AN: It's back! I hope I'll be able to stick to my current upload schedule (which would mean one upload for this work every 8 weeks for the moment), but no promises. See also the disclaimer below, which I now add to all works I write.
AN: On another note, a number of people have left reviews/comments about what they do or do not want to see. All the way back before my unplanned hiatus, I prepared an extended author's note about that, which I'll just copy here: The direction for this fic is already pretty crystallized, as also mentioned in the story's initial Author's Note. It's going to be a power fantasy, where Rand gets himself a lot of girls; more than in canon, where he already had three. In addition to his 'main' girls, there are also other girls who he'll have one-night-stands with, and things like that.
I realize that's not to everyone's liking, however I cannot fill every single niche at once with a single story. If you'd rather see something else, I would very much like to encourage you to write it yourself! There is an absolute dearth of Wheel of Time fics, while there are a ton of opportunities. In fact, I took a moment to brainstorm some ideas, so if you're lacking inspiration, zip down to the longer AN at the bottom of this chapter.
AN: I do want to clarify (and now we're back to newly-written author's note) that this is not going to turn into a total smut fic - there will be plot first and foremost. But there is a lot of content in the world of Wheel of Time, and even a conservative estimate easily put me at 150+ chapters. If this fic were to be, say, 170 chapters long with every third chapter having a smut scene (one for every 20k words), starting at chapter 20, that'd still be 50 smut scenes - more than enough for a lot of characters to be featured.
Disclaimer: My writing speed is highly irregular. Not day to day, but rather month to month. Sometimes, I write 2000 words per day, every day, for three months straight. Sometimes, I don't write a single word for five months. This means that when the writing is going well, I update regularly, quite possibly weekly. When the writing isn't going well, I might not update for several months. But I will always come back.
The whisperings of the wolves were becoming more vague as they approached Caemlyn. Perrin had spent two weeks getting acquainted with them – with Elyas, with the wolves specifically, and his Talent in general – but neither Elyas nor the pack liked large concentrations of people.
Sometimes, Perrin had found himself suddenly afraid of his new skill, afraid of the realization that he could talk with the creatures that so often featured as villains in the tales he had grown up with. However, he had the pack, Elyas, Moiraine's knowledge and Rand's friendship all to set him at ease when that happened. A hesitant Rand had actually told him, after he'd asked, that his discovery of the Talent had been rather less smooth in Rand's old timeline.
Apparently, their group had gotten split up, and it was just Perrin and Egwene who had stumbled across Elyas. And while Perrin had come to appreciate the gruff man, he could easily imagine himself being unsettled by him if they were surrounded by wolves and Perrin had no one to calm him.
His eyes were also starting to turn golden, just like Elyas's eyes, and that was certainly something he'd have to get used to. For some reason, Rand had been a little evasive on the topic of his eyes, except that Perrin didn't have to worry about it. But more importantly, Perrin had found that his senses were improving. Sight, hearing and most notably smell. Often, he could smell who was coming up behind him, and not just because he'd learned to tell apart the different horses, but also because he could recognize the smells of individual people under that.
It was altogether a strange experience, though he had already come to understand that he had to reevaluate many things he'd taken for granted. Not just what the Dragon Reborn was like, and that it was possible for male channelers to be safe again, but also his personal situation. That wolves weren't mindless beasts, but rather intelligent creatures, third only to humans and ogier. That he was going to be meeting an ogier in the first place. That the Shadow was preparing for the Last Battle, however the Light had the advantage. And so much more, enough that he could barely keep up.
Every single last thought was banished from his mind moments later as Caemlyn – it had to be Caemlyn – came into view.
A fifty foot tall grey wall, interspersed with watchtowers, stretched as far north and south as the eye could see. Behind it, thousands upon thousands of rooftops were visible. Inns, homes, manors, warehouses, more than any man could count. The city extended as far as the eye could see and beyond even that, and was built upon a large hill.
That also allowed Perrin to spot the white walls of the Inner City Thom had mentioned in his tales, cordoning off the old city that had been built by ogier thousands of years ago after the Breaking of the World. It was there – though Perrin didn't know which building – that the Royal Palace was located, where Queen Morgase ruled Andor; the nation that Two Rivers was nominally a part of, though it's power reached no further than Whitebridge in the present day.
Perrin hadn't even known he had a queen until he'd been told.
The city was absolutely astonishing. He'd thought Baerlon was big, even felt annoyed when Thom scoffed at their reaction to seeing the town, but now he understood why. This city… it could swallow Baerlon whole, and you wouldn't even notice. Every last part of it was breathtaking.
"Don't get so caught up in gawking that you forget what we've told you," Thom said, probably mostly aimed at Perrin, Mat and Egwene.
Indeed, Mat was eagerly whispering about the city, but Perrin now let his thoughts go over what they'd told him.
Caemlyn was cramped right now, with the recently captured false Dragon Logain soon being paraded through it; and with spring still not having come, the mood was bad. Many people were unhappy with Queen Morgase, and Whitecloaks were around once again, stirring up the foul mood further while spreading fears about darkfriends and Aes Sedai.
Most people didn't like Aes Sedai at the best of times, and the Whitecloaks considered all of them – anyone who could touch the One Power, in fact – darkfriends, and called Aes Sedai witches.
That meant that many found it controversial that Queen Morgase had an Aes Sedai advisor, Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, of the Red Ajah. When Egwene had asked whether they would meet her, the answer had been a clear no. Moiraine had given them a brief explanation of Aes Sedai politics. She herself was part of the Blue Ajah, one of seven Ajahs that made up the structure of the Aes Sedai, and they were generally involved with justice.
The Red Ajah, on the other hand, had as goal to find and gentle male channelers before they went insane, meaning they were strongly involved in Logain's capture. More importantly, however, the Red and Blue Ajah had been on bad terms for a very long time, and apparently the mutual dislike between Moiraine and Elaida had already started when the former was still an Accepted – someone learning to become an Aes Sedai.
