Ask A Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (No AMoL Spoilers)

[mandersen]

I'd wear a 'Moiraine for Queen' badge, if it weren't for the fact that she seems to dread the possibility more than the very end of the world (well, that's not fair. She never stopped having nightmares about Rand in NStN, she just started having new ones as well).

That was waaaaay back in New Spring. And the main reason she was scared is because she didn't want to be the first Aes Sedai queen in 1000 years. She feared mobs. Since they've already more or less accepted Elayne, that's not a problem.

 

I actually love the idea of Moiraine taking the throne. And who's better at the Game than Thom? they'd make a stellar ruling couple (i'm not sure what thom's title would be, but it wouldn't really matter). And I thought the main reason she didn't want to be queen way back when was that she wouldn't be able to track down and help the Dragon reborn. Now (maybe) she can help just as much as queen. However i don't think it will happen. the books have been saying elayne over and over, it doesn't seem likely it's going to change now unless the conflict is somehow important to the story.

[Terez]

I'd wear a 'Moiraine for Queen' badge, if it weren't for the fact that she seems to dread the possibility more than the very end of the world (well, that's not fair. She never stopped having nightmares about Rand in NStN, she just started having new ones as well).

That was waaaaay back in New Spring. And the main reason she was scared is because she didn't want to be the first Aes Sedai queen in 1000 years. She feared mobs. Since they've already more or less accepted Elayne, that's not a problem.

 

I actually love the idea of Moiraine taking the throne. And who's better at the Game than Thom? they'd make a stellar ruling couple (i'm not sure what thom's title would be, but it wouldn't really matter). And I thought the main reason she didn't want to be queen way back when was that she wouldn't be able to track down and help the Dragon reborn. Now (maybe) she can help just as much as queen. However i don't think it will happen. the books have been saying elayne over and over, it doesn't seem likely it's going to change now unless the conflict is somehow important to the story.

Oh, I'm pretty sure the conflict will be important. I think Brandon was setting it up with Elayne's disgusting imperialistic tendencies in TOM.

[MasterAblar]

I'd wear a 'Moiraine for Queen' badge, if it weren't for the fact that she seems to dread the possibility more than the very end of the world (well, that's not fair. She never stopped having nightmares about Rand in NStN, she just started having new ones as well).

That was waaaaay back in New Spring. And the main reason she was scared is because she didn't want to be the first Aes Sedai queen in 1000 years. She feared mobs. Since they've already more or less accepted Elayne, that's not a problem.

 

I actually love the idea of Moiraine taking the throne. And who's better at the Game than Thom? they'd make a stellar ruling couple (i'm not sure what thom's title would be, but it wouldn't really matter). And I thought the main reason she didn't want to be queen way back when was that she wouldn't be able to track down and help the Dragon reborn. Now (maybe) she can help just as much as queen. However i don't think it will happen. the books have been saying elayne over and over, it doesn't seem likely it's going to change now unless the conflict is somehow important to the story.

Oh, I'm pretty sure the conflict will be important. I think Brandon was setting it up with Elayne's disgusting imperialistic tendencies in TOM.

 

Well, Moiraine seems to want to travel the world with Thom after the Last Battle is done.

[mandersen]

I'd wear a 'Moiraine for Queen' badge, if it weren't for the fact that she seems to dread the possibility more than the very end of the world (well, that's not fair. She never stopped having nightmares about Rand in NStN, she just started having new ones as well).

That was waaaaay back in New Spring. And the main reason she was scared is because she didn't want to be the first Aes Sedai queen in 1000 years. She feared mobs. Since they've already more or less accepted Elayne, that's not a problem.

I actually love the idea of Moiraine taking the throne. And who's better at the Game than Thom? they'd make a stellar ruling couple (i'm not sure what thom's title would be, but it wouldn't really matter). And I thought the main reason she didn't want to be queen way back when was that she wouldn't be able to track down and help the Dragon reborn. Now (maybe) she can help just as much as queen. However i don't think it will happen. the books have been saying elayne over and over, it doesn't seem likely it's going to change now unless the conflict is somehow important to the story.

Oh, I'm pretty sure the conflict will be important. I think Brandon was setting it up with Elayne's disgusting imperialistic tendencies in TOM.

