"There you two are." Zedd said as they walked towards him. "I was just about to come after you."

Taking her daughter from the wizard's arms, Kahlan pulled her close, hugging her tightly as she took strands of her hair into her tiny hands. Lowering his head Richard put his head in front of his daughters, bringing out a wide smile and squeal.

"Hi!" He said softly, letting her grab onto his finger.

Turning towards him, Kahlan smiled. "You should take her. You haven't been able to hold her in so long."

Taking Emma into his arms, he pressed his lips to the side of her face, kissing her gently. "I missed you." She reached up, grabbing his bottom lip tightly and pulling in towards her. "I shink shhe issed e too." He said looking over to Kahlan, whose smile covered her face as she tried not to laugh as his lip flapped back to him and their daughter reached for his nose.

"We're here to meet the council; Cara said that you were with them." She said through laughs as she watched Richard take his daughter's hand and pull it from his eye.

"Yes, they're in the Meeting Hall. I was just heading to the kitchen." She smiled knowingly, nodding her head as she looked over to her husband and back to him. "I asked them to make some spice soup."

"Kahlan," Looking back to Richard she covered her mouth with her hand, blocking the wide smile on her face at the sight. Emma pulled at his hair with one hand, while pushed his shirt onto her mouth with the other as she pushed her legs against his chest. "She may be hungry."

Pulling her daughter into her arms, Kahlan smiled widely as she began to walk away. Laying his thin hand on his grandson's shoulder, to keep him from leaving after his wife, Zedd grinned. "I believe she can handle this alone. The council is expecting you to tell them what happened."

"Alright."

Standing in the doorway, Kahlan listened as Richard told the council everything that had happened to them since they left the palace in search of an army that was suspected to be rising against them. The Head of the Council, Hannah, stared down at in annoyed with his words.

"There was nothing. No tracks or left over fires. Nothing to suggest that there was anyone around for weeks."

"Maybe they moved on and are on their way here as we speak. What is it you plan to do?" The woman's cold voice echoed though the room as she leaned forward, resting her hands on the long table the council was sitting at.

Releasing a sigh, Richard pushed his fingers into his thick hair. "There is no reason to believe they are.

"But if they are."

"If they are coming, I will do everything I can to keep my family safe."

"Are you confident that you can do what is nessicary?"

"Yes."

A wicked smile crossed Hannah's face. "Very well, now we must discuss your daughter." He shook his head, confused by the woman's words. "Did you not think that we would speak to you about the conclusion of our tests?"

She could feel the rage burning off of her husband as she stepped beside him, their daughter sleeping in her arms. From the look on the Head of the Council's face, she was going to say something about their child that neither would like.

"You have finished?" He asked.

Nodding, the blonde woman straightened her back. "We have and the decision we have made was unanimous."

Kahlan's body stiffened as she stepped forward, closer to the long table. "Unanimous by whom?" She counted quickly, the hands than were raised, marking each one in her mind. Nine out of the thirteen were against them.

"As I was saying. The decision has been made. Your daughter, as both Confessor and Wizard will have her magic removed."

She grabbed Richard's arm, pulling him back to her as he stared towards the council. "What is your reason?"

"It is simple." The woman answered slowly. "Your child will be powerful and we may be unable to control her. Since there is no way to pull the Wizard magic from the magic of the Confessor, it is clear that it must all be taken away."

"Why?" Richard breathed out softly, his words barely making it the council. "What makes you think you will need to be controlled?"

"Someone with that much power must be controlled. A Confessor, no matter how small their magic, must be controlled and a Wizard," she let out a small laugh at her need to answer his question. "A Wizard with that much power, will with no doubt turn into the next Darken Rahl and we will not allow it."

He felt Kahlan's nails dig into his arm as she stared up at the woman. "There is a flaw in your decision." She said coldly. "Any child of ours will have both Wizard and Confessor magic. If you take the magic, the line of Confessors will be destroyed."

"You are able to change the outcome of your children."

"I will not take a mate."

"Then the line of Confessors will perish with you and your sister."

With a loud sigh, Richard threw his arms into the air. "This doesn't make any since! If the line of Confessor's dies, who will rule the midlands?"

"We would."

"You would like that wouldn't you? All the power in your hands."

The wicked smile once again crossed the woman's face as she leaned forward. "Your wife has the opportunity to continue the line, but as you heard, she has refused."

Shaking his head, Richard ran his fingers through his hair. "No, she said she would not take a mate." He corrected the woman as he forced down his anger at them for bringing up the issue. "She said nothing about refusing to continue the line of Confessors." He looked to her, wondering why she had not said anything.

