She tore her eyes and thoughts away from the booklet in her hands, tossing it without care onto her writing desk. Making fists with her hands, Elia wished she could work out her frustrations just as Dax did. She had tried to drink away some of her pain but she could never get so drunk with the kids around, and she couldn't look to Ravak when he had his third kid on the way so soon. She was stuck, bound by duty and family to her rooms, whilst the other half of her heart was the Light knows where. Realising she was dwelling on her misery yet again, Elia slammed her right palm into the desk. She yelped as pain shot up her blackened limb. It looked like it had just been caught in a fire, with its cracked skin and twisted appearance.
This time she walked away from her desk, hissing from the ongoing pain in her arm. She only had a few moments to compose herself before someone knocked on her door, so she crossed to her tea stand and started to channel Fire. It didn't take long before the water in the glass teapot started bubbling, and with her good hand she poured some into a cup. There was already a bulb in the cup, suffusing the liquid with flavour as the bulb blossomed. A faint scent of roses drifted up from the teacup.
The anticipated knock at the door arrived. Elia carried her cup over to the large table by the back of the room, adjacent to the tall windows that overlooked the southeastern end of the Grey Tower. Then she padded back across her chamber, her slippers making nary a sound on the polished marble. She tugged the long sleeve down over her right arm, hiding from view her injury. The red dress was made of satin, although it seemed pink when it shimmered in the light.
Elia opened the door with her left hand, holding it for her guest to enter. "Come in, child." She had to raise an inquiry with Jaryd over why she was getting sent more and more Soldiers to converse with. Whilst she was able to provide them with plenty of information, she couldn't show them a lick of the weaves used in some of her research. Furthermore, she was the First Seeker, not some lowly newly raised Aes Sedai. Yes, definitely need to have words with Jaryd. Maybe remind him that he owes me, not the other way around.
She turned her attention back to her guest. It didn't take much to realise he was nobility of some sort, likely Cairhienin or Andoran by his complexion. Once he spoke she would recognise the accent.
"Take a seat by the window, child. What is your name, and tell me why you've been sent to me?