AN- Here is another chapter this is mainly just to show the fears some are having about the upcoming battle. (Mostly Kahlan's fears.) Also the King begins to question everything around him, including Marian.
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"Who could stop him?" She asked
"Our child," Richard responded with a smile. She knew she should argue that they could never have a child, but for this moment she let herself get lost in the idea of a future with him.
"Well our child would have to be a girl." She told him as she crawled closer
"She'd have to take out a dozen soldiers just like her mother." His smile made her keep hers.
"Well I'd want her to have a good heart like her father." She loved him she wished this future was possible the idea of their child alone made her heart melt.
He leaned closer and pushed her hair out of her face, "Well I would want her to have her mother's eyes."
"No." She said shaking her head looking into his eyes, "No I would want her to have your eyes." Slowly he brushed his thumb on her lips for a moment they were lost in each other's eyes, then he leaned forward and allowed his lips to meet hers. She didn't fight it she let herself get lost in the moment, lost in him. But as she longed for more wished she could let go she found her mind taking control again, she pulled away.
"Richard we can't" She wanted him if only she could have him.
"It's alright its just a kiss." He whispered
Kahlan poked the fire waiting for the men to get up, she hardly slept anymore it seemed the deeper they got into her old home land the more her dreams kept her awake. Sometimes they would pass a place she recognized and her only thoughts were of Richard. When they traveled together she never felt alone even in the darkest of says she had him by her side. In the past months Robin had changed he cared for her now, but she knew he would never love her as she would never love him. She longed for the days back when she could feel the doubt of her mission, but then look beside her and see him see her hope. She tried to trust Robin as the seeker but no matter how hard she tried she could never believe in him the way she had Richard.
"You are up early." Robin said as he sat up rubbing his eyes.
"I couldn't sleep we are getting closer to the castle within a few days we will be in battle with the Dark Lord." She couldn't help but feel they were going to lose, she had no power and Robin well he was just Robin. She had seen him practice with his sword the way he moved just wasn't the same as Richard, half the time Robin seemed to hate the sword of truth. He preferred to fight with a strange one with a curve he had tried explaining to her why he liked it better, but she hadn't been paying attention she was to busy arguing her side. He had to fight with the sword of truth he was the seeker and that sword would give him more power, why couldn't he see that? Every time they argued about it he always had the same answer, he didn't need the power of dead men he only needed his own.
"Don't worry." Robin told her has he stood up brushing off his pants, "We will get her back."
"If she is even there if she is even-" She stopped herself she couldn't think her daughter was gone she couldn't think she was dead just like her little boy.
"You would know it if she were gone." Robin told her, "We would know."
"Perhaps." With ever day Kahlan no longer felt like she had. She didn't rely on any hope anymore. Hope was foolish if you didn't have a hero and no matter how much Robin had changed he was still and would always be the farmer who couldn't go a night without hitting the pub and drinking until he could hardly walk.
"Have faith." He smiled he didn't see into her eyes the way he used to with Marian. He hardly saw Kahlan at all he couldn't read her emotions even when she tried to hide them the way he used to with Marian. "I'm going to run down to the river and clean up." He told her as he walked away. Kahlan only nodded her head as she struggled with the despair she felt on the inside.
"You have no faith." Came Archer's voice, "No faith in my brother."
"Of course I do." She lied, "He is the seeker and the seeker never fails his quest."
"I'm blind not stupid." He paused, "Although I could say my brother is stupid for thinking you are alright."
"I'm fine." Kahlan hated the way Archer always seemed to believe he knew best he was pompous, but yet he reminded her more of Richard then Robin did so why was it that Robin was the seeker and not Archer.
"You know how you used to be able to tell if someone was telling the truth just by looking at them?" Archer asked
"No I seem to have forgotten I could do that." She sarcastically replied.
"Easy." He laughed, "I can tell by your voice, not from a special supernatural power." He paused, "I can hear a lie no matter how much someone tried to hide it."
