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Ellisande, Last Queen of Manetheren

Manetheren

Eldrene, alone with her horse for near an hour, relaxed, thinking of nothing. Her calm was interrupted too soon. A young girl, no more than sixteen years of age, ran into the stables with a manic shout. Wearing a simple brown dress, with her hair tied up, one would not suspect the girl's purpose as a scout. She blended into her surroundings with ease, a small figure that darted to and fro like a gnat. Out of breath and sporting a grin, she collapsed in front of Eldrene. The Queen waited a good minute before the girl was able to catch her breath, and speak in an impatient and rushed tone. 

"Your Majesty, I... I ran a very long, long, long while... there's good news, and there's better news."

Eldrene looked down at the girl, waiting for a response. Intimidated by the queen, and her ambivalent expression, free of lines, with eyebrows raised in anticipation, the girl seemed to shrink. The scout lowered her gaze, eyes widening, and she waited for permission to speak. Realizing her menacing gaze, Eldrene offered a sympathetic smile, breaking that Aes Sedai calm.

"Speak, child."

"Right, yes-"

She took in a deep breath, leaning over slightly to facilitate that action. The girl then began to speak quickly, rattling off an impressively detailed account of her activities over the past several days, during and after the battle. She only paused to occasionally inhale.

"...and I followed the hooded men, for several hours. They came to what I think was a waygate? Or something else, it was rather dark. Anyways, they shuttled the Trollocs and those other, uh, things, through. And they disappeared. I waited for a while, but not too long, I didn't want to risk- anyways, they've gone. They're gone. At least, for now. A retreat. A retreat!"

The girl finally paused, and Eldrene waited.

"So can I get a week or so off? My little brother is celebrating his third name day in a few, and I don't want to miss it."

The Queen pondered for a moment, then, nodded. The girl's smile spread into an immense grin, and she let out a laugh of thanks. Giddy, she sprinted out of the stables, no doubt heading home to share her news. Eldrene watched the girl leave, and her little smile melted away, into a meditative expression, thoughtful, concentrating. Thoughts of strategy flitted through her mind, but she dismissed them, instead considering the situation in its immediate circumstance.

Eldrene unwrapped her headscarf, folding it into a small square, slipping it into a pocket in her skirt. Running her fingers through the short, crisp curls, she closed her eyes. Her horse laid down, staring up at her for a little while, before the animal's eyes fluttered shut, and it fell to sleep. Eldrene watched the horse as it slept, peaceful, now mostly clean. A smile crept onto her face, and she knelt next to him, brushing his mane with her fingers. She leaned against Heishain, and closed her eyes.

A few minutes, or maybe an hour, passed before she opened them again. A sound had woken her from that brief nap, the soft footsteps of her approaching husband. Brushing her hair back behind her ears, noticing that the curls had begun to frizz since drying, she sat up. Turning towards the doorway, she suppressed a yawn. They had been married over a century now, and she could recognize the father of her children's footsteps anywhere. She did not wait for him to appear in the doorway before speaking. A tired smile spread across her face, and she talked in a low voice.

"Are you here as my husband, or as my king?"

Eldrene swept over the floor with one hand, and looked at the dirt on her fingertips. Pressing her hand against the ground for support, she stood, and looked at Aemon. They were near the same height, even without heeled shoes.

"I already know the answer."

With a resigned sigh, she pulled the headscarf from her pocket. Unfolding the delicate cloth, she tied it over her hair, tucking the golden curls underneath the plainly colored cloth. Twisting the stray pieces around her face and slipping them into the wrap, her soft smile disappeared. She spoke while setting the scarf in place.

"That last battle really took a toll on your men, and the Aes Sedai who have elected to support the state need a few days at least to rest before they can return safely to the White Tower, to report the incidence in detail. Before you ask, I will not allow the army to make any advances into the Shadow forces. We maintain an advantage so long as we remain on the defense."

She cleared her throat.

"According to my scouts, the Shadowspawn have retreated for now. The report was verified just now, several others have told the same story. We have a breath before their next attack. We must take advantage of it. You should announce a relief to your officers, I suppose they must be gathered in the main hall by now?"

