the Kin, a group of whom were watching the production some seats to the side, glanced up at her as she did so. Most were too distracted by the song.
Elayne reached over and touched the medallion. Immediately, her weaves unraveled and the source winked away from her. Much as if a shield had been placed over her.
She sighed as the song reached its heights. The copy was so close, yet so frustrating at the same time. She'd never wear something that prevented her from touching the Source, not even for the protection it offered.
Still, it was not completely useless. She could give a copy to Birgitte, perhaps, and a few of the Guardsmen captains. It wouldn't do for her to create too many of these. Not when they could be used so effectively against Aes Sedai.
Could she, perhaps, give one of the copies to Mat? He'd never know, since he couldn't channel himself…
No, she thought, squashing that temptation before it could fly too high.
She had promised to return Mat's medallion, and she would. Not some copy that didn't work as well. She tucked both medallions into her dress pocked. Now that she knew she could get Mat to part with his medallion, perhaps she could bully him into giving her more time. Though the presence of the gholam did worry her. How to deal with the thing? Perhaps copies of the medallion for all her guards wouldn't be a bad idea after all.
The song finished, the final, high-pitched note dwindling like a candle running out of wick. The end of the play came shortly afterward, men in white masks jumping out of the darkness. A brilliant light flashed, something thrown into one of the lanterns, and when it faded again, Walishen lay dead on the stage, the bell of her red dress splayed around her like spilled blood.
The audience stood to clap. Most of them were Kin, though not a few were attendants of the other High Seats who had been invited. All of those were supporters of hers. Dyelin, of course, and young Conail Northan and the equally young—but twice as proud—Catalyn Haevin.
The final noble here was Sylvase Caeren. What to make of her? Elayne shook her head, slipping the fake foxhead into her pouch and lending a demure clap to the other accolades. The players would be focused only on her. If she didn't give some sign of approval, they'd fret the entire night.
That done, Elayne made her way out to a nearby sitting room, which was furnished with padded, thick-armed chairs for relaxed conversation. There was a bar at the side, manned by a serving man in a crisp red and white uniform. He stood with hands behind his back, waiting respectfully as people ambled in. Ellorien wasn't there, of course—it was basic courtesy for a guest to wait for the host to withdraw first. Though Ellorien and Elayne weren't on the best of terms, it wouldn't do to show poor manners.
Soon after Elayne arrived, Ellorien trailed in. The plump woman was chatting with one of the Kinswomen, pointedly ignoring the High Seats who walked near her. Her conversation sounded forced. She probably could have been expected to avoid the sitting room entirely, but Elayne knew that the woman would want to make certain to express that she had not changed her mind about House Trakand.
Elayne smiled, but did not approach the woman, instead turning toward Sylvase as she entered. Of medium build, the blue-eyed girl might have been pretty, save for that expressionless look on her face. Not emotionless, like an Aes Sedai. Completely expressionless. It sometimes seemed like Sylvase was a dressing dummy set up for display. But then, on other occasions, she'd show a hidden depth, a cunning deep down.
'Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty,' Sylvase said evenly, her voice a faintly eerie monotone. 'It was most enlightening.'
'Enlightening?' Elayne said. 'I should hope that it was enjoyable.'
Sylvase said nothing. She glanced at Ellorien, and here she finally showed some emotion. An icy kind of dislike, the kind that gave you a shiver. 'Why invite her, Your Majesty?'
'House Caeren was at odds with Trakand once, too,' Elayne said, 'Of ten, those whose loyalty is most difficult to win are the most valuable once it is yours.'
'She will not support you, Your Majesty,' Sylvase said, her voice still too calm. 'Not after what your mother did.'
'When my mother took the throne years ago,' Elayne said, glancing over at Ellorien, 'there were some Houses it was said she'd never win over. And yet she did.'
'So? You already have enough support, Your Majesty. You've had your victory.'
'One of them.'
She left the rest unsaid. There was a debt of honor owed to House Traemaene. Courting Ellorien's approval wasn't merely about strengthening the Lion Throne. It was about repairing rifts caused by Elayne's mother while under the influence of Gaebril. It was about recovering her House's reputation, about undoing the wrongs that could be undone.
Sylvase would not understand that. Elayne had learned about the poor girl's childhood; this one would not put much stock in the honor of a High Seat. Sylvase seemed to believe in only two things: power and vengeance. So long as she supported Elayne and could be guided, she would not be a liability. But she would never be the strength to House Trakand that someone like Dyelin was.
'How is my secretary serving your needs, Your Majesty?' Sylvase asked.
'Well enough, I suppose,' Elayne said. So far, he hadn't produced anything of value, though Elayne hadn't given him leave to do anything too drastic during his questioning. She was trapped in a conundrum. She'd been hunting this group of Black Ajah for what seemed like forever. She finally had them… but what did she do with them?
Birgitte had taken the captives alive ostensibly so that they could be questioned, then tried by the White Tower. But that meant they had no reason to speak; they knew their ultimate end would be execution. So Elayne either had to be willing to bargain with them, or she had to let the questioner take extreme measures.
A queen had to be hard enough to allow these things. Or that was what her teachers and tutors had explained. There was no question as to the guilt of these women, and they had already done enough to earn themselves death a dozen times over. Elayne wasn't certain how far she herself was willing to descend, however, to pry their secrets free.
Besides, would that actually do any good? Ispan had had some kind of Compulsion or oaths binding her; these were likely to have the same. Would they be able to reveal anything useful? If only there were a way to…
She hesitated, missing Sylvase's next comment as a thought occurred to her. Birgitte wouldn't like it, of course. Birgitte didn't like anything. But Elayne had felt Birgitte move off out of the Palace somewhere, perhaps doing rounds of the guard posts outside.
'Excuse me, Sylvase,' Elayne said. 'I just recalled something that I absolutely must do.'
'Of course, Your Majesty,' the girl said in a flat, almost inhuman voice.
Elayne moved from her, then quickly greeted—and bade good evening—to the others. Conail looked bored. He'd come because it had been expected of him. Dyelin was her usual pleasant, yet careful, self. Elayne avoided Ellorien. She greeted everyone else in the room of note. Once finished, she began to walk toward the exit.
'Elayne Trakand,' Ellorien called out.
Elayne paused, smiling to herself. She turned, wiping her face of anything other than calculated curiosity. 'Yes, Lady Ellorien?'
'Have you invited me here only to ignore me?' the woman demanded from across the room. Other conversations grew quiet.
'Not at all,' Elayne said. 'I was merely under the impression that you would have a more pleasant time if I did not force you to interact with me. This evening was not intended for political purposes.'
Ellorien frowned. 'Well what was it for, then?'
'To enjoy a good ballad, Lady Ellorien,' Elayne said. 'And, perhaps, to remind you of days when you often enjoyed entertainment in the company of House Trakand.' She smiled and nodded slightly, then left.
Let her think about that, Elayne thought with satisfaction. Ellorien had no doubt heard that Gaebril had been one of the Forsaken. The woman might not believe it, but perhaps she would recall the years of respect she and Morgase had shown one another. Should a few short months be cause to forget years of friendship?
At the bottom of the steps out of the lounge, Elayne found Kaila Bent, one of Birgitte's Guardswoman captains. The lanky fire-haired woman was chatting amiably with a pair of Guardsmen, both of whom seemed quite eager to gain her favor. All three snapped to attention when they noticed Elayne.
'Where did Birgitte go?' Elayne asked.
