A few hours past dinner, Rand sat in a comfortable sofa in his seldom used study, absently eyeing a letter concerning the present state of Caemlyn. Since the land he grew up in still laid close to heart, and since he was married to the former Queen of Andor, he was careful to keep in touch with what was going on in the capital. But he was not particulary focused on what he was reading, his thoughts were wandering off..
Three hundred years earlier. Tarmon Gai'don. A smile sneaked up on his lips at the memory. It was when he was supposed to have killed Shai'tan, or Alfred as he now preferred to be called. It had not gone as expected. Rand had entered the scene, sure of his nearby death, but something completely different had happened. Somehow - even today, Rand did not know how - he had convinced the Dark One to switch sides, and join his team, and the two had become best friends. They had tricked the world to believe he killed Shai'tan by wielding saidin. Purple, blue and red fire had coated the sky that day, and massive firework had exploded in the place once called the Shadow Waiting. There had been nothing left but ashes on the ground when the two men left the scene, and no one but the engaged could doubt that the Dragon Reborn had been victorious in the slaying of the Lord of the Dark. It had been a glorious day to many people.
Rand had married the three girls of his heart - Elayne, Aviendha and Min - a week later. They had settled down in the Sun Palace in Caemlyn, and not far after the wedding Rand became a father. Elayne played her role as the Queen of Andor, but when Min died at the age of eighty-five, she had left her oldest daughter at the throne. Her second daughter was crowned Queen of Cairhien.
In the meantime the people of Andor had built the city Dragon's Den, earlier known as Shadar Logoth. It became a prosperous town, and it grew bigger than even Caemlyn, and almost as beautiful as Tar Valon. In Tar Valon, the wielders of the One Power, the Aes Sedai and Asha'man now resided in the Grey Tower. The world went on after the Final Battle, and Rand decided to settle down in Dragon's Den, anonymously. He took with him his wives, Elayne and Aviendha, his children and grandchildren, and Alfred.
Their lives went on. Since all of Rand's offspring could channel, there was no risk of them dying in beforehand. Some of them moved out. Some found wives or husbands, and went off to some other part of the world to search for a life of their own. Some stayed in the house.
Perrin with his wife Faile and Mat with his wife Tuon, and their children, came to visit from time to time. They passed away after living long lives, and even today their children's children's children's children come to visit Rand who once had befriended their ancestors.
Lanfear had surrendered, in spite of her hatred for Rand, and now lived peacefully in Far Madding. She shared quarters with Semirhage, and they, despite their differences, came along well, and even thought about getting married and adopting children together. The other Forsaken was slain by Alfred himself, since they refused to change sides.
No other than a close circle of friends knew that Rand lived in Dragon's Den, and the world soon forgot about the Dragon Reborn. Rand never had any intentions of ruling the world, and he was happy living the way he did, even if he sometimes got restless and went off into the world to see what was going on. He visited all the great cities, he went to see the Seanchan to see how the alliance with the rest of the world was going. At a few times he even visited Emond's Field.
Rand smiled softly when thinking of his childhood home, and then there was a tapping at the door, interrupting his thoughts. He called, "Enter!" and folded the letter, putting it back into its envelope and dropping it on a near-by table.
Aviendha entered. His other wife, a hardened Aiel woman, tall and as beautiful as Elayne. She was not Aes Sedai, but could channel, and that was what had kept her alive all those years. That, and stubbornness. Due to her not being Aes Sedai, her face was filled with wrinkles. Elayne had offered to help her get rid of those, but Aviendha had solemly refused. She always thought age was something you respected, and she had craved for respect all her life. Her reddish hair had become grey a long time ago, and now she wore it as she had when she was a spearsister, short, with a longer tail in the back. Her sand coloured dress was made of plain wool, and she had a shawl draped around her shoulders. She wore a concerned expression on her face, and Rand asked immediately what was going on. "Berowyn is back. She has.. news, and you need to hear it for yourself."
Rand nodded and followed her to the parlor, where his granddaughter Berowyn, Elayne and Alfred sat in a lounge suit. On the table in front of them lay an exceptional object. It was a tiny figure made out of something that could be stone, or some metal of sorts. Beautiful work, it was black, and formed as a man with mist where his legs should have been. Rand turned to Berowyn for an explanation. The girl's face was a blurr of excitement and she could not hide her smile. "Kalena found this in her attic, and I noticed right away it was important. I could feel it, like with saidar. I asked her if I could have it, and she said I could borrow it. Grandma says it's a ter'angreal."
Elayne broke in. "I do not know what it does so far, since I've only seen it a few short minutes, but if I get the time to study it long enough, I'm sure I can find out the reasons why it was made, and what it does."
Rand nodded his agreement. It sounded fair; Elayne was the best of them all at Power objects like angreal, sa'angreal, and ter'angreal. "You do that," he told her before turning his gaze back at his grandchild. "Berowyn, did Kalena tell you why she had it in her attic? Did she know about it?"
Berowyn thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not sure, Grandpa. She only told me she found it, not when or why. I don't think she has discussed it with her parents.. But I cannot know for sure."
Rand smiled. The girl was clever for her age, but then again, so were most of his grandchildren. She was an impulsive girl who acted on her feelings, but she would grow into a wonderful mature woman one day, he was sure of. "That's allright, sweetheart." He turned to Elayne with a grin. "Get to it, woman. Or are you planning on sitting her all day pondering about it?"
Elayne snorted, but Rand noticed her smile through the bond they shared. He turned to his old friend with a warm smile on his lips. "Alfred, how about finishing that game of chess we started earlier?"
