Rescuing Queen Rahl, Chp. 5
Title: Rescuing Queen Rahl
Author: JlynCSS
Pairings: Richard/Kahlan
Rating: PG-13
An older fic of mine from FFN that I'm finally posting to LJ.
Summary: Based on S1 Reckoning finale. Richard's attempt to go back in time sends him back to when Kahlan is still held captive by Rahl.
Chapter 5
Cara spoke to the guards outside Lord Rahl's chambers, telling them she had important news for him. "He's not to be disturbed." The guards smiled to each other. "He's enjoying the pleasures of a woman right now." Cara shivered with the thought. Rahl had often taken Mord-Sith to his chambers. He was not a pleasant lover. Trying to get an idea of Kahlan's whereabouts she replied "I'm sure his betrothed can't be too happy about that." The guards elbowed each other with a smile. One of them bent toward Cara as if to speak in secret. "His betrothed is in there with him." Cara felt a pang of regret. Richard would not be happy with this news. She knew Kahlan would probably never fully recover from the man's vile manner.
Just then, the chamber door flew open as the weeping woman ran past, clutching her dress to her. Cara looked back, trying to peer into the room. "I thought you said his betrothed was with him? That's not her."
"She is in there as well. You know what I always say, 'the more the merrier'." Cara glared at him with Mord-Sith eyes. He shrank back from her. She needed to act quickly. She pulled free her Agiel, her tone threatening, "I have important news regarding the Seeker. I must see him at once." Neither challenged her.
As she stepped through the door, Cara called out to alert him of her presence "Lord Rahl, I have important news."
Struggling beside the bed, Rahl was trying to subdue a violent Kahlan, her arms thrashing out at him as he pulled at her torn dress. The interruption infuriated him, until he realized it was Cara. He had been sure she died along with the Seeker. He turned his menacing eyes back to Kahlan. "You will invite me, Mother Confessor." He pushed her to the bed and strode to where Cara stood. "You're alive. What of the Seeker?"
"He lives. The last I saw him he was entering Spaisia." Kahlan closed her eyes tightly. How could this be happening. She had such hope after seeing Richard in the prince's gardens. Hope enough to come here and confront Rahl, demand he leave the women of the city alone. Now it was all crashing in. Rahl would send his men for Richard and capture him, kill him. They'd have no chance to get back to their own time. She would forever be the wife of Lord Rahl. A single tear escaped her closed eyes, slowly gliding down her cheek.
---
Alice tended to Kahlan, lacing up the front of a fresh ruby red dress. The ruined dress lay in a heap on the floor. She wiped a damp cloth over the bruise on Kahlan's cheek where Rahl had struck her. Fortunately, that was the only wound she had suffered from him. Cara's interruption had come just in time. Had she been just a few moments later…Kahlan didn't wish to think about it. Cara said she had important news regarding the Seeker and her sisters of the Agiel. She and Rahl had then left his chambers for his study. Kahlan didn't know what that news was. All she knew was that Richard had come to rescue her and now he was in danger. Rahl would send his men to Spaisia for him. She would never again see the man she loved more than life.
---
Richard anxiously awaited Cara's approach. His pacing left a worn trench in the forest floor. Once she was in the cover of the trees he moved to meet her. "What did you find? Did you see Kahlan? Is she alright? Did you talk to Rahl? Where is he now?"
Cara looked up at him through hunched eyebrows. Once she saw his barrage of questions was over she spoke. "I spoke to Rahl. He is sending men to Spaisia to find you. He'll likely-"
"What about Kahlan" he interrupted.
Cara eyed him for a moment, not sure if she should tell him all that she had seen. Her hesitation gripped him with fear. "Tell me. Is she alright?" he demanded.
She nodded and decided to tell him the truth, after all, he was the Seeker of Truth. "Yes, she was alright when I left. He was moments from taking her when I arrived."
"Taking her where?"
She blinked, surprised he didn't grasp her meaning. She replied bluntly "To his bed." She saw the mix of emotions that crossed his face: Pain, shock, fear. They were all present. But there was something else too. Rage.
Richard moved past her with set determination, heading toward the palace.
She called to him and grabbed his arm "Seeker. You'll be of no help to her if your dead." Richard kept moving with Cara hanging on his arm. She pulled him back harder. "Lord Rahl was angry and wanted to unleash his anger on her, but it didn't happen. I interrupted him."
He finally stopped and turned his glare on her. "And if he gets angry again? She's in danger. I have to get her out of there."
"Now that he knows you're here, he's focused on you. You have his full attention.
"He believed what I told him. He's traveling to the temple himself. Tonight. I need to get there first to warn my sisters."
"How long will it take you to get to the temple?"
Cara looked at the midday sun. "If I leave now and find a horse at the next town, I can be there just after dawn tomorrow."
"So Rahl, leaving tonight will get there around this time tomorrow. That will give you a few hours head start to warn your sisters and then you can start to make your way back to meet us. We'll meet you at the circle of stones. We'll put the boxes together and, hopefully, get back to where we belong.
Cara thought about his plan for a moment. "She wears a Rada' Han."
"What?" Richard was already thinking ahead, planning his next move.
"The Mother Confessor. She wears a Rada' Han. She can't use her confessor's power with the boxes."
Richard hadn't noticed that when he saw her in the garden, but he'd only had a quick glimpse of her. "Then I'll find the key. Right now, you need to go."
xxx
*Chapter 1* *Chapter 2* *Chapter 3* *Chapter 4 *Chapter 5* *Chapter 6* *Chapter 7* *Chapter 8* *Chapter 9*
Author: JlynCSS
Pairings: Richard/Kahlan
Rating: PG-13
An older fic of mine from FFN that I'm finally posting to LJ.