"I don't care." Kahlan stood up she just wanted this all to be over she wanted her little girl in her arms and she wanted to go home. She didn't even care if she went back to Robin being the way he once was. She just wanted to live a peaceful life why could that never happen?
"Have faith in him Kahlan you don't know what he was before he met you." Archer took a bite of his apple as he spoke.
"Yes I do you guys tell me all the time." She waved her hand above her head hoping to shoo him off.
"But you don't seem to get it, Robin was a hero." He needed her to know there was still hope he could sense that she was losing her drive she was losing her will to continue of.
"I know he robbed from the rich gave to the poor." Why couldn't he just leave her be? Why did he insist in sticking his nose into other peoples business?
"He was so much more then that in the end it wasn't because he looked out for his people that saved us." He had to convince her Robin wasn't who she thought he was. "When everyone only could see a dark future it was Robin who was the light to lead the people out, when no one had a hope they would ever be happy again Robin showed them how to smile. No matter how bad things got he could smile." Archer shook his head, "I never met the happy go lucky man Robin once was by the time I met him he had already suffered so much but he soldiered on. He gave everything he had time and time again for his people for his country because he knew someone had to stand for what was right. He stood up to the bullies when no one else would without fear of what happened to him." Archer admired his brother after all Robin had made him rethink his whole life he became a better man all because of his brother who taught him there was more to life then putting yourself first. "He's the hero you long for the hero you want, but your too blind to see it."
"I'm not to blind he just isn't the seeker." Kahlan growled at him.
"He isn't your seeker Kahlan and he never will be Richard." Archer knew the stories he knew she loved the old seeker he knew she had married him.
"Don't try and think you know me Archer." She told him, "Don't say his name." She couldn't stand it anymore and stormed off she didn't know why she was so angry with the man she just couldn't bare to hear Richard's name.
"Kahlan." Zed said as he caught up to her.
"What Zed?" She brushed away a few of her tears that escaped her eyes.
"I over heard Archer talking to you." The old man could see the pain in her eyes he only wished he could find a way to ease it, but knew with his next words he would only make it worse. "He's right you know."
"Not you too" she shook her head, "I trust Robin alright I will follow him into battle I can't help it if I don't believe in him the way I believed in Richard!"
"When you used to listen to those stories Robin used to tell what did you think?" Zed asked.
"What?" She turned to look at him
"When Robin used to tell Arianna those bed time stories what did you think of Robin Hood?" he repeated the question.
"I thought." She paused and rolled her eyes, "I thought he was a hero."
"And?"
"I thought that he sounded like Richard standing up to evil never caring what happened to him." She said softly.
"And the only time when his judgment was clouded was for a girl, Robin Hood and Richard were the same in that way as well." Zed told her. "You don't see it because you don't want to Kahlan. Robin your husband is a hero he will save us all."
"I only hope you are right." She replied.
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"Where were you!" Her husband yelled.
"I got lost I'm sorry." She hated when he yelled he scared her even more when he did.
"I shouldn't allow you to even see your children!" he was beyond angry, "How do I know you aren't a traitor giving secrets to the enemy?"
"I would never betray you my love." She told him, how could this be the man in her memories? She remembered only flashes of her past with him back before he was king. She didn't her past fully but from what she put together from the blips she had made him out to be a different man entirely. How could he be the man that helped her off a roof when she snuck in to help him help the sick? How could he be the one she feared was dead then appeared behind a clothing line alive and well? How could he be the man she kissed and heard him whisper, 'that kiss spoke wonders,' Perhaps he changed just for the war. Maybe once they won and put to rest that evil that tried to steal the land and hurt the people maybe then he would go back to being that man in her dreams.
"You better be telling the truth." Her husband hissed, "Now go leave me!"
Marian bowed her head and hurried away fighting the tears that wanted to fall. Every time she was around him she wondered what exactly she had seen in him. The memories she had just didn't fit. As she walked to the children's play room her mind fell on to the man she had seen in the woods the one who had helped her. She felt a flutter in her stomach thinking of the man something about him made her happy. The feeling she had in those woods was the feeling she had in her memories and thinking of them, yet it wasn't the feeling she felt around her husband. Why?
