*This chapter walks a fine line between T and M. Just be warned.
Chapter 53 – Daydreams
Two eyes peered out through the shadows cast by the trees, glaring out at the Seeker and Mother Confessor. The figures moved slowly through the bramble and brush, following and watching as the two, seated upon their horses, talked quietly. The Mother Confessor's eyes watered and she looked sorrowful. Watching from the shadows of the woods, they observed the interaction between the two lovers and were disappointed with the results, when the Seeker pulled his mount to a halt and dismounted. The eyes shot beams of anger at the others, promising some punishment, when it became obvious that their spells had failed to change the Seeker's mind about the Mother Confessor.
"She has a greater control over him than we thought," Sister Nicci said, glancing down at Sister Bree. "I can see why you were unable to bed him. Look at how he stares at her. It is almost like he has been confessed."
"And the daughter only strengthens the bond," piped in Sister Merissa. "See how they both tenderly care for her."
Nicci nodded and looked back out, watching as Richard placed the sling over Kahlan's shoulder and nestled the babe up against her mother's breast.
"This is going to be more difficult than we originally thought," Nicci said, glancing back at her fellow Sisters of the Dark. "Enchanting his mind with doubt and worries will not work. He feels for her too much right now, especially after their little escapade in the river. It was painful to watch and much have been so for the confessor, but it had the desire result she had wished… making him love her all the more for suffering through that just to consummate their wedding." Nicci paused and took a long frustrated breath. "We may have to wait a little while longer… perhaps once he sees this other daughter, the one conceived with the mate and sees how much that child looks like her father… perhaps then we can turn him against the confessor."
"I… I don't think so, Sister Nicci," Bree spoke up in a timid voice. "I was eavesdropping on him one night and I heard him praying softly to his beloved, declaring that he viewed that daughter as his own, even if not by blood."
Sister Nicci sneered down at Bree and turned to another. "What do we know about this mate the confessor took?"
"Our spies in Westland say that he was killed near Trunt Lake," Sister Marianna informed her. "Before she confessed him and took him as mate, he was a captain in the D'Haran army under Darken Rahl."
Nicci narrowed her eyes and looked more closely at Marianna, she was always a favored of the Keeper. Some of them had secretly began to call her the Keeper's Whore behind her back, seeing as how the Keeper would always visit her when she slept. "And what does our Master say about him? Has his soul joined all those damned in the Underworld?"
Marianna took a deep breath and averted her eyes from the gaze of the more powerful Sister of the Dark. "No, Sister Nicci," she said. "This Dragen has not been seen amongst the souls of the dead. The Master's pet has not seen him either."
"Rahl," Nicci drawled out his name in disgust. "If he had performed his task better and killed the Seeker when he was still a babe, then none of this would have come to pass." She turned and looked towards Merissa. "If this confessed man is not dead, you must go to Westland and find him. Bring him back. Perhaps then, we can use him to turn the Seeker against his Confessor."
Obviously afraid of her, the others nodded obediently. Nicci smirked and stared at the backs of the two lovers as they departed, already seated upon their mounts again.
"Because," she murmured softly, "if prophecy is to be believed, for our Master, the Keeper, to gain dominion over all life, the Mother Confessor must die by the hand of her true love."
XXX
Kahlan felt uneasy about Richard's questions about her time with Dragen. It was painful to have to remember those events and tell him about them. She had not lied when she had expressed to him that when she had lain with Dragen it had hurt far more than what she had felt in the river with him. At least she had that much. Kahlan never wanted it to hurt as much as it had with Dragen when she was with Richard. It was more than just the difference in size, down there. Richard was kind and tender with her. When Dragen had pushed himself in, it had been rough and labored—the forced lovemaking of a confessed man.
