Mat POV#

Mat gets ready to move into his rooms in the Tarasin Palace the same day as Nynaeve's and Elayne's visit. The dice stopped rolling in his head when Elayne mentioned the palace rooms.[1] Caira is still angry with him. Mistress Anan is out so he settles the bill with the cook Enid. Nalesean and their servants Nerim and Lopin are pleased. Vanin would rather watch Carridin. Harnan and the Redarms all move into a barracks near the stables. As soon as he moves in Tylin appears and begins to molest him. Thom and Juilin come by just in time. Tylin leaves. They tell him about the girls' disguises. They all leave. Mat goes to check on Olver in his room one floor below. Three maids, Haesel, Alis and Loya, are all helping him. Back in his rooms, Thom, Juilin, Elayne and Nynaeve arrive.[2] He assigns them bodyguards and they send him to watch the Kin house from a tavern across the street, The Rose of the Eldar. Nalesean, Thom and Juilin are with him. At twilight, Harnan and Wat relieve them. Back in his rooms he finds a note on thick white paper[3] from Tylin asking for him. He locks his door and has no dinner. The next morning he bribes Madic to move Olver into his room. Vanin, watching Carridin's palace, reports seeing Aviendha and Birgitte. He did not recognize them, of course. He spotted the old man[4] but could not get a good look at him. Vanin wants to go with Elayne so Mat sends Thom and Juilin to check on Carridin. Mat spends two more days across from the Kin house. Birgitte joins them. Mat likes Birgitte as a friend. Juilin learns that Carridin purchased the plans to Tarasin Palace. Madic moves Olver to Mat's rooms. Mat manages two more nights without Tylin. The next morning, the day of the Festival of Birds, the dice in his head are rolling again.

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