"I see the king has spoken with you." Alexandra purred as she stepped out of the playroom holding the baby.
"Yes." Marian hated Alexandra and hated her more seeing the baby in her arms. "Let me see my daughter."
"Why?" Alexandra asked a cruel smile on her lips, "Why would I want to hand over this baby to the woman who left her?"
"I didn't leave her." Marian protested.
"You weren't in the castle when she cried her nanny had to take care of her." Alexandra frowned, "Where might her mother have been?"
"I went for a ride to clear my head, now hand me my daughter." She felt anger building up inside of her something about Alexandra wasn't right she wanted the woman away from the baby.
"I don't listen to you." Alexandra's voice purred as she turned away and went back in the playroom. "You are lucky the king needs you." She placed the baby in the crib knowing Marian was following behind her. She could sense the power building within Marian and knew it best not to provoke her.
Once the child was down Marian rushed over and picked up her baby. "You stay away!" Marian yelled, "I don't want you near my children anymore."
"You don't tell me what to do!" Alexandra hated Marian hated the fact the king needed another woman that wasn't herself.
"What is going on in here?" The king entered the room anger in both his eyes and voice.
Marian didn't back down it seemed Alexandra had lit a fire within her. "I don't want that witch near my children!" She didn't even realize she was telling at her husband.
Alexandra smiled the king hated being yelled at Marian was in for it now, she enjoyed watching her get in trouble which was often Marian just didn't understand how things were run.
"I-" The king started, but Marian cut him off.
"No!" she shook her head, "She will not come near my children and that is final she will obey my word my dear husband because I promise you when a mother doesn't believe her children are safe she will stop at nothing to protect them."
Alexandra knew Marian was going to be punished she had to be the king would never allow anyone to speak to him this way.
"You dare raise your voice at me?" The king asked.
'Here it is' Alexandra thought Marian was in for trouble now.
"You are my husband father to our daughter and adopted father to our adopted daughter." She didn't back down. "And as the father you must listen to a mother when she says the children aren't safe then she means it."
The King wanted to yell at his wife for telling him what to do, but the moment he looked into her eyes he knew he couldn't. He saw the look of defiance and knew he should want to push that out of her, that he should want to crush her spirit, but he knew deep down she would keep on fighting until those she found important were safe. While he saw no harm in Alexandra something seemed to upset Marian he shook his head then turned to his advisor, "Leave the children be and do as Marian says she is my queen after all she still holds a higher rank then you."
"What?" She couldn't believe it, she was getting in trouble, "She can't-"
"Do as I say Alexandra." The king yelled. Why did Marian's spirit make him want to listen to her? Why did he want to obey her? He turned to Marian, "Don't let me catch you causing a problem again." His voice wasn't angry with her, just stern. He was upset that she had been gone so long, worried she could be betraying him, but when he looked into her eyes something seemed to familiar. Why? Why did he want to listen to her? As he walked from the room he saw an image in his of a woman all in white her beautiful smile her hair blowing in the wind. He glanced back at Marian and frowned, she wasn't the woman he saw in his mind. Thinking back she wasn't the woman he saw in his dreams either.
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Much carefully looked through the apples that Kahlan had gathered he wanted to make sure he got a good one. He picked up each apple and inspected it until he found just the right one. He smirked and tossed it up a little, but before he could catch it an arrow flew by and pinned it to a tree. Allen who had been sitting by the tree glanced up at the arrow and apple and looked up as he pulled it out of the tree, "Thanks." He took the arrow out of the apple and took a bite, "Good apple." He walked away a smile on his face. Much frowned and turned to see Robin laughing,
"Every time!" Much shook his head, "You know I like good apples!"
"Hey it was such an easy target I couldn't resist." Robin still had his boyish grin on his face. Much wanted to be mad, but he couldn't he was happy to see the old Robin back. While he wasn't always his old self there were a few moments like this one he let go and had fun. Moments that reminded him of the man he once followed.
