Kahlan stared at the floor, watching her blood drip down and splatter upon the pool that collected beneath her. Her body ached, her neck frozen in the position, unable to move without more pain. The room was not dark, but her eyes found it difficult to see anything when she strained them to look around. Her wrists were chained above her head, her arms numb, but her shoulders ached as she swung slightly. She was cold, her dress had been ripped into pieces, barely covering her. There were no other sounds around her, leaving her mind to conclude that she was alone, but she couldn't be sure and she refused to believe anything she couldn't see.

She knew she should be worried, but she wasn't. No matter where she was or who held her, she couldn't help but think that she wouldn't be there long and any moment, she would hear his voice, telling her that she was safe; that he had found her.

It didn't happen as soon as she thought. Days passed and she was still there, trapped in place while she was beaten without a word. At times, she thought she had lost her hearing, but then the echo of someone's fist slamming into her would sound off and she'd hear herself groan. After some time, she heard them laugh, a sound she wished she couldn't hear. She demanded answers, wanting to know why they held her, but there was no reply. The men who held her seemed to grow desperate, whispering in a panic in the corner of the room, but she couldn't make out most of the words.

She lost her sight a day or two ago, she couldn't remember when and it made it more difficult to focus on her attempts to escape. They released her hands a few times, watching in laughter as she darted forward, a different direction each time, in an attempt to get free. She wouldn't make it more than a few steps before running into a wall or falling to the ground in horrific pain as her legs struggled to hold the weight of her. It was some kind of sport to them, they, however many there were, would cheer her on and then laugh when she could no longer move. They were the last sounds she heard as she lost consciousness.

She woke to a slap on her right cheek, her head swinging sideways as her body jerked forward in surprise. Straining to see, Kahlan fought against the darkness while listening to the person before her breathe heavily.

"What do you want from me?" she asked for what felt to be the billionth time.

She didn't expect an answer, but when one came, her blood went cold. "We don't want anything from you. We are doing what we were paid to do."

"Do you have any idea who I am?" she whispered, doing her best not to sound threatening. It was the first time she had been spoken to and a part of he was relieved to hear another voice.

"We are aware, yes. You're the Mother Confessor."

"If you release me now, I will not have you imprisioned."

"You're not in a position to say that," the man before her said coldly. "I'm sorry you have been here so long, we were expecting this to have been over quickly."

"Something go wrong with your plans?"

"There have been more obstacles than foreseen. The one who paid us had not arrived, needing to remain to avoid suspicion."

"Who?"

"Why would I tell you that?"

Tilting her head, she tried to find a way to read him, to fool him, but without being able to see, it was impossible. "Why not? I am to die here, am I not? I deserve to know at who's hands the final blow comes from."

"You may not wish to know. I am sorry, Mother Confessor, for the reason we hold you is not one I feel you should die for. It is your way."

"What is?"

"I've given you all of the information you seek, you will have more than enough time to put the pieces together."

She heard him begin to walk away and suddenly she found herself calling out for him. "No! Wait! Please stay... Who are you?"

"I- You do not wish to know who I am, trust me."

"I cannot trust a man with no name."

"I'm sorry, I must go. They will return in a few minutes and you should prepare. They've created a new game."

From the way he spoke, she knew instantly that whatever it was they had created, it was not going to be easy. "Wait!" She heard him pause, but remain quiet, almost making her question if he was still there. "If I did something against you, against any of you-"

"Your punishment is not for something against us. We are merely the tools used to bring it to you. Please, when they return, do not speak. Your voice is as attractive as the rest of you and I am certain that they wish to- When they unchain you, run right, it will end their game much quicker."

Without thought, she nodded. "Thank you."

She didn't know why she trusted him, she could not see into his eyes and could not be sure he spoke the truth, but the way he said it all, it reminded her of something Richard had once told her. 'The way someone speaks can show a lie, the eyes cannot always be seen.' She almost smiled at the memory, the sound of his voice returning to her mind for a moment. She wished he was there. He would come, she told herself. He always came.

