The moment Duram disappeared from her house, Nyssa realised she would have some explaining to do. Before she had left the White Tower, she had kept her alliances to herself. Even her fellow Black sisters would have no idea of whom Nyssa Deschain served. Now that she was Nyssa Deameau, she no longer had that luxury. Even if she did wish to keep it from Michael, Leon certainly wouldn’t. He’d be all over Michael the moment he got home, telling him all about how he’d tried to save his mum from an evil man, only the evil man didn’t turn out to be so evil after all. Ah, the innocence of youth. For a few dreadful moments, Nyssa had been utterly convinced that her son would be killed over something as silly as the proper wielding of a wooden sword. The fact that Duram had restrained himself showed her that he was the right kind of man. Michael would have to accept that.

 

She doubted it would be that easy though. Ever since he first found her in Tear, she had been without alliances save for her one vow to serve the Great Lord of the Dark. She had shunned her former sisters of the Black Ajah, and had been careful to avoid being seen by Lanfear in the dream. She would get more active now that she had chosen to join Be`lal’s order. She would be away from home from time to time, and there might be danger. There would always be danger. “But we’ll be fine, won’t we?” she said, brushing her hand over her stomach. “Of course we will. We’ve done this for a long time already, after all.” But what if she was rusty?

 

“Leon, I think Mary would really like you to spend the evening with her.” She said, looking at her eldest boy. “Maybe she’d like to spend time with Toulan as well. Why don’t you go ask her?” spurred on by the thought of spending the evening with his favourite maid, Leon was out of the room and out of her sight in moments. Another servant appeared right after he left, apparently waiting to clean up after Nyssa and her guest. He didn’t seem too disturbed by the fact that her guest had already left without using any doors. Then again, all her servants were used to channelling inside the house.

 

“Please inform the cook that I’ll be dining with Michael tonight… without the children.” She could do without them when telling her husband that his son had hit a Chosen in the crotch. The servant nodded, and ran off to tell the cook. “Wait a moment! » she called after him. “Tell the cook that it’s a special occasion tonight.” The servant nodded, and ran off again. Meanwhile Nyssa tried to think of a good way to tell her husband that she was no longer a stay at home mother to their children.

 

~Nyssa Deameau

Dinner was great.

 

There was no other way to describe it.  The lamb had been roasted just right, not only was the meat tender but the skin crackled in his mouth and melted in a most sumptuous manner.  The gravy was exactly the correct mixture as it wasn't so runny that it ran all over his plate like some sort of soup, but neither was it so gluggy that it lumped on his plate in small chunks.  The potato was seasoned well, but not so much that it overpowered the taste of the humble vegetable, and the pumpkin was neither too hot nor too cold as it fit within the happy medium that he enjoyed.

 

Furthermore, it was a dinner shared only with his wife.  Michael loved his children dearly, but it wasn't often that he and his wife were able to have dinners such as these and simply be.  He had been gone for the better part of the month now on business and he'd missed her dearly, that she would go to this trouble because she missed him just as much was something that really touched him.  She hadn't even known that he had gone out of his way on the way home to pick up a few things for her and the children.  It was that sort of spontaneity that made his family a happy one.

 

She had even gone to the trouble of dressing well for him, she hadn't even needed to do it, especially since she was pregnant.  Michael was just glad to be home and in the same room as her, but that extra thoughtfulness also pulled at the heart strings.  He knew that she chafed a bit, being with the children and being limited in what she could do.  But they needed their mother more than their father, and he already had his commitments that he was required to keep even as Nyssa had broken hers with the Black Ajah.  Besides, knowing she wasn't at risk and she was here to keep their children safe helped set his heart and mind at ease while he did what was necessary.

 

"This is really good, you have no idea how great it is to have a meal at home.  Having to wander those light cursed snows in Shienar while looking for someone who didn't want to be found was a nightmare."  Taking another mouthful of beef, it showed that he'd spent the last week and a bit of dried meat, cheese and bread with the sheer ecstasy that was on his face as he chewed the meat.  Savouring it as he swallowed it, he added.  "You didn't have to go to all this trouble, but I'm glad you did.  Its so good to be home and away from the rest of the world, not having to worry about the politics for awhile." 

 

"For example at the For-  No, not even going to go there, can't think about it.  Did I mention that this meal was really good?"  Michael took another bite.

 

 

Michael Daemeau

Aurani

“You have.” Nyssa said, smiling warmly at her husband, all the while feeling like an utter wretch. Michael was happy. He had his work, and he could come home to find a family waiting for him. After unwillingly witnessing a dream he had about his past, she realised that this was what he had always wanted, even if he hadn’t always realised it. Stability was good for a family. It was good for her children, it was good for her husband, it was good for her household in general. It was driving her mad. She just wished her decision to go back to work wouldn’t have such an impact on the family.