"What ever you say master."
"You don't have to call me that." Robin said sitting down next to Much as he inspected his bow.
"I know." Much responded, "Old habits die hard."
"You know if they had a bow or truth along with Arrows of truth I think I would have less arguments with my wife." Robin told Much. "No matter how hard I try I don't use that sword the correct way, or her way she's always on my case about it."
"She just wants to make sure you train up as the seeker and not just Robin Hood." Much defended Kahlan.
"I know I know." Robin shook his head, "But I don't know if I can do this final battle."
"What do you mean? You have fought in battles much worse." Much paused, "I think." He thought for a moment, "You've pulled yourself out of no win scenarios I don't see how this one will be any different."
"Because is this battle I'm the seeker." Robin told him, "But I'm not Kahlan and Zed are trying to push all this on me."
"Just try and listen to them." Much defended the two now, "Maybe they know what's best maybe they can really help."
"That girl." Robin said changing the subject.
"What girl?" He hated when Robin did this, decided he didn't want to talk on about a conversation so he just changed it.
"The one that was here yesterday." Robin smiled, "I haven't been able to get her eyes out of my mind."
"You are married Robin." Much whispered, "What if she hears you talking about this?"
"No" Robin shook his head, "Much I'm not saying I love the girl or anything it's just her eyes they were so familiar they reminded me of something."
"Of what?"
"Of who I used to be." Robin smiled, "I thought about it all night, I dreamed of those eyes they reminded me of Marian."
"I have no idea where you are even leading this conversation." Much responded.
"It just got me thinking I'm never going to win this battle as the seeker." He placed his bow down.
"Robin don't give up now." Much pleaded, "We've come so far, what about your daughter."
Robin frowned, "Why would you think I'm giving up?" he paused, "I won't stop until my daughter is safe I will cut down anyone who stands before me and her."
"Alright you really have lost me then Robin you aren't making any sense, or I'm just to hungry to follow you since you gave my apple to Allen." Much usually could follow Robin's thought process well, but maybe it was all the time they had been apart or something else Robin confused him more then ever.
"Much what I'm saying is believing in magic to win this battle and ancient prophecy's and all that won't get my daughter back and won't help this land I can't be someone I'm not." Robin glanced at the pile of apples then back at Much.
"I'm still lost." Much answered.
"I'm going to find my daughter and defeat this king the same way I did the sheriff and prince John's men." Robin smiled, "As Robin Hood."
"That is a horrible idea!" Kahlan's voice said behind him causing Robin to roll his eyes.
"Kahlan I am good with a sword, but I am better with a bow!" Robin argued, "Why can't you see that?"
"You under estimate this land!" she hated having this argument every day it seemed no matter how hard she tried he would never understand.
"I don't under estimate anything!" Robin stood up picking up his bow.
"Come back and train with Zed he will show you how to use magic how to fight like the seeker if you keep resisting it you will fail!"
"I won't fail." Robin said, but gave in to her he knew he wouldn't win the argument and followed Kahlan it was no use fighting her. No matter what he said she wouldn't see his way she was convinced the seeker would save this land and save their daughter. No matter what Zed said no matter what Kahlan said deep down Robin knew he was no seeker. He didn't feel how the sword was special he didn't understand the magic. When Zed made fruit invisible he could close his eyes and hit everyone with his bow and arrow and most of them if they made him his the sword. He never felt the power of Seekers in the past; he just didn't see the point in trying.
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He turned over with a loud sigh, he couldn't sleep he couldn't shut his mind off. He glanced at Marian who lay asleep watching her sleep he could find some peace. Yet as he watched her he couldn't help but frown, something about her when she slept was different. She didn't look afraid or confused she didn't seem like she was hiding. He lay in bed next to his wife and knew they were strangers he never really thought about her before, but her outburst today seemed to be imprinted on his mind. Where had Alexandra found her? Why did Alexandra have to use so much magic to hide her past from her? Shouldn't it be easy wiping someone's mind and placing new memories? Why did Alexandra think she would remember her past if something were to seem familiar to her? Thinking back to earlier it hadn't seemed Marian was out of her element demanding, controlling. Why had he stepped back and allowed it.
