Ch8 Meeting

I tried to breathe evenly, but the panic in my chest pushed out tight short breaths. My mind wandered aimlessly and played over the terrible things I imagined would happen once I was Raul's wife. No one told me anything but I knew that they were leading me to Lord Raul's chambers. Balling my hands into fists at my sides, I began to concentrate on ridding my face of all emotion and hid them behind the safe locked doors of a confessor's heart where no one, not even Darken Raul, could find them.

I began to take notice of where we were going and carefully tucked away any details that I could remember into my memory for safe keeping. There were countless hallways and they all seemed to blend together and look the same. Sometimes we would pass through large chambers that were empty to cross over to another hallway. Stairs led down until I thought we were underground and then would unexpectedly go up again. At one point we crossed over an outdoor walkway that had notches in the walls for archers to watch through. If I even got the chance to escape, I would never be able to find my way out of this marble prison.

When we reached the top of yet another set of stairs we came to an open pair of double doors. As I came to the top I noticed a man with his back turned gazing out a window on the far left side of the room. My stomach dropped like an anvil when I realized that it was Darken Raul.

It was quiet in his chambers and it made our soft footsteps meet the plush carpet with a padded sound that echoed around the room. I took a deep breath as he turned around with an unsettling smile on his face. As he walked towards us, he made a wave of his hand to dismiss the women and other staff closing the doors behind them and I felt like I was in a prison.

He said nothing at first. His sharp blue eyes took in every inch of me as he walked around to inspect me like a prize in the market. A soft fingertip caressed my shoulder as he made his way to the front again and I shuddered with fear. The sound of my heartbeat against my ears was deafening and made the movements of his long robes sound muffled. He kept smiling and stood toe to toe before me, licking his disgusting fingertips and giving a contented hum as his eyes roamed my figure once more.

"My, my, the mother confessor in my chambers all to myself" he leaned his face closer to me and I could feel his rancid breath on my face but I did not flinch "what fun I'm going to have with you." He reached out and ran a spit soaked finger down my chest between my breasts as he smiled wider. "But it would be a pity without the seeker here to join our little party, don't you think?"

"Leave him out of this, Raul" I hissed, drawing strength from my anger. "Richard won't follow me; I can assure you of that."

He gave a mocking look of shock "And why not? His greatest love is in the hands of his greatest enemy, what better way to get him to come to me?"

When I didn't answer, he laughed in my face "What's the matter Confessor" he spat my title at me "does Richard not want you now that he knows what your powers could do to him?" I continued to glare back with my confessors face even as his words cut my like a knife. "Don't try to play naïve with me, Denna told me how she so kindly informed the ignorant Seeker about his love's little secret."

"What do you want, Raul?" I snapped. I was growing tired of his games.

"Hmmm…" he said as he glanced behind us at the bed. "I could think of a few things." Grinning wickedly he pulled me tight against him, running both hands down my back and grabbed my behind. I cringed as he kissed me on the neck racking his teeth painfully over my shoulder before letting me go.

Searching my face for any signs of disgust he sighed "you know, I am an honorable man and will marry you before I bed you." He said this tauntingly as he began to walk around the room. He grabbed two silver goblets from a nearby table and poured some wine and offered me a glass. "Wine, Confessor?"

I stood frozen as he watched me over the top of his glass, drinking the wine that he allowed to spill down his chin. He flung the cup to the floor then and grabbed my glass, emptying that one too and slammed it to the floor following the other. He grabbed me by the wrists and whirled me around, pushing me until we came to his bed. He pinned me down with my arms above me with one hand and with the other he fondled my breasts while he laughed. He put more weight on me as he began to pull up my dress rubbing his hand along the inside of my thigh. When he touched my femininity I bit back a sob but could not stop my tears. "Are you thinking of Richard right now, sweet Kahlan" he mocked as he forced three fingers inside me.

But I didn't get to answer as he bent down and captured my lips in a painful, biting kiss. My mind reeled and I tried to separate myself but I could still feel Raul's rough fingers where no one but Richard should have been. The tears kept coming until he tired of me yanking me up by my hair and tossing me to the floor.

.

I saw blood staining his fingers that had touched me and he used his tongue to wipe them clean. "I'm through with you for now, confessor." He said smiling. "There will be much more to come in our future together. I will enjoy having you as my wife" and with that he left the room, throwing open the doors loudly and calling for his servants.

"Get the Mother Confessor whore out of my chambers. I'll send for her again when I need her. Move, all of you now!" he shouted as I picked myself off the floor, smoothing my dress and hair. It didn't matter, really, nothing did. My heart broke for Richard and all I wanted was him.

The women led me back to my chambers and locked me in alone. I lay on the bed and rolled onto my side and wept, my whole body shacking with sobs. I wanted Richard to come for me, but not at the cost of his life. But I was even more afraid that he didn't want to come for me. I cried and cried until a fitful sleep overtook me.