The Forbidden Life (Complete)
Title: The Forbidden Life
Chapter: 8 (Ending)
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Characters: Kahlan, Richard and Zedd, Cara, Others (Original)
Timeline: After S2
Summary: After marrying, Richard and Kahlan try to begin their lives together, something happens to jeperdize it all. Decisions will be made and allies will be lost. Nothing is as it seems.
Word Count: 2,078
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING
Previous Chapters: 1* 2* 3* 4* 5* 6* 7
Author's Note: So this I started while I was in the hospital. So it has moments of crazy, happy and agnst, but I hope that you all still enjoy! It's pratcially a novel, so I hope you all stick around to see what happens! <3
<3 Comments are awesome peeps! <3
She didn't bother to knock, the information she had was too important to waste time on a simple gesture. Her eyes were upon them the moment she entered. Kahlan was leaning against him, her head on his shoulder as she held one of their children, who was feasting quietly. The other child was sleeping in his father's arms as he turned his head toward her. Cara stared at the child for a moment before she crossed her arms and sighed.
"The council knew of her plan."
Lifting her head, Kahlan straightened as Richard lifted the blanket to cover more of her. "All of them?"
"Yes."
Richard leaned forward. "It's not the only plan is it?"
Shaking her head, the Mord'Sith lifted the white dress of the Mother Confessor from the floor and tossed it onto the bed. "Kaitlin's dead."
"What?! You were only supposed to question her!" Grabbing her dress, Kahlan laid her daughter in Richard's arm, freeing her hands to dress herself.
"I didn't kill her." Cara said in disappointment. "Once she began talking, she fell over."
"Then how did you get any information?"
"I had the men bring the rest of the council to the dungeons. The woman had been smart enough to give me something useful before she died."
"What did she tell you before she died?"
The blonde looked from her friend to Richard, almost as to ask for permission to deliver the mad news. "Her plan was dismembering the children in front of you, and then have him-"
"Done the same way." She finished her sentence, remembering hearing the story when she was a child. They did not show mercy to those who disobeyed them. Tears filled her eyes as she walked around the bed. "It was one of the punishments the High Council created many generations ago. They wanted to make sure no Confessor tried to keep their son alive. What about the others? What is their plan?"
"Poison."
Richard left the bed quickly, coming to stand beside her in a panic. "When was the last time you ate?"
Her face went white in horror as she looked at their sleeping children. "I ate a few hours ago, but I've fed them- Richard I may have killed our children!"
"You didn't." He said swiftly, pressing his forehead against hers. "You didn't. If they poisoned you before, Kaitlin wouldn't have stopped us with all of those men." He pushed himself closer to her, comforting her in what little way he could. "You didn't bring any harm to our children."
"The other council members demand the life of the child." They looked at the Mord'Sith, who smiled. "Several took their own life before I was able to question them."
It was hard for Richard not to smile; knowing the joy it brought his friend to know they were so afraid of her. "How many are left?"
"Five."
"Did they say anything about what they were going to do with me?"
" You were to take a man of their choosing within the week."
"If I survived?"
"The poison was not meant for you. There was only enough to effect the children when they fed."
Tears were still falling down her cheeks, her mind torn between thoughts of anger and mourning of her friend. A part of her wanted to scream and pound her fists into the remaining council members, the other wanted to fall onto the bed and cry until she could cry no longer, but she couldn't do either. "Are the others awake?"
"I can wake them."
******
Kahlan was sitting on the stone floor, staring at the remaining council members. Her heart pounded in anger as she waited for them to open their eyes. She begged Richard to let her go in alone, telling him their children would only be safe with him and she didn't want them near the council. The bars between them made her feel better, not by much, but it was all she could have. It gave her a small feeling of justice; seeing them like this. They had plotted against her and threatened the life of not only her children, but her husband as well.
The sun was rising and she wished she could feel its warmth, wanting to be back in the cottage with Richard. He had been right, they never should have left. The movement of one of the women before her pulled her from her thoughts.
