The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that
become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten
when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the
third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose
on the Altaran plains. The wind was not the beginning. There are
neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time.
But it was _a_ beginning.
The wind blew through the streets of Ebou Dar, and stirred the
curtains in Mat's bedroom window. He didn't know that room.
It looked rich, and until his recent experiences with Tylin
he would have liked that, but now all it did was make him
even less comfortable. Where was he? The last thing he remembered
was a wall falling down over his head. And those bloody dice
had stopped spinning. Blood and bloody ashes. The worst thing
was that he wasn't even in the flaming dust cover preview.
If that didn't mean there was a lot of action on the way,
nothing did.
He got out of bed and he started to dress, finding his clothes
draped over a chair. Despite the memory of that wall collapsing on
his head, he had no apparent injuries. That smelled of Aes Sedai
work. Blood and ashes.
Just as he had hurried into his smallclothes, the door opened,
and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen walked in.
Behind her, two athletic young men and a pretty woman followed,
wearing barely more than a blank look in their eyes.
One of them was holding a tray with a pitcher and two goblets
of wine.
"Hello Mat," said Graendal. "I am the Daughter of the Nine Moons."
Mat was instantly in love. What could he say to this woman?
He wished Rand was there, or even Perrin.
"Are you surprised?" asked Graendal, "You didn't really think
Ishy set up this whole Seanchan thing all those years ago
just to have that ignorant chit Tuon get all the fun, did
you? Now be a good boy and marry me, so we can get this
destiny-thing over with."
For the first time in his life, Mat was speechless. He let himself
bet taken to the next room, where they were married. It all
happened as if in a dream. Before he knew it, they were in the
bridal suite. Just him, Graendal and a couple of her best female pets.
The dice in his head told him he was about to have the best MPS
in his life.
At that instant, the door burst violently open. Nyneave, Elayne
and Egwene marched into the room and balefired Graendal.
"What the bloody flaming ashes do you think you're doing?"
he cried. Elayne sniffed. "didn't I say so?" she said,
naturally addressing the other women as if Mat weren't there,
"You save him in the nick of time from a nasty evil forsaken
and what do you get? Not a word of thanks! Men..."