Summary: Based on S1 Reckoning finale. Richard's attempt to go back in time sends him back to when Kahlan is still held captive by Rahl.
Chapter 5
Cara spoke to the guards outside Lord Rahl's chambers, telling them she had important news for him. "He's not to be disturbed." The guards smiled to each other. "He's enjoying the pleasures of a woman right now." Cara shivered with the thought. Rahl had often taken Mord-Sith to his chambers. He was not a pleasant lover. Trying to get an idea of Kahlan's whereabouts she replied "I'm sure his betrothed can't be too happy about that." The guards elbowed each other with a smile. One of them bent toward Cara as if to speak in secret. "His betrothed is in there with him." Cara felt a pang of regret. Richard would not be happy with this news. She knew Kahlan would probably never fully recover from the man's vile manner.
Just then, the chamber door flew open as the weeping woman ran past, clutching her dress to her. Cara looked back, trying to peer into the room. "I thought you said his betrothed was with him? That's not her."
"She is in there as well. You know what I always say, 'the more the merrier'." Cara glared at him with Mord-Sith eyes. He shrank back from her. She needed to act quickly. She pulled free her Agiel, her tone threatening, "I have important news regarding the Seeker. I must see him at once." Neither challenged her.
As she stepped through the door, Cara called out to alert him of her presence "Lord Rahl, I have important news."
Struggling beside the bed, Rahl was trying to subdue a violent Kahlan, her arms thrashing out at him as he pulled at her torn dress. The interruption infuriated him, until he realized it was Cara. He had been sure she died along with the Seeker. He turned his menacing eyes back to Kahlan. "You will invite me, Mother Confessor." He pushed her to the bed and strode to where Cara stood. "You're alive. What of the Seeker?"
"He lives. The last I saw him he was entering Spaisia." Kahlan closed her eyes tightly. How could this be happening. She had such hope after seeing Richard in the prince's gardens. Hope enough to come here and confront Rahl, demand he leave the women of the city alone. Now it was all crashing in. Rahl would send his men for Richard and capture him, kill him. They'd have no chance to get back to their own time. She would forever be the wife of Lord Rahl. A single tear escaped her closed eyes, slowly gliding down her cheek.
---
Alice tended to Kahlan, lacing up the front of a fresh ruby red dress. The ruined dress lay in a heap on the floor. She wiped a damp cloth over the bruise on Kahlan's cheek where Rahl had struck her. Fortunately, that was the only wound she had suffered from him. Cara's interruption had come just in time. Had she been just a few moments later…Kahlan didn't wish to think about it. Cara said she had important news regarding the Seeker and her sisters of the Agiel. She and Rahl had then left his chambers for his study. Kahlan didn't know what that news was. All she knew was that Richard had come to rescue her and now he was in danger. Rahl would send his men to Spaisia for him. She would never again see the man she loved more than life.
---
Richard anxiously awaited Cara's approach. His pacing left a worn trench in the forest floor. Once she was in the cover of the trees he moved to meet her. "What did you find? Did you see Kahlan? Is she alright? Did you talk to Rahl? Where is he now?"
Cara looked up at him through hunched eyebrows. Once she saw his barrage of questions was over she spoke. "I spoke to Rahl. He is sending men to Spaisia to find you. He'll likely-"
"What about Kahlan" he interrupted.
Cara eyed him for a moment, not sure if she should tell him all that she had seen. Her hesitation gripped him with fear. "Tell me. Is she alright?" he demanded.
She nodded and decided to tell him the truth, after all, he was the Seeker of Truth. "Yes, she was alright when I left. He was moments from taking her when I arrived."
"Taking her where?"
She blinked, surprised he didn't grasp her meaning. She replied bluntly "To his bed." She saw the mix of emotions that crossed his face: Pain, shock, fear. They were all present. But there was something else too. Rage.
Richard moved past her with set determination, heading toward the palace.
She called to him and grabbed his arm "Seeker. You'll be of no help to her if your dead." Richard kept moving with Cara hanging on his arm. She pulled him back harder. "Lord Rahl was angry and wanted to unleash his anger on her, but it didn't happen. I interrupted him."
He finally stopped and turned his glare on her. "And if he gets angry again? She's in danger. I have to get her out of there."
"Now that he knows you're here, he's focused on you. You have his full attention.
"He believed what I told him. He's traveling to the temple himself. Tonight. I need to get there first to warn my sisters."
"How long will it take you to get to the temple?"
Cara looked at the midday sun. "If I leave now and find a horse at the next town, I can be there just after dawn tomorrow."
"So Rahl, leaving tonight will get there around this time tomorrow. That will give you a few hours head start to warn your sisters and then you can start to make your way back to meet us. We'll meet you at the circle of stones. We'll put the boxes together and, hopefully, get back to where we belong.
Cara thought about his plan for a moment. "She wears a Rada' Han."
"What?" Richard was already thinking ahead, planning his next move.
"The Mother Confessor. She wears a Rada' Han. She can't use her confessor's power with the boxes."
Richard hadn't noticed that when he saw her in the garden, but he'd only had a quick glimpse of her. "Then I'll find the key. Right now, you need to go."
xxx
*Chapter 1* *Chapter 2* *Chapter 3* *Chapter 4 *Chapter 5* *Chapter 6* *Chapter 7* *Chapter 8* *Chapter 9*