((Chapter 3. Strangely, it hasn't really taken me very long to write this
whole thing. At least, not compared to my other writing that I've done. And
I don't really know how the plot will go-just make it up as I get there. It
seems to work, though I do have an ending planned out in my head))
She had just used Compulsion, and strong enough so that it should work well. Jacqueline called the Darkfriend over. "Come here, and tell me what you said to the ones you betrayed me to." She had forgotten to order Kella not to tell anyone about the Compulsion being used on her before, and she hoped it would not prove fatal.
Kella softly, without complaining, headed back towards the Amyrlin. She spoke quietly. "I told them that you used the One Power to hurt me. I told them that you used Compulsion to make me admit to my crimes. Can I sit down?"
That was odd. A request from someone who had Compulsion on them. Jacqueline sighed. Kella was strong in body and spirit. But that was all she needed to know. A knot of rage as well as fear built itself up inside her. "No, you cannot sit down! And you will address me as 'Mistress' at all times from now on. Why did you bloody tell them that I used Compulsion on you?" She was trembling. She could be stilled for this. She wasn't Black Ajah, but she was sure that the Sitters would consider anyone that used the forbidden Compulsion and hurt people with the Power would have to be Black. She shuddered, waiting for Kella's answer.
"Yes, Mistress. I told them about the Compulsion because they wanted to know how you found out that I was a Darkfriend. They weren't pleased by your answer of 'I have my ways,' so they decided to ask me. I told them the truth. You always have told me not to lie, so, for once, I did what you asked." Kella fell silent. As strong as her spirit was, she couldn't really defy Jacqueline.
Jacqueline studied her for a moment, thinking furiously of what she should do. How was she to avoid being stilled? She didn't think it was possible. She ached for her Warder, Faolan, to be here right now. Finally, she nodded and said quietly, "I understand, though I wish dearly that you would not have told them any of that. I will be in trouble because of it. Very well, then. There isn't much you can do for me. Leave, now, Kella." She removed the weave and motioned her towards the door.
Kella walked as quickly as she dared out of the room. Her face broke into a grin as she walked down the corridors. Jacqueline was so forgetful and stupid that she had made the same mistake once. Kella remembered the Compulsion perfectly well and hadn't been forbidden to tell about it. Now, she would get her final revenge on the one that had hurt her. Walking was difficult. First, she would sleep. Revenge could wait until the morning.
With a sob, Jacqueline laid down on her bed. Tears streamed down her face. What was she to do? She would be stilled, or executed. She wasn't sure which she would prefer. She cried herself to sleep.
Faolan felt sadness through the bond and strode up towards the Amyrlin's Rooms. He entered the door and walked to the bedroom quietly. When he saw Jacqueline's tear-streaked face, he sat down next to her and stroked her hair, speaking to her in a comforting tone, "It will be all right. I will do my best to help you out of this."
Jacqueline raised her head and saw her beloved Warder. She sat up and whimpered. "I will be stilled or executed. Faolan, I have used Compulsion. They will think me Black, and I do not have any proof otherwise. What am I to do?"
Faolan put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "We will work it out. One of us will think of something. We always have before. I love you, Jacqueline, and I will not desert you. I will fight to death if it will save you, and it may this time. We will wait and see what happens. Perhaps everyone will dismiss it as a Darkfriend's lies."
Jacqueline sat up straight and looked at his eyes. She spoke in a hard voice. "You have heard people talking about this already. That is very bad. If I could catch the rumors and stop them before they were spread, it would be much easier. As is, I will not be able to countermand them." She sighed and lay back down. "Perhaps it will be easier to just wait until the morning and work something out then. Good night, Faolan. I love you."
The Warder sighed but decided that it really would probably be easier if they slept on it. He kissed Jacqueline's cheek then walked softly back out of her rooms, going to his own. He lay down on his bed and fell asleep instantly, tossing and turning during the night with unpleasant dreams.
Kella woke up just as the sun was rising, sat up, and stretched. She felt much better today, very refreshed by the night's sleep. Smiling, she pulled on her usual leather clothes and stepped out into the hall. Whistling softly, she walked down the corridors into a rather unfamiliar part of the Tower. She knew that the Sitters for the Hall of the Tower would sometimes be here, so this was where she needed to be. She saw an Aes Sedai with a blue-fringed shawl and curtsied deeply. When they Aes Sedai acknowledged her and continued walking, she spoke up in a rather quiet, submissive voice.