 

“We had a visitor today.” She casually mentioned. Perhaps he wouldn’t take the news quite as badly if she eased him into it, rather than just dropping him in at the deep end.

 

"Really?"   Michael smiled.  "It wasn't Julie was it by any chance?  Or Thom?  I know those to have been meaning to come by and give their congratulations and bring some presents for our new child.  Even Rasputin sends his best, though he hasn't had the chance to spare time to visit.  I get kept busy as it is, but him...  I don't know how he does it, serving Aginor keeps him on his toes when things are slow and when they are busy I'm surprised he isn't worn ragged between Aginor and the Fortress.  I'm just glad I serve Rasputin and not one of the Chosen directly."  Pausing, Michael shook his head.  "Sorry, I just went rambling.  Who was it?"

 

Nyssa closed her eyes for a moment, gathering some of her courage. “Ehm. Well, it was Duram. Duram Laddel Cham. I was quite surprised to find him right here on our doorstep, but apparently Thom told him where to find us. Leon was quite impressed with him, in his own special way.”

 

"Duram?"  Michael thought about it, he didn't recall having met any Duram.  He knew most of the people Thom dealt with, but this Duram wasn't ringing any bells.  The fact that Leon had been allowed near the stranger didn't make him happy though, but then Thom had recommended the man and told him where to go, Thom had his faults but he was a good judge of character.  "Don't think I've met him before, you say that Leon met him?  Probably not a good idea for Leon to meet strangers we don't know, even if Thom has recommended them.  What did this Duram want?  Must've been important if Thom sent him here directly, he knows not to do that."

 

Just her luck. She had hoped that Thom had at least talked to Michael about who the Chosen were and such, but no… her husband had never been particularly interested in that side of life. Great. Just… lovely. “Well… I don’t think Thom has much of a choice in the matter. The Chosen do tend to go their own way, and while Be`lal is in no way as erratic as Lanfear, I suppose making an appointment just never really occurred to him.”

 

Michael looked up at Nyssa as she proceeded to tell him that the man that had come to their house had been Be`lal.  There was an incredibly tense moment as the thought ran through his mind, and then a tired smile split his face.  "Very funny Nyssa, hilarious.  Everyone knows that Be`lal is still in the Bore, nice try at pulling my leg but you're not catching me this time, I'm onto you."  Stabbing the last bit of dinner with his fork, he grinned.  "Almost had me, I can't believe I nearly fell for that.  I'll get you back for that later, mark my words."

 

Nyssa sighed. Of course this couldn’t go easy. Of course he had to believe that Be`lal was in the bore. Just wonderful. She was about to say she hadn’t been joking when a loud crash alerted her to the arrival of her eldest son. With a loud cry that vaguely resembled the word daddy he jumped up at Michael, landing in his lap. “You won’t believe what happened today! There was this really big man, and mom got all worried when he arrived, and then I got my sword, and I ambushed him, and I hit him right where you said I should never hit you, because it really hurts, and then he fell, and I was going to save mommy, but then she said I didn’t have to, because Uncle Duram really is a nice guy, but I don’t know if I should call him Duram, because Mary just told me that he’s called Be`lal, and maybe I should call him uncle Belly, and… and…”

 

“Leon… I know you’re happy to see daddy, but daddy and I were having a very important talk about very important grown up things. Why don’t you go to Mary and as her to read you a story?” Apparently content with having told his father about his adventure, Leon slipped off Michael’s lap, and ran out the door again, leaving a pair of very pale looking parents behind.

 

There weren't any thoughts going through Michael's mind, it was a rare occasion when his brain flatlined, but it had to in order to cope with everything that wanted to get out.  Bit by bit, things began to seep through.  Be`lal was out of the Bore, he'd been in his house amongst his family.  He'd been talking to his wife, his son had struck the Chosen in the crotch and for some reason was still intact.  Thom had sent the man to his house."

 

His eyes were smoldering as he stood from his seat, his rage was giving him a strength that banished his tiredness.  "I'm going to kill Thom."  How could he send one of the Chosen to his home!?  He was going to go to the Fortress, convince Thom to come with him outside of the area where the Shadow's Peace was effective and then he was going to kill him.

 

Nyssa had expected anger, perhaps even rage. She had expected it to be directed at her though, and not at Thom. Was it something she said? She briefly went over the conversation they had been having before Leon rushed in, and decided that yes, it was indeed something they said. While she would have been perfectly content to let Thom deal with Michael’s rage, it wouldn’t be a very friendly thing to do.