To that, Rand had further added that Elaida had become a major political opponent, deposing of the current Amyrlin Seat and becoming the leader of the Aes Sedai, and in the process had become a power-hungry tyrant.
Now knowing all that, Perrin understood very well why they didn't want to meet with her.
In fact, Moiraine had gone incognito, hiding her ring – which signified she was an Aes Sedai – and going by the name of Lady Alys once more. Thom had done the same, hiding his cloak. He'd been sparse with information, only revealing that the Queen's Guard wouldn't appreciate seeing him in Caemlyn. As far as Perrin could judge, Rand knew the reason for this, but he kept his mouth shut.
And then there was the red and the white, that Perrin could see everywhere now that they entered the city. Everyone who wore a weapon – and there were a lot of people like that – had it covered in a piece of cloth, either red or white. Many were also wearing armbands or even cockades in those colors.
Rand explained that red signified support of the queen, while white signified criticism of her, and in particular the Aes Sedai.
The white was far more common than the red.
However, that didn't stop Rand from taking a moment to buy himself red cloth, which he bound around his sword, as well as a red armband.
"The last time I'd bought the red because it was cheaper," he explained when they were on the move again. "But I do believe Morgase was a good queen – and Elayne will be as well." He frowned. "Is a good queen, I suppose."
A few minutes later, they arrived at an inn called The Queen's Blessing, which was run by Basel Gill, who was apparently an old friend of Thom. He was certainly rather surprised that Thom brought no fewer than seven people with him, but recovered quickly and showed Moiraine the utmost respect when she revealed she was an Aes Sedai.
Their horses were brought to the stable and Master Gill showed them their rooms, and then Rand mentioned he was going to the library to meet Loial, the ogier he'd mentioned before.
"Can we meet him too?" Mat asked eagerly.
"Of course," Rand said. "I'll warn you though, he'll talk your ears off."
Perrin, just as interested as Mat, followed them together with Egwene – the others decided to not overwhelm the ogier, and Nynaeve spent a few words lecturing them on not gawking.
That didn't stop Perrin's instincts from screaming 'trolloc!' when he entered the library, however. Loial – it had to be Loial, Perrin reasoned – was almost ten feet tall, with a nose so wide it was almost more like a snout, long eyebrows that hung down like tails, large eyes and ears that peeked through wild hair.
Rand, unfazed, introduced himself and then his friends. As they started to talk, Perrin quickly realized that despite his fearsome appearance, Loial was a very calm, mild-mannered individual, who had the habit of giving everything a lot of thought before responding, and would often go on long tangents when explaining something himself.
Soon enough, the Emond's Fielders got over their initial reactions and started firing question after question, about ogier, their history, the mystical steddings that ogier called home, and more.
Perrin was surprised to learn that the ogier reputation of being builders was one that existed only among humans. Ogier loved nature and growth first and foremost, and their beautiful masonry was but a secondary interest resulting from it. It was that love for all things living, Loial explained, that prompted the ogier to build the cities as they did, with flowing structures that attempted to imitate nature, working with what was available rather than tearing everything down to build something neat and orderly.
Perrin couldn't believe his ears when Loial mentioned that he was considered hasty for an ogier. Or that he was ninety years old, when he acted like he was of similar age to Perrin and his friends – and as it turned out, from an ogier perspective he really was only barely an adult.
"And what about you, then?" Loial eventually asked, turning to Rand. "You seem to know much more than your friends, despite how you said you grew up together with them."
"That's quite the story," Rand said with a chuckle. "But I do want to share it with you. I hope I won't bore you as much as Elder Haman, who you like to complain about."
Loial chuckled. "I doubt any human could ever bore me like that."
It was a few days after meeting Loial and telling him about Rand's history that he made his way through Caemlyn.
The decision to inform Loial had been an easy one. The previous time around, it was with Loial that Rand had, for the first time, felt safe and secure enough to tell him about everything that had happened, the trollocs and darkfriends they'd encountered, the mists of Shadar Logoth, everything that had happened, much of which Rand had actually managed to avoid this time around.
In fact, it had been Loial who had realized Rand was a ta'veren, and had then explained the concept to him. Usually, the Pattern simply spun it's Web, letting events unfold, and while it would often nudge things in one particular direction, if someone made a certain choice, the Pattern would just weave around it.
But sometimes, the Pattern would get further and further away from where it should be. In those situations, to correct things, it would spin a ta'veren. A single thread that was bound to destiny more tightly than others, that would frequently get pushed one way or another in a major way, and affected all the threads around it like a whirlpool in the Pattern.
A person could be a ta'veren for as short as a few weeks, or as long as decades. They could affect just the local area, or the entire world.
Rand was certainly the strongest ta'veren since Artur Hawkwing, possibly since Lews Therin Telamon – his previous life. The events that had allowed Loial to realize what Rand was had only been the very beginning.
Near the streets that Logain, the false Dragon, would be paraded through, the crowds were thick, with the white dominant while those wearing red clumped up in small groups, no women or children among them. Away from those streets, Caemlyn was empty, and Rand could easily make his way to the Inner City, where the curved roads that embraced the slopes of Caemlyn's hill still reminded everyone of the ogier who had built them. The buildings had been created such that many places offered good views over the rest of the city, or even out to the rural lands surrounding it, but most of those were already occupied, usually by people wearing white, who wanted to catch a glimpse of Logain.
Those weren't what Rand was looking for anyway. He made his way up the hill, away from the crowds still, until he found himself on a road that only had buildings on one side. On the other, it had a steep slope that in another year would be full of flowers, but was now covered in brown foliage. He climbed the slope and reached the several feet high grey wall at the top. It had been constructed from unworked stone, fitted together from it's natural curves – obviously ogier-made, even if Rand's past self had not recognized that.
