Her affection for him is the reason he doesn't kill her, you mean? Maybe. He seems so starved of affection that it probably would influence his decision.

I saw Kahlan here as rejoicing in the fact she'll still get to carry out her plan to alter the timeline; but seeing Rahl genuinely grieving has planted a seed of doubt in her mind - maybe he's not just a monster after all...which brings us to where you are in "Princess Rahl", with Kahlan starting to be torn between two possible futures.

I was barely planning on writing this :D - I didn't mind doing it after I'd read yours because what I had in mind was very different in tone and resolution. For a sequel I'd worry I'd be straying into much the same territory as "Princess Rahl".