TITLE: Marked

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan / Cara / Zedd / Original Characters

RATING: PG-16 / R later

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

TIMELINE: Anything up through S2

DISCLAIMER: I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

SUMMARY: Sequel to my fic Revenge, Richard finally has Kahlan safely back with him, but does he really?

Chapter 18

She slowly ran her hands over the dress she wore, still trying to wrap her mind around everything. Tolla Nakunam and his wife Caref had come to the Spirit House with gifts for her and Richard for saving their daughters.

Kahlan had apologized over and over again for becoming so upset with her after saving their daughters, but the woman had graciously refused her apologies, telling her it was alright. She knew that the Mother Confessor had been unwell and was just relieved that no one had been hurt. She had given Kahlan a dress in gratitude for rescuing her daughters while Tolla Nakunam had stolen Richard away to spirits knew where.

Looking down at herself now, she didn't think she'd ever seen a more beautiful dress. It was a stunning shade of blue, simple in its design and fit perfectly as if it had been made just for her.

She fought back tears as she caressed the soft material between her fingers, still stunned by the generous gift. People didn't give gifts to Confessors, their fear keeping them from ever coming too close to them. Despite how badly she had reacted, Caref had reached out to her…a Confessor.

She suddenly found herself anxious for Richard to see her in it. She always loved the way that he looked at her; the way the warm chestnut brown of his eyes would grow so dark with desire for her that it would steal the breath from her lungs.

Richard always made her feel so beautiful , so desirable and wanted. She feared if he knew the things that Darken Rahl had done to her, the way that he had touched her that he'd no longer look at her the same way ever again. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't lose him, couldn't live without him even though she knew that she needed to let him go so he could have the life that he deserved, the family that she knew he wanted.

But how could survive without him?

She knew in her heart she couldn't. A life without him was unimaginable, causing more tears to surface. She gasped softly in an attempt to swallow back the sob that caught in her throat. Spirits, she just loved him so very much.

She began to let herself dream about being with him, wondering if he might be right. Could his love for her be so powerful, so unconditional that he would be protected from her magic?

The thought alone gave her hurting heart wings, her need for him awakening within her once more. It was always there just beneath the surface, ready to flare and sear through her veins with something as simple as a touch or a glance, a smile or even just the sound of her name on his lips.

"Confessor Kahlan," a voice suddenly caught her attention, causing her to flush at where her thoughts had taken her.

She quickly exited the small room in Nakunam and Caref's temporary home. "How do I look?" she asked.

Caref's eyes widened with surprise. "You look so beautiful, Confessor Kahlan," she gasped. "Your mate will love you even more in it."

Kahlan quickly shook her head. "He…Richard…he isn't…my…mate," she stammered, her cheeks warm with the idea.

Caref seemed to not hear what she was saying as she began to fuss with the dress, making sure it fit her properly. "Yes, he will indeed love you in it. He won't be able to take his eyes off of you…or his hands."

Kahlan's eyes fell closed, swallowing back her heart. She wanted Richard's hands on her body more than anything in this world. She wanted to give him what he so badly wanted, what they both wanted, but she couldn't without taking his soul.

"Confessor Kahlan?" Caref said. "You're crying. Are you alright? Do you need Odo?"

"No, I'm sorry," she quickly murmured, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'm still not feeling quite myself yet."

"It'll be alright, my dear," Caref patted her arm. "You will enjoy the feast tonight and then you can be alone with your mate. You'll feel much better then."

Kahlan sighed heavily, wishing so badly that she was right, but she knew that something was wrong with her, something dark trying to take over. She couldn't let it. She would fight it with everything that she had. She had to for Richard.

"Where did Tolla take Richard?" she asked, suddenly realizing that they weren't anywhere in sight.

"The men always prepare for the feast separate from the women so we can have time to look beautiful for our mates."

