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"That will be solved along with everything else," she said coldly Much depended on as in Caemlyn, and who on their country estates "Where is Lord Pelivar? Lord Abelle? Lady Arathelle?" They led strong Houses, andher an odd look "You exiled thease stared back She remembered none of that Except that now, dim and distant, she did "Lady Ellorien?" she said slowly "Lady Ae Houses More Houses that had been behind her before she gained the throne

"Exiled," Lini replied just as slowly "You had Ellorien flogged for dease’s hair back, gnarled fingers lingering on her cheek as they had when she checked for fever "Are you well, girl?"

Morgase nodded dully, but it was because she was ree as her goas ripped down the back House Traemane had been the very first to throw its support to Trakand, brought by a pluht by Ellorien, now one of her closest friends At least, she had been Elayne had been nauely she could recall others leaving the city; distancing themselves from her, it seemed obvious now And those who remained? Houses too weak to be of any use, or else sycophants She see nu new titles Gaebril’s toadeaters and her ene in Caemlyn

"I do not care what you say," Lini said fir You need an Aes Sedai Healer is what you need"

"No Aes Sedai" Morgase’s voice was even harder She fingered her ring again, briefly She knew that her anirown recently beyond what soerto hide her daughter fro Elayne’s return -- no one de of an Amyrlin Seat, but she had -- that letter was yet unanswered It had barely had time to reach Tar Valon In any case, she knew for cold fact that she would not have an Aes Sedai near her And yet, right alongside that, she could not think of Elayne without a swell of pride Raised Accepted after so short a tiht well be the first woman to sit on the throne of Andor as full Aes Sedai, not just Tower trained It s at once, but very little hter would never have the Lion Throne if Morgase did not secure it for her

"I said no Aes Sedai, Lini, so youat me like that This is one ti medicine Besides which, I doubt there is an Aes Sedai of any stripe to be found in Caenature, and ood over what she had done to Ellorien New lords and ladies in their places in the Palace New faces in the Guards What loyalty renize a Guardsman Lieutenant named Tallanvor, Lini?" At the other wo hi him to me In fact, tell everyone in the Pensioners’ Quarters that, should anyone ask, I am not here"

"There is more to this than Gaebril and his woo, Lini And hurry There is not arden through the , the sun had passed its height Evening would be there all too soon Evening, when Gaebril would be looking for her

When Lini left, Morgase reidly She dared not stand; her knees were stronger now, but she feared that if she beganroo, especially now that she was alone And once he looked at her, once he touched her, she had no doubt that she would forgive hi, maybe, based on how fuzzy and incomplete her ht that he had used the One Power on her in soe

Lini had often told her that there was always onea brainless fool, but she had never believed that she could succuht they seeail Damodred she had wed for political reasons He had been hterHeir whose disappearance had set off the Succession when Mordrellein died Marrying hi the doubts of most of her opponents, and more importantly, had maintained the alliance that had ended the ceaseless ith Cairhien In such ways did queens choose their husbands Taringail had been a cold, distant man, and there was never love, despite tonderful children; it had been al accident

Thomdril Merrilin, House bard and then Courtbard, had been a joy at first, intelligent and witty, a laughing man who used the tricks of the Gathen Andor once she had it He had been twice her age then, yet she es with commoners were not unheard of in Andor -- but he vanished without a word, and her teone, but it did not matter When he finally returned she would surely have rescinded the arrest order, but for once instead of softly turning her anger aside he had s she could never forgive Her ears still burned to re called a spoiled child and a puppet of Tar Valon He had actually shaken her, his queen!

Then there had been Gareth Bryne, strong and capable, as bluff as his face and as stubborn as she; he had turned out to be a treasonous fool He ell out of her life It seemed years since she had seen him instead of little more than half of one

And finally Gaebril The crown to her list of bad choices At least the others had not tried to supplant her

Not so many men for one wo that Lini sos, though very good for those She had been on the throne before Lini had thought her old enough to tell what the three things were Perhaps if I’d kept just to the dancing, she thought wryly, I’d not have