Chapter Text
It was an odd set of circumstances that made it all happen. Kahlan and Dennee spent one morning a week catching up on paperwork, which allowed the council to start later in the day. Kahlan missed her niece, so Dennee brought little Nadia with her. She played at their feet while they discussed Adyndril's business.
Dennee was no longer a Confessor after Zed took her powers with the Quillion. She stayed on to help with the mountains of paperwork. The Confessor magic proved too much for Dennee's new body, and she had to make the painful decision to give up her powers but not before taking a mate and having a daughter. The decision had almost been a fateful one. Dennee barely made it into her ninth month of pregnancy when Zed magically started her labor. Nadia was small, and Zed checked on her every day for the last eight months.
A knock on the door brought Cara into the room. "I'm sorry, but Dennee, you are needed at the stables."
Kahlan and Dennee looked up in shock at the intrusion. The usually stoic face of the Mord'Sith filled with concern.
"Stables?" Dennee said with her nose in the air. She always felt a sting whenever Cara was around and dared to speak to her.
"It's your husband. He won't let anyone help him unless you are there. He has an arrow through his shoulder," Cara said, looking away, hating to be the bearer of bad news.
Dennee jumped up and knocked over her chair, scaring Nadia. Dennee looked down at her child and then Kahlan, "Kahlan?"
"Go, I will take care of her," Kahlan said, picking up the baby with a pouting lip.
"Do you need me…" Cara volunteered but was cut off by the slamming door.
Kahlan could only shake her head at her sister. If Dennee only realized what it took for Cara to keep trying with her sister. Kahlan was proud of her mate for not letting her pride stand in the way of trying to get along with her sister. She pulled her niece's head down to her shoulder, bouncing her until Nadia stopped sniffling.
Looking up at Cara, she said, "What is that look? I have never seen that look on your face before?"
"You look so beautiful holding Dennee's child, and I wish I could give that to you."
"Cara stop. We have talked about this…."
Cara answered another urgent knock at the door. She was annoyed at the interruption.
The guard was tall enough to look over Cara's head and talk directly to the Mother Confessor. "The messenger is here. He's injured, but he won't let the healers touch him until he has spoken with you."
Cara turned to look at Kahlan, raising her eyebrows at similar situations.
"What is going on outside these city walls?" Cara asked.
"I want the healer brought here and to wait outside. Prepare a room for him," Kahlan ordered.
The guard saluted with a hand to his chest and turned away.
Kahlan didn't know what to do with Nadia. Looking around the room, she walked over to a sitting area. She sat her niece down and surrounded her with pillows. She did not know what the messenger would look like, and she didn't want to scare Nadia again.
Looking up at Cara, she pleaded with her eyes, "Cara?"
"NO! NO! NO! Your sister would …"
"You're standing guard, not babysitting. Please, Cara!? Call one of the servants if you feel uncomfortable." Kahlan knew Cara would never hurt the baby, and Dennee would have to deal with it.
A knock sounded at the door again. Kahlan swiftly made her way to the door and helped lead the injured messenger into another room.
Cara stood looking at Nadia and hoped Kahlan finished before Dennee came back. She was surprised that Kahlan left the baby with her. Cara stood with her hands clasped behind her back, looking down at the little creature surrounded by pillows. The creature looked up at her and smiled. Cara's heart melted a little at the blue eyes that were exactly like Kahlan's. Cara tried to look away and ignore the baby, but Nadia was having none of that. She cooed, made sounds, and clapped her hands, trying to get the blonde's attention. Nadia pulled herself up on the couch and let loose a piercing scream towards Cara. Cara ignored her and peeked at her from the corner of her eye. Her heart jumped into her throat as she realized the creature was standing on its own. Cara leaped to the creature and put her hands out to catch it if it fell.
Nadia squealed in delight that the blond was close to her now. She slapped at Cara's hand and latched onto one of Cara's fingers.
"Please sit down, little Confessor. I can't be this close to you when your mother comes back."
Cara's mind was whirling with all the possibilities of Dennee finding her alone with her only child. She did not want to scare the little Confessor by demanding that Kahlan come back and retrieve the baby. She did the only thing she could think of and poked the creature in the chest so she would sit down. The baby fell. Immediately tears rimmed her little blues eyes, and her lip was sticking out again. She was taking a deep breath to start wailing when Cara stood her back up. She stopped crying.
Nadia looked at Cara with determination in her eyes as she awkwardly put her leg out and took an unsteady step toward Cara. Cara's eyes widened when she realized Nadia was making her way to her.
Dennee stole quietly into the room at that moment without Cara seeing her. Rage filled her body. She couldn't believe Kahlan let the Mord'sith close to her baby. That is until she heard the tone of Cara's voice and what she was saying to her child.
