The Wheel of Kin: A Daughter's Journey

Secrets Between the River and the Sun

Sunlight spilled across the pillows like warm honey, filling the chamber with soft gold. The murmur of birds outside the river hut laced gently through the morning hush.

Elara stirred beneath the covers, blinking slowly, sleep still clinging to her lashes.

She was tucked snugly between Moiraine and Siuan, wrapped in a cocoon of warmth. One of Siuan's arms was draped across her middle, while Moiraine's hand rested gently atop her tiny one. The rhythm of their breathing was steady—comforting.

Elara grinned sleepily to herself.

This was perfect.

She wiggled her toes and turned a little to face Moiraine, whose eyes were already open and watching her.

"Good morning, Mum," Elara whispered with a sly little smile.

Moiraine brushed a lock of hair from her daughter's face. "Good morning, little bird."

"I know you want to ask me something," Elara said matter-of-factly, lowering her voice in mock secrecy. "You've had that look on your face since yesterday."

Moiraine raised a brow. "What look?"

"That Mother has a question but is waiting for the right moment look," Elara said, wriggling her eyebrows dramatically.

Moiraine gave a soft chuckle. "You really are too clever for your own good."

Elara grinned. "So I've been told."

Siuan, still pretending to sleep, muttered, "It's far too early for clever questions."

Elara gasped in mock offense. "I heard that!"

"You were meant to," Siuan replied, cracking one eye open.

"You're supposed to sleep in on shadow mornings," Elara declared with great authority, pointing at Siuan like a scolding schoolmistress. "That's a rule."

"Oh?" Siuan said, arching an eyebrow. "Did you write that rule?"

"No," Elara said sweetly. "You did. In your sleep. I heard it."

Moiraine smirked. "She's weaponizing your own stubbornness against you, Siuan."

"She learned from the best," Siuan muttered, then leaned forward and planted a kiss on Elara's cheek.

Elara giggled, scrunching up her nose. "That tickled!"

The laughter faded into quiet comfort as Moiraine's gaze softened. She hesitated, brushing her thumb along Elara's temple.

"Elara... how long have you known? About Siuan being your other mother?"

Elara's smile dimmed a little as she traced a finger along the edge of the blanket.

"A long time," she whispered. "Maybe always. I didn't have words for it. But... I felt it."

Siuan's eyes shimmered. "You never said anything."

"I knew it was a secret," Elara said. "And secrets are important. I thought... maybe I'd ruin it if I said the wrong thing."

Moiraine reached for her, cupping her cheek. "Oh, love... You could never ruin anything. ."

Elara leaned into her mother's hand. "So... it'll still be our secret?"

Moiraine and Siuan shared a glance above her head. Then Siuan spoke.

"For now," she said softly. "But one day, it won't have to be."

Elara grew quiet again. Her little hands fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. "We're not supposed to tell anyone... not even the novice girls, right?"

"Correct," Moiraine said, her voice gentle but serious. "Not them. Not anyone."

Elara's brows drew together. "Not even about the Dragon Reborn?"

Siuan reached out, taking her hand. "Especially not about the Dragon Reborn."

Elara frowned, her voice dropping. "But... I don't know who they are. I just saw light in my dream. Like... like a person made of storm and fire. But they didn't feel scary. They felt... sad. Like they were lonely."

Moiraine's heart ached at that, but she nodded. "And that's more than anyone else has seen, Elara. What you know—what you are—it makes you a target. You must keep it to yourself."

"But what if I see more?" Elara asked softly. "What if it's important?"

Siuan leaned closer, her voice steady but full of love. "Then you come to us. Always us. You don't share those dreams with anyone else—not even your teachers."

Elara let out a shaky breath, then mumbled into Siuan's sleeve, "Okay. I won't tell anyone. Not about you, or the Dragon Reborn."

Siuan kissed the top of her head, holding her close. "We're proud of you. You understand more than most grown women in the Tower ever will."

Elara didn't say anything after that. She just nestled herself more tightly between them, her small fingers wrapping around the edge of Moiraine's sleeve.

Moiraine stroked her hair.

Outside, the river whispered steadily against the banks. The breeze stirred the edge of the curtains, carrying in the scent of damp earth and wild mint. Inside the little hut, time slowed to a hush. The Tower's secrets, the weight of prophecy, the danger that loomed beyond—none of it could touch her here.

Not while her mothers held her close.

They didn't need to speak the words aloud. It was in the quiet between heartbeats.

They were hers.

And she was theirs.