"I am Kella. Yes, Kella the Darkfriend. But I have decided to try to walk in the Light again and help people. I have very important news that will have dire consequences if all Aes Sedai do not know it. Will you hear what I have to say, Sister?"
The Blue Aes Sedai looked at Kella critically then sighed and answered, "Yes, I will listen. I will not necessarily believe what you have to say, but I do think it is good that you are trying to serve the Light once more. Speak, girl."
Kella hid a grin. She loved using people's weaknesses to her advantage. The Aes Sedai must have had her oaths against lying for so long that she didn't even think that Kella could have been lying when she said she was coming back to the Light. She replied in a gracious voice, "Thank you for listening, Aes Sedai. Do you think that we need to get away from listening ears?" When the Blue began to look impatient, she hastily added, "We can stay here if you wish. I think that you should know that the Amyrlin Seat, your very ruler, is a Darkfriend."
The Aes Sedai put her hands on her hips. "You do not like the ruler for what she did to you, so you accuse her of being of the Black Ajah? How dare you interrupt my day for such nonsense!"
Kella broke in before things could get out of hand. "But I have proof. She used a forbidden weave, Compulsion, twice on me. Only someone of the Black Ajah should even know how to do that, from what I've heard, much less actually use it! And she punished me with the Power privately, not just when she gave the public torture."
The Sister studied her carefully for a moment then sighed. "Perhaps you are right, though I doubt it. I heard yesterday that she Compelled you once, from a Novice. So, are you exaggerating or has she used Compulsion on you since then? I need to know the truth. And trust me, I can tell when you are lying."
Kella smiled slightly. She could "tell when she was lying?" She seriously doubted that. But, she told the truth anyway, since it fit in perfectly with her story. "Yes, yesterday afternoon, once my punishment was complete, she floated my stretcher to her room and put the Compulsion on me." She smirked. "Luckily for me and for all of you Aes Sedai, she forgot to forbid me to tell anyone about it. So now, I am doing my duty to the Light and telling you about it."
The Aes Sedai sighed again. "What you speak does actually sound like truth. Thank you, Kella, for alerting me of this problem. You are doing well on your quest to be on the Light side once more, child. I give you my blessing, and I will pass on your word to everyone I meet." She nodded her head to Kella before walking on.
Kella fought down a giggle. She had a blessing? Excellent. Her plot for revenge was well under way.
She had just used Compulsion, and strong enough so that it should work well. Jacqueline called the Darkfriend over. "Come here, and tell me what you said to the ones you betrayed me to." She had forgotten to order Kella not to tell anyone about the Compulsion being used on her before, and she hoped it would not prove fatal.
Kella softly, without complaining, headed back towards the Amyrlin. She spoke quietly. "I told them that you used the One Power to hurt me. I told them that you used Compulsion to make me admit to my crimes. Can I sit down?"
That was odd. A request from someone who had Compulsion on them. Jacqueline sighed. Kella was strong in body and spirit. But that was all she needed to know. A knot of rage as well as fear built itself up inside her. "No, you cannot sit down! And you will address me as 'Mistress' at all times from now on. Why did you bloody tell them that I used Compulsion on you?" She was trembling. She could be stilled for this. She wasn't Black Ajah, but she was sure that the Sitters would consider anyone that used the forbidden Compulsion and hurt people with the Power would have to be Black. She shuddered, waiting for Kella's answer.
"Yes, Mistress. I told them about the Compulsion because they wanted to know how you found out that I was a Darkfriend. They weren't pleased by your answer of 'I have my ways,' so they decided to ask me. I told them the truth. You always have told me not to lie, so, for once, I did what you asked." Kella fell silent. As strong as her spirit was, she couldn't really defy Jacqueline.
Jacqueline studied her for a moment, thinking furiously of what she should do. How was she to avoid being stilled? She didn't think it was possible. She ached for her Warder, Faolan, to be here right now. Finally, she nodded and said quietly, "I understand, though I wish dearly that you would not have told them any of that. I will be in trouble because of it. Very well, then. There isn't much you can do for me. Leave, now, Kella." She removed the weave and motioned her towards the door.
Kella walked as quickly as she dared out of the room. Her face broke into a grin as she walked down the corridors. Jacqueline was so forgetful and stupid that she had made the same mistake once. Kella remembered the Compulsion perfectly well and hadn't been forbidden to tell about it. Now, she would get her final revenge on the one that had hurt her. Walking was difficult. First, she would sleep. Revenge could wait until the morning.
