Chapter 54 – Ten Oaks

"It's the Mother Confessor!"

The voices rose up and Richard watched as all the villagers immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed, kneeling on the ground as Kahlan dismounted from her horse. The Aydindril guard fanned out to create a perimeter to protect her, but it was clear that none of these people were a threat. Richard raised his eyebrows and placed a hand behind Sanya's tiny little head as he dismounted slowly, careful to not wake their sleeping daughter. He stepped over to stand by Kahlan, who reached over to take his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers as they walked out amongst the throng of people come to welcome the Mother Confessor and her party to Ten Oaks.

Richard was a little overwhelmed at the depth of respect and deference the villagers showed Kahlan. He could not help but agree with how Darla had described Kahlan. She was—if not by name or title—a queen, of sorts. The people certainly treated her as such. For not the first time, Richard felt almost unworthy of her love. Here he was, a lowly wood's guide, what business did he have marrying someone as powerful and esteemed as the Mother Confessor of the Midlands. Kahlan noticed his anxiety and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

After she told the assembled throng to rise, the people all rushed to gather around them, the men removing their caps, the women curtsying and bowing their heads. With direction from Captain Kandon and the Aydindril guard, the people queued up in single file to walk past and catch a glimpse of the newest confessor. Sanya had since woke up, and squirmed in his arms, looking out at all the new faces as they past, giggling happily. Her mother, who also happened to be the Mother Confessor, stood by her father's side, smiling proudly. It also appeared that the news that she had married the Seeker had also arrived, because as the villagers gazed upon the little confessor, they also congratulated them on that, as well.

"And why wasn't I invited to this blessed event?" came a grumpy voice that Richard recognized immediately.

Startled, he looked up and squinted in the dim light to be met by the beaming grin of his grandfather. "Zedd!" he gasped. "When… when did you catch up?"

"Not soon enough," grumbled Cara, appearing behind Zedd. She gave Richard a fierce glare, added with a sneer that said she wanted to punch him in the face but thought better of it with Captain Kandon and all the Aydindril troops around.

"We did our best," Chase spoke up, shaking his head at the Mord'Sith. "But you were like an unstoppable gar."

Verna, the Sister of the Light, stepped up and gave a nod. "Nothing was going to stop the Seeker from getting to his Confessor," she said, as her eyes dropped down to little Sanya. "Especially when you told him the happy news."

Zedd nodded and stepped toward Kahlan, giving her a massively big grin. "Congratulations, dear one, on the healthy baby girl, and…," he glanced at Richard, his eyes catching sight of the wedding band, "on the wedding to a suitable mate."

"Suitable mate?" Richard scoffed as Zedd smothered Kahlan in a big grandfatherly hug.

The old wizard chuckled, winking at his grandson, as Kahlan giggled softly and closed her eyes, obviously enjoying having Zedd back. Richard notice Cara roll her eyes and she just gave him a nod, not wanting to do anything more than that. Richard smiled and shook his head, watching as Kahlan tightened her grip around Zedd. He knew the old wizard had started to view Kahlan as a granddaughter, even before it had become clear how his own grandson felt about her. Now… she was family. Zedd turned and looked down at Sanya.

Richard raised his eyebrows. "Would you like to hold her?" he asked.

Backing out of Kahlan's hug, Zedd smile grew and gave a nod, his unruly grey hair bouncing about his head. Richard adjusted his arms and shifted little Sanya over into the outstretch arms of her great-grandfather.

"Oh, what a beautiful girl!" Zedd said. "And she has the Zorander chin! Marvelous!"

Richard and Kahlan exchanged a look and laughed. With his hands now free, he inched closer to Kahlan and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight. Kahlan sighed and leaned into his hold, resting her back against his chest.

"And what shall I call you, little one?" Zedd said in an especially childish voice as he gazed down at his great-granddaughter.

"Sanya Cypher," Kahlan informed him, beaming.

"Cypher?" Zedd raised an eyebrow, then nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting."

Cara stood by Zedd's left side, while Chase and Verna hung back speaking with Darla. The Mord'Sith's brow furrowed and her eyebrows knitted together. "What's so interesting about that?" she huffed. "Richard's the father, aren't most children given their father's family name?"

"Oh, but not with confessors," Zedd informed his Mord'Sith friend. "You see, for confessors, their daughters usually take the mother's family name."

Kahlan nodded. "It is tradition," she explained.

"One you've changed, dear one," the old wizard said, looking down at her over his great-granddaughter.

"It seemed appropriate," Kahlan responded with a shrug, turning her head to look at Richard. "After all, Sanya is a child born of love… and not because I had to confess Richard to get him to sleep with me."