"You tried to murder my family."
"We were protecting-"
"You tried to murder my family!" The echo of her raised voice woke the others with a jump. "You could have asked for my son’s magic, but you insisted on his life. You wanted both of my children's lives and now you will tell me everything." None of them spoke. "Now!"
"We will not tell you anything. You have betrayed your people."
Leaning back against the cold, stone wall, Kahlan sighed. "One of the new members of the army said something earlier. I hadn't thought of it before, but now I can't stop. You were terrified when we brought Cara here, but you didn't send her away, you didn't-"
"She's Mord'Sith; there would be no chance of success."
She gritted her teeth as she leaned forward, her eyes cold as she stared at each of them. "You would have had a better chance in killing her than my family. I was kind to you, listened as you called my son a monster. I could have confessed you all, have you all as my sons personal guard. There would have been no stopping me."
"You wouldn't confess-"
"Do not believe that I wouldn't. I would kill you all to protect my family. You were so afraid of my son; you didn't realize that you should have been terrified of me. You will remain in this cell until you draw your last breath." She stood up quickly, shaking her head as she stepped closer to the bars of the large cell. “You should sleep closer together. I hear it gets quite cold in here.”
They watched as she walked away, in silence at first, none believing that she meant what she had said. After a moment, they each rushed forward, grabbing the bars as they cried for her to return.
“You may lock us in here, but our will be done! Your children will be dead before the moon rises again!”
Kahlan stopped mid-step and turned around, walking swiftly back to the cell. “If you threaten my family again, it will be the last thing you do. If any harm comes to them, I will return and a part of you will forever be a part of this cell.”
One of the women laughed as she stood up, looking the Mother Confessor in the eyes. “You will never get away with this. Your children must die.”
Without thought, Kahlan reached out and grabbed the other woman, pulling her until her body slammed roughly against the thick, cold bars. The other council members jumped backward, terrified as her magic ripped through the woman. Falling to the ground, the blonde woman gasped for air as she looked up to her mistress. “What is your wis-”
“Die.” Her voice was cold, betraying the sorrow within her for what she had just told the woman to do. The council gasped in shock as the woman fell to the ground, bringing Kahlan’s eyes to them. “Anyone else wish to threaten my family?” They shook their heads quickly, instantly more terrified of her than before.
******
Richard was pacing the floor, gently rocking his children as he waited for his wife to come back to him. Kahlan had gone into the dungeon more than four hours ago and he was beginning to worry. He felt the release of her magic more than an hour earlier, but he didn't go after her. If she hadn't made him promise that he wouldn't enter the dungeon, he would have been at her side within seconds. Turning around, he stopped walking at the sight of her.
"What happened?"
A small smile came to her lips. "You don't want to wait for Cara to sneak back out here?"
"I- You didn't say she could go in to keep an eye on you."
Nodding, she walked over to him and gently rubbed the heads of their children. "I know. Thank you."
He was relieved that she wasn't angry with him for sending their friend in to watch over her. He understood her decision to go in without him, but he didn't want to take a chance with her life. "What happened?"
"Amanda is dead."
"Did she hurt -"
Meeting his eyes, she shook her head. "She threatened you, she threatened you all and I- I did what I had to to protect you."
"What happened to the others?"
"They're still in the dungeon. Alive."
He stared at her for a moment, wondering how she had found the strength to keep them alive after what they had tried to do. She was always strong and found ways to be fair and impartial when tending to any matter. "What do we do next?"
"We go on with our lives."
******
Their son was the first to use his magic, confessing one of the palace staff. Richard saw the horror on Kahlan's face ad she rushed forward and pulled Harvey into her arms. He was one. Their son clung to her, shaking as his body began to recover from releasing his magic. Tears filled her eyes instantly as the newly confessed man stared in awaiting orders.
"Kahlan, it's all right."
She met his eyes with tears. "No it's not. He's done what we all feared he would. We-"
Gently grabbing her arms, Richard moved closer. "He's only a child."
