10. Bittersweet

"Shhhh..." cautioned Richard holding his hand up indicating for Lucan and Grenden to stop. The three of them ducked quickly behind a high pile of barrels of ambrosia. Lucan grinned and opened one into his mouth and swallowed loudly which received a glare from Richard. His eyebrows shot up in surprise at seeing what Lucan had just done, but let it slide. Maybe it was a good idea to not let apprehension get the best of you in a situation like this.

A soft echo of footsteps that had caused them to seek a hiding place came closer, approaching their direction. They all glanced at each other with encouragement and gripped the hilts of their swords. None of them so much as breathed as a group of richly dressed men passed by, their robes brushing the floor past them in a whish.

They waited a few seconds before checking the hallway in both directions before venturing out again. Getting in to the Peoples Palace had been easy, but now they had to configure a plan of how to get to Kahlan without being suspected as fake D'Harans. Three D'Harans wandering together aimlessly around the Palace would look suspicious, so they decided to split up and take different routes to their destinations.

They had studied the maps Zedd had drawn over dinner. Lucan would take the left side around the court yard and up towards Raul's council rooms where he met with his important advisors. If Raul was there without Kahlan, which is what they were hoping, he would try to detain Raul, giving Grenden and Richard enough time to find Kahlan.

Grenden would follow Richards's route parallel on the other side of main hall that divided the left wing into two parts. This way, he would be close at hand in case Richard needed him and also able to deflect anyone from discovering Richard.

Their plans seemed loosely possible to Richard, but he prayed to the spirits that he would succeed.

xxxxxxx

I was so lost in my thoughts that when my door opened I startled almost falling off the couch I had been sitting on. I had taken the dreadful red gown off, discarding it needlessly on the floor. I had peeled off all my clothes scrubbing myself with cold water to rid myself of Raul's touch but to no avail. There was nothing for me to wear except a shift. I had grabbed a blanket and clutched it around the shift to cover more of myself in an attempt to feel less vulnerable.

Looking up I saw three Mord Sith enter the room. Fear nearly caused me to faint but I gripped my confessors face hard and stood up to greet my fate bravely.

"Mother Confessor" purred one of them as she walked around me, much in the same way that Raul had earlier. "We have come to fetch you for your first training lesson. I assure you we will all have splendid fun." She grinned wickedly at her sisters. "Girls" she addressed them "this is the one the Seeker called for when Denna let me play with him one day." They both showed no emotion but nodded in response. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Constance and these are my sisters, Katrina and Elise. We are all very fond of the Seeker" they all smirked wickedly at that.

She laughed as she slammed the agiel into my side and I screamed at the tormenting pain as it rushed through my whole body like fire. I collapsed to the floor only to be jerked up by Katrina and dragged out of my room down the hall. That was the last thing I remember before blacking out.

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As Richard followed the route to the quarters of Darken Raul he heard a high pitched scream from somewhere relatively close by. His heart began to race. He would recognize that scream anywhere. It was Kahlan's. Without thinking Richard began to run towards the sound, but as he was rounding a corner he ran face first into Darken Raul.

At first he was too stunned to think, but he had already pulled his sword and had it leveling at Raul's neck in reflex.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Seeker. Let me guess…are you here for Kahlan?"

"Where is she?" he demanded as he tried to drive his sword into Raul's neck. Confused, he tried to push forward on his sword but all he met was resistance as If there was a wall between his sword and Raul.

Raul laughed wickedly and grabbed Richard's sword by the blade, shoving it out of the way. Richard stumbled slightly but there were guards behind him already, grabbing him roughly by the arms.

"I can take you to see Kahlan if you'd like," he taunted. "I'm sure she'd be delighted to see you." He grabbed the throat of Richard's shirt threateningly "And don't even think about taking her. She belongs to me now, Seeker."

"Take him to my chambers and chain him up with the Confessor." Raul glared back at Richard who was speechless as he was pushed toward Raul's quarters. He tried to think of anything that would help him escape, but the only thing on his mind was Kahlan.

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I was forced awake by a blow to my face. I tried to focus through my blurred vision as another blow came from out of nowhere followed by the writhing pain of two agiels pressed to both sides of my neck. My eyes fluttered shut but I was slapped again and the face of Constance was suddenly very close "you're weak, Confessor." She said spitting in my face. I tried with all my strength and somehow managed to spit back at her. She growled in rage and slammed her agiel into my stomach causing me to choke up blood.

From somewhere nearby, she pulled on a chain that lowered me to the ground so that my feet were now touching the cold tiled floor. She tightened the chains on my wrists and I cried out in agony. I noticed then, that we were in Raul's quarters and she saw my eyes wandering behind her.

"Raul wanted to redecorate his room in honor of the wedding tomorrow. He wants the walls to match the stain of your maidenhood with stains of your blood on the walls." She grinned wickedly, seeing my repulsed expression.

She was about to say something else when the sound of chains and the doors being forced open distracted both of us as we turned.

"I told no one to disturb me! I'm under Raul's strict orders to train the Mother Confessor…"

"You have new orders Constance." Said the rough looking D'Haran that entered the room with authority. "Raul is on his way here now." He turned to address his men. "Raul said to chain him up with the Confessor."

When they dragged Richard in, I heard my voice scream in panic, his name escaping me in a wail. He was bruised and bloody and his shirt had been ripped off of him. When he looked up our eyes locked instantly and, despite the circumstances, I was breathless just the same as every time he looked at me. I saw sorrow and panic etched across his beaten face and wanted nothing more than to soothe him.

The D'Haran's and the Mord Sith were arguing about where to put Richard but the only option were the chains that had been pounded into the stone slab that I was attached to. They relented and dragged him over towards me to chain him up. Our eyes were locked as the D'Harans roughly attached him to the same stone slab and locked his shackles right behind mine.

I could feel his breath on my neck and the heat of his body at my back as tears escaped my eyes. "I'm so sorry Richard….I…"

"Shhhh….you have nothing to be sorry for. I'll get us out of this, somehow."

"You should have never come here" I hissed in a whisper "you could be killed!"

"And let you be a slave to Raul the rest of your life? Not a chance, Kahlan. I could never leave you here, not for anything in the world."

A shiver of desire spread down my spine as he kissed the back of my neck gently, but full of something more than friendship. Despite the fear that ran in torrents through my veins, I found comfort in having him here with me. When we got out of this, I promised myself, Richard was in for a tongue lashing from the Mother Confessor.