 

Well here's hoping. I was actually hoping Perrin would steal the western half (well not quite THAT much, but a good portion) of Andor too. But that seems to have resolved itself peacefully. for now.

[Terez]

Well here's hoping. I was actually hoping Perrin would steal the western half (well not quite THAT much, but a good portion) of Andor too. But that seems to have resolved itself peacefully. for now.

It seems to have, but I think a lot of people were disappointed with it. Perrin's been saying the whole series that the Two Rivers doesn't need a queen. Why did he change his mind? Very lame.

[Jon Paul]

Very lame.

 

Well it really doesn't.. it has a king for all intent and purposes. Accepting Elayne is simply the easiest thing to do. If you ask me, she got the bad end of the stick. Her and hers are going to have to deal with an extremely powerful family to their west who will have the military and economic power to cause them problems.

 

Eastern noble: "Your majesty, we must raises taxes on gold mining. It's simply damaging the economy of our the nation in the east."

Queen whispers: "I agree."

Perrin's great-great-great-grandson hefts his granddaddies war hammer: "Sorry what was that Elayne IV?"

Queen: "I said: "Guards! Take this easterner to the stocks!"

[David Selig]

Two Rivers consists of 4 villages currently upgraded into small towns, they are hardly a major power.

[Feral]

Two Rivers consists of 4 villages currently upgraded into small towns, they are hardly a major power.

 

Yeah that's what I never understood. At the start of the series we're told again and again how small and backwater-ish the Two Rivers are then suddenly it's like rawr we're Manetheren, fear us! I get they've had refugees bulk up there numbers and everything, but still. Mind you I think RJ had a strange idea of the word "small". To me a small village would consist of less than a hundred people, and there'd probably be only one inn between all the villages.

 

Personally I'd have been really annoyed if Perrin had taken the Western part of Andor. We get told of how Ishara took a small piece of land while everyone else fought for the whole of Hawkwing's empire, and so managed to keep it and slowly expand it. I've always liked this story and to have Perrin undo her work would disappoint me terribly. And I think Perrin's a prat...

[Jon Paul]

Two Rivers consists of 4 villages currently upgraded into small towns, they are hardly a major power.

 

The Two Rivers consists of four villages that have had massive population, cultural, technological and industrial boosts, that have had a solid identity forged in the fires of war and are current under the lordship of one of the most important men in the world.. literally. It is the birth place of the Dragon Reborn, if is the cradle of the greatest general of the days and its men have seen war in almost every battlefield in the West.

 

There are huge natural resource opportunities in the Misty Mountains that have no been explored in this area. With the alliance between the Two Rivers and Ghealdin will it be any surprise that a bridge between Ghealdin and The Two Rivers could be constructed over the Manetherendrelle? This would facilitate greater access between western trade and the Two Rivers (and indeed Andor as a whole). It could even possible cause trouble with Murandy who would see this as an unacceptable attack on their economy).

[David Selig]

What exactly do you mean by "massive population". Even with the refugee influx, I doubt there are more than 15 000 - 20 000 persons living there - IIRc they got about 10-20 refugees per day on average. Only about 3000 - 4000 thousands men came from Two Rivers to fight at Malden, even with Perrin's ta'veren influence and extreme popularity ensuring that most men there would come.

[Jon Paul]

What exactly do you mean by "massive population". Even with the refugee influx, I doubt there are more than 15 000 - 20 000 persons living there - IIRc they got about 10-20 refugees per day on average. Only about 3000 - 4000 thousands men came from Two Rivers to fight at Malden, even with Perrin's ta'veren influence and extreme popularity ensuring that most men there would come.

 

You missed the "boost" qualifier? The Two Rivers has, pretty much over night, went from a population of a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand. And there's no reason to doubt that this wont keep building.

[Suttree]

Very lame.

 

Well it really doesn't.. it has a king for all intent and purposes. Accepting Elayne is simply the easiest thing to do. If you ask me, she got the bad end of the stick. Her and hers are going to have to deal with an extremely powerful family to their west who will have the military and economic power to cause them problems.

 

Eastern noble: "Your majesty, we must raises taxes on gold mining. It's simply damaging the economy of our the nation in the east."

Queen whispers: "I agree."

