The Third Kingdom (58 page)

Richard was standing watch. Everyone, of course, had objected.

He had overruled them. He wanted to be alone.

Richard was relieved to be headed back to the People’s Palace at last, to say nothing of having Kahlan and most of his friends safe. He didn’t know what they were going to do about the spirit king that Hannis Arc had called back from the world of the dead. He didn’t know what they were going to
do about the barrier to the third kingdom being down and all the half people and walking dead being loose. He didn’t know what Hannis Arc was up to, either, but he knew it couldn’t be anything good.

And he certainly didn’t know how he was supposed to end prophecy.

Maybe the omen machine, buried for millennia under the Garden of Life, would have an answer to that question. An odd thought, that. A machine devoted to prophecy maybe being able to tell him how to end its purpose for existing.

Something told him, though, that Regula—as the omen machine was called—held the key to everything. As did his discovery of the message left for him, for
fuer grissa ost drauka
, back in the caves of Stroyza.

It was all too much to be a coincidence.

He supposed that after they got back, and Nicci and Zedd were finally able to heal him and Kahlan, he would have a chance to figure it out. He knew that in order to do that he would need to find the rest of the book
Regula
, the book about the omen machine that had long ago been hidden in the Temple of the Winds—hidden there back in the great war, in the time of Magda Searus and Wizard Merritt. Back when the barrier to the third kingdom had been built.

Magda and Merritt had left him a ring to remind him of what was at stake. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about their message to him.

One problem at a time
, he told himself with a sigh,
one problem at a time. Don’t think of the problem, think of the solution
, Zedd would say.

He reminded himself to think of the positives, of all that he had gained.

They had Kahlan back and she was safe. He had managed to get Zedd and Nicci and most of the soldiers out of a prison guarded by the underworld itself. He supposed he had already
gotten farther, and done more, than he would ever have thought he would be able to.

He would just have to confront the rest of the problems in due course. Now that they were back together, he would have Zedd and Nicci to help, and at the palace there would be others with vast experience, such as Nathan, the prophet.

Richard spotted Cara walking toward him in the near darkness. He stayed where he was leaning against the rock, watching her come.

She finally slowed to a stop in front of him.

“Lord Rahl, may I speak with you?”

“Of course you can, Cara. You know that.”

She nodded, not wanting to meet his gaze.

“Lord Rahl, I have come to ask something of you.”

He shrugged. “What would you like?”

Her head finally came up. She looked into his eyes. “I would like to have my freedom.”

Richard blinked. “Your freedom?”

“That’s right. I have served you honorably. Now, in return for my service, I ask that you grant me my freedom.”

“Cara, I can’t do that.”

She lifted her chin. “May I ask why not?”

“Because I don’t own you. You are already free. I’ve always told you that you and the rest of the Mord-Sith stay with me by your own choice. You are all free to walk away at any time. That’s what we fought the war about. I have no hold over you but your desire to stay.”

She nodded with a brave look. “I know. But I am still Mord-Sith. As Mord-Sith, I ask to be released. I ask you to grant my request, grant me my freedom.”

Richard watched her eyes for a very long time. He had to wait until he was sure his voice would not fail him.

“Granted.”

She nodded sadly and turned to leave, but stopped then and
turned back. “And may I keep my Agiel? I would like to have it so that I may know when you have been healed and your gift is back. If I have the Agiel with me, then when I feel its power return, I will know that you are well again.”

“Of course.” He gestured vaguely, his heartache making it difficult to speak. “Cara, I’m so sorry about Ben.”

She nodded her appreciation. “They may have been trying to take his soul, but they in fact stole mine.”

Richard wanted to do the impossible and make it right for her. Nothing could have made him sadder than knowing that there was no way he could.

“I wish you would stay with Kahlan and me. We care about you. We love you.”

She thought a moment. “I know you do. I will miss you both.”

“Where are you going?”

“I need to do some killing.”

Richard had thought as much. He had a thousand arguments. He showed his profound respect for her by not putting words to any of them.

“I understand.”

She swallowed. “Thank you, Lord Rahl.”

Again, when she turned to leave, he called her name.

“Cara, please, would you let me hold you for just a moment before I let you go?”

She at last smiled as she returned and slipped her arms around him, and he around her, as she laid her head against his chest. He tenderly put his hand to the back of her head and held her, wishing there were words, but there were none.

When she finally separated from him, Kahlan was standing there. Without saying anything, Kahlan took Cara into her arms, hugging her silently for a long moment.

“He was a dear, dear man, Cara, and he will be greatly
missed,” Kahlan whispered in a broken voice when they separated.

“Thank you, Mother Confessor.” She took a hand of each, then. “You both have been the greatest thing in my life, other than my brass buttons … Ben. I love you both.”

She released their hands and wiped the tears from her eyes, then wiped her palms on her hips. “It will be light soon. Get an early start. I want both of you to get back to the palace so you can be healed.” She smiled. “Maybe I will see you again. You never know.”

“Your home is with us,” Richard said. “It will always be waiting for you.”

“Thank you,” she said with a nod, and turned away.

Kahlan leaned against Richard as they watched her walk away.

“I love her too much to keep her from leaving,” Richard whispered, half to Kahlan and half to himself, his heart breaking as he watched her melting into the night.

There were a thousand things he wanted to say to Cara. He loved her too much to say any of them.

“I know,” Kahlan said, choked with tears. “Me too. Do you think she’ll be back?”

“Anything is possible,” Richard said as he put his arm around Kahlan’s shoulders.

“Do you think she’ll be safe by herself?”

Richard had seen that Cara had a steel knife on one hip and the Shun-tuk stone knife for putting down the dead on the other.

“Oh, I don’t think Cara is the one who needs to be worried.”

Richard sighed and gazed down at Kahlan.

“Well, it’s going to be light soon. I think we should get all of our gear collected, the horses saddled, and be on our way. The sooner we get to the palace, the sooner Zedd and Nicci will be done meddling with us.”

He saw a smile overcome her in spite of herself.

“I would have to agree with that, Lord Rahl.” She hugged him then. “It will be good to get home.”

“Cara will come home, too. I know she will.”

Her beautiful green eyes turned to look up at him.

“Promise?”

Richard could only smile in answer.