Season Finale

[Marie 73]

Season Two, Episode Eleven - I Got You

 

Moiraine was finding herself quite tired of all the drama surrounding her life; she had done nothing to deserve such pain and torment. Matrim continued to drag up past incidents of a private nature at the most inconvenient times, which for a Cairhienin was anytime. Thom made her feel dizzy and...other things, which she really did not need right now. Egghead al'Vere was all but demanding her presence in Tar Valon even going so far as to threaten arrest. Galad was blackmailing her, Nynaeve seemed to be thinking about doing the same, Elayne was missing, the war with Tear she may be the cause of.... It was enough to make her want to just Travel away somewhere and retire with her own version of a Raul.

 

As if the Creator hadn't had a good enough laugh at her expense, the pregnancy was causing her to break into embarrassing crying fits. It was very hard to be stern, commanding, and utterly in charge with a leaky nose. But she had to at least try.

 

"There is no need for such great concern, Matrim. Least I remind you of your victory over Andor?" She patted her husband's arm in what she imagined as a loving fashion. "Tear stands no chance and her armies will fall before you."

 

Matrim seemed unconvinced and begin chewing on his pipe stem. Moiraine took the opportunity to surreptitiously wipe at her face.

 

"The problem, Moiraine, is that Andor wasn't exactly fighting fair: that is to say, fair to themselves. Tear actually has competent generals at the helm. Are you sick? Do I need to fetch Nynaeve?"

 

"Aes Sedai don't get sick!" The last thing she needed was Nynaeve. "Matrim, my love, you are the best general there is, everyone I ask agrees with me. You are fretting over nothing."

 

Moiraine decided this was the best time to simply leave the room. She had learned over the years that such moves were the best at avoiding having to prove your points while still appearing all knowing. Her post-sobbing hiccups spoiled the effect.

 

---

 

War was the last thing Tear wanted, and it fell to Caraline's shoulders to try and negotiate a peace. She of course wanted to avoid a conflict if she could against her motherland, but she also wanted to drag her dear cousin through the streets naked while emancipated children poked her with sticks. It irritated her to no end that Moiraine seemed to have cleared the City of such urchins. Caraline was of the opinion that she had simply rounded up all the homeless and starved and shipped them off to elsewhere; she refused to believe Moiraine was capable of anything besides getting pregnant and wearing dresses.

 

Although they were very pretty dresses.

 

In the end it didn't matter since Moiraine refused to grant her an audience. Instead, she was shuffled into a small room to converse with Lord Dobraine and that idiot Mat Cauthon.

 

"A thanksgiving for your wife's health in her latest pregnancy, Lord Cauthon. It grieves me that I could not speak to my cousin in person." At least the last part was true; she did miss the opportunity to exchange words with the hussy.

 

"Cairhien would very much like to avoid armed conflict, my lady. Please, do sit down and perhaps we can come to some agreement?" She was glad Dobraine had some manners.

 

The same could not be said of the Andoran idiot. "I have no desire to see good men die just because you are jealous of my wife," he spoke right over her protests to the contrary. "But do not take me for a fool: If my wife asks I will lay waste to Tear and leave you with nothing but the clothes on your back."

 

Caraline did not like Mat Cauthon.

 

---

 

Nynaeve had come at the crack of dawn to drag Moiraine to the Travel grounds. It would seem Egwene was tired of waiting and had made it clear to the former Wisdom it was in her best interest to bring herself and Moiraine to Tar Valon. The last thing Moiraine wanted was the whole Tower to see her sniffling and hiccuping like a fool, but avoiding this summons any longer would just make her life worse in the long run.

 

And the whole Tower it was; Aes Sedai had been dragged from all eight corners of the world to witness Cadsuane's trial. And in the center of all that focus, Moiraine had to stand and relate details of a personal nature she'd rather forget.

 

She attempted to dodge as best she could around the question but it was rather difficult. "Yes, Cadsuane made a promise to me. And she kept it. Year later. After the fact."

 

The Grey sister pursed her lips. "And what was this promise she fulfilled?"

 

"That is of a touch intimate and I do not feel at liberty to disclose."

 

Egwene cleared her throat. That was all she did, but it caused a bead of sweat to pop out on Moiraine forehead. "That is to say...she had promised...not to me directly but she had said...that she, she, she...shewouldspankmeuntilIcouldn'tsitforaweek."

