When she awoke, however, the memories came flooding back. Lan kissing her. Lan touching her. Lan whispering to her. She felt his arm around her shoulders and snuggled into his chest. He tightened his grip, indicating he was awake.

"Good morning," she said softly.

"Yes, I think it is," he replied, smiling down at her. His long dark hair was entwined with hers and as she reached up to stroke a few lose strands off his face he kissed her fingertips. She left her hand on his lips and pulled herself up so she was sat on top of him. "A very good morning indeed."

She replaced her hand with her lips.

"That," she said a few moments later, "was the best nameday present I've ever had. I love you al'Lan Mandragoran, with every fibre of my being, and I will forever. That I swear to." She kissed him softly again. "Well? Have you nothing to say to me in return?"

"I. love you, my heart, and words can not even come close to how I feel about you. el'Nynaeve Mandragoran, I love you. You cultivated your beautiful flowers where I once grew boulders and stones. All my life I have felt my only place was with my sword, protecting those I swore to protect, saving those I swore to save. Now I see clearly where I belong."

"And where is that?" she asked sweetly.

"You mean you don't already know?" he said, grinning. Then his face sobered somewhat. "My place..." he kissed her tenderly, "...is..." he kissed her again, "...here."

As he kissed her once more, she stretched her arm around his neck and deepened it. His lips were so soft. The first boy she had ever kissed - well, he had kissed her - was a drunken from Watch Hill who had come down to Emond's Field for Bel Tine. His mouth had tasted of old ale and she had given him a severe beating with a stick for trying it on. She had been fourteen at the time, and guessed he was about twenty. But everything was so different with Lan. He was so mature.

Yes, well he is old enough to be your father, said a familiar little voice.

Shut up, she told it. That's completely different. I love him, and he loves me, and we're married now. It's only a few years. It has had no affect on us so far, why did you bring it up now? She realised she was talking to the voice, and quickly shut it off to the back of her mind.

Lan was all she needed. He had said she was all he needed. They had each other and that was that. "Are you happy?" Lan whispered, as he kissed her neck.

"I have never, never been happier," she replied. "Are you?"

"I suppose," he said with a sudden smile.

"You suppose?" she said, mocking anger. "You mean you don't know? Men!"

He laughed and that made her laugh, simply because it was such a rare sound to come out of his mouth. She loved it when he smiled and laughed. He was such a different man around her. When he had first admitted his love for her, what seemed like an age ago when he and Moiraine had taken herself and the others away from The Two Rivers, she had secretly vowed to change him from the heartless man he had been. She had wanted a husband who loved, cherished and swore to protect her, not a man who claimed all he could offer her was a black widow's dress.

Well, she thought to herself, I suppose he has changed. But even if he hadn't, I would still love him with all of my heart, for all of time.

Looking back to when she had been Wisdom of Emond's Field, she had thought she could change boy's attitudes towards pranking and joking simply by paddling their bottoms. Her laughter subsided slightly when she realised no woman could change a man.

Lan had changed because of her, because he loved her and wanted her to love him. Whether he knew it or not, he had become a completely different person, simply because he wanted to. That thought gave her heart a sense of something so great, she could not say what, something so strong that the sweetness of Saidar could never even come close to achieving.

She felt herself on the edge of tears again and fought hard to hold them in. The power of his love for her was completely overwhelming. The golden veins from the bond of Aes Sedai to Warder pulsed with so much tenderness that she thought she would get a headache. They were always beating burnished gold, of course, but last night and this morning they had seemed to increase in strength a tenfold.

Quickly thinking of happier things - well, there was no happier feeling than this, but at least less overwhelming thoughts - she composed herself. She kissed Lan on the lips once more before getting up and putting on her sapphire-blue robe.

"Don't do that," he said from the bed.

"Why ever not? I cannot go and order us breakfast wearing only my skin!"

"Breakfast? You mean lunch." She stared at him incredulously. Surely it was not that late. Before she could speak, however, he continued. "It's just such a shame to see you covered up, after I have seen you completely unclothed." She paused in fastening the tie. He went on. "Nynaeve, you are beautiful beyond belief. I... Why are you laughing?"

She had not realised she was until he told her. She walked over to the bed and sat down so she fitted nicely into the contours of his curved body.

"I was not laughing at you, my heart. Just at life. Just because I'm happy." She kissed his cheek and rose to leave once more.

"Nynaeve?" She turned. "Don't be gone too long."