The unworked nature gave him several handles, and he had decent experience climbing from his youth in Two Rivers, so he didn't have a lot of trouble getting to the top, where he could sit down on the narrow wall and would have a good view of Logain's parade.
Not that that was what he was here for, of course, but last time it had been. This was the wall of the palace grounds, and Rand knew that over in that tree, hidden by the leaves, Elayne was sitting to catch a glimpse of Logain herself, something her mother hadn't allowed.
This time, Rand had spotted her anyway – his awareness of his surroundings was much better than it had been. Behind her, her brother Gawyn was also sitting, and was now carefully watching Rand, who acted like he was completely oblivious to their presence.
Rand found himself enjoying the game as he continued to gaze away from the pair of young royals, towards the streets where Logain would be paraded soon. He imagined how Gawyn's wariness was slowly disappearing as Rand gave no interest to the palace – not that it was terribly obvious that this was the palace even from here. All the grandiosity was at the front; the only major tell was that inside these walls, the grass was green and flowers were blooming, courtesy of Elaida's weaves.
After some five minutes, Rand casually turned towards the tree. "It's taking a while, isn't it?"
For a few seconds, both Gawyn and Elayne were stunned into silence, and Rand took the opportunity to take a better look at both.
Elayne displayed the contrast that he had come to love about her. She was clothed in blue, a deeper hue for her cloak and a lighter one for her dress. Both were made out of high quality materials, and she wore jewelry reminiscent of any princess that adorned her red-gold curls. And on those clothes, Rand smiled inwardly, there were multiple dirty spots from her tree climbing, as well as several bits of bark.
Gawyn, meanwhile… he looked like a boy to Rand, rather than the man he'd seen glimpses of in the Pattern when going back in time. He was dressed in very fancy red, white and gold clothes – the colors and designs of Andor and it's royal family, another thing Rand hadn't known last time around. Most likely, Rand figured, Elayne had more or less dragged him along.
Elayne was the first to find her voice. "We've been waiting longer than you have been."
Gawyn seemed to wrestle with himself for a moment, and Rand could only guess why, but when he spoke up, it wasn't a difficult question. Apparently, he'd decided not to say what he'd been thinking about. "You knew we were here?" he asked.
"Yes." Rand saw no reason to deny that.
"Why did you ignore us?" Gawyn asked.
Rand shrugged. "People who want to be seen don't climb in trees. You're here for the Dragon too?"
"The false Dragon," Elayne corrected immediately.
Rand hummed in agreement. After a moment of silence, he spoke up. "Have you ever wondered whether he believes it? That he's the Dragon Reborn. Or was he just trying to grab power?"
"He's mad," Gawyn said. The boy seemed to have decided that Rand was not an immediate danger. "All men who can channel go mad. Even if he believes it, that doesn't mean anything."
"Do you think a madman can lead an army and win battles?" Rand asked frankly. "They don't go mad immediately, do they?"
"Why would any sane man call himself the Dragon Reborn?" Elayne questioned.
"Because he might honestly believe that he is," Rand said. "Rumor has it that he defeated the Aes Sedai in battle, at first. He'd have to be really strong for that, wouldn't he?"
Elayne gave Rand a questioning look. "Do you believe he's the Dragon Reborn?" She didn't seem hesitant, as one might expect. While the simple assumption might be that the sheltered princess simply couldn't judge potential danger – such as from a follower of the captured false Dragon – Rand knew that wouldn't be true for Elayne. Rather, he suspected that she both didn't believe he was a threat, and that she'd be able to get away before he'd be able to reach her. And of course, he was wearing the red.
Although aside from all that, she also had a serious reckless streak, borne from impulsiveness rather than obliviousness.
He resisted answering her immediately instead glancing down the street where Logain would eventually appear. Getting on the right topic of conversation had been simple, now it was time to sow the seeds that pointed Elayne's thoughts in the right direction.
"The true Dragon Reborn," Rand eventually said, rather than denouncing Logain outright, "doesn't have to announce himself. Others will do it for him. That's what I believe."
"But how would they know?" Elayne asked. "If he doesn't announce himself…"
"They'll recognize him," Rand responded immediately, with confidence. "Perhaps not straight away, but over time. Through his deeds, his words, his appearance. It's not hard to tell apart a noble from a commoner, even if they were to wear the same clothes, just from their bearing."
"Do you—" Gawyn started, only to be silenced by Elayne. Rand suspected that Gawyn wanted to ask him if he knew who they were, while Elayne was enjoying a conversation with someone who treated her as just another person too much to let it be interrupted – and possibly ruined by sudden reverence or embarrassment.
The Daughter-Heir studied Rand for a few seconds, opening and clothing her mouth as she considered multiple questions.
"Where are you from?" she eventually settled on.
"Two Rivers," Rand said.
Over on the other side, the first trumpeters rounded the corner of the road, announcing the parade and momentarily distracting the three of them.
"Are you really?" Elayne asked, though she kept her eyes on the road. "You don't look like you're from there."
"I grew up there," Rand said, "but the man I call father is not my father by blood. He found me, in the arms of my dying mother right after my birth, someplace outside Two Rivers, and took me in as his own."
The parade distracted them once more, and after the musicians, the troops of Andor came, their armor red with white lions, the many soldiers all cleaned up, with their weapons and armor polished to gleam for the parade.
"Do you think they looked like that on the battlefield?" Rand suggested.
Elayne snorted in an unladylike manner.
"Not likely."
They watched in silence for a few more seconds, then Elayne spoke up with another question.
"What's your name?"
"Rand al'Thor."
From the corner of his eye, Rand could see she cocked her head as she studied him.
"You're strange."
"Thank you."
Before the conversation could continue, the cart containing Logain's cage turned the corner, and all three youths redirected their attention once more.
Rand still remembered the man clearly from last time. He was standing straight up in his cage, his hair brushing against the wood at the top, surrounded by four Aes Sedai who had their full attention on the invisible shield that kept him from touching the One Power.
