Re: So? - Edit 1
Before modification by Lordling at 05/11/2010 09:16:12 PM
Wow, a ruler who's trying to expand her influence and territories? Truly groundbreaking.
It is groundbreaking. Egwene is not just a ruler, she's a channeling ruler. You do see the difference.
Why should Egwene sit in the White Tower like a lame duck? Cairhien has been a place of squabbling nobles since the beginning of the series, and probably since the Aiel War. If the White Tower can gain the city, then why shouldn't they? It's obvious that Egwene wants to use diplomatic and subtle means to get the city (despite warmongering theories that have zero evidence to back them up).
Nationalities have the right to rule themselves, I think the Cairhienin would rather have their squabbling nobles than the supranational White Tower.
If the Tower rules Cairhien, the land/city becomes a playing field for the Hall. The Hall would try to control the country and we know how badly the Hall can mess things up when they all try to further their own agendas.
Egwene simply has no right to control any part of Cairhien. It's the difference between legality and legitimacy. Like colonialist rule or Vichy regime. The actions were legal but they weren't legitimate.
This isn't even a new idea, though obviously because Egwene is involved from some distance its caused hysteria. Almost as soon as Moiraine was raised to the shawl they were pimping her to take over Cairhien using her blood line, and they definitely did the same with Elayne, and openly said so. Siuan, Elaida and Morgase wanted Elayne to be the first open Aes Sedai on the throne of Andor, and obviously Elayne answers to the Amyrlin above all people. So Andor is pretty much the White Tower's. Considering Cairhien is a city waiting to be taken, how negligent would Egwene be not to look in its direction?
Andor is pretty much the White Tower's? That's not how Elayne sees it (there is a quote to back that up somewhere, something about her having to follow the Tower Law as an Aes Sedai but not as a queen. And we see that she differentiates between the two. Elayne Aes Sedai of the Green ajah and Queen Elayne) and if she did she sure as hell should be overthrown. She can't sell her county to the Tower, that's treason.