Our companions visit a party to search for an old friend.

The little group waited until nightfall before they left the tavern. This way, only a few people would be left on the streets, and the fewer people they would meet on their way, the fewer people would recognize Moiraine from the night before. Nonetheless, Lan had insisted that his Aes Sedai would wear a long cloak that would hide her from the gazes of the citizens.

When they entered the house of Barthanes Damodred, Rand played the role of the wealthy Lord with his new clothes whom everyone saw in him – and he was the man with the invitation. The guards raised their eyebrows at Thom and Loial, but they let everyone pass.

During the day, the group had prepared for their nightly appointment. Moiraine had paid for new clothes for Perrin, Lan, and herself to appear worthy of traveling with a 'Lord' – though it had been Lan who had actually bought them since he didn't allow her to leave the tavern. Of course, the Aes Sedai had offered to buy new clothes for Thom as well – much to Lan's dislike – but the gleeman had refused. He liked his clothes and wanted to enter Barthanes Damodred's house as a gleeman. The Ogier didn't get new clothes either since no clothes were available in his size.

The only thing the gleeman had accepted – after one long discussion and many angry words from both Thom and Lan – was for Moiraine to give him a healing. He couldn't appear at Barthanes Damodred's house with a broken nose, and Rand had been clear about that. Still, it had taken a lot of persuasion from Rand until Moiraine had been able to heal the stubborn man. Lan had insisted that Thom would take off his cloak and roll up his sleeves; hence he wouldn't hide some knives in it. Even then, the Warder had stood in front of the gleeman with his hand on his dagger while Moiraine stood behind Thom. The situation had been ridiculous.

Once they were inside, Moiraine pulled back the hood and shrugged off the cloak. She wore a beautiful blue dress, and her brown locks fell open over her back. A golden chain was woven into her hair, and a blue jewel rested on her forehead.

Lan took Moiraine's cloak and handed it over to a servant. When Thom's eyes fell on Moiraine, he started to cough, and his cheeks turned red.

"Are you all right, Thom Merrilin?" Loial asked and placed his big hand on the back of the gleeman.

Moiraine turned her head in confusion since she hadn't noticed Thom's reaction to her appearance. The gleeman smiled at the Ogier. "Thank you, Loial. I'm fine. I just-" His eyes returned to Moiraine, and he cleared his voice. "You look beautiful."

A small smile appeared on Moiraine's lips. "Thank you."

Then Lan returned and stepped beside his Aes Sedai, his eyes warily watching the gleeman. Thom threw an angry look at him but stepped aside without saying anything – Loial on his heels.

Amused, Moiraine faced her Warder and placed her hands on his chest. "Isn't it exhausting to hate him all the time?"

"No." Lan's answer was sharp. He didn't like the gleeman. Then his eyes moved over Moiraine's dress, and his face softened. "Though he is right with one thing. You do look beautiful."

This time, Moiraine's whole face lit up, and she smiled genuinely. "Thank you." Her hands moved over his shoulders and arms, smoothing wrinkles on his tunic, which didn't exist. "You look very handsome. You should allow me to buy you more clothes like this."

"And when should I wear them? They're not suited for the road."

"You could wear them for Nynaeve." Their eyes met. Moiraine's ones sparkling with amusement while Lan tried to glare at her – and failed terribly. "Even the White Tower has festivals once in a while."

"Festivals we've never attended since we were always on the road."

Sighing, Moiraine nodded. Lan was right. They had never attended many festivals of the White Tower. All this time, they had been searching for the Dragon Reborn and had rarely taken a moment for themselves.

When she kept smoothing the not existing wrinkles, Lan covered her hands with his. Although she was smiling at him, he felt her feelings bubbling nervously in her. Being in this house made her anxious. "I'm here," he whispered softly. "You stay close by my side."

The Aes Sedai opened her mouth, but no word crossed her lips. Every word would have been a lie. So, she had to close it and nod instead.

"Let's go inside." Rand and Perrin hadn't noticed the moment between Lan and Thom since they had been planning their next steps, and now, the former redhead didn't want to waste more time.

The little group moved to the open doors, which would lead them to the next room. The room was crowded with people. Lords and ladies, people in high positions, and people belonging to wealthy families. A servant at the door announced the incoming guest by name. Back in the tavern, everyone had agreed to use their real names, hoping they would get more information from the guests if they didn't have to lie about their identities.

Moiraine's hand lay on Lan's arm, which led her slowly toward the servant. Her eyes flickered quickly from one guest to the next, observing everything while making little notes for possible later conversations. At the same time, she became involuntarily more hesitant to move forward with every step. Lan noticed that he almost had to pull her along and sent her some of his calm to draw from it.

