Aydindril, The Early Years

[confessorlove]

Title: Aydindril, The Early Years
Author: confessorlove
Pairing: Richard and Kahlan
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Richard and Kahlan grow up together in Aydindril and have to deal with developing feelings and all kinds of trouble.
Author's Notes:  Kinda AU what could have happened. Written for lotsbigbang  and BETA'd by my one and only braintwin theonlyspl Also this is the first long fic that I have written so I hope it turned out ok.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just like to make them do my bidding.

 

CHAPTER FIVE

A few weeks had passed since they found Cara in the woods and the three of them had become fast friends.  Spending a lot of time Kahlan and Cara became great friends right away. Even though Cara was the same age as Dennee she was very different then Kahlan’s sister.  Cara was tougher and more of a tomboy.  It was a little surprising how well Cara and Richard got along as well.  If Kahlan was afraid of something Cara never was and he could count on her to do the more against the rules things without getting an argument from her.  Kahlan would now do more things because if Richard and Cara were going to do them she was going to.  Somewhere in the back of her mind she worried that her friend would steal Richard’s affections away before silently reprimanding herself for the thought.  She and Richard would never be together, she just needed to learn to accept it. Even though she knew it was wrong, her feelings for Richard were one of the reasons she always went with Richard and Cara when they did something against the rules.  She didn’t want them to grow any closer than they were already becoming.

She was getting ready to go up to the Keep with Cara when one of the servants came into her room. “Confessor Kahlan your mother would like to speak with you.”

“Now?”

“Yes, she requested you visit her in her study right now.”

“Alright I’ll go right now.”

As she walked toward her mother’s study she couldn’t help but wonder what her mother wanted.  It had to be some sort of official business or else she would have gone to see Kahlan not the other way around. She reached the door and knocked, entering when her mother told her to from behind the door.

“You wanted to see me mother?” Kahlan said once she shut the door behind her, so it was just her and her mother in the study.

“Please sit Kahlan,” her mother said as she gestured to the chair opposite hers in front of the fireplace.

Kahlan sat down in the chair her mother had pointed to a little on edge, worrying about what her mother wanted to talk to her about. “Kahlan, I’m sending you to Galea to take some confessions.”

“Really? I’m honored you chose me mother but why me? There are Confessors more qualified.”

“The truth is I’m sending you to Galea because you are spending too much time with Richard.  You’re falling in love with each other and this will only end in heartache.  I’m trying to ease that pain by sending you away.  You need to think of things other than Richard and he needs to think of things other than you.  Hopefully without you here Richard will be able to move on and you will be able to as well.”

“What? Mother, Richard and I are just friends. We don’t love each other.”

“Kahlan you can’t lie to me.  I know you have feelings for him and I know he has feelings for you. Nothing can ever come of this, nothing good anyway. That’s why I’m sending you away; to prevent any heartbreak that I know will come if you stay together.”

“Mother please, we know we can never be together but we can still be friends. Please don’t send me away because of Richard.”

“Kahlan you’re going to Galea for nine months and that’s final.”

“Nine months! I can’t be gone for nine months. I can’t be away from you or Dennee that long.”

“Or Richard?”

Kahlan blushed deeply. “Well I don’t want to be away from him either, or Cara I’d miss them both.”

“Well nine months will go by faster than you think and then you’ll be back here with me, your sister, and your friends.  But you should go pack your things, your leaving at first light.”

“First light? That doesn’t hardly give me any time to say goodbye to Dennee, Richard and Cara.”

“I know Kahlan but think of it this way, the sooner you leave the sooner you’ll be back.”

“I know mother, I’m going to say goodbye and pack.” Kahlan got up and gave her mother a hug before leaving the study to head for the Keep to say goodbye to Richard.  She ran into Dennee on her way out of the palace.

“Kahlan where are you going in such a hurry?”

“I was heading up to the Keep to say goodbye to Richard.”

“Goodbye? Why?”

“Mother is sending me to Galea.  I’ll be gone for nine months and I leave at first light.”

Dennee pulled her sister into a warm embrace before asking. “Why is mother sending you to Galea?”

