Silk and Sand – Chapter 12

Kahlan could not believe Cameron had been able to deceive her so easily. She had honestly thought Cameron had just been another one of the terrified women who had been abducted and sold to Betto. But now, with hindsight, Kahlan could see the clues. The blonde haired woman had made a point of introducing herself to Kahlan. She had then hovered around her whilst they were in their living quarters. And now that reference she had made about confessors in the preparation room while Kahlan was being dressed in the guise of the Creator made more sense, and Kahlan was seeing it in a whole another light. Cameron had been testing her, wanting to gage her reaction. Kahlan chided herself for being so gullible. She had been trained to read people's eyes and body language, yet she had completely failed to notice that there had been a hornet buzzing about her the whole time.

Scrambling for the dagger, Kahlan pushed her admonishing thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand. She was not going to allow herself to be captured by the Mord'Sith, especially after she had spent almost a week as a captive of Betto in his sick house of flesh. The only positive thing that had come out of this entire experience was that she had finally be able to give herself to Richard in the way she had longed to since the moment they had first met. And now, here Cameron was, trying to take that away from her. Kahlan was not going to allow that, especially now when their feelings for each other had finally been made manifest and open to one another. She could not live without Richard, and she felt confident that he felt the same about her.

Clawing at each other, they continued to slowly inch closer and closer to the dagger. Kahlan gritted her teeth and suppressed the pain in her side from where the agiel had broken her robes. The red rod was still a highly effective weapon, even without the crippling magic that usually accompanied it. Thankfully, though, it appeared Cameron was more interested in the dagger. Kahlan fumbled for a moment and the Mord'Sith gained ground. Jumping up, Kahlan pounced on her, grabbing the back of Cameron's head and rammed it back down against the stone floor.

Cameron let out a cry and cursed loudly. Kahlan took the Mord'Sith's daze and clambered over her. She was a hair's breath from the dagger, when Cameron grabbed her leg and roughly pulled her back. Kahlan's tunic came undone and her bare skin scraped along the stone floor as Cameron dragged her back. As their struggle continued, Kahlan soon became bare and exposed, her tunic falling behind her as they scampered and fought in their battle for the dagger. Kahlan was too focused on fighting the Mord'Sith that she hardly noticed that she was now naked.

Taking her hand, Cameron rammed it against Kahlan's side, seizing control as agony shut up through her body. Kahlan gasped and let out a cry, shutting her eyes against the pain. The Mord'Sith smirked above her, shoving her to the cold ground and pressing her hand even harder against her broken rib. "That's right, Mother Confessor, scream," she said smugly. "No one can save you. Your Seeker is most likely dead. It is just you and I now."

Kahlan shook her head, unwilling to believe the lies Cameron was spitting out. She kicked her legs and crawled with her hands, distracting the Mord'Sith by tearing at her clothes, ripping the silk nightgown that Cameron still wore from the previous night. The Mord'Sith let out a curse, and pounded her hand with greater force against Kahlan's broken rib. Kahlan blacked out the pain, using all her mental training to block it.

Wrapping her legs around Cameron, she used all her strength to propel them around, spinning them over the stone floor until she was pinning the Mord'Sith, the nightgown laying in taters behind them. Now, both naked and grappling for the dagger, Kahlan was more determined that ever to triumph. She kicked and punched at Cameron, crawling across the floor until her fingers felt the edge of the dagger's handle.

"Come back here, confessor!" Cameron growled, grabbing at Kahlan's hair.

Kahlan clenched her jaw and stretched her arm as far as she could, finally clasping her fingers around the handle of the dagger. Pulling it back, Kahlan spun onto her back and drove the sharp blade into the Mord'Sith's chest. Cameron convulsed and cried out, her hard grip on Kahlan loosening. The confessor took the opportunity and roll away and got to her feet, watching as the Mord'Sith staggered for a bit before collapsing in a pool of her own blood.

Heaving deeply, Kahlan finally became aware of her state of undress. The tunic laid in a ragged heap on the floor, useless. Her body was slick and sweaty from the exertion of the fight, and her legs were coated in blood from the Mord'Sith. All she could do was stand there, still stunned at what had just happened. She had come here to comfort Cameron, thinking that the woman was another victim, when it turned out that she was the snake in the rat's lair, come to find her and take her back to the demon that was Darken Rahl.

Kahlan shuddered at the thought of Rahl making her his queen and bride. There was nothing in this world that would ever make her submit to that vile monster. She, the Mother Confessor, the de facto ruler of the Midlands, would only ever submit to one man, and that man was Richard Cypher, the Seeker of Truth. He was the only man that could ever bend her to his will, and she would happily obey him, in all manner of things.

