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butterflydm · 2 years

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wot reread: winter’s heart (prologue - chap 13)

spoilers through winter’s heart.

1. We start with our Black Ajah Hunters plotline. Seaine is worried about rats (spies of the Dark One) in the White Tower. I feel like it’s been a while since anyone talked about rats as spies of the Dark One. I wonder if there will be more of a focus on rats=shadow as we ramp up the Seanchan taking more of a role in things and thus maybe the ravens being associated more with the Seanchan.

2. Seaine is also trying to distract herself from the interrogation of Talene (Green Sitter & member of the Black Ajah) that is going on behind her. They are using something called the ‘Chair of Remorse’. Not sure if I want to know, but I will probably find out. I’m feeling for Seaine here, because her hunt has already definitely been taken out of her hands at this point. Instead, similarly named Saerin is now in charge.

3. When Talene agrees to their terms and forswears all the Oaths that bind her, the shock of removing her Oaths causes incredible amounts of pain. But it is done and she reswears to the Three Oaths and to a new Oath to obey the five of them here. And, at last, she admits to being Black Ajah. Even though Seanine already believed in the Black Ajah and was near-certain that Talene was a member, hearing her confirm it is still a blow. “Nightmares were awake and walking the Tower.”

4. When they talk about handing her over to Elaida, Talene laughs and tells that Elaida IS Black Ajah. Seaine says that makes no sense, since Elaida is the one who started her on this hunt. Pevara points out that Talene can say it if she believes it is true, even if she’s wrong. I like the discussion of how the Oaths work that we get here. Talene tells them that Elaida must be Black Ajah, because the Black Ajah knows every report that goes through Elaida’s hands, every message, every announcement, days before it is public. The group tries to decide what to do, as Talene has said that the Black Ajah has an idea already that Seaine is Up To Something. Ah, this plotline is so interesting and every time we dip into it, the web grows and gets more complicated. I feel like there’s a good chance we’ll get this plotline in some form (should the show go that far) since the White Tower is one of their main sets so they might as well use it even after our kiddos have left for other pastures.

5. Elayne PoV! Hello, dearest! Caemlyn is experiencing a violent ‘thunder snow’... yay, Bowl of the Winds? It’s been a few days since she put in her formal claim for the Lion Throne and she is going to update us on all the doings. Aww, Elayne wants to make Nynaeve her Aes Sedai advisor. She loves Nynaeve so much. Elayne has so many strong relationships with women that she trusts. Love that for her.

Nynaeve is making plans with Reanne on how to sneak the members out the Kin out of Seanchan controlled lands. Love her so much. 💖

Vandane is trying to work out who her sister’s killer (and Darkfriend among them) is.

Birgitte is recruiting for Elayne’s guard. Elayne has given her an estate and made her a Lady and also Captain-General of the Queen’s Guard.

6. “The Light send Thom was safe, that he and Mat and the others had escaped the Seanchan and were on their way to Caemlyn. Every day since leaving Ebou Dar she prayed for their safety.” Aww. Also, it sounds like Egwene did not share her dreams about Mat being “pale and in pain” with Elayne. Actually, now that I think on it... has Egwene EVER shared any of her prophetic dreams with anyone? She’s like the opposite of Min. Also, since they are still all parted from Mat, I’m gonna continue to keep track of when they mention him. Just for funzies. And because Mat’s separation from everyone else hurts my heart.

7. The qualities Elayne remembers her mother mentioning as key for a queen: a fine mind, a keen grasp of affairs, a brave heart, and people need to see you as a queen as well (so some level of showmanship). I wish she could share her political advice with Rand again. She really is straight-up the most SUITED for Rand of all three of his girlfriends and yet gets to spend the least amount of time with him. It’s so unfair.

8. “A queen could not show herself afraid, even when she was. Especially when she was.” See, this is exactly what Rand is TRYING to do in his own plotline but a vital part of why Elayne can do this and stay emotionally healthy is because she does have people around her that she trusts enough to be VULNERABLE in front of. And Rand doesn’t have that -- he specifically notes at the end of TPoD that he avoids grabbing onto saidin around Min because he doesn’t want her to see his dizzy spells. He hides his vulnerability as much from Min as he does everyone else, he just hides it under lust and protectiveness instead of coldness.

9. Birgitte (and Elayne) are hoping very much that Gawyn will return from Tar Valon to be Elayne’s First Prince of the Sword. Elayne has sent three messengers. Wow. It sure would be nice. If she had a general lying around. And not stuck in freaking Ebou Dar with the bloody Seanchan. It would be nice. Birgitte already has Too Many Jobs tbh and it would have been nice if they could have taken one off her shoulders.

10. Tired of the Windfinders. Not dealing with them. Moving on to Mazrim Taim coming for a visit. He brings an ~aura of menace with him and two asha’man. Everyone is on edge. Interesting note: Taim and his two companions are not wearing swords, even though sword-training was part of Rand’s requirements. We learn here that, in addition to taking down Rand’s banners, the Saldaean and Aiel troops are almost done withdrawing from the city. He also mentions that Rand has sent her a gift “from the south”. Elayne also notes that she feels like Taim is aware of her feelings for Rand & vice versa.

11. While she’s in the middle of dealing with Taim, Nadere of the Wise Ones has come to summon Elayne for her first-sister ceremony. Because this is Robert Jordan, Elayne must naturally undress in front of all these people. Oh, wow, I think this is the first time we learn that Actually Elayne Is Kinda Tall. She’s taller than literally all of the other women there (except for Nadere, the Aiel Wise One). How tall is she in comparison to Mat, in book canon? Mat and Aviendha are around the same height (a head shorter than Rand). Hmm. I will look for more height-clues.

