"A wise ruler takes advice, but should never be seen to take it. Let them think you know more than you do. It will not harm them, and it will help you." —Elayne to Rand [1]
Elayne Trakand, by the Grace of the Light, Queen of Andor, Defender of the Realm, Protector of the People, High Seat of House Trakand, is one of the main female protagonists in the series. In addition to being queen of Andor, she also lays claim to the Sun Throne of Cairhien and is an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah and of considerable strength in the One Power. Elayne is Bonded to Birgitte Silverbow and Rand al'Thor, the latter of whom is her lover. She will soon bear his twins.
Acknowledged to be potentially one of the greatest Queens of Andor since its founding, she has shown intellect, delicacy and diplomacy in her doings and is an accomplished player at Daes Dae'mar.
Appearance[ | ]
Elayne Trakand fan art done by John Seamas Gallagher.
Elayne is described as exceedingly beautiful, with blue eyes like sapphires and red-gold, curly hair. With a smooth-skinned, perfectly oval face, Elayne can charm many with her pretty, dimpled smile with full red lips. She stands around one span, six inches tall with long supple limbs.
She bears a resemblance both in name and appearance to Ilyena, the doomed wife of Lews Therin Telamon from the Age of Legends.
Channeling abilities[ | ]
While customary for the Daughter-Heir of Andor to receive training at the White Tower,[2] Elayne is the only member of House Trakand in memory and the first to sit on the Lion Throne to be born with channeling abilities high enough to become full Aes Sedai.[3]
Elayne is one of the most powerful female channelers to have been born in the last 1000 years. She has helped rediscover the ability to create ter'angreal, demonstrating strength in both Earth and Fire. She is the most skilled Cloud Dancer among the Rebel Aes Sedai due to Sea Folk Windfinder training. Elayne has the same strength potential as both Egwene and Aviendha. She is one of the strongest among Aes Sedai, with only Nynaeve, Alivia, Sharina, Talaan, Tamela, Viendre, and the Forsaken known to better her in strength.
Elayne Trakand's Sigil; The Golden Lily (fleur-de-lis; "lily flower")
Background[ | ]
The youngest child and only daughter of Queen Morgase Trakand of Andor, Elayne grew up in the Royal Palace in Caemlyn. She was Heir Apparent throughout her childhood, bearing the title of Daughter-Heir, as only women traditionally hold the Lion Throne of Andor. She and her older brother Gawyn Trakand were fathered by Taringail Damodred, as was her half brother Galadedrid Damodred.
Activities[ | ]
To the White Tower[ | ]
Elayne's first appearance is when Rand al'Thor falls into the Royal Garden[4] and makes acquaintances with Elayne, her brother Gawyn Trakand, her half-brother Galad, and Queen Morgase herself.[5] Elayne falls in love with Rand at first sight. She does not follow Rand both due to her royal duties and, as a daughter of House Trakand, she is to train at the White Tower.
Not long after her encounter with Rand, Elayne leaves Caemlyn with Gawyn and Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan for Tar Valon.[6] At the Tower, she becomes close friends with two who know Rand quite well: his former childhood sweetheart Egwene al'Vere and his village's Wisdom, Nynaeve al'Meara. She also gets to know Min Farshaw, a young woman who had met Rand and is in the Tower for "safekeeping."[7]
Out of the Tower[ | ]
When she overhears Liandrin speaking of the need for Egwene and Nynaeve to leave the Tower to help Rand,[8] Elayne elects to travel through the Ways with Egwene, Nynaeve, and Min to Falme.[9] It turns out to be a trap set by the Black Ajah. Egwene is collared by Seanchan as a damane, but Elayne and Nynaeve escape capture[10] and, with Min, devise a plan to rescue their friend. They free Egwene, but are separated by the battle that ensues in which the Horn of Valere is blown and Rand fights Ishamael across the sky, emerging victorious.[11]
Elayne with her chin held regally high, bearing the Rose Crown of Andor
Back to the Tower[ | ]
Elayne returns to the Tar Valon with Egwene, Nynaeve, Hurin and Mat, led by Verin Sedai.[12] In the Tower, the three girls training to be Aes Sedai face discipline as though they were runaways rather than victims of a Black Ajah plot in order to keep quiet the reality of the Black Ajah.[13] Privately, the Amyrlin Siuan Sanche acknowledges their situation, allowing Egwene and Elayne to be raised from Novice to Accepted. (Nynaeve was already Accepted.)
