The Gathering Storm - By Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson Page 0,226

to the pair of Maidens—Beralna and Riallin—who were keeping an eye on the servants.

“Second floor,” one of the Maidens said. “Sipping tea while her hand shakes so much it threatens to break the porcelain.”

“We keep telling her she’s not a prisoner,” the other Maiden said. “She just can’t leave.”

Both of them found that amusing. Rand glanced to the side as Rhuarc joined him in the entryway. The tall, fire-haired clan chief inspected the room, with its twinkling chandelier and ornamented vases. Rand knew what he was thinking. “You may take the fifth,” he said. “But only from the rich who live in this district.”

That wasn’t how it was done; the Aiel should have been allowed the fifth from everyone. But Rhuarc did not argue. What the Aiel had done in taking Bandar Eban hadn’t really been a true conquest, though they had fought gangs and thugs. Perhaps he shouldn’t have given them anything. But considering the mansions like this one, there was wealth to spare for the Aiel here, among the wealthy at least.

The Maidens nodded, as if they had expected it, then loped off, probably to begin selecting their share. Dobraine watched them with consternation. Cairhien had suffered the Aiel fifth on several occasions.

“I never can understand why you let them plunder like highwaymen who find the caravan guards asleep,” Corele said, sweeping into the room with a smile. She raised an eyebrow at the impressive furnishings. “And such a pretty place as this. Like letting soldiers trample spring buds, isn’t it?”

Had she been sent to deal with him now that he’d shaken Merise? She met Rand’s gaze in her pleasant way, but he held it until she broke and turned away. He could remember a time when that had never worked with Aes Sedai.

He turned to Dobraine. “You have done well here,” he said to the lord. “Even if you haven’t brought order as widely as I wish. Gather your armsmen. Narishma has been instructed to provide a gateway for you to Tear.”

“Tear, my Lord?” Dobraine asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Rand said. “Tell Darlin to stop pestering me with messengers. He is to keep gathering his forces; I’ll bring him to Arad Doman when I decide the time is right.” That would be after he met with the Daughter of the Nine Moons, which meeting would determine much.

Dobraine looked faintly crestfallen. Or was that just Rand’s interpretation? Dobraine’s expression rarely changed. Was he imagining his hopes of this kingdom withering away? Was he plotting against Rand? “Yes, my Lord. I assume I’m to leave immediately?”

Dobraine has never given us reason to doubt him. He even gathered support for Elayne to take the Sun Throne!

Rand had been away from him too long. Too long to trust him. But best to get him out for now; he’d had too much time to get a foothold here, and Rand didn’t trust any Cairhienin to avoid games with politics.

“Yes, you leave within the hour,” Rand said, turning to walk up the graceful white stairs.

Dobraine saluted, stoic as always, and left out the front doorway. He obeyed immediately. No word of complaint. He was a good man. Rand knew he was.

Light, what is happening to me? Rand thought. I need to trust some people. Don’t I?

Trust . . . ? Lews Therin whispered. Yes, perhaps we can trust him. He cannot channel. Light, the one we can’t trust at all is ourselves. . . .

Rand clenched his jaw. He would reward Dobraine with the kingdom if Alsalam couldn’t be found. Ituralde didn’t want it.

The stairs rose straight and broad to a landing, then split and twisted up to the second floor, touching the landing there on two separate sides. “I need an audience chamber,” Rand said to the servants below, “and a throne. Quickly.”

Less than ten minutes later, Rand sat in a plushly decorated sitting room on the second floor, waiting for the merchant Milisair Chadmar to be brought to him. His ornately carved white wood chair wasn’t quite a throne, but it would do. Perhaps Milisair had used it for audiences herself. The room did seem laid out like a throne room, with a shallowly raised dais for him to sit on. Both dais and floor below were covered in a textured green and red rug of fanciful design which matched the Sea Folk porcelain on pedestals at the corner. Four broad windows behind him—each large enough to walk through—ushered overcast sunlight into the room, and it fell on his back as he sat