The old man lifted himself from the sofa with a short nod, and reached for his cane. "Absolutely, old friend. I'm going to beat you soon, and I could use the practice."
Rand grinned in response, and helped him stand up. "You can try."
Three hundred years earlier. Tarmon Gai'don. A smile sneaked up on his lips at the memory. It was when he was supposed to have killed Shai'tan, or Alfred as he now preferred to be called. It had not gone as expected. Rand had entered the scene, sure of his nearby death, but something completely different had happened. Somehow - even today, Rand did not know how - he had convinced the Dark One to switch sides, and join his team, and the two had become best friends. They had tricked the world to believe he killed Shai'tan by wielding saidin. Purple, blue and red fire had coated the sky that day, and massive firework had exploded in the place once called the Shadow Waiting. There had been nothing left but ashes on the ground when the two men left the scene, and no one but the engaged could doubt that the Dragon Reborn had been victorious in the slaying of the Lord of the Dark. It had been a glorious day to many people.
Rand had married the three girls of his heart - Elayne, Aviendha and Min - a week later. They had settled down in the Sun Palace in Caemlyn, and not far after the wedding Rand became a father. Elayne played her role as the Queen of Andor, but when Min died at the age of eighty-five, she had left her oldest daughter at the throne. Her second daughter was crowned Queen of Cairhien.
In the meantime the people of Andor had built the city Dragon's Den, earlier known as Shadar Logoth. It became a prosperous town, and it grew bigger than even Caemlyn, and almost as beautiful as Tar Valon. In Tar Valon, the wielders of the One Power, the Aes Sedai and Asha'man now resided in the Grey Tower. The world went on after the Final Battle, and Rand decided to settle down in Dragon's Den, anonymously. He took with him his wives, Elayne and Aviendha, his children and grandchildren, and Alfred.
Their lives went on. Since all of Rand's offspring could channel, there was no risk of them dying in beforehand. Some of them moved out. Some found wives or husbands, and went off to some other part of the world to search for a life of their own. Some stayed in the house.
Perrin with his wife Faile and Mat with his wife Tuon, and their children, came to visit from time to time. They passed away after living long lives, and even today their children's children's children's children come to visit Rand who once had befriended their ancestors.
Lanfear had surrendered, in spite of her hatred for Rand, and now lived peacefully in Far Madding. She shared quarters with Semirhage, and they, despite their differences, came along well, and even thought about getting married and adopting children together. The other Forsaken was slain by Alfred himself, since they refused to change sides.
No other than a close circle of friends knew that Rand lived in Dragon's Den, and the world soon forgot about the Dragon Reborn. Rand never had any intentions of ruling the world, and he was happy living the way he did, even if he sometimes got restless and went off into the world to see what was going on. He visited all the great cities, he went to see the Seanchan to see how the alliance with the rest of the world was going. At a few times he even visited Emond's Field.
Rand smiled softly when thinking of his childhood home, and then there was a tapping at the door, interrupting his thoughts. He called, "Enter!" and folded the letter, putting it back into its envelope and dropping it on a near-by table.
Aviendha entered. His other wife, a hardened Aiel woman, tall and as beautiful as Elayne. She was not Aes Sedai, but could channel, and that was what had kept her alive all those years. That, and stubbornness. Due to her not being Aes Sedai, her face was filled with wrinkles. Elayne had offered to help her get rid of those, but Aviendha had solemly refused. She always thought age was something you respected, and she had craved for respect all her life. Her reddish hair had become grey a long time ago, and now she wore it as she had when she was a spearsister, short, with a longer tail in the back. Her sand coloured dress was made of plain wool, and she had a shawl draped around her shoulders. She wore a concerned expression on her face, and Rand asked immediately what was going on. "Berowyn is back. She has.. news, and you need to hear it for yourself."
Rand nodded and followed her to the parlor, where his granddaughter Berowyn, Elayne and Alfred sat in a lounge suit. On the table in front of them lay an exceptional object. It was a tiny figure made out of something that could be stone, or some metal of sorts. Beautiful work, it was black, and formed as a man with mist where his legs should have been. Rand turned to Berowyn for an explanation. The girl's face was a blurr of excitement and she could not hide her smile. "Kalena found this in her attic, and I noticed right away it was important. I could feel it, like with saidar. I asked her if I could have it, and she said I could borrow it. Grandma says it's a ter'angreal."
Elayne broke in. "I do not know what it does so far, since I've only seen it a few short minutes, but if I get the time to study it long enough, I'm sure I can find out the reasons why it was made, and what it does."
Rand nodded his agreement. It sounded fair; Elayne was the best of them all at Power objects like angreal, sa'angreal, and ter'angreal. "You do that," he told her before turning his gaze back at his grandchild. "Berowyn, did Kalena tell you why she had it in her attic? Did she know about it?"
Berowyn thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not sure, Grandpa. She only told me she found it, not when or why. I don't think she has discussed it with her parents.. But I cannot know for sure."
Rand smiled. The girl was clever for her age, but then again, so were most of his grandchildren. She was an impulsive girl who acted on her feelings, but she would grow into a wonderful mature woman one day, he was sure of. "That's allright, sweetheart." He turned to Elayne with a grin. "Get to it, woman. Or are you planning on sitting her all day pondering about it?"
Elayne snorted, but Rand noticed her smile through the bond they shared. He turned to his old friend with a warm smile on his lips. "Alfred, how about finishing that game of chess we started earlier?"
The old man lifted himself from the sofa with a short nod, and reached for his cane. "Absolutely, old friend. I'm going to beat you soon, and I could use the practice."
Rand grinned in response, and helped him stand up. "You can try."