Here's the new chapter. Is anyone still reading this? Come and say hi!
It was too much. Kahlan was sitting in a chair in her room for hours now. She was restless. How could she sleep anyway? Richard was still outside the palace, refusing to get inside or to eat. The sun had been down for hours, it was probably freezing cold outside. She couldn't see him from her window anymore, it was too dark. She had ordered guards and maids to check on him as often as possible and to let her know every time they did. Every time, they told her that the Seeker asked them to leave him alone and that he was waiting for Zedd and Cara. They also told her that he had a green blanket around his shoulders but he was shivering from the cold. The thought of him wrapped in her blanket made her smile but the smile rapidly vanished from her face.
She had to go see him, tell him to get inside and get warm. There was a room ready for him with a fire and he could drink hot tea. The problem was that she couldn't see him again. When they were in the woods, they had promised each other that once they've said their goodbyes, they couldn't see each other again. Knowing that Richard would have to wait for Zedd and Cara to reach up to him in Aydindrill, they've decided that saying goodbye once was hard enough and that they wouldn't do it twice. They had to add to that, the fact that Richard's couldn't be allowed in the Mother Confessor quarters at night if he wasn't her mate.
It was all Richard's fault, if he wasn't so stubborn by wanting to stay outside in the dark and the cold, she wouldn't have to get to him and convince him to get inside. She knew she was lying to herself, she didn't have to see him, she needed to see him. Her body, heart and mind were aching for him.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes." She said, allowing the visitor to come in.
"Mother Confessor." Said Sylvia while bowing in front of Kahlan.
"I'm afraid the Seeker won't change his mind." She added.
Kahlan sighed and rubbed her temples, her headache was killing her.
Coming closer, Sylvia said in a soft tone: "Kahlan, my dear, you have to go see him, he's going to catch a terrible cold."
"And maybe once he'll be safe inside, you'll be able to get some rest." The maid continued as Kahlan didn't respond.
"Will you get me a coat, please?" Kahlan asked.
Sylvia smiled and said: "Of course, Mother Confessor."
When Kahlan got to Richard, he was hugging his knees against his chest and resting his head on his knees. When he heard her footsteps, he knew it was her, but he didn't move to look at her. His eyes were closed and his body trembling.
She sat next to him and ran her warm hand on the back of his neck, running her fingers in his hair from time to time.
"Richard..." Kahlan trailed off with a sigh.
"I'm waiting for Zedd and Cara." He said, repeating what he had said to the guards and the maids over and over.
"Why don't you wait for them inside? We have a room for you." She said.
"If I get in, I'll try to see you and we said that once we've said goodbye, it'll be over." He explained. "You shouldn't even be here." He added.
"I know..." Kahlan replied, remembering that she was breaking their promise. Maybe he didn't want to see her after all. He didn't even look at her. Maybe he hated her already.
"I'm sorry." She said, backing away from him. "I shouldn't have come, I have no rights. I just... I couldn't rest knowing that you were here." She explained.
Without saying anything, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. Kahlan sighed in relief, he wasn't mad at her for being here. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, pushing her body against his in attempt to give him some warmth.
"Let's get you inside. I'm not going to let you freeze to death." She whispered to him in the ear.
As he didn't move, she got up and grabbed his arm, trying to push him up.
"Come on, Richard." She said.
He finally got up, grabbing his bag pack, he followed her inside.
"Lead us to the room that had been readied for the Seeker." Kahlan ordered to a guard.
"Yes, Mother Confessor." He replied.
When they entered the room, Richard sat on the bed. He looked exhausted and terribly sad. Kahlan knew that she shouldn't stay in the room for too long. As much as she wanted to get close to him, she knew none of them could handle another heartbreaking goodbye.
"Try to get some rest. Tomorrow breakfast will be brought to your room, I want you to eat. You promised me to stay safe, start by taking care of yourself." She said, a bit more coldly than she intended to.
She walked close to him and kissed his forehead, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her stomach.
The realization of what he just did hit him and he let her go.
"I'm sorry." He muttered. "Goodnight Kahlan."
"Goodnight Richard." She told him before leaving the room.
When she closed the door of Richard's room behind her, Kahlan rested her forehead against it and sighed.
"I love you." She whispered.
"Mother Confessor." Kahlan jumped when she heard Sylvia's voice.
She cleared her throat and said: "Yes Sylvia?"
"Hot tea had been brought to your room. It will help you relax and get some sleep." The maid told her.
"Thank you. You should get some sleep too, it's already really late." She said.
"Goodnight, Mother Confessor." Sylvia said with a small nod.
Kahlan nodded in return and walked back to her room, hot tea would be a good idea, but she wasn't sure she would be able to sleep.
Taking off her coat, she threw it on a chair before stripping off of her clothes to wear her new favorite outfit: Richard's shirt.
She poured some tea in the cup and drank it slowly. She wondered what Richard was doing. Maybe he was drinking tea too, or already sleeping. Was he thinking about her as much as she was thinking about him? She was feeling sleepy suddenly and her headache was almost gone. What was in this tea? She sighed, put her cup back on the tray and went to bed, thinking about Richard, and how, if things were different, he could share this bed with her.
In Richard's room, Sylvia knocked on the door and came in.
"Seeker." She said, bowing in front of him.
"You can call me Richard." He said, starring at the fireplace.
"Do you need anything, Richard?" The maid asked.
"She has nightmares." He said abruptly, not taking his eyes away from the fire. "Will you make sure that she is alright?" He asked, finally looking up at the woman in the room.
"I gave her a strong tea that will help her to get some rest. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do against the nightmares." She said.
Richard nodded and asked: "How long have you known her?"
He wasn't in the mood for conversation, but he needed to know that people here were good and that they loved Kahlan, that they would keep her safe.
"I was here the day she was born." Sylvia simply said.
Suddenly, he wanted to know more about Kahlan back when she was just a little girl. They never really talked about her childhood, well, it was never about the happy times anyway.
"I took take of her and Dennee when they were in the palace." She added.
"It's good to know that she has someone that she knows here." He told her.
"It's good to know that someone took care of her when she was away." Sylvia replied with a smile.
"She's dying to take a hot bath with lavender and candles." Richard said.
"Well, I'll arrange that for tomorrow." Sylvia said.
"Also, she got hurt in a fight a couple of days ago, could you send a healer to make sure she fully recovered?" He asked.
"Is there anything else?" The maid asked.
"Tell her that I lo-..." He started but stopped. Sylvia waited for him to finish his sentence.
"Just let her know that I'm grateful for the Mother Confessor to let me stay here." He said.
Sylvia nodded and told him good night before leaving the room.
Richard lied on the bed on his back, fixing the ceiling. He was wondering what Kahlan was doing. She was probably sleeping, Sylvia said the tea would help her rest. He just hoped she wouldn't have nightmares. He hated the fact that she would wake up alone and scared with no one to tell her that it was just a bad dream. He hated that he couldn't be with her and hold her. He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes. He was tired but he couldn't manage to close his eyes and sleep. Sighing again, he decided to get up, visiting the palace seemed to him to be a better idea than to stay in his room. He could check on the Palace's defense, make sure that Kahlan would be safe.
Getting out of the room, he found Sylvia in the hallway.
"It didn't take you too long to get out of this room Richard." She said with a smile.
"I just thought I could take a tour of the palace before sleeping." Richard explained.
"It's quite late to be taking a tour." Sylvia said.
"I don't think that I'm going to be able to sleep." He said with a shrug.
"Well, I suggest you follow me in that case." The maid told him.