Richard didn't have to wait long before he saw Kahlan strolling back into the courtyard, her gaze not seeming to meet him the way his automatically met her. He should have been discouraged at this, it verified the fact she was unattainable - but he was only fueled by it. He had to work to get her attention, and it was something that he loved about her. It was a chase that he intended to keep up.

He hardly noticed she was standing in front of him, but his attention was brought to her when she let out a slight cough. He pushed off the tree he was leaning on, smiling from cheek to cheek.

"And how long have you been out here waiting for me, Lord Rahl?" She teased.

"Not long - but you know I'd wait an eternity for you." He bantered back, leaning forward, eyes sparkling and smile widening. Kahlan pursed her lips, she opened her mouth to speak, but slowly closed it. She turned her head to the left, looking up into the sky, and made some inaudible sounds while shaking her head.

Richard had just made the Mother Confessor speechless.

He chuckled as he made his way around her to stand directly in her line of sight. She looked up at him through heavy lashes, her tongue poking the left side of her cheek.

"I'm going to wipe that smile clean off your face, Seeker." That was a new one. She never called him Seeker before, she only referenced to him being the Seeker. She said it in a playful manner, but with a hint of challenging - he took note of it and smiled again.

"Be my guest." She burst into a smile that could have stopped his heart. She laughed slightly, blue eyes glistening, hair slightly ruffled in the breeze.

Word of how Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor were going to spar spread quickly through the palace, and Richard wasn't quite sure why. He was meaning to ask Zedd how he found out, but was too focused on the conversation that was at hand. Richard hadn't told anybody, and he was reasonably sure that Kahlan wouldn't go around building up a hype around a friendly sparring match. Everybody who was in the courtyard cleared out about an hour ago, all wishing to be nowhere near the two during their match, which was said to be of a very violent nature. He was sure that soon enough, there would be rumors circling around the two, and what exactly led up to this.

If only they had known it was simply because he questioned her walking in that dress.

The courtyard, now empty besides the two of them, was the perfect place to spar. There were various trees, but for the most part the landscape was rather vacant. The lush grass grew evenly, leaving no hills or holes for either of them to fall into. The terrain was vast, leaving them plenty of room to maneuver around each other.

Kahlan gently pulled on his shirt, a hand on each side of the opening to his chest, where his pendent was dangling, and pulled him dangerously close to her face. He could feel her breath on his lips.

"Steel or wood?" Richard's eyebrows shot up in questioning.

She still held him by his shirt, but moved her right hand down to his belt to find the scabbard that his sword was residing in. She gently pulled the sword out of its sheath, still holding him with her left hand, him making no attempts to stop her. She positioned the sword until it was comfortable in her hand, and then she moved the blade directly in between their faces.

"Real weapons, or play weapons?" She asked, amusement sparkling in her eyes. Richard felt his cheeks burning red, and her one sided smirk was not remedying the situation. He picked up his left hand and wrapped it around hers, helping steady the sword, which she had previously been waving in his face, taunting. He pulled her hand so that the sword was out of his direct line of sight, and stared into her blue orbs.

"All up to you, Mother Confessor." She smiled as she let go of his shirt, and quickly maneuvered her hand so that Richard's grasp on the sword was no longer. She tossed the blade to him, leaning down to remove her daggers from her boots.

She sauntered up to him, tight smile on her lips, as she lifted a dagger and lightly pressed it where his heart was. "Although this may be a friendly sparring match," she dragged the dagger downwards, eyes still burning into him, "I feel we wouldn't get as much amusement out of this if we were to fight with wooden sticks." She removed her weapon and took a step back.

"First move is all yours, Richard."

Then it hit him. He was actually going to fight her. He was going to use his blade to strike against Kahlan Amnell. He suddenly felt very sick to his stomach. Kahlan stood in front of him, arms crossed, dagger in each hand, and impatience rested on her features.

"Maybe you should change back into Rahl's clothing, perhaps changing into your current," she gestured her hands to his outfit, "attire, has made you lose a little of your nerve." She cocked her head to the side, expression blank. A Confessor's face.

Richard had changed out of his official outfit into his woods guide one. He had fought more often in it, and it felt more comfortable. It also provided him emotional comfort, reminding him of where he came from, of who he really was. Richard had to rebound before Kahlan's impatience soured her playful mood.