"They've made their decision, Richard."

He turned his body away from the council, stepping closer to her as he spoke softly. "This doesn't bother you?"

Nodding, Kahlan gave him a small smile. "Of course it bothers me, but" She said softly, turning slightly to face him. "My sister can continue the line of Confessors, Richard. They say that our children cannot have magic, but that doesn't mean that we can't have children and continue our family."

"Kahlan, it's wrong." He whispered.

"I know, but if they don't do this Richard, they will kill her. They will kill any child we have."

Staring at her, he searched his mind desperately trying to find something to say, to change the minds of the council and that of his wife. He didn't understand why she was alright with the thought of them having to change their children. Turning back to the council, he sighed. "If we refuse, what then?"

"Richard-" Kahlan started, hoping that the council would not answer him.

"Your child will be killed, followed by the separation of you both to ensure that another child could not be produced. The Mother Confessor would be imprisoned and you sent out with the other prisoners to work."

He stepped back, away from them, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't understand you people. You want a strong wizard and a strong confessor, but have them together and you run scared! What gives you the right to-"

"Richard, stop." Looking at her, he sighed. "They've made up their minds." Turning to the council, she clutched their daughter tightly in her arms. "When will it be done?"

"You have one week until the quillion arrives."

The silence drove her mad as they walked back to their room. It had never seen so far before. Richard had only spoken once since they left the council and it was to hold their daughter. The entire walk back, he had only stared down at her in heartbreak. The look in his eyes kept her from speaking, her mind then trying to think of a way for him to forgive her. The sound of their feet upon the marble floor echoed in her ears, making their walk seem even longer.

"Say something please." She whispered at last, coming to a stop at the turn of the hall. They were feet from their room, but she couldn't wait any longer.

Turning around to face her, Richard took in a deep breath, using the moment to calm himself before speaking. "I don't understand why you just stood there. Not once did you-"

Rushing towards him, she pushed her hands against his shoulders, moving him backwards towards their room. "Do you think that I didn't want to?" She said softly, in aggravation. "It doesn't matter what I said. They have made their decision. If I had stood against them, that many of them, Richard taking her magic away would be nothing."

"What-"

Closing the door, Kahlan turned to him, watching as he walked across the room. "Richard if we disagreed with them, we could have lost everything. We would never be allowed to spend a moment together; I would have to take a mate- many mates, just to prove my loyalty to the people over myself. You, Richard you would spend the rest of your life in the prison with Nicci." Walking towards him, she laid a hand on each arm, looked down at their daughter, now lying in the small bassinet by the window across from their bed and then back to him. "How could you expect me to do something to jeopardize what we have after what we talked about this morning?"

He stared at her, ashamed of himself for being angry with her. "Kahlan, I'm sorry. I- When I heard them say it, I- Kahlan, it's wrong."

"I know." She said softly, dropping her arms to her side and stepping back. "It's as though they are taking away a part of her, of us. We have a week to change their minds."

"What?"

A small smile crossed her lips as she looked at him. "You didn't think I wasn't going to try did you?"

He tilted his head, "I- I thought that you- Kahlan, you just said that if they don't her magic-"

"If it's their idea, they won't kill her or take you away from me."

Instantly he pulled her to him, crashing his lips passionately against hers as he stepped them closer to the bed. Their lust for each other fueling their bodies as they pulled frantically at their clothes, desperately trying to remove the objects that separated them. His hands fumbled at the lacing of her dress, his mind only able to focus on the feel of her lips against his. She pushed his pants to the ground, surprising him that she had moved so quickly. He tried to kick off his boots, but his pants had fallen around them. Stepping back, she untied her dress as Richard pulled off his shoes and pants.

"You believe it will work?"

"Yes." Kahlan said quickly. "No." She added after a moment.

The blonde woman smiled and inched closer to the bars that separated her and The Mother Confessor. "Your child, it is for certain she has magic?"

"They think so, but she hasn't shown any sign of having Wizard's magic."

"And the tests?" Nicci questioned.

Kahlan shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulders. "I don't know. The ones I was able to observe, were unlike anything I have ever seen before and they didn't appear to be worried."

"Until Richard returned."

"Yes."

A smile crossed the woman's face as she reached out and grabbed hold of the bars before her. "The magic your child may have, they believe it to be more dangerous than that of your husband?" The laugh that escaped surprised her. "If that is what they believe, they are more ignorant than I would have expected. The magic Richard holds cannot be measured. He too, has your magic within him. That is the reason you daughter has not yet confessed him."

