Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind

Darken Rahl onto his son.”
    “You’re right about that,” Cara murmured. “The two may look a little alike, but anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of both men, as I have, could never begin to think they were the same kind of men.”

Chapter 6
    Captain Meiffert ate the rest of his rice and beans in silence. Cara offered him her waterskin. He took it with a smile and his nod of thanks. She dished him out a second bowlful from the pot, and cut him another piece of bannock. He looked only slightly less mortified to be served by a Mord-Sith than by the Lord Rahl. Cara found his expression amusing. She called him “Brass Buttons” and told him to eat it all. He did so as they listened to the sounds of the fire snapping and water dripping from the pine needles onto the carpet of leaves and other debris of the forest floor.
    Richard returned, loaded down with the captain’s bedroll and saddlebags. He let them slip to the ground beside the officer and then shook water off himself before sitting down beside Kahlan. He offered her a drink from a full waterskin he’d brought back. She took only a sip. She was more interested in being able to rest her hand on his leg.
    Richard yawned. “So, Captain Meiffert, you said the general wanted you to give a full report?”
    “Yes, sir.” The captain went into a long and detailed account on the state of the army to the south, how they were stationed out on the plains, what passes they guarded in the mountains, and how they planned on using the terrain, should the Imperial Order suddenly come up out of Anderith and move north into the Midlands. He reported on the health of the men and their supply situation—both good. The other half of General Reibisch’s D’Haran force was back in Aydindril, protecting the city, and Kahlan was relieved to hear that everything there was in order.
    Captain Meiffert relayed all the communications they’d received from around the Midlands, including from Kelton and Galea, two of the largest lands of the Midlands that were now allied with the new D’Haran Empire. The allied lands were helping to keep the army supplied, in addition to providing men for rotation of patrols, scouting land they knew better, and other work.
    Kahlan’s half brother, Harold, had brought word that Cyrilla, Kahlan’s half sister, had taken a turn for the better. Cyrilla had been queen of Galea. After her brutal treatment in the hands of the enemy, she became emotionally unbalanced and was unable to serve as queen. In her rare conscious moments, worried for her people, she had begged Kahlan to be queen in her stead. Kahlan had reluctantly agreed, saying it was only until Cyrilla was well again. Few people thought she would ever have her mind back, but, apparently, it looked as if she might yet recover.
    In order to soothe the ruffled feathers of Galea’s neighboring land, Kelton, Richard had named Kahlan queen of Kelton. When Kahlan first heard what Richard had done, she had thought it was lunacy. Strange as the arrangement was, though, it suited both lands, and brought them not only peace with each other, but also into the fold of those lands fighting against the Imperial Order.
    Cara was pleasantly surprised to hear that a number of Mord-Sith had arrived at the Confessors’ Palace in Aydindril, in case Lord Rahl needed them. Berdine would no doubt be pleased to have some of her sister Mord-Sith with her in Aydindril.
    Kahlan missed Aydindril. She guessed the place you grew up could never leave your heart. The thought gave her a pang of sorrow for Richard.
    “That would be Rikka,” Cara said with a smile. “Wait until she meets the new Lord Rahl,” she added under her breath, finding that even more to smile about.
    Kahlan’s thoughts turned to the people they had left to the Imperial Order—or more accurately, to the people who had chosen the Imperial Order. “Have you received any reports from Anderith?”
    “Yes, from a number of men we sent in there.