 

“Michael, wait… Thom didn’t send him here, I… I was asking after him.” She walked after Michael, ready to stop him should he choose to go to the fortress after all. “I… uh… well, we talked about the Chosen, the first time I came to the Fortress, and just now we talked about how I’d served Lanfear once, and how much better it would be to serve Be`lal… and then Thom mentioned that he could get in touch with Duram, and I thought to myself… why not? I just… hadn’t expected him to show up here though. And I’m sure Thom didn’t tell him to go and do that either.”

 

Stopping in his tracks, Michael turned around and looked at Nyssa.  Nyssa had asked Thom for a meeting with Be`lal, one of the Chosen, while she was heavily pregnant?  The thought of it drove him absolutely wild, the thought of the man being in his family's home, amongst his children, with his wife while she carried their unborn child, the staggering odds for disaster, Leon hitting the man in the crotch.  It was almost enough to give him a headspin even as a vein throbbed on his left temple.  She hadn't told him at all.  "You did what?"

 

Perhaps she should have let him run out the door after all. He was furious, that much was clear to her. “I… I just didn’t expect him to arrive here unannounced. I thought he’d contact me through the dream… who ever heard of a Chosen making housecalls? I thought he’d tell me when he wanted to meet me, so I’d have time to make sure the children were safe, and time to tell you. But it all worked out fine. He was very reasonable, even after Leon hit him…”

 

The thought of Leon hitting the Chosen in the crotch was not one Michael needed right now, that Leon had even been allowed near one of the Chosen was outright criminal.  "What do you mean the children were safe?  You're carrying one!"  It wasn't a shout, but it carried such rage on it he may as well have. "You couldn't defend yourself with the Power, not even run from him.  If he'd wanted to, he could have burnt down this entire mansion, our family would be dead!  He's one of the thirteen!  I didn't even know he was free and he's been in this house?!  What is going on?"

 

It was just too much. First the stress of having Duram arrive unannounced, then the fear of losing her eldest child just because her son had tried to protect her, and now her husband was treating her as if she’d committed the greatest crime ever in the history of mankind. Her moods had always been fickle when she neared the end of her pregnancies, and right now, her mood was swiftly changing for the worse. Tears welled up in her eyes as Michael ranted at her. “I’m just so tired of sitting around the house the entire time! I can’t take it anymore. All I ever do is tell Mary she can’t spank Leon even if he’s been a brat, and Toulan is so sweet that she barely even needs my attention, and you’re always off somewhere… I just want to feel useful again.” and with that said she turned her back on her no doubt still furious husband. If she was going to be a sobbing mess, then she could at least be a sobbing mess without him staring at her.

 

~Nyssa & Michael

"Useful?!"  Michael wasn't sure what he was hearing, all well and good for Nyssa to complain about not feeling useful but it wasn't exactly like their work was ordinary.  Their work often involved them taking risks that might get them killed and she was upset because she wasn't getting the opportunity to put her life at risk?  It was insane!  If he didn't have to, he certainly wouldn't be out there in the world having to do stupidly dangerous tasks, he'd be here at home with his wife and family instead.  "If it was so bad, why didn't you tell me first?  Instead you brought one of the Chosen into our home, Great Lord's beard...  One thing gone wrong and he could have killed everyone and you wouldn't have been able to do anything!"

 

Oh he just had to go on, didn’t he? Here she was, already pushed over the edge because he couldn’t even be happy for her, and he just had to keep on going. Nyssa clenched her hands eve as she continued sobbing, the frustration of not being able to turn around and hit him merely adding to her misery. “I didn’t bring him here!” she said, unwilling to turn around and let him see just how shaken up she was. “He came here to see me, just like Lanfear could have done ages ago, or Sammael or just about any bloody Chosen that wanted to put their mind to it. If I’m as weak and frail as you’re suggesting then you shouldn’t have agreed on living here in the first place.”

 

"Maybe I moved in because I love you and don't want to see you hurt!  Maybe its because we have a family and I don't want to see them hurt!  Instead one of the most dangerous people in the world gets invited into our home, around our children!  You can't even channel to save yourself and.. an...  Great Lord..."  Michael was running out of words that he hadn't already used.  Be`lal, in his home.  His children.  His child smacked him the crotch and was alive for some reason, but it could have so easily gone the other way.  Could have come home to find his home razed to the ground and his family dead.  The thought of what could have happened was almost enough to drive him insane.

 

“And you think this couldn’t have happened any given day of the week even without the involvement of a Chosen? For the love of the Great Lord, Michael, we’re darkfriends. Worse. We’re Dreadlords. We live in a world that is ruled by the light.” Nyssa turned to look at her husband while she spoke. “Any given day, Aes Sedai or Children of the Light could march to our home and burn it down, and there would be nothing you could do about it. Any given day one of Aginor’s enemies could decide to try and hurt him by murdering the wife and children of one of his trusted followers. I chose Be’lal because he’s reasonable. Our of all the chosen, he is least likely to force those who follow him into things they don’t want to do. Out of all the Chosen, he is the least likely to go on a murderous tangent. And out of all the Chosen, he is the one who can use my talents best, without putting me in harms way all the time. The very least you could do is be happy for me that I managed to pick a decent leader to follow...”

