Sorry this chapter is much shorter than the first, but I just wanted to get this painful part out of the way. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed. You ALL are awesome. xxx

Cara was avoiding her. Ever since the tomb it had been tense with the Mord'Sith and she was finding it difficult to focus on the task at hand. Not even her feelings for Richard had ever been strong enough to distract her fully from finding the Stone of Tears. There was something about Cara that pulled her in like a powerful magnet. She had always had strong feelings for her, but what had once been anger and hate had blossomed into a deep love that she could no longer ignore. Cara may be trying to do her best to ignore what had happened in the tomb, but she refused to. Whether or not the Mord'Sith would ultimately return her feelings she could not continue to lie to Richard when it had become clear to her that, although she loved him, it was not with the same aching passion she felt for Cara. She had always thought that she knew what true love felt like, but as time passed she'd realised Richard was a safe love. He was kind, reliable, steadfast, and a very good man. He was the first person to really look at her and to not be afraid to touch her. He was and always would be her first love because he opened her up to so many possibilities that she would have never even considered. She hoped with all of her heart that he would forgive her some day and that they could be friends. She never wanted to lose someone she cared so much about, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She had grown very much since she first met Richard Cypher and a lot of that had to do with him, but she had to admit that she had been falling for Cara for a long time now. Her blunt way of speaking and sarcastic wit never failed to bring a bright smile to Kahlan's face. The small ways she showed she cared when she insisted she wasn't tired and that she would take Kahlan's watch, or how she would watch Kahlan out of the corner of her eye whilst in battle. Of course she only knew this because she too found herself worrying for the Mord'Sith's safety. Which was probably ridiculous as Cara was one of the toughest people she knew. Kahlan loved that Cara did not see in only black and white. Her morals were cloudy just as was the world. Even Kahlan knew that there was not simply good and bad; things were complicated. Cara was complicated. And in such a beautiful way. A woman who suffered so much at such a young age, a woman who was bent to the will of an evil man, who was still so independent and just so… wonderful. These were only a few of the reasons Kahlan appreciated and loved her. And so, before the sun rose on the horizon, she sat up from her spot on a rock where she had been keeping watch (against Cara's insistence) and gently woke up the Seeker.

"Err.. mmmm.. what? Is it morning already?" Richard managed as her stared up into Kahlan's eyes.

"I'm sorry for waking you. I just.. I need to talk to you."

Kahlan looked worried and Richard quickly sat up. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Can we please just go somewhere to talk?"

"Of course." He stood up and led her to a small clearing far enough away from the camp that no one could overhear. "What did you want to talk about, Kahlan?" He sat down on a nearly fallen log and patted the empty space next to him gesturing for her to sit down.

She nervously sat and cleared her throat. This was somehow a lot harder that she'd imagined. And trust, she had gone over the situation a million times in her head, complete with the worst possible scenarios. "I.. I love you."

"I love you too," he said with a beaming smile.

"But…"

Richard's smile faltered.

"I mean…" She verbally backtracked. "You're my best friend. You taught me what love felt like and I-"

"Felt? Kahlan what are you saying?"

"Please Richard. Please just let me get this out."

Richard couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wanted it all to go away. He wanted this not to be what he felt it in his heart that it was. And so he let her speak if only in the hopes that this wasn't actually happening. He nodded his head slightly and she continued.

"I need you to know that this isn't easy for me to do. That you mean so much to me. And that there will always be a place for you in my heart."

Tears started to stream down Richard's face. He looked over to her confusion and pain evident in his gaze. "But why? I thought we were going to be together forever. You.. you loved me across time.. I love you so much. Why are you doing this?"

Kahlan found herself crying as well. She never imagined it would come to this either and yet, even in such a painful moment, just the small thought of Cara's rare smile allowed her to steel herself and continue. "It wouldn't be fair to stay with you Richard. I'm so sorry. I can't… I'm not entirely sure I even know what happened, but we've grown.. and grown apart."

"I.. we can grow together Kahlan. Together our love can conquer anything."

That small spark of desperate hope in his eyes killed her and she knew, despite how hard this was, she needed to make it clear that it was over between them. "Richard.. you will always, always mean so much to me. You have to believe that. But this.. this relationship is over. I hope one day you will forgive me."

He still didn't understand why this was happening. Kahlan was being so cryptic. He knew that things had felt different recently. Even on his birthday her emotional distance was palpable, but he didn't know what he had done wrong. "Just tell me what I can change. I can fix it." He was the Seeker. He would seek the truth in why she was doing this.

"It's not anything you can change."

"I would never force you to stay with me Kahlan. I love you too much to force unhappiness on you. But I need to know what happened to cause this."

Kahlan paused for what felt like an eternity. "I'm in love with someone else."

Richard stood and drew his sword, crying out, angry tears still clouding his vision.

"I'm so sorry Richard. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He plunged the Sword of Truth into the hard ground only a foot in front of where Kahlan sat, but she did not flinch. Their eyes met and Richard's stare was intense. In the long moment his tears had dried and then realisation dawned on his face quickly followed by the defeated sag of his shoulders as one word left his mouth, his eyes never leaving Kahlan's tear-filled blue orbs.

"Cara."