"Marry me," he said with a wide smile. "Marry me today, if you're still willing."

Moiraine was caught off guard. Thom's enthusiasm bubbled in her chest, impossible to quench even if she wanted to, and she didn't. It warmed her in a way she hadn't felt for a really long time.

"Light help me…" murmured Nynaeve, but neither Moiraine nor Thom looked her way. "I really didn't need that here."

"What do you say, woman?"

Thom's smile was definitely contagious. She wanted to bask in it for as long as possible. She wanted to banish the dark cloud weighing her down.

"We've talked about it, Thom," Moiraine said after lifting her hand back to his face. "I do want that. But there is no time, no opportunity to make it. Where would we even start to find the right official…"

"Do you need anything more?" Thom sounded surprised. "Tell me what and I will get whatever you want."

"You, me and the righ person to make it legal in Andoran eyes."

"We have a Wisdom here," Thom said, nodding to Nynaeve. "One that is also a queen. Can't think of anyone questioning a legality of such a ceremony."

"Me?" Nynaeve was probably in equal measure shocked and angry at being ambusked "You must be joking! You are, certainly."

"Did you not perform two weddings yesterday?" Thom squeezed Moiraine's another hand, while he was talking to Nynaeve. "Isn't this the other stuff you do here?"

Moiraine could see Nynaeve speachless and really felt for her. It was an ambush on both of them, something more than unexpected. She would never think of it. But Thom was right. It happened from time to time.

"Those were fast, battlefield weddings," Nynaeve answered. "For people going into different fronts. Far from a proper ceremony."

"We are on the cusps of the Last Battle, Nynaeve al Meara Mandragoran." Moiraine was sure to accent both her names. "There is no time nor placefor a typical, proper ceremony. Certainly not something my family would deem proper, but I actually prefer it that way. What do you need to make it legally binding?"

Nynaeve looked at her with surprise, but said nothing for a long time. She had a concentrated face, her eyes, looking into some non-existent tear in the tent canvas. She was clearly thinking deeply about something.

"You two are really serious about it?" she asked eventually, after she took a deep breath. After Moiraine and Thom nodded in unison she took another deep breath before continuing. "There are two witnesses needed and a legal contract to consider it binding."

"I seem to recall a full tent city of possible witnesses," Thom said, then nodded to the tent flap. "And two Aiel Maidens that accompany us wherever we go."

"I am sure that scribes that worked on the Dragon's Peace treaty would be available to draw the right document in no time at all."

"By the Light," Nynaeve groaned. "You actually ARE serious about doing this."

Thom did not really pay attention to the younger woman. He was fully focused on Moiraine ever since she mentioned the scribes. She could feel his excitement, love and happiness. Without that she would never go with this idea. He was very determined to make it happen. She would do everything she could so that he would have no reason to regret it.

"I want it, Moiraine Dmodred," he whispered into her ear. "You can feel it. Do not doubt it, please. And do not doubt yourself. Not when it comes to me."

For a moment she felt trapped, their connection suddenly overwhelming in how deep and accurate it seemed to be. Not ague and simply informative, like the bond was usually supposed to be. This was somehow different. Like they could actually read each other.

There was a commotion, Thom got up, spoke to Nynaeve, people started coming in and out. Moiraine sat in a daze, still not exactly sure what was happening. Before she could sort through all the feelings still lingering from delving and healing, she found herself smiling at an Aiel Maiden, who put a small bouquet of flowers into her hand. Nynaeve was sitting behind her, doing something clever with her hair, braiding parts of that around her head and picking this or that flower to stick into the hairdo.

"I don't think there is anything more we can do for your dress," she said, pulling Moiraine up to assess her work. "This is all we can do on such short notice."

"I doubt more is needed."

Nynaeve laughed at that.

"Well, Thom went and found himself the one decent barber that made it to Merrilor. You might as well make an equal effort."

Moiraine gasped, when Nynaeve gave her a small mirror. The face that stared at her from the surface looked almost girlish, much younger than what she felt. This was like a completely different person than what she remembered even from recently in Cairhien. She was thin, but the strands left loose around her face made her seem softer. The flowers in her hair gave enough colour.

She looked happy, just like she felt.

Thom definitely agreed, judging from his shock and awe as he saw her, coming back in. He stopped in his step, barely inside. The two maidens following him laughed, exchanging glances and one of them pushed him fully inside. That woke him from the immobility and he approached Nynaeve to hand her a filled sheet. He was pointedly not looking at Moiraine. When he eventually did, she could see a subtle wetness growing in the corners of his eyes.

Was the overwhelm his? Hers? Or was it a shared sensation? Moiraine was not sure. She was certain her Aes Sedai persona was still well in place, even though Nynaeve has seen her at her worst, probably, already, a mere hour earlier.

"Moiraine…" Thom whispered to her, his hands hidden behind his back. "This is the last chance. If you have doubts or are not willing to do this now or ever, we can stop and there would be no problem in reversing this arrangement."

Sweet, sweet man. She concentrated on sending her feelings through the bond. Thom gasped and reached for her. He would have probably kissed her if it wasn't for Nynaeve.

"Let's save this for later, maybe?" she said and there was a kind of growl in that somewhere. "I am certain you two would be much more comfortable with that in your own tent."