"I'm here I'm right here come back to me" He sat up in bed, whose voice was that? IT continued to echo thought his mind "It's me don't listen to what she use telling remember all the things we been through think of me I'm right here I need you I need you here with me that night in the forest I never wanted that kiss to end I love you." The king shook his head, was her hearing things?
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"You should be happy." Zed told her sitting down next to the fire, "Your husband is doing well in his training."
"But he has it in his mind he knows best." Kahlan said shaking her head, "He doesn't understand this land and the dark magic in it."
"Maybe it's you who doesn't understand." Zed responded earning a glare from Kahlan.
"Don't understand? Zed I've been here before by the seeker's side going off to battle what is it I don't understand he is the one knew to all this?"
"I was there to Kahlan and if I remember it correctly you never thought Richard was making the right choices either." Zed smiled, "And he still defeated Lord Rahl and the keeper."
"That was different." Kahlan responded looking away.
"How so?" Zed smiled and stood up, "Just apologies Kahlan and trust it will all work out."
Kahlan shook her head, but thought perhaps he was right. She shouldn't pick fights with her husband not now so close to the final battle. Maybe she didn't agree with him, but that didn't mean they had to fight. Right? She stood and walked over to Robin who was lying on his back looking up at the stars, "I'm sorry." She said as she lay down next to him using his chest as her pillow, "I shouldn't be yelling at you all the time."
"It's alright." Robin said moving his arm to wrap around her, "Zed explained it all to me."
"What?"
"He told me how you get like this your strong will and all, you want to hope but in the past your hope was taken from you when Richard was, Kahlan I know the feeling." He paused, "I doubted my self too I still do at times I think to myself if I couldn't protect Marian how can I save a whole land that's why I've quiet being Robin Hood twice now."
"What keeps you coming back?"
"The first time I saw my people in pain, my men were captured and would die without me, I couldn't let that happen and I fought for them, the second time my daughter was taken and I realized hiding out from who I am won't change anything my past will always be who I am and I should stop running from it."
"Wise words." She said softly.
"I will get her back Kahlan I won't fail this time."
"How can you be so sure?" she asked.
"Every time in the past I've figured it out I've given up all because I lost sight of who I was fighting for Marian's loss just broke me, but I won't stop fighting for Arianna she is what drives me now, if I give up if I fail she will stay with that witch and I just refuse to let that happen." Robin's voice sounded strong, Kahlan only wished she had as much faith as he did. "I wish you knew me before."
"What do you mean?"
"I wish you knew me back when I was really Robin Hood back before I became broken maybe then you would see me though different eyes." He sighed, "Like Much, Will and the rest."
"The way they refuse to give up on you?" Kahlan asked.
"Yes no matter what I do or where I go their faith in me never changes even when I doubt myself they never doubt me." He held his wife as he spoke, "That has to mean something right?"
Kahlan had never thought of that before, but now her mind pushed the idea around. Why did these people trust him so much when he had failed them? Their land was full of problems and injustice because he walked away. Why did they still follow him and do as he said? Especially Much. Why did Much trust every word Robin said, why did he blindly follow him anywhere? All the people at camp would fight anyone Robin told them too with faith that he knew what was best. How had he convinced so many to be so loyal? So faithful?
"If you don't trust me and you don't have your own faith maybe trust theirs." Robin kissed the top of her head, "put your mind and ease Kahlan I'm going to give you our daughter back if it's the last thing I do."
Kahlan closed her eyes upon hearing his words she told herself to believe in her husband she only hoped she truly could.
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AN- I know long break, but I promise the more reviews I get the more inspired I am to write more. This chapter got inspired because I was watching an episode of Legend of the seeker on Netflix. This story only has maybe four or five more chapters left.