And away again[ | ]
Siuan trusts these girls not to be darkfriends and assigns Egwene and Nynaeve the task of hunting Black Ajah. Elayne is excluded due to her political importance in Tower relations with Andor,[14] but Nynaeve and Egwene do not hesitate to bring her into their confidence.[15] The hunt sends the girls to Tear and although Egwene and Nynaeve assure Elayne that she is not required to join them, Elayne is discontent to stay in the Tower (still suffering her penance) while her friends are out having adventures.[16] She sends a letter to her mother Morgase with Mat to assure her of Elayne's well-being,[17] and the girls set off.
The girls are captured twice, once on the way to Tear on the order of three Fades then rescued by Aiel,[18] then again in Tear by the very women they are hunting.[19] They are rescued by Mat and Juilin Sandar.[20]
Reunion with Rand[ | ]
During Elayne and the other two girls' imprisonment and rescue, Rand draws Callandor from the Heart of Stone and proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn. In the aftermath of that declaration in the Stone of Tear, Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve masquerade as full Aes Sedai to keep the Tairens under control. Moiraine knows but does not give them away.[21] Elayne finally takes the opportunity while in Tear with Rand to express her feelings for him. Egwene shares that she no longer sees a future with Rand and feels no romantic connection to him, and the two girls discuss bringing this revelation to Rand.[22] On the heels of Egwene's speech to Rand dissuading him of her interest, Elayne is to declare hers, though Elayne's part of the conversation does not go quite according to plan.[23]
Elayne Trakand.
Elayne and Rand spend precious moments together in Tear, Elayne sharing her knowledge of statecraft and the two stealing kisses.[1] Unfortunately, their time is limited - soon Rand and Egwene go to Rhuidean, and Elayne and Nynaeve to Tarabon. Before she leaves, Elayne has two letters delivered to Rand each with conflicting declarations of her feelings for him.[24]
Back on the hunt[ | ]
Elayne and Nynaeve travel by way of a Sea Folk ship, reputedly the fastest ships available, and Elayne quickly discover how: Sea Folk Windfinders can channel.[25] Elayne promises to keep this secret, as the Sea Folk fear Aes Sedai meddling. (However, Elayne lets slip to Egwene while in Tel'aran'rhiod that Jorin can channel.)[26] Juilin Sandar and Thom Merrilin are sent by Lan and Rand to look after the two. After a time, Elayne recognizes Thom from dusty childhood memories as her mother's former lover.[18] She comes to see Thom as a surrogate father, a role he gladly accepts. In Tarabon they are instrumental in routing the Black Ajah and returning the Panarch Amathera to her office.[27]
Nynaeve and Elayne leave for Tar Valon with Thom and Juilin to deliver the Seal to the Tower.[28] They are again held captive and in the process get an introduction to forkroot, a drug that renders them unconscious and, when they come to, unable to access the Source, for a time.[29] Juilin and Thom come to their rescue. The party dons disguises and aliases as they travel across Amadicia, since they are obviously being sought by the White Tower (since Morgase is frantic about her daughter's disappearance) as well as Black Ajah, darkfriends, and Moghedien. They no longer see the Tower as a destination any more desirable than capture by darkfriends, suspicious that they are one and the same.[30] They decide to seek out Salidar where the Rebel Aes Sedai are gathering.
