Political alignment is not the same as shared benefit, and the presence of an Aes Sedai on the throne of Andor may paradoxically make the Tower weaker there than it might be elsewhere. Most rulers have an Aes Sedai advisor, even if not openly, and listen when she speaks. It's a kind of insurance, and the Tower can discreely blacklist those who don't play ball, cutting them out of the best diplomatic and trade deals. This has been their modus operandi for thousands of years. But Elayne is an Aes Sedai herself, and her shawl gives her all the privileges of association with the Tower with none of the drawbacks of having to do as the Hall of the Tower thinks best.
That's the thing though. This isn't just a political alignment. Egwene and Elayne didn't say, "You're Amyrlin, I'm Queen, maybe we should work together for both our good". They're actually friends, and soon to be sisters. And they're tied by more than just their own friendship. So, while the stuff you point out might be concerns in a typical situation, the close personal relationship of Egwene and Elayne make things very different.
This would not have been true, I don't think, of Moiraine, if they'd managed to make her queen of Cairhien. Her NS POVs make it clear she was well indoctrinated. But Elayne spent very little time in the Tower. She's still capable of independent thought.
Independent from the Tower, sure. But independent from Egwene? And the reverse is true as well. A well indoctrinated sister as Amyrlin would easily shrug off the influence of their friends, but Egwene trusts Elayne so much that she basically set Tower policy regarding Windfinders just because Elayne asked her to!
As things stand, Egwene thinks Elayne being a powerful queen is not just advantageous but good, and Elayne thinks Egwene being a powerful Amyrlin makes political sense and is good in general. Elayne is in Egwene's innermost councils and vice versa. Which is why separating the successes of the Tower and Andor at this stage makes no sense. For god's sake, Egwene's word is good enough for Elayne to come out in open opposition to the plan of the Dragon Reborn who also happens to be her Warder, boyfriend and the father of her child!
The presence of the Black Tower may change matters, though. Assuming it isn't entirely destroyed, and assuming it and the White Tower remain separate organisations, I wouldn't be surprised to see it slowly take over Andor, or other countries, in the coming decades and centuries. Certainly it's already a legitimate political player, purely by virtue of having the power to reduce Caemlyn to molten slag if it wishes.
And that is why any attempt by the BT (if it continues to exist) to increase its influence will drive the Tower and Andor closer. Elayne already considered trying to take over the BT if Rand died. You can bet your ass Egwene will think along the same lines. They just need to talk to each other for a minute and they'll decide to work on that together too.
Egwene vs. Gawyn (ToM spoilers of course)
- 28/04/2011 05:01:46 AM
3918 Views
There's fifty feet of crap between rock bottom and your post... *NM*
- 28/04/2011 07:40:04 AM
461 Views
Almost three days since the last post...at least I'm trying.
- 28/04/2011 12:17:59 PM
915 Views
What is to discuss here? You hate Egwene and will spin anything to put her in a negative light
- 28/04/2011 12:59:58 PM
973 Views
But he's so good at it. all the pieces are in there and close to the right place... like a picasso.
- 03/05/2011 12:51:54 AM
942 Views
I'd say there's no need to take it so seriously when there's so few posts lately. You should see
- 28/04/2011 05:59:19 PM
880 Views
while i agree with you on most of this
- 28/04/2011 04:53:06 PM
1064 Views
hmpf, i post a good point and nothing
- 28/04/2011 11:09:53 PM
844 Views
*NM*
you could say the same about a lot of the relationships in this series
- 28/04/2011 04:59:19 PM
1015 Views
I agree there are plenty of underdeveloped and somewhat one-sided relationships in the series
- 28/04/2011 08:15:52 PM
1059 Views
Re: I agree there are plenty of underdeveloped and somewhat one-sided relationships in the series
- 29/04/2011 06:55:14 PM
894 Views
In regards to the letters...
- 28/04/2011 05:28:13 PM
1103 Views
But Gawyn was not Egwene's subject
- 28/04/2011 06:09:31 PM
920 Views
Which was why I thought it was appropriate, since he meant to act as Egwene's Warder.
- 28/04/2011 06:19:53 PM
884 Views
The only issue is that Warders are not minions - they are honored junior partners.
- 28/04/2011 07:39:18 PM
1038 Views
No, the junior partners are Accepted. Warders are essentially personal bodyguards and/or assistants.
- 28/04/2011 08:00:17 PM
837 Views
Accepted are not anything, let alone junior partners. Don't think N&E's experience was typical
- 28/04/2011 09:32:22 PM
1058 Views
Here's the thing though...
- 28/04/2011 11:20:32 PM
889 Views
No, but it's cute and quirky when Faile does it.
- 29/04/2011 03:06:50 PM
1053 Views
But...
- 29/04/2011 10:52:03 PM
848 Views
That's not really clear
- 29/04/2011 11:41:20 PM
980 Views
Actually, it is...
- 30/04/2011 06:37:42 PM
991 Views
Re: Actually, it is...
- 30/04/2011 11:17:21 PM
875 Views
Didn't Siuan, Gareth and Gawyn tell her about the Bloodknife they encountered?
- 02/05/2011 02:33:08 PM
877 Views
Re: Accepted are not anything, let alone junior partners. Don't think N&E's experience was typical
- 28/04/2011 11:36:24 PM
898 Views
My two cents: yes, a little, maybe, and possibly not.
- 28/04/2011 06:05:09 PM
1026 Views
Regarding your reference to another Emond's Fielder: What are you talking about?
- 28/04/2011 09:06:13 PM
883 Views
both together, couldn't separate them in my mind - perrin's evasiveness or nyn's trickiness *NM*
- 28/04/2011 10:16:57 PM
469 Views
It isn't the worst romance in WoT
- 28/04/2011 08:10:23 PM
1188 Views
Galad is a great option for a political marriage
- 28/04/2011 09:04:46 PM
873 Views
Yes, but...
- 28/04/2011 09:40:39 PM
914 Views
but galad knew nothing of berelain's closeness to rand, so that couldn't have affected anything
- 28/04/2011 10:12:23 PM
949 Views
Yes. An often overlooked point is that ELAYNE, not Egwene, gains the most power in ToM
- 28/04/2011 09:42:43 PM
1249 Views
Except they're both really hot.
- 28/04/2011 10:01:46 PM
1047 Views
I can only quibble; Egwene became so insufferable in ToM I'm convinced her fate will be unpleasant.
- 04/05/2011 12:41:53 AM
1011 Views
Siuan...
- 04/05/2011 05:42:59 AM
1014 Views
Re: Siuan screwed up big time.
- 07/05/2011 03:35:46 AM
889 Views
Good points all round (do you switch brains when getting into real world politics? ) & re: the Talk
- 12/05/2011 02:04:06 PM
831 Views
Thanks, (and no, you just become less and less astute as we move farther from fiction. 
)
- 15/05/2011 11:46:41 PM
1189 Views
)
- 15/05/2011 11:46:41 PM
1189 Views