Despite that, Logain Ablar did not look like a caged animal, or a defeated adversary. He looked like a noble, a victor coming home from the battlefield to a parade held in his honor.
Wherever he looked, people fell silent.
Then, he looked up to where Rand was sitting, and after a moment, he laughed.
"Why is he laughing?" Elayne asked.
Rand knew precisely what the reason was – after all, he'd heard it from Logain's own mouth.
"That was the moment where he realized that he is not the Dragon Reborn."
The armies of many other nations that had helped fight Logain followed in the parade, but after the man himself, none of the trio had any attention for them.
Rand kept watching as he patiently waited for Elayne to ask her next question.
"Wasn't he looking in our direction?"
"He was."
A pause.
"Who are you?" Elayne asked.
"Didn't I tell you already?" Rand replied with a subtle tease. "Rand al'Thor, of Two Rivers."
"And you are not anyone special?" Elayne asked, her tone making clear she wouldn't believe him if he answered in the negative.
"Everyone is special to someone," Rand responded, no longer hiding his amusement. "I'm sure my father would say I'm the most special person in the world."
Elayne gave him an incredibly dubious look, although he could see her thoughts whirring behind it. After a few seconds, she seemingly came to a decision, and bluntly asked the next question.
"Are you the Dragon Reborn?"
Gawyn's eyes went wide, but then turned calculating as he looked back and forth between them.
"How could I possibly give a meaningful answer to that question?" Rand parried with a grin. He was having a great time, and Elayne was one of very few people he knew well enough that he dared take a risk of this magnitude – and Gawyn wouldn't go against her lead, not as he was right now. "Didn't I just argue that the Dragon Reborn needs not announce himself? Any answer but 'no' would be hypocritical, whether or not I were to believe it true."
Elayne now looked at him as if he were a particularly intriguing puzzle.
"Callandor," she stated suddenly.
"What about it?" Rand asked innocently.
"Possession of Callandor is viewed as perhaps the clearest proof that someone is the real Dragon Reborn. That's why Logain was moving his armies to the south-east, to Tear. Do you have it?"
Rand reached through the repulsive taint to seize saidin – he'd allow himself this luxury for once – and opened a small gateway to Tear, into the Heart of the Stone. Gawyn gasped, but Rand paid him no attention. There, right in front of the gateway, in the center of the fortress that had not fallen in three thousand years, and would not fall until the People of the Dragon came – or so prophecy said – hung Callandor, suspended in the air as if held up by invisible ropes.
The sword looked like glass or crystal, though Rand knew it was as sharp as the best blades, and stronger as well. In addition, it was a sa'angreal, an incredibly powerful amplifier of the One Power, this particular one crafted for use with saidin. To Rand's knowledge, it was third in potential only to the Choedan Kal that had sent him back into the past, and a sa'angreal that he wasn't even sure survived the Breaking.
It hung in arm's reach for Rand, but in between him and the sword he could see weaves of saidin, interspersed with holes. In those holes, he knew, were weaves of saidar. Together, the two formed a ward that would stop anyone but the Dragon Reborn from touching the sword.
Now, the question was whether Elayne could see the saidar weaves. She was a channeler, and a strong one, but her training hadn't started yet. However, she did live with an Aes Sedai, even if they did not get along well, so Rand wasn't going to risk it.
He reached through the gateway, but stopped just before the ward.
"What do you think? Can I grab it?"
"So you're a channeler, then," Elayne observed. To her credit, she hadn't shied back - perhaps because she'd already implicitly voiced the suspicion when she asked whether he was the Dragon Reborn. Similarly, Gawyn had put his hand on his sword, but hadn't drawn it, nor had he said anything.
"If you mean to inform an Aes Sedai, I'm afraid I'll have to leave," Rand said, although he didn't quite believe she would.
Elayne considered his words.
"I suppose the real Dragon Reborn shouldn't be gentled," she decided. "Show that you can touch it."
Rand chuckled. "Even assuming I could, I wouldn't do it just to impress a girl. Even if that girl is a princess."
Elayne looked shocked, and Rand casually closed the gateway and released saidin while she processed that he'd known who she was all along. However, before she recovered they heard footsteps, and Rand looked down to see Galad.
The young man – who, being the child of Taringail and Tigraine, was a half-brother to all three of Rand, Gawyn and Elayne, not that he knew it in Rand's case – seemed to be searching, but stilled when he saw Rand sitting on the wall, then drew his blade.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
Rand waited, expecting Elayne to speak up for him, which she did.
"He is a loyal subject of our mother, and under my protection." Rand was impressed how regal she managed to sound while sitting in a tree.
"There you are," Galad said, sounding only marginally relieved as he turned to her. "Stay away from him, Elayne. And you should get down here. Princesses should not be climbing trees."
Elayne rolled her eyes where Galad couldn't see it, but climbed down, followed by Gawyn.
Galad turned his attention to Rand, who was still sitting on the wall unlike last time, when Elayne announcing herself had surprised him so badly that he'd fallen into the palace gardens.
"You will get down here and hand over your sword."
Rand obeyed and started climbing down, while Elayne objected.
"He is here as my guest, Galad. You cannot arrest him!"
"He is armed, and hardly looks trustworthy. I cannot claim control over your actions, Elayne, but—"
"Indeed you cannot," Elayne interrupted him. "You may leave. Now."
Rand dropped down on his feet and turned around right in time to see Elayne had drawn herself up to her full height, looking as regal as she could with her stained outfit.
Galad, clearly realizing he wouldn't be able to change Elayne's mind, turned and left to get backup.
As soon as he was around the corner, Elayne turned to Rand. "I want to interrogate you – about everything – but there is no time. You should leave, before Galad comes back with the guards."
"He always does the 'right' thing," Gawyn explained. "Even when he should not."
