Chapter Forty

"Zedd?" Kahlan gasped. She had thought he was dead for a long time, and he looked like he had been close to it.

Richard looked stunned too, but she didn't really understand why. Then she remembered, a forgotten conversation 'Zedd, my grandfather. Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, wizard of the First Order.' He was Richard's grandfather.

Zedd had turned to her, a look of disgust on his face. "You!" He spat. "You seem to have foiled every one of my plans to kill Richard, even though you swore to hate him, and kill or confess him if you ever had a chance."

Kahlan remembered that oath. It had been a long time ago, but she had never forgotten it, until the last few weeks. "Zedd, I . . . "

"Why are you trying to kill me Zedd?" Richard stepped in, but he still hadn't moved from where he was, the sword over Shota's neck gleamed with light from the palace. "I'm not the Richard that you hate, and you know that."

"My plans to kill you had been in place for a long time, the Shota from your world's meddling wasn't going to mess up a whole years worth of preparation!" He yelled, but continued in a calm voice. "Besides, I figured you would be much easier to kill, and once you were dead . . . we would be free from Richard Rahl forever."

"But that doesn't make any sense, what's stopping him from coming back." Cara said from behind Kahlan.

Richard answered. "If there's no body to come back to – "

But Zedd finished. "Then there is no way to come back. After seeing you at work as the Seeker, it's a shame I'll have to kill you, but it's better this way."

"Wait!" Kahlan said. "Why can't you just send Richard back and kill the other one."

"He'd have to wake up first, and then I'd have to kill Richard Rahl fair and square. You remember how that turned out last time don't you. Not to mention one word and he can command us to do whatever he wants." Zedd explained.

"The Boxes of Orden?" Richard asked. "There were only two in the Garden of Life."

Everyone turned to stare at Richard. "What are you talking about Richard?" Cara said. "There have been three there since the Seeker was defeated."

"No, one of them is a fake. It's an illusion, the other Richard could never have used the power of Orden." Richard explained. "You didn't realize he wasn't using it?"

"Well, he said that he didn't need to, he could force us to do anything, and he enjoyed that part of it." Cara said calmly, Benjamin gave her a sideways glance.

"Then who has the third box?" Kahlan whispered.

"Excuse me!" Shota yelled. "Will you please let go of me Richard?"

"Why would I do that?" Richard asked.

"You know why." Shota said. "I can't believe she made fun of my prophecy." Richard let go of her, a smirk lingered on his lips for a second, and Kahlan almost forgot that they were in a stand off with the most powerful wizard alive.

"Richard?" Cara asked her Agiel loomed in her hand ready to strike.

"She's from my world." He answered. Cara didn't seem ready to back down though, and Benjamin seemed ready to kill her as well.

"Now, are you going to let me go back to my world?" Richard asked, but he seemed to think he knew the answer, his sword was lowered, and he looked tired. Zedd looked like he was contemplating it, and he smiled, but it wasn't a smile Kahlan had ever seen before.

"No." Wizard's Fire shot forward out of Zedd's hands, heading straight for Richard.

Author's Note: Okay, after a long time, I think I finally decided to end this thing. Only a few chapters left, and it'll be over. By the way, WHO HAS THE THIRD BOX OF ORDEN? Any guess? Anyways, sorry for the wait, the very, very long wait. I hope it was worth it for you.

IndependenceDayChild17