12. We’re reminded that Elayne has seen Aviendha nude lots of times now, as Aviendha will often walk around their apartments without any clothes on. She meets Aviendha (also naked right now) in a room with over a dozen Wise Ones (they must have Traveled from Cairhien, I assume? We know they have the weave for it, because Sorilea showed it to Cadsuane. Ah, they learned it from Egwene “to repay a debt”). Ah, Aviendha is definitely taller than Elayne, as it’s noted that everyone except one of the Wise Ones in this room right now is taller than she is. So the heights are Elayne < Aviendha | Mat < Rand.

13. Elayne learns here that the first-sister ceremony involves a level of being bonded together with the One Power. First they need to answer questions about their first sisters. Their answers:

Best thing about her: Elayne says it’s Aviendha’s confidence. Aviendha says it’s Elayne’s bravery.

Worst thing about her: Elayne says it’s Aviendha’s violent streak; Aviendha says that Elayne flaunts her beauty and gets what she wants with it.

Most childish thing: Elayne says Aviendha refuses to learn to swim; Aviendha says Elayne gobbles sweets.

Biggest jealousy: Elayne is jealous that Aviendha has had sex with Rand; Aviendha is jealous that she knows Rand loves Elayne and she doesn’t know if he’ll ever love her.

They do the magical bit and they are now bonded as first-sisters and it’s similar-ish to a Warder bond but not quite. “Fainter but more magnificent.”

14. Ah. Back with Toveine and the Black Tower. Generally unpleasant to read about it, though not pointless -- it’s important for us to know the situation there and it hasn’t gotten repetitive yet. All Toveine wants out of life is the chance to murder Elaida for pulling her out of exile and sending her here. There are currently five hundred men here who can channel. Ah, Elayne and Birgitte are doing their inspection of the Black Tower. Toveine can see them, but doesn’t know who they are. She hides her face with her hood without thinking about it, due to the compulsion of the bond, and hates herself when she realizes what she’s done. She hears the name “Lady Elayne” used and thinks that she hopes Elayne avoids being captured and taken back to Elaida (she doesn’t want Elaida to get anything that would make her happy).

15. Between the level of mental control here in this bond, and Myrelle using the Warder bond to compel Lan into sleeping with her a couple of books ago (though she had to channel Spirit into the bond, iirc), bonding has become very disturbingly creepy at this point. There are two ‘clean’ types of bonds that we know of, bonds that don’t allow for compulsion: female channeler -> male channeler and female channeler -> female non-channeler. Or... hmm, does the “extra bit” chapter in the last book imply that the compulsion was something deliberately added to the bond when done with Aes Sedai, a choice on the part of the Asha’man? Either way, it makes for a disturbing arrangement, though it also points out that the normal Warder relationship can be fairly disturbing as well. I’m... uncertain of how deliberate that is, at this point, given how often slavery and servitude has been used as a narratively acceptable punishment. The other Aes Sedai bonded to Logain is now sleeping with him and is in ~thrills over how helpless she felt in his arms. Yeah, I liked Logain a lot better the last time we saw him, before he was at the Black Tower.

16. Toveine and Gabrelle (the other Aes Sedai bonded to Logain) have a chance to talk inside his house after he leaves to go do... things. It’s clear that he has acquired a position of leadership here due to name recognition and that he and Taim are very much at odds (already implied at the end of the last book). Gabrelle says they need to try to make sure that the fifty-one sisters here stay united, rather than splitting off into Ajah factions.

17. Rand is still in Cairhien, but he’s hopped over to the school (a mile away from the palace). We get an update on the steam engine/horseless carriage! Looking better! Lord Dobraine is here to report to Rand. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that the only reason Dobraine is here instead of Berelain is the super-sexist reason of Rand feeling like he was too attracted to her to function. Anyway, Rand gets the gossip from Dobraine -- people don’t know if he’s dead or kidnapped or gone mad. Also here is the Mistress of the school, who believes in practical and pragmatic things, so she doesn’t understand why Rand wants to fund all the dreamers, who build things like telescopes and hang-gliders. Rand wants to leave things behind that will survive through any new potential Breaking of the World that he might bring.

18. Flinn, Narishma, and Hopwil are still staying at the palace, Rand learns. He knows that they weren’t part of the attack on him but is uncertain how much he can trust them. Cadsuane is “in and out of the Sun Palace as if it were her own”.

19. Eternal sighs for the double-standard between how Min is treated and how Elayne & Aviendha are treated. We do get a brief glimpse of Original!Min here, not all dolled up for Rand. Or less dolled up, anyway.

20. When Rand does, accidentally, show his vulnerability in front of Min by feeling the dizziness, she laughs it off as him pretending to be weak so that he doesn’t have to carry all the books she wants to bring from the library here. So I understand why he doesn’t feel like he can be weak in front of her, despite her trying to tell him that he CAN cry, etc. in front of her, because when he does show a hint of weakness, she thinks he’s faking it. Rand also seems concerned that Min might... stab him? “A dangerous sign with any woman, especially one who carried knives”. I mean, I know it’s just supposed to be more sexist “lol Women, AmIRight?” nonsense, but... yeah.

21. We learn that Rand hopped around to several different cities to try to lay in a false trail about where he was going -- in Rhuidean, he let it be known that he was interested in Shara; in Tear, he asked about Cachin; etc. He tells her that he plans to cleanse saidin and she has... zero outward reaction to it? I don’t understand what’s supposed to be appealing about this relationship, can someone explain it to me? This is a huge deal for Rand and would be lifting a heavy burden that he’s been under for the majority of the series and Min reacts “as if he said they were taking an afternoon stroll”. I guess we’re supposed to think it’s nice she’s ~taking things in stride?

