The girls were finally asleep. Atal closed the book he'd been reading to them – Wild Tales – and used his metallic hand to cover his mouth as he yawned.
He'd barely had time to adjust to having only one hand that Bao, Taim and Neya were already working on some…contraption to replace the one he'd lost. It was a ter'angreal, and it was just as functional as his right hand. In the Age of Legends, these devices were called prostheses.
He exited the room without making a sound. The baby was crying in the distance, but that was not his problem, not tonight. Tonight, she was her father's responsibility. And Natael's, Atal supposed, though he doubted that the bard often got up in the middle of the night to soothe her.
He opened the door to his bedroom quietly. Trygg was snoring softly, to Atal's relief. Trygg was often plagued by migraines and had trouble sleeping since he'd recovered from his nearly-fatal brain injury. No amount of Healing had been able to help with the migraines, to Neya's greatest frustration.
They hadn't seen each other all day. Atal had been away from the palace, working on the plans of the university with Bao. The king had named Atal responsible for the project, to the latter's surprise. Bao claimed that he had a head for architectural design.
And then Neya had practically begged him to tuck the girls in. The meeting with the Westland leaders had not gone well, as usual, and she and Bao had much to discuss. Atal had readily agreed; he didn't get to spend much time with the children, now that Bao had decided that everyone had to participate in the making of his vision for the new Shara. Atal couldn't blame him. Initially, it was going to be Taim, Natael, Neya and Bao himself; now Trygg and Atal had taken up residence in the palace, and Logain had just moved in with Min Farshaw. Loial the Ogier and his wife Erith were visiting – a visit that could last a while, apparently. Loial was working on a book and wanted to hear everyone's insights about their participation in the Last Battle and the events that had led to it. He was incredibly excitable, for an Ogier. He claimed that it was a remarkable opportunity, to be able to discuss with several Forsaken and another ta'veren, whose existence he had not even been aware of. It would make his book so much more comprehensive to have the opinions of people who had followed the Dark One for so long.
In any case, the palace was getting a bit crowded, but they were working on that. Soon there would be cities blooming up in every corner of the land, and everyone would have their own to administer.
Taim would be in charge of the university, which would in fact be a small city in itself, while Natael would, predictably, manage the conservatory. Atal was going to design every single building, if Bao had his way, and Trygg would overlook their construction. Miss Farshaw had offered her diplomatic skills in the negotiations to come, and Logain, though he claimed to be here to rest, had already agreed to go on recruiting trips across the land to gather all the male channelers he could find. The man wouldn't stay idle even if Farshaw sat on him, Atal suspected.
It was a pleasant life. It was not the one Atal had expected, when he'd left his native village a year and a half ago, to become a part of the Dragon Reborn's armies, but it was the one he'd come to yearn for, after his taxing experience at the Black Tower, and after surviving Tarmon Gai'don.
Shara had become home, and the only place where Atal had ever felt safe.
"Did you talk to Taim?" Bao asked after they were done discussing the meeting. They could only agree that it had not gone well. It was partially his fault, he admitted, but in his defence, the western representatives were being impossible. They were too demanding, not trusting enough, and utterly unwilling to compromise. Even Min Farshaw had had a difficult time keeping her cool.
The problem was easily summarised: they had too few allies, and too many enemies. Bao could only hope that seeing Miss Farshaw on the Sharan side of the negotiating table would slowly lead the West to realise that they, too, could become a part of the bigger picture, if they only consented to be reasonable, instead of senselessly terrified. Bao had no idea what they were afraid of; he had no army to speak of, and no desire to invade them, in any case. Holding that much land would be impossible; Shara was nearly as large as the Western Lands put together, especially now that the Blight had receded and almost entirely disappeared.
But of course, that, too, was a matter of dispute: to whom did these long-forsaken lands belong? Bao was of a mind to grant the western portions to the Borderlanders, to be shared evenly among their nations, and to keep the area that bordered Shara to Shara itself. It only made sense, but few saw it that way. It did not help that Seanchan scouts had been observed repeatedly flying over these regions. Did they intend to seize the former Blight for their Empress? Cauthon had made no comment on the subject, save for several muttered curses. Fortuona herself, of course, never attended these meetings.
They were at an impasse and, if Bao interpreted Neya's body language correctly – she was biting her lower lip and refused to meet his eyes – this other situation may prove equally complicated.
"Yes, I did." Neya took a deep breath. "Mazrim doesn't want to…ah…do what you suggested." It still amazed him, how they eluded the word. "Well, it's not that he doesn't want to," she amended. "He's just not…" She trailed off, frowning in concentration. "I don't know how to explain it. I guess it's not what he…needs the most. Besides, he doesn't want to share." As if Taim hadn't repeated that at least a hundred times since they'd all settled in Shara. "And, well, there's Jasin to consider." Knowing Nessosin, Bao did not think he would care, but the failed musician had changed, since the…incident. "Mazrim would like to bond me again, though."