“She thinks Richard and I are falling in love and she wants to separate us to help prevent the heartbreak she is sure we will endure.  She’s wrong though, Richard and I aren’t in love.”

“Sure you’re not,” Dennee said as she rolled her eyes

“I’m not but I don’t want to argue with you about this right now.  I’m leaving in the morning and I’ll miss you little sister.”

“I know I’ll miss you too Kahlan.”

Kahlan hugged her sister again before heading off for the Keep once again.  She thought about what she would say to Richard when she reached the Keep.  The whole way there she worried that maybe her mother was right and this would force her and Richard apart. It might have been selfish but she secretly hoped she would always hold Richard’s heart, even if nothing could ever come of it.  It was a nice feeling knowing that he cared so much for her and she didn’t want to lose that feeling.

She reached the Keep sooner than she expected and went inside, immediately starting to look for Richard.  She found him out on one of the ramparts overlooking the city.  He had his back to her and hadn’t noticed her yet.  She just stood there for a minute trying to compose herself before approaching him. “Richard, I need to talk to you.”

He turned toward the sound of her voice and smiled at her. “What is it Kahlan?”

“I’m leaving Richard.”

“What do you mean Kahlan?”

“My mother is sending me to Galea for nine months.”

“What? Why?”

“She is sending me to take confessions.”

“Kahlan I know you well enough to know you aren’t telling me everything.”

Kahlan exhaled deeply before continuing with her mother’s reasons for sending her away. “She is sending me away because she thinks we are getting too close and she wants to save us from heartbreak.  She is sure this will be easier than letting us fall for each other only to have magic keep us apart.  She is hoping that with me gone you will find someone else to care for and that I will forget about you if I’m not with you all the time.”

“That’s ridiculous, Kahlan, I’m never going to find someone to replace you.”

“I know Richard and I’ll never find anyone to replace you.”

“We’ll be exactly where we left off when you get back. Nothing is going to change that.”

Richard pulled her into a tight embrace as she spoke. “I know nothing will ever come between us.”  She pulled out of the hug and looked Richard in the eyes, her heart heavy with the knowledge that just because he said her mother’s plan wouldn’t work doesn’t mean he’s right.  Her mother’s plan would probably succeed and she would never be with Richard again even in the most innocent of ways.  “Richard I should get going.  I still need to pack.”

Before Richard could say anything they heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them. “Richard, Kahlan what are you two up to?” Cara said.

“Oh Cara I was just saying goodbye to Richard,” Kahlan said as she turned around to face Cara.

“Oh really? Where are you going Kahlan?”

“Galea.”

 

Once Kahlan finished telling Cara what was going on and where she was going only leaving out the part about being sent away because of her feelings for Richard.  That was something that Kahlan didn’t think her friend needed to know.  It was private between she and Richard and well her mother did know about it too but that didn’t change the fact that Kahlan’s feelings toward Richard were none of Cara’s business.

“Don’t worry Kahlan; I’ll take care of Richard while you’re gone, and besides you’ll be back before you know it.”

“Umm thanks Cara,” she said trying to be polite but she really didn’t want Cara taking care of Richard she didn’t even want them spending time together when she wasn’t around. She didn’t want to lose him to Cara.  “I really should be getting back to the palace I still need to pack,” she said with a sigh not wanting to leave but knowing she must.

“Kahlan let me walk you back, nine months is a long time and I don’t wanna leave you just yet.”

“Okay Richard.”

Richard and Kahlan walked back to the palace slowly not wanting to get where they were going, knowing that once they did Richard would have to return to the Keep because her mother would not approve of him hanging around while she packed.

They reached the front of the palace and Richard hugged her again before she went inside, turning around to watch him leave as she crossed the threshold and what she saw made her heart sink into the pit of her stomach.  Cara had walked back with them and now Richard was smiling brightly as he talked to Cara. She was too far away to hear but judging by the way he was acting he was very happy, and when Richard put his hand on Cara’s shoulder she felt like her whole world came crashing down.  She would lose him to Cara while she was gone, of that she was certain.