Elayne Trakand
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Elayne Trakand is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She bears a resemblance both in name and appearance to Ilyena, the doomed wife of Lews Therin Telamon from the Age of Legends.
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[edit] Description
She is described as exceedingly beautiful, about 5'6", with blue eyes and red-gold hair framing an oval face.
[edit] Life as Royalty
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 as only women can hold the Lion Throne of Andor. She is thus known as the Daughter-Heir of Andor and her sign is a golden lily.
Elayne's first appearance in the series is when Rand al'Thor literally falls into the Royal Garden and makes acquaintances with Elayne, her older brother Gawyn Trakand and her half-brother Galad Damodred, and even Queen Morgase herself. Later in the series, it is revealed that Elayne fell in love with Rand at first sight. However, she was unable to follow Rand both due to her royal duties and because, as a daughter of House Trakand, she was required by tradition to train at the White Tower, though she was the only member of House Trakand in memory to have had true strength in the One Power.
[edit] To the White Tower
However, Elayne is the first heir of Trakand in a thousand years to actually be able to channel the One Power with enough strength to become Aes Sedai; she is about as strong as her friends Aviendha and Egwene al'Vere. While at the Tower, she befriended some folk who, by coincidence, knew Rand quite well: his (former) childhood sweetheart Egwene al'Vere, and his village's Wisdom, Nynaeve al'Meara. She also got to know Min Farshaw, a young woman who had met Rand and was in the Tower for "safekeeping" at the time.
[edit] Out of the Tower
She went to Falme (having been sent there by Black Ajah Aes Sedai) and then to Tear, where she was sent along with Nynaeve and Egwene to hunt the Black Ajah by then-Amyrlin Siuan Sanche, and was present when Rand drew Callandor and proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn.
At this point, Elayne finally got her chance to express her feelings for Rand, especially when Egwene renounced him; the two worked it out in advance, though Elayne's part of the conversation did not go quite according to plan. Unfortunately, their time was limited - -soon Rand and Egwene went to Rhuidean, and Elayne and Nynaeve to Tarabon. They traveled by way of a Sea Folk ship, reputedly the fastest ships available, and Elayne quickly discovered how: Sea Folk Windfinders can channel. Elayne promised to keep this secret, as the Sea Folk fear Aes Sedai meddling. Sent by Lan and Rand to look after the two were Juilin Sandar and Thom, whom Elayne eventually recognized from dusty childhood memories as her mother's former lover. She has come to see Thom as a surrogate father, a role he gladly accepts.
In Tarabon they were instrumental in routing the Black Ajah and returning the Panarch Amathera to her office. On the way to Salidar, a bizarre series of events led to Birgitte Silverbow, one of the Heroes of the Horn, being ripped from Tel'aran'rhiod and expelled into the waking world to die. To save her, Elayne bonded Birgitte as her Warder, and the famed archer has been a constant companion since. (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. Many believe that it is because both of them are women, a bonding that has never happened before and is under much scrutiny.) The group arrived in Salidar just in time to receive the brand new Amyrlin Seat, Egwene al'Vere. Egwene made Elayne and Nynaeve full Aes Sedai upon her ascension. Elayne went with Nynaeve, Aviendha and Mat Cauthon to Ebou Dar, and after using the Bowl of the Winds, shepherded a large group of channelers, known as the Kin, to Caemlyn when the Seanchan invaded. She has now secured the Throne following her mother's absence and supposed death; she has also rediscovered the ability to create ter'angreal. For a short time, she also used Mat as an unwilling tutor in cursing and swearing.
[edit] Rand's Women
Elayne is one of three women who love Rand al'Thor, and is close friends with the other two (Aviendha and Min); the three have agreed to share him, and recently Bonded him as their mutual Warder, partly for the side effect of being able to tell what the other person is feeling. Shortly after that, she and Rand found some time together alone in a room with a bed, 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 fraternal twins (a son and daughter), and uses that vision to put herself in harm's way by believing that no harm will come to her or the babies until they are born because what Min "views" always comes true, and Min foresaw that the children would be "both fine." However, Elayne overlooks the possibility that she could be badly injured, or killed, and that the babies could be saved after her death. It is not known if she is a reincarnation of Ilyena Therin Moerelle