This prologue is 86 pages. The book is 766 pages. 11.2%. I think this is when the prologues start to feel very unwieldy (as I understand it, that’s because they were released as sort of preview novellas? but it’s annoying all the same) and I think I remember them getting worse. I think if TPoD had been trimmed down, Elayne’s section of the prologue (which is the largest chunk anyway) could have fit into that book easily.

22. The next six chapters are Perrin chapters. Perrin is about to enter a pointless side quest involving an enemy who shouldn’t still be around (Sevenna & the Shaido). The only really good thing that comes out of the side quest is showcasing Faile being more mature than she used to be, but this was already more effectively (and concisely!) shown at the start of ACoS when she was able to play spy under Colevaere. Things worth noting from these six chapters:

At least from this first chapter, we are apparently going all in on the “Actually, having slavers invade your country and rule over you makes life better for almost everyone!” argument in the Seanchan storyline. - legit quote: “life was little changed for most people, except for the better”. This idea was flirted with last book from Rand’s PoV but then heavily undercut by every single Seanchan PoV that we got (constant unrest back home) so I will... note how it is treated here as we go on.

Perrin can smell the cult vibes on Masema and his crew.

“As always of late when he thought of Rand, colors swirled in his head. And, as always, he ignored it.”

Masema has agreed to go with Perrin to Cairhien, with a hundred of his followers, but only the long way, via riding. We learn later in these chapters that he lied and is bringing thousands of his followers along.

When Perrin talks to the wolves about Faile being missing, they basically shrug, say tough break bro, best to mourn and then move on and eventually meet her again in the wolf dream.

While mostly grateful about it, Faile feels “almost insulted” that the Aiel who is in charge of herding her isn’t leering at her naked body. /menwritingwomen. There is also a lot of spanking.

Berelain does also tell Perrin that Masema has been meeting with the Seanchan. Perrin cares more about the fact that Faile has been using her Cha Faile as spies (dangerous for her to do, after all!) than the fact that Masema has been meeting with the Seanchan.

Cats in the Two Rivers have six toes and Perrin was surprised to learn that cats in other places have five.

While Masema refused to go through a Gateway to reach Rand, he’s chill doing it to go south to help save Faile. So, yeah, Perrin has failed to pick up the subtext that Masema actually probably wants nothing less in all the world than he wants to see Rand.

23. Elayne rides the streets of Caemlyn and thinks to herself that she will earn her people’s loyalty; and she wishes that Aviendha were with her but is able to find comfort in their first-sister bond (which is somewhat similar to a Warder bond). See this is the part of the bond that I find appealing - “like sensing an unseen person in the room” but not in a creepy way... “it was comforting”. Just the sense of not being alone but in a reassuring way.

24. Anyway, after centuries of it being ~so strange~ for there to be female guards and warriors, Elayne is finally changing things. Ridiculous that women being guards was considered so rare and odd, given the various things in this world’s history, but I’m glad Elayne is doing her part to change it.

25. We learn there are ten Aes Sedai that Elayne doesn’t know, staying at an inn called the Silver Swan. We learn that Birgitte’s memories of her past lives are fading from her -- she can only remember as far back as the founding of the White Tower now. She does remember that a sword has never done her any good, so she refuses to wear one.

26. Birgitte tries to tell Elayne that her adventuring days are done, now that she’s (almost) queen. She needs to delegate and not try to do everything herself. Two of Elayne’s rival claimants for the throne have been kidnapped, so now she needs to wait and see how their Houses respond to know who took them (as she suspects it was someone on one of their sides, trying to push the other one to support them). Elayne needing to do this politicking to become queen is very much main-quest at this point and not side quest, as she’s now working on getting the Andoran ducks in a row to help for the Last Battle (in addition to doing it for her own sake, of course).

27. Birgitte’s personality is so similar to Mat’s in a lot of these scenes. We’re also told that she spends her free time in much the same way - drinking and gambling and looking at people she thinks are pretty. Yet, “Elayne did not want to change her -- she admired the woman, liked her, considered her a friend” - interestingly, Birgitte is also locked into a fate-designed relationship (though in her case, we see very very little of her actual relationship with Gaidal) like we’re told that Mat is destined to end up in (plus has memories of past lives, for obvious reasons). She also gets frequently frustrated by how Elayne risks herself and throws herself into trouble.

28. I kinda feel like there are some character parallels here I want to tease out -- Birgitte <-> Mat <-> Min is one set of character connections. Rand, I feel like, is strongly paralleled with our other major leaders now (who are all women) -- Elaida and Egwene and also Tuon, who we are introduced to in this book. I would say that Egwene mirrors his ‘true’ personality (underneath the mask) and his genuine leadership potential, Elaida mirrors the effects of the taint and the paranoia and arrogance, and Tuon mirrors his Dragon Reborn mask.

...I can’t think of any major parallels for Perrin tho, tbh.

29. *sigh* After not being a huge part of the “lol the other sex is always wrong about everything” brigade most of the time, Elayne has joined it now, thinking “How did Rand always manage to do the wrong thing? Being male just was not excuse enough.” re: her ending up with the damane and sul’dam that he captured during his Ebou Dar campaign. It honestly feel like men and women in general like and trust each other LESS now than they did at the start of the book series.

30. Adelas’s killer has, Vandene and Elayne believe, been narrowed down to one of three women: Merilille, Sareitha, or Careane. From what Ispan revealed before she was killed by that same person, the Black Ajah didn’t know any more about the Kin than the White Tower as a whole did, which makes Vandene and Elayne feel safe in guessing that the Kin have no Darkfriends among them.

31. Nynaeve joins them - Vandene tries to get her to take over some teaching, so that she can focus on finding her sister’s killer, but Nynaeve just tells her to use the two novices to help her, since they’ve figured out as much as Vandene already. We learn that Nynaeve and Reanna have sent off eighteen of the members of the Kin into Seanchan-controlled territory (they hold Altara, Amadicia and Tarabon) in order to try to get some more of their hidden members out before they are discovered by the Seanchan patrols. Reanne is “a hundred years older” than any Aes Sedai in living memory has been, and is not the oldest of the Kin.