"Little Confessor, you're walking!" Cara said in a soft tone keeping her hands close to Nadia. Nadia was within touching distance of Cara and reached her little hand up to touch Cara's cheek. Nadia sputtered something and moved her hand to Cara's nose. Cara froze, unwanted memories flooding back of her child taken from her arms. The little Confessor took another step on her own. She wrapped her arms around Cara's neck and put a slobbery kiss on her cheek. Cara could only wonder what it would be like to hold your child if it felt this good to hold someone else's. Cara gently and slowly put her arms around Nadia as she felt tear after tear flowing down her cheeks.
Cara began talking in a low voice that Dennee could barely hear. "Someone took my child from me once, and I was helpless to stop them. I will never let anyone take a child from their mother again. I will never let any harm come to you or your mother, little Confessor." Cara gently held Nadia. She closed her eyes and sobbed for her child and the children's lives she had taken.
Dennee could not make herself move, feelings warring inside her chest. She'd never seen such a naked emotion from a Mord'Sith that wasn't under the influence of confession. The anger toward Cara melted away with each sob.
Kahlan peeked through the door to see how Cara was fairing with her niece. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Slowly, Dennee walked toward her daughter and Cara. She stopped again. It was the first time she called the Mord'Sith by her name in her mind. Usually, she addressed Cara as "my murderer."
Kahlan didn't know whether to interfere or not. She was only sure of one thing. She was getting tired of the petty bickering that happened between her sister and her mate. Cara usually took the abuse, but she could see in her eyes that it still stung despite the brave face she put on. Kahlan could see the struggle going on inside Dennee. She was witnessing a miracle and decided to stay where she was.
Through the haze of her tears, Cara could see someone making their way toward her. Her stomach twisted when she realized it was Dennee. Trying her best to stand and cradle the baby, Cara started whispering, "I'm sorry," over and over, moving to give Nadia over to her.
Dennee held her hand on the babies back and whispered, "No, she is almost asleep, don't wake her." Dennee rubbed her back until she was sure she was asleep. All the while, Cara stood holding Nadia and trying not to sob.
Cara found Kahlan's astonished eyes and pleaded with without words to save her. Dennee untangled Nadia from Cara's arms and turned to lay her among the pillows on the floor.
Cara bolted out the door with Kahlan trailing behind her. By the time Kahlan reached the door, Cara was running down the hall. Kahlan knew it was not safe outside the city right now. She told the guard to send a squad of soldiers to follow Cara if she left the city. Kahlan turned to shut the door and heard Dennee crying. She made her way to her sister and sat down beside her on the floor.
"Dennee? What happened?"
"For the first time …" Dennee started but was overtook by a sob. Kahlan pulled her sister into her arms and let her cry. Dennee took a deep breath and sat up again. She intertwined her fingers with her sisters to ground herself.
"Kahlan, I don't know what to say. I have every right to be angry with Cara because of what she did to my son. Until today I have never seen her as a woman with a child. I only saw a monster."
Kahlan couldn't help but shed a tear of her own. She was witnessing the miracle of forgiveness.
"I didn't know that Darken Rahl took a baby from her. Did you know Kahlan?" Dennee asked softly.
Kahlan shook her head. "She only talked about it one time."
"She was so gentle with my child Kahlan. I heard her vow to protect my child and myself and never to let anyone take a child from their mother again. When she saw me walking towards her, for the first time, I saw fear in her eyes, and also regret. Kahlan, I was witness to the broken woman that's underneath that red leather." Dennee laid her head on her sister's shoulder again and let her sobs take over.
````
A dam broke in Cara. She couldn't hold her feelings inside anymore. Desperate to find a place to hide, Cara went to the training yard. It would be free of soldiers this time of day. Picking up a training sword, she began to wail on a dummy filled with hay.
Dennee and Kahlan looked at each other when they heard cries that sounded like a wounded animal. Both women jumped up and ran to the balcony.
"There," Dennee said as she pointed to the training yards. Tears began to flow as they listened to the cries coming from Cara. Dennee buried her head in her hands. Her stomach twisted, listening to the pitiful cries and screams.
"I'm so sorry, Kahlan. I know you took the brunt of most of the animosity between her and me."
Kahlan's heart broke listening to Cara. She turned away, but Dennee caught her hand and said, "No, Kahlan, we need to hear this. Our hearts will be more compassionate from the hearing of it."
Kahlan nodded her agreement.
Cara finally wore herself out and dropped to her knees and fell over sobbing.
Kahlan turned to pull a rope summoning the servants to care for Nadia.
````
Cara felt a hand on her arm, pulling her up, then an arm around her waist pulled her into a standing position. She leaned on the woman, never taking her eyes off of the ground. When she felt another strong arm under her other side, she looked up to see Dennee.
A soft sob came from Cara, looking at Dennee. Dennee looked back and tightened her grip around her waist. "From this day forward, you will have nothing but respect from me, Mord…Cara. I heard what you said to Nadia. I have less to fear in this world now that I know you will be protecting my Nadia."
Kahlan felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. The two women she loved the most in the world were finally laying aside their past. She felt like her chest would burst with pride. With these two by her side, there would be nothing that could stand in their way.