Richard grinned and squeezed her closer, kissing her cheek, causing Kahlan to blush with his public display of affection.

Cara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You two…!" she grumbled.

Zedd chuckled and winked. Sanya looked up at him and giggled, grabbing with her little hands at his wizard's robe. "So," his grandfather continued, once he'd settled down. "When were you married?" His eyes, which still sparkled with mirth, glanced down to Richard and Kahlan's intertwined hands, taking note of the gold bands on their fingers.

"It's almost been two weeks," Kahlan replied, leaning more into Richard's chest. "Richard returned to me and… and we were married!"

"Oh, good for you," grumbled Cara, looking at Richard suspiciously.

"How was the ceremony?" Zedd inquired, rocking Sanya in his arms. "I would have liked to be there, but I can understand why you two couldn't wait." He smiled knowingly at them.

"Actually…," Richard grinned, pulling Kahlan tighter. "We sort of eloped." His grin widened as he used Kahlan's term for what they did.

"Eloped?" Zedd raised an eyebrow. "No special ceremony? No vows before the spirits?"

"It was just between Richard and me… and the good spirits," Kahlan said. "Richard used an incantation he learned at the Palace of the Prophets…" she knitted her eyebrows together. "I… I can't remember what he called it, but after it was done, we had these gold bands on our fingers."

Richard nodded. "It was called a Soul Fusion."

Suddenly all the mirth went out of his grandfather. Zedd stood very still for a moment, his smile turning upside down. "You… what?" his words sounded shocked and stunned. In a blink of an eye, Zedd seemed to rise in height. He held his great-granddaughter tightly to his chest and looked down at the two lovers with a grave expression. Even Cara seem to sense the change in his mood and was slowly backing away from the towering wizard.

Richard gulped, unsure why Zedd was reacting the way he was. He should be happy for them. "A Soul Fusion," he repeated, wondering if his grandfather had not heard him the first time. "That is what it was called."

"I heard you the first time," Zedd said, almost snapping, as if he had read his thoughts. "Bags! Richard, do you have any idea the gravity of what you've done?"

"What?" Richard exchanged a worried look with Kahlan. "It's just a marriage ritual from the early days of the magical laws. The wizards of old performed it. And I am, after all, a wizard. So I saw no harm in doing the same as they did."

"Yes," Zedd nodded, craning his neck to look over at Verna, who had catch sight of the change in the wizard and was coming over. "But to do what you've done… Richard, my boy, that was very foolish."

"What has Richard done?" Verna inquired, when she arrived.

Zedd clenched his jaw and looked down at the Sister of the Light. "The boy performed a Soul Fusion with Kahlan."

Verna's eyebrows shot up. "We did not teach him that, I can assure you."

"What's the matter?" Richard's brow creased in worry. He wrapped his arms tighter around Kahlan's waist, sensing her anxiety as well.

Zedd turned back to look at him. "You say you did this almost two weeks ago?"

"Yes, it was on the very night that Kahlan and I reunited," Richard explained.

Kahlan nodded. "I'd just given birth to Sanya an hour or two before hand."

The wizard let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Good…," he then lowered his voice. "Then you have not yet consummated the marriage, yes?"

Richard felt Kahlan stiffen in his arms and he just stared blankly at his grandfather. Zedd frowned and looked to Verna and Cara. The Mord'Sith gave a knowing smirk and raised an eyebrow. "Come on, wizard, these two can't keep their hands off one another," she said, as if that explained everything.

"You… you didn't, did you?" Zedd questioned, his expression grave.

Kahlan swallowed, remaining silent, and Richard looked up at his grandfather. "It… it sort of happened, please, it was a mistake, we should have waited until Kahlan had recovered more… but… I could not—"

"No, Richard, don't take the blame for it," Kahlan spoke softly, raising her hand to touch his cheek, stilling his tongue. She turned and looked back up at Zedd, ringing her hands together in front of her. "I was the one who forced it. I wanted to consummate my marriage with Richard. I… I could not allow anything, not even the pain or discomfort I would feel, from stopping me from completing the bond between us."

Zedd just stood there with a gaping mouth. He began to stammer, then closed his mouth and swallowed before continuing. "You… you don't understand," he spoke again in a soft voice, slowly rocking Sanya in his arms. "Consummating a Soul Fusion, especially when the wizard who performed it is young and inexperienced, is extremely dangerous, even when the two involved truly love one another as you two do."

"Why?" Richard inquired, holding Kahlan close. "What could go wrong?"

The old wizard looked at them for a moment, then his eyes scanned the village square, as if seeing all the people for the first time. "I will tell you," he replied, turning his attention back to them. "But not here, not now. Somewhere more private would be more appropriate for this."