Chapter CII - The Wrath of Siuan
A couple of days later it was time for the second official meeting of the First Among Servants and the Amyrlin Seat. Taija couldn't say she particularly liked having her title. It wasn't very… her. She wouldn't have to put up with it forever though. Just until she could find someone else to take it on and leave her to enjoy life more. Maybe Egwene?
This time she went to Siuan, taking an entourage with her. Apparently going alone was a sign of weakness, or possibly made her vulnerable, either way she wasn't allowed. Not for official visits anyway.
Rand was busy sorting out Cairhien. Apparently he was thinking of making Elayne queen of it, although Taija suspect that she'd rather he didn't, so that would be interesting to watch. She did have Tel, Aleksi and Nynaeve, along with a small crowd of Aspirants as her escorts, plus some of the Dedicated from the Hall. She also had Elaida, shielded by an aspirant, but allowed to walk unbound in the middle of them.
Taija had been a bit surprised Elaida was so blasé about it when she'd told her she'd be handing her over to Siuan. Elaida must have known Tower law and the likely consequences, but she'd just said that if that was what was needed to heal the Tower then so be it. She also hadn't hesitated in giving her oath that she wouldn't attack Taija, Rand or the Hall. Of course with Taija handing the binding rod over to Siuan there was nothing stopping them from having her unswear the oath, but by that point Taija didn't have the mental energy to add that to her list of worries.
When Taija emerged from the gateway she was greeted by a crowd of Tower aes sedai, novices and warders. Siuan's keeper, Maigan, welcomed her with a shallow curtsy. "The White Tower welcomes the First Among Servants, our ally under the Light."
Taija gave her an even shallower bow in response, after all, Siuan was her peer there, not the Keeper. "Thank you, it is a pleasure to be here among our allies and friends of the White Tower."
Taija was soon escorted to the pavilion Siuan had had set up for the occasion. As she walked one thing that struck her from the crowd was that Siuan certainly seemed to be increasing the number of novices she had. There must have been close to a hundred of them, including maybe ten men also dressed in white. Nothing like the Hall's rapidly growing numbers, but still impressive compared to what the White Tower used to have.
Siuan received Taija sat on an ornate chair, more of a throne. Putting the Amyrlin onto the seat. Heh. However, when Taija arrived Siuan stood to greet her. There was no curtsy there, of course, modern people saw a curtsy as a sign of submission. Another sign of why curtsies were inferior to bows. A carefully calibrated bow could be anything from polite greeting to a social inferior all the way to abject submission.
Regardless of Siuan's own lack of curtsy or bow, Taija gave her a bow of her own when she stopped in front of her. One appropriate for an equal in a professional context.
"The White Tower welcomes the First Among Servants. Welcome Taija, it is my pleasure to see you here when you bring such good news for the White Tower."
"Thank you Siuan. The pleasure is all mine, to be able to serve the Light at your side as the Last Battle approaches is an honour." Time for a bit of drama. "You of course know of the great victory that the Hall of Servants struck against the Shadow only a week ago. The death of one of the Forsaken and the weakening of the Black Ajah," Taija saw some eyes tighten at that. "During that battle we were also fortunate enough to obtain two things that we knew would be of great interest to our friends and allies in the White Tower."
She gestured grandly behind her and Aleksi floated an ornately carved box forward. "We were able to capture the White Tower's oath rod," Taija was careful to use their term, "and now I return it to you as one friend to another."
Siuan already knew about its effect on aes sedai lifespans, but Taija had the feeling she might not have told any of the others about it. Taija had already made sure to slip that fact into conversation with Moiraine and Cadsuane and the others had been given a nudge to mention it to any Tower aes sedai they could, as long as they could do it without being too clumsy. Her conscience wouldn't allow her to have those people keep on subjecting themselves to binding without fully understanding the consequences, but Taija's meaner side also thought that it would be very helpful for undermining the attractiveness of the White Tower if people knew they were halving their lifespans by becoming aes sedai under it.
The box landed on a stand that Siuan had had placed there and one of her sitters came forward and opened it before holding up the binding rod. Siuan's stern visage faded to be replaced with a smile, just for a second.
When the binding rod was replaced in its box Taija continued. "Second is Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan. Rand sedai," always good to remind them he was aligned with her, "was able to bring her to us from the White Tower. While she has committed crimes against the Hall of Servants, I recognise that the White Tower has the greater claim on her. As such, I give her to you without preconditions or demands. She is yours to do with as you wish."
Taija stepped slightly to the side and Elaida walked proudly forward. Taija had told her what would be happening and had even given her some advice, she was far too nice really. Whether Elaida would follow it or not, Taija didn't know. Whether it would even be enough to save her or not she didn't know either. Nor did she care overly. She'd made a small effort to help Elaida and that was more than enough.