When Richard made love to her, even when it hurt as it had in the river, it was not forced; it was genuine and compassionate. Richard loved her for all the right reasons, and not because she had used her powers over him to confess him. Sure, it was clear that she exuded some control over him, but not as she would with a confessed man. Kahlan could plead with Richard to do something, and he would relent… relent being the operative word. Where as a confessed man would obey without hesitation, Richard had to be persuaded.
Licking her lips, still tasting him from their kiss, Kahlan allowed her eyes to drink in the sight of him riding beside her. She did not know why, but every time she looked at him her heart skipped a beat and it was always like a flock of butterflies had manifested inside her stomach. Richard was, without a doubt, the only man she, Kahlan Amnell, the last of the confessors, had ever swooned and fawned over. His mere touch caused such a cornucopia of feelings and sensations to rise up inside her that Kahlan was overwhelmed and exhilarated at the same time. She chewed on her lower lip, openly leering at him with lustful thoughts brewing in her mind.
They obviously could not make love until she had recovered more, but there were still other things they could do that were on the intimate side of things. She blinked her eyes, and her cheeks flushed bright pink, realizing some of the naughty thoughts that were popping up in her head as she imagined guiding Richard into the woods for some privacy and pulling his trousers down as she knelt before him on her knees and opened her mouth. Kahlan took in a deep breath, trying to stifle the feelings stirring in her chest and stomach. She could still please him without opening her legs.
There were other things she could do. While traveling across the Midlands in disguise, Kahlan had over heard working girls discussing such things. Now Kahlan longed to do some of those to Richard… to please him, and simply just to try doing them with Richard. Never, in her entire life, had Kahlan ever even thought about attempting such things. But now, with Richard close by, she was beginning to scheme and plot out ways to get him alone so that she could show him she could be a very pleasing wife to have.
Feeling a tight pinch on her breast, she looked down at her suckling babe. Her mind was pulled away from her lustful thoughts about her husband, and turned towards tending her daughter. Sanya's little brown eyes were looking up at her with that most interesting expression Kahlan had ever seen on an infant. It was always as if Sanya was judging her for thinking such things while in the process of breastfeeding. Ashley had always looked peaceful and contented, but Sanya, well, she was hardly yet a week old, and the little one already appeared curious about the world around her.
Kahlan smiled, shifting one hand away from the reins, to run her fingers through the soft brown hair that looked to be the exact same shade as Richard's. It made Kahlan smile all the more. No one could dispute that Richard was the girl's father; she looked too much like him. Though she loathed the idea of going through a difficult childbirth again, Kahlan could not wait until she could give Richard more daughters.
At that very moment, as if he could sense her thoughts, Richard turned his head around and gave her a big knowing grin. Kahlan stifled a giddy laugh, her mind already going back to the naughty thoughts she had been having before. Yes, she decided with a nod. After they made camp and everyone was settled for the evening, she was going to pull Richard away to the woods, find some place secluded that would give them privacy, and then ever so seductively, she would pull down his trousers and devour him like she had never done before.
Up ahead of her, Richard narrowed his eyes, looking at her strangely. Kahlan smiled tightly at him, raising her eyebrows, almost suggestively, teasing him by slowly running her tongue across her upper lip. Richard's eyes grew wide and his smile grew and he gave her wink, before turning back to steer his horse.
XXX
Kahlan sat on the fallen tree trunk, cradling Sanya in her arms, as she watched the men go about setting up camp. She kept her eyes glued on Richard, watching as his trousers hugged his backside as he bent down to unroll their bedroll. She chewed on her lower lip and blushed, amazed at how aroused she was becoming just sitting there staring at him. Darla waddled over and gave her a long look with her keen dark eyes. The old woman smiled softly, as if she could read Kahlan's thoughts, then continued on, helping to prepare supper for the young couple and the troopers that protected them.
Sanya cooed softly and nuzzled her little head against Kahlan's breast. She looked down at the little girl and was amazed that she was still up. "What do you want, Sanya?" Kahlan asked the infant.
