Chapter 13

Checking her appearance once more in the mirror, Kahlan ran her fingers through her long hair before opening the door to the bedchambers. Today she was going to find some much needed answers as to what exactly was going on. With a renewed sense of purpose, she felt better than she had in days.

Entering their bedchamber, she came to an abrupt stop when she found Richard standing in the middle of the room, kissing the forehead of one of their daughters just before they were carried out by two of the servant girls.

"Richard?" she questioned in confusion, panic rising in her chest.

Richard immediately moved to block her from getting to her daughters. He had a look on his face that told her that he was behind this and his reasons were about to be made known to her.

"Kahlan, it's alright," he gently began, grasping hold of her upper arms to keep her where he no doubt wanted her.

"Stop telling me that it's going to be alright! Where are they taking my daughters?" Kahlan demanded to know as she stretched her neck, straining to see past her husband.

Anger burned brightly in her sapphire eyes, the protective instincts of motherhood rearing its powerful head. No one took her daughters anywhere without her knowledge or consent.

"It's just a precaution, Kahlan. I promise I'll bring them back after the healer has had a chance to see you tonight. I just want to make sure that you're alright."

"You're afraid I'll hurt our children?" Kahlan gasped in horror as she stared in bewilderment at him. This couldn't be true, couldn't be happening to her. She was the Mother Confessor. "I thought you trusted me, Richard."

"I do trust you, Kahlan. I trust you with my whole heart, but I want to make sure that there is nothing wrong with you," he attempted to sooth, reaching out to brush back her hair from her face.

"I told you I am fine," she bit out through clenched teeth, her breathing becoming ragged with her growing anger. "Now give me back my babies!"

She felt as though her whole world was falling apart around her. She was swiftly losing her husband, her friends, had lost the man who had been like a grandfather to her, and now her babies. They believed that she was going mad, a danger to herself and her own daughters.

"Kahlan, they are my daughters too and I will protect them at all cost," he angrily growled, his voice rising in frustration. "I can't keep living like this, pretending that you're alright. There is something wrong with you and I'm going to find out what it is."

"And you don't think that I don't want to find out what's going on?" she yelled back, jerking her arms free from her husband's powerful grasp. "I want my life back, the one where you trusted me, where Zedd is alive, Cara believes me, and Nicci is not freely welcomed in my own home! I want a life that includes my husband who supposedly loves me and allows me to hold my own children!"

"And I want my wife back, not one that is angry and suspicious of everything and everyone!" Richard shouted, his eyes flashing with rage.

The look in her husband's eyes suddenly caused her to internally shudder. She had never once feared Richard even when he was in the grips of rage fueled by his weapon. Now, though, she was actually afraid of him.

"The healer will be here this evening. I'm going to be out with Commander Holland today. Stay here and get some rest, Kahlan. I don't want you out wandering the Palace. It's still too dangerous. I don't want anything to happen to you," he said a little more calmly, running his hand through his hair.

As he stepped closer, Kahlan immediately took a step back, afraid for the first time of what he might do to her. She watched as hurt flickered in his eyes as he reached out to touch her, his hand pausing in mid-air as he moved a little more cautiously towards her.

She flinched as his hand came closer to her, breaking her heart. She had always craved his nearness, hungered for his touch. Now, she almost feared it, causing grief to suddenly fill her chest and threatening to sap her resolve.

He slowly ran his fingers through her hair, the palm of his hand coming to rest gently against her cheek. He stared at her for a couple of moments, his eyes softening some, returning to the warm brown that she loved.

Leaning in, he pulled her to him, his lips colliding with hers. Kahlan refused to kiss him back, struggling to pull away from him, but the harder she fought the stronger his hold on her became. Gripping his shirt, she attempted to shove him away, her nails clawing at his chest in an effort to make him stop.

With his lips and tongue he pried her mouth open, his hands tightly holding her face. Tears stung her eyes, a whimper slipping free as she relented to his intrusion but refused to reciprocate. He kissed her more fiercely, trying to force her to return his passion. Her breathing became labored as tears trailed down her cheeks, but he didn't seem to care. It only seemed to add fuel to his sudden fire.

While she craved the times when Richard was domineering and aggressive in his want for her, this was so very different. There wasn't a hint of love behind this kiss, only powerful control and a breaking of her will in submission to him.

Finally pulling back for air, Richard panted, keeping his fierce hold on her. "I love you, Kahlan. Never forget that."

Straightening his shirt and raking his fingers back through his hair again as he attempted to catch his breath, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before turning and leaving her standing there all alone in their suite.

Furious tears slid down her face as she stood staring at the door that he had just passed through. Her chest was heaving with her anger and frustration. She rubbed her arms in a desperate attempt to stop shaking as well as rid herself of the infernal chill that had seized hold of her since waking.

She knew she could not stay in this suite all day, waiting for Richard's return tonight with the healer. He'd already made up his mind that she was unstable. Now, she was going to have to find a way to prove to him that it was not her.

And she was going to have to start with Sister Nicci.