"I know." Kahlan said softly, "That's why I am here. The magic Richard has, that you had, was stronger than Darken Rahl?"

"Yes. Is that your plan? To have them see how dangerous he is?"

Kahlan came closer, lowering her voice to be sure that no one else would hear her. "If they realize that what they fear our daughter to have is already around them, they would have to reconsider. Richard has more power than they can imagine and they don't see him as a threat."

"That is because of you. They think that when you confessed him, something captured him. If he was to go after anyone, you would say one word against it and he would stop."

"It's not because I confessed him."

"If it is or isn't, is not the question. They believe you have control over him; he is no threat when he is ruled by you. Your daughter would be no different. Richard can change the outcome of their decision."

"How?"

"Were you not listening? His magic is stronger than anyone before, more powerful than any who will be born, he can take the wizard's magic from your daughter, if it exists."

Kahlan shook her head confused by the woman's words. "That doesn't make any sense. How can he take it from her?"

"She gave give it to him. Richard gave me his Han, willingly. The child will not be able to hold onto the magic."

Giving her a warm smile, Kahlan felt as though she could hug the woman, but instead gave her a small nod. "Thank you."

"You want me to let Nicci take the magic from our daughter?" Richard half shouted, suddenly glad that they were outside.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Of course we do. She talked you into-"

"She didn't. It was her idea that you take it from Emma. She never once mentioned us giving it to her."

He sighed, confused and angry. "I don't understand. Kahlan, why would you want to give Nicci magic?"

"Because it was a part of her too." She whispered softly. "Richard, aren't you the one who says that we should give people a chance? I don't believe we have anything to fear from her. She can help us." A smile touched her lips. "Richard, if this works, we don't have to fear for our children."

He shook his head. "No. Kahlan, you can change this without giving magic to Nicci and definitely without taking away our daughter's magic. Kahlan, I know that a part of you doesn't want your child to have magic and I understand that, I do, but-"

"You don't." She whispered. "You didn't grow up with a magic that made people afraid of you. Yes, a part of me wishes that our children could be normal, or that I could give you a son, but I can't, because no matter how I think it will be, I- Richard, I think where I would be if I didn't have my magic. Everything would be different and I know that I wouldn't be happy. I don't want them to have their magic taken away from them and this is the only way I can see that will not end in sadness."

"You're right, but I think that you should speak to the council. If you can convince them that Emma is not a threat-"

Shaking her head, she stepped backwards, away from him. "If I do that, I'm afraid I'm going to tell them how dangerous you are."

"Me?" He breathed out softly, his mind barely able to accept the words had left her lips. "I would never-"

"You don't see it? Richard, you are exactly what the council fears our children will be."

Stepping to her, he sighed. "Tell them. If they don't fear me, then our child should be-"

"I won't do that. I won't give them another reason to want to take you from me."

"But you will speak to them? Kahlan, I will not take her magic unless it has been proven to be the last answer."

"Alright. I see them before dinner, but only if you answer something now." He nodded, staring at her as though he thought her question would present itself on her face. "Why do you not trust Nicci? And please don't say it's because of what she did in the dungeon."

"Because of something she said to you. It was not only the near death of you that destroyed my thoughts of forgiveness in her; it was what she said moments before."

"What she said about you? How I should question why it was so easy for Darken Rahl to get to me?"

"Yes."

She barely heard him speak the word, his mind still replaying that moment. "I asked her about it. After you brought her back and my memories began returning. Richard, she wanted me to think that you had somehow helped Darken Rahl capture me because she was afraid to look weak. He had taken her first and for weeks done what was done to me and more. She wanted me to feel the pain that she felt. She-"

"She made you doubt me."

"No!" Closing the distance between them, Kahlan laid her hand on his chest, feeling his heart pound beneath her fingers. "I never once, for one second, doubted you. Not even when I didn't know who you were. You are my constant. Nothing anyone can say will change that, because I know you." Her hands slid down his chest, bringing him closer. "Because I love you."

Laying his hand against her cheek, he brushed his thumb over her skin, a smile coming slowly to his lips. "I'm sorry Kahlan."

His smile grew wide, matching the one that crossed her face. "You are forgiven. We should go back, someone will be sent after us if we're not back soon. The council will think that we've run off."

"Don't tempt me." He smiled, pulling her to him as they walked back through the garden. "I like the idea of running away with my wife and daughter. Free to spend every waking moment with you in my arms."

"That does sound nice." Giving him a sideways glance, Kahlan smiled widely. "We have been meaning to go see Chase and Emma. We can take the slow trails."