Chapter LXXV - Long Live the Queen!

Queen Morgase, although she was not entirely sure she could call herself a Queen anymore looked up at the walls of Caemlyn. Perrin stood at her side, the wolf's head and Andoran flags flying above their party. Normally she would have been glad to be home, now, she was not so sure.

The messenger they had sent ahead had been received, welcomed apparently, and it was time for her enter the Dragon's lair, so to speak.

She had thought she was being clever, coming back to Caemlyn with these people at her back, hardened by battle with the trollocs. People the Dragon Reborn had grown up with too. A personal friend of his tied to her. Not only that, but a dynamic new lord with a loyal region to be brought back under the Crown. The two aes sedai could not hurt either. She had expected to be rallying supporters and able to use the leverage she had to gather them before she could turn for Camelyn.

It was only when they got closer that they had heard the news that this Rand al'Thor had already taken Caemlyn. That took the wheels off the carriage, for sure. She would now be a supplicant for her own throne. Her new husband gone from valuable piece in the game to potential liability. No, that was unfair. Perrin was everything that game playing nobles were not. He would stand at her side and, as long as nothing had changed, he would no doubt be able to influence his old friend. Regardless, he was everything Lord Gaebril, or Rahvin if that was actually true, was not.

At least, she noted sourly, the rampant lion of Andor still flew above the gatehouse, next to the red dragon on a white background of Rand al'Thor and a sinuously divided circle of white and black on a red background. It looked familiar, something she was sure she had seen during her lessons before she became queen. The ancient symbol of the aes sedai perhaps?

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Morgase had not been sure what to expect from her meeting with Rand al'Thor. He had invited her to the ruins of her own palace. A statement of power she thought, showing what he could, would, do to anyone who did not bend to his will. It was not what she had expected from Perrin's descriptions, but channeling would change a man.

When she finally met him, sitting there in one of the few mostly intact rooms, wearing a fine, golden coat with red dragons embroidered up it she was not sure what to think. He looked like a boy, but there was something about him that warned her not to rely on that. The two aes sedai standing off to the side were another statement. She was not quite sure what to read into the pretty, young lady in breeches watching from the side either.

She had her own entourage. Verin and Alanna, not that they would be much help if they decided the interests of the Tower were better served without her, a couple of retainers and of course Perrin, ready to support her.

"My Lord Dragon." Morgase gave him a tiny curtsy. She had debated at length with herself on this and in end decided that the reality of the situation and the status of the Dragon required it, however much it galled her.

She could tell Perrin, standing behind her, wanted to go and greet him like an old friend, but he restrained himself as they had discussed. Friendship would be renewed, hopefully, but for now they did not know how young al'Thor had changed and there was no doubt that he had.

To her mild surprise, the Dragon, Rand al'Thor, stood to greet her and gave her a bow of his own. So he was not as arrogant as she had feared. "Queen Morgase, I am pleased to see you well and I see you've brought Perrin back to me too. It's been too long!" He gave her a restrained smile and a wider grin to Perrin.

Perhaps he was more naive than he had initially seemed. However, to think that would be a mistake. Perrin had hidden depths, the Dragon most likely did too.

Small talk and pleasantries were exchanged, Perrin and al'Thor embraced as men did. She was glad to see that Perrin was indeed welcomed as a friend. It seemed even if it turned out the Dragon was less favourable to her, Perrin would still have influence.

After some small talk and pleasantries al'Thor cut to the chase. "I assume you're here because you want to reclaim the throne?" He didn't say her throne she noted, although he had called her queen.

"That is correct My Lord Dragon," she inclined her head, all regal confidence. "Andor has always been ruled by a queen and I have never ceased to be the Queen of Andor, even during," even with her self-control she couldn't stop herself from giving a small shudder, "Rahvin's time here."

She left a gap hoping he would stumble into it and start talking to fill the silence, but he was too well trained for that. Unfortunate.

"Of course as the Queen of Andor I recognise that your existence means that the Last Battle is coming. You have fulfilled enough of the prophecies. I know the duty of every nation and I would pledge Andor's support for your efforts in that battle." Nothing she would not have done anyway given he was clearly what he claimed to be, so hardly a concession. The difficulty would be in the details. "Unified, Andor is the strongest of the nations and with it behind you your position will be strengthened both against the Shadow and the other nations." He was likely sophisticated enough, or at least well advised enough, that she did not need to explicitly make the point that Andor would not be united without her support or highlight the impact on other nations of him deposing the legitimate monarch of Andor.

He nodded at her words, pausing as if to think. "I agree entirely. I have no interest in replacing rulers who have the foresight to see what needs to be done to fight the Shadow." Morgase did not show her relief. "Anyway I would not want to have to explain to Elayne that I had turned her mother away from her own throne."

Was that a veiled threat? Was Elayne nominally a hostage? Perrin had said Elayne had sent him when he had rescued her, but a man like al'Thor could keep a hostage on a long leash if the stories about his power were true. The man seemed sane, but could she be certain?

"I am sure that neither of us would want to do anything that would cause Elayne distress." Morgase chose her words carefully. "Your power is clear as is your status as the Dragon Reborn." She gave a significant glance to the damage surrounding them. The Dragon was a temporary problem, House Trakand would remain after he was gone and she would ensure the people of Andor were protected to the extent her power allowed. She would be a vassal to him, under his control for now, in reality if not by law, but she would work for her freedom. Of course she would also serve the Light, she was no darkfriend, but she wanted to stand beside the Dragon, not kneel under him.

Al'Thor followed her eyes and then grimaced. "Ah yes, your palace. That was… unfortunate."

"Understandable though." It rankled her to be so submissive. "You did what you had to do to take Caemlyn from the Forsaken." If it was anyone other than the Dragon Reborn she would be swearing revenge.

"Mmm well fortunately or unfortunately that was not me. That was mostly Taija sedai."

"An aes sedai did this?!" Her composure broke briefly. Perrin had mentioned the woman although he knew little of her other than she was not the criminal Elaida had thought. Apparently she was the most favoured of Rand's aes sedai entourage, the only one who could really be described as a true follower of him too, if any aes sedai could be a follower. Morgase had been going to reserve her own judgment until she met the woman, but if she had seen fit to destroy her palace like this then perhaps Elaida had had a point.

Al'Thor must have picked up on her thoughts because he replied, "indeed. Rahvin kidnapped Elayne. Taija pursued him here, alone, and fought two of the Forsaken until Tel sedai was able to assist her. She succeeded in killing Rahvin in the process. The damage to your palace is regrettable, but buildings can be repaired. Lives on the other hand cannot be so you should probably be thankful to her for risking her own life to save Elayne's. The consequences if she had not do not bear thinking about." Another veiled threat against her daughter? Regardless if it was true that this Taija had rescued Elayne from Rahvin's clutches then Morgase was in her debt.

"Now speaking of Taija sedai there is one agreement that I wished to discuss with you. You see, in relation to the Hall of Servants…"

Internally Morgase sighed and prepared to fight to retain as much independence as she possibly could.