Marching towards the door to leave, Kahlan stopped dead in her tracks, her hand hovering just above the door handle. She was sure that Richard would've instructed the guards outside of their suite to not let her out or to alert him if she did try to leave. No, she would have to find another way out of here if she was ever going to get her husband and her babies back.

Pacing around the room, Kahlan crossed her arms over her chest deep in thought. Biting her bottom lip, she wandered over to the corner of the room near their bed. Running her fingers along the wall, she remembered that Richard had told her that there was a secret entrance that Nicci had used to enter their chambers. That was how she had been able to sneak into their quarters without being detected and how she had been able to get Richard out unseen.

Gliding her hands along the wall, Kahlan gently pushed at various spots, hoping to be able to find the secret trigger that would open the door. After fumbling along the wall for several moments, she finally found what she had been searching for.

Pushing a small inconspicuous indent, the wall suddenly slid open, revealing a dark passageway. Peering inside, she found small globes lining the narrow corridor, casting a very dim glow and allowing just enough light to safely see where she was going.

There was a distinct eeriness that unexpectedly drifted over her, a chill settling even deeper into her bones. She could almost sense Darken Rahl's presence, could picture him lurking about in these hidden corridors that ran behind these walls. It made her skin crawl.

Looking back over her shoulder once more, Kahlan knew that it was now or never. If she didn't do something soon, Richard would have her locked away forever.

XXX

Fighting hard through the heart of the battle, Richard swung his sword with deadly precision, cleaving the head of one Altaean soldier, thrusting through another. One by one, each had dropped to their death only to be replaced by ten more, ready to take him down. Now, as the sun began to bring light to a new day, he was finally seeing the end in sight.

Exhausted and spent, he swung his sword high, growling with the fierce rage that still brewed inside of him. Hours had gone by and just when he thought he could barely move his arm anymore the magical force of the sword would renew his strength tenfold, giving him exactly what he needed when he needed it most.

It was as if the powerful blade could read his thoughts, sense his mood, and predict his movements. He was one with his sword, the weapon an extension of himself.

Panting wearily, Richard scanned the scene before him, relieved to see that the Altaean army had dwindled considerably. The only thing appearing over that rocky cliff now was the sun instead of more soldiers. They were all lying dead at his feet.

Scanning the gruesome scene before him, he became nauseated by the landscape of death that surrounded him, the horror of the cold lifeless eyes staring back up at him from where they lay on the ground. The anguish of so many lives so senselessly lost cut straight through his heart.

Searching the disfigured bodies, he suddenly noticed something that made his blood flow like an icy river in his veins, the tiny hairs on the back of his sweaty neck standing up with an eerie realization.

All of the corpses surrounding him were Altaean. Some of them were men that he had regretfully lost in the line of duty, but as far as the enemy count went, they were all Altaean. None of them appeared to be a part of Darken Rahl's army.

Dread shivered down his spine as he suddenly turned to look at Garren who was finishing off the last of the soldiers. Richard immediately rode towards him, hoping that his friend had seen some evidence that Darken Rahl's men or Mord'Sith had been present in this battle.

"Garren!" Richard called out to him as the Aydindril Commander sheathed his sword.

"Lord Rahl, what is it?" Garren anxiously asked, taken aback by the look of dread on the Lord Rahl's face.

Exhaustion lined his features, his eyes still smoldering with rage. Blood and dirt was splattered on his face, shirt, and breeches, dripping from his sword and marring his horse. His sweaty hair was matted to his head despite the coldness in the air. Garren wasn't sure how much of it belonged to the dead or if any of it belonged to Lord Rahl.

He hoped it was enemy blood and not Richard's. Cara would be furious with him if he had allowed the Seeker to be injured. Thoughts of Cara caused fear to suddenly rise to the surface of his heart. He hoped that she was alright, that Nicci had not been lying in her sworn allegiance to Richard.

"Did you see any evidence that Darken Rahl's army was here?"

"What do you mean?" he breathed heavily as he studied his leader. "They're all right here around us."

"No, I mean we fought solely against the Altaeans, not Darken Rahl."

"That can't be," Garren shook his head in puzzlement. "They must be here among the dead."

"All of these men are wearing the blue colors of Altaea," Richard pointed out, his eyes still searching the corpses. "The scouting reports we received told us that Darken Rahl's army was now wearing all black so they would not be confused with those loyal to me and the crimson red of the House of Richard Rahl."

"Maybe his men dressed in Altaean blue so as to mingle in with their allies," Garren suggested. "Either that or Darken Rahl sent his army to attack from the other side. Maybe Holland encountered Rahl's army."

"Maybe," he mumbled, hoping that Garren was right in his assumptions, his eyes still narrowed deep in thought as he stroked his chin. Something was telling him that there was more going on than what they were noticing here. He wanted to return and see how the rest of the army was fairing, but he also wanted to get back to Kahlan. "Let's get back to the Palace. I want to see what Commander Holland has discovered. Hopefully Cara will be back too."

Garren sighed in relief as he suddenly realized that if Cara had run into trouble getting the Dragon's Breath away from Darken Rahl's army then none of them would be standing here now. They would have been wiped into oblivion. That at least was a good sign that Cara might still be alright.

