Wedding Eve: Love's Fool

[brontefanatic]

This is the companion piece to Wedding Eve - The Bridge of Time

Title: Wedding Eve - Love's Fool
Length: 890~
Rating: T
Warning: None
Pairing: Darken/Kahlan
Inspired by: Love changes Everything by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Spoilers: Up through the beginning of Reckoning
Summary: Before his wedding to Kahlan, Darken reflects on how his victory has rung hollow,

Comments

[meridian_rose]

This song I know :D

I think the 'uneasy suspicion' that his memories might be 'wishful fantasy than reality' is perfect and it's sad that he doubts even Cara, though he might be right that her affection for Dahlia not only rivalled but surpassed those she had for him.

Yes, he likes spirited women :D

It's hard to tell at first how much of him wanting her to yield as she did for Richard is due to his jealousy of Richard's life, the life he might have had. As the fic moves on though it's clear he wants her to love him, and he wants to truly love her.

[brontefanatic]

Thanks for reading.

I love this song and for years played it rather relentlessly, seeing in it an exuberant expression of the giddiness of falling in love. But when you really look at the lyrics, there's a lot of sadness, too - if your own feelings of love are not reciprocated.

I liked the idea of both Darken and Kahlan reflecting on their situations on the night before the wedding, and I do like to think of him beginning to realize how much he's been missing out of life, and hoping that this might be his one chance.

[hrhrionastar]

Oh, this is heartbreaking. I love that Darken recognizes that it's hopeless, but he loves Kahlan anyway. And he isn't even sure how Cara feels about him...this just makes me want to give him a hug.

Ever since Darken had seen Kahlan in the Con Dar, Darken had been enthralled by Kahlan Amnell’s beauty and fire. The fact that she had been doing her utmost to kill him over the past year made her only more irresistible.

He liked spirit in a woman.

This is so in character :D

He only knew that whatever happened between them during their marriage, even if Kahlan hated him for the rest of his life, Darken had, against his will, been changed forever. This is just so sad and perfect :D

[brontefanatic]

Thanks!

It would once never have occurred to me to use this song for inspiration, as I always have a tendency to play it at full volume when I'm really happy about something. But when you really listen to the words, they have a down-side - the pain of loving and knowing that you are not loved in return.

In Darken's case, of course, you have the added problem of his pride, and the fact that he really doesn't have a healthy understanding of what it's like to either give or receive affection, not to mention love.

This Darken POV was much harder for me to write than Kahlan's for some reason, because I usually love getting inside Darken's head, but during the early days when he and Kahlan are first together, I can see him being all over the place emotionally.

[hrhrionastar]

during the early days when he and Kahlan are first together, I can see him being all over the place emotionally. Agreed - and I think the song has an added piquancy because, not only does it hurt to love someone who doesn't love you back, but also loving someone at all means giving up a measure of control. Darken doesn't want his happiness to be dependent on Kahlan, so in that sense it's against his will that he cares so much. And then he is treating her badly, so that makes it harder.

[goth_darkenrahl]

just feeling sad for Darken poor Rahlsie just wanna hug him badly

[brontefanatic]

Sorry for the belated response (I've been a little under the weather), and thank you for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it.

[dorothydeath]

Awwwww, this breaks my heart! BB, you're brilliant! This is so... I have no words for it! It touches me deeply!

Darken knew now that Kahlan would always love only Richard, and that if, and when, she ever called out a name in the night, it would not be Darken's name.
Darken, awwwwww!

I love it how he's trying to reach out and hates himself for this perceived weakness. He's so captivatingly messed up. :D

I totally love this story, bb! :D

[brontefanatic]

Thanks! Again sorry to take so long to comment.

I always think of LCE as such a happy, giddy song. I play it (over and over) when I'm in a good mood. But looking through the lyrics, there's a lot of sadness there, too. So I kind of took off from that.