Hey! I hope everyone is having or had some happy holidays! What's best to start 2013 with a new chapter?
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They had barely seen each other since he got better. As they decided together, Richard was attending to his duties in the morning, while Kahlan was attending to hers in the afternoon, giving both some time with their daughter. Kahlan would spend all morning with Cassie, reading her about the history of Confessors or just playing together. Cara was always with them from the moment they woke up, following closely Richard's orders to protect them and make sure they were safe. Finally back to being friends, Kahlan often teased Cara about how soft she was becoming when she was around the little girl. The Mord'Sith made the Mother Confessor promise that no one would know about it. Even though the blond rolled her eyes every time Cassie lifted her arms at her to be picked up, she enjoyed that the daughter of her Lord Rahl liked her.
The three girls had their lunches in the kitchens together, often joined by Zedd and his furious appetite. Once their plates were empty, Kahlan used to kiss her daughter on the forehead before leaving her with Zedd and Cara to attend to her duties.
The mighty Lord Rahl, as for him, was always having lunch in his office. It was brought to him by Sylvia, allowing getting more work done during his always busy mornings. Then, Zedd would enter his office with Cassie in his arms indicating that his work was over. The good weather allowed him to spend his afternoons outside with his daughter. She loved water and they enjoyed taking a swim in the small lake of the Palace's garden. All the splashing and laughing lead to her naptime that was taking place under the shadow of a tree. He could watch her sleep for hours. She was beautiful and perfect, just like her mother.
This afternoon was like every other, he was watching his daughter sleep peacefully next to him, when she would wake up and they'll look for birds or squirrels.
Richard sighed when he felt his body tense, looking down on at his chest, he saw his skin turning red just above his heart. He massaged his pectoral in attempt to stop the awkward tingling in his chest. The poison was slowly spreading again. The many uses of the power of Confession on him allowed him to get better but not to heal fully. Last time he was with Kahlan, she was exhausted and her nose was bleeding, he didn't want to make her use her powers again. And after a week without seeing her, he didn't feel like finding her to ask for a favor.
"You should talk to her." He heard Cara say behind him.
"It's fine." He replied.
"Are you waiting to get really sick again so your Confessor will lie with you in bed?" The Mord'Sith teased.
Maybe he was… "Of course not." He told her. "I just don't want to bother her."
"Well, here's your chance, she's coming over here." Cara told him as she moved to stand behind him.
"Kahlan, hi." He greeted softly with a small smile. "Is everything alright?"
It was unusual for her not to be working in the afternoon, maybe something was wrong.
"Yes. One of my meetings was cancelled so I have some time to myself this afternoon. I was just going to enjoy the sun and read near the lake." She explained, showing the book in her hand.
"It's good that you have some time off, Mother Confessor." Cara stated behind Richard. She grabbed the left side of his shirt and tore it in half, exposing the part of his chest where the poison was hurting him.
"I'll leave you to alone." The Mord'Sith stated before walking away with a proud smile on her face.
"Richard…" Kahlan breathed as she let her book fall at her feet.
"It's alright." He told her.
She moved closed to him and let her fingers caress his chest just above his heart. She was like mesmerized, his chiseled chest under her touch was sending shivers all over her body.
He closed his eyes at the feel of her fingers on him, he could smell the lavender scent of her hair, feel her hot breath on the skin of his chest.
"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked him, causing him to open his eyes and look at her.
"I didn't want to bother you." He replied, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
She released her powers before he could stop her. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against his body knowing that she would be needing help to stay on her feet.
"I've got you." He whispered when her knees gave out. She rested her forehead on his shoulder praying silently to stay in his arms forever.
"Mama!" A little voice called.
Pulling away from him, Kahlan smiled and bent down on the floor next to her daughter who had just awoke.
"Hey baby girl." She said, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun this afternoon, I'll see you tonight."
Without looking at him, she picked up the book she had dropped on the floor.
"Why don't you stay with us?" He proposed.
"It's your time with her, I don't want to interfere." She explained, giving him a small smile.
"Maybe it would be good for her, to spend time with the both of us." He said.
"I just don't want to get in the way." She told him.
"You are her mother, you can't get in the way. Come on, stay with us please." He told her as he sat on the ground, his back resting against a large tree.
"Alright." She conceded before sitting between her daughter and Richard.
There was a moment of silence when they both watched their daughter crawling on Kahlan's lap.
Richard cleared his throat and said: "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." She told him with a smile.
"How was it, giving birth?" He asked, unsure if he had the right.
"Hard." Was all she replied.
He nodded and closed his eyes. Clearly she didn't want to talk to him. He was torn between his need to know and not to push her to talk. He could feel her struggling with her emotions next to him, everything he wanted to do was to wrap his arms around her and comfort her.
"I was in labor for twelve hours." She said, making him open his eyes and look at her.
