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Enjoy the new chapter!
"I demand a merciful death." Said Prince Timothy Travis as he fell on his knees in front of the Mother Confessor.
Kahlan looked at him, she didn't expect such a request but her anger towards him made her consider his demand.
"I'd rather die at your hands than go back to Tractan and be tortured." Tim added, looking down at the floor.
"Or you could be tortured here…" Cara said, playing with her agiel.
So far, Richard had remained silent, just like the Head of the Council, Herbert Phinelas both standing at each side of the Mother Confessor.
"I failed my people, they were hopeful that war will stop if Tractan became a part of the Midlands, now war will get stronger and a lot of them will die. I tried to kill the Seeker because I was afraid to fail and now I must pay the consequences of my actions." Tim added.
"You will be executed tomorrow at sun down." Kahlan said coldly before turning and walking away from Travis' cell.
"Kahlan…" Richard called out to her.
"Mother Confessor, may I have a word, please?" Herbert asked, following her.
Kahlan kept walking silently until she reached her office where everyone followed her in.
"Mother Confessor…" Herbert started. "We are not in position to conduct an open war against Tractan when our forces are already dealing with Banelings."
Kahlan sat at her desk and started to work, going through different papers. She didn't care what he could said, Tim had hurt Richard, he deserved to die.
"I don't know what kind of issues the Seeker and Prince Travis had but you should still consider taking him as a mate, for the Midlands' sake." Herbert added.
Hearing the word mate made Kahlan look up at Herbert and she stated: "My decision is final. You may go now."
"Mother Confessor, as head of the Council, I suggest you to consider this situation clearly, it seems like your emotions are clouding your judgment…" He tried but Kahlan stood up and said: "I am the Mother Confessor and my decision is final."
"Very well Mother Confessor." Herbert said looking down and quickly exiting the office.
"Kahlan…" Richard said softly.
"Are you going to lecture me on my choice too?" She asked abruptly.
Richard sighed and said: "You are starting a war Kahlan…"
"Isn't it what you want? Don't you hate him?" She asked.
"I do hate him but the last thing the Midlands need is a war." He replied, running a hand through his hair.
"Since when do you care about the fate of the Midlands?" She asked back. She didn't mean to be so harsh to him but she couldn't help it, she was too angry.
"Since I met you and I understood how much you care about your people." He told her without hesitation.
"I won't take him as a mate, I won't do the same mistake again." She stated, shaking her head in disagreement. She didn't want to hurt Richard again, to hurt herself. She knew she had to choose between her duty and the man she loved and the last events made it clear for her, she was choosing Richard.
"Maybe there is another way, we just need to figure it out." He said.
"I'm giving up Richard. I'm giving all up for us. I'm going with you on your quest, I don't care about mates or about being the last Confessor, I just want to be with you." She explained.
Making his way next to her behind her desk, Richard wrapped his arms around her and said: "No, you do care about those things because it's who you are. The lovely and carrying Kahlan Amnell, Mother Confessor of the Midlands and I wouldn't have you any other way."
He gave her a sweet and long kiss on the lips and looked into her eyes and said: "I love you."
She smiled widely and he chuckled at the expression on her face.
"What?" She asked, still smiling.
"I missed this, seeing you smile like this." He explained, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.
"I missed you telling me that you love me." She said, biting her lower lip as her smiled disappeared.
"What do you mean?" He asked, taken aback, her comment totally surprised him.
"It's nothing, it's okay." She said, trying to get out of his embrace.
"No, it's not, you're not getting away with this Kahlan." He said.
"It's just stupid and crazy…" She told him, adverting his gaze.
"Well, it bothers you, so we are talking about it right now." He said sternly.
Kahlan cleared her throat and said: "Since I woke up… it's… Spirits, I feel so stupid…"
She shook her head, took a breath and added: "Since I woke up, it's the first time you tell me I love you without me saying it first or being angry."
Richard smiled and said: "It's not stupid, it's very cute."
He rested his hand on her cheek and she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth on her face and she said: "I don't want to be cute, I'm the Mother Confessor, I shouldn't be worrying who said I love you first or when and how."
"I love you." He said, kissing her on the forehead.
She smiled but kept her eyes closed, enjoying his kisses. He kissed her on the lips and whispered: "I love you."
Her smiled grew wider and she let out a surprised cry when he lifted her and sat her on her desk.
She opened her eyes to get lost in his and he said: "Now, should I be worried because you didn't say I love you back?"
"Never." She replied and crushed her lips on his, kissing his deeply. She slid her hands under his shirt as she loved to do, enjoying the heat of his body and the curves of his muscles. Their kiss grew deeper as their tongues battled for control and soon his hands were on her neck, descending to her collarbones. She kept hoping that they would travel lower to untie the laces of her dress. She grabbed the side of his shirt to throw it away. She wanted to be able to explore his body freely. But before she had time to remove it, a knock on the door interrupted them.
They pulled apart breathless, resting their forehead against each other and both said: "Zedd."
