Temple of the Winds

They bowed and reluctantly took their leave. He realized as the last one stole a quick glance over her shoulder while pulling the door closed that they probably considered it the height of indecency for a man engaged to a woman to be alone with her in her bedroom. Doubly so for the Mother Confessor.

Richard forced out an annoyed breath; whenever he was anywhere near the Mother Confessor's rooms, some member of the staff always managed to show up every other minute checking to see if she needed anything. The variety of things they suspected she might be needing never failed to surprise him. He sometimes expected one of them to come right out and ask her if she might need her virtue protected. Outside her rooms the staff was friendly, even joking with him when he put them at ease, or helped them carry things. A few were afraid of him. But not in her rooms. In her rooms, they all turned into bold, protective mother hawks.

Inside the bedroom, against the far paneled wall, stood the huge bed, its four great dark polished posts rising up like columns before a palace. The thick, embroidered bedcover cascaded down the sides of the bed like a colorful waterfall frozen in place. A slash of sunlight cut across the dark, sumptuous carpets and over the lower half of the bed.

Richard remembered Kahlan describing her bed to him, telling him how she couldn't wait to have him in it, when they were married. He very much wanted to be in bed with her; it had been since that night between worlds that he had been alone with her-in that way-but he had to admit that he was intimidated by that bed of hers. He thought he might lose her in it. She had promised there would be no chance of that.

Kahlan was standing at the row of glassed doors before the expansive balcony, looking out past the open curtain. She was staring out over the stone railings and up toward the Keep on the mountainside. The sight of her in her satiny white dress flowing smoothly over her ravishing curves, with her dazzling mane cascading down her back, nearly took his breath. The sight of her made him ache. He decided that the bed would be just fine.

When he tenderly touched her shoulder, she started.

She turned, a beaming smile on her face as she looked up at him. "I thought you were Nancy, come back in."

"What do you mean, you thought I was Nancy? You didn't know it was me?" "How would I know it was you?"

He shrugged. "Because. I always can tell when it's you who's walked into a room. I don't have to see you." Her brow furrowed in disbelief. "You cannot." "Of course I can." "How?"

"You have a unique fragrance. I know the sounds you make, the sound of your breathing, the way you move, the way you pause. They're all unique to you." Her frown grew. "You're not kidding" You mean it? You're serious?" "Of course. Can't you tell me by those things?"

''No. But I guess you've spent much of your life in the woods, watching, smelling, listening." She slipped her good arm around his. "I still don't know if I believe you."

"Then test me some time." Richard stroked his fingers down her hair. "How are you feeling? How's your arm?"

"I'm all right. It's not so bad. Not as bad as that time elder Toffalar cut me. Remember? That was worse than this."

He nodded. "What are you doing out of bed? You were told to rest." She pushed at his stomach. "Stop. I'm fine." She looked him up and down.

"And you look more than fine. I can't believe you had that made for me. You look magnificent. Lord Rahl."

Richard tenderly met her lips. She tried to pull him into a more passionate kiss, but he pulled back. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you," he said.

"Richard, I'm fine, really. I was exhausted before because I used my power, along with all the rest of it. People mistook that for me being hurt worse than I was."

He appraised her for a long moment, before bending to the kind of kiss he had been longing to give her.

"That's better," she breathed on parting. She pushed back. "Richard, did you see Cara? You left so quickly, and you had that look in your eye. I didn't have time to really talk to you. It wasn't her fault." "I know. You told me." "You didn't yell at her, did you?" "We had a talk."

She squinted. "Talk. What did she have to say for herself? She didn't try to tell you that she was. .?" "What's Nadine still doing here?"

She was looking at him. She snatched his wrist. "Richard, you have blood on you. . your arm. ."

She looked up in alarm. "What did you do? Richard. . you didn't hurt her, did you?" She lifted his arm higher into the light. "Richard, this looks like… like when you…"

She seized his shirt. "You didn't hurt her? Tell me that you didn't hurt her!" "She wanted to be executed. She gave me the choice of doing it, or she would. So I used the sword, like that time with the Mud People elders." "She's all right? She's all right, isn't she?" "She's all right."

Kahlan, concern in her expression, looked into his eyes. "And you? Are you all right?"