32. Reanne and Alise are trying to work on getting one of the sul’dam that Rand sent along to admit that she can learn to channel. Reanne and Alise say that the sul’dam feel like women who are on the verge of being able to channel but can’t do it themselves yet. They are certain that the sul’dam can already see the flows though. Ah, it ended up being a total of 29 sul’dam (leashed) and five damane -- so Rand did realize that the leashes could hold the sul’dam as well as the damane. Elayne’s plan is to show the sul’dam that they can channel and then send them back to the Seanchan to undermine their propaganda. “The knowledge that sul’dam themselves were able to channel would shake the Seanchan to their core, maybe even break them apart.” A message we have been told consistently ever since book 2, when we first learned it. But about getting the sul’dam to admit it to themselves - “it will take time to convince the Mistress of the Hounds that she is really a hound herself”.

33. The good news that Reanna has for them is that three of the five damane may be ready to be let out of their collars, and one of those three is from Seanchan. Two of the ones who are ready were taken during the invasion, but the third, Alivia, was collared when she was thirteen or fourteen and has been damane for four-hundred years (so twice as long as the Empire has existed in its ‘Consolidation’ form). Alivia says that she only said she wanted to stay collared at first because she was scared of being taken again by the Seanchan but that she hates the sul’dam. She’s also “considerably stronger” in the Power than even Nynaeve.

34. As they ponder whether or not they can trust Alivia enough to uncollar her, Lan mentions that if they refuse to release her now that she’s requesting it, they “might as well give her back to the Seanchan”. “Keep her collared when she wants to be free and you are no better than they are”. When Nynaeve says that the a’dam must be removed, Lan says, “Tai’shar Manetheren” and Nynaeve wells up with emotion.

35. Elayne deals with rulership issues, both good and bad, as she works on establishing her claim to the throne. Some deposits of alum have been found on her estates, which means she will likely be able to get some credit from the Caemlyn bankers and not need to pawn the rest of the crown jewels for money to keep her kingdom afloat while she works on becoming the official queen. Elayne finds out about Elaida’s proclamation saying that the Dragon Reborn may only be approached through the White Tower and finds it puzzling, as Elaida should know better than to make that kind of offer. She also finds out about Rand’s wing of the Sun Palace being destroyed by the One Power, with many people believing that his disappearance afterwards means that he’s gone to kneel at the White Tower.

36. Bizarrely, Elayne thinks that “a great deal of difficulties” could be solved by Rand being willing to kneel for Egwene.

a. huh?

b. when on earth would Rand have even had the opportunity?

c. HUH? No, seriously, where did this come from? “He would not do it” - literally has anyone even talked to him about this idea?

I do agree that he would be, like, “eh, no” but she’s talking like there was a long negotiation with Rand where he refused the idea but I’m 100% sure that absolutely no one has floated this notion for Rand at all and Elayne has no reason to believe that Rand is even aware that Egwene is the new Amyrlin Seat for the rebels because no one ever communicates with Rand. But it’s strange that Elayne can see how bad it would be for HER to submit herself (and Andor) to Rand’s authority and yet not see how it would weaken Rand’s authority if he submitted himself to Egwene and the rebel White Tower. She really has been drinking that ‘the White Tower is the ultimate Boss of All’ juice.

37. Finally, Elayne begins to set plans in motion to make her claim for the rulership of Cairhien, once she has settled Andor in her favor. After that, she takes her midday meal and is poisoned by it and set upon by three would-be murderers. Dyelin proves her loyalty by standing to defend Elayne (with her belt knife in hand). She is saved by one of the guard who she promotes to Captain of her Guard (it’s revealed to the reader in the next chapter that he’s a Darkfriend working under Lady Shiane and this was a set-up), and then Nynaeve helps take care of her afterward.

38. Now that she is back in a place with Wise Ones, Aviendha is firmly an apprentice again, though she does still stay in the palace because she is Elayne’s first-sister. Aviendha is also now in on the secret about Birgitte’s identity. Birgitte is also now able to successfully argue Elayne into having an honor guard with her at all times, since there was an assassination attempt and all. I am kinda sad here, hearing Elayne’s new female honor guard being described as her own ‘Maidens of the Spear’ given how Rand’s relationship with the Maidens is currently very broken and I don’t remember if it’s ever healed.

39. Elayne and Nynaeve go to TAR to talk to Egwene. Rand feels even more isolated and alone when I compare him against his counterparts in the other storylines. Elayne tells Egwene everything she knows about everything. Egwene also proclaims to them both that the Oath Rod is definitely what makes an Aes Sedai an Aes Sedai, so Siuan won her over on that argument. Shame. Nynaeve points out that the Kin prove that the Oath Rod potentially cuts their lives in half -- Aes Sedai rarely live past three hundred, but the Eldest of the Kin (an oil merchant in Tear) is nearly six-hundred years old. Egwene brooks no argument, though, but she does soften her decree slightly by saying that once a sister is ready to retire as Aes Sedai, she will be allowed to unbind her Oath and join the Kin instead (thus tying them to the Tower).

40. lol, Slayer randomly pops up in TAR to eavesdrop and then runs away, and everyone is startled by the appearance of a man who looks like he could be Rand’s uncle but is wearing Borderlander clothes.

41. We learn that at least some of the mystery Sisters in Caemlyn are part of that big Darkfriend circle that was once headed by Liandrin and then taken over by Moghedien. Oh, we do learn the fascinating news that part of the reason they’re here is because they have been fleeing Eldrith’s Warder, Kennit, who did NOT know that she was Black Ajah but is pretty certain of it now and is determined to track and kill her, no matter what the personal consequences to himself. I do find it very interesting that Eldrith chooses to mask the bond and then run away from him rather than either killing him or releasing the bond so that he can’t track her.