They laughed and Kahlan moved to sit down on her chair as Richard stood next to her. Somehow she was glad that he had interrupted them, she didn't completely trust herself around Richard with her powers. Even if he told her that he couldn't be confessed, something was bothering her.
"Come in." She said and the door opened to reveal the tall Wizard.
"There you are!" He exclaimed as he entered the room.
"Zedd! How are you feeling?" Richard asked.
"Much better my boy, I can heal the both of you entirely now." Zedd replied with a bright smile. He walked next to Richard and took his wrist in his hands to heal him.
Kahlan stood up and said: "I'm going to leave you two alone."
She walked across the room and left before Zedd had the time to tell her to stay. The old man looked questioningly at Richard.
"She needs time." The Seeker simply told to his grand-father, with a sad expression on his face.
"Doesn't she want me to heal her?" Zedd asked.
"No. She said that the scar is here to remind her of what she did to me." Richard explained.
"She'll get through it my boy, she's a strong one." The Wizard told him.
"I know but everything weight so much on her… I wish I could take it all away and protect her." Richard said.
"With great power come great responsibilities Richard. You and Kahlan are destined to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders but you will always have each other to overcome all the obstacles and finally live a happy life. And who knows, with a little help of a grumpy Mord'Sith and a hungry Wizard this day will come soon enough." Zedd told his grand-son.
"There, you're all set, now go find Kahlan." He added, releasing Richard's wrist.
"Thank you Zedd." Richard said and practically ran through the door to find her.
He had no troubles finding her since all the guards discreetly indicated the path to follow. He silently thanked each of them and finally ended up in the Mother Confessor's room to find Kahlan on a couch in front of the fire place.
He sat next to her and twisted his wrist in front of her and he said: "As good as new."
Kahlan smiled and told him: "I have something for you."
She got up and went to her closet to retrieve a package. Sitting back next to Richard she gave it to him.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You have to open it and find out." She replied with a smile.
Richard tear down the paper wrapped around the gift and found Kahlan's present.
"Night pants?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I thought it would be much more comfortable than sleeping with your pants." She told him with a smile.
"I see it doesn't come with a shirt." He said, looking for a shirt.
"Well, that's because you are not allowed to wear a shirt if you are sleeping next to me." Kahlan explained with playfulness.
"Says who?" Richard asked.
"Says the Mother Confessor." Kahlan replied.
"She seems very wise." He told her before bending over her and kissing her quickly on the lips. He chuckled when he heard her sighed in disappointment. The truth was that he wanted her so much, it was all he could give her because any more contact would lead to making love to her and he didn't want to ruin the surprise he was planning for their first night.
"Just a small kiss?" Kahlan asked.
Richard smiled and said: "Thank you very much, I love my new night pants."
He knew exactly what she meant but he preferred to avoid her comment.
"We should check on your bandage before we go to bed." He tried to change the subject and tried to look away from her.
She shifted toward him and slid her hand through the opening of his shirt and crushed her lips on his. She teased his lower lip with her tongue while she ran her hand on his perfect chest. Richard pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.
"The things you do to me Kahlan Amnell..." He whispered.
"You're right… We should change my bandages and go to bed." She said before getting up. She walked to her private bathroom to get some medical supplies, she watched Richard has he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Could he be able to lie to her? Doubt creped in her mind, she couldn't help but heard her own words again 'I died'. She died. She wanted to believe him so much, that he couldn't be confessed but a small part of her doubted him. What if he had been confessed before she died and didn't remember?
"I wasn't confessed." She jumped hearing his words. So lost in her own thoughts she didn't realized he was standing close to her.
She looked at him and asked: "How do you know I was thinking about that?"
"Last night, in your sleep you kept repeating 'I died' and 'Richard confessed." He explained. "And our make out session were very much more heated before everything happened." He added with a smile.
He gently took her injured arm and started to work on unfolding her bandage and making sure the scar stayed clean.
"I shouldn't doubt you… It's just…" She started.
"It's just that you've been taught all your life that it couldn't be true, that you couldn't be loved like anybody else and I get it, it's why I've been taking things slow between us." He cut her off but not looking at her as he kept working on her bandage.
She nodded and said: "You are more than I ever dared to hope, wish or prayed for. I love you so much. Spirits, I can't even find words to let you know how much I love you."
He smiled from ear to ear and when he released her arm once the bandage was done, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Thank you." She told him before kissing him and resting her head on his shoulder.
He wrapped his arms around her as well and ran a hand in her hair. They stood like this for a long moment until Richard noticed that her hold on him was beginning to weaken.
"You are falling asleep." He whispered to her, kissing the top of her head.
"I know." She mumbled.
"We'd be more comfortable in your bed." He told her.
"You're right." She said reluctantly and with a long sigh.
They pulled apart and Richard gave her a long and sweet kiss.
"Get ready for bed, I'll be waiting for you under the blankets." He told her.
She nodded and smiled as she watched him leave the bathroom. She closed the door behind him and smiled even more thinking how much she loved this man.