The three Mord-Sith, too, always seemed to be protecting Kahlan from being seen as less than the true betrothed to the Master of D'Hara. Whenever she and Richard thought to go to his room at night, even just to talk, either Cara, or Berdine, or Raina was always there, asking some pointed question that seemed to keep them apart. When Richard scowled, they reminded him that he had instructed them to protect the Mother Confessor: he never countermanded the orders.

Today, the three Mord-Sith were scrupulously following his orders, and when he had told Cara and Raina to guard him from around the corner and down the hall, they had remained there without objection.

With their wedding so soon. Kahlan and Richard had decided to wait, even though they had already been together once. That time seemed somehow unreal- in a place between worlds, in a place with no heat, no cold, no source of light, no ground, and yet they could see. and they had lain in dark space firm enough to support them.

More than anything, she remembered the feel of him. They had been the source of all heat. all light, all feeling, in that 'strange place between worlds where the good spirits had taken them.

She was feeling that heat. now, as she ran her hands over the muscles of his chest and stomach. She could hardly get her breath with the feel of his lips on her. She wanted his mouth everywhere on her. She wanted hers everywhere on him. She wanted him on the other side of her door.

"Richard," she whispered in his ear, "please, stay with me tonight." His hands were making her lose all sense of restraint. "Kahlan, I thought. ."

"Please. Richard. I want you in my bed. I want you in me." He moaned helplessly at her words, and at her hands. "I hope I'm not interrupting," came a voice.

Richard jerked up straight. Kahlan spun around. With the thick carpets, they hadn't heard Nadine's silent approach. "Nadine," Kahlan said, catching her breath. "What. .?" Kahlan self-consciously clasped her hands behind her back, wondering if Nadine had seen where they had just been. She had to have seen where Richard's had been. Kahlan felt her face going red.

Nadine's cool gaze moved from Richard to Kahlan. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just came to change your poultice. And to apologize." "Apologize?" Kahlan asked, still gulping air.

"Yes. I said some things to you earlier, and I guess I was a bit. . out of sorts at the time. I thought I may have said some things I shouldn't have. I thought I should apologize."

"That's all right." Kahlan said. "I understand how you felt at the time." Nadine lifted her bag and her eyebrow:;. "The poultice?" "My arm is fine for tonight. You could change the poultice for me tomorrow, though." Kahlan sought to fill the dragging silence. "Drefan did some of his healing on it earlier. . so it's fine for tonight." "Sure." She lowered her bag. "You two off to bed. then?" "Nadine," Richard said in a restrained tone, "thanks for checking on Kahlan. Good night."

Nadine regarded him with a cold glower. "Don't even plan to get married first? Just going to throw her down on the bed and lay claim to her, like some girl you come across in the woods? Seems a bit crude for the high and mighty Lord Rahl. And here you were pretending you were better than us common folk."

She glanced down at Richard and then turned her glare on Kahlan. "Like I said before, he wants what he's shown. Shota told me about you. I guess you know about what pushes men off the fence, too. It seems you would do anything to have him, after all. Like I said before, you're no better than me." Bag in hand, she turned and marched off down the hall. Kahlan and Richard stood in the uncomfortable silence, watching the empty hall. "Out of the mouths of whores," Kahlan said.

Richard wiped his hands back across his face. "Maybe she has a point." "Maybe she does," Kahlan admitted reluctantly. "Well, good night. Sleep well."

"You, too. I'll be thinking about you in that little guest room you use." He bent and kissed her cheek. "Not going to bed right off." "Where are you going?"

"Oh, I thought I'd go dunk myself in a horse trough."

She caught him by the wide, leather-padded band around his wrist. "Richard, I don't know if I can stand this much longer. Are we ever going to get married before something else happens?"

"We'll go wake the sliph just as soon as we make sure everything here is in order. I promise. Dear spirits, I promise." "What things?"

"Just as soon as we know that the men are getting better, and I'm satisfied about a few other things. I want to make sure that Jagang can't make good on his threats. A couple of days and the men should be better. A couple days. I promise."

She held one of his fingers in each of' her hands as she stared longingly into his gray eyes. "I love you," she whispered. "In a few days, or after an eternity. I'm yours. Words spoken over us or not, I'm forever yours."

"We are already one, in our hearts. The good spirits know the truth of that. They want us to be together, they've already proven it, and will watch over us. Don't worry, we'll have the words said over us."

He started away, but turned back win a haunted look in his eyes. "I only wish Zedd could be there when we're married. Dear spirits, I wish he could. And that he was here to help me, now."

When he looked back from the comer at the end of the hall, Kahlan threw him a kiss. She shuffled into her empty, lonely rooms and threw herself on her big bed. She thought about what Nadine said: "Shota told me about you." Kahlan wept in frustration.

"So, you're not going to be sleeping… up here, tonight," Cara said when he walked past.

"And what would make you think I was?" Richard asked. Cara shrugged. "You made us wait around the corner." "Maybe I just wanted to kiss Kahlan good night without you two passing judgment on my skill."

Cara and Raina both smiled, the first he had seen from them all day. "I have already seen you kiss the Mother Confessor," Cara said. "You appear quite talented at it. It always leaves her breathless and wanting more." Even though he didn't feel like smiling, he did anyway because he was glad to see them smiling. "That doesn't mean I'm talented, it just means she loves me."

"I've been kissed," Cara said, "and I've seen you kiss. I believe I can say with some authority that you are talented at the task. We watched you from around the corner tonight."

Richard tried to look indignant as he felt his face going red. "I gave you orders to stay down here."

"It is our responsibility to watch over you. To do that, we can't let you out of our sight. We can't follow such orders."

Richard shook his head. He couldn't be; angry over the violation of orders. How could he, when they were risking his anger to protect him? They hadn't endangered Kahlan in doing so. "What do you two think of Drefan?"

"He is your brother. Lord Rahl," Raina said. "The resemblance is obvious." "I know the resemblance is obvious. I mean, what do you think of him." "We don't know him. Lord Rahl," Raina said.

"I don't know him, either. Look, I'm not going to be angry if you tell me you don't like him. In fact. I'd really like to know if you don't. What about you, Cara? What do you think of him?"

She shrugged. "I've never kissed either of you, but from what I have seen, I would rather kiss you."

Richard put his hands on his hips. "What does that mean?" "I was hurt, yesterday, and he helped me. But I don't like the fact that master Drefan came now, when Marlin and Nadine came."

Richard sighed. "My thoughts, too. I ask people not to judge me because of who my father was, and I find myself doing that with him. I'd really like to trust him. Please, both of you, if you have any reason for concern, don't be afraid to come and tell me."