42. Rand has arrived in Caemlyn to pick up Nynaeve and Mat, while avoiding Elayne or Aviendha. He brought Min with him. Saidin is now causing a great deal of dizziness just by holding it, no longer simply when grabbing it or letting it go. That seems like a... fast change. It’s been less than a week. He notes that he doesn’t have to worry about Min noticing his dizziness, because she won’t.

43. Min is still glaring at Rand as if everything “were somehow his fault.” She lists out (some of) the ‘sacrifices’ that she has made ‘for him’:

abandoning her horse

curling her hair

giving up her life

This is the first time it’s been mentioned that those “dark ringlets” that she always has now are actually due to her curling her hair on purpose rather than her having naturally curly hair that has grown out.

44. Min does try to convince him to talk to Elayne and Aviendha here (and then sets up the love confession meeting a bit later) even though we know that she actually doesn’t want to ‘share’ him. Rand is certain that Elayne and Aviendha are more likely to hate him than love him and certainly wouldn’t be willing to share him. I was talking with @markantonys about how weird it is to think about how Min’s problems are mostly all her own fault -- she’s constantly unhappy with Rand and his choices but the only reason she’s in a relationship with him is because she chased him down and then relentlessly manipulated him into one (that is straight-up text; she thinks about her deliberate attempts to manipulate Rand into falling in love with her before they have sex in ACoS); she’s unhappy about all the changes she’s ‘had’ to make to herself ‘for him’ but none of them are things that Rand asked for, they’re all things Min did because SHE decided Rand would fall in love with her more easily if she changed everything about herself; and then there’s this: Min is obviously NOT POLY in the books. She is MISERABLE sharing Rand’s heart, yet she goes out of her way to make sure that Elayne and Aviendha are brought in on the relationship, even though I’m pretty sure she will continue to whine about needing to ‘share’ Rand in the future (which is kinda laughable given that she stays glued to his side and E&A barely get to see him). She is constantly making HERSELF miserable and then complaining about how her misery is all Rand’s fault. Rand believed that Elayne and Aviendha didn’t want him anymore; he wouldn’t have even thought to question Min keeping them out of the relationship. Now, obviously, I’d much rather have Elayne and Aviendha involved, because Elayne/Rand/Aviendha is much more appealing to me than Rand/Min at this point, but Min’s motivation seems to be based in Destiny Said So and her own deep insecurities about her relationship with Rand.

45. Min talks to the First Maid, Mistress Harfor, to find out where Nynaeve and Mat are, and Rand finds out that she has no idea who Mat is and certainly doesn’t believe anyone by that name is here in the palace, which is, of course, shocking news to him. Rand also almost gets an image here, with the colors, when he thinks about Mat. Min tells Mistress Harfor to take Rand to Nynaeve and then races off (to find Elayne). We also get a reference here to Min being Rand’s emotional support plushy, who helps regulate his moods by her presence. Rand worries some more about Mat and gets another swirl of colors and, he thinks, maybe a glimpse of Mat’s face.

46. I am not dealing with the Atha’an Miere and their horrendous philosophy of teaching. The only thing of note is that one of the apprentices Windfinders is ALSO miserable and basically begs Nynaeve to take her to become a novice just so she can escape how stifled she is among the Atha’an Miere because of how they overcompensate in order to avoid giving any appearance of favoritism. Eighteen pages that could have been two or three. Basically, I feel like this is all just to set up the fact that Nynaeve is miserable here so that we understand why she jumps at the chance to help Rand but they could have just... idk had her want to help because cleansing saidin is a universal good for the entire world.

47. “Talking to friends was one thing but being forward with her own husband still seemed quite another.” That is so weird to me. He is the person that you are actively having sex with, Nynaeve.

48. Rand finds out, here from Nynaeve, that Egwene is the Amyrlin Seat for the rebels, who acts like it’s so silly that he wasn’t already aware. Yeah, I didn’t think he already knew. Why on earth does everyone assume that Rand knows things when they know very well that they never tell him anything? This is also where we get the extemely out of character (for both characters) moment of Rand going “Oh, Mat must be with Egwene” and Nynaeve just straight-up never answering, and then they both drop the subject. Rand was worried about Mat not being in Caemlym, and Nynaeve was heartbroken that he’d been left behind in Ebou Dar, but both of them are just gonna... ignore that this conversation never got finished and go on to do other things. Out of character for both of them and clearly just the Author doing the bare minimum of essentially tricking Rand into thinking Mat doesn’t need any help right now because Mat has been Assigned Another Plot and we just have to ignore him. Nynaeve is also of the opinion that Rand should just go ahead and kneel to Egwene and I once again offer an baffled wtf. Just that it’s EVEN WEIRDER for Nynaeve to think this than for Elayne, given Nynaeve’s own history both with the Aes Sedai and having personally worried in the past about Aes Sedai trying to leash Rand for their own purposes. Also, Rand literally just found out that she’s the new Amrylin of the rebels, Nynaeve.

49. Anyway, Rand asks Nynaeve to hold onto the two ter’angreal while he ‘takes care’ of the asha’man and I sigh over his plot getting stretched out like this tbh. From what I remember, his sideplot about trying to take care of the traitor asha’man is going to end up treading over very familiar (repetitive) narrative ground. But Nynaeve says that she (and Lan) will go with him now, to help with the traitor asha’man, thus getting her out of all her obligations here (she doesn’t mention that part).