Kahlan smiled shyly, wanting to find Richard soon. Her heart was beginning to beat a little faster, a little harder just thinking about him, the need for him growing stronger. Her head kept telling her she couldn't, but her heart kept telling her it was right…that Richard was right about his love for her.

A flutter of butterfly wings erupted in the pit of her stomach as she began to follow Caref from the hut. Walking outside into the warm light of the setting sun, Kahlan suddenly noticed that Caref was wearing a brightly colored dress, her hair done up for the special occasion.

She subconsciously began playing with a lock of her own hair, wishing now that she had done something different with her hair too. Maybe Richard would prefer it different, pulled up at the sides or pulled back and gathered low at her neck.

She didn't know why she suddenly felt so nervous as she followed the flow of women heading towards the center of the village. She felt so awkward and out of place. She'd never worn a dress quite like this nor had Richard ever seen her in anything other than her white Confessor's dress or her travelling clothes. Maybe he wouldn't like it.

Kahlan felt her heart sink with the thought. He deserved so much more than she could ever give him. He deserved nothing but the absolute best and she was so far from it. She was nothing but a danger to him.

Entering the large clearing, Kahlan immediately began scanning the crowd of Aku, searching for the one who had stolen her heart. Men and women danced to the beat of drums, torches lit all around the outskirts casting a golden glow over everything.

She nervously began to chew on her bottom lip, considering returning to the Spirit House if she didn't find Richard soon.

Richard followed Tolla Nakunam, anxiously trying to look past him at the clearing. Sounds from the feast drifted on the evening breeze and tickled his ears. He was growing more than restless to find Kahlan. He didn't like being separated from her for too long especially knowing she wasn't feeling well.

He felt a small measure of peace knowing that they would have a gathering tomorrow to get to the bottom of what was wrong with her. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her about it yet, though.

By the time he had returned to the Spirit House this afternoon, Kahlan was already asleep, the nightmares returning in full force again soon after his return. He had managed to soothe her through it without her actually waking, but it was killing him having to watch her struggle like this.

Reaching the clearing, Richard looked down at his attire, feeling a little uncomfortable with what he was wearing…or how little he was wearing. Tolla was dressed just like him as were all the other men he found there, but he still felt self-conscious.

He immediately began searching the gathering crowd mingling and dancing, eating and laughing. He was growing desperate to find Kahlan, needing to see her, hold her. When she wasn't with him, he didn't feel right, his life suddenly incomplete in every way.

"This really wasn't necessary, Tolla," Richard said, following him through the throngs of Aku.

"I'm afraid it's not nearly enough," he replied with a frown. "You saved my daughters. There is not enough that can be done for something like that."

"I just appreciate the Council's willingness to hold a gathering tomorrow for Kahlan," Richard said, the tone of his voice conveying the heaviness of his heart.

"You and the Mother Confessor are now friends of the Aku," Tolla told him. "We do anything to help our friends."

Richard came to an abrupt stop when his eyes fell on a breathtaking woman with raven hair wearing a blue dress. His heart stopped at the sight of his beautiful Confessor, the way she was biting her bottom lip immediately setting his heart to pounding. He was dying to kiss and nip at those sweet lips, to get his hands on her and never let her go.

Tolla grinned when he noticed who Richard was staring at, pleased that he liked what he saw. "Have a good time, my friend," Tolla clapped him on the back. "I'm going to find my mate."

Richard could only nod his head in response, his entire body completely lost to her now. He slowly began to make his way to her, the people around him disappearing in the wake of her captivating presence. To him, no one else existed at that moment.

He swallowed past the nervousness that suddenly filled him, his heart hammering wildly in his chest as he drew near her. He could not get close to her fast enough, the site of her in that dress driving him absolutely wild.

The color of the material perfectly matched her striking blue eyes, making them even brighter if that was even possible. It was strapless, wrapping around her body as if it had been specifically made for her. It stopped a couple of inches above her knees, allowing him a generous view of her long legs.

