Welcome back to my re-read, recap, and reaction to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. This post will only have spoilers through the current chapter.
You can find my previous chapter recaps HERE.
Chapter 5: A Broken Crown
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Perrin Aybara
Rand and his entourage enter the Grand Hall of the Sun. Rand confronts Colavaere, confirming that he means the Sun Throne for Elayne. Colavaere objects. Rand pulls the Sun Crown out of her hair, snapping it in the process and then mending it with saidin. Colavaere pleads her right to the throne with Rand. Perrin accuses her of murdering the Lords Maringil and Meilan and asks the whereabouts of Berelain, gaining an icy look from Faile. Colavaere refutes the accusations and since Rand shows no reaction, calls for Annoura Larisen to advise her. Annoura introduces herself to Rand and explains that she is Berelain’s adviser, not Colavaere’s, regardless of what she had let Colavaere think. Rand informs her that he is not the one that has shielded her. The crowd realize that the black-coated men must be male channelers. Faile then speaks up and reveals Colavaere’s treason: plotting to break her oaths of fealty and sending the Aiel out of Cairhien. Further she reports the vanishing of the maid Maire, whom Colavaere had confided in. Dobraine formally accuses Colavaere of treason, for which the penalty is death. She denies the charges. Annoura then relates the story of Berelain’s thief-catchers and that they found Maringil’s and Meilan’s murderers. They had confessed before Annoura and named Colavaere as initiator of the murders. Dobraine adds murder to the charge of treason, for which the penalty is death by hanging―”like a commoner”. Colavaere, overwhelmed by the evidence and penalty, demands the headsman instead of being hanged for murders.
Rand, troubled by Min‘s viewing of Colavaere’s death, seeks a way out of having to order another woman killed. The Dragon Reborn strips Colavaere of all her titles, lands, estates, and possessions and exiles her to a small farm near the Dragonwall. Colavaere collapses and Rand catches her with Air and gently lowers her body down. The nobles don’t take Rand’s verdict easily―they fear losing their nobility more than they fear death. Rand commands Annoura to take him to Berelain and dismisses the audience, saying that he will forget every face that leaves now. The nobles crowd hastily out of the Hall.
REACTION:
Imagine being one of these nobles – or Colavaere – and seeing Rand walk in. LOL. I mean, I almost feel sorry for them to some degree. They were ambitious, sure, but if an Aes Sedai comes to you, or several of them, and tells you to be the Queen, do you dare refuse them? Some of the playacting we heard about from the Wise One about the pretense of Rand approving has to have been hedging bets in case he showed back up.
Either way… Rand walking back in on them had to be TERRIFYING. Within the worldview of the Randlanders, they basically schemed against a figure in The Dragon Reborn that might be like the antichrist in our world. And the scheme just backfired. It’s worse in Cairhien because he’s allied with the Aiel – who have ravaged their city multiple times now in living memory.
I guess they should all feel good that Rand is The Dragon, and a Jordan character, and not the Mother of Dragons in a Martin one. Otherwise he would have burned down the palace with all his enemies gathered together inside. Of course… that would have really lengthened his list. Might be too many new lady names to remember.
Okay… let’s address Perrin and Faile. He keeps speaking up in these big gatherings as though he is someone whose words should be heeded, and I’m fine with that, but the first person he asks about is Berelain? BERELAIN?! Ugh. My dude, you keep bringing this marital strife on yourself. If anyone in this series needs a male mentor, it’s Perrin. Where did Elyas end up? Good gracious.
I want to give Rand credit for this scene. He needed to take back the crown, AND without bloodshed, AND he needed to make a show of humbling the Aes Sedai AND revealing the existence of the Asha’man. He did it all. Lord of the Morning, indeed. He even figures out how to spare Colavaere from treason, though that probably won’t work out. In the short term, though, stripping her of lands and titles will freak out the other nobles in the room and prevent their scheming against him more than hanging her would have.
“They promised. They promised you would never return.” – Colavaere
You can almost feel bad for her. She was pushed into this, though I’m sure it didn’t take a hard push. But I very much doubt that things would have gone well for her if she had refused.
One small detail that made me chuckle. Colavaere’s “tower hair” made her almost as tall as Rand.
One real downside of The Wheel of Time on Prime show being canceled is that I won’t get to see the scene of Rand taking the crown from her head. The description of that is extremely well-written. Perrin smelling “stark terror” just was the cherry on the sundae.
Loial is taking notes throughout? LOL. I love that guy.