That doesn't make much sense. It totally doesn't fit the Hall's usual MO to simply allow rulers to chose who they like. Maintaining the Tower's relationship with the nations is an extremely important job, and the Aes Sedai advisors to the rulers are some of the most influential Aes Sedai. They're the representatives of the Tower in the court of the rulers. No way is the Hall letting those jobs go without the Ajahs jostling for the influence to be gained by them.

I think exactly the reverse is true. I think the Hall maneuvers all the time, and issues like strength in the Power, experience, prior relationship with the rulers, etc. are major points around which the maneuvering revolves. A sister like Daigian isn't impossible as a candidate, but at the stage of her Aes Sedai career that Elaida was, a Daigian would have found things a lot harder.


Highly unlikely. Morgase was in a unique position of being raised Queen soon after her Tower training. In normal circumstances, the Daighter Heir likely already has a strong relationship with her mother's advisor, and unless a serious break in relations occurs, or the advisor is recalled to the Tower for another job, I don't see how a woman she meets in her few years in the Tower will end up exceeding the many of her formative years she'd have spent with her mother's advisor. Let's remember that unlike Elaida, many other advisors likely have warmer relationships with the monarch's families.

Elaida also had a rare gift in that she saw that Morgase was likely to be queen before the succession was finished, and the previous advisor to Andor wouldn't see her cozying up to Morgase as interference in another sister's affairs (since Gitara had been raised Keeper).


But of course. I'm not saying the rulers pick the strongest Aes Sedai!

Here:



This is Egwene in aCoS, so she's still naive. But her statement that Sitters, ambassadors and advisors are chosen is pretty clear. There's no way she wouldn't know about this by this point, and no way Siuan wouldn't have corrected her on it.

Also, consider this, from the BWB:


Its pretty clear Bellair came as part of the deal, and not someone Ishara picked.


Again, Hawkwing was sent an advisor, who he accepted. If the Tower would send an advisor to Hawkwing himself, do you think they'll give up that for lesser rulers?