"And the guards won't start searching the city if I'm gone?" Rand countered.
Elayne paused.
"You could hide," she eventually decided.
"I'm afraid my appearance isn't the best at blending in," Rand said.
"You're tall."
Rand chuckled and sent her a grin. "I know it might not be obvious at first."
Elayne huffed, annoyed at having lost control over the conversation. "So who are you really?" she asked. "You know who I am, who we are, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Why did you not show me the proper respect then?"
"Would you rather I had?" Rand countered.
Elayne hesitated.
"Besides," Rand smirked, "you were sitting in a tree. Hardly respectful, wouldn't you say?"
"If you know the customs, you should follow them," Gawyn said.
"If the lady demands it," Rand replied.
"I won't," Elayne said after a moment. "It's been a long time since I've been able to talk to someone new. But that brings us back to the question you didn't answer. I still don't really know who you are."
"Rand al'Thor," Rand said once more, with a smirk. "Farm boy from the Two Rivers."
"Who can channel, and may or may not be the Dragon Reborn," Elayne said.
"Perhaps," Rand evaded. "If that's true, I'm sure you'll hear more of me in the future."
"So why did you really climb that wall?"
"To see Logain, of course," he grinned.
"I don't believe that," Elayne said. "You're easily tall enough to look over a crowd, and you don't seem shy."
Rand's enjoyment was interrupted when he heard boots in the distance.
Elayne let out an impressive curse under her breath, but Rand calmly turned in the direction of the sound, raising his hands as soon as soldiers turned the corner.
Elayne moved in front of Rand, protecting him with her body, almost immediately followed by Gawyn. Rand didn't remember any hesitation from him last time around, but figured he could easily have missed it. Or perhaps their different meeting and Rand's channeling had simply left him slightly more worried about the wall-climber and possible intruder.
The interaction between Elayne and the officer, Tallanvor, went similar to last time. Tallanvor wanted to take Rand to a cell, but Elayne put her foot down and demanded they be brought to her mother, the queen, even stating that if he didn't do that, he'd have to take all three of them to a cell.
Unlike last time, Rand didn't need Gawyn's whispers to understand what was going on. Queen Morgase was viewing Logain, and even if not, she wouldn't appreciate Tallanvor bringing not just Rand, but also Elayne and Gawyn to her as if under guard.
Of course, then a messenger relayed the command from Morgase that they should all be brought to her immediately. Elayne was clearly worried about the prospect, but when she and Gawyn locked step on either side of Rand, it did allow them to converse softly.
"Will you be alright?" Elayne asked. "I don't believe you mean harm."
"Don't worry," Rand replied.
"Elaida Sedai might be there," she said. "She's of the Red Ajah."
"I know," Rand said. "Just don't say anything you shouldn't."
"Would she be able to sense anything?" she asked, worried.
"No," Rand replied, making sure to lower his voice even further. "Men can roughly sense women, but women cannot sense men in any way." The unsaid words being that both the men and women he was referring to were channelers.
They had entered the palace, and were traversing hallways that were intimately familiar to Rand – he'd spent several months ruling from here after Morgase's disappearance.
"Could you… could you sense me?" Elayne whispered.
"No," Rand said. "You'd have to channel for that."
And as Elayne hadn't had lessons yet, he doubted she was able to reliably embrace the source at this point.
They entered one of the smaller – though still ornate – audience chambers. Rand smoothly went through the customs for the situation, kneeling and standing at the right times. Throughout it, he looked around the room, noting Gareth Bryne, the Captain-General and one of the five Great Captains. Though his hair was graying, he still looked strong and immovable as a rock, and was clothed in the red of the Queen's Guards. On the other side of the queen sat Elaida, calmly knitting and seemingly not paying attention to anything around her. She had dark brown hair, but other than that it was impossible to tell anything about her age; like all Aes Sedai, she had the well-known 'ageless' face. Rand knew, however, that she was closing in on fifty years old, meaning she was still young for a channeler. Despite that, he believed that she was respected among the Red Ajah, quite possibly because of her relative strength in the One Power.
And last, sitting on her throne, was Queen Morgase. She, too, was still young, though in a different sense. She had no extended lifespan like the Aes Sedai did, but there were few women who had two adult children, yet were still only in their early forties. Morgase was one of them, and she had so far retained her beauty, albeit more mature than Elayne's. She was, of course, wearing the Rose Crown of Andor, and a long red stole depicting the Lion of Andor hung over her shoulders.
She was also, to Rand's surprise – though he should maybe have expected it – wearing a ring that depicted the Great Serpent eating it's own tail, the sign of the Aes Sedai. Then again, no matter how weak, she was technically a channeler and had received some training in the White Tower. Any woman who had done so could wear that ring.
After they had paid their respects and Morgase had told them to rise, Elayne was the first to speak, but her mother interrupted her immediately. Rand waited silently while the princess was chastised for going out to sneak a look at Logain.
Finally, Morgase turned her attention to Rand, though she still spoke to her daughter.
"Now there is the problem of this young man and how and why he came here, and why you claimed guest-right for him to Galad."
"May I speak, Mother?"
Morgase nodded.
"I claimed guest-right because I do not believe him a danger," Elayne said, choosing her words carefully. "An innocent man should not be sent to a cell for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, not even for a few days."
"Then what do you believe him to be?" Morgase asked.
"A loyal subject," Elayne said. "Mother, you often say I must know our people, but whenever I actually meet them, there are a dozen attendants nearby. How can I get to know commoners if I can never speak to them by myself?"
"A loyal subject," Morgase said doubtfully – although someone not familiar with the ways and customs of nobility might underestimate just how doubtful she was of that assertion. "What is your name, and where are you from?"
"Rand al'Thor, and I am from Two Rivers, my Queen."
That caused several raised eyebrows.
"A loyal subject," Morgase repeated, stressing those words slightly, "from the Two Rivers."
