The meeting and dining halls in the Confessor's Palace were filled with people, food and chatter. Families from all over the midlands gathered to witness the marriage of Mother Confessor to the first Lord Rahl, who gave the people no reason to fear him. He held her hand as they moved through the crowd, not wanting to lose contact with her until he absolutely had to. His eyes continued to dart in her direction, desperate to get another look at her. She looked beautiful in the light blue dress, the color he once told her was his favorite because it brought out the light in her eyes. It hugged her flawless form perfectly, showing her off and yet, hiding her seamlessly. Her hair was pinned up in a tight, neat bun, showing off a few curls that had broken free when he took hold of her face and kissed her.
Richard was wearing the red robes of the Rahl, though he had a few changes made. He shaved that morning, knowing that the night he had planned would be easier on her, though she wouldn't mind either way. His hair was neatly fixed, a rare vision to all who knew him. He shifted his stance when someone came close to them, his first instinct to protect her.
Kahlan pulled at his hand, leading him across the room in such a hurry, ignoring some of the people who wanted to congratulate the couple.
"Hi!" she exclaimed loudly, taking their daughter into her arm. "Thank you for watching her, Cara." Hannah squealed with joy as she came to her mother's chest, her eyes searching the area around them.
"She's beautiful."
The couple turned around with wide smiles, the Seeker pulling his wife's side against his as their hands came apart. "Chase, Emma! I didn't know you were coming!"
Chase grinned at Kahlan, who tried to stop her daughter from pulling on her earrings. "Your wife sent some friends to get us, making sure we were all here."
"All?"
"Kahlan arranged for the whole family to be here. We arrived late last night."
Looking at the woman next to him, Richard grinned. "You never said anything"
"I wanted to surprise you and I knew how much it would mean to you for the rest of your family to be here."
Giving her a quick kiss, he beamed. "Thank you, Kahlan."
"What's this little angel's name?"
"This is Hannah," the Mother Confessor said as she handed the child to the couple before her.
Emma smiled as the baby, wiggling her nose in her face with a laugh. "How old is she?"
"Almost seven months."
"It's a good thing she looks like her mother," Chase teased, letting her grab onto his pinky.
With a chuckle, Kahlan wrapped an arm around his waist. "I don't think Richard would look quite the same as a young girl."
Laughing loudly, he nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be nearly as pretty."
"Would you like us to watch her for you tonight?" Emma looked hopefully at the couple. "I'm sure you both would enjoy this special evening alone."
Richard licked his lips and shifted his eyes to his bride, who knew instantly what was on his mind. "I was planning on asking Cara to watch her, but after the hour she spent with her during the wedding, I don't think she is willing to be with something so innocent for another moment." Returning his eyes to his friends, he took a step forward. "Are you sure you both don't mind?"
"Mind?" the other man said as he crossed his arms. "It would be an honor to keep an eye on the child of the Mother Confessor and Lord Rahl."
Closing the distance between them, Kahlan hugged Chase tightly. "Thank you." After a moment, she moved back and met the couple's eyes. "I'm glad you're both here."
******
The moon was hanging in the sky, shining brightly through the clear sky. Kahlan stood before her window while her husband started a fire beside her. When the wood began to crackle, he touched his hands to the side of her legs and ran them up to her hips. She remained still for a moment, bringing him to his feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned against her.
"She's fine, Kahlan."
"Who?" she asked through a whisper, her eyes still peering outside.
"Hannah. You've been thinking about her since we left the party."
"I can't help it," she told him as her hands laid over his, holding them to her firmly. "She would be awaking now for me to feed her."
Running his hands over her chest, he gently pushed them against her breasts, feeling the stiffness as they told her what their child needed. It had been hours since she had breast fed their daughter and her body had taken notice. Moving his lips to her ear, he warmed it with his breath. "I can help you with this."
A long sigh escaped her and she pushed backward, against his chest. Had she been wearing any other dress, she would have allowed him to rip it from her body, but she didn't want him doing it to something as special as her wedding dress. Seeming to hear her thoughts, he brought his hands to the back and began to undo the many buttons that followed the length of her spine. He kissed her skin the first moment he was able, his body unable to do anything else as the soft skin was reviled. The instant the blue silk was loose enough to fall from her shoulders, he turned her around and covered her chest with his lips.
It was almost instant relief, proven to him by the soft, pleasant moan that flowed free of her lips. She had her fingers wound in his hair within seconds, holding him against her as she allowed him to lower them to their knees. He was patient with her dress, maneuvering it carefully around her to make it easier for her to be more comfortable with their new position.
Pulling his lips from her chest, he grinned. "Would my wife please lay back."
She smiled widely at his words, doing as he requested without hesitation. He removed the dress from her body and surprised her by folding it before laying it in the rocking chair beside them. Richard took a few moments to look over her, following the lines of her body with his eyes until he could no longer just look. Touching the tips of the fingers of his right hand to her stomach, he traced around her bellybutton and over her waist, flattening his hand against her as he moved onward. Her eyes fluttered closed as she rested one of her own hands on his knee, drawing a small circle with her index finger.