50. “I don’t tell him things he doesn’t need to know,” Min says to Elayne of her relationship with Rand. Yes, I’m very aware of the mountain of secrets that you keep from him. Elayne notes that Min and Aviendha are very much wary of each other. Elayne is the glue holding this entire polycule together by the tips of her fingers. We learn that they hashed everything out ‘off camera’ and intend to present Rand with a fait accompli. lol, Min is now ‘impressive’ with the ‘number of knives’ she carries on her person; she really is the knock-off version of Mat who is allowed to romance Rand because she has the Jordan-approved body parts (and a willingness to completely change herself For Her Man). When she showed up in Caemlyn in LoC, she just had a pair of knives and could only barely flourish them without cutting herself, but now she’s ‘impressive’. Sure, okay.

51. Elayne, Aviendha, and Min come into Nynaeve’s room where she, Lan, and Rand are. Elayne notes how beautiful Rand still is, IMMEDIATELY notices that he gets sick when he reaches for saidin, and Rand also immediately puts the Min - Aviendha/Elayne double standard into effect by telling Min that it’s time for the two of them to leave, though Elayne notes that he stares at both her and Aviendha like he’s “drinking them in” and that she’s pleased to realize that she is as happy about him looking at Aviendha that way as she is about him looking at her that way. Elayne IS the glue holding this polycule together.

52. Rand tells Elayne that he has to go because of the Asha’man traitors chasing him; he says that she can trust Narishma, Flinn, and Hopwil but no other Asha’man. Elayne mourns the loss of the boyishness that Rand used to have. She also notes that his “dark, reddish curls” hang down to his neck. He absolutely has Period/Fantasy Romance Hair at this point. Rand assumes that she wants to scold him over the sul’dam and damane, and apologizes for saddling her with them -- he thought she had all of the Aes Sedai that were with Egwene.

53. Rand mentions here, again, his belief that Mat is with Egwene and her rebels and, once again, none of Nynaeve, Elayne, Aviendha, or Lan correct him, despite all four of them knowing better. We don’t ever even get a thought from Nynaeve or Elayne as to WHY they don’t tell him! (because there isn’t actually a good reason; it’s literally only because His Plot Is In Ebou Dar). We were told, in this very book, that Elayne PRAYS DAILY for Mat’s safety, but all she thinks here is “oh, Rand will know the truth as soon as he talks to Egwene” (he’s literally just announced that he plans to leave as soon as possible)! Aviendha respects Mat as a ta’veren! Nynaeve was heartbroken over leaving him behind! (who knows what Lan thinks) And Rand has just told all of them that he believes Mat is with Egwene and none of them correct him!!!! Genuinely annoyed at the obvious Plot Strings forcing Mat to stay in Ebou Dar by the characters dismissing Mat being left behind with the Seanchan as ‘not important enough to mention to his best fucking friend’. In fact, it’s even kinda implied here that Nynaeve is letting Rand think this on purpose? (she gives ‘a wide-eyed innocent look’ to Elayne when Rand mentions it).

54. Anyway, we do get the love confession here, which I like, even if it’s annoyingly somewhat tainted by everyone brushing away Mat’s safety like he doesn’t matter. But I do like the love confession, still, and I love Nynaeve and Lan’s reaction to it, and I like that Elayne actually gets to spend the night with Rand, even if it’s incredibly annoying that he dips on her before she wakes up and never even has a private conversation with Aviendha at all. I like him leaving her a flower made with saidin, to match the flower that he tried to make for her in TSR. I also really like that we finally have a first time for Rand when he’s actually in his right mind and not grief-stricken, like he was when he was terrified that Aviendha had died or had just learned that his philosopher friend was dead.

55. The actual bonding ceremony is... mostly sweet, though given that I know Min stays glued to Rand’s side, it feels like another example of Elayne sacrificing in order to make this polycule work, while Min takes advantage of Elayne’s generosity. So. There’s that. But I like that we finally get Aviendha only using ‘half’ of Rand’s name to his actual face and both Elayne and Aviendha tell Rand that they would be willing to marry him. We also see Elayne worrying when she sees him doing things by hand that she might have expected him to use saidin for. She notices instantly all these things that Min has given no sign of noticing (or has laughed off) and asks him if he’s well (he says he is, of course).

56. Rand finally tells someone that he was bonded against his will by Alanna once he’s alone with Elayne, Min, and Aviendha. They are all very mad about it, but also realize that their options are limited, due to how the bond works. “We will share you, if you agree,” Elayne tells Rand, once again being the glue in this polycule and also being the person who understands what consent is. I’m glad that someone ASKED Rand (I think it was @essie007 who was wondering if anyone asked Rand at any point, and Our Girl Elayne does; though Rand still doesn’t really get any input on the details, just a yes or a no, so that part kinda sucks). She’s figured out how to make this whole bond work, even with Min (non-channeler) being included as a ‘bond-holder’ by studying how the first-sister bonding ceremony weaves worked and combining them with the Warder bonding weaves. Once bonded to Rand, they confirm that he’s in constant horrible pain so there’s that!

57. Sadly (maybe because it’s incredibly consensual, so it doesn’t hit Jordan’s kinks?) we fade to black much sooner in the Rand & Elayne scene than we did in the other love scenes. We don’t even get a kiss! We get more of Min’s reaction to Rand having sex with Elayne than we actually get of Rand and Elayne together!

58. Min, still not on board with the poly after all that: “all this talk about him marrying all three of them was very well for talk, but which one was he really going to marry?” Min still believes that only one of them can be Rand’s REAL partner, with the other two as people he bangs on the side. She really is the odd one out in the polycule, since both Aviendha and Elayne are on board with co-marrying Rand. lol, Min still tries to claim here that she rarely likes to talk about her viewings, which is SUCH a lie. Anyway, she babbles out to Aviendha that Elayne is going to get pregnant with twins from this night of sex with Rand, and Aviendha confirms that Elayne is absolutely on board with baby city. NEITHER of them are at all drunk at this point; they should both remain aware in the future that Elayne is pregnant with twins.

