Nature and Nurture
Title: Nature and Nurture.
Author: confessorlove
Rating: PGish
Pairing: Richard x Kahlan
Summary: When Kahlan's worst nightmare comes to fruition, Richard has to help her see that who we are is never set in stone.
Author's Notes: Written for the legendland rewatch and review challenge for 1x22 Reckoning.
After the hours of excruciating pain that had swept over Kahlan’s body while struggling to bring their next child into the world, being without that physical pain was a relief. Unfortunately from the moment she heard her child scream and saw the panicked look on the midwife’s face Kahlan knew. She knew that her greatest fear and greatest wish had both come to reality. She’d given birth to a son, Richard’s son. She laid back against the pillows as tears filled her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Richard take the baby from the midwife and usher the women from the room until there was nothing interrupting her silence but the soft whimpers of a newborn baby.
Her mind was spinning with the stories Richard had told her. He’d seen the future where she bore Darken Rahl a son and now it was true. The babe might not have been Darken Rahl’s but he was still a male confessor. It was against everything they believed in to let a male confessor live. She’d broken the code once for Dennee’s son but that was because of Richard. It was before he had told her about the horrors waiting in the future if a male confessor with Rahl blood was allowed to rule. He came towards her with the baby in his arms wrapped snuggly in a blanket and she sat up a little. “Richard,” she murmured in the hopes he would understand what she was thinking before she had to say it.
He shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. Kahlan could see the tiny fingers of the child as they curled around the blanket. It just made her want to cry. “It’s okay, Kahlan. We will raise him right,” Richard reassured her before running his fingertip along the tiny baby’s cheek.
Kahlan leaned over towards her husband just slightly and looked down at the child. He was tiny and his eyes were squeezed shut but already she could see his father etched in the little features. “You’ve seen what the future would be,” she protested.
“No,” Richard replied with a hint of authority in his tone. “I saw what the future would be should you bear a child for Darken Rahl. This boy is my son. He is not Darken Rahl’s.” Richard looked into Kahlan’s eyes and she could tell he was silently begging her to change her mind. When she said nothing Richard continued. “Rahl and I share blood but we were not raised together. Am I a power hungry tyrant, Kahlan?”
She shook her head instantly. “No. You are a fair leader. You are good and just.” She tried to smile but instead a few tears spilled from her eyes.
Tenderly Richard wiped her tears away before meeting her eyes. “I could have been a tyrant just like my brother but I was raised right. My parents raised me right and we will raise our son right.” There was an almost pleading tone in voice as he looked into her eyes.
He was right. Of course he was right. It shouldn’t have surprised Kahlan. For a moment she said nothing before taking a deep breath and extending her arms to take the baby from her husband. Richard was not Darken Rahl and their son could be good. They would just have to show him how to be. “Alright,” she murmured in response. Richard placed the baby in her arms then and she gazed down at the child lovingly
“He needs a name,” Richard said as he watched his wife and son. Kahlan’s finger was captured by the child and she smiled. It seemed their son had a strong grip just like his father.
After a moment she pulled her gaze away from where their son had completely mesmerized her in order to look up into her husband’s warm brown eyes. “What if we name him after your father?”
Richard smiled and looked down at the baby. “George Rahl,” he stated. “I think it suits him.” He reached out and touched their son’s face and Kahlan smiled. She was feeling a little better now that she had a chance to talk with Richard and even more than that, she loved the little baby in her arms
“We should get the girls,” Kahlan said after a few moments and Richard kissed her temple in response. “They should meet their brother.”
He smiled and nodded a little. “I’ll get them,” Richard stated before rising from the bed and walking out of the room. Kahlan didn’t know how they would explain little George to his sisters but they would figure it out. Rebecca, Lyra, and Kayla were all good girls. They would help keep their brother from the darkness. She had to believe that. Thinking of Richard’s son as dark was impossible to consider. Together they would keep away something similar to the dark future Richard had witness. So long as they were a family, loving and caring for each other, Kahlan had hope that everything would turn out in the end. After all, Richard and Darken were nothing alike. Why would George be like the male confessors who came before him? That was the thing that gave Kahlan peace of mind. She just hoped it would all work out in the end.