XXX

Slipping silently through the woods, they became a part of the shadows around them, morphing and conforming so seamlessly to their environment. Their feline movements made them the perfect choice to diffuse the Dragons' Breath.

Having spent half the night sneaking past enemy lines to reach their destination, Cara was thankful that they'd only had a couple of confrontations. Nicci had easily taken care of both situations, eliminating the threat and preserving their mission.

Cara felt herself beginning to relax a little, Nicci proving herself a little more the further they went. She still didn't fully trust her, but she had shown a measure of loyalty so far and had eliminated two large contingents of enemy soldiers, further aiding their side.

Climbing up the next ridge, Cara could not escape the worry that continually invaded her thoughts. She hoped that Garren and Lord Rahl were safe. She had come so close to losing Garren once. She didn't want to think of it happening again, especially now that they were going to marry.

"Don't worry about, Garren," Nicci softly said as they crested the ridge. "He's a strong fighter just like Richard. They will look out for each other."

"Are you reading my mind?" Cara scowled at the Sister of the Dark, stunned that Nicci had been able to read what she was thinking.

"I don't need to. It's written on your face," she calmly replied, unruffled by the Mord'Sith's abrasive exterior.

"No one can read Mord'Sith, not even a Confessor," Cara huffed, more agitated with herself for allowing her feelings to reach her face than at the sorceress for noticing.

"I'm afraid that you are more human now than Mord'Sith, Cara."

"That is Lord Rahl's doing," Cara softly replied, her tone losing a trace of its bite.

"Richard is an extraordinary man," Nicci wistfully said. "It seems he touches every life that he comes in contact with."

"Yes, he is a remarkable man and I will not allow you to hurt him ever again."

"I don't want to hurt him, Cara," she replied, her voice filled with regret. "I love…"

Cara came to an abrupt stop, her eyes flashing in warning as she glared at the Sister beside her. "When you hurt Kahlan, you hurt Lord Rahl. The two are not separate, but one heart. They are not independent of each other, but one soul. So don't tell me how much you love him or how you can make him happy. No one will ever be able to makes him happier than Kahlan."

Nicci swallowed hard, knowing the truth of the Mord'Sith's stinging words, but it made it no less painful to hear. She guessed that her feelings for Richard were very obvious in her expression as well.

"I know that now," Nicci softly said, averting her eyes under the heated glare of the Mord'Sith. "I will never be able to have Richard or what he shares with Kahlan, but that doesn't change the love I feel for him in my heart. I may not be able to experience his love in return, but I can serve him with my life."

Cara sized up the dark sorceress, trying to assess whether or not she was sincere in her confession. She noticed the look of love and hope that filled her eyes when she spoke of Lord Rahl, but she also noticed the look of sad understanding swimming there as well. It seemed that Nicci did understand that she would never be able to replace Kahlan.

"At least we have something in common," Cara stated as she resumed their journey. "But it may be short lived if Kahlan does not wake soon."

"I don't understand why she is still unconscious," Nicci said deep in thought, searching her mind for a reason behind the Mother Confessor's present condition. "Even after everything she's been through, I would have thought that she would have woken by now. I promise I will do everything in my power to help her."

"I don't know why either, but I do know that Lord Rahl is growing more desperate by the day. If she doesn't wake soon, I don't know what he'll…"

"Over there," Nicci suddenly interrupted, pointing with her chin the direction they needed to go. "That's where Darken Rahl hid the Dragons' Breath."

"Scarlett and Naria, I want you to come around from the right," Cara ordered. "Jacien, Ally…you will take the left side. Fiona and Annalyse you're with us. Follow Nicci's lead. She will be the one disabling the weapons. We are her protection so don't let anything get to her."

All her Sisters nodded in accordance with their orders, respectfully following their Sister's lead. Cara had long ago earned their respect, but now having observed firsthand the freedom and liberty that she had attained under Richard Rahl, she had also earned their admiration as well as their envy.

"It will no doubt be heavily guarded by Rahl's best men so be prepared for a fight," Nicci instructed them.

"We are Mord'Sith. We are always prepared for a fight," Fiona retorted, taking offense to the implication that they were unprepared to fight or to give their life in service to Lord Richard Rahl.

"I realize that, but I just wanted you to know that this is not going to be easy. We're not going to be able to just waltz in and take what we came for," Nicci patiently told them. "And I will not be able to help in the fight and diffuse the Dragons' Breath at the same time. I can do one or the other but not both so you'll be on your own."

"We are more than capable of handling anything they come at us with," Cara reminded her as she clutched her agiels tightly in her fights, the faint humming sound of the weapon filling the air around them.

"I know you are, Cara," Nicci replied. "Be careful. I don't want to have to explain to Garren and Richard how we lost you out here."

Taken aback by the sorceress's words, Cara could only nod in acknowledgement. Nicci had truly seemed to mean what she had said. Following the Sister of the Dark, Cara hoped they would be able to take of the deadly weapons soon so they could return to the Palace and the battle raging there…