Ten Nation's News

[Mearlin]

Mearlin shiverred in spite of the warm weather. The carriage she had hired had just stopped, and when she drew back the curtain, she could see what looked like a garden and official soldiers. Official soldiers of Safer! She had not been anywhere near her home country since she was a child, and for some reason, coming back felt as though she was reopening a chapter in her life.

She stepped outside, and was directed to follow several soldiers inside a large gate, into the building she assumed was the palace of Queen Tsuki of Safer. When she was little, she would have given all she owned to meet a queen. But now, this seemed completely natural. Aes Sedai did these sort of things every day, even if she herself did not usually meet rulers.

Mearlin adjusted her best gray fringed shawl and followed the soldiers into a large reception room. She admired the wall paneling and took her time to adjust her skirts after sitting down, to keep the soldiers on edge. "Please inform Queen Tsuki that the White Tower has received her message, and has sent her an Aes Sedai to be her new advisor." One of the soldiers, a young one, gaped. He must not have recognized her as Aes Sedai. She herself did not look like an AEs Sedai, expect for the shawl and the ring. She simply looked like a young woman, despite her age. Shewas not old enough yet for the slowing to show. She tapped her foot impatiently after several of them left. She knew she should not be impatient with a queen, but she was Aes Sedai, and was not to be treated like an ordinary guest. Where was the woman?

[Tsuki Al'Sharde]

''I need Aes Sedai advisor, she will make good balance with you and that could be good thing for nation as well,'' she said calmly while servant was finishing her braid, woman was looking from one pair of golden eyes to another with a fear that two woman are going to do more then just calm talk that was really a fight.
''I still think that you do not need Aes Sedai,'' said Dranka and looked at mirror:'' you are ruling this country or three years and you are good queen.''
''Do not worry a fact that she is an Aes Sedai is not so bad.'' said Tsuki firmly and that was sign that this conversation is over. She was really eager to meet her new advisor, woman from White Tower, but she didn't know when this woman is going to arrive and that made her more nervous.

There was knocking and two officers came into the room, they were white as they saw and ghost. She looked at one of them and gave him a flat look:
''Yes?''
''My queen, Aes Sedai is in the reception room and she says that she is your new advisor,'' he said and Tsuki smiled:'' Thank you can go.''

When men were out of her chamber she quickly putted her crown and nodded to Dranka. Woman as always followed Tsuki to reception room and when Tsuki sat on her throne she was behind it as always. Tsuki studied Aes Sedai for some time, woman wasn't so old and for Tsuki's surprise she was from Safer. She stood up and said:
''Welcome Aes Sedai, I am Tsuki Al'Sharde and may I know your name?''

[Mearlin]

''Welcome Aes Sedai, I am Tsuki Al'Sharde and may I know your name?'' Asked the Queen. Mearlin was quite surprised. The woman had yellow eyes, and she looked much too young to be a queen. She looks younger than some of the novices I've seen in the Tower!

Mearlin curtsied, a small curtsey suitable for an Aes Sedai to a ruler. "My name is Mearlin T'Aira Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah, your Highness," she adjusted her shawl as she mentioned her ajah, "and I have been sent here to serve as your advisor." The woman looked slightly surprised when she mentioned that she was from Safer; she was very young for a ruler. Aes Sedai always tried to make sure an advisor knew as much about the country as the ruler she was advising. It just made sense that way.

"If I may ask, why did you have no advisor before? Almost all of the rulers of nations have one." The woman frowned slightly at Mearlin because she did not use her title. Well, she is going to have to get used to that. Aes Sedai barely bend knee to rulers.

[Tsuki Al'Sharde]

"If I may ask, why did you have no advisor before? Almost all of the rulers of nations have one." Tsuki frowned slightly but did say nothing to fact that woman wasn't using her title, Tsuki never liked her title. She was 22 and many kings daughters were still thinking how to find good husband, not how to make her country work as well it was working before. But question which was asked was a little hard to answer, her father had Aes Sedai advisor but what happened to that woman was always kept as something that was forbidden to speak about. She smiled, but it was just and mask, she loved old Gratel Sedai who practically raised her when Tsuki's mother died.

''Gratel Sedai died five years ago,'' she said slowly and commonly:'' She died while she was trying to protect me. She was captured during civil war by enemies and burned alive.''

She waited, her enemies made her watch while her second mother was dying in screams, but her face was still expressionless as always she wanted to see Mearlin's reaction on her answer. Aes Sedai at first looked as she heard that grass is green, but Tsuki saw how her eyes became wider maybe just for a millimeter and then came back to normal; she was terrified whit what she heard.

[Mearlin]

Burned alive? For what? Mearlin kept her face in an Aes Sedai expression, which was as hard as it always had been. Why would that have happened? She had heard of Gratel Sedai before... everyone had been surprised when she vanished... Gratel Sedai was a Green though, and Mearlin knew nothing of where she was or how this had happened, because she was not of her ajah and it was not her affair. She made a mental note to question the next Green Sister she saw about it.

Mearlin inclined her head. "I am sorry for your loss, then," she said quite simply. She had no idea what else to say. No one spoke for a few minutes, and then Mearlin replied to herself. "I am weary from travelling. Would you mind if I unpacked and got settled in a bit?"

[Tsuki Al'Sharde]

Tsuki nodded slowly and said:
''I do not mind, but before you go I want you to introduce to you one person,'' she looked behind her chair and Dranka came from there, as always she was like a soldier, Tsuki even thought about that couple of times, but never had courage to ask it:
''This is Dranka Hraten, she is my advisor,'' she made a little tone on ''is'' in that sentence so Mearlin could see that she is not going to be her only advisor and stopped there to see reaction which her words made. She was pleased that Mearlin was still hiding behind her mask, woman didn't expect this.

''You are welcome to join me in my quarters later if you have any question for me and ceremony will be in midnight. Untill then I guess...''
Tsuki rose from her chair and smiled to a woman, maybe she was young but she was more dangerous like that then anybody this woman met.

[Mearlin]

''This is Dranka Hraten, she is my advisor,'' explained the Queen, guesturing to a soldier like woman with a sharp gaze. Another advisor? Why did she need two advisors then? Well, it made sense to have advice from multiple people, but if she had already had an advisor for so long, why did she need another one? Especially one from the White Tower... Mearlin knew that most rulers did not appreciate White Tower strings tied to their nations. Perhaps this woman had more cunning than she looked as though she had.

'You are welcome to join me in my quarters later if you have any question for me and ceremony will be in midnight. Until then I guess...'' Tsuki rose and smiled, though really, it was more of a smirk. So, she expects me to be put off balance by this whole thing? It is an advisor's duty to expect the unexpected and when it happens, to take control. She will have to do better than this next time. Mearlin barely inclined her head, and allowed one of the Queen's guards to lead her to where she expected a room had been set up. Mearlin looked down her nose at many of the servants, because they gave her such odd glances. So I look as though I am from this country, but am dresses like an Andoran, why is that so odd? She was going to have to get some more suitable clothing. She had never truly felt comfortable in the Andoran clothes that the Tower seamstresses liked to sew.

((OOC: What ceremony are you talking about?))

[Tsuki Al'Sharde]

(OCC: Nothing much, just I am going to need an oath from your char to be sure that I can trust her. )

[Mearlin]

OOC: Oh, I see, that makes sense