After meeting Galad in Sienda and refusing to accompany him to Caemlyn, yet another reason to hide from recognition, the group takes cover as a part of Valan Luca's Traveling Show circus.[31] Elayne, under the alias Morelin, performs on the high wire.[32] She and Nynaeve encounter a Seanchan woman named Cerandin among the animal trainers, who gives the women an a'dam.[33] Elayne is able to figure out how the ter'angreal works and believes she may be able to make more.[34]
Bonding[ | ]
Elayne and Nynaeve have been using a twisted stone ring ter'angreal to enter Tel'aran'rhiod where they communicate with Egwene and inexpertly try to gain information on the Black Ajah and the Forsaken. They meet Birgitte Silverbow, one of the Heroes of the Horn, who goes against rules of non-interference to help Nynaeve and Elayne. Birgitte acts in defense of Nynaeve's life during an encounter with Moghedien and the Forsaken rips the Hero from Tel'aran'rhiod and expels her into the waking world to die.[35] Elayne bonds the dying Birgitte as her Warder in order to save Birgitte's life,[36] and the famed archer has been a constant companion since.
This is an unusual event as the bonded Warder is a woman, and also because Elayne is only an Accepted and not full Aes Sedai. It should be noted that the Warder bond between the two women is not the same as the Bond between an Aes Sedai and a male Warder. For instance, their emotional states are tightly linked and cannot be shielded--possibly because both of them are women, something that has apparently never happened before.
Elayne (left) with Aviendha and Nynaeve using the Bowl of the Winds.
Raised to Aes Sedai[ | ]
She finally arrives in Salidar and is present when Egwene is raised as the brand new Amyrlin Seat. Elayne and Nynaeve are raised as Aes Sedai by Egwene's decree, despite the lack of the oval ring for the required Aes Sedai test and the lack of the Oath Rod by which to swear the Aes Sedai's Three Oaths. Elayne goes with Nynaeve, Aviendha and Mat Cauthon to Ebou Dar where they find the Bowl of the Winds. Due to her great strength in the One Power, she takes control of the Salidar embassy from Merilille Ceandevin, with which the other Aes Sedai fall in line. While in Ebou Dar she stumbles across the closely held secret by the White Tower of the Kin. She manages to finally find the Bowl with the help of Mat and Travels to the Kin's farm just before the Seanchan arrive and conquer Ebou Dar. She makes a bargain with the Sea Folk, for them to use the Bowl to change the endless summer back into the normal seasons. The bargain's terms do not favor the Aes Sedai and Egwene is not too pleased with the results.
Escape from Ebou Dar[ | ]
While trying to unravel a gateway she made out of Ebou Dar, the Seanchan try to attack. She loses hold of the weave creating a massive explosion. The Seanchan seem to believe from this point on that the explosion was purposeful and are looking for an Aes Sedai weapon able to re-create it.
She then shepherds the large group of channelers of Aes Sedai, Kin and Windfinders, to Caemlyn. She also manages to secure a turtle-shaped angreal from the cache in Ebou Dar for for her personal use. She begins investigating the ter'angreal in her possession in an attempt to work out their functions. One ter'angreal in particular leads to a whole night of memory loss.
Campaign for the Lion Throne[ | ]
On arrival back at Caemlyn she receives Dyelin Taravin's pledge to back her for the Lion Throne. One of the first things she does is tear down Rand's dragon banners, which infuriates him. She also sends away the Aiel and the Saldaean soldiers from Caemlyn which cause the crime rates to soar. She begins to employ mercenaries for her army and promotes Birgitte to Captain-General of the Queen's Guards.
Elayne after becoming an Aes Sedai.
Dyelin earns Elayne's trust when she is injured by the three rogues trying to attack Elayne. Elayne is poisoned with forkroot and is saved by Doilin Mellar (who is actually the darkfriend, Daved Hanlon), who she promotes as Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard. After becoming pregnant by Rand, she lets the rumor that Mellar is the father run rampant and even gives off signals in front of others to support it. She later meets with the Borderlander Rulers and encourages them to move south through Andor promising not to raise an army against them.
