Chapter 20

Demos stood with his arms folded, one hand propping up his chin as he stared out the window into the starless night sky, his thoughts a thousand leagues from the People's Palace. A scowl adorned his face as he lost himself to his dark wandering thoughts.

They had found him an untouched girl who looked similar to Kahlan Amnell, but for some reason even that enticing prospect of a night filled with ecstasy could not bring him out of his brooding mood.

That girl would never be Kahlan. She may have dark hair and blue eyes, but she still wasn't the Mother Confessor, the only one who was anywhere close to possibly being his equal.

Even though their encounter had been all too brief, he found himself completely bewitched by her. Every thought that passed through his mind revolved around her in some fashion. Even his dreams were becoming filled with nothing but her.

She was consuming his life and he found he didn't want to break free. He had never met another woman like her and he was certain that he never would again. He had to own her, possess her and not just because his brother was in love with her, but because of the lust that filled him and overwhelmed him when he thought about her.

He would not be denied having her, breaking her down. She would be his ultimate conquest.

Demos pinched his lower lip between his thumb and forefinger, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he imagined taking her to his bed. The only problem to his plan was the fact that she would be under his control when she finally came to him. He could always command her to fight back as he took her, making it much more interesting.

And of course, Mistress Lucinda would add to the erotic thrill of it all. He would wait though for that. He wanted Kahlan all to himself for a while, taking and enjoying what his brother could not. He knew that his brother would come after his Confessor and when he did, Demos would be waiting for him.

Richard would not get away so easily. He had plans for his dear brother as well, plans that he was certain he would not find very pleasant.

First thing on the agenda was making Richard watch as his beloved Confessor pleasured him in every way imaginable. He would be forced to watch her as she rode him, hear her screams of pleasure as he gave her what she deserved.

And there would be absolutely nothing Richard could do to stop him, nothing standing in his way of defiling the Mother Confessor in every way and having her all to himself.

"Lord Rahl, the girl is ready for you in your bedchambers," Lucinda announced from behind him.

"Thank you, Mistress," he murmured.

"Do you require me for anything else, my Lord?" she ventured, hope lining her voice.

"No, that will be all, Lucinda," he dismissed her with a wave of his hand, keeping his back to her.

Lucinda ground her teeth, her nostrils flaring as she turned to leave him. She didn't like him taking other women to his bed and certainly not ones that resembled Kahlan Amnell. She was not about to just stand aside and allow the Mother Confessor take what was rightfully hers.

She paused at the door of his suite, watching as he took his robe off. She smiled to herself at the marks she had left on his body. Kahlan Amnell would never be able to bring him such great pleasure like she could.

She stared at him as he walked to the doors of his bedchamber. She could already hear the girl's sobbing cries as he entered the room. She should be grateful to have been chosen to enjoy what her Lord Rahl was about to give her.

The doors shut behind him, leaving her standing there all alone. She heard the girl begin to scream and she couldn't hide her jealousy. It should be her in there with him now, her that would be bringing him pleasure as she broke him down with her agiel.

Exiting the Lord Rahl's chambers, Lucinda swore to herself that the Mother Confessor would never get the chance to be with him. Demos Rahl belonged to her.

XXX

"Kahlan…" he called out, something a cross between a fierce growl and a pleading moan.

He pressed his fingers deep into her hips as she moved over him, the feel of her riding him like this driving him insane with unbelievable pleasure. The view she provided him was highly erotic, her perfect form so graceful, the flush of her body and the rapture on her face making it more than difficult to not just let go, but wanted this to last for as long as possible.

The love that she had been showing him was setting his nerve-endings on fire. They had made love for the first time just a couple of hours ago and they already couldn't get enough of each other, sleeping for short periods of time only to wake to the feel of kisses along her shoulder or over his chest.

