Well we have evidence that these wards probably do not exist. Firstly, Sammael pops up once in a while and nothing happens to him and she doesn't detect him. Secondly, and most importantly, when Cyndane and Moghedien arrive she asks them to leave because there are many webs all about to snare intruders, which she admits is a lie. Therefore she doesn't really have any base defenses that we know of, and she even contradicts it herself. Lastly, she's probably not strong enough to weave a warding that would detect Rand at such a distance - he was very far from the fortress. Rand himself needed an angreal to encircle his Aiel camp with a ward, what chance does she have?



I don't doubt that she thinks he possesses it, but I doubt she knew he had it on him.



Graendal doesn't keep her ground - she flees. Rand even said she would have a dozen other places to flee to if he arrived. The point I'm making is that she surely didn't know he'd arrived to kill her. Actually, it's my only point - that she was incredibly surprised up to the moment she died.



I agree that she'd do that, but she didn't know he was on a cliffside facing her palace. She thought he was back at his palace in Ebou Dar sending her messengers to see what would come of it, so that he could formulate a tactic. She no doubt thought she was extremely clever in her subtle Compulsion of the messenger.



That would be idiotic of Rand - why would he send a messenger heralding his imminent attack? If he wanted to go for her, he would jump on her with a surprise attack, but then, he knew she'd merely flee. Graendal was there and compelled the messenger. It's instant unravelling can only be through balefire. There is no evidence that she can hold a weave at such a distance, especially multiple weaves at such a great distance, and most especially because she thought the man was walking back to Ebou Dar to deliver his report to Rand. She probably thought she had days before Rand came for her.



If she was scared of Rand she would have compelled the messenger and Travelled immediately. But then, the Compulsion would have remained.



And the Forsaken didn't know about the Cleansing until that very moment, at which point they went there. Graendal's plan wasn't very elaborate there either - she went there to fight.




I understand your take on the scene, and it's always difficult when there's no body. I once thought that Sammael wasn't dead because there was no body, but we know he's toast - and Osan'gar is probably dead too. Graendal is probably dead IMO, despite being so clever, she can be outsmarted by radical behaviour.