With a sob, Jacqueline laid down on her bed. Tears streamed down her face. What was she to do? She would be stilled, or executed. She wasn't sure which she would prefer. She cried herself to sleep.
Faolan felt sadness through the bond and strode up towards the Amyrlin's Rooms. He entered the door and walked to the bedroom quietly. When he saw Jacqueline's tear-streaked face, he sat down next to her and stroked her hair, speaking to her in a comforting tone, "It will be all right. I will do my best to help you out of this."
Jacqueline raised her head and saw her beloved Warder. She sat up and whimpered. "I will be stilled or executed. Faolan, I have used Compulsion. They will think me Black, and I do not have any proof otherwise. What am I to do?"
Faolan put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "We will work it out. One of us will think of something. We always have before. I love you, Jacqueline, and I will not desert you. I will fight to death if it will save you, and it may this time. We will wait and see what happens. Perhaps everyone will dismiss it as a Darkfriend's lies."
Jacqueline sat up straight and looked at his eyes. She spoke in a hard voice. "You have heard people talking about this already. That is very bad. If I could catch the rumors and stop them before they were spread, it would be much easier. As is, I will not be able to countermand them." She sighed and lay back down. "Perhaps it will be easier to just wait until the morning and work something out then. Good night, Faolan. I love you."
The Warder sighed but decided that it really would probably be easier if they slept on it. He kissed Jacqueline's cheek then walked softly back out of her rooms, going to his own. He lay down on his bed and fell asleep instantly, tossing and turning during the night with unpleasant dreams.
Kella woke up just as the sun was rising, sat up, and stretched. She felt much better today, very refreshed by the night's sleep. Smiling, she pulled on her usual leather clothes and stepped out into the hall. Whistling softly, she walked down the corridors into a rather unfamiliar part of the Tower. She knew that the Sitters for the Hall of the Tower would sometimes be here, so this was where she needed to be. She saw an Aes Sedai with a blue-fringed shawl and curtsied deeply. When they Aes Sedai acknowledged her and continued walking, she spoke up in a rather quiet, submissive voice.
"I am Kella. Yes, Kella the Darkfriend. But I have decided to try to walk in the Light again and help people. I have very important news that will have dire consequences if all Aes Sedai do not know it. Will you hear what I have to say, Sister?"
The Blue Aes Sedai looked at Kella critically then sighed and answered, "Yes, I will listen. I will not necessarily believe what you have to say, but I do think it is good that you are trying to serve the Light once more. Speak, girl."
Kella hid a grin. She loved using people's weaknesses to her advantage. The Aes Sedai must have had her oaths against lying for so long that she didn't even think that Kella could have been lying when she said she was coming back to the Light. She replied in a gracious voice, "Thank you for listening, Aes Sedai. Do you think that we need to get away from listening ears?" When the Blue began to look impatient, she hastily added, "We can stay here if you wish. I think that you should know that the Amyrlin Seat, your very ruler, is a Darkfriend."
The Aes Sedai put her hands on her hips. "You do not like the ruler for what she did to you, so you accuse her of being of the Black Ajah? How dare you interrupt my day for such nonsense!"
Kella broke in before things could get out of hand. "But I have proof. She used a forbidden weave, Compulsion, twice on me. Only someone of the Black Ajah should even know how to do that, from what I've heard, much less actually use it! And she punished me with the Power privately, not just when she gave the public torture."
The Sister studied her carefully for a moment then sighed. "Perhaps you are right, though I doubt it. I heard yesterday that she Compelled you once, from a Novice. So, are you exaggerating or has she used Compulsion on you since then? I need to know the truth. And trust me, I can tell when you are lying."
Kella smiled slightly. She could "tell when she was lying?" She seriously doubted that. But, she told the truth anyway, since it fit in perfectly with her story. "Yes, yesterday afternoon, once my punishment was complete, she floated my stretcher to her room and put the Compulsion on me." She smirked. "Luckily for me and for all of you Aes Sedai, she forgot to forbid me to tell anyone about it. So now, I am doing my duty to the Light and telling you about it."
The Aes Sedai sighed again. "What you speak does actually sound like truth. Thank you, Kella, for alerting me of this problem. You are doing well on your quest to be on the Light side once more, child. I give you my blessing, and I will pass on your word to everyone I meet." She nodded her head to Kella before walking on.
Kella fought down a giggle. She had a blessing? Excellent. Her plot for revenge was well under way.
