At the inn, Rand does a piss-poor job of maintaining a low profile. He gets a cold bed, a warm meal, and an armed escort to Cairhien in the morning — which may not have his best interests in mind. Selene disappeared in the night.
When Rand walks into The Nine Rings, he has given up on dispelling anyone’s illusions that he is a lord. Selene is his lady, and Loial and Hurin are little more than footmen — which serves all of them just fine. Selene is back to acting cold and distant, as though she and Rand were lovers who had just had an argument.
The proprietress spots Thom’s flute and asks Rand if Hurin would play for them. She apologizes when Rand clarifies he’s the one who plays, but he insists on performing — he’s missed it. The music gets the soldiers in the room singing, and when it is all done, Captain Caldevwin of the Cairhienan royal guard introduces himself. When Caldevwin asks Selene’s name, a serving girl conveniently drops an oil lamp. By the time the fire is put out, Selene asks for her room — her own room, separate from Rand’s. Great job keeping a low profile, everyone.
Caldevwin says that the statue holding the sphere is to be transported to Cairhien as a symbol of King Galladrian’s greatness. On learning that Rand is headed for Cairhien, he insists they travel in the company of soldiers he is rotating back to Cairhien. It’s one of those Cairhienan offers of aid peculiar to Game of Houses politicking — ostensibly benign (but maybe it isn’t!), and there is no way to decline it without coming across as untrusting or downright suspicious.
Rand spends the night in a room with Loial and Hurin. In the morning he receives a note from Selene saying that she doesn’t like Caldevwin and that she will be waiting in Cairhien. You see, Rand — this is what happens when you argue with a woman. Even when you win, you lose, and now look who gets to travel alone with Commander Elricain Tavolin and fifty Cairhienan soldiers, all the while having Loial pretend that this big honking chest is filled with his books. You do, Rand. You do.