That was how he had been woken by her this time, the feel of her lips and tongue moving over his chest, her teeth raking over his nipples instantly rousing him from slumber. It only grew much hotter from there as she had taken over, exploring him and leading to the shockwaves of pleasure that continuously rolled through his body now.

Richard's gasping pants of her name only spurred her on, giving her just as much pleasure as he had been giving her tonight. She was quite certain that she wouldn't be able to walk come morning, but she couldn't dream of a better reason why than this. If she had her way, they'd never leave or give the Aku their Spirit House back.

Kahlan ran her hands down her body, finding his hands on her hips and covering them with her own. She found she couldn't touch him enough, couldn't make love with him enough. The more they touched and kissed, the hungrier she grew for him.

"Ric-hard…" she breathlessly cried, her body wrapped up in a heated frenzy with him.

Richard forced his eyes to remain open despite the overpowering rapture that thundered through him, trying to draw them closed again. He wanted to watch her every movement as she rose up and down over him, didn't want to miss the ecstasy and love that filled her face. Her every move was so sensual that it made his head spin beyond imagining, her body flawless in every way.

And she was all his.

Unable to bear it a moment longer, Richard forcefully held her hips down, allowing him to pump furiously into her. With a cry of her name, he came in a convulsive rush of blissful euphoria, taking her over that precipice right along with him as he emptied himself deep within her.

Kahlan collapsed boneless on top of him, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. He wrapped his arms around her, their sweat-slicked bodies trembling as they fought for control once more.

Richard tenderly stroked her damp hair, pulling it aside as she laid over him. Her body gently shook as a deep rumbling chuckle suddenly spilled from his lips. Kahlan sat up a little, propping herself up on her forearms as she gazed into his chestnut eyes still clouded with passion.

"What?" she questioned him, curiosity furrowing her brow.

"I was just thinking," he chuckled, still breathless from his intense release. "I bet nothing like this has ever taken place in here before."

She smiled as she leaned down and kissed him slowly, teasing his lower lip with her teeth. "I guess not," she chuckled lightly. "It's a wonder we haven't woken the entire village yet."

"I have a feeling we're not the only ones doing this."

"Caref told me many babies will be made tonight," she seductively purred as she nipped and kissed along his jaw.

"Kahlan" he gasped, her fingernails pressing into his chest as she sucked on his earlobe.

He could already feel himself responding to her all over again, could feel himself growing hard as she kissed along his neck now. The thought of getting her with child, of her carrying his baby only made him harder.

Before she knew it, Kahlan found herself on her back, his mouth devouring her with a fierceness that stole her breath. His hands were stroking and caressing her everywhere he could touch her.

The thought of making her pregnant had unleashed something deep inside of him all over again, renewed his hunger with the prospect. She hoped they made a baby tonight, the thought of carrying his child exciting her as well.

She had wanted nothing more than to marry him, to be his wife, his lover, to have his children. Now, that dream was becoming a sweet reality.

Kahlan gasped as he suddenly filled her, the lonely ache of his absence within her gone again as he filled her full and began moving inside of her. She grabbed his head, pulling him in for a passionate kiss, praying that the good spirits would allow his seed to take root inside of her.

Tears began to leak from her eyes, the joy in her heart spilling over as he drove her pleasure higher and higher once again. He broke the kiss with a sharp gasp for air, his face finding the crook of her neck. He kissed and sucked the skin there was his thrusts grew more forceful, knowing he was leaving his mark on her, but he couldn't help himself. He just loved her so very much.

Suddenly tasting her tears, he slowed his movements, searching her face for any signs that he was hurting. "Kahlan…what is it?" he panted heavily.

"Nothing," she shook her head as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No, my Richard," she smiled softly. "I just never thought I'd ever have this with you…could ever be this happy."

He smiled softly in return, nuzzling his nose against hers. "I love you so much, Kahlan…" he breathed as he leaned down to kiss her again.

"I love you more…" she whispered.