The grip of the Aes Sedai on his arm loosened. She used his calm and strength to take the final steps. While Lan leaned toward the servant to give him their names, Moiraine only had eyes for what lay ahead of her.

"al'Lan Mandragoran and his wife el'Moiraine Mandragoran." Moiraine stumbled when she heard those words, and it was only thanks to Lan she didn't fall.

The others had gathered around a pillar. Rand and Perrin looked with big eyes and open mouths at the Aes Sedai and the Warder as if they had never seen them before. Thom watched the crowd, but his fists opened and closed rapidly while he tried to calm himself. The only one who hadn't noticed anything at all was Loial. The friendly Ogier only had eyes for what was happening around him.

Moiraine fought hard to keep her smile while they walked through the crowd. People stepped out of the way, others bowed, and everyone stared at them. When they reached the rest of their group, the Aes Sedai stepped in front of her Warder – so close that no one could understand what they were saying – and pretended to smooth more non-existent wrinkles out of his tunic.

"What in lights name were you thinking?" She was still smiling, though the anger was audible in her voice.

Lan was as calm as ever and let his gaze move over the crowd. "Whitecloaks are here. On your left. At the wall."

Immediately, Moiraine's smile was gone. Carefully, she turned her head until she saw the three men standing there with their white cloaks. This wasn't good. She would have to be more careful around them.

"Is there anything you want to tell us?" Rand asked, not able to hold himself back anymore. "I thought we had-"

"Didn't you want to search for this old friend of yours?" Moiraine's voice was frosty, and her eyes hard.

"Come on, Rand. Let us take a look at the guests." The blacksmith seemed pretty eager to get away from the Aes Sedai and her Warder. His cheeks were turning reddish. The Aes Sedai didn't want to know about what was going on in his head. Who knew what kind of wild theories those boys imagined about Lan and her right now?

Thom was the next one who disappeared in the crowd taking the still-fascinated Ogier with him and leaving Moiraine and Lan on their own. The Aes Sedai pulled her gaze away from the Whitecloaks and back to her Warder. "I see them. Still, we all had agreed to stay to the truth about our identities."

"I won't inform them about you being an Aes Sedai. This may be a private party of your cousin, but it doesn't mean they won't try to get their hands on you if they get the possibility."

Moiraine sighed heavily. She knew Lan was right. If those Whitecloaks were Questioners, they wouldn't hesitate to kill her. If they weren't, they would tell their brothers about her being here until the Questioners heard of it. "But now we have to lie. People will ask questions about us – about our 'marriage'. And I can't lie."

"You can tell people about how we met and how long we know each other. You don't have to lie about that."

"They will want to know more details about our so-called 'marriage', husband," Moiraine hissed.

"Then tell them about us."

"We're not married!"

Lan chuckled. "Aren't we?" When Moiraine frowned at him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Isn't our bond a kind of marriage? For twenty years, we live together. You're always on my mind, and I know your feelings – even the ones you try to hide from me occasionally. I would die for you if… let me finish."

The Warder had felt the stab of pain in his Aes Sedai when he mentioned his death, as well as the panic that rushed through her body. She hated the thought of him dying, and he knew it.

"Breathe, Moiraine. I'm here." She cupped his face with her hands while calming herself. Touching him, feeling his warm skin under her fingertips, helped her to calm the uprising panic. Alive. He was alive and well.

Patiently, Lan waited until she was ready to listen to him again. "I would die for you if it would mean that you could escape the enemy. No matter what kind of danger we face, I will always throw myself before you. I love you."

At his last words, the uncrowned king of Malkier saw tears building up in Moiraine's eyes. Quickly, she pressed her forehead against his jawline to hide her tears, and Lan held her closer.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear while sending his love through their bond, and he felt her tremble in his arms. His Aes Sedai. His beautiful Aes Sedai. Softly, he pressed a kiss on her cheek. "So, let those people ask their questions, my wife. We're not married as in husband and wife, but it's a kind of marriage. Two people who deeply care for each other, knowing their deepest feelings – the good and the bad – protecting and loving each other, forever."

The woman of the Blue Ajah couldn't say anything. Trembling, she held on to her Warder as tight as possible. A marriage. Sometimes, he was a sentimental fool, though she couldn't deny he was right. She cared for him, could feel his feelings through the bond, would do anything to protect him, and loved him with all her heart.

Lan gave her a few moments to regain her composure, then brought his lips closer to her ear again. "As much as I hate to let go of you, we are here for a reason – to find this peddler. The sooner we're out of here, the safer it is for you to stay unnoticed."