Moiraine felt faint. This was not something she envisioned happening. Ever. She did think she might get married off to someone by her uncle when she was still not much a teenager, but it was a long, long time ago. After fleeing Cadsuane and avoiding the Sun Throne she resigned herself to being alone, save for Lan as a companion. Now, getting so close to the Last Battle, was she really going to be truly attached to someone other than Siuan, who wanted her just as she was? And, just maybe, even love her just because?

She didn't remember the ceremony, even though she knew she promised to obey Thom amongst other vows. Thom, on the other hand, did not. It was the usual disproportion of those vows, even though Andoran women held a lot of sway in their communities compared to Cairhienin ones.

Thom kissed her and she signed her name in the appropriate place. She was now Mrs Thom Merrilin, she understood. It was done.

"I will make sure it gets where it needs to," Nynaeve said.

And just like that the act was done. Min's vision was realised. She had done all that has been foretold for her. She felt cold. Nothing more to fulfil, soe there was nothing the Wheel needed her to do. Her work here might just be done. Not needed by the Wheel any more.

"I love you," Thom said and brought her back to here and now.

"I love you too."

She smiled, even though she felt nothing like it. Thom squeezed her hand a little tighter, giving her the support she longed for.

"Oh…" Nynaeve grumbled again.

"We're going, Nynaeve, we're going," Thom said laughing and led Moiraine to the exit. "Thank you for doing this for us."

"Don't forget the medicines!"

The Wisdom handed him both. "Please, at least try to remember to use them. I know this might not be the best evening for that, but, well, you should start with that as soon as possible."

She felt like everyone stared at them when they crossed the camp. The maidens talked between themselves in a low murmur, sometimes exchanging glances with another maidens, their hands moving like crazy.

"The news would certainly be widely known by morning," Thom said as soon as they arrived at their tent. "Or even by later this evening."

Moiraine expected him to unknot the entrance and go in, but Thom just stood there, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, his excitement clear in the bond. He nodded and she approached the flap. The knot was barely tired, so she needed just to tug to open it. Thom got even more nervous and that in turn made her question what she was going to see inside.

She took one step inside and gasped.

"When did you manage to do this?"

"I had a lot of help, to be honest."

Thom cuddled her from behind and waited when she looked around. The two cots they got earlier were taken out, and a slightly larger one took their place. There was a tray on the table and three large pitchers of water. And flowers. Several bouquets.

"You must have been pretty sure you'd get your way, I see," she teased.

"I like to be prepared. And I would like to think even if you were not decided, we would still get back here together. I know warders frequently sleep outside or in their own tent, but," he stopped for a moment to look her in the eyes. "Moiraine?"

She moved, closed the flap, tied the know and turned back to him. This was, after all, their wedding day. There were traditions to keep. There was love to show. And she was in awe of what Thom thought to prepare. She grabbed his face but pulled it down to hers, putting all her emotion into a kiss.

They landed on the cot, still kissing. Moiraine felt heady, barely drawing any breath, but Thom kept her up with finesse. She reached down to fumble with ties on his trousers. She thought it was going well. More than well, actually. She felt him grow under her ever since they sat down, she over his lap, drawing closer and closer.

"Stop," he whispered into her mouth, while his hands stilled hers. "Stop, woman."

"Why?" I know you want me." She could definitely tell. "I can feel you, my dearest. You're more than ready."

She tried to free her hands and kiss him again at the same time. Thom stilled both of those.

"Thom…"

"I might be ready, but you're far from it, woman," he growled and pushed her a little away, making space between them. "You forget the bond works both ways."

"I want it." She knew her voice was losing its strength and he could probably feel her sadness creeping up. "It will be good," she tried reasoning.

Thom manoeuvred her so she sat on his knees sideways now, with her head nestled in the crook of his neck. He took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head.

"Do you think I married you today to bed you?" he asked. "Or that I expect to do it because we are married?"

"She felt heavy and unsure. How much should she admit? She was really fine with catering to his needs. She would do it gladly, even.

Thom waited for Moiraine's answer, feeling that it was a hard confession for her to make. Being vulnerable and letting go of the carefully built image went against anything Cairhienin nobility did. It was something every one of them drank with their mother's milk. He imagined the Aes Sedai had the same attachment.

Eventually, she nodded. A move so slight he might have missed it, had he not been looking for it.

"Can you use words, woman?" I would prefer that, if you're able."

"I know you want it and I want you to have it, my dearest. I can't see a problem. I know it will be easy for me to get ready, so I can enjoy it as well."

"You see, Moiraine," he said after kissing her in the sweetest way he was able to, "I want you and me to want it the same. I want to make love, not take my marital rights. Those are a travesty, if anyone asked me."

"We can still do that. You would not be taking anything. I'm giving."

"I won't my love." Thom laughed and kissed her again, happy to note she enjoyed it. He wanted her to. More than that, he would hate for her to think their talk changed anything in their relationship. "You've barely been healed and you need your rest and food more than anything right now."

Mention of eating caused Moiraine to feel sick again, but he decided to ignore it for now. Trying to eat would speak of the amount of success of Nynaeve's healing. There was only one way to check and it needed doing before anything else. He felt her resolve and motivation rise. He knew she was probably humouring him, as a way to give him something to replace sex, but he would take it if it worked and she ate.

She stood up, holding onto him and he realised with curiosity that she had no idea how to disentangle herself from him. Not much experience, then. Useful information for the future. He would have to take it into account when they eventually tumbled. When. He hoped it was when and not if.