hrhrionastar | Fic: Princess Rahl, The Heir to the Throne, Ch. 10 (Reply)

Title: Family (Ch. 10 of The Heir to the Throne)
Pairing: Darken/Kahlan, background Darken/Cara, Richard/Kahlan
Length: 784
Rating: T
Spoilers: Reckoning, mostly, but eventually there'll be a few references to things we learn later.
Summary: Reckoning AU: what if Darken and Kahlan's baby was a girl?

Family

Darken felt exultant. All was right with his world; after Nila’s timely recitation of the loyalty oath, Jagang had been a mere minor nuisance—it seemed most of his followers had been controlled by his magic, just as Kahlan had been. When Mistress Cindi shot Jagang through the heart, most of his army had surrendered at once.

His wizards explained to Darken that Kahlan was still able to go into the Con Dar while wearing the Rada’Han because Jagang, who was controlling her, had been outside its magic-dampening range. There were other dreamwalkers, of course, but none could control her now that she had taken the loyalty oath. The Rahl Bond would protect her, and, incidentally, his own subjects, from being triggered thus again.

Furthermore, the Rahl Bond could never be revoked except by the death of the current Lord Rahl and another’s ascension, which meant Kahlan was bound to him in yet another way.

Just as well Nila had arrived when she had; Darken hadn’t relished the idea of locking Kahlan in the dungeon again until they’d killed Jagang. Less casualties, too—he’d allowed Tippis to live, after Kahlan had declined to start a small rebellion, and was awaiting events.

Who knew? The man might yet prove useful…

The best consequence by far, from Darken’s point of view, was when Kahlan had come to his bedchamber the next night, eyes wild and that glorious hair spilling over her red nightgown, and said fiercely, “At least you are no Jagang,” and kissed him.

Darken still smiled gloatingly when recalling that night.

It had been several months ago; Darken lay staring up at the ceiling of his rooms, Kahlan asleep beside him. For once, he was entirely at peace.

“Mmm,” Kahlan said sleepily. She stirred, propping herself up on her elbows.

“Good morning,” Darken said warmly.

“Oh!” Kahlan gasped, and Darken was immediately worried; was she hurt?

“What is it?” he asked, sitting up and peering down at her.

“I’m pregnant,” Kahlan said flatly.

Darken smiled. His day was just getting better and better. He’d wanted more siblings for Nila and Nicholas for so long—Nicholas was already six. He had been raised an only child, but there was no reason his son and heir should bear that pain. Better to have your siblings under your eye, anyway, in case they tried to usurp your place, or there was a prophecy about them being sent to kill you…

“Darken,” Kahlan addressed him, face cold and set. “Swear to me you won’t let your sorcerers make this child artificially a boy. Or I will throw myself from your battlements, and you will lose both a Queen and a son.”

“I swear,” he said. There was no reason to do such a thing, in any case; the reverse, really. Nicholas was his only heir, and it must remain that way. He didn’t want Nicholas to have the same problems he had.

He dropped a kiss on Kahlan’s hair, a rare moment of tenderness. “You give me great joy.”

Kahlan felt as though a great weight had been lifted. If this next child was another daughter, she would be another way to get Richard back. And Kahlan could pretend that was the only reason she had returned to Darken’s bed.

Guilt for betraying Richard seemed heavy in her heart, while at the same time, she felt freer than she ever had. Nila had proven her potential to be a truly great Mother Confessor—Kahlan had done her duty. Now all she had to do was wait.

But she still had to live here—and the hatred she’d felt for Darken Rahl for as long as she could remember was now almost comfortable. Something reassuringly normal in a world of chaos. She still thought he might kill her someday, but could not muster up the energy to worry about it.

Nila was almost ready to know what she would have to do. And after that, it truly wouldn’t matter what happened to Kahlan.

Feeling a bizarre sense of calm, Kahlan sat down to breakfast with Darken. She even admired the roses on the table.

“Father!” Nila came running into the room, closely followed by a scowling Nicholas.

“What is it, Nila?” Darken asked, frowning. Kahlan frowned, too; she wasn’t sure if it was her Confessor power, finally sifting up through the years of being restrained, but she could feel that this was more than the usual quarrel between brother and sister over who’d won the latest game of Dragons.

“It’s her fault!” Nicholas yelled; Kahlan’s eyes narrowed. He was lying. Her sweet boy—was he turning evil already?

Nila burst out with her announcement. “Nicholas Confessed Mistress Alina!”

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