cara is saddling a horse, when Dennee enters, her face is red but with fury, and her breath heavy of running, "what are you doing, Mord'Sith?" Her sapphire eyes paralyzing Cara in the spot.

"I'm going out from here, neither you or your sister will not see me again," Cara says without looking at Dennee.

"You are a fool and blind!" Dennee shouts, going forward against Cara, grabbing her arm and tuning her around violently. "You are not leaving this place, not without talking with my sister," Dennee squeezes Cara's arm. Cara shoves Dennee and releases her arm, with this, Cara's arm hits Dennee's chin and she steps back.

Dennee is determined and goes against Cara again and before she touches Cara, she is shoved against the wall of the stable and an agiel is humming in her right ear.

"Don't hurt her," Cara's voice echoes in the stable.

Then, Dennee is released and in a heartbeat, she is shouting for Cara again, stepping toward her. But a red leather arm is around Dennee's waist, and she is held firmly against a red leather body. She cannot move, but she keeps shouting, "My sister deserves more than you. You do not deserve what she has to give to you. You fool, stubborn and..."

Dennee chokes when a hot and wet tongue licks from her neck to her cheek, her entire body shakes and shivers, her eyes opens wide and turns to see the face of this sassy Mord'Sith - it is the same one who gave her the Breath of Life, moments ago - then she feels a hand grabbing her long blonde hair, tugging it down, her lips open unwittingly, and a hot mouth covers hers in a deep kiss.

"Dahlia!" Cara shouts and quickly pulls the Mord'Sith by her shoulders away from a breathless Confessor which eyes are almost all black.

"What?" Dahlia looks at Cara, straightens her back and rises her chin, "I cannot harm her, but I had to stop her anyway, or she would go against you again". Cara is staring at Dahlia and narrows her eyes. Dahlia stares at Cara back, "I'm Mord'Sith, you know..." then, Dahlia looks at a trembling Confessor, "... we are pain..." in a husky low voice, "...or pleasure," Dahlia smirks, staring at Dennee's neckline, a time long, then, at her eyes.

"I will kill you," Dennee says in low voice to Dahlia and turning to Cara, "it is not Richard who my sister wants, stubborn Mord'Sith! I'm a Confessor and I can see it clearly"

Cara swallows and hears an indignant sound at her side, "Duh! I'm not a Confessor but I know who Cara wants!" Dahlia says, rolling her eyes to Dennee and Cara opens her eyes wide, looking at her friend Mord'Sith.

Then, Dahlia stares at her friend again, and rolls her eyes again, "you never hid your feelings for the Mother Confessor, Cara. Go back for your Confessor. Now!" Dahlia says seriously and Cara runs to the People's Palace, toward the love of her life and only stopping in the arms of the beautiful woman who her heart belongs to.

A punch on Dahlia's cheek does she hits against the wall of the stable, and soon another punch hits her stomach, and Dahlia's torso leans forward, but before the Confessor moves again, Dahlia grabs Dennee's legs and raises the Confessor, supporting Dennee's weight on her shoulder, and throws Dennee against the wooden table next the wall, and by instinct, Dahlia holds her agiel over Dennee's heart. Dahlia has her body on top of the Confessor's body.

Dennee gasps, imagining their position in this exactly moment. She is lying on her back on the table, her legs are spread with the Mord'Sith standing up between them. Dahlia's upper body is resting on top of the Confessor's and there is no space between their bodies. The Mord'Sith's face is an inch from Dennee's breasts, and she can feel the hot breath against her soft skin. Dahlia holds one of the Confessor's wrist, pinned on the table over her head, and her other hand holds the agiel. Dennee tries to move but the Mord'Sith's body is pressing her down against the table.

"You cannot hurt me," Dennee whispers.

"Fine!" Dahlia looks at her, then, her hot tongue licks Dennee's soft skin above her neckline. Dahlia moves and dovetails their sex perfectly against each other. Dennee moans and watches the Mord'Sith on top of hers, starts to rock her leather body against her.

Dahlia does not take her eyes off from Confessor's eyes like if the Mord'Sith is hypnotized with the black fog that start to appear into the eyes of the Confessor, more the black takes the sapphire, more Dahlia thrusts faster. Dennee sees the Mord'Sith writhing on top of her in an noisy orgasm.

Dennee moans with Dahlia, and quickly she shoves the Mord'Sith and puts her own fingers between her legs, touching herself, her orgasm is intense, and her magic is released for all stable.

While Dennee recovers her strength, she turns her head to see the breathless Mord'Sith on her knees, on the ground, staring at her intensely. They stay staring each other for a long time, then, Dahlia stands up, nods to her and turns around, going toward the People's Palace.

Dennee watches the Mord'Sith walking away, then, she looks at the ceiling, her breath is returning at normal, she closes her eyes and remembers Dahlia on top of her, "Confessors...giving pleasure for Mord'Siths!'' Dennee smiles, then, her smile becomes a laugh.