Her her legs were lowered to the ground, her arms released and before she had a moment to find her balance, she rushed to her right. She felt herself run by someone, he gasped as he stepped back, but she didn't stop. With another two steps, she fell, splashing into some kind of pool. The men grumbled in anger as she emerged for a breath, hands on her shoulders at once. Coughing, she tried to understand what happened, wishing she could see as she listened to the other men.

"She can't do it if she's wet. Someone dry her!"

"I'll do it," a familiar voice said, silencing the others. Those who held her before released her shoulders, dropping her to the floor. "Get me some towels."

They were alone in a few minutes and whoever she had spoken to before helped her back to her chains, though he didn't lock her away. He was gentle, surprising her with each movement. The towel was pressed to her face, dabbing the water away instead of wiping with the rough surface of the cloth. The man moved down her neck and over her arms, trying to remove as much of the water as possible. After a several minutes, he sighed, dropping his hands to his sides.

"I need to take off your dress." She began moving backward, trying to get away from him, but being unable to see made it difficult to move quick enough and he had her arm instantly. "Don't do that."

"Please, don't..."

"If I don't remove it, they will tear it from your body and the act alone will fuel their desires for you."

"Seeing me naked-"

"Will not help you, but you will not freeze to death in a cold, wet dress. Do not fight me and I will do my best to keep them from touching you."

"You can't stop them, can you?"

"I don't know," he told her honestly. "You're more attractive than every other we've held. I'm surprised none had taken you the instant the metal touched your neck." He pulled her closer, his own hand traveling slowly up her arm, making her fear his next action. "You're a very beautiful woman." She swallowed as his hands grabbed the laces of her dress and pulled. As what was left of her dress fell to her waist, she held her breath, afraid. "They'll return soon. I need to hurry."

She had been naked for days, hanging from the ceiling as men gathered around her. They touched her skin, making her cringe and not from the pain of their rough hands on her still bleeding wounds. None had taken her, a thought she made sure to focus on as the hours past. The idea of what could happen made her fear her position even more and if if they took her, she would never be able to look the man she loved in the eye again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a slap to the face, shaking her body completely. "I asked you a question, Confessor!" She gasped as he stepped forward, his bare chest pushing against hers while he wrapped her arms around her. "The man you've taken to your bed, how did he feel above you?"

She suddenly felt brave, thinking of what she and Richard had done. "I don't know," she said in a voice that was more seductive than she intended. "I sat above him with a loud cry of pleasure." She was shocked by her own words, but the fact she couldn't see him made it easier to speak.

The man tightened his hold on her for a moment and then jumped back, unable to stop himself from laughing. "You are a rare woman, aren't you?"

"You cannot imagine."

He was pressed against her again, his lips lightly grazing hers. "Show me."

"I'm afraid you fall short for the pleasures I desire."

The man ran his tongue over her chin, nipping at the skin. "You can't see what I have for you."

With every ounce of strength she had, she pushed forward, into the man with a soft moan. "I can feel everything you have to offer. It's not enough to please a hole in the ground."

She thought he'd be angry with her words, but he didn't do any of the things she expected him to. "I assure you Mother Confessor, I can provide a pleasure you will never forget."

Her mind rushed through a series of thoughts, actions and words that could keep him from showing her what he could do. There were so many possibilities and each one seemed to end the same way. Making a quick decision, she let to of herself, making her drift a little ways from him. "How many women have you taken?"

"Enough to know their cries will be replaced with yours."

"I asked for a number," she said calmly, her Confessor's voice ringing free.

"Nineteen."

She smiled, leaning forward as to appear to be a reward for answering her question. "And how many times were each pleased?"

With her mouth so close to his, he answered instantly. "Many. I could not have then once alone."

Kahlan grabbed the man's top lip with her teeth, pulling gently for a moment before letting it go free. "Were you within them?"

"Not each time. My mouth and fingers can bring just as much pleasure."

She was almost giddy now, surprising herself that she had taken it this far and what was more, she enjoyed pretending to be a woman he desired. She didn't understand what had gotten into her, but it was the first time in a while that she felt something other than pain. It was more welcoming and as long as she wasn't taken, there was no crime against Richard. "Can they?"