Sanya blinked, staring up at her mother, and nuzzled her head against her breast again, slightly opening her tiny mouth.
Rolling her eyes, Kahlan adjusted her blouse and pulled out her breast, giving the little babe what she wanted. As soon as her breast was exposed, Sanya made a little squeal noise and latched on, suckling happily. Richard looked up from the bedroll, his eyes sparkling at the site of his wife feeding their child, and smiled.
"I swear," Kahlan mumbled softly as he made his way over to her. "It seems that all she does it eat and sleep."
"Well, she's only a couple of days old, Kahlan," he chuckled softly. "You can't really blame her."
Kahlan smiled and leaned against him, looking down at her daughter suckling on her breast. She chewed on her lower lip as she noticed Richard's eyes stare down at the same sight. She wondered if he was looking at her creamy white breast, or at their daughter. For some reason, Kahlan found herself wishing he were looking at her and not their daughter. She closed her eyes and shook her head, wondering what she was thinking. Last night she had forced an encounter between them that had not gone well, sure Richard had reached release, but even that had been forced, because he knew that she was deriving no pleasure from what they were doing.
When she opened her eyes, she noticed that Sanya had let go, her eyes closed and her mouth hanging slightly ajar. Before Kahlan could do anything, Richard was reaching down and wiping the drool on Sanya's chin and gently closing her tiny little mouth. Sanya stirred a bit at her father's touch, but did not wake. And then, to Kahlan's surprise and embarrassment, Richard placed his hand over her exposed breast and just held it. Kahlan sucked in a breath and dared to look around, seeing if anyone was noticing how the Seeker was so openly fondling the Mother Confessor.
The soldiers were a ways off, still busy setting up camp. Captain Kandon stood in the middle of them, issuing orders. Darla, along with one or two soldiers, had built a nice fire and was in the process of preparing an evening meal.
Richard gave her a slight squeeze, causing her to jump a bit, as he leaned closer, kissing her cheek. "You're beautiful, Kahlan," he purred into her ear, slowly beginning to massage her breast, his fingers running over the soft mound of flesh. Kahlan shivered, and blushed with how openly he was touching her.
Kahlan turned her head to look at him, seeing his eyes burning with desire. He pressed his forehead to hers and they simply stared into each other's eyes as he continued to fondle her breast. Then, ever so slightly, he removed his hand and replaced the flap of her blouse. He deftly buttoned it back up. And once he was done, he moved his hand to her face and caressed her flush cheek, gazing heatedly into her eyes.
"We could leave Sanya with Darla and sneak into the woods for some privacy," he murmured. "There are other things I can do to you that will give you pleasure, Kahlan." Richard averted his eyes for a moment. "You deserve to have some pleasure, as well. Let me give you what you can me yesterday."
Kahlan swallowed past the lump in her throat, not knowing why she felt as nervous and anxious as she did. This had been what she had daydreamed about during there day's travel. She remembered how he had touched her down there with his fingers and how pleasurable it had been. What else did Richard know that could provide her pleasure without having him inside her? As he continued to gaze at her, caressing her face and running his fingers through the length of her hair, Kahlan decided she very much wanted to find out what Richard could do, what sort of pleasures he could bring to her that did not involve the things they had done in the river.
Slowly, she gave a nod. Richard smiled and pressed his lips softly against her, lingering just long enough to leave her breathless. He stood up, taking Sanya in his arms, and made his way over to the old midwife. Kahlan stayed there, placing her hands in her lap, feeling her stomach erupt with butterflies and her heart skip in her chest. Where her naughty daydreams going to come true? Though, she did not know what he could possibly do that did not involve pushing himself inside her. Kahlan chewed on her lower lip, feeling anxious, the anxiety creating a knot in her stomach as she watched Richard return to her, minus Sanya.
"Kahlan?" he held out a hand and she tentatively reached up, accepting his offer.
As he led her out of the clearing, Kahlan felt her cheeks flush and her body tingle with all the possibilities of what could come next.