He kissed her deeply as he began to move again, his need for her never quenched for very long. His hand found her thigh, gripping it tightly and pulling her leg up to bend it over his shoulder.

Kahlan cried out at the sudden new change in position, the feel of him sinking even deeper into her core causing her to fist the blankets beneath her. She arched her back and tilted her head, her body engulfed in flames as he took her.

She felt as though she was being split apart, sparks of pure rapture shooting up her spine. The tears were quickly forgotten as she clung to him for dear life, the need for release climbing as his pelvis pounded against hers over and over again.

The sound of his name on her lips as she came and the feel of her nails raking over his back was too much as he came as well, his body shuddering violently with his intense release. He pressed his head against her shoulder as he fought to recover, his arms and legs threatening to give out on him.

He gently eased her leg down, kissing the inside of her knee before lowering it back down to the ground. Kahlan pulled him in for another kiss, pulling him down even further on top of her. She loved the feel of him lying over her, keeping her protected from the outside world. She felt so safe, so loved with him.

Recovering some of his strength, Richard attempted to move, but found she wasn't about to let go of him. "Kahlan…" he softly chuckled. "I don't want to crush you."

"You're not," she murmured, stroking his hair.

He brushed his lips against hers. "Every time I think it can't get any better making love with you, I'm always proven so very wrong."

"I know; that was amazing," she admitted, gazing into his eyes as she brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. "I'm so afraid that I'm going to wake up and find this was all just a wonderful dream."

"No, it's very real," he told her, kissing the tip of her nose. "Hopefully, you won't have any more nightmares, only good dreams of making love with me from now."

"It's what I always used to dream about before I died."

"I know it was hard for you to talk to me about it, but if you hadn't…I wouldn't have made love to you yet, Kahlan."

"Why not?"

Seeing the panic that suddenly flooded her eyes, he kissed her reassuringly. "Because I wanted our first time together to be absolutely perfect, with nothing between us – no secrets, no hurts or fears.

"You can't keep parts of yourself closed off to me, Kahlan, if we're going to share something so intimate and special as making love to one another. If you couldn't trust me with the things you've locked away deep inside of you, how would you have been able to fully trust me with your heart…your body?"

Kahlan stared into his eyes, the love that shined so brightly there for her causing her heart to stutter. He was right. He was always right. "I'm glad that I told you then," she smiled her special smile for him. "Or we couldn't have done this."

Kahlan suddenly rolled him over onto his back, taking him by surprise. She moved her hips, rubbing herself against him and earning a throaty growl as he bucked up into her. He swiftly sat up, running his hands over her back as he kissed her.

"Care to join me for a swim in the hot springs?" she murmured against his lips. "If you scrub my back…" she paused to kiss him again, "I'll scrub yours."

Richard chuckled softly against her lips, loving the idea of making love to her in the hot springs. He had been so desperate to make love to her there yesterday afternoon. Now, he could make it a heated reality for the both of them.

"I would love nothing more," he smiled as he kept her pressed against him, loving the feel of her sitting in his lap like this.

"That would require you letting go of me," she lightly chuckled.

"Only until we get down to the hot springs," he relented as he released his hold on her. "Then, you're all mine."

Standing to her feet, Kahlan held out her hand to help him up, but he refused it. Instead, he shifted to his knees in front of her, his hands skimming up the back of her thighs. He pressed his mouth against her leg, kissing her softly, his dark eyes locked solely on her.

He could feel her shiver as he continued to kiss his way along her thigh, the smell of her driving him positively wild again. Her hands immediately tangled in his hair, his name a breathless whispering plea on her lips as he continued kissing his way up over her stomach.

He worshipped her body for a few moments as if she were the rarest of treasures, fragile and beautiful and all his in every way now. "I have many great plans for you and me, Confessor," he told her as his lips finally met hers.

"I hope they don't include clothing," she smirked as she broke the kiss.

"Not if I can help it," he smiled as she walked over to where he had left her dress. "Although, the sight of you in that blue dress drives me absolutely wild."

