Sister and her brother (attn: Mia)

[Arette]

At the spacious and august office at the middle height of the White Tower, the supposedly most important woman in the world sat behind her desk and cursed profusely. Annais rubbed her aching right wrist and tried if rolling it would help to the cramp caused by writing so many letters. Blood and bloody ashes but ink would soon pour out of her nose and ears and the pile of missives left to respond didn't seem to grow much smaller. She had just decided to to keep a break and go for a smoke when a knock sounded from the door. Annais rushed back to the table and slipped the cigar back to the finely inlaid wooden box on her table like a child caught stealing cookies. It was so wrong that smoking wasn't completely acceptable habit for an Aes Sedai despite Delanna puffing openly. Maybe it was just she herself who didn't find it suitable.

 

Annais hastily arranged the seven striped stole on her shoulders and called Aramina to enter. It delighted her to see Mia enter the room after her Keeper as being able to deliver good news always brightened your own day too. Of course first she would engage in what Mia called meddling. Annais didn't even know why she had taken such an interest in Mia but it had happened before over the years and usually blossomed into something beautiful. The Tower Guard was proving to be a bit more challenging than people she usually started liking but challenges were fun.

 

"Thank you for bringing Mia in, Aramina. You can stay too if you want to." But Aramina already knew what it was about and that it would be mainly a personal discussion and she had her own work so she returned to her own office. Annais turned to regard Mia with a smile and waggled her finger at her.

 

"Good day to you too, Mia. Your manners are atrocious. You may know me as an annoying know-it-all who puts her nose into your sleeve but I was just given the right by the Hall to do that for anyone in the White Tower. So a curtsy or bow or even Tower Guard salute would have been nice."

 

"Nah, I'm just kidding. Lets not waste our time. Do you want something to drink?" The way Annais eyed the brandy decanter on the desk told pretty clearly what she wanted Mia to answer. But from the look on the Tower Guard's face she clearly was wasting time. She sighed and resigned to the no. "There actually was a valid reason why I summoned you and it is not annoying you or wanting a drinking buddy."

 

"Remember when I told you that I would never pry into one certain topic you didn't want to talk about? Well, I am going to have to take my word back. I am currently reviewing the case of your brother and I consider calling off his warrant. I have already spoken with Brent but I want a highly personal and biased opinion on the matter too from someone who knows Con Stavros better than anyone. Why should I do it? And why did he leave in your opinion?"

 

Annais Nevell

Amyrlin Seat

[Wayfarer]

Summons to the office of the Amyrlin Seat.

 

There had once been another Amyrlin Seat who had summoned her to her office.  She'd once spoken of many things, amongst them had been a bond that had almost come to be and could have been if the same Amyrlin Seat had not rejected her in the end.  There was a certain bitterness to that, but it was something that could not be helped and it was better to have not gone through than been a Warder to an Aes Sedai that might have resented her presence in her mind.  As she had gotten older, Mia had to admit that the prospect was becoming increasingly unlikely.

 

But then, it was such high praise to link one's mind with an Aes Sedai, at least for the young.  The older that were unbonded often knew better, it was not a privilege or a reward or even a recognition that one was better than their peers.  No, it was a responsibility, doubly so for a female warder who shared her feelings and emotions far more strongly with her bondholder than a male ever could.  All her fears, hopes, loves, doubts, those and many more were for the Warder to know and to steady, to help their Aes Sedai retain control.

 

But now, as she followed Aramina into the office of the Amyrlin Seat, Mia knew that there was someone different waiting for her within.  Annais was a different woman to the one she had thought to bond, and she was a good deal older and wiser as to what such a bond would be.  No, there was no place for that in her life, she was different, yet the office still felt oddly familiar as it did alien.  Such a different woman who now wore the striped stole indeed.

 

Annais babbled as usual, it seemed to be one of her favourite ways of disarming people.  What was more troubling was that it worked all too easily, how she won people over so easily with her ways and her charms and her atypical behaviour.  One of the reasons she was chosen to be the Amyrlin Seat, but at the same time Mia was wary.  Such babble was usually a prelude to a different matter or topic, Annais was making a habit of meddling and as well intentioned as it was, it was unnecessary.

 

Very unnecessary.

 

Mia had not expected the subject of her brother to be broached, she had made it clear that Con was not a topic she wished to discuss.  The initial impulse to curb such talk was silenced by the mention of calling off the warrant, almost leading to her missing the mention of Brent.  Those two talked too much about topics that did not concern them.  Brent should have known better as well, or maybe he had forgotten after so long, or maybe he thought he could help fix things.

 

Mia decided not to sit down as she stood before Annais' desk, she suspected that her stay was going to be rather short lived as she spoke sharply.  "No, either you are already of a mind to and you will do so, or you are not and this discussion is pointless.  Is there anything else you require of me?"

