Hi. I know it's small, but that's everything I have right now. We're close to the end.
"Thank you." Kahlan told Richard with a smile as he helped her ease down from her horse. As promised, they were on a horse ride with Cassie. It took some time to the little girl to get accustomed to the horses but she seemed to be enjoying the long and slow ride in her father's arms.
Kahlan looked around her to see a least six Mord'Sith taking place around them at a reasonable distance which wouldn't allow them to hear their Lord Rahl's discussion but close enough to react in case of danger. She didn't really enjoy their presence but she knew it was necessary for their safety.
They had stopped in a small clearing with a small pond, the grass was green and the sun high in the sky. It was a beautiful day, although it was soon to be over as it was already way past the middle of the afternoon.
"I know it's weird having so many Mord'Sith around." He told her, noticing her gaze.
"No. It's alright. As long as they don't talk to us sarcastically like Cara does." She replied with a smile.
Putting Cassie on the floor, he replied: "That's for sure."
Cassie immediately began running after some butterflies.
"She liked the ride in your arms." Kahlan stated as she watched her daughter run around them.
"I would have loved to ride with you in my arms." He replied, closing the distance between them and brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
"Richard…" She whispered, pushing a hand against his chest when he brushed his lips against hers.
"We're surrounded by Mord'Sith." She told him, biting her lower lip.
"They should know how crazy their Lord Rahl is about the Mother Confessor." He told her with a smile that made her melt.
She smiled back at him and re-arranged the front of his shirt.
"Thank you for taking the time to be with us. I'm happy to be alone with you... well almost alone..." She told him.
"Me too and you're welcome." He told her, kissing her again quickly on the lips before she had time to protest.
He retrieved a blanket from one of the bag on the horse and laid it on the floor away from the mounts. They both sat next to the other, their shoulders nearly touching. They watched Cassie play for a while, both silent and delighted to be together as a family. It was an incredible feeling for Kahlan, she couldn't remember the last time she felt so at peace. It was really easy for her to hold onto her powers. Since let all her anger out with Richard, the Con'Dar hadn't threatened to take the best of her. Of course, she had to maintain a strong hold on her powers but when Richard was with her, it felt easier, almost normal to be a Confessor.
When Cassie came running into Richard's arms, it knocked him on his back. Laughing, Kahlan laid on the blanket as well, watching the two persons she loved most in her life.
Cassie pressed her hand on Richard's throat, looking at him in the eyes, wrinkling her eyebrows.
"Kahlan?" He asked, intrigued by his daughter's behavior.
"Is she trying to confess me?" He asked again.
"I think so." Kahlan replied, taken aback to her daughter's action. She had never seen her do something like that before.
"Well, little girl, you can try as much as you want but I already love you much more than your Confessor powers." He told her before kissing her on the cheek.
"She must have seen me do it." Kahlan said with a little sadness in her voice.
"Or maybe it's just instinct." Richard told her, knowing that she was still struggling with everything that happened in the last few weeks.
"Maybe…" Kahlan repeated in a whisper.
Turning on his side and sitting Cassie between them, he looked at Kahlan and said: "Don't do this."
"What?" She asked, bringing her eyes to his.
"Think that your powers are a curse. It's what brought us together in the first place and I'll forever be grateful for it, for the day you came running into my woods." He explained.
"Thank you." She told.
"For what?" He asked.
"Reminding me things that I forget and making me feel so special." She said.
"You are very, very special Mother Confessor. Let me show you." He said, bending down over her and kissing her quickly yet letting her wanting for more and almost forgetting about the half dozen Mord'Sith around them.
"Show me again." She whispered, making his smile widen even more.
He kissed her chastely again making it last longer this time.
"Dada!" They heard Cassie say.
Richard broke their kiss and looked at Kahlan with his eyes wide open.
She nodded at him, smiling from ears to ears.
He couldn't believe it. No… maybe he was just imagining things. Yet the look on Kahlan's face told him otherwise. His heart was beating slightly faster as he kept staring at Kahlan.
"I think your daughter is asking for you Lord Rahl, or should I call you Dad?" She told him and they both looked at Cassie who was waiting for her father.
Tears filled his eyes and he said: "Dad…. It's…"
"Perfect." She finished his sentence.
"Marry me Kahlan." He blurted out, turning his head to look at her.
"Wh-What? Richard it's not…" She said slowly shaking her head.
"Dada!" Cassie squealed again, not understanding what was going on between her parents, she grabbed her father's hand and tugged on it for him to get up.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have. Please, forget I asked." He said, finally getting up to follow Cassie who was dragging him next to the water.
"Cara!" Kahlan called for her friend, stopping Richard in his tracks.
The Mord'Sith was by Kahlan's side in an instant and the Mother Confessor said: "Cara, could you stay with Cassie for a while, I need to talk to Richard."
