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A servant wearing the red and white livery of the royal palace hurries into the garden and curtsies very deeply to Etaine, holding the curtsey while awaiting your acknowledgement.
Etaine stands up straight, having just taken a sniff from one of the roses in the garden, which one may notice look a little fresher since Etaine's arrival. She incline her head towards the servant and says in a pleasant voice. "Yes?"
The servant rises from her curtsey and says in a very respectful tone,'The Lord Dragon requests your presense in his war room as soon as possible, Aes Sedai.' She stumbles slightly over saying "war room", her expression showing that she is not terribly fond of the place.
Etaine nods her gently. "Very well, show me the way." Etaine says softly and then makes to follow the servant. The wisps of hair that frame her face bob slightly as she walks, the end of her long braid swaying to and fro. The hem of her dress flows across the smooth floor as she is shown the way to the War Room.
The servant leads the way through the palace to the Lord Dragon's chambers. Once there she peers into the room and knocks lightly on the doorframe of the open doorway before bobbing a deep curtsey and announcing,'Etaine Aes Sedai here to see you, Lord Dragon.'
Etaine waits patiently beside the servant. The palms of her hands absently smoothing the skirts of her dress. She faintly hmms to herself, a tune that might be recognized as a child's tune by people from the Two River's area.
Rand glances up from the table and focuses on the servant, then briefly over her shoulder at the Aes Sedai. He straightens up from the table and nods to the servant,'Thank you. That will be all.' As he turns to walk towards the chair in the corner, the servant bobs another curtsey, then departs. He turns back towards the door and seats himself in the room's lone chair, propping his booted right foot upon his left knee in a most casual manner, then motions for Etaine to come in,'Come. Tea should be arriving shortly. I would like to hear from you on what is happening with the assignment.'
Etaine steps into the war room, her eyes quickly taking it in before finally resting upon Rand. "Light illumine, my Lord." she says pleasantly. "I have been unable to locate Captain Kaliendrick." She sees that there is no chair for her to be seated in, but just stands there, almost regally as she looks at you. "I've been able to speak with the child, Elyiandrys, and I'm not pleased with what I have discovered."
Rand nods, a frown slowly forming on his face. Then he gestures dismissively and says,'I will speak on that with the Captain later.' He rests his elbows on the arms of the chair and steeples his fingers, slowly tapping the pointer fingers together as he considers the Aes Sedai standing in front of him. After a long moment of this, he stops tapping and says,'Very well, tell me of the woman. She is the one I left shielded, correct?' Almost as soon as the question is out of his mouth, another liveried servant appears at the door holding a silver tray and sea folk porcelain tea set. She drops into a deep curtsey and waits for acknowledgement.
Etaine seems to glide over to the servant and takes the tray from her hands. A lightly whispered "Thank you can be heard spoken by Etaine and then she takes the tea service to the table. "Aye, my lord" She replies her tone a bit more normal, still quite pleasant. "Do you care for sugar or honey or cream in your tea?"
Rand speaks casually over his steepled fingers from his slouched position in the chair,'Just honey, please.' He watches with little interest as another servant arrives carrying a folding tray in one hand and a straight-backed chair in the other. He bows as best he can with his burden and says,'I apologize for the delay, my Lord. It will not happen again.' Something about his tone and the way Rand's lips quirk up briefly, almost into a smile before his expression smooths again, almost seems to indicate that the delay was planned. Rand simply says,'That is fine. Just place the tray and chair over hear so that the Aes Sedai and I may converse comfortably.'
The male servant quickly sets the chair down facing Rand's chair, perhaps four feet distance from it, then unfolds the tray and places it between the two chairs. He bows when he is finished and steps back towards the door, asking,'Will there be anything else, my Lord?'
Etaine picks up the silver tea service and places it on the tray just set up between the two chairs. She then seems to slide into the chair, her skirsts draping over the sides and pooling on the floor about her feet. She reaches for the fine porcelain lid of the honey pot, picking it and setting it to the side as she picks up the honey dipper. "Lightly sweetened or do you have a sweet tooth, my Lord?" she inquires.
