Chapter Twenty-Nine
Darken Rahl was standing in the corner of the bedroom. Cara was giving birth to his child. He still hadn't decided whether to kill the child at birth or not. He would eventually need an heir, and he didn't want that heir to be Richard.
Cara was in pain, but she didn't make much noise. Darken had heard that most women screamed while they were giving birth. He wasn't very surprised that Cara wasn't screaming. She wasn't like most women
.
The child was born. It was brought to him first while Cara was looking at him, but she wouldn't be able to see him as he was covered in the shadows of the room. It was a boy, which probably saved the child. Darken Rahl's heir couldn't be female. His face was red, and he was screaming, but Darken felt a strange kind of affection for the boy.
Darken stepped out of the shadows holding the boy. He looked into Cara's eyes, and she seemed realize that she would never get to hold her son. "Thank you Cara." He said, and left her alone.
He took the baby down the hall, trying to think of a name. The baby would have to have a name. Maybe he should have asked Cara, but that wouldn't be wise. It would encourage attachment and he couldn't have that.
He took the baby to his room, Richard was coming out of his, and he caught Darken's eye. He wasn't very old, but he had already developed a devious look which he gave Darken now.
Darken felt himself move the baby close to his chest. "Don't worry, Nicholas. I won't let Richard touch you."
Darken tried to keep Cara and Nicholas as far apart as possible, but seeing as how Cara was still his favorite Mord – Sith, it was difficult. However, the first time Cara saw her son again, close enough to talk to him, Nicholas was seven.
Darken was sitting in his throne room, conspiring with Demmin Nass about something. Cara was at his side, not saying anything but her presence was felt through out the room. Nicholas was supposed to be asleep.
"Father!" He ran into the room. Darken felt Cara become stiff next to him. His hair was dark, but whenever Darken looked at him, he saw Cara. The way he moved, and his eyes were the same as hers.
Darken moved to stop him before he got any closer to Cara. He could see her eyes were closed out of the corner of his eye. "Nicholas, what are you doing here?" He asked the child.
Nicholas never even looked at Cara. "I was having a bad dream Father. I wanted to make sure it didn't come true." The boy looked extremely sad.
"Come now Nicholas. The future Lord Rahl should not believe that dreams could come true." Darken wanted to know what the dream was. He was aware that the child had predicted the future before without realizing it, but Darken didn't think the boy was ready to know that the things he saw in his dream came to pass.
"I'm in the middle of something right now, but I'll come to your chambers in a little while. Now go back to bed, Nicholas." The boy nodded and walked back to his caretaker, who was not a Mord – Sith; Darken had tried that and it hadn't ended well.
Darken walked back to the table where Demmin and he had been discussing, and saw that Cara's eyes were still closed. "What's wrong with you?" Demmin asked her.
She had opened her eyes and started at him for a while before answering. Darken had kept the maternity of Nicholas's birth a secret even from his friend. "Nothing." She said in a mocking voice.
The first time Nicholas and Cara talked had happened when he was thirteen. Darken had taken Nicholas to see the D' Haran army take over a city peacefully. They were on the way there, and were escorted by a few legions of soldiers, and ten Mord – Sith.
Nicholas had been riding on Darken's right, and Cara, as the lead Mord – Sith rode on his left. Darken wasn't comfortable with this arrangement, but knew that if he asked Cara to move it would upset her status. They had almost made it to the city when Nicholas spoke to her.
"So, what's your name?" He asked Cara, who looked stunned that he was speaking to her, and slightly unsure what to do. Darken almost laughed at the look on her face. "I mean, I've seen you around, but I've never met you. I just . . . am curious as to why I don't know your name."
Cara looked to Darken who wasn't laughing anymore. This could be a dangerous situation. "This is Mistress Cara, Nicholas." He said, trying to stop the conversation before it began. Cara had gotten the message, but Nicholas continued anyway.
"Well, It's a pleasure to meet you Mistress Cara, I'm Nicholas Rahl." He said.
"She knows who you are Nicholas." Darken growled.
"I'm just trying to be polite, Father. Why won't you let me talk to her?" He replied.
Darken stared at his son for a while, not knowing how to answer that question, but Cara stepped in. "Lord Rahl is just trying to hide his shame. He feels bad that he has never introduced his best Mord – Sith to the heir of D' Hara."
Darken couldn't believe what Cara had just said. If anyone else had even suggested that Darken was ashamed, he would have had them killed, but not Cara. She had just saved Darken the trouble of explaining why he had kept the identity of Nicholas's mother a secret from him his entire life.
Nicholas laughed. "Really? Is that true, Father? Are you ashamed that you haven't introduced me to your best Mord – Sith?"