59. ...I don’t remember Min seeing Birgitte at Falme, though I suppose she could have. Anyway, Min, Birgitte, and Aviendha all go drinking together to blot out the feeling of Elayne and Rand having sex all night (and then most of the next day) long. Min immediately spills to Birgitte about them all bonding Rand because Rand is literally the ONLY person she is capable of keeping secrets from.

60. Elayne wakes to find Rand gone, along with Alivia, Nynaeve, Min, Lan, and a whole bunch of powerful ter’angreal. Yeah, so the chance for Elayne to actually do something about those ‘daily prayers’ to keep Mat safe is gone. And Rand goes ahead and takes the most vulnerable of his love interests right into two incredibly dangerous situations back to back, instead of leaving her in Caemlyn like he’s doing with Elayne and Aviendha (who can both channel).

61. Cadsuane is feeling very frustrated about many things, including that Lord Dobraine is loyal to his oaths to “the boy”. She is still holding Caraline and Darlin captive and has appropriated the three asha’man that Rand left behind in Cairhien as well (Eben Hopwil has been bonded by one of her minions). She’s also kidnapped one of the Windfinders (the one who Rand left behind in the Sun Palace after running across her unexpectedly). Cadsuane is also trying to figure out why five of Elaida’s Aes Sedai have now sworn to Rand. It’s a puzzle that she can’t work out. Cadsuane hasn’t been sleeping well since Rand left the Sun Palace after the attack. She pretty much CONSTANTLY thinks of him as ‘the boy’. We learn that after last night, all nineteen of the Aes Sedai prisoners have now sworn themselves to Rand, even without him present. Cadsuane basically views the entire world as what can or can’t be used as a tool to force Rand to behave as she wants him to behave.

62. Damar Flinn Healed one of the stilled sisters who was in the Aiel camps. Corele has bonded him, it seems, and now she gives him ‘permission’ about what he can and can’t do. And Narishma has been bonded by Merise. We do also learn that Alanna has gone into a faint and is unconscious (I believe this is due to the triple-bonding, which helps anchor this moment in time). And we learn that Dobraine has had Lord Darlin and Lady Caraline released and they have escaped on a riverboat -- Darlin is to be Rand’s steward in Tear. Ugh, gross, Merise makes Narishma quietly wait in the corner by snapping her fingers at him.

63. Forsaken meeting -- hmm, Demandred is actually noted here as one of the two people assigned to ‘watch’ Rand. Okay, okay. Yeah, noted. Osan’gar is the other one. Asan’gar is convinced that Egwene is completely locked down by the whole “headaches only I can help with” thing. But they are all worried about Rand’s plan to cleanse saidin, though we already knew that Dashiva (who heard about the plan) was a traitor/Darkfriend, so it’s not a surprise that they found out.

64. My feelings on Moridin in general: fun and intriguing and tension-filled in scenes with Rand; much less so in scenes with the other Forsaken, especially since he’s one of the characters who is in charge of the whole “evil women don’t get killed; they get enslaved” thing that Jordan is doing more and more as the series goes on. There’s a rat on Moridin’s shoulder so that we can see him use the True Power to destroy it. The order is out: once Rand starts using the Choedan Kal to try to cleanse saidin, they must go to try to capture him or, failing that, kill him as a last resort.

Mat mentioned by:

Elayne x3

Rand x8

Min x1

Mistress Harfor, First Maid x1

Nynaeve x1

Unnecessary scenes:

annoying Atha’an Miere nonsense: 1 (5 pages), 1 (11 pages)

relationship drama nonsense: 1 (4 pages)

Shaido nonsense: 5 (87 pages)

#wot #wot reread #wheel of time #winter's heart #wot book spoilers #wot spoilers #avilayne #wot polycule #the wheel of time

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asha-mage · 7 months

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Rand/Elayne, secret 👀

[Send me a character or pairing, and a one word prompt, and I'll write you a drabble!]

Here is what the people of Andor know-

Queen Elayne Trakand, Radiant of the Light, Lioness of the Sun, is the finest Queen they’ve had in a very long time, maybe the finest in Andor’s long history. She is brave and compassionate and wise in equal measures, unafraid to be ruthless and cunning when duty demands, but unwilling to be cruel or harsh without cause. She keeps trade open and the granaries full, the nobles in check and the alliances that make up the Court of the Sun strong. If there is one fault to be found in Queen Elayne it is the fault of all Trakand rulers, the fault that had ended her mother’s reign and almost destroyed the world, though she has kept it better checked then her predecessors. A fault that is all to human, and yet easy for the bard’s to romanticize and rationalize away- the kind of thing that will fit neatly into both her legend and her her history books, and something that is easy enough for her subjects to forgive given all else she does.

After all, what doe sit matter if the Queen has a truly terrible taste in men? The Queen can do as she wishes as long as duty is satisfied and the rule of law kept and the realm stays prosperous. So what if she had loved a traitorous Darkfriend? She had taken his head during the Last Battle in the end. So what if their had been some rough handed mercenary? Was a woman not allowed to enjoy making a scarred man bend to her will? So what if she had taken her new Captain General to Warder and lover both? The man she would be grateful to rise so high on her esteem. So what if a some dark haired bard slipped in and out of the palace’s private chambers? A woman had needs.

Queen Elayne Trakand was the most powerful woman in the Dragonlands, perhaps the world. She was Aes Sedai and twice a sovereign and the leader of the stronger alliance to ever been seen, and even if none of that was true she was the Queen. She could do as she pleased, and if anyone had any aspersions to cast, the meanest crofter, the lowest beggar in all of Andor or Cairhien would raise a hand to silence such.

