Ely edit 28 December 2022:
1-6 qps, depending on length and quality.
Potential +1 qp: if part of a series: x
Total: 4 qps
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Callesa Sedai takes her travelling cloak off and hangs it by the door of her appartment. She walks to her table first. It is covered in older correspondance. "Oh Light, " and she picks up a few random pieces. She takes them with her to a comfortable arm chair by her bookshelf.
She opens the first one. An uninteresting report from the Cairhien archives from several months ago. A few nobles have consulted the maps and records, in search of evidence for their claims on a few fields, a few families have dived into the old genealogy books, probably before sealing some marriage pacts, nothing out of the ordinary.
Another one, an invitation to visit a minor Lord, probably to make him seem more important than he really was. Nevertheless, it might be a good opportunity to visit Bandar Eban again.
While reading the third one, a report on the activities of the Kandori Merchants in the north, a knock on the door made her lift her eyes from the correspondance. "Come in," she called. The door opened and Saina, her favourite servant entered the room. Average looking, reasonably smart, efficient, and loyal. Perfect. "Welcome home, Aes Sedai".
Callesa smiled warmly at her. "It's good to be back, Saina. How have you been? How is your mother?"
Saina smiles back, "We're doing fine, Aes Sedai. Mother has fully recovered. And I have some news..." suddenly, she looks nervous, just like the moment she almost lost her mother.
Callesa encourages her: "Go on, Saina, what is the matter?"
Saina almost trembles as she quietly says: "I want to get married, if you won't mind losing my services, Aes Sedai."
Immediately, Callesa smiles at the servant, quickly putting aside her selfish worries about the servants of the Tower, and responds: "Such great news, Saina, it was about time. Who is the lucky boy?"
Relieved, Saina merrily answers: "Robin, the butcher's second son. He won't get anything, but we would love to make a good living together..."
Callesa quickly thinks, while the girl continues talking about her fiancé. As usual, this is an opportunity. "Saina, and how would the two of you like to run a small inn? I happen to know of an empty one in Maerone, south of Cairhien. I am sure your mother would love it there, near the river. It would be my wedding gift to you."
The younger woman is breathless. "...really, Aes Sedai?" "Of course, I'll have the paperwork set for you later this week. Now, bring me some kaf. Has anything else arrived for me, while I was gone?"
Saina nods. "Yes, Aes Sedai, I'll bring it with the kaf. There has been a messanger from the Two Rivers, and I didn't leave the envelope here, as you had asked."
"Good, Saina, thank you." While waiting for her kaf, Callesa quickly writes to her representant in Cairhien, instructing him to buy The Singing Cat in Maerone. More eyes and ears in Cairhien are always useful, just like an investment in a river port.
..........................
A half empty cup of kaf sits on the table. Callesa finally opens the small package and letter. She hadn't gotten anything from home for many years, and fortunately, Saina made sure it definitely wouldn't get lost.
She opened the package. To her surprise, a serpent ring falls out of the envelope, as she takes out some papers.
The first note is on a fresh white paper, but written by someone obviously not doing this activity too often.
Callesa Sedai,
we may not have met in person, which I hope will stay that way, but our distant blood ties leave me no choice but to write to you. Your grandmother was my grandfather's aunt. And as we were doing the spring cleaning more thoroughly than we had done it in decades, under my lead for the first time, we found a few things she had left. A letter for you, a ring, and some money that we plan to use to buy a new cow, as the old one died in the winter. I hope you understand, and also have no need for our money.
As we wish no trouble from the Children of the Light, and also are not interested in getting caught in the Aes Sedai games, I am speaking for all the al'Riean family to tell you our ties are by this letter cut.
In Light,
Meveyne al'Riean
Callesa's eyes were filling with tears. Nobody had contacted her for years. Her last visit didn't go as planned either, her ageless face was simply a too thick wall. And why bother, she had left all that life behind her back in the Arches. Nevertheless, it hurt.
After a comforting sip from her cup of kaf, she opened the other letter. On a yellowish paper, that seemed almost too fragile to unfold. The writing was beautiful and comfortingly known.
My beloved granddaughter,
just yesterday I got your letter. You were raised to the Shawl! What a wonderful piece of news. I would have guessed the Blue, but the Brown is such a wonderful choice. You've achieved more than I ever could. I never told you, but I was in the Tower once, and I still cherish its memory in spite of the pain. I passed the Arches and got my serpent ring. But the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, and I was not meant to gain the Shawl. I was too weak and too impatient for my own good. But my pride in you is not the only reason for me to write.
Be careful, Callesa, for not everything is as it seems. As the pattern willed, I once overheard what I shouldn't have. Another Accepted, Gitara, had the gift of foretelling. And one evening, I saw her taken by her talent during our lesson with Jarna Sedai. Her words sounded loud and clear, while her eyes seemed to not see us anymore: "The sea will bring the silver chains, a fruit of a Talent long lost, fear the gift of Deain without the Oaths". We were worried by the words, but Jarna Sedai forbade us to speak of it. To anyone.
In the next lesson, Jarna Sedai claimed she wished to help me prepare for the Test of the Hundred Weaves. She pushed me harder than ever before, I wanted to prove myself to her. At one moment, she told me to draw even more from Saidar, more then I ever have, to get the 98th weave right. I burned out. I was so empty, and desperate. I didn't care at all about living or dying, and realized only weeks later, that Jarna told the Mistress of Novices "I warned her not to push herself too hard. But you know how some of the weaker girls are, not ready to accept their limits!". She lied. She broke the 1st Oath, and I wasn't capable of saying anything. And who would have believed me.
Callesa, be careful in your new life. It wasn't weaved for me, but your grandfather made sure I was content in spite of my loss. Your raising heals my wounds. I pray for you to the Light every day. And come visit me, when you can.
Your Grandma.
What was she supposed to think and feel now? Callesa didn't know. She held her grandmother's ring, and felt such a pain to not have gotten the letter earlier, to not have visited in time. But the letter's content was also unsettling. Callesa knew, who Jarna Sedai was. The records of the Vileness were hidden in the 13th Depository, but not from a Brown.
Jarna Malari was a Gray Sitter, one very active in the hunt for suspected male channelers. She wasn't among the few punished Aes Sedai only because she tragically died in a ter'angreal accident. A curious thing, given she had never been known to take interest in ter'angreal before. But who in the Light was Deain without the Oaths?