Chapter 7

Hartland

2 months after separation

The hand on his shoulder was unexpected, he must have been more lost in thought then he realized. Looking up, Richard saw his father standing there, smiling down at him. He flashed him a strained smile in return, then went back to looking into the deep blue of the night sky, losing focus on the moon.

"This isn't healthy, son," George Cypher murmured.

Richard turned his attention back to his dad. His spot on the cold earth was abandoned as he stood up to be eye level with him. "I know, I'm trying, I really am. It's just hard to be without her." He looked back up at the moon and crossed his arms across his chest. Reaching his hands up to rub his biceps, trying to ward off the chill that swept over him.

"This woman..." he placed his hand back on his shoulder, turning him back to face him, "Are you sure she's worth all this?" George saw the look of horror that passed over his sons face. "You know she'll actually come for you? Or are you just brooding after her without hope?"

His mouth was moving, but nothing was coming out. The thought of Kahlan not coming for him was too much. He couldn't get air for a minute, just gasping like a fish out of water. When his ability to speak returned he replied, "Believe me, dad, I know Kahlan. She'll come for me. As soon as she can."

George pulled him to his chest, embracing his son tightly. He had to ask, the sadness around Richard was worrying him and he needed to know if he could shake him out of it. He knew now that nothing would, except for this mysterious love of his to arrive in Hartland.

At first Richard had felt betrayed by his fathers questions, but the feeling quickly melted away and he wrapped his arms around his dad. Relaxing into his comforting hold. At least he was surrounded by people who loved him while he was away from her. She didn't have anyone, that fact made him feel even worse about enjoying the company of his family.

"She only has me." He pulled out of the embrace to explain, "The rest of her family is dead. Her mother, father and sister all of them gone. We love each other, Dad." Richard smiled thinking about her love for him and how good it made him feel. "At least I have you guys to wait with. She only has the Palace staff, and the memories of us, the knowledge that I'm here for her, when she can return to me."

"Lets go inside, it's late and the air is becoming colder at night." Laying his arm around Richard's shoulder he led him in to the house. "We can't have you catching anything. You need to stay healthy for Kahlan." Walking together the short distance to the house. George stopped short remembering, "Anna stopped by today." He noticed the scowl that crossed his sons face. "I told her that you were out, didn't know when you were getting back. She seemed pretty disappointed, like she thought that you should only be going out with her..."

Thinking about what to say Richard reached up and scrubbed his face with his hand. He knew that Anna wasn't going to be satisfied with just being friends. "Dad, I don't know what to do about her. I've told her I can't be more than friends with her."

His dad raised his eyebrows in shock, not realizing that Richard had seen Anna since he'd been home.

Feeling the need to explain, "She found me clearing the trail a few weeks back, and has stumbled upon me in the woods a few times since." He knew the situation was getting ridiculous. He could put a stop to it easily, but Richard didn't want to break her heart.

"Have you mentioned Kahlan to her?" his dad asked.

Looking away, he whispered, "Not in so many words..."

"How many words does it take to say 'I'm in love with someone else.'?" George was surprised his son had refrained from talking about her to Anna.

"I don't want to share Kahlan with her. It just seems to personal for someone who's not a close friend or family." He looked into his father's eyes to see if he understood. "There would be questions over questions, ones that I don't want to answer, not to her anyway."

The nod he got from him was a relief. He needed him to understand why he didn't tell Anna. He didn't want anyone to tell her, at least not yet. Maybe it was selfish, but Richard somewhat enjoyed her babbling to him sometimes, telling her about his love might cause Anna to not come find him and distract his brain with her endless chatter. When Kahlan came for him, she'd find out. In the end this might be crueler to Anna, but Richard was only thinking of his pain today.

Confessor's Palace

10 weeks after separation

"Richaaaaard..." Kahlan moaned. Her nights had been filled with dreams of his kisses, fantasies of his soft caress, pictures of them together making love. She'd never experienced it before, but she knew that the pleasure from the encounter would leave her breathless. He would always whisper her name sweetly, while his lips explored her neck, moving to her ear and taking the lobe into his mouth. He would say that he loved her, and then he'd move his mouth to hers. They would spend time kissing. Tongues laving at each other, lips sucking on the others, she loved grabbing his lower one in her teeth and worrying it lightly.

After the kissing his mouth would move to her breasts. She'd remember the first night they had in the palace and the feel of his warm mouth on her nipple, the tightening that occurred in it, and the pleasure that shot down her core. Subconsciously her own hands would cup her breasts, mimicking his actions in her sleep, she'd roll her own nipples, their hardness would match her dreams.