Richard found himself wishing they were alone in the Spirit House right now, but knew they couldn't offend their hosts by leaving already. The feast was in their honor and they couldn't escape no matter how desperately he wanted to be alone with her.

Kahlan suddenly looked up then, their eyes meeting in that electric moment, her breath catching as she watched her handsome Seeker drawing near. She wasn't sure if it was the way that he was dressed or the heated look of desire that danced like flames in his eyes that aroused her the most.

She felt such an intense sudden draw to him, a need to be touched and loved by him. She could see by the look on his face that he was feeling the same way about her and it made her pulse race in sweet anticipation.

"Kahlan," he softly breathed her name as he drew near. It was all he could manage at that point as he came to a stop directly in front her.

Giving him her special smile, Kahlan allowed her eyes to roam over his bronzed skin, his perfectly contoured body, the way his tooth pendant laid cradled in the valley of his muscles. His chest was bear for her to admire, to touch. He wore a decorative piece of material that wrapped around his waist and tied at his hip, coming to a stop above his knees. His sword hung protectively at his other hip, always ready to defend and protect.

She ached to touch him, to run her hands and mouth all over his flawless body, not even the mark of the Keeper could detract from his perfection. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, her breaths coming a little faster as he just stared at her, drinking her in.

He loved how she looked at him, obviously admiring and liking what she was seeing. It made his need for her pump hotly through his veins, his body tensing against the overwhelming urge to just grab her and kiss her the way that he was aching to.

"You look very handsome," she finally said, doing her best to still her racing heart, but the way he was staring at her was setting her body aflame with desire.

He gave her a lopsided grin that did nothing to calm the anxious fluttering she felt inside. "You really think the skirt is me?" he asked as he glanced down at himself.

"Most definitely," she lightly chuckled. "It's very befitting of the mighty Seeker."

Richard chuckled as well, but suddenly grew serious, his eyes not losing one ounce of the heated longing that had been simmering there when he had first approached her. "Kahlan, you look…very beautiful," he finally managed to get out.

He watched as she shyly dipped her head, a smile playing on her lips as she looked up at him through her long eyelashes. "Thank you," she softly replied, her raven locks falling over one bare shoulder.

He found himself completely entranced by her, unable to take his eyes away from her. He had always thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but somehow she had just managed to become even more breathtaking to him.

Gazing into her eyes, Richard could tell that the headache was still lingering there beneath the surface, but thankfully it didn't appear to be as intense as it had been. He just hoped the gathering tomorrow would be able to unlock the mystery as to why she was having them at all. While anxious to get to the bottom of what was happening to her, he was terrified of what they might find out.

Fighting back the overwhelming urge to kiss her, he lightly ran his fingers down her bare arm until he met her hand, taking it in his. Turning it, he noticed that the mark on her forearm wasn't as pronounced as it had been when they had been at the hot springs earlier in the day.

"I think the mark on your arm looks a little better," he absentmindedly said as he lifted her arm to exam it by the torch light.

It wasn't quite as red as it had been this afternoon, the swelling going down some. It was still an unusual pattern that left him feeling more than a little unsettled. He couldn't help but feel that it was somehow connected to everything that was happening to his Confessor.

"It doesn't hurt as much as it did before," she offered, hoping to soothe his worry.

"I'm glad," he replied, meeting her eyes once more. "Hopefully, it means that you'll be feeling better soon."

Kahlan softly smiled in response, loving the feel of his hand holding hers. It never ceased to bring her such utter peace to her soul. "Would you like to get something to eat?" she finally asked, forcing herself to look away from his eyes.

"That sounds good. I'm starving," he agreed, keeping hold of her hand as he began to lead her through the crowded clearing.

Following him, Kahlan couldn't take her eyes off of his sculpted body, the way his muscles flexed with his movements, the smoothness of his tanned skin that seemed to glow in the torch light. She wanted to remove the material that separated him from her, desperate to at last quell the never-ending fire that lived deep within her core for him if but for only a moment.