"I'm not a babysitter." Cara grumbled.
"Please Cara." Kahlan told her.
"Fine." She let out a loud annoyed sigh and took Cassie's hand and walked to the water with her.
"It's alright Kahlan, we don't need to talk about it." Richard told her, running a hand through his hair.
"You can't just propose to me and act as if nothing ever happened!" She exclaimed.
"I know Kahlan… I said I was sorry, it came out from nowhere. I don't want to push you… I-I didn't mean it." He tried to explain.
"Oh." Kahlan said, looking down. She wondered who would want to marry a Confessor anyway but part of her still hoped that he would want to be the husband of a Confessor, her husband. Obviously, that was not in his plans.
Seeing the disappointment on her face, he closed the distance between them and took her hands in his before saying: "I want to marry you Kahlan. What I didn't mean was to ask like that… out of the blue… without a ring, without bending down on one knee."
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said: "Confessors don't get married."
"I plan on asking Kahlan Amnell to marry me, not the Mother Confessor." He said with a smile that warmed her heart.
"Mama! Dada!" Cassie called them happily from afar.
"When Cassie called me Dad… I haven't been so happy in a long time. I think I just got carried away. So please, let me ask you again one day… with a ring and a speech where I'll just make a fool of myself." He explained.
She nodded, her heart feeling lighter. It never ceased to amaze her how he loved her so unconditionally even when people told him not to.
Pulling her out of her thoughts, he asked her: "Do you think she'll say yes, Kahlan Amnell?"
She nodded again and said: "She doesn't need a ring and a speech to say yes you know."
"I know but she deserves the best and I'm sure a woods guide needs to put up a good show to impress the Mother Confessor." He said.
"I thought you will be asking Kahlan Amnell." She said, raising an eyebrow.
"I am, but the Mother Confessor has to agree as well." He told her.
"Can't you hear your daughter calling for you?" Cara yelled.
Ignoring the Mord'Sith, Kahlan said: "No Confessor has even been married before."
"Maybe but no one ever dared to love one of them like I love you." He said, kissing her forehead.
"Besides, I don't think the house of Rahl has a big history in getting married either." He added with a laugh.
"Maaaaamaaaaaa!" Cassie called louder.
"We should go." Kahlan said with a smile.
"I love you." Richard told her.
"I love you too." She replied, kissing him quickly before walking to their daughter.
When they reached the river bank Cara said: "Stop making me look like a fool in front of the rest of the Mord'Sith."
Richard chuckled and said: "You don't look like a fool, you look human."
"Mord'Sith are no human." She snapped.
"Don't worry Cara, I'm sure they are jealous because Cassie loves you." Kahlan said with a smile.
"That's right Aunt Cara." Richard teased.
"Don't call me like that!" Cara hissed, turning around to make sure none of her sister of the Agiel had heard.
Picking up Cassie in her arms, Kahlan asked to her daughter: "Do we love Aunt Cara?"
The little girl nodded strongly and Kahlan looked at her friend and stated: "We do love Aunt Cara."
Cara sighed and walked away, she knew she wouldn't win the argument and part of her was proud to be called Aunt Cara.
Smiling, Richard kissed Kahlan's temple and said: "You've made one angry Mord'Sith."
Turning in her mother's arms, Cassie stretched her arms towards father and looked at him before saying: "Dada!"
Richard gladly picked her from Kahlan's arms as the little girl motioned the trees.
"Cara will be just fine." Kahlan told him.
Sitting his daughter on his shoulders, he said: "Come on."
"Where?" Kahlan asked.
"Find us if you can!" He said before almost running away from her.
"Richard!" She called after him as he disappeared behind some trees with Cassie squealing happily on his shoulders.
Shaking her head with a smile, she went after them. Hopefully for her, Richard hadn't gone too far and was easy to find, especially with Cassie calling for her.
"There you are!" She exclaimed when she found them hidden behind a big tree.
"Mama!" Cassie said as she laughed while her mother picked her up to tickle her.
Suddenly, there was a crash of thunder in the distance and Richard said: "We should get back, it's going to rain soon."
Kahlan nodded as they started to walk back to their horses.
Looking up in the sky, Richard said: "We won't be able to make it to be Palace before it rains."
Richard mounted on his horse and Kahlan handed him their daughter. She walked to the blanket on the grass and gave it to him before saying: "It should keep her warm and dry until we get home."
Richard nodded and carefully wrapped the blanket around his daughter while Kahlan mounted her horse as well. When she looked back at him, he nodded at her with a smile and she told him: "Last one to reach the stables..."
She galloped away before even ending her sentence, knowing that Richard couldn't be as fast as her with Cassie in his arms.
He shook his head with a smile and went after her. He would gladly lose against the woman he loved.