The Dragon Reborn: Chapter 46
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Author: Val a'Shain
Chapter Icon: The Lion of Andor
Point of View: Mat
Setting: Royal Palace, Caemlyn, Andor.
Characters: Mat, Gaebril, Comar, Tallanvor, Morgase
Contents
Outline
Mat is forced to sneak into the grounds and overhears Gaebril ordering Elayne's death.
Summary
Mat remembers Rand telling him how he ended up in the garden of the Royal Palace. He only half believes it but it is worth a try. He makes his way to the back of the palace and finds the wall Rand described. Soon he finds himself in the garden. He manages to evade the guards until he reaches the palace wall. Then he hears people coming his way and he has to hide for a moment.
From his hiding place he overhears a conversation between a man named Comar and another man Comar addresses as Great Master. It seems three untrained girls, Mat guesses Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne, are headed for Tear. This could ruin their plans since they may fall into the hands of a competitor. The man addressed as Great Master doesn't want to interfere directly, his opponent will find out, so he gives Comar orders to have all three killed. Comar says he will take care of it personally.
Mat makes his way into the palace while he wonders what the three of them are doing in Tear. Inside he runs into an officer of the Guard. Before the man can speak Mat tells him he has a letter from Elayne. The officer wants to know how Mat managed to get into the palace. When Mat tells the officer, Guardsman-Lieutenant Tallanvor, makes it clear that if he tries to hurt the Queen his head will come off in a second. Mat swears he is a loyal Andorman and that he would follow Morgase and Gaebril anywhere. For some reason this doesn't seem to please Tallanvor. He takes Mat to see the Queen though.
When Morgase reads the letter her response is mixed. Pride at Elayne being raised to Accepted so soon but also anger at the lack of information. Mat wants to tell Morgase what he overheard in the garden but Lord Gaebril silences him. Mat recognizes his voice as the voice of the 'Great Master'. It seems luck is with him again. When Morgase questions him again he pretends to be a simple farm boy from Comfrey, who went to Tar Valon to see his sister. Gaebril considers putting Mat to the question but Morgase stops him. She gives Mat a message for the next time he sees Elayne. She says she will not remove her from the Tower before time. Mat says he means to return to his father's farm but Morgase seems to doubt that. Gaebril gives him a heavy purse and tells him to go see something of the world before he goes back to milking his father's cows. Then Gaebril turns the conversation to Morgase's claim to the Sun Throne and Tallanvor indicates he is dismissed.
Notes
Character Development
- Mat
- Unlike Rand, Mat doesn't try to copy Tallanvor and merely bows
Mysteries
- What does Morgase mean about missing the quiet talks with Sheriam? Sheriam wasn't Mistress of Novices when Morgase was in the Tower.
Miscellaneous
- Gaebril thinks that Morgase has a claim to the throne of Cairhien through marriage
This might be true, but it's an odd way of transferring power. Galad would have a stronger claim, then Gawyn and Elayne
Characters
- First Mention
Comar
- First Appearance
Comar, Gaebril
Places
- First Mention
Spoilers
This section contains Notes on this Chapter which may contain spoilers. Please expand to view.
Mysteries
- What does Morgase mean about missing the quiet talks with Sheriam? Sheriam wasn't Mistress of Novices when Morgase was in the Tower. She was already queen by the time Sheriam was even raised Aes Sedai, they were even novices together for a time, in 971-972 before Morgase had to return to Andor to fight for the throne. It seems to be some sort of code - perhaps she thinks if Elayne hears this, she will realise something is up, but really, the chances of that are negligible