Richard couldn't keep the smile from his face as he guided her towards where the food waited for them. Kahlan seemed more like herself tonight, giving him hope that she was finally feeling better. He couldn't help but feel her eyes on him from behind; devouring him and making him flush inside with want for her.

He didn't know how he was going to make it through the next few hours let alone the next few minutes without taking her away from here just so he could make love to her. She looked so positively stunning tonight he didn't know how he was going to be able to keep his mind off of her or keep his thoughts from wandering down that lustful path he longed to travel with her.

Richard smiled and nodded to those he passed by, everyone greeting them and thanking them for what they had done. Approaching the long table of food, he couldn't help but notice Hadi standing off to the side along the dark shadowy ridge that lined the clearing. He had his spear in hand and a dark scowl on his face. His hatred for them was unmistakable, his thoughts not hard to read.

The Seeker's raptor gaze met the Aku warrior's glowering stare, silently letting him know in no uncertain terms that he would do whatever it took to protect Kahlan. Hadi spat on the ground before turning his furious glare onto the Mother Confessor.

Kahlan didn't shy away from the challenge, meeting his heated stare and matching it with one of her own. She was not about to be intimidated by this man who obviously held great disdain for them.

Releasing Richard's hand, she immediately made her way to him, taking both the Seeker and Hadi by surprise. The warrior instantly stiffened as she approached, lifting his head up high and thrusting his chest out. Richard quickly followed her, wanting to make sure she didn't lose control again like she had before.

Kahlan came to a stop before him, her face hard, her eyes fearless. "What do you have against us?" she pointedly asked him.

Stunned, Hadi did his best to hide his surprise. "I don't have anything against you or the Seeker," he lied, doing his best to avoid her penetrating gaze.

"You lie," she firmly stated. "I'm a Confessor. I can read people's face and I know when someone is lying."

Hadi's face darkened with rage, angered by her accusation. "Fine…you want to know what I have against you? You don't belong here. You should've been killed on sight not brought into our village and treated like honored guests."

"We mean you no harm," Richard said from beside Kahlan. "We are only passing through."

"You say that and yet you carry that deadly sword," Hadi shot back. "And you travel with a witch who could steal our souls."

"Kahlan is not a witch," Richard ground out in anger. He hated how Kahlan was regarded by others as less than human, their view of her tainted by fear. "If she had wanted to confess you, you all would've been confessed long before now."

"Maybe I should just go ahead and start with you," she said, her eyes gleaming as she reached out her hand towards his throat. "I've never confessed an Aku. Would you like to be my first?"

Hadi immediately took a step back, raising his spear crosswise to keep her from touching him. "Stay away from me, witch," he hissed as he stared at her hand inching closer to his throat. "I will kill you."

"I'd like to see you try," she snapped, her fury rising.

Richard grabbed her wrist, pulling her arm back. "We would like you to believe us, Hadi," he calmly told the warrior. "We have no intention of hurting your people."

"I'll believe it only after you're both dead," he spat out, turning his back and quickly disappearing into the night.

"What's going on?"

Richard and Kahlan turned to find Tolla Nakunam coming up behind them, worry lining his face. "Nothing," Richard quickly said. "Just talking to Hadi."

"He doesn't like us much," Kahlan told him.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks," Tolla frowned. "He is not the Council. They have made their decision about you and he will abide by it or be forced to face me."

Richard wrapped his arm around Kahlan's waist, drawing her close. "No harm done," he replied. "Let's go enjoy the feast."

Tolla nodded, his smile returning. "Come, I want you to try some of Caref's cooking. She's the best in the village."

Following Tolla, Richard leaned down to whisper in Kahlan's ear, worry tugging heavily on his heart once more. "You weren't really going to confess him, were you?"

Kahlan looked at him, her blue eyes still dark with anger. "What do you think?" she smirked something dark.

Richard felt a shiver suddenly race up his spine, realizing he had just averted a near catastrophe. He was beginning to think that maybe Kahlan wasn't getting better after all.