Three Suprises
Tuon Rocks
Nine Months Later
Tuon was having breakfast. It was early summer and she was big. Her pregnancy had caused her many problems, one of which that she seemed not to be able to put up with Matrim's antics, and she never seemed to be able to hold her temper.
Selucia said it was all part of being pregnant, but Tuon refused to admit that she could not resist her pregnancy. Her biggest problem however was that while she was pregnant, Mat and Selucia told her that she could not be trusted with good judgment, so for the duration of the pregnancy, Mat would be fulfilling the duties of the Empress, and Selucia would be attending to matters of State.
So that was what landed her here, in an armchair by the fire, with a tray of pork and some sort of mushy beans that Mat said came from the Two Rivers.
The Two Rivers, Mat Cauthon's homeland, where he grew up for most of his life, the land where Mat said was once Manetheren until it was destroyed during the Trolloc Wars, when no one came to Manetheren's cry for help.
Suddenly Tuon felt very strange, as if something inside of her had woken up. She realized that her baby was coming. She yelled for the Deathwatch guards standing behind her, and told one of them to fetch Tuon and Selucia. The other carried Tuon to her bed, where she proceeded to gasp and writhe in pain.
After what seemed a lifetime of pain, Mat was at her side clutching her hand as she tried to survive this terrible agony. Selucia, acting as her midwife, tried to keep her calm as she prepared for the baby's arrival.
After what seemed like another lifetime of agonizing pain, Selucia spoke up. "I can see a head."
Tuon tried to control her excitement as Selucia slowly helped pull the baby out and wrap it up in a towel. "It's a girl." Selucia announced.
Tuon was relieved and sad and happy and exited all at the same time, along with this odd feeling that it wasn't over. "I see another head." Selucia sounded stunned, this time producing a boy.
And then, just as Tuon was about to get up, an agony burst into her like no other. "Stay down," Selucia ordered. "I see another head"
Tuon watched as if in slow motion Selucia pulled out and wapped up another girl.
"Triplets" Selucia said, stunned.
"Triplets" Mat said, sounding as if he was going to be sick.
"Triplets!" Tuon sighed happily, thanking the Light that it was over. "What shall we call them. Mat.
Stunned, Mat wondered if he had heard correctly. Had she just called him what he thought he had just heard?
"Um… how about Frecela for the eldest." He said, still stunned.
"Wonderful, and how about Garne for our so?"
"Okay, but what for the youngest?"
"May I make a suggestion?" Selucia said
"I don't see why not." Replied Tuon
"Then, if I may, what about Gwendolyn?"
"What a wonderful suggestion Selucia. What do you think Mat? Frecela, Garne, and Gwendolyn?"
Still a little stunned, Mat replied "Sounds great.
And that's how it happened that, 17 years later, Garne found himself standing side by sidehis two sisters, waving goodbye to their parents as they sailed away on a boat that would take them to Tar Valon to learn to Channel. A/N This on the bases that the White Tower and the Black Tower have joined together after the last battle. There had been an Aes Sedai and an Ash'aman in Ebou Dar, and they hd said that all three of the children had the spark. Garne's father, Mat, who had fascinated the three triplets with stories of Aes Sedai when they were young, had convinced their mother, Tuon to send them to Tar Valon instead of having them leashed.
Two weaks later, Garne and his two sisters arrived in Tar Valon, and were greeted by the Master of Soldiers and the Mistress of Novices. They were then led to their rooms, and proceeded to unpack, preparing for their lessons the next day.