Explaining things to Kahlan.
“Kahlan!”
“No, Richard…” She shook her head, steps caught somewhere between a hesitant pace and a swift one. “I can’t…” Her head turned, looking at him with eyes that couldn’t seem to decide if they wanted to be angry or upset over her shoulder. “How can…” She shook her head again, managing another two steps away from him.
Richard followed, though he gave her some of the space she was looking for. “Please, just listen to me.”
Kahlan spun, causing Richard to actually back up a step. “Listen to what? The marks and bruises speak for you, Richard.” Her voice held hurt and anger. That he’d walked away, free to go, meant he’d walked into whatever he’d done willingly.
His hands went up, palms facing her. “That’s not what you need to listen to me about.” His eyes glanced around the clearing they’d set up camp. Only one question had been asked when he’d walked through the tavern door suddenly covered in marks and bruises from Denna and the Agiel. How? His answer had put a serious look on Cara and given Kahlan a stiff back. Not a word had been said on the subject for the whole rest of the ride since. Kahlan had waited until they’d set up camp to question him about how they could possibly come from Denna. Cara and Zed had made themselves scarce and Richard hadn’t seen them since this started.
“What could possibly be worse than hearing that you met up with Denna in some weird bar at some end of the universe?” The marks making clear what they’d done together. He didn’t even need to elaborate any further than that.
Richard visibly flinched. It was slight, but there. “Denna is going to be joining our party soon.”
Kahlan’s jaw worked slightly before she turned and stormed away from him.
Richard sighed and took off after her. “Kahlan, please.”
Kahlan’s head shook but she didn’t slow or turn to look at him. “No, Richard. I’ve had to put up a lot with you deciding that Cara had to travel with us. And now you want the one other person in your heart with us too. I can’t…” Her words faded as she shook her head again, not able to find the words to finish that sentence.
Richard wanted to argue that fact about Denna being in his heart, but he couldn’t lie to Kahlan. And not just because she’d see right through the lie, but because he wouldn’t do that to her. “It will fix the tear between our world and the underworld.” Kahlan stopped dead in her tracks at that and while he stopped moving behind her, he didn’t stop talking. “It will leave the Mord Sith, under my command and not extinct. And it will leave us with the ability to give into our love.”
Kahlan’s head turned just a little to look at him over her shoulder. She was quiet for a moment, watching him. Her voice was soft when she finally spoke up, “What are you talking about?”
“Denna is from our past. She’s looking to change what happened when we put the Boxes of Orden together. Our present will change because of it. It will actually go as planned. No interruption from the Mord Sith or Darken Rahl. I’ll be confessed by you and hold the power of Orden and with Denna at my side as Head of the Mord Sith, they’ll all follow my orders.” Richard watched her, giving her a moment to take just that set of information in.
Kahlan frowned as she worked through it, still very not happy about it. “You said that there wouldn’t be a tear either…?”
Richard nodded, “No breaking and destroying of Orden leaves our world free of the tear that breaking the power caused. We wouldn’t have to deal with trying to keep the Keeper from breaking through because he’d never have the tear to cling to and rip open.”
Kahlan turned slightly towards him. The hurt was still clear in her eyes, even as she worked this new information over. Part of it already hurting her head. “How can you even be sure she’ll follow you?”
“Because I’m the new Lord Rahl. And because her options are join with me and save her sisterhood or watch her sisterhood become almost extinct. And by my side, she’ll have her position back. If Darken Rahl wins, she’ll be demoted if not outright tortured and killed. It’s in her best interest to trust and help me. To follow me.” Richard held his hand out, “And we get to be together.”
Kahlan turned enough to place her hand in his, but didn’t go with the tug. She wanted to keep a little space between them. “She’ll want you to herself. I want you for myself...”
Richard smiled, faint and soft, as he took a few steps to close some of the distance between them. “She’ll share. And I’m hoping you’ll be alright with having to share me a little too.”
Her eyes traced the bruises and marks she could see. “I don’t know if I can do this, Richard…”
Richard rose one hand to cup Kahlan’s cheek, “It’s already set into motion. The stopping of the breaking of the power. The rest, we’ll take one day at a time, alright?”
She nodded, a small movement as her eyes closed. “I am not promising to share you.”
Richard sighed and pulled her into his arms, chin resting on the top of her head. “Alright.”