"Bond you? Why on earth would he want to do that?" It did not make any sense. If anything, it would make it worse for Taim – for everyone, really.
Neya shook her head uncertainly. "He claims that he knows how to mask it whenever he wants to, as he did when I was here with you before, and he'll explain how to do it in return. He's just…I think he finds it comforting. It's hard to explain if you've never been bonded before."
"Do you feel as he does? Do you want to bond him?"
"Yes, I do," she replied without hesitation. "But I told him I would talk to you first. I have a feeling that you won't agree to it as easily as to…the other thing."
"You are correct in that regard," Bao told her coolly. Of course he did not like the idea of Taim intruding on her thoughts at all times. He had felt that offering to allow them to have sex whenever they wanted was generous enough. This was something else entirely; being bonded was much more intimate.
Neya sighed. "I thought so. I told him so. We just don't have the same conceptions of the matter at all, you see. Jay thinks like you, apparently. It seems like being physical didn't mean much in the Age of Legends. It was almost like a pastime, the way you two make it sound. It's not like that for us. It's…almost insulting, really, the way you offer to share me like that. Not that you meant to be insulting," she added hastily. Of course he had not! "But you must try to put yourself in his shoes. What if the situation was reversed? How would you feel if I was married to Mazrim and he suggested to let you…ah…well, you know…with me?"
Bao considered it for a moment. When she put it like that… "I would offer to duel him," he replied truthfully. If it was left to him, the problem would be solved quickly. Let them both fight over Neya; it was that simple. But she would not let that happen, he knew very well. She cared too much for the Saldaean, and for Bao. Not that Bao exposed himself to any risk by duelling with the younger man, but Neya would never forgive him if he killed Taim, no matter how lawfully.
"Yes, well, he can barely wield a sword without cutting off his own arm. And even if he did…" She trailed off again.
"I know." Neya made it sound as if she cared as much for Taim as she did for Bao. How could that be? The way she cared about him alone appeared to be enough to encompass an entire nation. And she did have an entire nation to care for, not to mention three children.
"Do you want to bond me?" she asked suddenly.
Bao stared at her in surprise. He had never given that possibility a thought, as a matter of fact. That was probably a terrible idea. He had no trouble sharing his thoughts with her, or his feelings, to an extent, but to have her intruding his mind at all times… "No," he murmured. "I don't think I do."
"As I suspected. Then why is it a problem for me to bond Mazrim?" She sat down on the bed. "I won't do it if you don't want me too," she told him before he had a chance to answer. "I just… I told him that maybe it would be better for him to leave the palace altogether, if he didn't agree to your proposal, that it would be easier for everyone, but if I'm being honest, I would hate for him to go away. The bond…" She hesitated, clearly searching for the right words. "We only had a few days to enjoy it fully, before you showed up at the Black Tower, because after that he masked it and it might as well not have been there at all, at least for me, but I still feel the lack of it. It's like having a phantom limb. I don't know how to put it better than that. And to have him so near, without actually feeling him… It's disturbing. I feel…incomplete. I think it's even worse for him. Cleansing his mind from the taint, it left him vulnerable. He's got all these emotions to deal with, all at the same time… It's overwhelming. The bond could help." She looked up at Bao. She would never do anything he did not agree with, but he could see how much it troubled her, how much she wanted this.
"Bond me," he said. Neya frowned, obviously confused. "Just for a moment," he clarified. He had to see for himself, before he made up his mind. If she loved Taim more than she cared about Bao, he couldn't possibly allow–
It caught him off guard. He felt her embrace the Source, of course, but… He stared at her in open astonishment, mouth slightly agape. Thankfully, her eyes were closed. She looked like she was trying to pick his emotions apart, muttering to herself.
Bao knew that his wife was a caring person. He knew how she felt about Taim, about the girls, even about Nessosin, for whatever strange reason. But how many hearts did she have? She couldn't possibly contain all that in only one. How she even managed to think amidst that chaos was beyond him. And he had been worried that she might love Taim more than she loved him. It seemed ridiculous in hindsight.
"You're jealous," she said with a smug grin, eyes still closed. Of course he was. Why was she so amazed by that? Had he not made it abundantly clear that he cared for her? Did she think that he enjoyed having to share her with another man, physically or emotionally? She was frowning now, and her grin vanished abruptly as she opened her eyes to look at him. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I know that you love me. It's just odd to feel it first-hand like that. You're not very…demonstrative." She stood and walked up to him. "Your mind… It's incredible. Every emotion is neatly categorised and put away. It's so different from Mazrim's."