She is confronted by the mercenary captains in her employ about being paid more gold due to a loss of men. She sends them away with no new agreement. She begins to find it very difficult to grasp the One Power now that she is pregnant. She has also started to become reckless due to Min's viewing of her giving birth to twins and believing that nothing can happen to her until then. She begins to teach Aviendha about ter'angreal and finds out that Aviendha may have the Talent for working out what they do. This discovery is short-lived however, as Aviendha is summoned back by the Wise Ones and required to leave Andor with them.
Capture by the Black Ajah[ | ]
She hires a number of men to follow Mellar, who all end up dead. She finally hires Samwil Hark who is in prison after a career as a very successful cutpurse before finally being caught. He follows Mellar to a house on Full Moon Street, which is also occupied by Marillin Gemalphin and Falion Bhoda, Black Ajah sisters Elayne had been hunting for some time as well as Mili Skane, who is posing as the Lady Shiaine. She enters the house with Vandene, Careane and Sareitha. They are surprised by Asne Zeramene, Temaile Kinderode, Eldrith Jhondar and Chesmal Emry who are also staying there and are all shielded. Careane is revealed Black Ajah and the one who killed Ispan and Adeleas, and is killed by Vandene. Vandene and Sareitha are both killed by Chesmal Emry. Elayne is then captured and kidnapped by Mili Skane and the rest of the Black Ajah sisters.
Elayne Trakand by Todd Cameron Hamilton.
Birgitte gathers a huge strike force, and with the Windfinders help manage to defeat and capture the Black Ajah members. She then learns of Arymilla's forces attacking the Far Madding Gate and orders an attack. Her forces plunge into the back of the opposing army and soon defeats it. Arymilla's army finally surrenders and Arymilla and the rest of the nobles who supported her are taken prisoner. Because of that action she obtains enough houses to secure the Throne of Andor.
Gaining the Throne[ | ]
The neutral High Seats ask for safe passage into Caemlyn and seek and audience with Elayne. At the meeting Luan Norwelyn wishes to form a temporary alliance to engage the Borderlands army. Elayne reveals that as an Aes Sedai, she gave them permission to travel through into Murandy to carry on seeking the Dragon Reborn. She also tells them about the Black Tower set-up and the unfortunate fact that she can't do much about its presence in Andor now. Luan and then Abelle Pendar declare their support for House Trakand. Pelivar Coelan, Arathelle Renshar and Aemlyn Carand all declare their support for House Trakand, but only for Dyelin. This gives Elayne the required number of High Seats now to obtain the Lion Throne.
As Queen of Andor[ | ]
She meets with Alise and Sumeko about the Kin, who when they retire from the White Tower will move to Caemlyn to live out the rest of their days. They will live in their residence for free in exchange for offering Healing and Traveling for the Crown of Andor when she needs it.
At one point, while Birgitte is away from the palace, Elayne uses the chance to disguise herself as one of the Forsaken and wring information out of the captured Black Ajah sisters. It goes well for a time, but when Dollin Mellar and two other Black Aes Sedai break out of their cells, they nearly kill Elayne while escaping. She is later confined to bed rest to allow her body to recover sufficiently enough to ensure the health of her unborn babies.
After Mat arrives in Caemlyn, Elayne is overjoyed with the plans for Dragons that he presents her, relieved that she may now have an effective weapon against any possible Seanchan attack. After the first one proves to be a success, Elayne enlists the employment of every bell-maker in Andor to manufacture the new weapons. Soon after, Elayne's mother, Morgase, arrives at the palace, revealing herself to be alive.