Next his mouth would move down her stomach and stop to play with her belly button and the soft skin around it. The teasing of his licks and teeth scraping lightly over her skin would cause her to become even wetter. In her dream his mouth was providing the pleasure, in reality her own palm and finger nails were working her body. Next her hands find her curls, raking through them and parting her folds. In her head his mouth and fingers were on her, he'd always inhale her scent and moan before diving in to work at her clit with his lips and tongue. The sucking and licking would drive her mad with desire. Her own finger working her small nub in earnest to match her fantasy.

Richard would always spend a lot of time with his head between her legs, but he wouldn't ever let her come, eventually he'd pull back, they'd look into each others eyes and he'd climb back up her body. They would kiss some more, then he'd sit back and position himself to enter her. This was her least favorite part, He'd enter her with his erection, then she'd wake up.

Kahlan's eyes flew open, her breathing coming fast and irregularly. The silk sheets were always kicked to the bottom of the bed and her nightgown bunched over her breasts. She took stock of her hands; one would be holding a breast and the other would be buried between her legs. Her level of frustration was reaching new levels. Most times this happened she would remove her hands from her body and go clean up in the washroom. Today her body was craving the release orgasm would provide. So she closed her eyes, beckoning Richard back to her.

Squeezing her breast and pulling on her nipple, the other hand went back to making slow circles on her clit. Moaning she arched up into her hand, begging herself for more pressure. She needed this to last though, to get the most out of the rare release she was allowing herself. Moving her hand down further she dipped two fingers into her sheath. Changing the type of pleasure she backed herself off and worked for that spot deep within her. The base of her palm would press into her nerves and give her an extra jolt of pleasure and she could feel herself clamp around her fingers. Kahlan worked her body like this for a few minutes before she couldn't take it anymore.

The hand on her breast moved down to put more direct contact on her clitoris. Pressing down and sliding the hood over the head, and then pulling it back. Changing then to circular motions. She couldn't hold back her orgasm now. Bucking up into herself she let go of her hold on her powers and on her pleasure. Slowly coming down from her high, she'd open her eyes. Looking down at her flushed body, seeing that Richard wasn't there, brought on the tears. She quickly pulled her nightgown down to cover her nudity. She felt ashamed that she needed to bring herself off to thoughts of Richard. The relief that was found through her orgasm was replaced by emptiness. Her tears turned to body racking sobs. Turning on her side, she grabbed a pillow and pulled it to her, burying her face in it. Holding her face into the soft down, screaming her frustration at not being able to be with Richard, and the fact that they had been apart for so long. Her need for him was all encompassing. She didn't know how much longer she could go on without having his arms around her. Just to have him near, the calming feel of his presence, the smell of his sweat, the warmth of his smile. Thinking about him would bring her back from the lowest of lows. Kahlan wouldn't be happy again until she was next to him.

She had to make it through. She was sure that she would be able to go to him soon. She needed to hold herself together. Their reunion would happen; it couldn't be too much longer, for her sanity, she needed to set up Aydindril to survive without her again for awhile. She needed to do that quickly. The dreams were coming more often and her heart couldn't take breaking like that every time she woke up to her own hands providing her pleasure and not Richard's.

Confessor's Palace

Three Months after separation

Striding with a determined walk through the palace's corridors, Kahlan felt her patience slipping away from her.

"My lady, please. Are you sure you want to leave now? The winter is not far. It can become very cold, very quick. Won't my lady want to wait for the warmer months to come?"

Sighing, she didn't bother to halt her steps. "No, Sarah. I will be leaving as soon as possible. I will be traveling two, three weeks at most. I will be fine and warm before the winter arrives. There's no need to worry about me. I have seen to all my duties, and the Midlands should be able to survive for some time without me."

"But, my lady -"

"Sarah. Why don't you just tell me the real reason you don't want me to go?"

The maid raised her chin resolutely. "Forgive me, my lady, but it just does not deem appropriate for the Mother Confessor to go running off after a man."

Kahlan's eyebrow lifted itself and her lips quirked into an amused smile.

"This time, the Mother Confessor does not care about what is appropriate. And the Seeker is not just any man." Turning around to resume her hurried walk, she called over her shoulder, "Please, see to it that my horse is ready within the hour."

Sarah huffed at her lady's behavior, but then saw to it that the order was carried out.