Multi-Fandom One Shots

Jewel (Moiraine Sedai)

You were no one. A merchant on the side of the road. You made tiny metal trinkets and sold them here.

Her ring drew your attention first. Jewelry was your trade after all. The snake around the large stone drew your attention. Everyone this side of the Spine knew the rings of the Aes Sedai. Looking up, you saw she wasn't very much older than you. At least visually. You'd heard they could live for ages and hardly show it.

Her fingers trailed along your table, eyes drawn to the intricate patterns.

"Madam," you greeted, not sure how else to. Your eyes jerked up to meet hers.

They were more green than blue in the morning hue.

A hesitant smile pulled your lips up. Her eyes shone back and she grinned down toothily. "Do you manufacture these?" she asked, her voice a lovely posh accent, but there was heart in her words. Heart you had not come to associate with the cadence of nobility.

"I do," you answered after what felt like a short time.

She picked up a kesiera you'd actually bought in another town.

"Not.. that," you admitted. "That, I bought."

Teal eyes met your own again with a guilty and amused smile. "I figured."

"Madam?"

"Moiraine," the woman corrected, setting the silver chain encasing a violet stone down. "This is not a kesiera's indigenous land."

You tipped your head. "You know of kesieras?" You looked her up and down. "It's indigenous land is yours, isn't it?" you deduced.

She smiled up at you again. It was an uncomfortable grin, one of being seen without divulging such information.

"May I buy you a drink?" you asked before you could filter the thought. You were a bit alarmed at your own forwardness and blushed, looking away.

~*~

"I thought it was just a drink?" She was amused.

You were pleased. You'd feared she'd find you presumptuous to prepare a picnic on the roof of the tavern just outside of town. "I said a drink, I never said that was the only plan." You grinned. "Actually, I hadn't a plan at all and I whipped this all up. Mind?" you asked a little anxiously. She shook her head and came to kneel beside you. You pulled out food from the basket between you and grinned up at her. "So, Moiraine, will we enjoy your company for long?" you asked.

She smiled over at you. "Oh, and this would be the royal 'we'."

You snorted. "In your honor, of course."

She rolled her eyes, her nose twitching to sneer before she controlled it.

You leaned back, reading into it. "Oh! Sorry," you grumbled. You held out a strawberry, a fruit also purchased at the Cairhienin market. "Days, weeks?" you tried to distract her.

With a smile, she took the fruit from you and bit into it.

Your hand reached up to brush away a droplet from her bottom lip before you processed it. What was with your brain? She froze and giggles resounded from across the roof.

You narrowed your eyes, recognizing the voice. Pulling yourself to your feet, you sang, "Hei, ai strik natblida!"

In a tree by the edge of the roof, a girl poked through where she'd climbed. She replied something in the same language, though Moiraine could speak or understand it. Her tone was decidedly complaining, though.

You gasped. "What.. a.. horrendous... grievance. How shall we rectify it?" you asked. Your eyes narrowed and you grinned. "Twenty minutes in my jewelry box?" you offered.

"Thirty," came the negotiation.

Narrowing your eyes again, you nodded. "Deal." You pulled a key from around your neck and gave it to the girl. She shuffled down the tree once more and you returned to the Aes Sedai.

As you walked back to her, she looked up at you and could see you doing much the same for... other children. She blushed as she recognized her own eyes staring at you in the fantasy. "What is a natblida?" Moiraine asked, wanting the gist of the conversation.

"She's nocturnal, damn near." You smiled.

Amused as well, Moiraine laughed. "And your jewelry box?"

"Is my station," you finished, nodding. "If you're not going to eat this..." You gripped her wrist and brought the nibbled on strawberry to your own lips, biting half of it off. With a sly look, you pulled back and released her. You fell into her eyes and she seemed similarly entranced. She smirked at your gall. This would be fun.