Elaida stepped in front of her, meeting Siuan's eyes, chin held high. For a moment Taija thought she was about to commit suicide by arrogance and then she sank to her knees, bowing her head.
"Mother, I am sorry. In my arrogance I have led the White Tower to the greatest disaster in its existence. I had what I believed to be good reasons at the time, but it has become clear to me that I was wrong. You are the rightful Amyrlin and I will acknowledge that in any way you command. I beg for mercy. The Last Battle is coming and I wish to live to fight for the Light in it, but I will accept any punishment you see fit to give me."
Siuan studied her for a long moment, disgust on her face. "We shall discuss your fate later. Take her away." A pair of warders came and took Elaida's arms, before hustling her away, not particularly gently. Meh.
Once Elaida had been removed Siuan turned back to Taija. "Thank you Taija, the White Tower does not forget its friends. You have done us a great service." She scanned across the crowd of aes sedai. "Taija also delivered me a secret message earlier. It seems that she has been able to identify the remaining members of the Black Ajah, or so she believes. Bring them out!"
A number of aes sedai were prodded forward. Taija even recognised a few of them from her time in the White Tower. Given Siuan's numbers, it wasn't as many as she'd expected, perhaps twelve or so, but then Taija had already thinned out their ranks with her ploy before the cleansing of the taint.
On the other side of Siuan a burly warder dragged forward a block of wood and placed it on the grass.
"Sisters, you are accused of being members of the Black Ajah by our ally. I would not act just on her word for that would not be justice, but now we have the oath rod." Taija saw some of the sisters pale. "You will reswear the three oaths, or you will go to the headsman's block immediately."
"You cannot do this!" One of the sisters pushed her way forward, defiance written across her face. "I will not be treated like this! I am aes sedai, there are laws."
Siuan just smiled, "the Hall has already decided, any of the accused darkfriends who refuses to reswear the oaths here and now will be found guilty of being part of the Black Ajah with the penalty applied immediately. Should you reswear them, well then there is potential for other options to be discussed."
The Tower aes sedai blanched. Then shook her head, defiance in her tone, "I will not be treated like this."
"Very well." Siuan shrugged, impressively cold. "This is your last chance to change your mind."
The aes sedai just stared defiantly at her until Siuan gestured. The woman was immediately seized by a pair of warders and dragged over to the wooden block before being forced down onto it. One drew his sword and seconds later it was over, her blood pumping onto the grass. Taija gave Siuan a mental nod of approval. Darkfriends were a plague on the world and there could be no mercy. If they had tried to return to the Light of their own volition then there would be something to discuss, people could redeem themselves, but it had to be their choice, their actions. As it was, fuck them.
"Next." Siuan cast her eyes back to the shielded sisters and one was pushed forward. "What about you Careane? Will you reswear the oaths?"
Careane glanced to the headless corpse and back at Siuan and hurriedly nodded, words seeming to have temporarily failed her. It dudn't take long for her to unswear whatever oaths she had sworn, Taija would have to ask Verin about them, and reswear the aes sedai's three oaths.
"Are you a member of the Black Ajah?"
"No! I am not!"
Siuan sighed loudly. "Have you every been a member of the Black Ajah and, if so, when do you consider yourself to have stopped?"
Careane looked like she didn't want to answer and then swallowed nervously. "Yes I have been. However, I am no longer a member, I wish to walk in the Light, I can tell you the secrets of the Black Ajah!"
"Very well, I will of course take your cooperation into account. Who do you know or suspect is a member of the Black Ajah?"
Taija listened with interest as Black Ajah member after Black Ajah member reswore the oaths and frantically, almost eagerly betrayed their comrades. Nearly all of the names that were given were already on the list, but a few seemed to be surprises. Two were right there in the watching crowd, they made themselves obvious with their reactions to being named. They were immediately shielded and dragged forward to join the small line of black sisters. One more name resulted in a quick search and an angry expression from Siuan when it was reported that she'd left the village the night before.
It wasn't long before the final two, newly revealed sisters were brought forward. Taija didn't recognise either of them. The first reswore the oaths and was quickly revealed as yet another member of the Black Ajah. So it seemed Verin's list wasn't perfect. That would have been too much to hope for.
Then the other angrily reswore the oaths and declared with an ice-cold tone, "I am not nor have I ever been a member of the Black Ajah! I am not a darkfriend and have always walked in the Light!" She was actually trembling a bit, whether from rage or fear Taija wasn't sure.
Siuan quickly gestured and the shield on her was released. "My apologies daughter, we had to be sure. Let it be known that Gwenalle Cawl is not a darkfriend and has proven her innocence in front of the Tower." She turned angry eyes on the black sister that had named Gwanelle. "Explain. Now."