 

"Did she?" Yukiri looked decidely amused. "Did she manage to spank you so hard you couldn't sit? For a week?"

 

"Objection!"

 

Everyone turned to stare at Romanda, who was sweating quite profusely. The Yellow gasped and grappled to find something to follow up her outburst, but finding nothing sat back down with a pout.

 

Egwene had mastered ignoring Romanda and was not distracted in the least from her goal. "Did Cadsuane spank you, Moiraine?"

 

If Moiraine blushed any harder she feared she'd melt. "...Yes."

 

"And how long until you could sit down?" Oh, Yukiri was definitely amused.

 

"How is this relevant!"

 

"How long until you could sit down, Moiraine? I will not ask again."

 

Moiraine tried to find a half-truth she could tell, but there was none. "Fifteen days I was...sore."

 

For a time there was nothing but silence following Moiraine's answer. Until Cadsuane began laughing hysterically. Romanda started crying and Moiraine decided to join her.

 

---

 

Galad waited for her outside her chambers; Moiraine was not best pleased to see him.

 

"I have had the most horrid day, and the last thing I want to see is my dead half-brother's son. Especially when said son is also Rand's blondkin. You are evil, Galad."

 

"I know."

 

His aunt seemed to lack a comeback and just stared at him for a full minute. Galad took the time to brush his hair.

 

"Well. At any rate. What do you want, Whitecloak?"

 

Giving her his best smilie--well, they were all his best, really--he leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

 

---

 

Caraline began preparing for her trip home as soon as she was able, all the while cursing her stupid cousin and her stupid husband. Moiraine might have provoked the war, but Caraline cemented its continuation.

 

It had started out so promising. But then Mat kept saying things that got under her skin, so she said some things back and next thing you know the palace guards were called in.

 

Well, the guards were probably her fault; she shouldn't have slapped Dobraine even if he did proclaim her and Moiraine shared a family trait of starting wars over meaningless words. All of Caraline's words had meaning.

 

Even so she felt it best to get out of Cairhien as soon as possible. Still, she did not look forward to telling Darlin the news.

 

---

 

Lan had been trying in vain to discover what Galad wanted, truly wanted, in order to keep his escapade with Moiraine a secret, but the fool boy just giggled and would reveal no more.

 

Discussing things with Moiraine wasn't an option: whenever he broached the subject she hissed at him like some evil spirit. Sometimes he feared the woman really was insane.

 

After attempting all avenues of escape it occured to him the best way to avoid Galad's trap was to simply tell Nynaeve the full truth.

 

He found his wife in one of the gardens idly splashing water in a fountain.

 

"Nynaeve."

 

She looked up at him with the same wide-eyed innocence she had possessed when they first met.

 

"Nynaeve, I have not been fully truthful with you."

 

Her smile faltered and he explained in a rush the two nights with Moiraine, or as much as he could remember of them. He made sure to emphasize that this was all before he knew her, that he and Moiraine had never been in love, it was just curiosity, no real meaning. Nynaeve's smile returned in full force and then grew.

 

"Oh, Lan. I already know all that."

 

To say he was flabbergasted would have been an understatement. "But how?!"

 

"Galad thinks he is so sneaky! I overheard him blackmailing Moiraine. At first I was angry. Very, very angry. But then I realized: I kind of like Moiraine being blackmailed." The smile turned into an outright laugh. "Now be a good husband and do as I say; let's just leave Moiraine to deal with Galad's wraith."

[Vertex 23]

Heee! I wonder if Egwene went on to demand a "Forensic Reconstruction" of the spankings or at least had the positions used demonstrated.

 

And poor poor Moiraine...well, it is hard to feel that sorry for her when she does hiccups.

[Olivia 26]

she refused to believe Moiraine was capable of anything besides getting pregnant and wearing dresses.

 

Although they were very pretty dresses.

That line is sooo WoT woman-ish. Even in the face of war, always time for an aside about dresses.

[Kaitlin 22]

A War with the face-stealer~ I can't believe I missed the latest camwalt. >: o

 

What does Galad want! *gives Perrin pretty boy's hairbrush to chew on*

Edited May 15, 2010 by »Snow«

[Sam 19]

whens she gonna pop the baby?