His eyes came to her breasts as she took in a slow, deep breath. Leaning forward he brought his mouth to one of the mounds and a hand to the other, gently caressing until she arched for more. His body ached for hers, the taste of her milk making it much harder for him to tend to her needs alone. In his wavering mind, his teeth grazed over her nipple, rewarding him with the sound of his name leaving her lips in a loud; heavy pant and her hips bucking off of the ground as she dug her nails into his leg.
Pulling his face to hers, she met his eyes. "I need my husband, now."
His robes and pants were tossed from his body, neither hearing the quiet rip of the red fabric as their heated breaths filled their ears. Laying his body against hers, he connected their lips, letting her reach between them to unite their bodies. The feel of her soft hand wrapping around him brought his face to her neck, his eyes closing as he tried to focus on holding on long enough to bring her to the edge. He shifted his weight and pushed forward, slowly entering her as her hips lifted to meet his. Wrapping her legs around him, she pulled him down roughly and held him as she rocked forward.
He opened his mouth to protest her actions when she covered his mouth with hers. "We have all night to take our time."
******
Kahlan opened her eyes to the smell that filled the room, it was sweet, and one she never expected to find in their bedroom. Her body ached as she sat forward, in a good way, she would defend, from the previous nights activities. From the way the sun shined through the windows around her, they hadn't been asleep very long. Richard was standing, naked, in front of the bed, his back to her as he looked over the dresser before him. She couldn't help but smile as her eyes moved over his body, the soft trails her nails had raked into his skin in all directions, grabbing her attention.
"Are you alright?" she questioned, suddenly realizing that the wounds may have made it difficult for him to lie beside her.
The Seeker turned quickly with a wide smile and a juice covered chin. "I don't think I've been better."
Crawling onto the bed, he kissed her until they needed a breath. Running her tongue over her lips, she grinned. "Strawberries."
"Cara brought us a few things not long ago. I meant to wait for you, but then I thought, one couldn't hurt."
She let out a soft laugh and pulled him back to her, wiping her thumb across his chin to clean what was left after their passionate kiss and slowly brought the damp appendage to her mouth. "You must be hungry," she said quietly, watching his eyes on her lips. "Starving, even." Pushing the blanket from her chest she raised an eyebrow as he focused on her breasts. "What's wrong?" she asked when the smile faded from his lips.
Touching his fingers to her chest, he traced around a few of the bruises and frowned. "I'm sorry."
"I didn't notice," she chuckled, following his movement. "They don't hurt." Meeting his eyes, she crawled forward and into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "From the look of your back, I think we both got a little carried away last night."
He laughed, loudly. "My back always looks like that when we're together." He shifted his body so that she could come closer. "Cara always jokes, saying that she had no idea I could be that good of a lover. She also says that I should worry if they ever have the chance to heal completely."
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pushed the pads of her fingers against his skin and grinned. "I don't think you'll have any reason to worry."
"I hope not," he teased in a husky voice.
Shifting her weight, she flattened her chest against his. "We should probably stay in practice."
Richard smiled and pulled back slightly. "I don't believe we will ever have a problem with that." Her mind drifted from the moment as her eyes hit the crib across the room. "She's fine, Kahlan. If something happened during the night, they would have come to us."
"I know. I can't help but worry."
Brushing his fingers through her hair, he moved a few strands over her shoulders. "I know. It's one of the burdens a wonderful mother must carry."
"How are you always so calm?"
Releasing a sigh, he leaned back, holding her hips to keep her sitting above him. "I'm not. The last few days, when Hannah was sick, I thought I would go crazy. When she laid there and cried, her face nearly blue... The few moments I left, I was throwing up outside that door. She's a part of us, Kahlan. I wasn't calm until she fell asleep in your arms." He looked up and met her eyes. "Each day I watched you with her and I wanted to be that strong. You never let her see you upset. The tears you released when she was asleep... That's how I felt every minute."
"I was so afraid we were going to lose her."
"But we didn't." He sat up once again and touched her cheeks, wiping the few tears that fell. "She's shown us just how strong she is; how much like you she is." Kahlan remained quiet and he knew she would. Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her tightly and pushed forward until he was nearly laying over her. "She's a lot like you, Kahlan. I don't think we have to worry about her."
"I don't think I'll be able to stop."
He smiled and kissed the hollow of her neck, nudging it for a brief moment afterward. "We're parents now, Kahlan. We will be worrying for the rest of our lives, but we will be worrying together, every minute."
Slipping her hands between them, she leaned forward. "I don't remember worrying for a few minutes last night."
He pulled back and scrunched his forehead. "A few minutes? I think I remember last night much differently than you do."
The smile that crossed her lips, set him on fire; the feel of her hand between them making it difficult to remain still. "Most of last night is... Pleasantly hazy. I think you should refresh my memory."
"How long does the Mother Confessor have?"
Kahlan grinned and slid your hand over his sides and onto his back. "As long as you're able to move."