It was standing there, chest heaving, over the dead body of the Mord'Sith, that Kahlan realized just how much she loved Richard. She gripped the dagger firmly in her hand, vowing to the good spirits that she would submit to no man but Richard, that she would love and honor him, and him alone, for as long as she drew breath and even forever in the eternal sleep of the Underworld. She would be his confessor for all time, and if she had to use a Rada'Han to do that, then so be it. She would never take a mate, like confessors of the past had. She would take a lover and husband, and be a wife to him for as long as she was able.

XXX

Shivering in the cold, Kahlan collapsed against the wall, hugging herself. She desperately wanted to leave this room, but with her state of undress, she felt compelled to stay. Richard would come back to her. He had promised. He would come. Chewing her lower lip, she gazed down at the lifeless remains of the Mord'Sith. Cameron had been a beautiful young woman and it broke Kahlan's heart that she had had to kill her, but it was either her or Cameron, and Kahlan was not ready to die, not yet. When she was old and grey with countless daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters, not to mention her loving husband, by her side, then Kahlan would be ready to die. But not today, not when there was still a future to look forward to. A future she would promise to Richard, no matter the consequences.

She did not know how long she had sat there, staring blanking at the dead green eyes of the woman who had pretended to be her friend, just that it seemed to be an eternity until she heard shout and cheer drifting down the halls. She heard footsteps and suddenly a figure was blocking the door. Blinking, Kahlan looked and saw Richard.

He immediately came to her, sensing her distress and wrapped her in his arms. She sniffled and buried her head into his shoulder, oblivious to the tears that had started to flow down her cheeks. His hands rested on her bare back and she shivered, still cold, but warming in his embrace. Richard pulled back and grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around her, before bringing her back into his arms.

"Is… is it done?" she asked in a wavering voice, still in shock.

She felt more than saw Richard nod. "Yes, Kahlan, it is," he said. "Once the slaves witnessed Necor turn on his former master, they joined us. Betto attempted to flee with the consul and his retinue, but the revolt had already spread to the surrounding village. Betto's dead, all of them… those vile people. They are all dead. According to runners, Septor and Tartum are in an uproar." He smiled. "It appears the Seeker and Mother Confessor are bringing justice to the Angrass Valley."

"No, not me, just you," Kahlan murmured, looking at him and running her hands down his face. "You have done this, not me."

Richard knitted his eyebrows together, seemingly wanting to challenge that statement, but he let it slide with a shrug. He looked down at Cameron's limp body, still surrounded by a pool of her own blood, leaving the question unasked. Kahlan sighed, grateful, and simply eased into him, while he led her out of the room and away from the body of the dead Mord'Sith.

XXX

It was approaching twilight by the time things had settled down. The revelers, flushed with their victory over their masters. Kahlan had trouble celebrating with them, her mind still focused on what had transpired down beneath the villa with Cameron, whom Kahlan had eventually identified as a Mord'Sith to Richard. Though, she managed to put on a smile and was genuinely happy to use her authority as Mother Confessor to officially, on behalf of the Midlands Council, acknowledge the freedom of the slaves.

And she took even more joy in officiating the wedding between Necor and Paullina. The woman was thrilled to be free of the yoke of sexual slavery. Having suffered terribly through submitting to other men, when the only man she ever wanted to be with was Necor, Paullina was quite obviously elated. Kahlan understood and connected with the woman's obvious feelings, having had the same thoughts earlier in the day when she had vowed to be Richard's and Richard's alone for all time.

The veterans, like Alissia, who had been in the business for most of the lives, were not sure what to do with themselves. Kahlan was worried that once the euphoria of being freed subsided that, having done nothing else in their lives, they would slip back into selling themselves at night in the seedy street corners of the big cities. But if that is what they wanted to do, there was nothing Kahlan could do to prevent that. She may not like prostitution, but the Midlands Council had not outlawed it—the slavery of women into the trade, yes, but not the trade itself. If a woman wanted to offer her body for sale, according to the Midlands Council, she had the right to do so.

Shaking her head of those thoughts, Kahlan sat beside Richard during the postnuptial festivities and tried to enjoy herself. They household slaves had provided everyone with more covering clothes, and all the women, even Alissia and her kind, seemed pleased to be able to be fully clothed. Richard had found her a slim white dress that accentuated her womanly curves, yet was modest enough, befitting the person of the Mother Confessor. Kahlan was not thrilled with the neckline, thinking it showed too much of her cleavage, but Richard seemed to like it, so she liked it as well, if just to see the way Richard's eyes light up when he gazed lovingly at her.