Kahlan smiled in return as she put her dress back on. "I was hoping you would like it," she shyly admitted.

"I loved it," he told her as he fastened the material around his waist.

"I love your manly skirt, Seeker," she teased him as she came to stand before him. "I think you look very handsome."

"I'm just glad Cara isn't here to see it," he sighed. "I'd never hear the end of it from her."

Kahlan lightly chuckled, picturing the look on the Mord'Sith's face at the site of her Lord Rahl in that Aku skirt. The amusing thought didn't last as she suddenly grabbed her head, the headache beginning to roar to the surface once more.

"Kahlan, are you alright?" he asked, grabbing her arms and forcing her to look at him.

"Yes…it just suddenly…got stronger again," she winced, squeezing her eyes closed.

Richard quickly went for his breeches, reaching into the pocket and pulling some seeds out. Returning to her, he held a couple out for her to take. "Here…eat this," he told her, fear once again replacing the longing that had just been there in his eyes.

Kahlan took the seeds, chewing them and swallowing it down. She took several long deep breaths as she waited for the seeds to help ease the pain. Feeling it begin to lessen, she finally opened her eyes to find her Seeker staring at her.

"Better?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I wish I knew what triggered them so I could avoid it."

"What if it's making love with me?" he teased, taking her hand in his.

"I would eat those dreadful seeds every day for the rest of my life if I had to," she smiled.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Kahlan," he told her as he led her outside. "I swear it."

"I…I'm scared that…it's Darken Rahl," she finally admitted as they walked hand-in-hand through the tall grasses.

"In what way?" he asked, casting a glance at her.

"It feels as if someone or something dark is inside of me trying to get out sometimes," she said. "The more I try to fight it, the worse the headaches are becoming."

"Did Darken Rahl do something to you before Demos brought you back from the Underworld?"

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "He wouldn't have had time. He was too busy…"

Kahlan left the sentence unfinished, unable to relive it anymore. Telling Richard had been more than difficult. She didn't want to replay it over in her mind any more. She just wanted to forget now.

"It's alright, Kahlan," he pulled her to a stop and took her face in his hands. "You don't have to talk about it anymore."

Her eyes fell closed as she fought back the fear welling inside of her. "Something is wrong and I don't know what to do."

"I talked to Odo and Mitta," he told her. "They're going to call a gathering to speak to their ancestors' spirits to see if they know what's wrong with you."

"Do you really think it will work?"

"I don't know, but we have to do something," he firmly replied. "I can't bear standing by watching you suffer like this any longer."

"I don't know how you survived these headaches, Richard."

"It wasn't easy," he admitted, visibly wincing with the memory and yet angered that Kahlan was now suffering like he had. "I just tried to focus on you. I'd close my eyes against the pain and think about how beautiful you are, the sound of your voice or the incredible blueness of your eyes, the way you always get the tiniest hitch in your breath just before I kiss you or the way the fine little lines around your eyes crinkle when I make you laugh.

I would think about how much I adore your freckles and wonder why anyone would ever call freckles blemishes when you are so absolutely perfect with them. I would focus on how much I love you, dream about making you mine forever and the life that we're going to have together once the rift is sealed."

Richard watched as her cheeks grew rosy again, the glow it created in her setting his heart to pounding again. He was relieved to see the light returning to her eyes. She was so breathtaking, always leaving him in complete awe of her whenever he stared at her, talked to her.

Kahlan grew warm with the way that Richard was staring at her, the heat of his love for her radiating so brilliantly in his beautiful brown eyes causing a shiver of need to race up her spine. She longed to feel his hardened body pressed against hers, to feel in his touch again what danced in his eyes.

"You're the only reason I've survived them so far," she whispered. "Without you, I'd have lost my mind by now."

"We'll get through this together, Kahlan," he told her as they began to make their way to the springs again. "I'll never let you go."