"Your Majesty, if I may speak?"
"You may."
"I know that most of the people from Two Rivers are not even aware that the area is a part of the nation of Andor. However, my father has taught me more about the world than that."
"The people of Two Rivers," Elaida spoke up, "are dark of hair and eye, and seldom have such height."
"They do," Rand said, unfazed. "I was not born in Two Rivers; my father – who is not my father by blood, but has cared for me all my life – found me when I was a newborn, in the arms of a dying mother. He took me in and raised me when he went back to his farm."
Elaida had stood up from her stool and walked closer, inspecting him. "You are not a commoner," she said. "You may wear the clothes of one, but you hold yourself as a noble; I would almost say a king." Their eyes met, and Rand held her gaze, not yielding.
She slowly reached out, then removed the cloth hiding Rand's sword. "Nor does a commoner from the Two Rivers have a heron-marked blade."
The reaction throughout the entire hall was significant, and the guards were clearly prepared to draw their weapons if needed. The only ones who seemed unperturbed were Gawyn and Elayne – but then, Rand had already shown them bigger surprises.
"My father won it during the Aiel War," Rand said truthfully, "and he has trained me with it. We are currently staying in the city, and when I wanted to see the False Dragon, he did not want me to be unarmed."
Aes Sedai might be famous and notorious for their ability to lie while speaking the truth – a skill they had honed for centuries after the introduction of the oath that left them unable to speak a lie – but Rand had picked up some skills in the area himself.
When dealing with nobles – or Aes Sedai for that matter – it was very valuable to never lie, even if only to avoid spinning a web one could not find a way out of; Rand had technically never stated that he and his father were traveling alone.
"What are you saying, Elaida?" Morgase asked.
"The Dark One stirs in Shayol Ghul. The Shadow lies across the Pattern, and the future is balanced on the point of a pin. This one is important."
As she stopped speaking, Rand's mind was cast back to the first time he had been here. She had spoken those exact words. Except, that time she had finished by saying 'this one is dangerous'.
"Is this one of your Foretellings, Elaida?" Morgase asked sharply. "Speak clearly."
Foretellings, Rand knew, came unexpectedly and would present differently between different people, and even the same person could get Foretellings in different manners. Suddenly, he wondered whether he had made a mistake. Previously, Elaida's Foretelling had almost landed him in a dungeon, and this time it was far less likely that Morgase would believe him naïve and rule that he could go free based on that.
"This I Foretell," Elaida said, "and I swear under the Light that I can speak it no clearer. The Shadow has yet to darken to it's blackest, and I cannot see if the Light will come after. But this man will be the eye of the storm, an isle of calm in a sea of destruction. He holds himself like a ruler, and indeed; he shall lead. He shall conquer, and he shall protect. And the throne of Andor and the court of Caemlyn will be shielded by his noble blood."
Rand was unable to keep the shock off his face, albeit not for the reason others would assume. The first words had been similar to the Foretelling he remembered, but it had then departed into a completely different direction; towards praise and hope, rather than condemnation and despair.
Elaida herself seemed just as shocked by her words as Rand was, but even then it took mere seconds before she schooled her face into the emotionless Aes Sedai look.
Most of the other people in the room were equally stunned, though Elayne and Gawyn looked at Rand in awe. He hoped they'd be able to stay silent, because even with this unexpected Foretelling, he doubted Elaida would react well to the revelation that he was a channeler.
Regaining her composure, the Aes Sedai walked back over to Morgase and started whispering in the queen's ear. After a few seconds of back-and-forth, Morgase spoke loud and clear.
"Everyone except the Captain-General, Gawyn, Elayne and Elayne's guest, leave. And no word of this to anyone."
The guards complied with the queen's order, while Elaida remained even though Morgase had not named her. Aes Sedai always did consider them above the authority of even monarchs, Rand mused. Although he had to admit that in this case, she had a good reason to stay, and Morgase had probably meant for her to do so.
Of course, there was absolutely no way this Foretelling would remain secret, no matter how loyal the Queen's Guards were. However, that wasn't very important to Rand, as he'd be Traveling to the Blight, then to Shadar Logoth for the cleansing of saidin, and then to Tear in one go – and he should arrive at all locations before the rumors would. Secrecy was no longer necessary after today.
"Rand al'Thor," Morgase said once everyone had departed. "That is what you said your name was, is it not?"
"It is, my Queen," Rand responded.
"I have many questions I wish to ask you myself, but I will allow Elaida to question you first. Perhaps she can unearth more of what her Foretelling refers to, and the role you will play in it."
Elaida nodded, as if that were an expected courtesy. "You said that the man you call father found you as a newborn, and my Foretelling said you had noble blood. What is your true heritage?"
Rand's first impulse was to refuse to answer, or claim he did not know – or even apply some misdirection and tell her that his father hadn't known. However, as he considered the question more, as well as Elaida's Foretelling, he realized that they would likely trust him more if they knew it. Even if he was loath to provide Elaida anything that might benefit her.
"My father by blood is Janduin of the Taardad Aiel," Rand spoke. He'd decided to give the background first, as he suspected that this way, his audience would be more amenable to what he would eventually reveal. "Although he was the clan chief of the Taardad, that position is not hereditary, so one cannot speak of nobility there. My mother was Shaiel, a Maiden of the Spear, also of the Taardad Aiel."
He paused there, glancing at Elaida.
"Woman who is dedicated," the Aes Sedai translated the name from the Old Tongue. "I presume that is not the name she was given at birth?"
"No, it is not," Rand confirmed. "She was a highly unusual Maiden, as she was not born an Aiel. Rather, she was already an adult when she joined the clan."
"And she came from the lands west of the Spine of the World?" Elaida clarified.
"She does. In fact, her decision to join the Aiel was prompted by the Foretelling of another Aes Sedai."