Here is what the palace knows-

The Queen has no husband and never will. It is not an unheard of state of affairs for a leader, particularly one with a secure heir already in place. If some of the nobles and dignitaries are nervous about the lack of a second in line after the Daughter Heir or the missed potential of a marriage alliance, well it was their job to fret about such things.

The Queen was the Queen, and her duty was to provide an heir which she had done. Her private affairs beyond that, where her private affairs. The why is not that important. Rumor in the palace would name a thousand different reasons, but the most common accepted is that she had seen what love had done to her mother’s reign, to the rules of countless men and women throughout the long history of the Dragonlands, had tasted it herself with that snake Mellar and thought better of laying herself so bare in heart and soul. She was wedded to her realm and that was more then enough. Pretty musicians and handsome commoners who would ask no questions and be grateful for their Queen’s attention, could fulfill any other required need, without risk. It was no more then her due as Queen, after all.

And if there is one particular dark haired musician who stays for irregular but frequent periods in the royal apartments, well. Maybe she just likes his singing voice.

(The rumor that she had loved the Dragon comes up too from time to time, that he had been father to her children and first flame of her heart, but it it’s solidly in the middle of the pack in terms of believers, and evne it’s adherents would never begin to guess at the full extent or truth of it).

Here is what the Lion Guard knows-

The rumors of a bond with Mellar where trash, any woman of the Guard could tell you that. Captain General Guybon is her Warder and Captain General, but no more. There had been a mercenary at one point, though he had been more of a fop then a rough sort, and belonged to the Seanchan now these days. And there had been a man with a face like misshapen clay, a rough laborer whose smile could curdle milk.

There had been an Aiel woman too, sometimes, beautiful as the sun and sharp tonged as a viper, but soft and gentle for the Queen. She still visited sometimes, when her duties as Wise One did not call her away, but there was a distance there too, created by the Aiel’s role as peacekeepers.

But the Dragon? That was foolishness. A rumor cooked up to strengthen morale, to lend the First Prince of the Sword and the Daughter Heir an air of mystique, of divinity to their legacy. A pretty thing for the legends, and the footnotes of history books. The Dragon had never looked twice at Queen Elayne as far as her personal bodyguard knew- and there was no way such an affair could have been carried off without their knowledge. Certainly not.

And none of them, not Dragon, not mercenary, not laborer or Aiel, or Warder or Darkfriend traitor could claim the truth of the Queen’s heart. That honor when to the pretty dark haired man who sang the sad songs for her in the Old Tongue, who juggled and told stories to make her laugh and lounged with her long evenings on the garden.

It was him who taught the First Prince how to use his sword, who listened to the Daughter Heir cry out her night terrors, who played games with them, and read to them, and showed them the affection and love and devotion of a father. The matter of blood was irrelevant really- weather they where the laborer's or Cauthon’s or hells the Dragon’s didn’t matter. It was the gleeman they called father, and it was the gleeman who fulfilled that duty.

That was enough for the Lion Guard. He might never been Prince Consort in name, but in all the ways that mattered he was one of the House od Trakand, and so, they would spend their lives to guard him, for the sake of their Queen, and their realm, and the man himself.

Here is what the children know-

It is a secret. A very very important secret.

Your father saved the world once their mother had explained to them, time and time again. It nearly cost him his life. If it is found out he still lives, it will cost him the rest of it.

Cethlyn does not mind, not really. She is a bright girl, and can put together the pieces as they stumble into her hands growing up. The tale of the boy who had climbed the garden wall, and the Dragon who had given everything over to saving the world. The way mother laughs when she is in father’s arms, the same laugh as when she dances with Aunt Avienda or Uncle Mat in the small hours of the morning, or hidden away at the secret cabin that they only ever visit by Gateway. They form the whole picture in time, and she keeps her silence and lets tongues wag. One day she will be Queen in turn, she knows, she will have to put up with worse said about her.

It bothers Shevan a bit more. He hates people thinking some filthy Darkfriend’s blood runs in his veins. But he knows duty, and he loves his fahter, and can’t stand the thought of anyone taking his father away from them forever. As it is they see him rarely- and though he always returns with a song and a laugh and a new story, Shevan is hungry for more. Hungry to travel with him, to know him, to be trained by him in earnest, even as he is to shy to ask.

Neither child doubts or questions or wonders, why they look so different from the dark-haired man their mother calls Rand. It dosen’t really matter. The world is full of impossible and strange things. What is one more?

Besides, when their parents hold their hands and laugh, when they gaze into each other’s eyes and smile, when father sings in the soft lilting Old Tongue and their mother seems to breath it in like air- their can be no room for doubt. Not witnessing the raw love that fills them both, the admiration, the bond.

It seems a shame to keep it secret, and yet it seems right too, to hide this fragile brilliant light from the world, lest it be broken by the eyes of those that can not be trusted.

Here is the secret-

Elayne Trakand loves Rand al'Thor, despite all that lays between them, and maybe because of it. Their are others too, other compartments in their vast hearts, and that dose not preclude their love for each other. They have a family together, and Rand does his best balance his wanderings, and his abstaining from events, and being their father too. He has earned his peace and Elayne does not begrudge him it.

It should be tawdry and scandalous and dangerous. But it isn't. It is shockingly, almost disappointingly wholesome and pure.

They love each other, and it is a secret, but changes nothing. When it's true love, it never could.

#WoT #WoT Fanfic #Wheel of Time #Wheel of Time fanfic #elayne trakand #Rand al'Thor #WoT Book Spoilers #AMOL Spoilers #randlayne #No beta we die like 'rand'#Geo Political Polycule #lightly implied #drabble challenge #I keep calling these drabbles and they keep turning into 1k+ beasts #but I don't think anyone minds

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