 

"What?  And Rasputin wasn't a decent man?!"  Michael couldn't believe this, now Nyssa was angry with him??  When she was the one who'd gone behind his back and now she was so furious with him she had tears coming out as she ripped into him?  "And what happens if our two masters don't get along?  Did you think of that?  Whats going to happen to us if that happens?  And our children?!  Are they going to get caught inbetween?  I don't want to have to worry about Be`lal's people coming into our home and killing me in the night, or someone loyal to Aginor coming here and trying to do the same to you!  While we were quiet, we were safer than we are now.  Now, now we're caught inbetween and we're cau..."  Michael couldn't get the words out.

 

There was something in Nyssa’s face that seemed to fall when Michael continued his rant. Great Lord, but she hated arguments like these. Whatever happened to just talking things through like mature people? Was it going to be this way whenever she did something he didn’t approve of? She turned her back on him again, hiding her face in her hands as her sobbing continued. “I only inquired about him.” She said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I thought I’d have time to talk to you. How could I have known that he’d just show up here? I’m not a foreteller. I didn’t invite him here nor did I have any intention to either. It happened, that’s all.”

 

Michael was about to answer her back when he noticed that the end of her words a very large sob.  It was one thing for tears to be streaming down, but for her to be hiding her face in her hands.  He'd never seen her like this, and it was only now that he realised that she wasn't just angry with him, if anything she was just plain upset, and his anger was slipping away even as he tried to claw at it, to keep hold of it.  "Dammit, don't you dare cry, do-"

 

No use.  "Ah, Great Lord help me."  Holding a hand to his forehead, clutching it, he took a deep breath and exhaled as he slipped the hand down his face, as if trying to wipe away his anger, which had been panic more than anything else.  An argument and now his wife was crying, and the sinking feeling in him told him it was pretty much his fault, even if...  Gah!  Walking over to her, Michael slipped his arms around her as he began to murmur in her ear that he was sorry, and he was sorry for making her cry.  He couldn't remember that happening once since they were married, not once.

 

It took a while for Nyssa to get over her initial anger and her initial sadness at Michael’s words. Even as he wrapped his arms around her and tried to console her, she continued to sob for a few minutes. Damned hormones. She wondered briefly how much her decision to reach out to Be’lal, and the argument with Michael that followed was based on said hormones, and her fear of becoming a useless old biddy who could only speak of her children all the time. “I’m sorry.” She finally whispered, turning around so she could hide her face against his shoulder. “I should’ve… I… I don’t know what I was thinking. It just seemed right at the time.”

 

"Hush..."  Kissing her forehead, Michael stroked her hair even as she persisted in keeping her face planted on his shoulder.  He should never have yelled at her, he didn't remember doing that before, well, not since before they were married anyway.  "I shouldn't have yelled at you either.  Didn't help anything and only upset you, I am so sorry.  I just panicked, the idea of having maybe come home only to find there was no home..."

 

"Look at me."  He had to kiss her head a few times and entreaty her repeatedly for her to do so, but when she did, Michael had a very simple thing to tell her.  "I promise, so help me, I will never yell at you again."  Taking her left cheek in his hand, his thumb caressed it gently as he tried to get a hold of himself.  "Will you forgive me?"

 

She should remember to thank the Great Lord for blessing her with a wonderful life later on. “I’ll forgive you if you forgive me.” she said, looking at Michael’s eyes and seeing that he meant every word there. She even managed a little smile to accompany her words. She leaned in then, shutting him up with a kiss. It had to be done, really. If she hadn’t they’d be demanding to be forgiven first, like a love struck pair of teenagers would. When she broke the kiss, her smile was a little more solid. “And I promise I won’t invite any Chosen into our home again without discussing it with you first.”

 

Chuckling, Michael nipped a quick kiss from Nyssa for her proposed promise.  "That sounds good, I don't think my heart could take two Chosen in my house at once.  And you're going to have to tell me about Duram, and whether he's going to be a problem.  He might ha-  Lets talk about it later, I think I need to lie down."  Michael tried to frown but it was a grin that came instead.  "You too for that matter."

 

There wasn’t really anything she could say to that, so instead she just took Michaels hand and pulled him with her up the stairs. “I could do with a massage too, now that I think of it.” She said, returning her husbands grin with a wink. “And you too for that matter. You look a little stressed. Really, you’d think that your wife just told you that your son whacked a chosen in the crotch. One of these days you’re going to have to tell him that that’s a nono, no matter who it involves.”