What is going on between Berelain and Rhuarc?

[Saidar]

What's going on between them? I'm on my reread of Lord Of Chaos and Sulin says something about being his daughter...

 

Would somebody explain please?

 

thx

[Guest leebarr]

They see each other as father and daughter. They are not.

[Dragon21]

Yeah, he has just had to become like a father figure to her. Ya know...keep her in line.

 

[balefireruinssteaks]

Sulin says "if she REALLY were his daughter..." and then something about her being beaten day and night or something.

 

I think it's just an accepted relationship between Rhuarc and Berelain.  Even Amys kisses Berelain as a mother would kiss a daughter.  The Wise Ones and Rhuarc have simply taken Berelain under their care.  I think they respect her.

[The Lost One]

I just finished my reread of Lord of Chaos and I have the same question.  What? When? Why? How? and WHY? again

 

I see the answers to the post, but it still does not make sense to me.  The way they feel about wetlanders, why on earth would Rhuarc take to Berelain as a daughter?  why would the Wise Ones take to her so?  the way Berelain tries to bed Rand, you would think they would treat her like any of the other women that have tried it.  What makes her different?

 

Why do they take to her so easy and not take to some of the other wetlanders?  Even Eqwene thinks this at one point and wants to ask, but it would be too shaming.

 

Are we sure there is not something else that is there?

 

This was driving me crazy on my reread.  It does not seem to fit. 

 

 

 

 

[balefireruinssteaks]

ji'e'toh sometimes makes Aiel do what they would rather not.

 

In Lord of Chaos we also see that Amys and Sorilea accept Sevannah as a Shaido Wise One, though they would rather someone just stick a spear through her and be done with it.  But they give her all the respect that any other Wise One would have.

 

Rand has placed Berelain in charge of Cairhien, and so the Wise Ones accept what the Car'a'carn has done and take her in.  There might be something more to it, but it seems to me that they simply appreciate her position in the world and accept her.  She uses the weapons that she has and holds her nation together though other stronger nations would try to overtake Mayene.  Perhaps they think she has much honor or something, the way they see Egwene as well. 

 

Not all wetlanders are evil in the eyes of the Aiel.  Primarily their angst is directed toward the Cairhienin for what Laman did.

[trakand_01]

I think they appreciate that Berelain is a good leader. Despite all her faults, she is not stupid, by a long shot, and she takes what she has, be that Mayene, the love of her people, or her physical assets, and works with them.

 

The Aiel put a lot of store by positions, and obviously if Rand has placed her in control of Cairhein, she must be worthy of note. They discover she is.

 

I think one of the things that they discovered about Berelain is that, young she may be, working hard to keep her tiny nation from the clutches of illian, for sure, but she will listen to other's opinions, take on board criticism and advice, and not adopt an 'I know better than you' attitude. They advise her, and she listens.

 

Whether she takes their advise or not is another matter, but she listens to what they, and Rhuarc, have to say.

 

I had often wondered whether Rhuarc was the 'man in white'. I appreciate that he is already married to two women, but I wondered if he would be taken gai'shan at some point.

 

Although I think there is quite a large argument for this being Galad.

[Corbett]

All of this started back in the Stone of Tear. Rhuarc had some conversation with Berlain at some point and I think that this is where it all started.

 

[42Bonzo88]

    Rhuarc is also an amazing person in itself. He is the leader of his Sept, yet when 'the wise ones pushed him out of the 3fold land' (something like that from TDR) he doesn't question and when the Stone had fallen he didn't just up and leave. He finds the Car'carn and realizes that this person will lead the final battle and drops everything. When Rand asks him to help Berelain, he doesn't try to take over, but he also won't let Berelain do whatever she wants. He realizes being Aiel that the wetlanders would have a problem accepting his rule, so he just makes sure that Berelain does what Rand needs her to do.

    Berelain sees Rhuarc as being a great ruler himself, but has respect for him because he treats her not as some silly woman but a ruler like himself so when he gives advice she knows it is for the best. I think Rand could not have picked a better duo to take care of ruling the nation.

 

[Bob T Dwarf]

While looking for something else entirely, I came across this from chapter 24 of LoC: ( Elaida's Embassy to Rand is arriving ) ( Berelain speaking )

 

..."I must return to the palace it seems," she sighed.  " The Light alone knows how they will feel about no one there to greet them.  Amys, if you know where Rhuarc is, could you send a message for him to meet me?"

 

Amys nodded, but Sorilea said, "You should not depend on Rhuarc so much, girl.  Rand al'Thor gave Cairhien to you to tend.  Let most men have a finger and they will have the whole hand before you know.  Let a clan chief have a finger, and he will have the entire arm."

 

"It is true," Amys murmured.  "Rhuarc is the shade of my heart, but it is true."

 

Pulling on slim riding gloves from behind her belt, Berelain began tugging them on.  "He reminds me of my father.  Too much so, sometimes."  For an instant she grimaced ruefully.  "But he gives very good advice.  And he knows when to loom, and how much.  I think even Aes Sedai must be impressed by Rhuarc staring at them."

 

 

[The Lost One]

After reading all the posts, I was thinking on this a bit and I was wondering if this is what happened to start everything...

 

Maybe Berelain tried to come on to Rhuarc as she does with the other men (Perrin, Rand, etc.).  When she kept attempting to lure him and would not be turned away with a "No", he bent her over his knee and gave her a good spanking - I think the spanking or some such is indicated in the books and it was when Berelain and Rhuarc just met.  And basically told her in no uncertain terms to stop that behavior.

 

After that Berelain realized there was no way that type of action was going to work on Rhuarc, so she gave over, but did not run away.  This strengthed the father/daughter type relationship - both Berelain and Rhuarc actually developing some respect for each other - maybe even some admiration.  Rhuarc's respect lead to the Wise One's accepting her, especially knowing that he disciplined her and she stopped the behavior towards him.

 

I think I am coming to some kind of understanding now.  Thanks for helping clear this up for me too.