The darkfriend visibly shrunk in on herself. "I I I thought she was, you asked if I suspected anyone not just if I knew. I did not know for sure."
"Hmph. Very well." Siuan turned away, towards the sitters gathered behind her. "You have seen these women swear the three oaths and every one of them insists that they will cooperate and wish to serve the Light. I told them that if they reswore the oaths there would be potential for other options. Here is that potential. The Hall will now vote on their fate, taking into account the cooperation they have provided. Personally I say that they are only claiming to have changed to save their own skins. A lionfish in roundfish's clothing remains a lionfish. I believe they will return to the Shadow as soon as the opportunity is given to them, but it shall not be my choice."
Maigan then spoke, "those who vote for execution for all of the self-confessed members of the Black Ajah, stand." Every single sitter stood without hesitation, although Taija thought that at least one or two of the kneeling black sisters might have been among them a couple of days ago. "Very well, we have the greater consensus."
It all happened very quickly after that. There was no further discussion. Each sister was dragged forward, beheaded and then her corpse hauled away to make room for the next. Some were too stunned to react, others begged and one or two raged against the decision. Taija watched each one, with a vague sense of satisfaction. This would significantly strengthen the Light and make Siuan's group more able to fight at her side. Of course there were many more black sisters outside Siuan's village, especially those that had stayed out of the White Tower's split. Still, many of those would be suffering accidents over the next few days. Taija doubted they'd all be successfully dealt with, but a further trimming of the Black Ajah's numbers would do the world some good.
As sister after sister was summarily beheaded her mind went back to Verin. She'd need to ask her what she wanted to do. Verin had struck a blow for the Light that was probably greater than almost any modern aes sedai. If she wanted, Taija would keep her involvement a complete secret and ask Cadsuane, Nynaeve and Tel to do the same. Otherwise, some kind of public declaration might be appropriate. She wanted to make sure that Verin didn't get over zealously caught up in a purge after being named by another Black Ajah member after all.
When the last sister had been executed Siuan spoke again, breaking the stunned silence. "Once again Taija and the Hall of Servants have the White Tower's gratitude. Working together we have struck a blow for the Light. As part of this, the White Tower and the Hall of Servants have been discussing a historic agreement that will strengthen both of us. For the first time ever the White Tower will enter into a treaty of friendship and recognition with another organisation of channelers." There was definitely some tightening of eyes among the Tower aes sedai at that.
Two servants carried a table over, two large sheets of parchment on it. If everything had been done correctly they'd be identical copies of the treaty that Taija's comrades in the Hall had quietly been negotiating in the background since she'd obtained the binding rod. With a wave, Siuan gestured her forward to it and Taija gave the papers a quick scan. It was as expected, covering all of the key points that she wanted.
1. Mutual recognition of aes sedai raised by each organisation acknowledging them as having the right to call themselves aes sedai and be accorded the respect that went with the title. Effectively recognising reality there.
2. Acceptance that the internal governance of each organisation was for them alone to decide. Neither of them wanted the other interfering, but it was probably more to Taija's advantage as, unlike the White Tower, she wasn't particularly interested in getting involved in other groups' internal politics.
3. Recognition that aes sedai from either organisation could join the other if they so wished and be governed by the other's rules if accepted, Taija suspected that Siuan had only agreed to that one with an eye on dominance after the Last Battle. On the other hand she'd had Bennae in mind and the hope that others would follow.
4. Recognition that the Hall could not in future take novices and accepted from the White Tower (or vice versa, not that that was a risk) unless and until the White Tower consented or they had been turned out. That was the biggest concession Taija had made, but it was bending to reality. It was also necessary to get the White Tower to relinquish its claims over the existing defectors among the Hall's ranks. She didn't want them to be looking over their shoulders constantly in case they were brought back as runaways.
5. The Hall gave the Tower the binding rod to be theirs in perpetuity, but in return the Tower agreed that the Hall would be permitted to borrow it when they needed to use it for their own purposes. Taija had made sure that the impression was given to Siuan that it would be used for rooting out darkfriends and administering punishments. She didn't think Siuan had realised yet that she could make the Hall a much more attractive prospect by offering aes sedai the opportunity to unbind themselves if they joined it.
6. General declarations of friendship and cooperation. Taija had no doubt the Tower would stab her in the back at the first opportunity after the Last Battle, but at least it wouldn't be in the front after Siuan had signed the treaty.
Taija took the pen she was offered and dipped it in the ink pot, what wouldn't she have given for a ballpoint pen, and then signed both copies with a flourish. Taija Kosola Miranen, First Among Servants.