Rant: Aes Sedai piss me off

Before I start, I just finished chapter 10? of Lord of Chaos where Rand goes to meet with the two (at the time) unknown Aes Sedai that have entered Camelyn and are staying at an inn in the outer city. He finds out that the two sisters are Verin and Alanna and they have traveled from Two Rivers with a group of young girls that have the potential to channel. At the end of his interaction with the sisters, Rand gets tricked into being bonded as one of Alanna's warders, and to say the least I am pissed.

I think my outrage stems from the fact that I absolutely was not expecting it, and because every chapter since tFoH involving Aes Sedai and their plans, (Besides Moiraine, Elayne, Nynaeve, and Egwene) but their characters still have their own annoying views and/or behaviors that I find irritating at times, has been incredibly frustrating for a multitude of reasons.

Since the White Tower split, and how it has influenced not only the plot but also changed certain characters' actions and decisions, my opinion on Aes Sedai as individuals and an institution in the WoT universe has become more and more negative. I know the whole point of their existence is to conserve the old ways and prepare the world for the ever closer Tarmon Gai'don, but every single action and decision either reeks of, or is hindered by their staunch refusal to let anyone's opinion or power influence it, save their own. Even when it is becoming clearer through different events that Rand as the Dragon Reborn, has a frightening level of power both internally and within his armies, and with that growing power an even greater chance of uniting the nations of the world, both Elaida and the tower in exile want to come up with some way to control him as if they know best.

Even in matters not concerning Rand, Aes Sedai are pissing me off. The Tower in exile as a whole still annoys me, but what really stands out is the incident in Tel'aran'riod that Elayne, Nynaeve, Siuan, Leane, and the hall dealt with a few chapters earlier in LoC. From the start, the members of the hall just seem arrogant, like "How could anyone know better that us?", even though as the reader we know that the other four women (Siuan and Leane included) all know more about the dream world than they. And through their arrogance and refusal to step away from a world where they are the highest authority and everyone not in their position need show respect and bow no matter what, almost gets them killed. Only with Elayne's help is the situation remedied, but no credit is given and it seems that if any lesson is taken from the experience, it's the wrong one.

But in a way, this is why I'm so compelled to keep reading this series (I've read basically a book a month at my current pace). The way characters and groups are written is incredibly realistic, and the fact that the truth about an event or person can be so easily twisted or misinterpreted depending on the person is fascinating to me. As much as Aes Sedai piss me off, I cannot wait to keep reading.

Tldr: Aes Sedai piss me off because of their stubbornness and insistence that they know best for Rand and all others. But the way it is written is captivating despite the frustration I am experiencing.