No one keeps Lan from his Aes Sedai.

It felt like forever until Lan reached the chair with his pants and even longer until he managed to put them on. Once he was done, he decided not to put on his shoes. It didn't matter if he walked barefoot through the house. He didn't even try to close the new tunic he had put on. Getting dressed had cost him a lot of time – time he didn't have when everyone in that house wanted him to stay in his room.

Aching, Lan opened the door and left, aiming for Moiraine's room. It wasn't far – at least that he had been able to prevent – but in his condition, it felt like the longest walk he had ever taken.

The door of the Cairhien woman's room stood open, and the Malkieri needed one look to see his bondholder lying in her bed. So, Verin was done with her.

His chest burned, reminding him that Adeleas wasn't the best healer among the Green Ajah. But he didn't want to search for Verin. The Brown Sister would only send him back to his room, and he couldn't fight her in his condition. Slowly, he made his way over to the bed.

"Lan!"

The uncrowned king of Malkier grimaced when Verin's shocked voice reached his ear. She had been hidden by the open door, folding Moiraine's worn clothes, and didn't seem amused to see him.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"How is she?" Lan decided to ignore Verin's question. His only concern was Moiraine's well-being.

"I healed her, but it pulled heavily at her strength. She just fell asleep."

Moiraine fell asleep? Warily, the Warder stepped closer to the bed. His Aes Sedai wasn't someone who fell asleep easily when she wasn't alone. No, he knew how Moiraine looked when she was truly sleeping. The woman of the Blue Ajah was pretending – probably hoping Verin would finally leave her alone – and heard every word they were speaking.

"Lan."

The softness in Verin's voice almost made the Warder jump. She had come closer to him, reaching out for him with her hands, so he stepped back. Should she get her hands on him…

Sighing, the Green Sister stopped and held up her hands in defense, showing him, she didn't intend to do anything to him. "Lan, Moiraine will be all right. You need to rest. Your body needs time to heal properly."

"She is my Aes Sedai."

"And no one wants to take her from you."

Lan almost laughed. No one wanted to take her from him except for Moiraine herself. He still didn't know why she had left Tifan's Well in the middle of the night without including him in her plans, but there was no doubt the stubborn woman of the Blue Ajah would run again if he gave her the opportunity.

"I almost lost her today," Lan whispered.

Why could no one understand why he needed to be close to his bondholder? Verin and Tomas were bonded for many years. At least they should know the feeling! – The fear that had settled in Lan's bones!

Finally, the Brown Sister released a heavy sigh. "All right. You have an hour, and then I'll send Tomas to get you back to your room. Understood?"

An hour. It wasn't much, but it was better than being sent out again. Verin could make him do anything should she use the One Power on him. So, the uncrowned king of Malkier nodded, agreeing.

"Come. Let me help you."

This time, the Warder didn't shy away from the Aes Sedai's touch. He allowed her to guide him to the bed when she suddenly saw the unhealed cut on his hand. "What is that?! Didn't Adeleas heal you?!"

"She healed the worst cuts on my chest and back but didn't have the strength to heal me completely."

"Sit down." Her words were harsh, and Lan saw the anger on her face. She didn't like that he had been running around injured. Groaning, Lan sat beside his Aes Sedai, allowing Verin to take his injured hand while his free hand took Moiraine's small hand. "Where is Tomas? Why didn't he stop you?"

"He took care of Adeleas. She fell asleep in my room." Moiraine's grip on his hand tightened for a heartbeat. Yes, she was still awake. But what was it that had bothered her? Was she worried about Adeleas, or didn't like the fact that the Green Sister had been in his room? "Tomas tried to stop me, though."

"I will tell him he shall tie you to the bed next time," Verin murmured.

Lan thought about responding, then felt Saidar touching him. The cut on his hand closed, and he felt strength leaving his body.

"Did Adeleas miss more injuries?" The Brown Sister sounded tired while her hands parted his tunic to check for unhealed injuries.

"The one on my left leg." Verin growled and turned to his leg. After she was done, she leaned heavily on his leg. "Light. I hear my bed calling for me loud and clearly."

Carefully, Lan helped her to sit beside him. He didn't want her to collapse like Adeleas had. He didn't have the strength to help her.

"Thank you," the Malkieri said. "For coming after me after I left. We would be dead without you, Adeleas, and Tomas."

Verin smiled and patted his hand gently. "You're our guests. We couldn't wait for your return. Not when we knew Moiraine was out there – alone – and you couldn't find her through the bond. It was impressive that you found her that quickly. She is alive because of you."

But Lan shook his head. "I couldn't protect her. The Myrddraal would have killed her if you hadn't appeared."

"Oh, Lan. Don't be so hard on yourself. You killed two Myrddraals and fought bravely against them. It was you who bought us enough time to arrive and help you in time."