He stood silent, she knew he was staring at her but she couldn't get herself to look in his eyes. She focused her attention on the grass ahead of her, lost in the memories of giving birth to her daughter.
"During the first hours, I thought that I would be brave. The pain was manageable, Sylvia kept me company, we talked, keeping my mind off things." She said with a smile.
"After that, the pain got stronger and I was having troubles breathing, I don't know how long it took, a few hours maybe before my body was ready to give birth." She shifted uncomfortably still looking ahead of her as Cassie crawled her way to her father.
"The pain became so strong that I couldn't hold onto my powers, I released it more times than I can count. I was exhausted and everyone kept telling me that I had to stay awake and focused. I missed you so much. I wanted to sleep and I wanted the pain to stop. Everyone expected me to be strong but I couldn't, not without you. When they asked me to push, I … I just couldn't. My vision was blurry and I asked for you… I cried and I begged for you. I wanted you to help me get through this, to see your own daughter being born." She continued to talk as tears rolled down her cheeks. Richard pulled Cassie in his arms and the little girl grabbed his pendant. He looked down at her with a small smile and tears in his eyes.
She chuckled, causing him to look back at her and she said: "I kept thinking that if I could wait a little more, maybe you would came running in and hold me. Then I remember Sylvia yelling and saying that if I didn't push, the baby would die. I couldn't let our daughter die, I knew that you would never forgive me if I did. So I pushed and finally she was here. I heard her cry and it was beautiful. They placed her on top of me and she was so tiny, she was perfect."
She locked her hair behind her ear and took a breath before adding: "The world stopped at this very moment. I remember all the servants, Sylvia and the midwife moving quickly around me, they all looked worried but I didn't care. It was just my daughter and I. I knew something was wrong with me. I didn't know what it was but I was cold and so, so tired. Everyone was telling me to stay awake but I just wanted to sleep. I closed my eyes and I was gone."
"You…" He whispered. He was speechless.
She nodded and dried the tears on her face. She had died that day.
"I know it sounds crazy but I saw you. It wasn't like a dream, I couldn't explain it really, but you were there. You told me that I had to go back to our daughter and love her enough for the both of us. You told me that you loved us more than anything and that you knew that I was strong enough to raise our baby." She explained, her voice almost a whisper.
"I remember…" He replied, taking her aback.
She turned to face him but he didn't look at her and he said: "I died that day too. We were surrounded by banelings and one of them hit me with an axe. I remember seeing you too. You couldn't be here, I didn't want you to be here, you told me you just gave birth to our daughter, that she was beautiful. As much as I wanted to be with you again, I knew I couldn't let you stay with me. You had to go back."
"Then you disappeared…" She said.
"Cara gave me the breath of life and Zedd healed me. I… Kahlan… I thought it was just a hallucination or a dream…" He told her.
"You saved me." She said with a smile.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you." He apologized.
"I know." She replied before taking a breath and adding: "When I woke up, everyone was gone and Cassie was sleeping on my chest against me. It didn't take long until she woke up and cried to be fed. She always had Zedd's appetite."
"Talking about Zedd…" Richard said as he pointed at the old man walking towards them.
"Kahlan…" Richard called softly as the woman next to him looked like she was caught in a day dream.
She turned her head to look at him and he said: "Thank you for telling me what you just did. I know it must be painful… I know sorry will never be enough… I will never be able to make it up for the lost time but I needed to know what happened when she was born. Thank you."
"There you are my boy!" Zedd called from afar before Kahlan could reply to him, even if she didn't know what to say to him.
"Richard!" Zedd called again. He was looking scared or worried… Something was definitely wrong.
"Calm down Zedd, I'm not going anywhere." The Seeker joked.
"I'm afraid you must have to." The Wizzard stated sadly, coming to a stop before them. They both got up, worried and concerned about what was going on and what could be happening for Zedd to be in such a state. Richard tightened his hold on his daughter as she was tugging at his shirt and hair.
"Riots! Riots! Everywhere!" The old man exclaimed. "You must go and calm your people before a war begins!"
"What's wrong with them? What do they want?" Richard asked.
"My head…" Kahlan replied softly.
"What? No… Kahlan… no." He told her.
"They think you are confessed to me, the monster who can't control her powers." She explained.
"You are not the person they think you are Kahlan." He told her softly.
"I'll go and talk to them, let them know that I'm not confessed. Zedd will come with me and Cara will stay here with Kahlan and Cassie." He added quickly before anyone could object.
"How far away are the riots?" Kahlan asked wanting to know how long he will be gone.
"Two days by horse." The Wizzard answered.
"I'll only be gone for less than a week." Richard said before kissing his daughter's head.
"Just don't forget to say goodbye this time." Kahlan told him. "Come on baby girl, let's get you inside." She added taking Cassie from Richard's arms and walking away as quickly as she could. He was leaving again and it broke her heart.
Richard hung his head in shame, her words hitting him straight in the heart.