"Nicholas was only a child."
"He's not Nicholas. He's not going to be that way. Look at him, he's our son."
Nodding slowly, Kahlan began walking, needing to be far away from her sons mistake. As she walked, she told him how wrong it was to confess innocent people and how hard it would be on their families. She knew he was asleep, but she hoped that somehow her words would remain with him forever.
******
The people noticed the weakness of Harvey's magic, making them less afraid than they were when they learned of his existence. Every time they felt the release of a Confessor's magic they feared that their child had taken one of their family members or taken over the Confessor's Palace. They would study Richard when he would come into town, trying to see if he could still be trusted and as he always did, he smiled and nodded to the crowd. He knew what they were doing and he hoped that soon they would realize that his son would bring no harm to them.
It was different with Kahlan. Each moment outside of the palace was filled with fear of what they would do to her. As the council had said, the people believed that by allowing her son to live, she had betrayed them. Most of the townspeople wouldn't look at her. If they saw her coming, they would rush the other way. The feeling crushed her.
******
"Has he confessed anyone else?" Richard rushed to her side, instantly worried by the tears in her eyes.
Kahlan was sitting in a chair next to their window. From the redness in her eyes, it was clear she had been crying for a while. She stared at their son, who played quietly on the floor at her feet. Meeting his eyes, she nodded and blinked out more tears before motioning to the woman standing in the corner. "Tell him."
She was in tears, staring at their three year old son in horror. "I was to kill him. Please don't let me die without serving him." Falling to her knees, she lifted her light, blue apron to her face and shook her head as she cried. "Please!"
Looking back to Kahlan, he shook his head. "Did Harvey know?"
"I don't know. He hasn't spoken since he confessed her. He won't look at me."
Grabbing her hand, he turned toward their son. "Harvey?" He looked up instantly to his father and smiled. "Why did you confess Dana?"
Looking to his mother, the smile faded from his lips as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
"Why did you-"
"I don't know. I felt-" the small boy laid his hand over his stomach and looked from his mother to his father and then back again. "I don't know."
Richard continued to watch their son as he leaned closer to his wife. "Maybe he sensed the danger."
"Maybe."
"Kahlan it's going to be all right."
******
On their children's sixth birthday, the people filled the palace in celebration, seeming to have forgotten about the danger. They brought the best gifts they were able and didn't seem upset when they placed them at the table at their side. Harvey and Sarah chased each other through the halls, laughing as they slid on the slippery floor. After an hour, parents released their own children, allowing them to join in the games. The sight of it was more than Kahlan had ever imagined.
Sitting down beside her husband, she grabbed his arm and leaned against him, grinning widely as they watches their children throw the rolls of bread from one child to another. Richard had been right all along. There was no reason to think that their son would be anything like Nicholas and all their people needed was time.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Mother Confessor, but the kitchen asked me to inform you that the cakes have been completed."
Turning her head, her smile grew. "Thank you, Paul. Would you bring them out for them? I know they'd love that."
He nodded quickly, thrilled with the request. Over the past six years, he had spent a lot of time with the children. He was the head of their personal guard and took pride and pleasure in looking after them while telling them stories of the world. He always made it clear how much better everything had become with the Mother Confessor and new Lord Rahl. With a final nod, he turned and rushed back to the kitchen.
The room went silent as he returned. Their eyes locked on the large cart that carried the cakes. Harvey jumped with joy and he grabbed his sister’s hand, pulling her instantly toward his favorite part of their birthday. The crowd cheered and laughed as he motioned for the other children to join them, wanting to share it all with them. With a giggle, Sarah wrapped her arms around Paul's legs and squeezed tightly.
The cake covered the floor, the children missing their mouths with every other bite. Richard laughed as the cleaning servants attempted to clean it up as it happened, wanting to keep a handle on the mess. Leaning over, he pressed his lips to her neck, kissing her until she shifted her shoulders to push him back as his hands began to move over her growing stomach. With everything changing, he couldn't wait for their next child to be born. Their lives would now be everything they wished for.
