Would their really be any doubt that she would attempt to usurp Rand as soon as she got control of the White Tower? It's so completely in character for her. Rand obviously knows this, which suits him just find, considering he wants the forces united and ready for TG, mind as well use Egwene as a tool to do that for him.

What I really find interesting though, is that Egwene's insistence that Nynaeve, Elayne, etc - kneel, kiss her ring and call her Mother and that Gawyn can only be her "partner" if he swears to obey her every whim. Even at his darkest, Rand never attempted to force his friends, or indeed mere friendly acquaintances like Bashere to address him by title, and he certainly isn't trying to reduce Min to his obedient little slave. Egwene is, when you get right down to the core of her, an odious little character. Easily one of my least favorite "protagonists" in fiction.