Richard blinked. A lump formed in his throat. She was looking for a mate. This much, he did know about Confessors. Her gaze was fixed upon him. Did she want him? He felt a pang in his stomach. He would willingly be hers, but not at the risk of losing himself. Her grip on him was already unbelievably tight, and they had only known each other a total of half an hour. He only hoped he had enough strength to deny her her request.
A playful smile danced on her lips.
"My dear child, why would you come here for that task?" Zedd approached her, arms open in questioning.
"A union between the Midlands and D'Hara, of course." She said it with such a light demeanor, as if it were common sense, a common occurrence.
Zedd took a step back, retracting his arms and crossing them over his chest. "Mother Confessor, I pray to the spirits you aren't considering the Lord Rahl as a mate." Richard felt his breath catch in his throat, and his heart seem to drop into his chest. He wasn't sure of how he'd react to either answer. If she said she did wish him to be her mate, he'd be ecstatic, but heartbroken to tell her he couldn't. If she said she didn't wish for him to be her mate, he'd be heartbroken just the same. Either way, Richard was going to end up hurt in this discussion.
Kahlan's blue eyes danced between the two of them. "Why, Wizard! Of course I considered him to be a mate," her smile widened, "however, I'm relatively sure that you wouldn't allow your grandson to be confessed and made a slave to me, so," she sighed, lifting her right hand in the air, twirling it around slightly, "I figured maybe someone else in this kingdom of D'Hara would do the honors."
And what an honor it would be.
Her arm dropped and she took two steps forward. Her smile lessened, and now a smirk was residing on her lips. "Any suggestions, Lord Rahl?" She drew his title out slowly, her right eyebrow arching as she leaned towards him. His words seemed to jumble together, the last thing he wanted to do was suggest a man for her to lay with.
"Bags, woman! Why have you come to D'Hara? What is this union that you claim is necessary?"
Her gaze turned hostile, her blue eyes conveying threats while the playful nature dried up. "Are you that thickheaded, Zedd! My people are afraid for their lives! Sure, all things nice and good and righteous have been said about Richard, but he is a Rahl! Darken Rahl has brought endless destruction to the Midlands, the people aren't sure that he won't do the same!" She pointed at Richard, and he suddenly felt very shameful to be the Lord Rahl. "This union may be the only thing that makes my people feel safer, feel like they can sleep at night without dozens of D'Haran soldiers knocking down their doors and massacring their families!"
By the end of the speech, her voice was in a yell, her face red with rage. Richard rushed over and put himself between the two, forcing them to step back and put distance between one another. He could feel Kahlan's eyes burning on his back while he looked up at his grandfather.
"She's right." Zedd took a step forward, but Richard stood his ground. "Zedd, she's right." He felt Kahlan's composure relax behind him, and he was happy to be the buffer between the two balls of sparks and flames. Her glare alone seemed to be able to set a man on fire, he could only imagine how deadly she actually was. It thrilled him and humbled him at the same time. At this very moment, he was acting as a defense to the most powerful woman in the Midlands, keeping her from ripping out the throat of Zeddicus Zul' Zurander, a wizard of the First Order. Richard suddenly felt very small.
Zedd sighed and retreated, taking a step away from his grandson, and recrossing his arms. "Any suggestions, Lord Rahl?" He mirrored her question, leaving off the seductive allure that Kahlan had added when pronouncing his title. This was Zedd's way of showing Richard he knew which side he had chosen, and Zedd was to be of no help.
Kahlan spoke up, making Richard turn around to look at her. "Preferably, I'd like someone with considerable rank and a high reputation."
Zedd lost his mind when she spoke this, and came thrashing forward, pushing Richard out of the way, leering down at Kahlan as he shouted, "You come bombarding in here announcing you are looking for a mate, and declare you want one who is respectable and a good man to D'Hara! That is absurd! If anything, you should claim a criminal, a man whom no one cares about!"
Her words came out calm, level, but with a considerable amount of venom in them. Her eyes shot venom with equal purpose - to kill. "Now, if I were to take a criminal as a mate, then the Midlands would hold no value in the union. D'Hara wouldn't think twice of attacking the Midlands again when the union was made with a criminal. I am the most powerful woman in the Midlands, you should be thankful I'm not taking Richard as a mate - and you know I could if I so wished. Is it too much to ask to have the Mother Confessor be paired with a man that has some kind of rank? The rank would ensure my peoples trust D'Hara, and would make D'Hara have an investment in the Midlands, in our child. My people have sacrificed much at the hands of this kingdom, a respectable man as a mate is the least of what D'Hara owes the Midlands." Kahlan's voice was leveled the entire time, but she emphasized 'owes,' and Richard realized that she was right. D'Hara owed the Midlands.
The fire was taken out of Zedd's argument, and he lifted his hands in defeat as he took a step back. "My dear one, you are right."
Kahlan let out a loud sigh as she took a few steps forward, and then threw her arms around the wizard. When she pulled back, Richard noticed that moisture started to pool in her eyes, and he was delighted to see the feud over - but upset that her blue orbs were spilling out tears. Tears should never touch those eyes.
She chuckled as she brought her slender hand to her face, gently wiping away the droplets. She muttered an apology for getting so mad as she continued to wipe her eyes, light laughs slipping through her lips.
The only thing that would have made Richard happier was if he could be the man she took into her bed.