Moiraine and Siuan finally meet, and they have a lot to talk about.
This time, Moiraine couldn't avoid the other Aes Sedai. Alanna used the shortest way to the throne room, and whenever they met another Aes Sedai, she informed her they had found Logain and that everyone should return to the throne room.
When they reached it, the doors stood wide open. Siuan – wearing a regal dress and an elaborate construct in her hair – sat on the Sun Throne and looked furious. A few Aes Sedai were already with her, and everyone turned when Alanna and Moiraine appeared with their Warders. Moiraine recognized Liandrin at the front, but there was also Anaiya, a Blue Sister, and Leane standing beside Siuan.
The Cairhien woman stopped in the middle of the room while Alanna joined the small circle around Siuan. Maksim and Ihvon led Logain before the Amyrlin while Lan stopped a step behind his Aes Sedai.
Siuan's angry eyes moved over the exiled woman, who stood there trembling with her fingers fidgeting. Light, Moiraine wished she could hold Lan's hand, pulling from his strength. But that was impossible for as long as everyone was watching them.
"Well done, Daughter," Siuan congratulated Alanna. "Where did you find the False Dragon?"
"He hadn't even left the building, Mother. He sat in one of those inner courtyards with a servant from the kitchen. I assume he just wished to have a moment in peace."
Siuan raised a doubtful eyebrow. "A moment in peace? It's not like we are hunting him anymore. He can go wherever he wants for as long as two sisters follow him."
More Aes Sedai entered the throne room, passing Moiraine without throwing a glance at her. Awkwardly, she waited while everyone had only eyes for Alanna.
"You say a servant was with him?"
"He kept Logain company until an Aes Sedai arrived," the Green Sister explained. "But it wasn't me who found the False Dragon, Mother. It was Moiraine."
Everyone turned silent, and the woman of the Blue Ajah stopped breathing. What would they do now?
When no one said anything, Alanna broke the circle and stepped beside her Blue Sister. It was creepy when every Aes Sedai in the room turned toward the exiled woman in unison - their faces expressionless. "Moiraine and her Warder had already found Logain when I arrived. It is only thanks to them that he couldn't escape further than the little garden."
"It was pure luck, Mother," Moiraine explained, tilting her head at Siuan. "I didn't know anyone was looking for him."
"Oh, please." Liandrin stepped before Siuan with her back turned to the Amyrlin. "You don't actually think we believe that, do you? You accidentally stumble over the missing False Dragon while everyone looks for him? And then you appear here, presenting him to the Amyrlin like you are the bloody hero?"
The Red Sister faced Siuan while pointing at Moiraine. "You can't actually believe that, Mother. My sisters have been knocked out so Logain could escape. This wasn't Logain's doing. I bet Moiraine took out the guarding sisters with the One Power and brought the False Dragon to the garden so she could be the hero and gain your sympathy, Mother."
"And when did she plan all this, Liandrin?" Siuan wanted to know. "As you may remember, Moiraine arrived yesterday in the middle of the night. She didn't know where Logain was, nor did she have the time to organize something like that."
"She probably sent her lapdog while everyone was sleeping. Wouldn't be the first time, he's sneaking in the shadows."
"Don't you dare speak about my Warder like that, Liandrin!" Moiraine hissed, taking a step forward, but Alanna's quick fingers around her wrist stopped her before she could go further. "We had nothing to do with what happened to those sisters!"
The Red Sister swirled around and took a threatening step toward the Blue Sister. "Only another Aes Sedai could knock out two full sisters without being seen, and we could have freed him a thousand times in the White Tower if one of us had truly wanted to free him! You are the only one who wasn't in the White Tower!"
"I can't even channel!"
A collective gasp moved through the room, and Liandrin looked like Moiraine had slapped her in the face.
"Moiraine," Alanna whispered, shocked, but the Cairhien woman freed her wrist and stepped closer to Lan. She had said too much! She almost flinched when Lan's hand pressed itself against her back, trying to comfort her.
"You can't channel?" Liandrin asked in disbelief. Then she strode toward Moiraine. "I will check that."
Immediately, Alanna stepped before her friend, blocking the Red Sister's way. In the next heartbeat, Anaiya and the other Blues accompanied her, shielding Moiraine from Liandrin.
"Moiraine Sedai may be exiled from the White Tower but is still a Blue, Liandrin," Anaiya said coldly. "You don't touch her."
"I don't-!"
"Enough!" Siuan's voice echoed through the room, and immediately, every Aes Sedai turned silent. "Leave this room. All of you. I will talk to Moiraine Sedai alone."
The Aes Sedai tilted their heads as a sign that they would obey – except for one. Liandrin didn't plan on giving up so easily. "But, Mother, she-!"
"Leave, Daughter!" Siuan's angry gaze hit Liandrin, and the Red Sister lowered her head. "Take a walk through the city to cool off – a long walk!"
"As you wish, Mother," the Blonde responded with gritted teeth, then swirled around and stormed out of the room.
Alanna and the Blues waited until every woman of the Red Ajah had left the room, then tilted their heads politely at the Amyrlin and left the room.