Rand shrugs slightly and says over his steepled fingers,'Lightly sweetened.' He then nods in turn to each of the servants and says in a much more polite tone than he has used before,'Thank you. That will be all for now. If I require anything more, I will ring.' The one bows deeply and the other drops a curtsey, then both back out of the room. Rand watches them leave, no expression in his grey eyes, then turns back to Etaine and says,'Something about this girl troubles you?'
Etaine nods her head lightly as she pours some tea and dribbles honey into a fine porcelain tea cup at the same time. "Aye, indeed there is." She looks over her shoulder to make sure the servants are departed and then is quiet a moment as if checking for hints of noise beyond the door. "Is our conversation protected, my Lord?" she asks as she turns to look at you with her gentle hazel eyes.
Rand arches an eyebrow slightly, then gives a small shake of his head. He unsteeples his fingers, resting his left hand on the arm of the chair while he gestures with his right,'You may ward against eavesdroppers if you feel it is necessary, Etaine.'
Etaine sets down the tea pot and places the honey dipper back into the honey pot. Picking up the teacup and a silver spoon, she stirs the tea while the corners of her mouth turn up and a smile appears upon her lips. Her eyes look slowly about the room as she stirs the tea absently. Then she lean forwards handing you the teacup. "It is done."
Rand's eyes narrow very slightly when Etaine channels, but otherwise he gives no reaction. Learning forward, he takes the cup in his right hand and mutters a soft "thank you" before taking a sip. Then he leans forward further and sets the cup on the edge of the tray before leaning back into the chair again. He settles into a very comfortable looking slouch and asks,'Now, what about the girl is so troubling that you fear it being overheard?' Something about the slouch looks wrong, though. It is as if he is merely trying to look relaxed, but small things like tightness around the eyes and a slight clenching of the jaw speak of someone who is not at all at ease.
Etaine seems undisturbed by the little signs of tension about you, as if it were commonplace for her to see such things. She pours another cup of tea for herself. "Well, my Lord." She begins as she puts a dribble of honey in her own tea. "Her sanity seems to be uncertain. Thus she is a danger not to herself, but anyone who maybe nearby."
Rand frowns slightly and nods his head as he seems to consider. Then he focuses on Etaine and asks,'Uncertain? If you were -certain- of her insanity, what would you recommend? And what is the rest of it? You did not ward this room simply to tell me that the girl might be crazy.'
Etaine sighs deeply, the smile having slipped from her face. "The child knows how to channel, my Lord, but refuses proper training. To protect others from becoming a victim to her inabilities, I have only one course of action that I can recommend." She put down the silver tea spoon and raises the cup to her lips. She blows across the top of the cup, causing the rising steam to swirl in the air above it.
Rand sits up and frowns sharply across at the Aes Sedai. In a tone that implies he already knows the answer, he asks,'And just what recommendation is that?' There is no pretense of relaxation now. Every line of his body speaks of tension.
Etaine's own jaw shows sign of tension, as if she is not pleased at all with what she has to say. "For the best of all concerned, my Lord, the child should be stilled." her words are blunt and straightforward.
Rand shakes his head very slowly and says in a cold, almost angry tone,'She is not tainted, just touched by the Light. Can your Yellow Ajah do nothing for her?' As he speaks he slowly leans forward in his chair, tone gradually changing until there is no mistaking the anger in it,'I suggest you become certain of her sanity. You fear to kill her, but you are willing to make her kill herself.' He snaps his mouth shut with an audible click of teeth, and stares hard at Etaine, his hands gripped white-knuckled on the arms of the chair.
Etaine looks at you sternly. "My Lord" she says firmly. "Do you not think I know the consequences of what it is I suggest?" Her own knuckles grow white as she clenches her hand around the tea cup. "And why I thought that ensuring our privacy was vital." She swallows hard and dry. "You think I make this recommendation lightly?" Her eyes narrow upon you. "I'm thinking for the welfare of all your subjects, my Lord. What would you suggest?"