She kissed her finger tips and blew across them, kind of like the Sea Folk goodbye. "I will not. I love you, al'Lan Mandragoran."

As she left she added to herself, "with all of my heart, forever." That was one of their wedding vows. The only one, actually, that resembled any she had heard before. The Wave Mistress of the Sea Folk ship they had been married on had insisted on the full ceremony, even though Nynaeve and Lan weren't A'than Miere. The other vows were somewhat more... personal. Even thinking about those made her face turn crimson and her heart flutter so wildly she thought it would escape out of her mouth.

Caught up in her reverie, she didn't realize she had walked straight past three Accepted (novice were not allowed in the Aes Sedai living quarters) who she could have ordered to get food for her and Lan. On bumping into a fourth, she quickly told the girl to get her some peaches and a loaf of bread and some meat, then spun around to find herself face to face with Egwene al'Vere.

"Good morning Mother," Nynaeve said hastily. "How may I help you?"

"Do you know what time it is Nynaeve?" she replied, a small smile touching her lips.

"Erm. sometime around noon?" she guessed.

"It is a quarter to two, for your information. Does that ring any bells?"

"Quarter to two. Light!" Nynaeve caught herself just in time. "Sorry, Mother. I have a novice class at two. Oh, Light! Sorry. May I be excused?"

"Yes, of course," the young Amyrlin replied, as Nynaeve dropped a curtsy and rushed off. Egwene still had not got used to apologies from her once-so-stubborn friend from the Two Rivers. I guess that's what a man does to a woman, she thought to herself, smiling.

Nynaeve flew into her room just as Lan was about to leave to look for her. She was in such a rush she didn't see him until she was lying on top of him on the floor. Scrambling up, she muttered "Sorry," and tore off her robe, searching the wardrobe for a shift and dress.

"Fool man," she called to her husband as she pulled her pale blue, low necked dress over her head. "I have a novice class in ten minutes. Did you not think to remind me?" She untucked her hair from the back of her dress and hastily began brushing it. "And why did you have to undo my hair last night? It is so much easier to manage when it is in a braid. Well?"

She looked up to see him staring at her, shock, hurt and amusement on his face all at the same time. She sighed and walked over to him, standing on tip toes to kiss him lightly on the lips. He put his arms around her waist and held her close.

"Oh Lan," she said to his chest. "I'm sorry." She felt his hands move up her body and her hair being gently tugged. "What. What are you doing?"

He only smiled at the top of her head. About a minute later, he spun her around so she was looking into the mirror. Her hair was perfectly braided. It hung down her back, to well below her waist.

"I have many talents you don't know about," her husband said. He kissed the top of her head and smiled a smile that lit his usually icy blue eyes.

"I'm sure you do," she answered, smiling back.

There was a knock at the door and in came the Accepted girl carrying their food on a gold tray.

Nynaeve untangled herself from Lan's strong arms and took the tray with gratitude. She hadn't realised she was hungry until now. She put the tray on the table and motioned for the girl to go. As soon as she heard the door click shut, she put some warm bread into her mouth, followed by two slices of meat. She gulped down some cool water and bit into one of the peaches.

Realising Lan was still stood by the mirror, she threw him one of the orangey fruits. He caught it swiftly and threw it straight back. It hit her on the chest, dripping juice down her dress. He laughed as she glared at him. "What was the meaning of that?" she asked, desperately trying to control her anger. "You've completely ruined my dress!"

"I thought you could do with the nourishment more than I," he shrugged. Then he walked over to her and started unbuttoning her dress. He got a pale pink one out, with tiny embroidered Lover's Knots on the skirt and sleeves. She laughed at the tickling feeling when he pulled the ruined one over her head, and again when he put on the clean one. Laughter always seemed to make her frustration disappear. She finished off the rest of the food and water, then wiped her mouth on a napkin.

"I must go now," she told her husband. "I have a bunch of snotty nosed infants to teach."

"Now now my dear, it was not so long ago that you were one of them," he replied.

She glared half-heartedly at him. "I was not! I'll have you know I rose straight to Accepted, al'Lan Mandragoran. And anyway, they are infants as far as I'm concerned. Some of them couldn't even heal a graze on the knee, for the Light's sake! Sorry," she added, when she realised she was sounding like she was berating him. "I seem to be saying that word a lot today."

He just laughed and kissed her cheek. "Have fun."

She stuck her tongue out at him as she left.