Perrin's great-great-great-grandson hefts his granddaddies war hammer: "Sorry what was that Elayne IV?"

Queen: "I said: "Guards! Take this easterner to the stocks!"

 

Because the TR will ever surpass Andor's army of 200,000? Saying it has had massive boosts in those areas is a pretty big stretch.

Edited October 5, 2011 by Suttree

[Jon Paul]

Because the TR will ever surpass Andor's army of 200,000? Saying it has had massive boosts in those areas is a pretty big stretch.

 

Most of home are mercenary and wont be in the Queen's employ forever.

[damandred]

The TR's may have only had 4 village/towns but in between is god knows how many farms in a wide area of land. With the refugee's coming everyday, natural resorces, new identity (or old) Perrins lordship there going to want a capital (poss Emonds field). Plus the wealth they will get from pilgrimages. I don't think its unreasonable to suggest that the TR's will rival Andor in a couple of hundred years

[yoniy0]

Everything's possible in a few centuries, but right now they are still a backwater. They have new exports and a growing population, but it would take some time before they can truly be as prosperous as the rest of Andor.

 

Of course, Perrin's connections to Ghealdan and Saldea grant the area a political power that's unconnected to their population or resources. Except that the TR isn't actually his right now, it's Rand's. And Rand's power dissolves the moment TG is over, most likely (I'm discounting the Aiel; who knows what will happen with them).

 

PS

200k is the total of Andor's strength, without bands of mercenaries. That's just Houses' guardsmen and the Queen's Guard.

[Terez]

Well, Moiraine seems to want to travel the world with Thom after the Last Battle is done.

Just like Siuan wanted to travel the world rather than being stuck in the Tower being Amyrlin.

[Suttree]

Because the TR will ever surpass Andor's army of 200,000? Saying it has had massive boosts in those areas is a pretty big stretch.

 

Most of home are mercenary and wont be in the Queen's employ forever.

 

That 200,000 is made up of Queens Guards and levies from the other noble houses. The TR may surpass that number if in some other turning of the wheel Manetheren rises again.

[Luckers]

I've suggested before that the Two Rivers may seperate from Andor over time naturally--not by any real decision, just by the political connections it will share with Saldaea and Ghealdan, and the lack of any true governmental connection to Andor.

[LemonPastie]

In TPoD we getg Egwene dreaming this;

 

Mat, weighing two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales, and on his decision depended...She could not say what; something vast; the world, perhaps.

 

Are the two Aes Sedai the pair he rescued from the stables in Ebou Dar, or Verin & Moirainne? I used to be happy enough with the first thought but I think it fits the second situation a lot better. Mat had to weigh opening the letter and maybe leaving early to get Moirainne or not opening the letter and having a set time to fetch her. If he had gone with Verin's letter, he would have waited until the battle of Caemlyn was done before he left and this may have meant he wouldn't have been able to save Moirainne (or be back in time for FOM). Instead he bet on going into the ToG and so has saved the world.

[Terez]

I always assumed that one of the two was Moiraine, but I was thinking the other would be Elayne until TGS. At that point it started to look like Verin. Teslyn and Joline never made sense since they were never weighed against each other.

[Rose]

Does the quote necessarily mean that the two Aes Sedai are being weighed against each other? Maybe he's weighing them together? And then in could be the Aes Sedai in Ebou Dar.

 

Verin vs. Moiraine makes sense, but I never got the feeling that there was much weighing. Moiraine has always been more important to Mat than Verin.

[Terez]

The word 'decision' implies he's weighing them against each other.

[Goldstar]

For some reason, I seem to think of it being Moiraine vs. Cadsuane. However, it doesn't really make sene for Mat to be weighing them, now does it?

[Terez]

No...nobody is weighing them except the fans who hate Cadsuane.

[MasterAblar]

Well, Moiraine seems to want to travel the world with Thom after the Last Battle is done.

Just like Siuan wanted to travel the world rather than being stuck in the Tower being Amyrlin.

 

Siuan never had a choice, though if she had acted like Cadsuane and escaped the tower before they made her Amyrlin then perhaps she would have been able to travel the world.

 

Who's going to force Moiraine to become Queen of Cairhien? And why would it work this time when it was already attempted in NS?