"I'm certainly glad to know that," he told her dryly. "You can remove it now," he added, perhaps a little too sharply.
He felt a twinge of disappointment through the bond, but it was gone a second later. Neya was gone, leaving him blissfully alone with his own thoughts. That had to be one of the most bizarre things he had ever experienced. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked curiously.
Bao considered for a minute. "You may bond Taim if you wish. But you will bond him. Not the other way around." Just in case she changed her mind, and Taim refused to let her go. Bao would not put it past the Saldaean.
Initially, Bao had assumed that Neya had attracted so many men because of her ta'veren nature. Now, however, he knew that she was not subject to the whims of the Pattern any longer. She had fulfilled her role in the prophecies. She was just Neya.
And yet Bao still loved her. Taim still cared for her more than he should, knowing that she was married – and that he was himself involved with someone else. Though perhaps Nessosin did not qualify as proper relationship material. At least Nessosin had not professed his undying love for Neya, nor had any of their uninvited guests. That would have been the icing on the cake.
The Musician seemed oddly invested in his strange relationship with Taim. They bickered most of the time, but they'd been sharing a room for most of their time here. They watched over the children together. They Travelled and worked together. Then again, Nessosin could not Travel on his own. Just as Bao had predicted, Neya had not been able to Heal him – though not for lack of effort on her part. She had involved Nynaeve al'Meara and Damer Flinn, as well as several other Sharan Healers, but with no result thus far. Neya would not give up until she found a satisfactory solution, however, Bao knew that for certain.
In any case, Taim was the father of Neya's child. Karys and Ilawen considered him their father just as much as they did Nessosin and Bao himself. Whatever happened, he would always be part of their lives, one way or another. Sending him away would cause more harm than good.
All in all, Bao supposed that they would have to take their new life one problem at a time. They had proven over the past few months that they could make it work and, come what may, they would continue to do so.
Neya knocked softly on Mazrim's door. To her surprise, it was Jasin who opened it. He was carrying Yasmin. "You do realise that it's the middle of the night, yes?" he said in a low voice. The baby babbled happily in response. "I've only just managed to make it stop howling, so please don't make it start again."
"Her, not it," Neya corrected him automatically, though she knew that he was doing it on purpose to annoy her. She hesitated. "I had to talk to Mazrim, but I suppose we should-"
Jasin shook his head. "We've already discussed it between ourselves," he broke in. "Obviously."
"Oh." Well, it made sense. Of course Mazrim would tell his lover all about it. "And…"
He sighed. "And I expected nothing else. I can't believe it took you so long, in truth. He's clearly agonising that you're not in his head. For some reason."
"So…you're not mad? It doesn't bother you? Wouldn't you rather… Jay, don't you want to bond him?"
"Peace, are you insane? My mind is a private area. Honestly, I don't know how you two endure it. But it's your problem, I suppose." He started to shrug, then remembered he was carrying Yasmin. "Do you want me to wake him so you can tell him the good news? Well, I assume that Bao agreed, anyway, otherwise you wouldn't have rushed here at this unconscionable hour."
"He agreed, yes." She still couldn't believe it, but convincing Bao had been surprisingly easy. She wondered what he'd felt when she'd bonded him, what had changed his mind. "But it can wait. I just… I heard the baby crying, so I assumed…"
"That Mazrim would be the one up and about," he finished for her. Neya nodded abashedly. "Well, believe it or not, but we share in our chores. I mean, duties." He smirked. "Anyway. Guess it'll have to wait until morning, because if this one didn't wake him, nothing will."
Neya grinned. "Look at you, acting all responsible. Mazrim is a good influence on you."
"I like to think that I'm a good influence on him, actually."
"You're good for each other, let's just leave it at that." She yawned. "Alright. I'll see you both in the morning, then." She kissed Yasmin's forehead. The baby had fallen asleep. "Night, my love."
"You never called me that," Jasin said with a pout.
"Mazrim doesn't call you that?" she asked teasingly.
He snorted. "I'm lucky when he talks to me at all." There was an inaudible murmur from inside the room. Jasin glanced over his shoulder. "Nope, still asleep, the lucky bastard."
"You all get some rest, alright?" Neya murmured. Jasin nodded and closed the door silently.
Mazrim braced himself when he felt Neya embrace the Source.
It wasn't like the first time. It wasn't as sudden, as violent. Perhaps because Neya was the one weaving the bond. Perhaps because she was using the new version of the bond, the one that didn't allow for Compulsion. Nynaeve Sedai had been the one to demonstrate the weave, with her husband for a test subject.
It was exactly what Mazrim needed. It was comforting. It sent a flood of pure relief down his spine, Neya's love illuminating his partially mended soul.
It felt like being whole again.