The uncrowned king of Malkier knew Verin tried to cheer him up, but his heart thought differently. He shouldn't have needed their help. If Moiraine could still touch the One Power, and they would have their bond…

"There you are!" Tomas appeared in Moiraine's room and seemed angry. "Didn't I tell you to stay in bed? That your body needs rest?"

"Shhh." Verin calmed her Warder. "Lower your voice, Tomas. Moiraine is sleeping."

"Oh." All anger left Tomas' face and was replaced with guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't see-"

But his Aes Sedai waved her hand to quiet him. "Help me to my room, please. Healing those two took my strength and I won't make it to my bed without some help."

Immediately, Tomas rushed to Verin's side and helped her to her feet. Then his eyes found Lan. "What about him?"

"He has an hour, then you guide him back to his room. We all need sleep."

"Understood."

"Good night, Lan."

The uncrowned king of Malkier bowed his head slightly even though the Aes Sedai couldn't see it. "Good night, Verin Sedai." He waited until the bonded pair had left Moiraine's room before repositioning himself.

Moiraine continued to pretend she was sleeping, and her Warder didn't think about calling her out for it. As long as she pretended, she couldn't send him out of the room.

Although his body was aching in protest, Lan ensured his body touched Moiraine, then wrapped his arm around her head. Her soft breathing calmed him and gave him hope that she was feeling better. His eyes wandered over her pale face, and he couldn't help himself but had to reach out to stroke her cheek softly.

Tears built up in Lan's eyes, but he didn't care. How much he had missed touching her! The feeling of her soft skin under his fingertips… the Malkieri lowered his face and buried his nose in her dark locks, inhaling her sweet scent.

It was like finally coming home again. Deeply missed, yet so familiar. His lips pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. His Aes Sedai. His Moiraine.

The uncrowned king of Malkier felt the Cairhien woman trembling slightly, but he refused to let go of her. If Moiraine didn't want him that close she would have to admit that she wasn't asleep. Until then, he would use every available second to hold her in his arms.

Moiraine wanted to scream. After Verin had healed her, she had hoped pretending to be asleep would allow her to be left alone. But the Brown Sister hadn't left the damn room. And then Lan had appeared. It had taken all her remaining strength not to open her eyes to check on him.

She knew her Warder wasn't stupid. He knew her too well to fall for her scheme as Verin had. Yet, she was glad he didn't tell her sister that she was only pretending.

When Verin offered to give Lan an hour with his 'sleeping' Aes Sedai, Moiraine almost threw them out before remembering she was a guest in Verin's house. She couldn't send the owner out! But the woman was ruining her plan. Being cruel to Lan wasn't easy, and tonight had shown her that it was still not enough. She had angered the Malkieri enough to snap at her but not enough to leave her.

"What is that?! Didn't Adeleas heal you?!"

Verin's words were like a stab to Moiraine's heart. Was Lan still injured? What had Adeleas done to him? The Green Sister wasn't the best healer among the Greens, but she should be able to heal a wound inflicted by a blade from the Shadowspawn.

"She healed the worst cuts on my chest and back but didn't have the strength to heal me completely."

Adeleas hadn't healed Lan completely? How deep had his injuries been? The Cairhien woman cursed inwardly. That situation was another reminder that she wasn't worth of Lan's bond any longer. No matter how many times he protected her, she couldn't heal his injuries. She was stilled and no match to Lan's abilities without the One Power.

"Sit down. Where is Tomas? Why didn't he stop you?"

The bed moved, then Lan's strong hand grabbed hers. Light, she couldn't stop him if she didn't want Verin to know she was awake! The insufferable man knew how to make the most out of the situation. Moiraine had no doubt anymore that Lan knew about her pretending.

"He took care of Adeleas. She fell asleep in my room."

Anger rolled over Moiraine, and the grip of her hand tightened around Lan's hand. Adeleas! Why did she fell asleep in Lan's room?! Why was she even there in his room?! For months, the Malkieri was running from the Green Sister, trying his best to keep some distance between them or at least have someone present when he was forced to deal with her. Had Tomas been with him?

The thumb of the Warder rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand. He must have felt her reaction. Damn it, Moiraine! You're not supposed to care! Stop reacting to what Lan has endured or he will never leave you! Easier said than done.

The Aes Sedai was relieved when she heard Verin had healed the Malkieri. No matter how much she tried to be cruel, her heart couldn't take seeing Lan injured.

When Lan told Verin he hadn't protected her, the Cairhien woman almost gave up and wrapped him in her arms. She would be dead without Lan! The Myrddraal had been ready to kill her. Lan's sudden appearance had saved her from being killed with no one knowing she had left the building.

Tomas' sudden appearance made her wince, but luckily, Verin must have focused on her approaching Warder instead of her sister. It was a relief to hear them leave. Moiraine was tired but didn't want to fall asleep while Verin had been sneaking around in her room. Had she left anything suspicious for Verin to draw conclusions about her true goal?

