Really funny and insightful at the same time.



LOL, so true. Not that most other WoT romances are much better, but these are definitely some of the worst and most ridiculous.

Let's not forget that the only reason Egwene noticed Gawyn at all was that Elayne told her he'd be better for her than Galad. Before that he didn't exist for her, she had eyes for Galad only. After that, first she thought something like "Oh, really, that's nice", forgot about the two brothers totally for months, and then after a few dreams was suddenly was so much in love with Gawyn that they defied the TAR rules as it's only possible for legendary love to do. This whole romance is so contrived even by WoT standards.

Apart from what you explained so nicely, what bugs me about Egwene's thought and behaviour towards Gawyn, is that not once she has acknowledged the sacrifices he had made and has to make from now on to be with her as Warder and future husband. He ignored his sworn duty to get back to his sister ASAP and instead went to save Egwene in TGS and then stayed in Tar Valon trying to guard her until she forbid it. He betrayed the Elaida side in the Tower war which he had chosen previously. He's giving up all the prestige, power and glory of being Andor's First Prince of the Sword and commander of its armies, to be an Amyrlin's Warder, a position with no formal power (and given Egwene's attitude, he can't expected much informal power too, since she's always convinced she knows better than him and thus would ignore his suggestions) and not much prestige.

The Sylviana letters were just so terrible. Egwene thinks so little of Gawyn that it doesn't bother her a bit to order her assistant to communicate with him on purely personal matters after they have had a major argument, even though she knew Sylviana doesn't like him and as a Red, dislike men in general. As Egwene should've expected (and admitted as much later), Sylviana wrote a horribly insulting and patronising letter, which straight out ordered Gawyn to return and to stop idling in Caemlyn (even though he came back to his home, sister and sworn duty) as if he's one of the servants in the White Tower and not someone who the Tower had no authority over at the time and a high ranked noble to boot. It's a shame that due to yet another plot contrivance this didn't lead to Egwene's death, would've served her right for treating the supposed love of her life as dirt.

The sex part is pretty funny. I don't necessary agree, though, I think Egwene's just a prude and also still follows seems to be the Two Rivers customs in this respect (IIRC they only accept premarital sex if the mother gives permission to the girl, and she didn't have it) though it's strange that this is is about the only Two Rivers custom she has kept. It's clear that the Aes Sedai don't care whether one of them sleeps with her Warder or with whoever she wants.