Richard watched her round the corner of the hallway before he was finally was able to stable himself. He cleared his head, then started to go after her, making a right at the hallway and picking up his speed to a jog to catch up to her. He slowed down once he reached her, and fell in step beside her. Kahlan glanced his way, but didn't slow her pace, or engage in conversation with him.

Richard finally got up the courage to ask, "Did I overhear you just say you found a mate?" He tried to keep his voice emotionless.

"Why, yes, Lord Rahl, you did." She didn't look over at him. She made a sudden left, and he stumbled over his feet with the redirect. He was quickly back at her side.

"And may I ask who this man is?" Richard heard the slightly bitter tone in his voice, and from the expression on Kahlan's face, it didn't go past her. She lifted her eyebrow.

"Do I hear resentment in your voice, Cypher?" Over the past week, Richard had learned to decipher Kahlan's voice, and her petnames. When she was being playful, she called him Cypher, when she was serious or wanted his undivided attention, Richard. Dependent on her tone of voice, Lord Rahl could be playful, or resentful. She called him Cypher. This meant she wasn't mad at him for speaking the way he did. This was a good start.

They continued walking down the hallway - he wasn't sure where they were going. He leaned to the left and brushed against her shoulder. He held his mouth a few inches from her ear. "Maybe."

She turned her head, her nose grazed across his lips, she looked up into his eyes. "And why would you be resentful?" She knew what she was doing. Richard wasn't wrong when he made a mental note of this woman being incredibly intelligent when they first met. She used her sexuality. However, Richard still couldn't tell if it was natural, or forced. A thought in the back of his head nagged him - if she were really trying to seduce him, he wouldn't stand a chance. This was all natural. This woman was this alluring and desirable by nature. She was a force to be reckoned with.

They continued walking in that peculiar position - him slightly leaned to the left, facing her, while her face pointed to the right, looking up at him. All of a sudden, she fell back and took a left. Richard never saw such an action before. She stayed in her stance, but instead, took side steps to the left, her face still looking at him. After a few steps, she repositioned her body forward, and continued walking down the hallway. He jogged to catch up to her.

"Who wouldn't be resentful?" He finally managed to say, and waited to see if she took the bait. She lifted her eyebrow again, her eyes questioning. Prey caught.

"Well, Mother Confessor," he began, looking forward, locking his hands behind his back, "a man would have to be out of his mind not to be resentful towards your mate." He looked over at her again, lowering his head as if whispering a secret, "If you are not aware, which I am sure you are, you are quite a remarkable woman." The left sided smirk played on her lips. He loved that smile, it was mischievous, and from what he's observed - he's the only one who has been able to summon it. He no longer shied away from looking at her lips when she did it, and she never commented on it - but he knew she was fully aware of it. Zedd, however, was quick to notice, and Richard had to sit through various lectures of how the Mother Confessor shouldn't be leered at that way. Normally, he heeded Zedd's advice, but not with this, not with her.

Before he was able to stop himself, he asked, "Kahlan, how did you get that scar on your lip?"

"Battle." And that was it. No explanation, just a straightforward answer. He didn't want to pry, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. He loved that scar. The minor imperfection only added to her overall beauty. He held his tongue between his teeth to keep from asking more questions.

She took another right. They were now heading down a stairwell.

"Zedd tells me you are quite deadly with your daggers."

She looked over at him as they made their way down the stairs. "That's an understatement." She pursed her lips as she made eye contact with him, her eyebrows lifting involuntarily. Spirits, she was beautiful. Another thought occurred to him.

"Don't you have trouble walking down these stairs in that dress? I'm surprised you haven't fallen over yourself." He knew it was a stupid question, from what he's observed and been told, Kahlan seems to defy the laws of everything. This should be no different. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she opened her mouth, her tongue playing on the left side of her teeth.

He wanted to capture that tongue with his own.

"Richard .." She wanted his attention. "Women walk in dresses all the time, this is no different."

They were out of the stairwell. She took another right.

He didn't have a defense for that, instead he just frowned. She did that to him often. The majority of the time he asked a question to spark a conversation, she answered him - but made him feel rather idiotic when she did. He found that just as thrilling as the rest of her.

He decided banter was his best option, and it always seemed to be the one she responded to most. When he was about to open his mouth, she opened hers instead.

"You know, I fight in this dress too." Her eyebrows rose and her top lip curled up, her blue eyes full of mischief.

Now he was truly astonished. She had to be the single most amazing woman in the world. She must have read his face because she started laughing, throwing her head back slightly.

"You don't believe me, do you?" She took a left and opened a door, they were now out in the courtyard. This woman knew the People's Palace better than he did, and he was Lord Rahl.

It was midmorning. The sun was rather bright, the light shining off her dress, making it blindingly white. She turned around, the light acting as a halo around her hair, and looked him up and down.

"You know .." she slowly drew out, stepping a few steps closer to him, "I could show you."

He blinked. He was fairly certain she meant fighting in the dress, but her tone suggested otherwise. It didn't matter - he would see anything she was willing to show him. A grin spread across his face.

"Meet me here in a few hours and you'll see just how deadly I am." She smirked before she turned around to walk across the courtyard.

Then realization hit Richard.

She had just evaded his question by steering him off track. He still didn't know who she chose as her mate. He cursed under his breath. After regaining his composure, he made a promise to himself.

In a few hours, he would know who this mate was.