When the festivities tapered off, Richard took Kahlan for a walk through Betto's villa. Kahlan was repulsed by the opulence of the place, especially when she looked out the balconies and saw the poverty that surrounded them in the outlaying village. Richard had found her a matching dagger, and she was touched by the gesture, since it was telling of his knowledge of how she relished being able to defend herself, and that he knew her well enough to know the her preferred style of combat required two daggers. Slipping it down to join the other one in a crook along the interior of the boots she was wearing, Kahlan rested her hand through Richard's arm and leaned against his side as they continued their tour. They arrived at the doors to a room that Kahlan was surprised to find Esser and Helios guarding. Richard informed her that when they saw what was going on, the guards had turned against the others and joined Necor.

The two men bowed respectfully to them, and Esser murmured his apologies for earlier in the week when he had almost taken her to a room to "break her" before Necor had stopped him. Helios opened the door for them, and Richard picked the torch up out of its holder and led the way inside.

"What is this place?" Kahlan asked once they were inside and alone, tightening her arm around Richard's.

"Betto's private vault," Richard informed her, moving the torch in front of him to illuminate the dim room.

Kahlan's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and she saw a large museum-like room filled with artifacts. The Seeker maneuvered his way through the display cases like he was guiding her through the trees of the forest. She narrowed her eyes and bit her lower lip, looking up at him, wondering what he was up to. Kahlan was just about to ask him where he was taking her when he stopped. She squinted and looked down at the glass case beneath them. Inside, resting on a velvet stand was a silver collar.

"A Rada'Han," Kahlan whispered, her eyes going wide.

Richard clenched his jaw and nodded. "If… if you want, we can take it," he said, almost sounding disappointed if she would.

Looking up at his warm brown eyes, Kahlan swallowed past the lump in her throat and decided to tell him what she had decided. "Richard," she broached tentatively, afraid she would lose the nerve before she began. "Here we can be together without fear, but out there, beyond the shadow of those mountains, I'd destroy your soul."

For a moment he looked heartbroken, like she was telling him that what they did here needed to be forgotten and suppressed. Kahlan signed and lifted his hand in hers, playing with his fingers. She averted her eyes and took a light breath. "I know you think you're love might be strong enough, but… but I'm not sure. No man as ever loved a confessor, and no man has ever been with a confessor, in that way, without being confessed."

"But I have," Richard declared, pulling her hand back to place it on his chest. "I've been with you, Kahlan. You've lost control more than once while we've been together."

"Yes," she smiled, blushing. "But that kind of release is different… extremely pleasurable and satisfying, yes, but different. If… if we were to be together outside this valley, it would need to be with a Rada'Han." She bit her lower lip and averted her gaze. "So, I guess the question is whether you love me enough to be with me when I must suppress my powers with a magical collar."

"Kahlan," Richard spoke gently, after an agonizingly long silence, slipping the torch into a holder, and brought his hand up to caress her face, his fingers feeling her hair. "If that is how you feel, even if I don't like it, then I'll do as you want."

She blinked and looked up at him, feeling her heart flutter. "You… you will do that for me?"

"Of course I will, Kahlan. I'll do anything for you. I love you," Richard said. He wrapped his arms around her and tilted his head down, capturing her lips in his as he kissed her in a long and tender kiss. It was not heated or passionate, but was still overwhelmingly satisfying and breathtaking. It was a kiss of utter love and devotion, one that told her that he would do whatever was necessary to be with her.

Later that evening, they held a private ceremony with only Necor, Paullina, and some of the others in attendance. There was no official to officiate, so Kahlan did it herself, using her authority as the Mother Confessor, she named Richard Cypher, the Seeker of Truth, as her mate and husband. They spoke their own vows and pledges to one another, and sealed it with a passionate kiss and a prayer before an altar to the Creator.

Only the few who had been invited as witnesses were aware that the Mother Confessor and Seeker of Truth were husband and wife, affirmed and attested to in the presence of the good spirits and each other. Before, Kahlan had sworn everyone to secrecy. No one must ever know that she had wed the Seeker, because that would only put both him and her in even more danger. Afterwards, they retreated to a private room to be together as husband and wife.

They rolled around in the bed, each submitting to the other, as they passionately consummated their marriage long into the night. Neither Kahlan nor Richard was satisfied devouring the other until the sun broke through the darkness, signaling the start of a new day. And a promise for a brighter future.

THE END


*Epilogue to follow shortly.