Rand lowers his right foot back to the ground as he slowly leans back in his chair. He almost seems to glare at the Aes Sedai for a moment before his features smooth again. In a slightly less harsh tone he says,'Find someone who knows more of such things. I do not know which side of the White Tower civil war you are on. It doesn't matter. But surely both sides have sisters that study illnesses of the mind.' His expression suddenly grows very hard and his voice sounds flat, devoid of emotion or inflection as he adds,'If they agree she is mad and that nothing can be done for her, it shall be as you suggest.'
Etaine blows once more across the top of her tea, disguising a faint sigh. "The I will send word for one of my sisters to come here to study the child, my Lord." she says in a softer tone before sipping at her tea. "My concern is she refuses proper training, and that in itself makes her a rizk." She then looks at you silently for a moment as if studying you. "Then their is one of your Asha'man, Flhad by name."
Rand does not even flicker an eyelash at this pronouncement. He smirks very slightly and says,'If he is mad it will be dealt with. The Asha'man police their own. Is this your concern about him or is there something else?'
Etaine arches an eyebrow at you. "It is not just his sanity that concerns me, my Lord. It is his attitude. He seems to have delusions of grandeur, and I fear for your safety, my Lord." She lowers her own teacup until it sits just above her lap, resting in your hand. "Police your own, as you will, but if you do not wish my observation s on things I believe of are importance to you, why have you brought me here?"
Rand's eyes narrow slightly and he waves off your question,'Delusions of grandeur? Explain what you mean by that, exactly.' His eyes seem to unfocus for a brief moment, then he looks sharply at Etaine again and says,'I need specific concerns, Etaine. If I move against everyone that acts arrogant, I will have no time to do what I must.'
Etaine nods her head at your last comment. "Well, Rand" she takes on a less formal tone with you finally. "I'm not suggesting you move against everyone that acts arrogant or such. But that you are aware they are a potential problem, may help you in case they do start transgressions against you." She sighs softly, not hiding it this time. "Rand, I swore fealty to you for a reason. I believe you are the Dragon Reborn and I believe without you and your Asha'man, that we will fail when Tarmon Gai'don is at hand."
Rand nods slowly and says,'If he opens a gateway into the garden again, your problem will be solved for you.' Then he shrugs and says,'As for causing me problems, he will regret it very much if he does. Now, was there something more specific about him or just a feeling? And how long would it take for you to get someone to check on the girl?'
Etaine shakes her head lightly. "Nothing specific, just his mannerisms and his general attitude that were of concern to me. I will need to send a missive to my sisters, so how long, I can not be certain. But I would wager that a week would not be unreasonable." She raises her teacup again to take another sip.
Rand nods slowly and drums his fingers on the arms of the chair. He stares at Etaine for a long moment, lips pursed as if in thought, then says,'Very well. Light have mercy on her if you are right. ' He stills the drumming of his fingers and leans forward slightly as if preparing to rise, as he asks,'You have any other concerns?'
Etaine shakes her head slightly at your question. "Nay, not yet. I assume you wish for me to remain in Caemlyn and make my observations?"
Rand rises to his feet and straightens his coat. He nods and smiles a most irritatingly arrogant smile. 'Yes. Stay in Caemlyn. I may have need of you.'
Etaine smiles back at you and rises, placing her own tea cup back on the service tray. "Very well, Rand. You know where to reach me, as you need. Oh, one last thing. I would know of where one of your other Asha'man is, Kaith by name."
Rand stiffens suddenly and says,'I remember him. I am not surprised that he is another you have concerns about. What has he done?'
Rand eyes you suspiciously for a long moment, then nods assent. 'I will have word sent to the Black Tower.' He smiles again, almost graciously,'I will even make it an order. I have taken enough of your time today. We will meet again soon.'
Etaine inclines her head towards you and replies. "My thanks, Rand. I look forward to our next meeting." She then turns, her skirts sweeping around her legs as she does so. She walks towards the door and departs.
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