 

 

Mia Stavros

Tower Guard

[Arette]

Challenges were fun but the rejection part wasn't. It was stupid how much such little thing stole of her energy that had been built upon a fragile shell blocking the fact that Annais hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Not to mention the maddeningly disturbing revelations that were new stones to her burden. And then making up with Aramina this morning and all these letters from the rulers and speaking with the Commander and deliberately not thinking Brent and their dinner. It had been difficult to resist the temptation of not going to see him in private during the days he had been in Tar Valon already. She leaned her chin on her fist and sighed tiredly.

 

"Yes, actually. Because you are no fun, I am tempted to send you to fetch my slippers and carry out some other as unimportant tasks. But that would be just petty and I will kick your ass with something much fancier when I have time to come up with something. Fine, I admit. I had decided already. The Commander gave me all the information I needed." She reached for her ink bottle and scibbled her signature to the bottom of the decree that had been waiting just that. "There. Happy now?"

 

"You get to play the messenger girl. You can take the call off of the warrant to the Commander. It's for both, him and your sister-in-law. They are coming here with the new Queen of Illian in few days. Just mentioning it because I am nice like that." She pushed three envelopes toward Mia. "And when you are done with Brand, you can take those to Gennie of the Green Ajah. She got Raised just few months ago so you should recognise her: the fresh meat always fears their shawls. Tell her to hop to Illian and be quick about it. You could lift a ride with her if it tickles your fancy. Although I suppose that Nanny Mimi wants to be here to wave her hankie and shed a few tears when her golden boy and his gang leave tomorrow."

 

"But hey, it is none of my business so off you go. Dismissed." Grumpily Annais reached for her cigar box and grabbed the one she had been supposed to have smoked already before Mia's appearance.

 

Annais Nevell

There is just no gratitude in the world :P

[Wayfarer]

It took a supreme amount of control to keep herself together as Annais signed the declaration that called off the warrant on Con's head.  It was something that should have been done a long time ago, but then she had never been in a position to argue it without calling her own loyalty into doubt.  Then it had ceased to be an issue as Con had found refuge and a home in Illian.  She had not dared to hope that the Tower would rescind the warrant that it had issued so long ago when his brother had left the service of the Tower and condemned it in the letters he had left behind.

 

What followed then was simply pettiness on Annais part, but it didn't really make an impact on her in the light of the hunt being called off her brother.  Well, somewhat, it was still bad form on Annais part and she couldn't be allowed to foster that sort of habit.  But, she had envelopes to deliver it seemed, other than the rescinding order that was to be taken to the Commander.  Well, maybe after she had taken care of Annais, after all it wouldn't take that long.

 

Reaching over the table, Mia quickly swiped the cigar before Annais had the opportunity to light it.  The look she got for that wasn't particularly flattering, but Mia wasn't overly concerned about that.  "Confiscated, and if you keep frowning like that you're going to get even more wrinkles.  That also goes for pouting like a child and sulking because you didn't get your own way.  Don't think I won't tell your maid either unless you mend your ways, it won't do to have the Amyrlin Seat acting unbecoming because she was frustrated."

 

Collecting the envelopes from the table along with the order, Mia paused before saying in a softer tone.  "I appreciate you doing this, don't misunderstand that.  At the same time what is private remains private, and I do not appreciate you dangling my brother's pardon before me and trying to dig a little information up when you had already made your decision.  Don't do it again."

 

Thwapping her on the head with the envelopes in the same way that one might strike a disobedient pup, Mia made her way to the door only for her to be called to return the cigar.  Opening the door, Mia turned about and said.  "Confiscated, and next time its the cigar box.  Then I'll start on any stashes you have hidden about."

 

At that, she slipped outside and closed the door behind her.

 

 

Mia Stavros

Tower Guard

[Arette]

Mia stole her cigar and that was a grave sin that was rewarded by a glare. Annais didn't lower to trying to get it back as Mia had much better reflexes than her and she would just look stupid. And she had more cigars in her box, she just throughoutly disapproved such thievery. Aes Sedai didn't get wrinkles, in fact, her skin felt still painfully tight after the Oath Rod session last night despite Mae's Healing. But still she unconsciously lifted her hand to her forehead and smoothed out the furrow between her brows. The threat about talking to Lia and allying with her actually got a small gasp out of Annais. She really did not need another domineering woman in her life and she was the one who was supposed to be doing the telling, not them.

 

The thank you put her on slightly better mood and she had the decency to feel a bit ashamed by trying to use her brother like that to get Mia to talk. It had been too early and completely wrong method even if she could have gotten away with it. She nodded in assurance that it wouldn't happen again but the frown was back when she got hit in the head by the envelopes like a naughty little girl. She could see the fun in it but it was a symptom of an attitude that was unacceptable.

 

"Return my cigar", she called after Mia firmly. Her answer would better be a joke. Annais had no intention to quit smoking despite Lia's nagging and Mia was not allowed to join the club. Scowling at the closed door, she took another cigar and headed to the balcony. At least one issue in her agenda for today was done and despite that controlled face, she was certain that Mia was happy as had been her goal.

 

Annais Nevell

Amyrlin Seat