Kahlan’s arms slipped around his waist, “Alright…”
“No, Richard…” She shook her head, steps caught somewhere between a hesitant pace and a swift one. “I can’t…” Her head turned, looking at him with eyes that couldn’t seem to decide if they wanted to be angry or upset over her shoulder. “How can…” She shook her head again, managing another two steps away from him.
Richard followed, though he gave her some of the space she was looking for. “Please, just listen to me.”
Kahlan spun, causing Richard to actually back up a step. “Listen to what? The marks and bruises speak for you, Richard.” Her voice held hurt and anger. That he’d walked away, free to go, meant he’d walked into whatever he’d done willingly.
His hands went up, palms facing her. “That’s not what you need to listen to me about.” His eyes glanced around the clearing they’d set up camp. Only one question had been asked when he’d walked through the tavern door suddenly covered in marks and bruises from Denna and the Agiel. How? His answer had put a serious look on Cara and given Kahlan a stiff back. Not a word had been said on the subject for the whole rest of the ride since. Kahlan had waited until they’d set up camp to question him about how they could possibly come from Denna. Cara and Zed had made themselves scarce and Richard hadn’t seen them since this started.
“What could possibly be worse than hearing that you met up with Denna in some weird bar at some end of the universe?” The marks making clear what they’d done together. He didn’t even need to elaborate any further than that.
Richard visibly flinched. It was slight, but there. “Denna is going to be joining our party soon.”
Kahlan’s jaw worked slightly before she turned and stormed away from him.
Richard sighed and took off after her. “Kahlan, please.”
Kahlan’s head shook but she didn’t slow or turn to look at him. “No, Richard. I’ve had to put up a lot with you deciding that Cara had to travel with us. And now you want the one other person in your heart with us too. I can’t…” Her words faded as she shook her head again, not able to find the words to finish that sentence.
Richard wanted to argue that fact about Denna being in his heart, but he couldn’t lie to Kahlan. And not just because she’d see right through the lie, but because he wouldn’t do that to her. “It will fix the tear between our world and the underworld.” Kahlan stopped dead in her tracks at that and while he stopped moving behind her, he didn’t stop talking. “It will leave the Mord Sith, under my command and not extinct. And it will leave us with the ability to give into our love.”
Kahlan’s head turned just a little to look at him over her shoulder. She was quiet for a moment, watching him. Her voice was soft when she finally spoke up, “What are you talking about?”
“Denna is from our past. She’s looking to change what happened when we put the Boxes of Orden together. Our present will change because of it. It will actually go as planned. No interruption from the Mord Sith or Darken Rahl. I’ll be confessed by you and hold the power of Orden and with Denna at my side as Head of the Mord Sith, they’ll all follow my orders.” Richard watched her, giving her a moment to take just that set of information in.
Kahlan frowned as she worked through it, still very not happy about it. “You said that there wouldn’t be a tear either…?”
Richard nodded, “No breaking and destroying of Orden leaves our world free of the tear that breaking the power caused. We wouldn’t have to deal with trying to keep the Keeper from breaking through because he’d never have the tear to cling to and rip open.”
Kahlan turned slightly towards him. The hurt was still clear in her eyes, even as she worked this new information over. Part of it already hurting her head. “How can you even be sure she’ll follow you?”
“Because I’m the new Lord Rahl. And because her options are join with me and save her sisterhood or watch her sisterhood become almost extinct. And by my side, she’ll have her position back. If Darken Rahl wins, she’ll be demoted if not outright tortured and killed. It’s in her best interest to trust and help me. To follow me.” Richard held his hand out, “And we get to be together.”
Kahlan turned enough to place her hand in his, but didn’t go with the tug. She wanted to keep a little space between them. “She’ll want you to herself. I want you for myself...”
Richard smiled, faint and soft, as he took a few steps to close some of the distance between them. “She’ll share. And I’m hoping you’ll be alright with having to share me a little too.”
Her eyes traced the bruises and marks she could see. “I don’t know if I can do this, Richard…”
Richard rose one hand to cup Kahlan’s cheek, “It’s already set into motion. The stopping of the breaking of the power. The rest, we’ll take one day at a time, alright?”
She nodded, a small movement as her eyes closed. “I am not promising to share you.”
Richard sighed and pulled her into his arms, chin resting on the top of her head. “Alright.”
Kahlan’s arms slipped around his waist, “Alright…”