Moiraine nodded. Again, he was right. "Let's find this peddler and the horn. I want to leave this place as soon as possible."

"As you wish, my wife."

The woman of the Blue Ajah glared at him then they started to make friendly conversations with the guests, casually looking out for Padan Fain.

It had been hours since they arrived at the party, but none of them were closer to finding the peddler. If he was hiding in this house, he wasn't attending the party. After a while, Moiraine had lost Lan when some highborn ladies had pulled her aside while their husbands had hogged the uncrowned king of Malkier. Everyone was interested in what a Malkieri was doing in Cairhien and with a Cairhien wife. Moiraine was surprised when she realized that Lan had been right. The women never used the word 'marriage' when they asked their thousand questions. Instead, the questions were simpler, like: How did you meet? How long do you know each other? Do you have children? She never had to lie or bend her words. She simply could tell those women about her life with Lan, and everyone assumed she was talking about their marriage.

After several questions – the woman of the Blue Ajah felt like she had told their story a hundredth time – she felt tired and exhausted. Because of the bond, she knew that her Warder was also annoyed. He wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed such parties. So, Moiraine excused herself from the current group of women who had held her hostage for quite a while now and moved through the crowd in search of her Warder. She needed his presence.

"Moiraine Damodred."

Moiraine froze when she heard her name. That wasn't good. When she turned around, she looked into the eyes of her cousin, Barthanes Damodred – the owner of this house and the host of this party. He smiled widely, though Moiraine saw how his eyes moved up and down over her body until they finally returned to her face. "Although I've heard it's Moiraine Mandragoran now. I never thought you take a liking in a Malkieri, dear Cousin."

"I don't think that you know me that well to know what I like, Cousin," Moiraine replied while smiling at him and cursing herself inwardly. She should have had an eye on the people around her. "If you would excuse me now, I need to find my other half."

"We barely had the chance to talk to each other. I'm sure your husband can wait another moment. It must have been ages since we last saw each other. I want to know everything."

"I'm assuming Moiraine wants to disappear before you can start asking uncomfortable questions, Barthanes," A woman who strongly resembled Moiraine joined the two cousins. Caraline Damodred was also a cousin of those two. "Isn't that right, Moiraine?"

"Hello, Caraline. It's always a pleasure to see you."

"You've been sneaking around all evening."

"Have you been watching me? I didn't know you wanted to talk to me that badly." On the outside, Moiraine kept her calm Aes Sedai face, but on the inside, she was cursing. She hadn't only managed to run into Barthanes – no, now she also had to deal with her cousin Caraline.

Caraline returned her smile. "I simply observed you walking around on your own without your husband nearby. This doesn't look like true love to me. Where is your partner? Or don't you want to introduce him?"

"I was just searching for him. Sadly, we got separated very early. The Lords are very interested in him. Now, if you would-"

"How long do you know him?"

Moiraine sighed heavily. Her cousin wouldn't let her go if she didn't answer her questions. And Barthanes wouldn't help her. His eyes glittered in amusement and... appraising. What was on his mind? "I know Lan for over twenty years."

Caraline's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that. "And since when are you two together?"

"Shortly after I met him."

A laugh escaped her cousin's lips. "Shortly after you met him? I see. He must be excellent in bed when you decided that quickly." Moiraine felt her throat tightening. Their conversation was going in a dangerous direction. She had never slept with Lan. If Caraline would ask about their bedroom activities…

"Was it love at first sight?"

"No," Moiraine felt relieved. This question was easier to handle. "He hated me at first, while I found him very rude at the beginning. Luckily, we soon were able to look closer and see the value of each other."

"Value?" Caraline didn't sound convinced. "I've been watching you all night, Moiraine. For someone who 'values' her husband, you haven't made any attempts to return to him. If you loved him that much, you would be by his side, stealing kisses and dancing with him, but you were making conversation with guests. Light, if I had a handsome man like him, I wouldn't let him out of my sight." Her gaze moved over the crowd when she mumbled to herself: "Or out of my bed."

Moiraine pretended as if she hadn't heard the mumbled words of her cousin. "Believe me, Caraline; I would rather be with him than make conversation. And if you would listen to me, I've tried twice now to excuse myself, but you don't let me."

"Don't blame us. We haven't seen you in years," Barthanes said, then looked around searchingly. "Ah, there we go," He waved at a servant who carried a tray with three glasses of wine. "All this talking dries out my throat."

He handed Caraline and Moiraine a glass, though the woman of the Blue Ajah hesitated to take it. She hadn't forgotten where she was. This was still Cairhien, and the house Damodred loved to use poison.