XXX
The eyes watched as the Seeker led the Mother Confessor from the clearing, away from the others. He looked determined and she looked anxious and nervous. They followed the lovers from a distance, but not too far, staying close enough to observe their actions.
"Damn," Nicci let out a breath as she watched the Seeker lower the Mother Confessor onto a bed of leave and gently began to push her skirt up.
"What?" Bree inquired in a soft voice behind her. She had not been watching the Seeker and Mother Confessor. Instead, her focus on was on ensuring they were not found.
Nicci narrowed her eyes, seeing the Seeker lower his head between the Mother Confessor's thighs. "He must feel guilty," she mumbled, mostly to herself.
"Guilty?" Bree was confused. She looked over Sister Nicci's shoulder and her eye grew wide. Ever since Bree had blossomed into womanhood, she had used her body to entice and bend men to her will with sex, but never, in her entire life, had she seen a man work so hard a pleasing a woman. And whatever he was doing with his head between her legs, it was obviously very pleasing to the Mother Confessor. "What is he doing?"
"Shh," Nicci hissed. "We must not be seen. And besides, it will do us good to observe this interaction. It will provide us with information that can be used to tear them apart when the time comes. Watch and memorize what the Seeker does, for we will try and use this against them."
Bree blushed, not knowing how seeing Richard Cypher please the Mother Confessor in such a fashion could be turned against the two lovers. If anything, it was bringing them closer together. But she obeyed her superior's orders and watched as the Seeker continued to eat at the Mother Confessor, his hands drifting up her body to caress her breasts as he continued to move his head between her legs. Eventually, the Mother Confessor tightened her thighs around his head and threw back her head, letting out a loud moan of exquisite pleasure, the likes of which Bree had never felt herself.
Moving up from his spot between her legs, the Seeker kissed his way up the Mother Confessor's body, before grabbing her face in his hands and kissing her deeply.
XXX
"Oh, Richard…," Kahlan moaned softly into his mouth as he kissed her. "That… that was extraordinary. I… I never knew that such things were possible… and with just your tongue." She laughed giddily, feeling lightheaded.
Richard grinned down at her and kissed her again, sighing into her mouth as he ran his fingers down the length of her hair. His fingers tickled her sides and soon his hands were once again on her thighs. He rubbed them and slowly pushed under her skirt again, rubbing the soft flesh of her bottom.
"There's more where that came from, my Kahlan… much more," he purred softly, as he began kissing her again while his hands kneaded the soft flesh of her bottom.
"Richard…," Kahlan could nothing but mumble his name into his mouth as he devoured her mouth with his. "Really?"
"Oh yes," Richard replied, backing up to nod, pulling her tight to him. "Much more."
Kahlan let out an airy giggle and watched as he began kissing his way down her body. With expert skill, he removed her breasts from the confines of her blouse and began kissing and nibbling at them. She leaned her head back against the soft bed of leaves and smiled to herself as she felt his hands join his mouth. Kahlan was left breathless with all the things Richard did to her with just the use of his mouth and hands. Her whole body tingled. She had never known that a man could please a woman like this. Never. The older confessors had certainly never spoke of such things.
Moaning softly as his mouth descended down her body, heading for the warm place between her legs again, Kahlan could not believe he was going to work at pleasing her again. Surely he would like to be pleasured as well. She made a move, wanting to rest on her knees before him and kissing him as he was kissing her. But Richard's strong hands held her down.
"No…," he ordered in a firm voice. "Tonight is about you, Kahlan… just you."
"Oh, Richard…," Kahlan whimpered as her body flashed with waves upon waves of ecstatic feelings and sensations she had never felt before without actually having him inside her. But she relented to him. Yes, she, a confessor, obeyed the orders of a man, something completely unheard of. Yet another thing that Richard had been able to do that others had not. Oh, and she was definitely going to have to amend her daydreams… and include much more.
