"I need to speak with you privately," she said. If any woman has bonded Gawyn Warder, I’ll... Curiously, the thought had no real heat.

Without a word he took her to a nearby inn, The Long Man, where a golden crown tossed to the round innkeeper produced an almost reverent curtsy and a small private dining room, dark-paneled, with heavily polished table and chairs and dried flowers in a blue vase on the hearth. Gawyn closed the door, and a sudden awkwardness descended as they faced each other alone. Light, but he was gorgeous, easily as gorgeous as Galad, and the way his hair curled around his ears...

Gawyn cleared his throat. "The heat seems to get worse every day." He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face, then offered it to her. Abruptly realizing it was used, he cleared his throat again. "I have another, I think."

She produced her own while he was searching his pockets. "Gawyn, how can you serve Elaida after what she did?"

"The Younglings serve the Tower," he replied stiffly, but his head swung uneasily. "We do as long as... Siuan Sanche... " For a moment his eyes went icy cold. Just for an instant. "Egwene, my mother always used to say, ‘Even a queen must obey the law she makes, or there is no law.’ " He shook his head angrily. "I shouldn’t be surprised to find you here. I should have known you would be where al’Thor is."

"Why do you hate him?" That had been hate in his voice or she had never heard it. "Gawyn, he really is the Dragon Reborn. You must have heard what happened in Tear. He – "

"I do not care if he is the Creator made flesh," he graced. "Al’Thor killed my mother!"

Egwene’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Gawyn, no! No, he did not!"

"Can you swear it? Were you there when she died? It’s on every tongue. The Dragon Reborn took Caemlyn, and killed Morgase. He probably killed Elayne, too. I can find no word of her." All the anger drained out of him. He slumped where he stood, head falling forward, fists clenched and eyes closed. "I can find out nothing," he whispered.

"Elayne is unharmed," Egwene said, surprised to find herself right in front of him. She reached up, and surprised herself again by running her fingers into his hair as she raised his head. It felt just as she remembered. Her hands flashed back as if burned. She was sure she would flush so crimson her face would ignite, except... Color stained Gawyn’s cheeks. Of course. He remembered too, though only as his own dream. That truly should have set her face afire, but somehow it did the opposite. Gawyn’s blush steadied her nerves, even made her want to smile. "Elayne is safe, Gawyn. I canswear to that."

"Where is she?" His voice was anguished. "Where has she been? Her place is in Caemlyn now. Well, not Caemlyn – not so long as al’Thor might be there – but in Andor. Where is she, Egwene?"

"I... cannot tell you. I can’t, Gawyn."

He studied her, face expressionless, then sighed. "You are more Aes Sedai every time I see you." His laugh sounded forced. "Do you know I used to think about being your Warder? How is that for foolish?"

"You will be my Warder." She had not realized the words were coming out of her mouth until they did, but once they did, she knew they were true. That dream. Gawyn kneeling for her to hold his head. It could have meant a hundred things or nothing, but she knew.

He grinned at her. The idiot thought she was joking! "Not me, surely. Galad, I think. Though you’ll have to beat away other Aes Sedai with a stick. Aes Sedai, serving girls, queens, chambermaids, merchants, farmwives... I’ve seen them all look at him. Don’t bother claiming you don’t think he’s – "

The simplest way to silence that nonsense was to put a hand over his mouth. "I do not love Galad. I love you."

The man still tried to pretend it was a jest, smiling against her fingers. "I cannot be a Warder. I’m to be Elayne’s First Prince of the Sword."

"If the Queen of Andor can be Aes Sedai, a Prince can be a Warder. And you will be mine. Push that through your thick skull; I am serious. And I love you." He stared at her. At least he was not smiling anymore. But he said nothing, just stared. She took her hand away. "Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?"

"When you wish for so long that you could hear something," he said slowly, "and then suddenly, with no warning, you do, it is like a lightning strike and rain on parched ground at the same time. You’re stunned, but you cannot hear enough."

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she told him, smiling. "Well?"

For answer, he picked her up and kissed her. It was every bit as good as the dreams. It was better. It was... When he finally set her down, she clung to his arms; her knees did not seem to be working properly. "My Lady Aiel Egwene Aes Sedai," he said, "I love you, and I cannot wait for you to bond me." Shedding mock formality, he added in a softer tone, "I love you, Egwene al’Vere. You said you wanted a favor. What? The moon on a necklace? I’ll set a goldsmith to work within the hour. Stars to wear in your hair? I will – "

"Don’t tell Coiren or the others that I am here. Don’t mention me to them at all."

She expected some hesitation, but he simply said, "They’ll not learn of you from me. Or from anyone else, can I help it." He paused a moment, then took her by the shoulders. "Egwene, I will not ask why you’re here. No, just listen, I know Siuan mired you in her schemes, and I understand that you feel loyalty to a man from your own village. That doesn’t matter. You should be in the White Tower, studying; I remember them all saying you were going to be a powerful Aes Sedai one day. Do you have a plan for returning without... penalties?" She shook her head wordlessly, and he went on in a rush. "Maybe I can think of something, if you don’t first. I know you had no choice but to obey Siuan, but I doubt Elaida will give that much weight; even mentioning the name Siuan Sanche around her is nearly as much as your head is worth. I will find some way, somehow. I swear it. But promise me that until I do you will not... do anything foolish." His hands tightened for a moment almost to the point of pain. "Just promise me you will be careful."

Light, but this was a fine pickle. She could not tell him she had no intention of returning to the Tower as long as Elaida sat on the Amyrlin Seat. And something foolish almost certainly meant anything to do with Rand. He looked so worried. For her. "I will be careful, Gawyn. I promise." As careful as I can be, she amended to herself; it was only a small change, but somehow it made what she had to say next more difficult. "I have a second favor to ask. Rand did not kill your mother." How could she word this to put the least strain on him? Strain or no, she had to. "Promise me you will not raise a hand against Rand until I can prove he didn’t."

"I swear." Again no hesitation, but his voice was rough, and his hands squeezed again briefly, harder than before. She did not flinch; the slight pain felt like a repayment for the pain she was causing him.

"It has to be that way, Gawyn. He did not do it, but it will take time to prove." How under the Light could she? Rand’s word would not be enough. All such a tangle. She had to concentrate on one thing at a time. What were those Aes Sedai up to?

Gawyn startled her by drawing a ragged breath. "I will give over everything, betray everything, for you. Come away with me, Egwene. We will both leave it all behind. I have a small estate south of Whitebridge, with a vineyard and a village, so far into the country that the sun rises two days late. The world will hardly touch us there. We can be married on the way. I don’t know how much time we will have – al’Thor; Tarmon Gai’don – I do not know; but we will have it together."

She stared up at him in amazement. Then she realized she had voiced that last thought aloud, What were those Aes Sedai up to?, and a key word – betray – slid into place. He thought she wanted him to spy on them. And he would. Desperately seeking a way not to, he still would, if she asked. Anything, he had promised, and anything he meant, whatever the cost to him. She made a promise to herself; to him really, but it was not the sort of promise she could speak aloud. If he let slip something she could use, she would – she had to – but she would not dig, not for the smallest scrap. Whatever the cost. Sarene Nemdahl would never understand, but it was the only way she could match what he had laid at her feet.