Lord of Chaos: Chapter 16
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Author: Val a'Shain
Chapter Icon: A serpent twisted through a square
Point of View: Rand
Setting: Setting: Royal palace in Caemlyn, Andor
Characters: Rand, Davram Bashere, Halwin Norry, Dyelin, Abelle, Ellorien, Luan, Aviendha
Outline
Rand realises Tigraine was his mother.
Summary
Rand is in the Royal Palace in Caemlyn listening to Halwin Norry's report. Halfway through the report Bashere comes in. Rand dismisses Norry and Bashere presents four of the most powerful nobles in Andor. Lady Dyelin, Lord Abelle, Lady Ellorien and Lord Luan. Rand is following Moiraine's advice and behaves like a king. The four are obviously not at ease and they are trying to find out how much of what they heard about Rand is true. They are visibly relieved to see Bashere leave. He is a foreign Lord with an army in Andor. Maybe his influence isn't quite as big as they feared.
Andorans are more straightforward then Cairhienin or Tairens so Rand keeps it simple. He won't tell them what to believe of the countless rumours about him that they must have heard. What he wants is to make sure Elayne gets the Lion Throne and then leave governing to her. Luan, Ellorien and Abelle seem to think Rand has a hidden agenda. They speak for Dyelin who after Elayne is next in line for the throne. Dyelin, however, speaks for Elayne. She says she will see what the Dragon Reborn does and will, if he does what he promises, support him in the Last Battle. If he doesn't, however, she will come against him and the other three declare they would support her. That is enough for Rand at the moment so he breaks up the meeting.
Before the nobles leave he takes Dyelin aside for a moment and asks why many of the Andoran nobles look at him strangely. Dyelin tells him he looks like Tigraine, the Daughter-Heir who disappeared some twenty-five years ago. Some blame Gitara Moroso for that disappearance and that of her brother Luc. Her story fits with what Rand knows about his mother from the Wise Ones.
When the four nobles leave Bashere announces the next visitor - a messenger from Sammael. The man has a grin plastered to his face but looks disturbing nonetheless. Sammael proposes a truce. He is happy to stay in Illian for now and not face Rand before he has to at Tarmon Gai'don. Rand tells the messenger that there will be no truce with the Shadow. Sammael will be brought to justice for his crimes. Upon hearing Rand's reply the messenger collapses in a puddle of blood and flesh. Rand assumes Sammael got the message.
Sickened with Andor for the moment, Rand wants to leave for Cairhien. To get away from Alanna as much as anything. Aviendha who just appeared at the scene requests to accompany him. She wants to speak to the Wise Ones. Bashere reminds him he was supposed to inspect the Saldaean troops that afternoon. Rand promises to do that tomorrow or the day after and opens a gateway.