Chapter: 8 (Ending)
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Characters: Kahlan, Richard and Zedd, Cara, Others (Original)
Timeline: After S2
Summary: After marrying, Richard and Kahlan try to begin their lives together, something happens to jeperdize it all. Decisions will be made and allies will be lost. Nothing is as it seems.
Word Count: 2,078
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING
Previous Chapters: 1* 2* 3* 4* 5* 6* 7
Author's Note: So this I started while I was in the hospital. So it has moments of crazy, happy and agnst, but I hope that you all still enjoy! It's pratcially a novel, so I hope you all stick around to see what happens! <3
<3 Comments are awesome peeps! <3
She didn't bother to knock, the information she had was too important to waste time on a simple gesture. Her eyes were upon them the moment she entered. Kahlan was leaning against him, her head on his shoulder as she held one of their children, who was feasting quietly. The other child was sleeping in his father's arms as he turned his head toward her. Cara stared at the child for a moment before she crossed her arms and sighed.
"The council knew of her plan."
Lifting her head, Kahlan straightened as Richard lifted the blanket to cover more of her. "All of them?"
"Yes."
Richard leaned forward. "It's not the only plan is it?"
Shaking her head, the Mord'Sith lifted the white dress of the Mother Confessor from the floor and tossed it onto the bed. "Kaitlin's dead."
"What?! You were only supposed to question her!" Grabbing her dress, Kahlan laid her daughter in Richard's arm, freeing her hands to dress herself.
"I didn't kill her." Cara said in disappointment. "Once she began talking, she fell over."
"Then how did you get any information?"
"I had the men bring the rest of the council to the dungeons. The woman had been smart enough to give me something useful before she died."
"What did she tell you before she died?"
The blonde looked from her friend to Richard, almost as to ask for permission to deliver the mad news. "Her plan was dismembering the children in front of you, and then have him-"
"Done the same way." She finished her sentence, remembering hearing the story when she was a child. They did not show mercy to those who disobeyed them. Tears filled her eyes as she walked around the bed. "It was one of the punishments the High Council created many generations ago. They wanted to make sure no Confessor tried to keep their son alive. What about the others? What is their plan?"
"Poison."
Richard left the bed quickly, coming to stand beside her in a panic. "When was the last time you ate?"
Her face went white in horror as she looked at their sleeping children. "I ate a few hours ago, but I've fed them- Richard I may have killed our children!"
"You didn't." He said swiftly, pressing his forehead against hers. "You didn't. If they poisoned you before, Kaitlin wouldn't have stopped us with all of those men." He pushed himself closer to her, comforting her in what little way he could. "You didn't bring any harm to our children."
"The other council members demand the life of the child." They looked at the Mord'Sith, who smiled. "Several took their own life before I was able to question them."
It was hard for Richard not to smile; knowing the joy it brought his friend to know they were so afraid of her. "How many are left?"
"Five."
"Did they say anything about what they were going to do with me?"
" You were to take a man of their choosing within the week."
"If I survived?"
"The poison was not meant for you. There was only enough to effect the children when they fed."
Tears were still falling down her cheeks, her mind torn between thoughts of anger and mourning of her friend. A part of her wanted to scream and pound her fists into the remaining council members, the other wanted to fall onto the bed and cry until she could cry no longer, but she couldn't do either. "Are the others awake?"
"I can wake them."
******
Kahlan was sitting on the stone floor, staring at the remaining council members. Her heart pounded in anger as she waited for them to open their eyes. She begged Richard to let her go in alone, telling him their children would only be safe with him and she didn't want them near the council. The bars between them made her feel better, not by much, but it was all she could have. It gave her a small feeling of justice; seeing them like this. They had plotted against her and threatened the life of not only her children, but her husband as well.
The sun was rising and she wished she could feel its warmth, wanting to be back in the cottage with Richard. He had been right, they never should have left. The movement of one of the women before her pulled her from her thoughts.
"You tried to murder my family."
