"Yes. Richard. I am," she whispered. "In this world, I am. Shota told me that that was all that mattered to the spirits. In this world, in our world, the world of life, I am a virgin. We were together in another world. It doesn't apply here." "That's crazy," he whispered in a hoarse voice. "That's just crazy." "It fulfills the requirements of the winds," Cara said.

"This is the only chance you will be offered," the legate said. "If you do not take it, then the obligation of the winds to remedy the damage will be ended."

"Please, Cara," Richard whispered. "Please. . don't do this. There has to be another way."

"This is the only way." Cara, in her red leather, lowered above them. "It is up to you whether you will repair the damage. You must agree. If you fail to answer the call, it will not come again, and the magic released will run free."

"The winds wish to know your answer," the legate said. "You must both agree to this of your free will. It must be a true marriage in all aspects. It must be for life. You must both be of honest intent in your marriages, and faithful to the ones you wed."

"He speaks the truth of the winds. What is your answer?" Cara asked in a voice like ice.

Kahlan looked through the watery blur into Richard's eyes. She could see him dying behind those eyes.

"It is our duty. Only we can save those people, but I will say no if you wish it, Richard."

"How many more Rainas must die in my arms? I couldn't ask you to have me at the cost of another life."

Kahlan swallowed the wail. "Is there anything. . do you know of anything we could do to stop the plague?"

Richard shook his head. "I'm sorry. I have failed you. I haven't found a way around this."

"You haven't failed me, Richard. I couldn't bear to think we were the cause of more death, like Raina's, today." She threw her arms around his neck. "I love you so much, Richard."

Richard's big hand held her head to him. "We are agreed, then. We must do this."

Richard brought her to her feet with him. There was so much she wanted to say to him. No words came. When she looked into Richard's eyes, she knew words weren't needed.

They turned to Cara and the legate. "I agree. I will marry Nadine." "I agree. I will marry Drefan." Kahlan fell into Richard's arms as she lost control of her tears. She sobbed in agony. Richard embraced her, nearly squeezing the life out of her. Cara and the legate were suddenly there, pulling them apart. "You are each promised to another," Cara said. "You may not do this now.

You must each be loyal to your mates." Kahlan looked past the legate into Richard's eyes, each of them knowing that they had embraced for the last time. In that moment, her world ended.

CHAPTER 56

Kahlan and Richard sat apart, with the legate and Cara between them. Kahlan heard the doors open. It was Nadine and Drefan. After Ulic had let them in, he closed the doors.

Richard raked his hair back as he rose. Kahlan didn't want to test her legs, yet. It had all slipped through her fingers. Everything was lost to duty.

Nadine eyed everyone in the room: the legate, his six wives, Cara, Kahlan, and finally Richard as he walked haltingly to her.

Richard stared at the floor. "You both know that the plague was started with magic. I told you both how it was stolen from the Temple of the Winds. The temple has sent its requirements if I am to be allowed to enter and stop the plague.

"The temple requires that both Kahlan and I wed. The temple has named who it is it requires we wed. I'm sorry that both of you have been. . tangled in this. I don't know the reason. The temple will not explain why it must be so, only that this is our only chance to halt the plague. I can't force either of you to be part of this; I can only ask."

Richard cleared his throat, trying to steady his voice. He lifted Nadine's hand. He couldn't look her in the eye. "Nadine, will you marry me?"

Nadine's gaze immediately went to Kahlan. Kahlan wore her Confessor's face, as her mother taught her. Duty, as her mother had taught her. Nadine glanced to the others, and then back to the top of Richard's head. "Do you love me, Richard?"

Richard finally looked up into her eyes. "No. I'm sorry, Nadine, but, no. I don't love you."

She was unruffled by the answer. Kahlan was sure that she had expected it. "I'll marry you, Richard. I'll make you happy. You'll see. You'll come to love me, in time."

"No, Nadine," Richard whispered, "I won't. We will be husband and wife, if you agree to this, and I will be faithful to you, but my heart will always belong to Kahlan. I'm sorry to say such a harsh thing to you when I'm asking you to marry me, but I won't deceive you."

Nadine thought a moment. "Well, many marriages are arranged, and they turn out well in the end." She smiled at him. To Kahlan, it looked a sympathetic smile. "The spirits have arranged this one. That means something. I will marry you, Richard."

Richard glanced back at Kahlan. It was her turn. She saw in those dead gray eyes a glimmer of something: rage. Kahlan knew that his insides were being torn apart the same as were hers.

She found herself before Drefan before she realized it. The first time she tried, her voice wouldn't come out. It simply wouldn't. She tried again. "Drefan, will you. . be. . my husband?"

His blue. Darken Rahl eyes appraised her without emotion. For some reason, she recalled his hand between Cara's legs, and she almost vomited.

"As Nadine said. I could do worse than a marriage arranged by the spirits. I don't suppose there's any chance you will ever come to love me?"

Kahlan's jaw trembled as she stared at the floor. Her voice wouldn't work. She shook her head.

"Well, no matter. We may still have some good times. I'll do it. I will marry you, Kahlan."

She was glad that she had never told Richard about what Drefan had done to Cara. If she had. Richard might have lost control when Drefan said he would marry Kahlan and pulled free his sword.

Cara and the legate stepped forward. "It is agreed, then." they said as one. "The winds are pleased to have the consent of all involved."

"When?" Richard asked in a hoarse voice. "When will we. . when do we. .? And when can I get into the Temple of the Winds? People are dying. I have to help the winds put a stop to it."

"Tonight," Cara and the legate said as one. "We will leave immediately for Mount Kymermosst. You will be wed tonight, as soon as we arrive there."

Kahlan didn't ask how they would get to a place that wasn't there anymore. It didn't really matter to her. The only thing that really mattered to her was that they would be wed that very night.

"I'm sorry about Raina," Nadine said to Richard. "How is Berdine doing?" "Not well. She's up at the Keep."

Richard turned to Cara. "Can we stop up there on our way? I must tell her what has happened. She will have to stay to guard the sliph until I return. I have to tell her."

"And I'd like to give her something to help her feel better," Nadine said. "It is permitted," Cara said in that awful, icy voice.

Berdine looked terror-stricken when Richard told her. She threw her arms around him and wept with twin misery. The sliph watched from her well. frowning with curiosity.

Nadine mixed things from pouches in her big bag. giving Berdine instructions on when to take them, promising that it would help her get through her grief. Richard tried to tell Berdine everything he could think of that she might need to know.

Kahlan could almost feel time tingling against her flesh as it flew past, as she plunged and plunged into the black depths.

"We must go," Cara said, cutting off the stalling. "We must ride hard to arrive before the full moon rises."