"Yes."

"Show me." The words left her mouth before she could stop them and then suddenly she began to regret them. If he was concentrated on something else, anything else, she would be spared a few more moments.

He responded quickly, his mouth touching her neck, his hands on her breasts and it was then her plan began to work. The man grew frustrated instantly, her body swinging back each time he tried to do something more to her. With a growl, he held her as still as possible with his left hand while rushing his right over her. Grabbing her breast, he tried to lick the other, failing as she hung before him.

"Don't stop," she panted as his hold loosened, doing what was needed to gain his full attention. "Spirits," she moaned and gasped, imagining another's hands upon her.

Her reactions fueled his mind, keeping him going with the thought that she was his. He was pushing into her, growling as though she were his prey and he was in the middle of tearing her apart. With a slow roll of his hips against her, he turned her away, his chest hiring her back and their skin touching between the strands of her hair. His hands held her breasts firmly, his body pressed into hers while she leaned into his touch.

"What are you doing?!" His hands were gone in an breath, her body jerking forward as he shoved her from himself, moving away as someone else came closer. "She is not to be touched! We were given orders Braes! She is not to be-"

"I will do as I please!" the man beside her shouted back. "We can have this woman, no one will know. We can take her again and again, she will never know what we've done with her. She-"

"I don't know."

"You've touched her, you've felt- We can have her, together."

The room was dead silent for a few moments, Kahlan's mind screaming so loud, she was almost afraid they would hear. She was terrified of what would happen, afraid that she had gone too far and that she would know more pain within a few moments.

"Cover her with something."

Richard stepped back from the small woman before him, covered in her blood. He had begun questioning her weeks before and with each passing day, the woman remained silent. The smile on her face made him angrier than imaginable and after a week, he lost control. The woman had answers. She knew where the woman he loved was being held and then on top of it all, she taunted him with a wicked smile. Each moment with her, he found himself imagining the worst and every thought became heavier than the one before. Jessica had plotted against her from the moment she lost her husband and the Seeker would not rest until she received justice.

His heart broke each time he asked a question, gaining no answers at any moment, bringing them all closer to their deaths. He swore to find her, but having no knowledge on where to start made it was nearly impossible. After Kahlan had been taken, he spent days searching the area, hoping to find some trace of her, but there were none. It was difficult to believe she had gone willingly, leaving him more concerned at the lack of evidence suggesting a struggle.

Taking a step toward his prisoner, Richard cleared his throat, making sure his words were clear. "Tell me where she is and I will stop." The woman remained quiet, staring up at him with beaten and half swollen eyes. "This can end and you can go free."

"Do you believe me to be a fool?" Jessica whimpered in pain. "Once I tell you where she is, you will kill me."

Richard's head tilted, the same motion the Mother Confessor's did when she received a desired reaction. "You have now admitted to knowing where she is. I will tell you now that the pain you have felt until this moment has been a mercy for I did not know for sure you were behind this. You have taken the woman I love away from me and I get her back, if I have to tear your body apart limb by limb, slowly and surely. You will feel true pain, one I promise you never thought possible."

She stared up at him, now in a horror he was glad to see. Her body, once shaking in pain, now shook in fear and then he knelt down, bringing his face close to hers. "This," he whispered, lifting a familiar dagger. "This belongs to the Mother Confessor, it only seems right to have it aid in your pain."

"You are a cruel man."

"When someone threatens the life of someone I love. I am a Rahl, as you know. There may be no limits to my cruelty." The words made him sick as he spoke them, but he made sure it didn't show. She was becoming putty in his hands and soon, finally, he would have what he needed to find her. If he was being honest, he didn't care what he did to her as long as it brought Kahlan back to him. "I will not kill you, but when I am done for the day, you will pray to the Spirits to take you."