Lan moved beside her, and the woman of the Blue Ajah felt him moving closer. Light, how could she make him leave?! Should she continue to pretend to be sleeping, though he knew the truth? Would he be offended if she kept ignoring him? Or was it better to show him she was awake and send him out? Blood and ashes! She didn't know what to do! She didn't like being cruel to him!

But the uncrowned king of Malkier didn't bother that the Aes Sedai ignored him. No, his body created a secure wall around her, shielding her like he had always done in the past. The feeling of his fingers on her skin brought back the memory of how Lan had hold her after the Fade's attack.

For the past five months, the Cairhien woman had denied him – and herself – any close contact. She had seen his countless attempts but knew she couldn't allow it. Lan's embrace was dangerous for her plan to send him back to the White Tower. The stubborn man had refused to leave her, and no harsh word from her changed his mind.

But his embrace… Moiraine had to admit that she was longing for it for a very long time. Lan's hugs were exceptional – a promise of safety, protection, warmth, strength, and love.

And after the attack of the Myrddraals, the Aes Sedai's body had taken over. It had melted against the Warder's body, and for a moment, she had felt like nothing had happened. The harsh words, her cruel behavior, the coldness between them – nothing mattered anymore. All she could think about had been Lan's strong arms around her trembling body and how well she fitted into his arms. For a short moment, she had been home again.

But then, Moiraine had remembered her plan. She couldn't let Lan get close to her. She wasn't worthy of his trust and loyalty anymore! Lan had felt her attempts to push him away, but the stubborn man had refused to let go of her.

When the Malkieri buried his nose in her hair, the Cairhien woman started to tremble. Blood and ashes! Was he trying to kill her?! Tell him to leave, Moiraine! Tell him or you will regret it! If you let him stay, you'll tie him back to yourself! But her mouth refused to open.

Her hand grabbed his tunic, holding on to it like her Warder could disappear any moment. Lan's hand moved over her arm, rubbing it softly. Moiraine took a deep breath and inhaled the man's scent. One moment. It wouldn't hurt if she let the Malkieri stay for a moment. And then, she would send him out and continue with her plan to push him away. Just one moment…

Sleep tugged at Moiraine, pulling her deeper and deeper into the darkness. Now, with Verin out of the room and Lan offering his protective embrace, it was hard for the Aes Sedai to fight against her fatigue. And it felt so good to have the uncrowned king of Malkier by her side! Before she could even start throwing Lan out of her room, Moiraine had lost her fight against sleep.

Tomas entered Moiraine's room quietly. He didn't want to wake the woman of the Blue Ajah. Although Verin had told him to gather Lan after an hour, the old man had given the younger one an extra half hour with his sleeping Aes Sedai, hoping Lan would be too tired to stay by Moiraine's side. But the Malkieri was stubborn and hadn't left the room.

The old Warder released a heavy sigh when he saw his friend. The pair was still lying in bed but fast asleep. Tomas stepped beside them with his hands on his hips, studying their position. There was no way to separate them without waking the other.

Unconsciously, Lan and Moiraine had turned toward each other. The Aes Sedai had grabbed her Warder's tunic, holding him close to her while her other hand had sneaked between the open hanging tunic, touching his belly. Even her forehead touched his bare chest. Moiraine could pretend she didn't need the Malkieri anymore while she was awake but couldn't hide in her sleep what she really wanted – her Warder.

Since it was no secret that Lan tried to be close to his Aes Sedai, it didn't surprise the old man to see his friend wrapped around the smaller woman. The Warder wanted to protect the Cairhien woman, and sleep didn't stop him from doing that. One arm lay protectively around Moiraine, holding her close to him. His other arm was stretched above their heads while his head was lowered toward her hair. Tomas assumed Lan had buried his nose in Moiraine's hair at one point.

"Clever bastard," the old Warder murmured.

Verin had given him the order to bring Lan to his own room, but Tomas knew, she didn't want him to wake Moiraine. And with their intertwined position it was impossible to get Lan out of there.

Sighing, Tomas searched for another blanket and threw it over his friend, who had laid down on Moiraine's blanket, instead of slipping beneath them. At least, it was a relief that Lan had finally found sleep – even if it was in the wrong bed.

"You will need strong nerves in the morning, my friend." Tomas' eyes moved over Moiraine. "I doubt she will like finding you in here." Sighing, he shook his head. "Light knows, what this woman has planned for you, but there is no doubt she loves you."

Tomas blew out the candles in the room, then went for the door. He turned one last time before he closed the door. "Good night, you two. Find some comfort in each other."

We reached the end of episode 1. The first story of episode 2 will be a continuation of this story and takes place before Adeleas finds Moiraine and Lan sitting outside, not talking to each other.

The next story will be uploaded on Sunday.

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