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"But what if Anvaere was right?" Moiraine asked, her head resting in Siuan's lap, Siuan playing with her hair. "What if I am like Mother? What if I didn't get any part of what made our family good?"
Siuan stroked Moiraine's temple gently, her fingers working through soft strands the colour of dark chocolate, and sighed.
"I love your sister," she said, smoothing Moiraine's hair away from her forehead, "Almost as much as I love you, and I love you more than anyone and anything in the world. But what she said to you was unforgiveable."
"But what if she's right? What if I'm not a good person? What if... I'm just like them?"
Siuan shook her head, stroking Moiraine's hair gently with one hand in a gentle caress, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose.
"I know for a fact that what she said is not true," she said. "I know you just as well as I know myself, if not better. And you know me just as well as you know yourself, if not better. So trust me when I say that you're the best person I've ever met."
Moiraine sniffed. "Am I really? I won't be angry with you if you just said that to make me feel better."
Siuan ignored Moiraine's comment about her trying to make her feel better, instead kneading her fingers at Moiraine's scalp in the way she loved. Predictably, Moiraine melted into her touch, letting out a little sigh at the sensation.
"So good," she murmured, smiling up at Siuan. "So so good."
"Like you," Siuan said, kissing Moiraine's forehead, still massaging at her scalp. "The very best person I've met. And don't let anyone ever let you think otherwise."
Moiraine sniffed again. "Thank you, Siuan," she said, reaching up a hand to wipe roughly at her eyes. "Thank you so much."
Siuan paused in playing with Moiraine's hair to gently pull her hand away from her face, using her fingers to wipe Moiraine's tears away. "Don't cry," she said softly. "Oh, my sweet love. Please don't cry. I'm here."
Moiraine gave her a smile. A little watery, but it was a smile.
"I'll try not to," she laughed. "Though it is hard when you're being so lovely to me, when I feel like I don't deserve it."
"You do deserve it," Siuan insisted. "Because you deserve to know the truth. That you are a good person. And that if they think otherwise, it's because you're literally just a pufferfish."
Moiraine raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"That's all? Not because I'm an evil Damodred?"
Siuan shook her head firmly. "No. Only because you're a prickly pufferfish. My adorable, sweet, precious pufferfish."
Moiraine giggled, the sound that Siuan wished she could hear every day. Light, she loved that laugh. And she loved being the cause of it.
"I love you," Moiraine said. "I realised I never said it back to you earlier. But I love you. More than anyone and anything in the world."
"You are my world," Siuan said. "More than that to me. My life. My reason to live. My reason I do anything at all. And so much more. You are so much."
Moiraine laughed again. "And I'm your pufferfish," she added. "I get the honour and privilege of being your prickly little pufferfish."