"I find that unlikely," Elaida stated. "I am not aware of any Sister alive other than me who possesses any Talent of Foretelling."
"Gitara Moroso," Rand said.
Elaida paused. "You either know more about Aes Sedai than almost any man alive, to forge a story so extraordinary without any impossibilities, or you are speaking the truth."
Morgase gasped, drawing everyone's attention.
"My Queen?" Rand asked, although he suspected Morgase had realized where he was heading.
"Gitara Moroso was an advisor of Queen Mordrellen," Morgase said. "Whose daughter Tigraine disappeared in 972 NE."
"Wait, does that mean you're Galad's brother?" Elayne exclaimed, turning to Rand. Gawyn seemed equally flabbergasted at the idea.
"Unfortunately," Rand smirked, making Elayne giggle.
"This is not the time for levity," Morgase reprimanded. "You say you really are Tigraine's son, then?" She turned her severe gaze to Rand.
"I am, my Queen. Please believe me when I say I have no intention to cause unrest, whether among the nobility or the people. I support you, and will support Lady Elayne if anything were to leave you incapable of continuing your rule. Even aside from anything else, I do not have any surviving blood relations other than Galad, including from my blood father's side, while from my adopted family I have only my father, as my mother died when I was a child."
"I find it difficult to believe that you were raised in Two Rivers," Morgase observed.
Rand chastised himself. Of course a boy from Two Rivers wouldn't grasp those political implications.
"I have had an unusual life, and I doubt it will become any less unusual in the coming years," Rand said carefully. "An Aes Sedai I have recently traveled with, as well as an ogier I met, believe that I am a ta'veren."
That statement was met with a long silence, ending when the Captain-General spoke up for the first time in the conversation.
"I do not believe I am familiar with the term, although it is clearly from the Old Tongue," Bryne said.
Surprisingly, Elaida was not the one to explain the term, as she seemed lost in thought.
"A ta'veren is someone who is a focal point in the Pattern," Morgase explained. "Their destiny is tightly bound, and they walk unusual paths, often affecting the people around them in strange ways."
Again, silence reigned for several seconds, until Elaida spoke up.
"Long ago, when I was but an Accepted, I had a Foretelling. One that has guided me my entire life to this point. It was frustratingly vague, as Foretellings often are, but it revealed that the Royal line of Andor would be the key to defeating the Dark One in the Last Battle. This Foretelling is what motivated my decision to become an advisor to Queen Morgase."
Rand considered that. "If I may ask, Elaida Sedai, who was Queen of Andor when you had this Foretelling?"
"Queen Mordrellen," she answered.
"Who was of the Mantear line, not the Trakand line that Queen Morgase is from," Rand realized.
"Indeed," Elaida said. "I thought I had initially misinterpreted the Foretelling, and that it referred to the ruling house of Andor, as the Mantear line was believed extinct. I am now wondering whether I was mistaken."
This conversation had ended up going into a completely different direction from anything Rand had and could have expected. He had not known anything about this older Foretelling by Elaida, but perhaps it – and the resulting difference in attitude compared to the Elaida he remembered – opened up new options. The Wheel wove as it wanted, he thought to himself. And not as he, or anyone else, wanted or expected.
"How am I supposed to respond to this?" Morgase asked Elaida. "What you are revealing is not very reassuring."
"Your Majesty," Rand spoke, "Elaida Sedai's Foretelling earlier today said I would shield the throne of Andor and the court of Caemlyn. Although I do not know what is meant by this, I wish to assure you that I have every intention to live up to those words. I know that you are a good and just Queen, and I have no wish nor desire to rule Andor in any way. And if I am to play a role in the Last Battle, as Elaida Sedai seems to believe, I have no doubt that I will be too busy with everything the Pattern will put on my path in the first place."
"You appear unfazed to hear the Last Battle is coming," Morgase said. Without waiting for a response, she turned back to Elaida. "Do you believe it is close?"
"If this man is indeed the key my Foretelling spoke of," she responded, "it may be closer than I thought."
"It is," Rand said. "I spoke of an Aes Sedai I have been traveling with – thanks to her knowledge, I was already aware of the coming of Tarmon Gai'don, and that I would likely have a role to play in it."
"You seem to have made peace with that," Morgase observed.
"I have, my Queen."
Silence reigned for a few seconds before Morgase spoke again. "If anything, I only have more questions than I did when Elaida gave her Foretelling, however this meeting – already unusual to begin with – merely grows longer and longer. Rand al'Thor, considering the Foretelling and these questions, I wish to invite you to stay at the palace for the foreseeable future."
"I am honored, Your Majesty," Rand said, genuinely not having expected the offer, "but I fear I cannot accept, as I need to prepare for what I know is to come. I am certain, however, that I will be able to visit in the future. In particular considering the Aes Sedai I am traveling with has recently learned the weave for Traveling – that is, the method of instant transportation which the Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends used."
Rand counted it as a personal victory that Elaida, once more, looked visibly shocked and even disbelieving.
"That is… incredible. If it is true."
"I would like to invite you to meet with her and me soon," Rand said, having recognized several opportunities to smooth certain issues out thanks to Elaida's cooperative attitude. "Preferably as early as tomorrow."
"I will soon have to accompany Logain's prisoner transport to Tar Valon," Elaida said.
"Which could be done by Gateway," Rand pointed out. "We could drastically reduce your travel time."
Elaida nodded. "Then I will come visit tomorrow. Where are you and your Aes Sedai staying?"
"The Queen's Blessing," Rand responded. "Thank you, Elaida Sedai." He turned to Morgase again. "My Queen, knowing I can visit at almost any time, do I have your permission to leave? I am sure that with the help of Elaida Sedai, the Aes Sedai accompanying me, or perhaps even another that is taught the weave of Traveling, you will be able to summon me with little difficulty."
Not that there was likely to be much summoning once Rand had claimed Callandor – it would instead be a request for diplomatic talks or something along those lines – but this was the language that befitted the current situation.