He smiled at her, "Just don't want to hurt you, that's all." He knew it was an empty statement, he couldn't hurt Kahlan even if he tried, he held no false illusions to her strength. She scoffed at him, but her one sided smirk quickly returned, soon turning into a full fledged smile. "And besides," he continued, "letting the enemy have the first move? Seems like a deadly mistake, Confessor."

Kahlan lifted an eyebrow, mouth slightly parted, as if she was disgusted with the statement. "Well, Lord Rahl," the title held more venom than she had ever previously used, and he winced, "let's see if I ever do you a favor again."

Before he knew it her dagger was already coming full force towards his throat, and he froze. This was it, Zedd was right, this was really a death match. She was really going to kill him. The instant before her dagger made contact with his throat, she stopped it, and retracted the weapon. This woman could stop a blow in a moments notice.

A smile curled on her lips as she folded her arms and leaned forward, her nose making contact with his. "Now now, Cypher. I could very well have just killed you. Care to explain how I would have been able to take out the Lord Rahl with such a simple move?" He shook his head, nose rubbing against hers. "That's the treatment you get when you become my enemy." He furrowed his eyebrows together, as she lifted one into a graceful arch over her right eye. Then he recalled what he said. "If you reference yourself as an enemy of mine, Seeker, then an enemy you will be." She backed away, resting her arms at her side, and lifted her chin. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat - right where the blade would have made contact if she wasn't so quick with her reflexes.

Richard couldn't stop shaking, and Kahlan stood across from him, unnerved, waiting for him to calm down and come back to his senses. When he looked at her, her face didn't show impatience at all, and all her features were relaxed.

Her voice was soft when she spoke, and Richard had never heard her voice sound so soft before, so concerned. "Ready?" He slightly nodded, regaining his senses as he gripped his sword tighter. He was no longer concerned about possibly hurting her, accidentally striking her - she was quick, smart. He wouldn't be surprised if she knew every move he made before he made it.

She waited. Despite the altercation they just had, she was still letting him make the first move. He silently thanked her with a nod.

And then it began.

He wasn't sure exactly when he swung his blade, or how, but now the constantly clanging of dagger against sword was all he could hear. She was exquisite even when fighting. She used her light weight to increase her speed, and her moves were graceful, but precise. He swung his sword at her, she jumped back only to capture his sword with her daggers. Her arms started to move forward, forcing his weapon to come closer to his face, then she flipped it right over his head, holding his sword behind his back with her daggers keeping it in place. She smiled at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. She continued to hold him in that place, and he relished the feel of her body crashed against his, her breath in his face. She was seducing him even when fighting. He shook his head and used his arms to fling her daggers back at her, freeing his sword. She stumbled back a few paces, not anticipating the move. She smirked.

She spun around, and instead of heading for his upper torso as she had previously been doing, she leaned down and lightly dragged her dagger across the fabric of his shirt that was covering his stomach. Then she stood from her crouched position, and took a step forward, Richard's sword still hanging limply in his hand. He could feel his heart beat in his throat.

"My my, Lord Rahl. I do believe you are now dead." Richard exhaled and lifted his hands in resignation.

She stepped back, head tilted. "Care for another round?"

Richard looked down at the sword in his hand, biting his tongue. He would spar with this woman every second of his life if it meant that much close contact - feeling her body against his. A boyish grin came to his face. Maybe it was time for him to seduce her.

"Of course."

Kahlan didn't grant him the luxury of making the first move, and spun, imitating throwing her dagger at him. Before her move was complete and she could proclaim that she killed him once again, he was already in front of her, grabbing her hand that was pretending to throw the dagger and twisting it to her back, holding it in place. He used his other hand to grab her wrist, which was now descending with the other dagger. The position was awkward, but it did it's purpose. She was now tightly against his body, faces so close it was like they had to steal each others air just to breathe themselves. She made no attempt to counter his move, instead relaxing into the position. It took all Richard had to pull away, letting her hands go free, and step back away from her.

"I seem to have underestimated you, Cypher." He couldn't contain the smile that was now plastered on his face.

"A compliment in fighting from the Mother Confessor herself?"

She grinned, rolling her eyes and sighing. "Not necessarily a compliment, just a statement." He was taking it as a compliment, regardless of what she said.

She turned to walk away, which Richard assumed meant that the matches were over. Then he remembered the sole purpose of why he wanted the match today, and crossed his arms.