Eldrene walked out of the stables, expecting her husband to follow. She held her head high, walking at a brisk pace.

Ba'alzamon, Commander of the Shadow

Shadar Logoth

"Ardath. Do not address those who actually attempted to contribute to our last advance as inferiors. And for the love of our Lord, do not speak like a child. You are an adult. Act like it."

Ba'alzamon stepped towards the woman, towering over her. His eyes seemed to be filled with fire, suddenly, as he glared at her. Disgust filled his face, and after a good long while, he turned away.

"Is this really what our forces have come to? From a knitted group of powerful people committed to the prospect of freedom, to the scattered meandering children who can't speak in complete sentences without attempting some childish, pretentious, riddle filled nonsense?"

A few of the Myrddraal's mouths twitched, as though turning to smiles. However, the depressive aura of the city aided them in maintaining their rigid composure. Ba'alzamon raised a hand, as though to begin a speech, opening his mouth. He paused, though, and let his hand fall to his side, shutting his mouth. After a moment, he broke that stare, and cast his gaze downwards, in a huff.

"A dam of any kind would not work in a river whose current is stronger than most channellers. A bridge must be engineered, crafted by human hands. And the people of Manetheren are the most stubborn alive, and will not betray their country to aid us even if we burned it to the ground. They are resilient, and they are idiots. And we do not have substantial enough human forces to overwhelm and build an adequate bridge, let alone willing numbers."

Ba'alzamon waved a dismissive hand.

"Unless you have a useful suggestion, leave. You are belittling those who are your equals at best, your superiors in actuality. And your ideas are clouded in useless chatter, wasting my precious time."

He paused for a moment, expecting a response.

Princess Naia Irabena, Aes Sedai

Tar Valon, the White Tower

Naia awoke far too early from far too little sleep. She had not had any dreams- a friend had given her something to keep them away. Exhausted, she wrapped herself in a smooth white robe of almost translucent material, and looked in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, but she could not be bothered to fix it, so she left her room. Wandering the halls, she debated breakfast, contemplating the crowd and the food, but decided against it. The loud noises might hurt her head, as she had drunk one too many glasses of wine in the morning. Massaging her temples, she headed toward the library.

As she turned a corner, Naia saw the young Yellow approach the library, and her eyes widened. Knowing that the Amyrlin was likely to be resting within its cozy walls, poring over some noxious text, she knew that any interruption would no doubt promote petty sanctions. She paused, weighing the situation. If she allowed the Yellow to annoy the Amyrlin, hilarity may ensue, much needed entertainment. However, if she prevented her from entering the library, she might have to deal with a hotheaded, entitled Yellow, whose grumpiness would ruin such a pleasant morning. 

She chose the latter, despite the clear disadvantages, for the sake of a pocketed favor. Just after the Yellow knocked, Naia ran towards her. Not stopping, she grabbed the woman's arm, and forcefully pulled her around the corner. She whispered- 

"The Amyrlin's probably in there, studying- are you trying to piss her off?"

Once around the corner, Naia let go of the Yellow, and looked her up and down. Tall and dark with her shocking white hair, Naia relished in her intimidating appearance and scandalous outfits. This girl, this child, bore the look of an innocent whose eyes had never seen the world. Naia liked children, for the most part, but adults with the relative mindset of a child got on her nerves in the same way cobwebs would bother a servant and burned eggs would bother a chef. Her knuckles turned pale as she clenched her hands into fists, irrationally angry. It was too early for her to be awake, and she knew she was about to take it out on this girl. She took a breath, and relaxed, though her forearms remained tense, and her fists were still tight. 

"Sorry to snap. I do not want to see the Amyrlin disturbed. If you are going to use the library, just walk in- any noise is a nuisance, and defeats the point of its existence."

The Amyrlin had apparently stood up from her desk, to come to the door. Naia peered around the corner, to glimpse the nasty expression marring Tetsuan's tired face. Tetsuan did not appear to see the pair, and turned back into the library with a grumble of frustration and annoyance. Naia then turned back to Kisathera with a breath of relief. Raising her eyebrows in expectation, a smug smile appeared on her face. The smile quickly turned into a confused look, complete with an upturned nose. 

"Why were you going to the library anyways?"
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