"Have you heard about what happened last night in the streets of Cairhien?" Suddenly, the other Damodred woman looked serious. "The people were hunting for Damodreds."

Barthanes released a contemptuous sigh while Moiraine thought carefully about her following words. "The poorer people haven't forgotten who had brought the Aiel war over them. It was Laman who had cut down the tree, but since that day, the people hate everyone who carries the same name as he did."

"Dear cousins, this is a party. Do we really have to talk about those scumbags? Let them stroll through the streets. Let them threaten to kill us. They won't come up here. The rich people don't want those rats near them. We're safe." Smiling, he raised his glass. "Let's celebrate that we're back together. Alive and well, enjoying our lives."

Moiraine's brain was racing. How could she get out of this? No one would believe it if she would 'accidentally' spill her wine. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Caraline wasn't doing much better. Her cousin looked a little pale suddenly.

When Barthanes raised his eyebrow questioningly at her, the Aes Sedai raised her glass as well. "To being alive and well."

Immediately, Caraline followed her example, though the woman couldn't get a word over her lips. Barthanes smiled and took a sip. Moiraine stared at the red liquid. It looked harmless, but she knew how dangerous it could be. Would a sip kill her? She had been trained in detecting poison in food and drinks. Surely, she would notice it, but did she have the same resistance against it? Would she survive long enough to heal herself with the right herbs?

She felt Barthanes gaze on her. It was rude not to drink, and he knew it. She took a deep breath and pressed the glass against her lips. One sip. Whatever her cousin had put in this wine, a small sip wouldn't kill her immediately. She would have time.

"Moiraine."

Startled, Moiraine lowered the glass and turned to her Warder, who moved through the crowd, making his way over to her. Relief rushed through her veins. Lan would find a solution to escape her cousins.

"Lan, I've been searching for-"

His mouth swallowed the rest of her sentence. His lips lay hard on hers, kissing her hungrily like a lover. One of his hands lay on her neck, holding her close to him, while the other flipped her glass until the liquid dropped to the floor.

Moiraine tried to take a step backward, but Lan didn't let her. The hand which had spilled the wine sneaked around her waist so she was pressed against his strong, muscular body. Vaguely, she remembered that she should stop him. This wasn't the place to give those people such a show, but… she couldn't. Moiraine felt her body melting against Lan's, her resistance fading with every second he kept kissing her. She shouldn't enjoy it! He was her Warder, her friend, her companion! She had never thought about him like that or had imagined them being together. But now… now she couldn't get enough of him. She wanted this. She wanted him.

Caraline cleared her voice loudly, which brought Moiraine back to her senses. This was inappropriate! She sent her concerns through the bond and placed her hand on his chest. Lan was too strong and big to be moved by her, though he felt the pressure she used to push him away.

Her cousin had to clear her voice a second time before the uncrowned king of Malkier let go of her. He stole one last – and exceptionally long – kiss from Moiraine before he finally stepped back, smiling at Caraline and Barthanes. "I apologize; it seems like I forgot my manners."

Caraline didn't bother to let her eyes shamelessly wander up and down Lan's body, and from the look in her eyes, she liked what she saw. "No apologies needed. I wish I would have a handsome man who would kiss me like that." She turned to Moiraine. "Moiraine, I'm assuming this is-"

The woman of the Blue Ajah cleared her voice to get control over it again. Lan's kiss had left her trembling, and her legs felt like they would give in any second. "Barthanes? Caraline? This is Lan Mandragoran, the last Lord of the Seven Towers. Lan? May I introduce my cousins to you? Caraline and Barthanes Damodred."

"It's a pleasure," Lan said and kissed the back of Caraline's hand.

Heat rushed through Moiraine's veins, and she noticed how she thought about pulling her Warder away from her beautiful cousin. Lan belonged to her! Light burn me! What is happening to me? I've never reacted like this when Lan had admired a beautiful woman before!

Suddenly, she felt Lan's amusement through the bond. Had he noticed her foolish reaction? Was he laughing at her?

"If you don't mind, I would like to kidnap my wife before the other Lords catch up with me. I hadn't got the chance to dance with her yet."

"Actually-" Barthanes started, but Lan didn't let him finish. Instead, the Warder grabbed Moiraine's now empty glass and handed it to the speechless man.

"Thank you." Then he took Moiraine's hand and pulled her toward the dance floor, where some Lords were already dancing with their ladies.

I remembered how Daniel Henney described the bond like a marriage without the fun benefits in a few interviews and decided to use this in my story - though I have to admit that maybe I'm starting to have fun writing about the fun benefits.

The next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday.

I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a review.