The Third Kingdom

Vika, looking surprised, studied his face for a long moment. “Why would she do such a thing? She is Mord-Sith.”

“She is also a woman, Vika, just like you. She fell in love and wanted to share her life with the man she loved.”

Her frown returned. She looked sincerely puzzled. “And you allowed this? Why would you marry them?”

“Because I care about her, about all the Mord-Sith. I wanted her to be happy. After what she has been through in her life, what all of you have been through, she deserved to have some happiness come into her life. The other Mord-Sith wept with joy at her wedding.” Richard tapped his own chest. “I wept with joy for her.”

As Vika studied him in silence for a time, he went on.

“She changed—by her own choice, changed to have the life she wanted. You, too, have the ability to use your head, to change, but the time for you to make that choice for your own life is shrinking. You still have the choice of setting things right and of helping me to set things right. That’s the only way.

“Don’t let the opportunity pass you by, Vika. Once that chance slips away from you, it will be gone forever.”

She was incredulous. “Chance for what?”

“Chance not to be the property of an evil man.”

“He is the Lord Arc, my master.”

“You are your own master. You just don’t know it.”

Her patience gone, her anger exploding to the surface, Vika abruptly rammed her Agiel toward his middle.

Richard caught the weapon in his fist before she could push it into his abdomen. Vika held one end, he the other, enduring the agony the way he had been taught in terrible lessons he thought he would never need.

Now, he needed those lessons.

Now, he was thankful for those lessons.

Now, those lessons were the only thing keeping him standing.

He was inches away from Vika’s face, staring into her blue eyes and she into his, sharing the same pain of the Agiel that she felt, enduring it the same as she endured it.

The Shun-tuk watched without reaction from beyond the doorway, without realizing the full extent of what was happening, what the two of them were feeling, or what they were sharing. The chalky figures with blacked-out eyes made no move to intervene as the two of them stood motionless, face-to-face, sharing the withering agony of her Agiel.

Looking into her eyes, Richard finally saw the shadow of fear.

After he saw that specter of fear in her eyes, after enough time had passed to make sure she understood that he saw it and recognized it, he shoved her back while releasing the Agiel.

As she watched him, panting to get her breath, her smooth brow drew into an emotional frown. “You are a rare person, Richard Rahl, to be able to do that.”

“I am the Lord Rahl,” he told her with quiet authority. “Despite what you may believe, I am in control, not you. Don’t ever forget that or it will cost you your life when you least expect it.”

“I expect to die in battle—”

“Not old and toothless in bed,” he finished.

She frowned. “So, you know more of Mord-Sith than I had thought.”

“Vika, I know more of Mord-Sith than you can imagine. I know that they can choose life again. I know it isn’t too late. I have worn around my neck the Agiel of Mord-Sith who have died. Some of them died fighting me, others, fighting for me. All of them were individuals who had the ability to choose more for their own lives than to be only Mord-Sith. Some chose wisely, some did not.”

Vika looked deeply into his eyes as she weighed his words. She finally lifted her Agiel, pointing it at his face as the iron returned to her expression.

“I am Mord-Sith. You will do as I say, when I say it.”

Richard smiled softly. “Of course, Mistress Vika.” He held his arm out. “Now, get going. You are supposed to come collect me for something. The pathetic excuse for a man who you follow will be angry with you if you delay any longer. That is the way he treats Mord-Sith—no differently, really, than Darken Rahl used to treat them.

“Your choice to go with Hannis Arc instead of Darken Rahl was no improvement. You traded one tyrant for another, that’s all. But at least it should show you that you have the power to choose for yourself what you want for yourself. You made that choice. I hope that you will learn from it and come to make a better choice the next time.”

She did not look pleased. “I hope Lord Arc allows me to kill you.”

“That’s a false hope. It just isn’t ever going to happen.”

Her face turned red with rage. “And what makes you think so?”

“Do you really think that Hannis Arc would go to all the trouble he went to capture me simply in order to let you kill me? I hardly think so.

“He has much bigger plans than your amusement. He wants me for some reason. He is not going to let you kill me, and I expect that he has given you explicit orders to that effect. Isn’t that right?”

“You’re right,” she said in a calmer voice, “you do have a higher purpose than dying by my hand.” She lifted her chin. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy your fate.”

“Fine, just knock off the empty threats. Now, let’s get going.”