Darken was a little mad that Nicholas was laughing at him, but hid it easily. "Well, Nicholas, I had planned on introducing you when the time was right. I employ Mistress Cara so much, and she never had the time to meet you." Darken said. Cara looked like she was trying not to pay attention to their conversation.
"I see. Mistress Cara, I'm disappointed that you couldn't make time to meet me." The boy was joking with her, but Darken glared at him. Cara was glaring at Darken when he wasn't looking.
"I'm very sorry . . ." Cara trailed off, not knowing what to call her son.
Nicholas smiled at her. "You can call me Nicholas."
Nicholas was walking to the Garden of Life. Today was the day the Seeker would come and try to kill his Father and Uncle Richard. Nicholas wasn't fearful that they would succeed at all, but he was afraid of what the two powerful brothers might do.
He was going to try to keep them from killing each other. On the way there he ran into a few Mord – Sith. He hadn't really been looking where he was going, most people moved away from him, even Mord – Sith, and he had been trying to think of a way to keep the brothers from fighting. He had run into Denna, who was scowling at him, something that no one but his father did.
"Excuse me." He said, and tried to walk around the group.
"You're under arrest for treason, Nicholas Rahl." He heard Denna growl at him, but it wasn't that scary with her silky voice.
"What?" He said.
"What are you talking about Denna?" A Mord – Sith spoke from the crowd, it was the one that was always around his father, Mistress Cara.
Denna ignored her. "Lord Rahl has ordered us to arrest you."
"My father would never – "Nicholas started.
"Darken Rahl is no longer the Lord Rahl. He will be dead by the end of the night." Denna had taken her Agiel out.
"Denna, you can't do this!" Cara had pushed her way out of the crowd, and was standing in front of him with her Agiel out. Nicholas drew his sword.
"Cara, go save my father, I'll take care of this." Nicholas whispered into her ear.
"Get out of the way Cara." Denna snarled.
"Nicholas – " Cara began to protest.
"Go!" He ordered, and she ran.
The Mord – Sith descended on him, and there were too many to fight. Nickolas wasn't that great of a swordsman anyways. The Agiels began landing on him and he was crying out in pain. The last thing he saw before blacking out was Denna running after Cara.
Nicholas woke up hanging from the ceiling. He was delirious, and wasn't really sure what was going on. He heard a familiar voice talking to him. "Nicholas. Nicholas, you're going to be all right. I won't let her hurt you." He looked over and saw Cara hanging from the ceiling as well.
"Cara." His voice sounded croaky, but it was load enough for her to hear. "What's going on? Where's my father?"
Cara stared at him, "I'm sorry Nicholas, but Darken Rahl is dead." She whispered.
"What?" Nicholas felt tears run down his cheek. "He can't be dead. You were supposed to save him. I saw you run to the garden."
"I got there to late, Nicholas. Lord Rahl had already – "
"Don't call him that!" Nicholas screamed. "Richard is not the Lord Rahl. I am."
Richard laughed from the doorway of the room. "You're right Nicholas. You are the rightful heir to D' Hara, but I don't think I'm going to let you be the Lord Rahl. I have a plan see. Nicholas Rahl, unfortunately he was murdered by the Seeker as he escaped from the Palace." Richard said.
"You let the Seeker escape?" He heard Cara mock him, and Richard was suddenly there slapping her.
"You should not be speaking right now, traitor!" He turned to Nicholas. "I've been trying to think how the Seeker would kill you, and the only thing I can think of is one little jab of his sword." He drew the mock copy of the Sword of Truth. "While I will miss hearing you scream for hours and hours, I can't wait that long to become the Lord Rahl." Nicholas's eyes went wide.
"Wait!" Cara screamed. "Please, Lord Rahl. Don't kill him. I'm begging you, Lord Rahl." Nicholas and Richard both looked at her confused for a minute.
"I'll have you begging again later Cara, I don't – "
"I'll do anything, Lord Rahl, please don't kill him." Richard stared at her for at least five minutes with surprise evident on his face.
Finally he laughed. "Cara, in a little while, you'll do anything for me anyways. Why does he mean so much to you anyways Cara?" Nicholas, through all his terror was wondering the same thing.
"I – " she started.
"He's her son, Lord Rahl. Nicholas is the child of Darken Rahl and Cara." Denna was leaning against the doorframe.
"You're son? Wow." Richard said, and slid the sword into Nicholas's right kidney. It caused immense pain, but no screams.
"No!" Cara did scream. "I'm going to kill you! Both of you! You will die by my hands!"
"Now you know what happens when you cross me." Richard said, and left Cara with Denna.
Author's Note: Hope you like it. It's my longest chapter yet.