She was stronger than he imagined, holding on to her information as he cut into her skin, slicing slowly at fist, but knowing Kahlan wouldn't want her to suffer for her actions, he moved quicker with the bladde. The movement quickly made him want to vomit as her screams echoed around him. He had never been this kind of man and he hated to become the evil he swore to protect the people from, but he had exhausted every other option. The map he had made, the magic tied to her could not be found and after searching nearly every home in the city, he had run out of ideas.

Jessica had been taken to their prison the very day Kahlan had gone missing and he had hoped that by siting in there alone she would wish to talk, but the time never came. He then ran through the city, demanding to know who had taken the woman he loved, but again, he received no answers. For a city that always seemed to be awake, its people roaming around at all hours, he found it hard to believe that none of them had seen anything and after some time thinking, he thought they were all in on it. It made sense to him, that the people would take her, that they wished to live without a leader, but they were terrified of her, he couldn't make himself believe they would be brave enough to take her captive. No, he knew that if they wanted her gone, he would have found her body laying somewhere with a few bolts in her chest.

Cowards, he called the city, hating them all for failing to protect their leader. He was no better, he reminded himself at every turn. If he had stayed by her side and insisted that he accompany her to the meeting, she would still be there and she would be safe. If he had done what he always promised, he would have held her in his arms every night for the past two weeks. As the second week passed, he found that there was nothing more he could do to the woman he tortured, nothing that would bring him answers instead of killing her and as the time passed, he found the idea more and more appealing.

He held off only because of two reasons. One, he didn't want to lose the chance she may talk and two, he knew the punishment of her death, though he believed it to be just, Kahlan would disagree. She was always surprising him with her kindness, her heart being stronger and wider than anyone he had ever known and instead of rushing into a decision, she pondered on it, confided in someone she trusted and after some thought, she would then open her mouth for an answer. That was one of the things he loved about her, one of the many that held his mind as he fought himself from cutting the other woman's throat.

Exhausted, he squatted before her, dropping the dagger in the side of his boot. "Please tell me where she is."

"Why does she mean so much to you?"

"I love her."

With a heavy set of tears, Jessica shook her head. "She cannot know love. She's taken my husband."

Richard sighed, pitying the woman before him. "She never wanted to and it pained her to keep him from you. You people think she does things carelessly and that they do not bother her, but you are all wrong. She wanted to give him back to you, she spent hours with him, talking about his feelings for you and it pained her. She hated that she had taken such a love from you and if she could have given him back to you without killing herself, she would. She was afraid you wouldn't understand and I guess you may never, but it was never her intention to harm him. Do you know why she chose him to be her mate?"

"She is heartless."

"She chose him because of how he spoke of you and his children. She saw the man you knew; the man you love and she wanted it to be passed on. If he gave her a child, can you imagine the traits of his she would have? The kindness, the... She chose him to help the world, not to destroy yours."

"I love him," she whimpered, turning her head into the stone floor she laid on. "I cannot go on without him."

"And I cannot go on without Kahlan."

"How can you love her? She's taken my husband to her bed."

Richard's first thought was to tell her that he, too, had been in her bed, but she made it clear the morning they awoke together that could never be shared. "She wanted to know how it felt," he whispered painfully. "A Confessor has never known the love you and your husband shared, she asked him to show her how much he loved you. She may have taken him into her bed, but she was able to experience something I can never give her. She felt what it's like to be with someone who loves her. I am grateful your husband was able to give her that. It doesn't make me love her any less."

"Grateful?"

"Everyone should experience that kind of love; Kahlan is no different."

"She's a Confessor," the other woman spat.

"She's a woman. She is no different than you; she has a heart and she loves... If you wanted to blame someone for what happened to your husband, you should blame me. If she could take me, she would."

"She can take whoever she pleases."

"If you were her, would you be able to destroy the man you love?"

"She took the man I love."

"That wasn't my question."

"I would do whatever it took to be with the man I love."

"I noticed."

"I won't tell you where she is. I can't."

"Why?"

Staring at the ground, she grit her teeth. "I will have my husband back."

"I won't let her die."

"You can't stop it."

"I won't stop trying."

"You're a fool."

"I'm not the one chained to the floor."