"We were protecting-"
"You tried to murder my family!" The echo of her raised voice woke the others with a jump. "You could have asked for my son’s magic, but you insisted on his life. You wanted both of my children's lives and now you will tell me everything." None of them spoke. "Now!"
"We will not tell you anything. You have betrayed your people."
Leaning back against the cold, stone wall, Kahlan sighed. "One of the new members of the army said something earlier. I hadn't thought of it before, but now I can't stop. You were terrified when we brought Cara here, but you didn't send her away, you didn't-"
"She's Mord'Sith; there would be no chance of success."
She gritted her teeth as she leaned forward, her eyes cold as she stared at each of them. "You would have had a better chance in killing her than my family. I was kind to you, listened as you called my son a monster. I could have confessed you all, have you all as my sons personal guard. There would have been no stopping me."
"You wouldn't confess-"
"Do not believe that I wouldn't. I would kill you all to protect my family. You were so afraid of my son; you didn't realize that you should have been terrified of me. You will remain in this cell until you draw your last breath." She stood up quickly, shaking her head as she stepped closer to the bars of the large cell. “You should sleep closer together. I hear it gets quite cold in here.”
They watched as she walked away, in silence at first, none believing that she meant what she had said. After a moment, they each rushed forward, grabbing the bars as they cried for her to return.
“You may lock us in here, but our will be done! Your children will be dead before the moon rises again!”
Kahlan stopped mid-step and turned around, walking swiftly back to the cell. “If you threaten my family again, it will be the last thing you do. If any harm comes to them, I will return and a part of you will forever be a part of this cell.”
One of the women laughed as she stood up, looking the Mother Confessor in the eyes. “You will never get away with this. Your children must die.”
Without thought, Kahlan reached out and grabbed the other woman, pulling her until her body slammed roughly against the thick, cold bars. The other council members jumped backward, terrified as her magic ripped through the woman. Falling to the ground, the blonde woman gasped for air as she looked up to her mistress. “What is your wis-”
“Die.” Her voice was cold, betraying the sorrow within her for what she had just told the woman to do. The council gasped in shock as the woman fell to the ground, bringing Kahlan’s eyes to them. “Anyone else wish to threaten my family?” They shook their heads quickly, instantly more terrified of her than before.
******
Richard was pacing the floor, gently rocking his children as he waited for his wife to come back to him. Kahlan had gone into the dungeon more than four hours ago and he was beginning to worry. He felt the release of her magic more than an hour earlier, but he didn't go after her. If she hadn't made him promise that he wouldn't enter the dungeon, he would have been at her side within seconds. Turning around, he stopped walking at the sight of her.
"What happened?"
A small smile came to her lips. "You don't want to wait for Cara to sneak back out here?"
"I- You didn't say she could go in to keep an eye on you."
Nodding, she walked over to him and gently rubbed the heads of their children. "I know. Thank you."
He was relieved that she wasn't angry with him for sending their friend in to watch over her. He understood her decision to go in without him, but he didn't want to take a chance with her life. "What happened?"
"Amanda is dead."
"Did she hurt -"
Meeting his eyes, she shook her head. "She threatened you, she threatened you all and I- I did what I had to to protect you."
"What happened to the others?"
"They're still in the dungeon. Alive."
He stared at her for a moment, wondering how she had found the strength to keep them alive after what they had tried to do. She was always strong and found ways to be fair and impartial when tending to any matter. "What do we do next?"
"We go on with our lives."
******
Their son was the first to use his magic, confessing one of the palace staff. Richard saw the horror on Kahlan's face ad she rushed forward and pulled Harvey into her arms. He was one. Their son clung to her, shaking as his body began to recover from releasing his magic. Tears filled her eyes instantly as the newly confessed man stared in awaiting orders.
"Kahlan, it's all right."
She met his eyes with tears. "No it's not. He's done what we all feared he would. We-"
Gently grabbing her arms, Richard moved closer. "He's only a child."
"Nicholas was only a child."