"You have my permission," Morgase said. "Do not make me regret the decisions I have made today, Rand al'Thor, son of Tigraine."
"I won't, my Queen," Rand responded, after which he bowed – this time as befitting a high-ranking noble, instead of a commoner.
"Elayne, Gawyn, you may accompany your guest to the gates."
Rand walked along with the two, and it wasn't long before Elayne noticed.
"You know your way around the palace."
"I am a man of many talents," Rand responded.
She snorted. "And surprises."
"I do seem to make a habit of leaving an impression."
"I can't imagine why."
"Please do remain silent to Galad, at least for the moment," Rand said. "I imagine he'll want to get to know me once he learns of our relation, but I am going to be incredibly busy in the near future."
"You really are the Dragon Reborn, aren't you?" Elayne said. "And that portal you created… is that Traveling too?"
"It is," Rand admitted. "And thank you – and you, Gawyn – for not revealing that. I do not think Elaida would have reacted favorably. It is better for her to learn this a few weeks into the future, once I've had time to prepare."
"Do you think you will be able to make an actual difference in such a short timespan?" Elayne asked.
Rand smirked. "I will be removing the taint from saidin soon." Both Elayne and Gawyn gasped. "And I think I have a way to prove success to Elaida."
"That… that's impossible!" Elayne exclaimed.
"Is it?" Rand countered. "Has anyone ever tried?"
"Well, I mean, if it were possible, wouldn't they have done it in the Age of Legends, right when it happened?"
"Society was falling apart during the War of the Shadow," Rand said, suddenly feeling morose. "And what parts remained broke down when the Hundred Companions went insane the very moment they Sealed the Bore and locked the Dark One away. They did not have a gradual descent into madness like the men you've heard of in modern times; they just went crazy immediately, and were causing large-scale destruction before anyone even knew what had happened.
"But consider this. We know that the Wheel spins seven Ages, which repeat time after time again, although an Age is long forgotten by the time it returns. This means saidin must have been tainted before, in a previous Turning of the Wheel when the Second Age became the Third Age, and sometime between that previous Third Age and the Age of Legends, the taint was removed."
"That sounds like it makes sense," Elayne said slowly.
They left the palace and entered the courtyard.
"Why did you even reveal so much to us?" Elayne questioned. "We never even met before. I mean, I'm not going to tell anyone what you told us, but still…"
Rand smiled mysteriously – or tried to, at least. "That is one secret I'm not going to tell you. Or at least not yet. But it was nice meeting you, Elayne. And you too, Gawyn."
"I enjoyed it too," Elayne said. "Today certainly became more interesting than I'd thought – and that's with Logain's parade on the agenda." Her smile turned mischievous. "And you are quite handsome, too."
Rand had somewhat expected the comment, which mirrored what she'd told him as a goodbye last time, but he certainly had not expected her to lean forward and kiss him on the cheek – either he'd made a better impression, or she was less restrained with there not being any soldiers nearby.
Still, he managed to recover in time to grab Elayne's hand. "Yet I pale in comparison to your beauty, my Lady." He leaned down and placed a kiss on her hand, then let go, pleased to note her blush. The same meditative exercises that he used to channel were the only reason he did not show a blush himself.
Gawyn laughed. "He got you good, sis." After a moment, he added: "This is making me think of the common story of the noble knight and the lady he is courting."
Rand grinned. "Those ladies tend to be proper and dainty and all those things. I fear your sister may not wish to be associated with such vile behavior."
Elayne, too, laughed. "And you are far too important to be a knight. I hope to see you again soon, Rand."
"Likewise, Elayne," Rand responded. "And I wish you a good time at the White Tower." With that, he turned and left, wondering how long it would take Elayne to realize she'd never told him that she would accompany Elaida to Tar Valon and become a Novice.
AN: As always, you can join my discord server here: discord. gg/ xKJKNjY
AN: As mentioned at the top, here are some concepts you could use if you want write your own fanfic, but are unsure where to start. Note that the focus here lies on concepts that have some similarities to A New Tapestry. Also, do keep in mind that ideas and the first two to five chapters are usually the easy part of writing. The thing that distinguishes the authors from the people who just spit out an idea is being able to continue writing after the initial excitement wears off (and yes, I know this fic took a very long break right after chapter 5, but that was due to RL getting and staying in the way; the 'easy' part of writing actually ran out halfway through chapter 4 for me).
Time travel reasons can be incredibly varied, here are some ideas in addition to the one in this fic:
-Nakomi (whether or not she is the Creator, as is a popular fan theory) sends one or more people back in time from aMoL.
-The Flame of Tar Valon and/or balefire make people time travel.
-The Aelfinn or Eelfinn make someone time travel.
-Dark One makes someone time travel for mysterious reasons.
-Ter'angreal allows someone to time travel.
-Tel'aran'rhiod somehow allows for time travel.
While Rand being the time traveler is the most obvious option, he isn't the only option. Here are some other interesting persons or people to time travel:
-Min, Elayne, Aviendha.
-Rand, Mat, Perrin.
-Moiraine.
-Thom Merrilin.
-Lan and Nynaeve.
-Egwene.
-Rand and Moridin.
-Siuan and Moiraine.
Also consider when to time travel to. For example:
-Trolloc attack on Emond's Field
-Portal stones in The Great Hunt.
-A significant time before canon, say 985 NE.
-Sometime in the middle of canon.
And of course, consider whether you might want to do some non-canon pairings, or whether you want to stick with canon. Play it properly, and people can end up much more compatible than they were in canon. Examples that I could see work (note: some will feature in this fic):
-Rand/Lanfear
-Mat/Teslyn
-Perrin/OC wolfsister
-Tam/Moiraine
-Rand/Egwene
-Mat/Elayne (swearing contests, anyone?)
-Logain/Elaida