Well, for what it's worth in 2012 Brandon said he hated Cadsuane before writing her POVs showed him how awesome she was...

But he's not her biggest fan, that's for sure.

I don't expect Cadsuane will have to be humbled by Egwene. Unless Cadsuane pulls a stunt challenging her authority, Egwene won't have any reason to wish to humble Cadsuane, and I can't really see Cadsuane, giving her worldview about the role of the WT and her views of public division among AS, to stand up to the Amyrlin, unless in a private audience or at worst in front of an Aes Sedai-only audience. Cadsuane is most unlikely to challenge the Amyrlin Seat except in private or in a closed meeting of the Hall at most.

The only circumstance in which I could imagine Cadsuane challenging Egwene is in a Fateful Concord scenario, where it's quite possible Cadsuane announces her dissidence along several other sisters. It's not such a likely scenario, this would mean the end of the White Tower for real this time.

It's just that the matter of Cadsuane's allegiance to the Light will be raised. People seem to expect Cadsuane and her followers to remain part of some "Dragon delegation" at Merrilor, but it's far more likely any Aes Sedai showing up for the meeting (those with Perrin, Logain's if they come, Rand's) will be summoned by the Hall at the first opportunity. Egwene will want to make sure no BA is among them. Then they'll go back to the factions if Egwene wishes them to. She won't want the WT to appear to speak at that meeting with many voices, because there are "dissident" AS in several groups.

Siuan and Moiraine alike considered her suspect of being BA since what happened in New Spring, and Siuan has shared her worries that she's with Rand. Egwene will want all the Aes Sedai of Rand's inner circle to pass the test, foremostly Cadsuane among them. Whether she can do it or not and when is another matter.


But there's no reason to assume Cadsuane will de facto be antagonistic. She hated the rebellion for showing publicly the Tower divided and ruining its influence at the time the nations needed it most. Cadsuane will want the WT to work with Rand, she won't work against that. Nor will Egwene for that matter. She means to convince Rand not to break the seals, she's not planning a Fateful Concord as her fall back position if she fails to sway Rand. That would be done strictly as leverage, and Rand killed that in the bud, saying he would still break the seals and he would push the WT aside. He already warned the Hall it's what would happen.




I would even say those from the Ten Nations era (maybe what you meant by pre-Hawkwing as we don't know much about the post TW era WT). I didn't think it was what you meant by "old style" (I thought you meant those conservatives attached to the "system", in part because Cadsuane isn't unique. Elayne and Nyaneve are both this type of sisters. In many ways, Cadsuane thinks and act more like those you call the "new Aes Sedai".

It doesn't change my mind, though. The stories we know from that time are largely legends. The real Cadsuane remains very grounded, she's not a daredevil hero. Daredevil heroes don't live very long. I'm not saying she wouldn't be a hero in a battle though, just that I don't agree it's really foreshadowed.



Cadsuane tends to simply ignore orders from above. She probably consider it only proper to show deference to the Amyrlin and go through all the proper niceties. That won't stop her from vanishing as soon as she's out of the room, though.

I think there's a fair chance Cadsuane gets chosen as the leader of the Aes Sedai who will be involved in bringing down the Black Tower. I'm really not sure that will be an early TG thing, though. I rather get the impression storming the BT will be a mid or late game event, pretty much because I've convinced myself Caemlyn/the BT will soon become Demandred's HQ.



I really wish it's what happens, I'd really like to read this.

I wonder a lot what will happen to Rand's "inner circle" post Merrilor. We don't know what he intends to do, so it's hard to guess how large an "inner circle" he will want or need. There may be a lot of reshuffling of the players involved. If the alliance does happen at Merrilor and he establishes a HQ, Tar Valon seems the likely place for the Light's HQ (especially if Caemlyn soon falls). I get the feeling Egwene will simply offer Rand "Elaida's palace".