It had been a week since Kahlan had come to the People's Palace. Richard had grown accustomed to seeing her variously roaming the halls, talking with the maidservants, walking into rooms unannounced. The first night she was there, Richard directed her to her room himself. He made sure it was one of the finest guest rooms in the palace - and one that was close to his. Every time he glanced at her, a smile always adorned her face, and her blues were always sparkling. She thanked him for picking such a fine room as he opened the door for her. He watched her as she walked in, observing her surroundings. When he nodded his appreciation and turned to leave, she lightly rested her hand on his arm, giving a gentle squeeze. She smiled as she let go, said goodnight, and closed the door.

That was the only time they touched.

Over the past week, Kahlan had been taking suggestions from Zedd for a mate - who now was fully behind the idea of uniting the Midlands and D'Hara in such a manner. Despite the many times she asked, Richard always said that he couldn't think of a man who would deserve such a woman as her. She'd laugh playfully, saying something along the lines of "Oh, Richard," or "Tssk, tssk, Cypher," before turning and resuming conversation with Zedd. He doubted she thought he was serious.

One day, when the three were sitting at the table, Kahlan said something that shocked Richard and almost sent Zedd through his chair onto the floor.

"I want him to want this." She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers as she looked at the table, her other hand tracing the grooves in the wood.

"Kahlan, my dear, no man would want to be confessed." Zedd said sympathetically. He was wrong. Richard was relatively sure that many men would give up their whole lives just to be with her, in her presence.

"Confession, maybe not - but unity. I want a man who wants this, a peaceful relation between D'Hara and the Midlands. It'd be ideal for the man to be willing to be confessed, but that's too much to ask." She looked up from the table, her hand dropping from her hair, letting the strand fall down to play along her neckline. Her gaze seemed distant, and her eyes found Richard's.

He curled his lip in a boyish grin, "I'm sure we can find someone."

"Ah, we went over this, Cypher. You are not an option." Kahlan laughed as she said it, and rested both hands on the table before pushing herself up to walk away.

Zedd turned his head and waited for his grandson to look at him.

"There is a dangerous line you are treading, my boy. She wasn't lying when she said she could take you if she wanted - don't tempt her." Richard smiled and brushed off his words.

She continued to wear her traveling outfit, the one that showed off her thighs and chest. Richard prayed to the spirits she would change soon, the outfit was almost too much for him to bear. She was exquisite in it, and all the talk about taking a mate was too much for him to handle. He finally decided he was going to ask if she wanted some clothes sent to her, that maybe she tired of the ones she was wearing. Later in the day when he saw her, he got his answer.

She was breathtaking.

The white dress she wore hugged every curve of her body, a slit in the front reached from the ground to where her legs parted, a black under dress beneath. The neckline was the same as her previous outfit, but her corset was a little more concealed. The sleeves reached down to her elbows, where the white fabric hung, and when her arms were fully rested, the excess seemed to touch the ground. Her skin appeared more porcelain against the stark white, her blue eyes shining more brilliant than they had before - which Richard thought was impossible. Her dark hair framed her face, and held more curl than it did in the previous days.

She looked like a good spirit in the flesh.

When she saw him, mouth agape, she walked up to him with a smile as brilliantly white as her dress. She placed her right hand on the bottom of his chin, and gently pushed up, closing his mouth. She chuckled as she walked past him. He searched his mind for something to say.

"Kahlan?" She turned her head slightly, stopping her steps.

"Yes?"

"I've never seen a dress like that before."

She turned to him, that half smirk present, and said, "Why, Richard, this is a Confessor's dress. You are the Seeker, I'm sure you've seen one before." She raised her eyebrow at him.

"They were black."

She smiled and looked down, taking a few steps forward. "The Mother Confessor wears white. Other than that, you've seen this dress before, have you not?"

Richard suddenly felt very stupid, his Confessor wore the exact same dress - the only difference was that it was black. He wasn't aware that only the Mother Confessor wore white. He wasn't aware that any Confessors wore white. He cursed himself for stopping Zedd's explanation of Confessors so long ago.

Instead of trying to defend himself, he just chuckled, and reached his right hand behind his neck to scratch at his hairline as he looked down. She laughed, not the light laughs he's heard - but a laugh of pure amusement. It only made him chuckle more, until he was laughing with her.

"You don't know much about Confessors, do you?" She sauntered over to him, her arms crossed below her, bringing her breasts into his view even more. He tried to find the words when his body was reacting to her stance. He didn't want to tell her that he once thought Confessors to be the vilest creatures, and that he avoided gathering any information about them than necessary.

He smiled, dropping his hand from his neck, "I seemed to have forgotten." He met her eyes, his boyish grin growing wider.

She cocked her head to the right, leaned in, and parted her lips. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Confessors don't have to use their power to tell when someone is lying." Richard slid his eyes closed. He just lied to the Mother Confessor. He wondered if there was a punishment for that. She straightened her back, smile gleaming, and said she better not catch him lying to her again. She gave a wink, and started walking off. He stood there, shocked, but unbelievably giddy.

A maidservant walked by her, and asked her what the special occasion was.

Though she was paces ahead of him, he heard her words as clear as if she were talking directly into his ear.

"I've found a mate."

Richard felt his heart shatter, and had to keep from letting his knees buckle beneath him.