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| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/snake_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Snake Chapter Icon'}] ''[WH|Winters Heart]: A Cup of Tea'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=WH,Ch10' align='right'}]
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! __Elayne__ POV

[Elayne|Elayne Trakand] returns to her rooms where her maid [Essande] helps her change out of her riding clothes. [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] wants to dress impressively to meet with some merchants. She also wants [Birgitte|Birgitte Trahelion] with her. She can sense that [Birgitte|Birgitte Trahelion] is frustrated over the paperwork she is doing. 

[Halwin Norry] is waiting for her in her sitting room. He reports that large deposits of alum have been discovered on her estates at [Danabar]. That will make the bankers more amenable to lending her money even though [Danabar] is some distance from the [Lugard Road] making transportation difficult. [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] is delighted at the news. It will allow her to fund the [Academy of the Rose|Caemlyn]. [Rand|Rand alThor] started another school in [Caemlyn] and [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] has taken it over as her own project in memory of [Morgase|Morgase Trakand]. [Halwin Norry] then tells her about [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan]'s proclamation regarding [Rand|Rand alThor]. [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] is stunned and can hardly believe that [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] would do something like that.[1] He does not ask her allegiance; all but a crofter in [Seleisin] must know of the [White Tower] split. He then tells her that the [Sun Palace] was attacked with the [One Power] almost a week ago and that [Rand|Rand alThor] has disappeared. 

The [Blight] is still unusually quiet and the rulers of the [Borderlands] nations seem to be unavailable.[2] King [Roedran|Roedran Analoy] is raising an army in [Lugard].[3] [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] knows all about this from [Egwene|Egwene alVere]. He tells her that she has support for the [Sun Throne|Sun Palace] in [Cairhien|Cairhien (Country)]. She tells him to write letters to all the major Houses stating her claim to the [Sun Throne|Sun Palace] as daughter of [Taringail Damodred]. She will come to claim it when things are settled in [Caemlyn]. [Halwin Norry] leaves. 

Three maids bring her lunch, then [Dyelin|Dyelin Taravin] storms in with news of an army in [Braem Wood]. A reliable [Illianer|Illian (Country)] merchant named [Tormon] brought the news from [New Braem]. There are thousands [Arafellin|Arafel], [Kandori|Kandor] and [Shienarans|Shienar]. [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] thinks they must be there because of [Rand|Rand alThor], but she has no idea why. 

As [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] drinks her tea she feels woozy and realizes it was spiked with [forkroot|Herbs]. She tries to send a feeling of panic and need to [Birgitte|Birgitte Trahelion], then tells [Dyelin|Dyelin Taravin] that she has been poisoned. Three servants come in and draw knives. [Dyelin|Dyelin Taravin] screams murder and attacks them. One of the men slashes [Dyelin|Dyelin Taravin] wounding her badly. As she passes out, [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] sees two of the men are now dead and the third is struggling with an axe-faced guardsman who has come to her rescue.[4]
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More [Elayne POV]
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! Notes (Possible Spoilers)

[#1] Of course, it was [Alviarin|Alviarin Freidhen]'s doing. ([TPoD,Ch25])
\\[#2] They are on their way to [Andor]! ([TPoD,Prologue], [WH,Ch27])
\\[#3] Including [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]'s [Band of the Red Hand]. ([TPoD,Ch18])
\\[#4] He is [Doilin Mellar|Daved Hanlon] aka [Daved Hanlon].
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