"Alanna?" The Green Sister stopped when she heard Siuan calling out for her.
"Yes, Mother?"
"Your Warders shall escort Logain outside, but don't go too far. I want to talk to him after I'm done with Moiraine Sedai."
"As you say." Alanna's words sounded way warmer than Liandrin's had.
The throne room was almost empty now, except for Siuan, Moiraine, and Lan. The Amyrlin's eyes moved to Lan. "Lan Gaidin? Leave us."
Moiraine stiffened. Why was Siuan sending Lan out? She already knew about Moiraine's loss of the One Power and the loss of her bond with Lan. Why should he leave?
"With all due respect, Mother, I would rather stay." Lan's words sounded careful, like he didn't want to anger the powerful leader of the Aes Sedai.
"This wasn't a suggestion, Gaidin."
"Yet, I'm begging you to let me stay in here."
"Leave this room before I remove you myself."
Moiraine saw Lan grimacing at Siuan's answer. He had promised not to leave her side while they were in the Sun Palace. Light, he hadn't slept all night because he had been worried about her! "Mother, could you please-?" The hard look in Siuan's eyes made Moiraine swallow the rest of her question.
Surprisingly, Siuan's look softened when she faced Lan again. "No harm will come to your Aes Sedai while she is with me."
The uncrowned king of Malkier was fighting with himself. He was torn between obeying the Amyrlin Seat and his promise not to leave Moiraine's side. Finally, he nodded sharply, then turned to Moiraine. "I'll wait outside. Call me if you need me."
Quickly, the Aes Sedai cupped his face in her hands. "Don't go too far," she whispered.
"I'll be right behind that door."
Lan covered her hands with his own, then pressed a kiss on her palm before he stepped back. He tilted his head at Siuan. "Mother."
When he turned around – aiming for the door – Moiraine almost grabbed him to hold him back. She didn't want him to leave. She didn't have the opportunity to talk to him about Rand being alive, and she…
The doors closed behind Lan, and the Cairhien woman was alone with the Amyrlin. When she faced her lover, Moiraine saw Siuan using the One Power to create a privacy shield so no one could eavesdrop on them. It was a stab to the heart when she saw the weaves, knowing she could never touch Saidar again.
Once Siuan was done, she left the Sun Throne and crossed the distance.
"Why couldn't you let Lan stay?" Moiraine wanted to know.
"I sent everyone else out. It would have looked strange if he had stayed."
"He is my Warder. There is nothing strange about it when he stays by my side."
"Oh, so you finally remember that he is your Warder? – That he belongs by your side and not bonded to someone else as you had wished from me a few weeks ago?"
Moiraine winced like Siuan had slapped her in the face. The words stung, and Siuan saw it. Quickly, she took the last few steps and pulled Moiraine in her arms. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Siuan's embrace felt so good – just as good as Lan's – and Moiraine allowed herself to return the hug and hold Siuan tight. Silent tears rolled over her cheeks while Siuan stroked her hair softly. The woman of Tear never complained about Moiraine holding her too tight. Instead, she simply let her hold her.
It felt like an eternity when the Amyrlin finally let go of the Cairhien woman and pushed her off at arm's length.
"Oh, my love."
Gently, she cupped Moiraine's face with her hands and wiped the tears away before she leaned in and captured her lips in a sweet kiss.
It didn't take long for them to deepen their kiss – both longing for each other's touch. Siuan's hands moved over Moiraine's curves down to her butt – squeezing it firmly, which made Moiraine gasp – then started working on her lover's belt. The Amyrlin Seat clearly didn't want any fabric between them.
It was Moiraine who ended the kiss and stepped back. She smiled sadly when Siuan growled, pulling her back by pushing two fingers behind the belt and her lips aiming for Moiraine's.
"Siuan-" But the Cairhien woman was cut off once their lips connected. Siuan was hungry, and Moiraine was what she desired.
One hand cupped Moiraine's breast, and the owner of the breast gasped when the Amyrlin let her thumb rub over the hard peak.
"We can't," the woman of the Blue Ajah whispered in a hoarse voice while grabbing her lover's hands to keep them from moving. "The others wait outside and could come in any time."
"Then I'll need to be quick at making you come." Siuan smiled devilishly when she saw Moiraine's mouth opening and closing like a fish on land, then managed to free her hands. Quickly, she grabbed the lower part of Moiraine's dress to push it up before one hand darted between the other woman's legs.
The Cairhien woman winced when she felt Siuan's fingers on her inner thigh, moving dangerously close to her core. Gasping, she interfered by stepping back before those talented fingers could reach their destination. "We can't, Siuan."
The Amyrlin Seat sighed heavily. "You're killing me." Then she held up her hands in surrender. "All right, pufferfish. You win."
The use of her nickname brought new tears to Moiraine's eyes. Siuan knew about the loss of her powers. Why wasn't she disgusted? Why didn't she pull away from her? She couldn't keep up with Siuan anymore.