Author: confessorlove
Rating: PGish
Pairing: Richard x Kahlan
Summary: When Kahlan's worst nightmare comes to fruition, Richard has to help her see that who we are is never set in stone.
Author's Notes: Written for the legendland rewatch and review challenge for 1x22 Reckoning.
After the hours of excruciating pain that had swept over Kahlan’s body while struggling to bring their next child into the world, being without that physical pain was a relief. Unfortunately from the moment she heard her child scream and saw the panicked look on the midwife’s face Kahlan knew. She knew that her greatest fear and greatest wish had both come to reality. She’d given birth to a son, Richard’s son. She laid back against the pillows as tears filled her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Richard take the baby from the midwife and usher the women from the room until there was nothing interrupting her silence but the soft whimpers of a newborn baby.
Her mind was spinning with the stories Richard had told her. He’d seen the future where she bore Darken Rahl a son and now it was true. The babe might not have been Darken Rahl’s but he was still a male confessor. It was against everything they believed in to let a male confessor live. She’d broken the code once for Dennee’s son but that was because of Richard. It was before he had told her about the horrors waiting in the future if a male confessor with Rahl blood was allowed to rule. He came towards her with the baby in his arms wrapped snuggly in a blanket and she sat up a little. “Richard,” she murmured in the hopes he would understand what she was thinking before she had to say it.
He shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. Kahlan could see the tiny fingers of the child as they curled around the blanket. It just made her want to cry. “It’s okay, Kahlan. We will raise him right,” Richard reassured her before running his fingertip along the tiny baby’s cheek.
Kahlan leaned over towards her husband just slightly and looked down at the child. He was tiny and his eyes were squeezed shut but already she could see his father etched in the little features. “You’ve seen what the future would be,” she protested.
“No,” Richard replied with a hint of authority in his tone. “I saw what the future would be should you bear a child for Darken Rahl. This boy is my son. He is not Darken Rahl’s.” Richard looked into Kahlan’s eyes and she could tell he was silently begging her to change her mind. When she said nothing Richard continued. “Rahl and I share blood but we were not raised together. Am I a power hungry tyrant, Kahlan?”
She shook her head instantly. “No. You are a fair leader. You are good and just.” She tried to smile but instead a few tears spilled from her eyes.
Tenderly Richard wiped her tears away before meeting her eyes. “I could have been a tyrant just like my brother but I was raised right. My parents raised me right and we will raise our son right.” There was an almost pleading tone in voice as he looked into her eyes.
He was right. Of course he was right. It shouldn’t have surprised Kahlan. For a moment she said nothing before taking a deep breath and extending her arms to take the baby from her husband. Richard was not Darken Rahl and their son could be good. They would just have to show him how to be. “Alright,” she murmured in response. Richard placed the baby in her arms then and she gazed down at the child lovingly
“He needs a name,” Richard said as he watched his wife and son. Kahlan’s finger was captured by the child and she smiled. It seemed their son had a strong grip just like his father.
After a moment she pulled her gaze away from where their son had completely mesmerized her in order to look up into her husband’s warm brown eyes. “What if we name him after your father?”
Richard smiled and looked down at the baby. “George Rahl,” he stated. “I think it suits him.” He reached out and touched their son’s face and Kahlan smiled. She was feeling a little better now that she had a chance to talk with Richard and even more than that, she loved the little baby in her arms
“We should get the girls,” Kahlan said after a few moments and Richard kissed her temple in response. “They should meet their brother.”
He smiled and nodded a little. “I’ll get them,” Richard stated before rising from the bed and walking out of the room. Kahlan didn’t know how they would explain little George to his sisters but they would figure it out. Rebecca, Lyra, and Kayla were all good girls. They would help keep their brother from the darkness. She had to believe that. Thinking of Richard’s son as dark was impossible to consider. Together they would keep away something similar to the dark future Richard had witness. So long as they were a family, loving and caring for each other, Kahlan had hope that everything would turn out in the end. After all, Richard and Darken were nothing alike. Why would George be like the male confessors who came before him? That was the thing that gave Kahlan peace of mind. She just hoped it would all work out in the end.