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"You would be doing the same in their place, I warrant," Dyelin said

"Not if I knew that the Last Battle was approaching," Elayne snapped "We need to do so to direct the nobles towardto unify them behind me, or at least convince them that I’ this?" Dyelin asked

"Yes," Elayne said, glancing eastward "It’s tiitte choked quietly on her tea Dyelin itte asked, wiping her chin "It’s bloody insane Elayne, you barely have your fingers on Andor"

"Thateven better," Elayne said "We have momentum Besides, if we move for Cairhien now, it will show that Ipuff of a queen"

"I doubt anyone expects that of you," Birgitte said "If they do, they probably took one too ht, however uncouth the presentation," Dyelin agreed She glanced at Birgitte, and Elayne could feel a stab of dislike through Birgitte’s bond Light! What would it take to th as a queen, Elayne That won’t stop the others fro what power they can; they know they’re unlikely to be able to get it later"

"I don’t have fifteen years to stabilize my rule, like Mother," Elayne said "Look, we all knohat Rand kept saying aboutfor me, and after what happened to Colavaere, nobody dares disobey Rand’s edicts"

"By taking that throne," Dyelin said, "you risk looking as if you’re letting al’Thor hand it to you"

"So?" Elayne said "I had to take Andor on ift of Cairhien His Aiel were the ones to liberate it We’d be doing the Cairhienin a favor by preventing a , at least as strong as anyone else’s, and those loyal to Rand will fall behindyourself?"

"Possibly," Elayne said, "but I think it’s worth the risk In one step I could beco"

Further argulanced at Dyelin, and the wo what Elayne had said Well, Elayne would strike for the Sun Throne, with or without Dyelin’s approval The woly useful to Elayne as an advisor--Light be praised that Dyelin hadn’t wanted the throne herself!--but a queen could not let herself fall into the trap of relying on any one person tooin the storklike Master Norry He was dressed in red and white, his long face characteristically somber He carried his leather folder under one arht ere finished for the day"

"I thought so as well, Your Majesty," he said "But several new ht be…u to you"

"What do you mean?"