#knotai

“Knotai” could be pronounced:

“No tie” as in no bonds/leashes/etc; at this point an aspirational epithet rather than an accurate one, but Seanchan names can be aspirational and it may also be meant to call back to his ‘lion on a hill’ status.

“Knot tie” as in tying the knot, as in getting married, which retains the implicit “matrim(ony)” pun in his original first name!!! Absolutely stellar work, I’m so proud of either RJ or Sanderson for this.

April 22nd is apparently Mat and Tuon's anniversary, so in honor of that, here's a rec list of my favorite Mat/Tuon romance fics! Links are in the titles.

Drawn by Ersatz Rating: K, Length: 2,417 words (Oneshot) Set during CoT. Features: Mutual petulance! An instance of that classic trope where one character shows another the proper way to shoot a bow! & some really excellent description! Fair warning that this was written before KoD came out and so the characterization might be a little unorthodox, but this is still so close to my heart, I couldn't leave it off.

A Roll of the Dice by Millia Rating: K+, Length: 1,519 words (Oneshot) This is in Tuon's POV, and you will not be disappointed by the author's take on this missing scene from KoD: "But she had kissed him just before they started out that evening. Only once, and said not to be greedy when he attempted a second." I absolutely love the central metaphor, too.

The View by Min Daae (@veliseraptor) Rating: K+, Length: 14,369 words (Series of unconnected oneshots) These are mostly little vignettes, all written before TGS came out, so there are no intentional spoilers past KoD although some are set post-canon. If you want more of a short story, start with Game, Set, and Match (chapter 16.) I reread these recently and they really hold up! I love the little glimpses you get into Mat and Tuon's thought processes.

Secret Smiles by PsychoLeopard Rating: T, Length: 46,458 words (Series) An absolute classic of the Mat/Tuon fic universe, this follows CoT and KoD from Tuon's POV. If you like the pairing, I think it's a must-read. It's one of those ideas that was absolutely begging to be written and so at least two people answered the call, but this one is finished and stellar.

blame by mizzymouse Rating: E, Length: 15,320 words (Series of connected oneshots) Deals with the non-linear healing process for Mat's many, many traumas. It's not tagged as romance, but it has some very good Mat/Tuon scenes, and definitely deals with their relationship. I think of this as the post-canon counterpart to Secret Smiles; not so much in tone or content, but in terms of 'this kind of Mat/Tuon fic was begging to be written and the author did a great job'.

No Daughter of Mine by Blue Dragon Rating: K+, Length: 5,184 words (Oneshot) This isn't precisely a romance fic, but it still tells a love story (really, several.) It is the best 'Mat's child can channel' fic I've ever read, and I've read a lot. It covers all the bases, throws in a bunch of original characters I want to see more of, and to top it off, Mat's voice is flawless.