"What? Scared to fight me now, Amnell?" He never used her last name as a way to address her before, but he liked the way it rolled off his tongue, and decided that in the future, he'd use it more often.

She turned her body, mouth agape, like the statement truly shocked her. "I'm scared of nothing, Cypher." They both smirked, approaching each other with weapons in hands.

They were quickly battling again, sword against daggers. Richard lost his footing for a second, and Kahlan quickly tripped him. When he hit the ground, she kicked the sword out of his reach, and straddled him, pressing one dagger to his throat, and one to his heart. If it weren't for the weapons, Richard would have found this highly pleasing.

He coughed from the land, thankful that she was moving her dagger with his coughs, and not applying pressure to his throat. She smiled down at him, her hair falling over and creating a wall that blocked out the sunlight. All Richard could see was her face, which was taunting him as she hovered above him.

Still holding her daggers in place, she leaned over, touching her forehead with his. "If pesky confession weren't involved, I would have the right mind to take you as a mate, Richard." His head came reeling back to what he so desperately wanted to know. Her hands weren't aimed to kill, only lightly pressing the daggers to his heart and throat, and she seemed to relax on top of him. Richard took the chance and quickly moved his arms up, forcing her to drop her daggers as he rolled her over and pinned her down to the ground. He settled himself between her legs, his hands having a firm grip on her wrists as he positioned himself directly over her face.

"And who would this mate be, Kahlan?" His voice was serious, sounding more harsh and cold then he intended it to.

Kahlan seemed shocked from the sudden change in positions, and Richard could tell very quickly that she liked being the one in control, and was uneasy now that he was able to call the shots.

"Well?" He inched closer to her face, his nose bumping into hers. He was tempted to relax his grip on her wrists, but knew that the second he did, she would either be back on top of him, or storming out of the courtyard with him lagging behind due to some broken bone. Her legs were free to do as they wished, but in the current position, there weren't many options. She wouldn't be able to move one between his legs to get a hit, and the only thing she could hope to do was seduce him by moving them up his own. Richard set his mind to the task: he was not going to let Kahlan Amnell seduce him. Not now, anyways. Not when he needed to know who this man was.

He finally felt her relax into the grip, and heard her sigh beneath his lips. That alone was enough to make him want to melt into her, but he restrained himself. He continued to stare into her eyes, searching for an answer. She rolled her head the the side, her eyes following suit.

"Fine." She breathed, the word coming out husky and rushed. "His name is Ryan Finn. He's a general in your fine D'Haran army." Her voice was mocking, and Richard wasn't sure if she was mocking him, or his kingdom. Either way, his heart sunk. Now that he had the name he so desperately wished for, the prospect of her being gone became more concrete, more in the immediate future.

He sighed as he slumped against her, not letting go of her wrists. His forehead made contact with hers, and he breathed in her scent. This was as close as they were ever going to be - sparring in the courtyard.

Then he felt it.

Her left leg was slowly making it's way up his, and he dipped his head into her neck, her hair tickling his face. Her right leg repeated the action, until both were able to wrap around his body. Richard hated her in this moment. She was able to take advantage of him so easily, she could seduce him in a heartbeat without even really trying. Then he gave in, and weakened his hold on her wrists. She stayed in the position, not moving, only breathing on his neck. He eventually let go of her wrists all together, and rested his arms on the ground beside her. She moved her hands to his chest. Richard then noticed that her dress, in the adventure her legs had taken, had fallen to reveal her thighs. He moved one of his hands from the ground to play along her boot, gradually making his way to his destination. When he made contact with the flesh, he had to stifle a moan. Her skin was so soft and smooth.

Then the world flew upside down.

Kahlan took the opportunity and flipped him back onto his back, her sitting on top of him, arms crossed, glaring down at him. Richard flopped his hands above his head, giving up. He was stupid to think that something could happen anyways. Whatever punishment she was about to inflict, he deserved it.

"Don't get too carried away, Seeker." She was now mocking him. He felt his head slam against the ground as he sighed. He felt like she was there for hours, sitting on his lap, glaring down at him. He then felt her right hand press against his heart and noticed the shift in weight. She was now leaning over him. She used her other hand to swipe her hair to the left, and leaned into his face.

"If you wanted me that badly, all you had to do was ask."

If this was the punishment she was giving, he would gladly endure.