"What's wrong?" Worried, the Amyrlin Seat cupped Moiraine's face again and wiped the new tears away. "What did I say?"
"Why aren't you disgusted?"
"Disgusted? At what?"
"I can't touch Saidar anymore, Siuan. I'm no Aes Sedai. Light, I shouldn't even have Lan anymore, but he refused to stay away."
Siuan grimaced at Moiraine's words, and her eyes glistened dangerously. "You're a bloody idiot, Moiraine. How can you even believe for a second that I will turn my back on you? I don't love you because you can channel. I love you for the person you are. Saidar or not, my feelings for you don't change."
More tears rolled over Moiraine's cheeks. She had hoped nothing would change between her and Siuan. But how could she keep up with the amazing Amyrlin Seat? How could she still love that weak version of herself?
Siuan kissed the tears away, then continued, "And the same goes for Lan. The bloody man didn't bond himself to you because you were a powerful Aes Sedai. He accepted your bond because of the person who asked him, and since then, you two have grown extremely close to each other, which is the reason why he couldn't stay away. He loves you, Moiraine."
The Cairhien woman covered her lover's hands with her own and squeezed them softly. Her voice sounded hoarse when she spoke, "I don't want him to die, Siuan. He shall not die trying to protect me. And I can't heal him anymore."
"Then you need to ensure not to get into dangerous situations anymore."
Moiraine chuckled sadly. Not to get into dangerous situations anymore?! She thought about the Whitecloaks who had chased her through Cairhien and the Fades attacking her at her sister's house. It seemed the danger followed her wherever she went. "That seems impossible."
"It would be way easier if you would work with your crew instead of pushing them away. You're not alone on this ship, Moiraine. Twenty years ago, we started this journey together, and then you hired Lan to become our third crew member, which was one of your best decisions – after agreeing to be mine, of course."
Moiraine furrowed her forehead. "One of my best decisions? Wasn't it you who yelled at me and called me a blinded gull for-?"
Quickly, the woman of Tear captured Moiraine's lips with her own, swallowing the rest of her question. Moiraine remembered very well how outrageous Siuan had been after she had returned to Chachin with Lan on her heels. It hadn't been a pleasant conversation, and the two women left each other in anger – poor Lan had been overwhelmed by Moiraine's sudden change of emotions. It took them a year until they saw each other again, and the first few days, they had acted cold toward each other – which had been the beginning of the rumors in the White Tower about their break up.
Finally, the two women broke apart again, breathing heavily. They were both close to giving in to their needs. So, the Amyrlin turned their conversation to a safe territory. "You surprised me earlier. I didn't think you would want our sisters to know about the loss of your power."
"I didn't. It slipped me before I could think about it." Moiraine sighed heavily. "Liandrin will haunt me now that she knows." Her eyes fell on her golden serpent ring, and she started playing with it. For how much longer could she call that piece of jewelry hers? "She will try to take the ring from me, and I can't stop her."
Siuan grabbed Moiraine's hands to turn the woman's focus back on her. "I won't let her. No one takes that ring from you. Especially since we don't know what exactly happened to you."
"I was stilled, Siuan." Light, those words tasted like acid and burned her throat.
"I don't believe that. It takes eight Aes Sedai to still a sister."
"The Dark One-"
"Is powerful, yet I don't believe that's what happened."
Moiraine's eyes widened when Siuan interrupted her firmly. How could her lover think she knew what had happened without having been present? "You weren't there, Siuan. You have no conception of how powerful he is."
"You're right. I wasn't there. But Lan told me everything, and I have my own theory of what had happened."
"Lan wasn't with me when it happened."
Again, there was that dangerous glistening in Siuan's eyes. "Yes, I heard that too. And we will talk about that later. I can't wait to hear your delusional explanation for not taking your Warder with you to a possible fight. Sometimes, you act like a foolish-"
"I didn't want him to die."
"Oh, fish guts! He is your Warder, Moiraine! He keeps you safe even if it means to give his life for yours!"
"Everyone who would come between the Dragon and the Dark One dies! We talked about this on my last night in Tar Valon!" Moiraine saw Siuan opening her mouth to respond with another angry answer but didn't let her. "Look me in the eye and tell me you would've asked Alric to follow you if our places were reversed!"
The Amyrlin moved her lips, but no sound crossed her lips – the First Oath stopped her. Finally, she sighed and lowered her head. "I wouldn't."
Moiraine nodded. She had expected that. No Aes Sedai would risk the life of her own Warder. "Then don't scold me for leaving Lan behind! He doesn't deserve to die!"
The Amyrlin grimaced but nodded, and her face softened. "You're right. I shouldn't have called Lan's life worthless. Forgive me."
The woman of the Blue Ajah couldn't say anything. Her heart was still in pain from the thought of Lan's possible death at the Eye of the World. If she would have lost him…
Siuan squeezed Moiraine's hands, comforting. "But I have a plan. Will you hear me out?"
When Moiraine lifted her head, she saw hope shimmering in her lover's eyes and felt her own curiosity rising. What had she found?
"I'm listening."
The next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday.
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