author's note: i was reading TSR and part of my story just came to me, i just had to write it down. Do not get confused, this is a while after the previous chapter. i will go back and finish. i apologize, but i just had to write this down before i forgot!

R&R pleeze

"You Had Flowers In Your Hair!"

Arianna sat down and stared at the crystalline pillars with vehemence. Bad enough she had to come into the bloody Aiel Waste, and into Rhuidean, but now they expected her to go through the ter'angreal as well? Rand had gone in, she didn't know how far along he was, but maybe he would not come out for a while...Mat had gone through the twisted red doorway. She knew the Elfinn dwelled there. Three wishes would be granted to Mat, but not in the way he expected. The foxes. And the Eelfinn, the snakes. Three questions. They had told her that she was bound to Rand in a way beyond understanding. It was almost a bond like that between an Aes Sedai and her Warder, she certainly knew that she could feel everything he felt, emotionally, physically and mentally. She knew that he had the same strange experiences about her. Neither of them understood. They both thought that they loved eachother, but what about the three other women. Min kept talking of the three women standing over his funeral pier. Well that's what you get Arianna Mandragoran, for falling in love with the Dragon Reborn! She sighed. Might as well go in. But first she would let him know where she was and tell him to wait for her. She thought about what she wanted to say to him and felt a response in her mind, though faintly. She nodded, satisfied and walked towards the ter'angreal. She entered slowly into a maze of pillars, light bouncing off and reflecting every which way. She saw Rand not very far in front of her and another man, dressed like an Aiel. She gritted her teeth. That must be that Couladin's brother, come into Rhuidean to become a clan chief. Strange people, the Aiel. No matter, she pressed forward, toward Rand. Suddenly everything went black. When an image appeared before her eyes, she saw herself kneeling before her father, in front of the Blight. For a moment the Blight became a grand castle with the Golden Crane banner flying from the highest turret, the castle grounds lush and green, surrounded by lakes and filled with wildflowers. She breathed. It was breath-taking. The next moment it was the Blight again. Her father looked down at her and said in a soft, but stern voice.

"Do you understand why I must place this burden on your shoulders?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, confused.

He went on as if she had never spoken.

"Very well, lay your hands on the sword."

He held out his sword before her face.

She did as he requested.

"Recite the Royal Oath of Malkier." He commanded.

She racked her brain. Lan had taught her that oath when she was very little, reviewed it with her when they were re-united, drilled it into her head. Aah, now she remembered.

"I, el'Arianna Mandragoran, only daughter to al'Lan Mandragoran do swear on my life to stand against the Shadow so long as iron is hard and stone abides. To defend the Malkieri while one drop of blood remains. To avenge what cannot be defended."

"Then it is done," he said softly, kneeling in front of her. Then he lowered his head in a respectful bow.

"Malkier is your nation now, you must carry on with the battle against the Shadow. You must use the strength of Malkier to defeat the Shadow, to aid the Dragon and to bring all the blood of Malkier honor, so that they may rest in peace. May the Light shine on you always my daughter."

Then he disappeared.

A sword appeared on the ground before her, wrapped in the Golden Crane banner.

She carefully remover the sword from its scabbard, which was silver and encrusted with pink and white diamonds and engraved with two cranes. The blade was wrought of cuendillor, heartstone, and engraved with the Royal Oath of Malkier. Everything blacked out again.

Now she was sitting in a lush green field with Rand. The sword and banner were still in her hands. She looked at Rand and laughed. He had flowers in his hair! He looked at her as if she were insane. Then he smiled softly and pulled her close for a soft kiss. She tried to pull back, but found herself paralyzed by his touch. When he pulled away she looked around and saw the castle behind him and saw the lakes that surrounded the perimeter of the castle grounds. The necklace of the Thousand Lakes. Rand leaped to his feet and took her hands, hauling her to her feet. The sword and banner dropped from her lap as she stood. She was simply gawking at the surroundings. Without warning, Rand lifted her in his arms and spun them both in dizzying circles, with yellow butterflies swirling around them. When he had done it long enough that he couldn't stand on his two feet, they both collapsed into each other's arms, giggling. When they had regained their calm, she pulled her head up and rested her hands on his chest, looking into his eyes. Then she fluffed his hair and took the flowers out. He gently removed a pink blossom from her hair. Everything went black again.

Now she sat on a bloodied battlefield, the sword and banner by her side, Rand's harshly breathing body in her arms. He had cuts and scrapes all over his face, his white shirt was torn and bloodied, the wound in his side bleeding freely, staining her white dress. She felt tears streaming down her face, though she could not remember starting to cry. He was looking at her with those eyes of his, the eyes that had always captivated her.

"Arianna-make-sure-the-the-blood falls on –the- black stones." He whispered shakily.

"Shh... don't speak." She pressed gentle fingers on his lips.

"The D-dark One must be defeated." He breathed.

"The Light burn the Dark One, Rand! Stop being a stubborn mule." She cried.

"I-I-love you Arianna," he said softly against her fingers and then he breathed his last breath. His body went limp and her vision was blacked out.

She stumbled out of the columns, roght into Rand's waiting arms, sobbing. She heard the sword clatter.

"What did you see?" he asked her softly, stroking her long hair and holding her tightly. He seemed to be trying to still her trembling.

"It was horrible...you died." She said shakily, pulling back to look into his face. He wore a frown of concern. He gently wiped away a tear that was falling down her cheek.

"Arianna," he sighed, "you know as well as I that I will have to die in order to save the world from the Dark One. Now I don't like this concept any more than you, but- hey, what's that?" he inquired, removing one arm from her and pointing toward the fallen sword and the banner.

She looked at it momentarily before turning back and explaining everything she had seen in her first vision.

"So, basically, Lan is going to let you inherit the throne in his place?" Rand asked, confused.

"Well, I suppose that's what it meant." She murmured.

"Does it tell the future? Or is it a possibility of what may come?" he asked.

"I don't know." She said.

They fell into silence as he let go of her and walked over, bent down and picked up the sword and banner, examining them.

"How many visions did you have?" he asked her.

"3." She said.

"What was the third?" he asked.

She blushed.

"The first was the whole Malkier thing and the last was your death at Tarmon Gaidin. The middle one was you and I in Malkier, fooling around outside." She said.

He raised and eyebrow.

Suddenly she burst out laughing.

"What?!?!" he asked incredulously.

She collapsed against his chest and her muffled voice exclaimed,

"You had flowers in your hair!"