Elayne then meets with Faile and Perrin about their possible rebellion and their claim of Lordship of the Two Rivers. They are able to convince Elayne that it is in her best interest to allow them to be nobles of the Two Rivers. Elayne declares that Perrin will be the Steward of the Dragon for the Two Rivers so they will have an excuse for the political advantage they will have. Elayne then makes her move to claim Cairhien's Sun Throne. She invites a number of Cairhienan nobles to Caemlyn and offers them estates in Andor in order to make connections between the two nations. Through further manipulation, she gains the support from these nobles, albeit only because it gives them the chance to steal the throne for themselves in future years.
She then Travels to Cairhien where she is greeted by Lorstrum and Bertome who escort her to the Royal Palace. As Elayne is about to sit down, Birgitte checks her chair and finds a poisoned pin hidden in the cushion, shaming Lorstrum. Elayne then declares to the nobles gathered that all available men will be conscripted into the army and that Cairhien's forces will move out to join the Dragon Reborn's army gathered at the Field of Merrilor.
The Last Battle[ | ]
The Fall of Caemlyn[ | ]
During the gathering at the Field of Merrilor Caemlyn is invaded by Trolloc forces coming out of the Waygate. After a long struggle the Band of the Red Hand make its way to the Royal Palace where Caemlyn's remaining forces still hold. The defenders manage to escape the Shadowspawn and leave the city to the Shadow.
The Field of Merrilor[ | ]
The Battle of Caemlyn[ | ]
Elayne gives Davram Bashere command of her forces.After arresting Davram Bashere for a Darkfriend, she leads her forces to victory against the northern Trolloc horde, and tries to unite them with the southern units holding a second Trolloc horde at bay.
Desperate and unable to retreat without causing mass casualties, Elayne feels lost. A contingent of Asha'man, led by Logain, appear. Linked with twelve men and fourteen women, Androl Genhald uses his Talent to open a massive Gateway to Dragonmount, spewing a river of molten lava on the Trolloc army.
Return to the Field of Merrilor[ | ]
Ter'angreal[ | ]
The art of understanding and creating ter'angreal was lost to the White Tower in the time after the Age of Legends. After studying extensively an a'dam, a damane leash, she obtained during her stay in Valan Luca's menagerie, Elayne learned how to make ter'angreal. She was the first in a long time to be able to not only understand the workings of some ter'angreal, but to also be able to create them.
She was able to create a number of ter'angreal that would allow access to Tel'aran'rhiod by examining existing ones recovered from the Black Ajah.
Rand's women[ | ]
Al'Thor's women by Liz Stephanoff.
"Aviendha and Min were different. They were part of her. In a way, they were her, and she them." —Elayne, Winter's HeartElayne is one of three women who love Rand al'Thor, along with Aviendha and Min. Elayne and Aviendha have a particularly strong friendship, and adopted each other as first-sisters in the Aiel fashion, and as such are able to sense each other to a degree. The three women are close friends and have agreed to share him, recently bonding him as their mutual Warder. Shortly thereafter, she and Rand spent some time together alone in Elayne's room, almost immediately demonstrating one of the downsides of the Warder bond and leading Birgitte, Min and Aviendha to get blinding drunk as soon as possible. According to Min's visions, Elayne is now carrying Rand's twin children, one of each sex, and uses that vision to put herself in harm's way under the belief that no harm can come to her or the babies until they are born, since what Min "views" inevitably comes to pass.
Parallels[ | ]
Elayne could likely be a reference to the name Elaine, which was in truth the name of several different women in Arthurian legend (including the mother of Galahad by Lancelot). Most of these women had connections to royalty or nobility.
Notes[ | ]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Shadow Rising, Chapter 9
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 1
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 19
- ↑ The Eye of the World, Chapter 39
- ↑ The Eye of the World, Chapter 40
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 4
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 24
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 38
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 39
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 40
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 46
- ↑ The Great Hunt, Chapter 49
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 13
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 14
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 16
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 27
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 28
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 39
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 51
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 55
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 5
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 6
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 8
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 16
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 20
- ↑ The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 35
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 54
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 55
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 9
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 10
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 16
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 17
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 24
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 33
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 34
- ↑ The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 35