"He's not Nicholas. He's not going to be that way. Look at him, he's our son."
Nodding slowly, Kahlan began walking, needing to be far away from her sons mistake. As she walked, she told him how wrong it was to confess innocent people and how hard it would be on their families. She knew he was asleep, but she hoped that somehow her words would remain with him forever.
******
The people noticed the weakness of Harvey's magic, making them less afraid than they were when they learned of his existence. Every time they felt the release of a Confessor's magic they feared that their child had taken one of their family members or taken over the Confessor's Palace. They would study Richard when he would come into town, trying to see if he could still be trusted and as he always did, he smiled and nodded to the crowd. He knew what they were doing and he hoped that soon they would realize that his son would bring no harm to them.
It was different with Kahlan. Each moment outside of the palace was filled with fear of what they would do to her. As the council had said, the people believed that by allowing her son to live, she had betrayed them. Most of the townspeople wouldn't look at her. If they saw her coming, they would rush the other way. The feeling crushed her.
******
"Has he confessed anyone else?" Richard rushed to her side, instantly worried by the tears in her eyes.
Kahlan was sitting in a chair next to their window. From the redness in her eyes, it was clear she had been crying for a while. She stared at their son, who played quietly on the floor at her feet. Meeting his eyes, she nodded and blinked out more tears before motioning to the woman standing in the corner. "Tell him."
She was in tears, staring at their three year old son in horror. "I was to kill him. Please don't let me die without serving him." Falling to her knees, she lifted her light, blue apron to her face and shook her head as she cried. "Please!"
Looking back to Kahlan, he shook his head. "Did Harvey know?"
"I don't know. He hasn't spoken since he confessed her. He won't look at me."
Grabbing her hand, he turned toward their son. "Harvey?" He looked up instantly to his father and smiled. "Why did you confess Dana?"
Looking to his mother, the smile faded from his lips as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
"Why did you-"
"I don't know. I felt-" the small boy laid his hand over his stomach and looked from his mother to his father and then back again. "I don't know."
Richard continued to watch their son as he leaned closer to his wife. "Maybe he sensed the danger."
"Maybe."
"Kahlan it's going to be all right."
******
On their children's sixth birthday, the people filled the palace in celebration, seeming to have forgotten about the danger. They brought the best gifts they were able and didn't seem upset when they placed them at the table at their side. Harvey and Sarah chased each other through the halls, laughing as they slid on the slippery floor. After an hour, parents released their own children, allowing them to join in the games. The sight of it was more than Kahlan had ever imagined.
Sitting down beside her husband, she grabbed his arm and leaned against him, grinning widely as they watches their children throw the rolls of bread from one child to another. Richard had been right all along. There was no reason to think that their son would be anything like Nicholas and all their people needed was time.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Mother Confessor, but the kitchen asked me to inform you that the cakes have been completed."
Turning her head, her smile grew. "Thank you, Paul. Would you bring them out for them? I know they'd love that."
He nodded quickly, thrilled with the request. Over the past six years, he had spent a lot of time with the children. He was the head of their personal guard and took pride and pleasure in looking after them while telling them stories of the world. He always made it clear how much better everything had become with the Mother Confessor and new Lord Rahl. With a final nod, he turned and rushed back to the kitchen.
The room went silent as he returned. Their eyes locked on the large cart that carried the cakes. Harvey jumped with joy and he grabbed his sister’s hand, pulling her instantly toward his favorite part of their birthday. The crowd cheered and laughed as he motioned for the other children to join them, wanting to share it all with them. With a giggle, Sarah wrapped her arms around Paul's legs and squeezed tightly.
The cake covered the floor, the children missing their mouths with every other bite. Richard laughed as the cleaning servants attempted to clean it up as it happened, wanting to keep a handle on the mess. Leaning over, he pressed his lips to her neck, kissing her until she shifted her shoulders to push him back as his hands began to move over her growing stomach. With everything changing, he couldn't wait for their next child to be born. Their lives would now be everything they wished for.