Welcome back to my re-read, recap, and reaction to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. This post will only have spoilers through the current chapter.
You can find my previous chapter recaps HERE.
Chapter 32: Sealed to the Flame
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Elaida
Elaida dreams that she is bringing the rebellious Aes Sedai to heel, stilling some and birching others. Alviarin wakes her with news from Dumai’s Wells. Covarla is the highest ranking sister to return alive, and informs them of the appearance of hordes of Wise Ones (Aiel wilders) and hundreds of Asha’man, the White Tower Aes Sedai‘s defeat, and Rand‘s escape. Only 12 of 39 Aes Sedai have returned to the White Tower from the battle. After Covarla is dismissed, Elaida wishes to resume the offensive at once, but Alviarin reminds her of the Asha’man numbers and of Toveine’s mission to destroy the Black Tower. Elaida commands her to immediately order Toveine and the other Sisters back, but Alviarin tells her that they have no means of warning her in time. She then tells Elaida that she will suffer Siuan Sanche‘s fate if the rest of the Tower learns of her catastrophic failures, and that she must follow Alviarin’s orders henceforth.
Alviarin proceeds to dictate the first few orders Elaida should give. The first is to increase the Tower Guard, something Elaida had previously decided against. The second and third are to order searches of the quarters of two sisters while holding up three others as models of upholding the law. Those subjected to searches, according to Alviarin, broke minor infractions regarding angreal; Josaine for not turning in one she had found, and Adelorna Bastine for removing one from the storerooms without the proper permissions. Elaida forsees that this will cause friction with a clear implication that the latter three informed on the others.
Elaida starts thinking about how she can get rid of Alviarin without repercussions to herself.
Point of view: Alviarin Freidhen
Alviarin leaves Elaida’s chambers, realizing that events are moving inexorably towards Elaida’s deposition, and perhaps her own ascendance to the seven-striped stole. However, she does not know Mesaana‘s plans as yet.
Point of view: Seaine Herimon
Elaida approaches Seaine Herimon in her Sitter’s quarters, instructing her to seek out treason in the Tower and report only to her. After Elaida departs, Seaine concludes that she must have been speaking about the Black Ajah. She breaks her oath to Elaida and tells her best friend, Red Sitter Pevara Tazanovni, about the inquiry and they agree to help one another. She notices a lot of discord between the Ajahs. She chose Pevara because her family was murdered by Darkfriends and because of that Pevara has been relentless in seeking out Darkfriends.
REACTION:
I really love this chapter title and the term itself, as used within the story. It would be easier, and maybe more time-efficient when writing the story, to just use modern language and terminology. “Sealed to the Flame” essentially means that something is Top Secret / Highly Classified within the White Tower, such that the secret-knower is only permitted to speak of it to the Amyrlin (a/k/a The Flame of Tar Valon.) Jordan gives that type of secret its own formal title. World-building is hard, but it’s the little details like this that bring a world to life and separate it from our own.
He also just makes it sound immensely cool. Anyway.
A couple of things happen here. First, Jordan makes it abundantly clear that Elaida is going somewhat insane with power. Her dream to start the chapter had her stilling people, birching people, Sheriam was screaming, others including Egwene were tearfully begging, and Rand was both captured and completely secondary – like a trophy on her wall.
Second, you know what finally hits the fan. Rand’s escape is made known – including the massive loss of life of Aes Sedai (the single greatest setback in 2,000 years.) She also finds out that the group she sent to the Black Tower are going to their doom and that it’s too late to rescue them. In her moment of helplessness, and with a legitimate threat to be stilled and executed hanging over her head, Alviarin presses her advantage and makes Elaida say that she will do what she is told. AS FAR AS WE KNOW… this pledge is binding on Elaida, due to the Oath Rod.
While it completely makes sense that Elaida would be blamed for these catastrophes, it doesn’t make sense that Alviarin could in any way help her. So.. it doesn’t make sense that Elaida would make that obedience pledge. In most respect, the two of them are in it together, right? In fact, Elaida could probably pin it all on Alviarin if she wanted, and stand some chance of succeeding. EXCEPT that Elaida must legitimately fear being cross-examined by the Hall and being unable to lie.
So maybe we should assume that Elaida is definitely not Black Ajah. Her POVs have also implied as much (the Foretellings she relies on are about the Light winning the Last Battle.) But this feels like further confirmation.
Alviarin immediately starts giving Elaida orders to do things that Elaida knows will undermine her rule, pitting Ajahs against each other, making her looks like a tyant. She makes Elaida carry these things out personally so that if it does come to the two of them blaming each other in front of the Hall regarding recent Tower disasters, that the Hall will take her side against Elaida. It also simply just undermines the Tower – a Black Ajah goal.
Alviarin’s actions are on Mesaana’s orders. Mesaana is also the one behind the plot to capture Rand and bring him to the White Tower. So… she’s been busy but unsuccessful. I’m kind of enjoying the mystery of where she might be hiding inside the Tower, too.
Elaida comes up with a plan to get rid of Alviarin. Is it clever? I don’t know. Is putting a Sitter on the hunt for Darkfriends in the White Tower even what she intended? I don’t know. I understand Seaine’s reasoning for thinking that this is what she meant… but as it wasn’t spelled out either to her or to us as the Reader, my antennae are up for this being a miscommunication. That said… it’s MASSIVELY consequential if the two hunters start finding them.
Do they kill them? Bring the captured forward in some dramatic / surprise way (to avoid reprisal)? Use them to find others? What if Elaida accidentally oversaw the purging of Darkfriends from the White Tower? [I don’t think we’re getting a Hero Elaida plot arc.]
In any case, this feels like Jordan setting up the Elaida / Alviarin plot for the next book or two. That probably also means Eggy won’t be taking over the White Tower in the next book (hence the need for these people to have something to do.)
One final bigger picture thought: Alviarin pointed out that Rand and 100 men from the Black Tower could have Traveled to Tar Valon and probably just taken the place over if they wanted. I don’t know why that course of action never really occurred to me as an option (or why it didn’t occur to Rand.) Maybe he’s concerned of the political backlash with the nations he’s trying to get on his side. I guess that makes sense. But at the very least, he could have gone in and just grabbed Elaida, right? Eggy’s group can Travel, too. Doesn’t that give her an ENORMOUS military advantage? Why not use it before Elaida’s spies in her camp share the intel with Elaida? Elaida definitely has spies in Eggy’s camp. Those spies *will* learn how to Travel. Is it just that Jordan didn’t want his characters to do the obvious thing and win too quickly? Is Tyrion Lannister advising Egwene Stormborn on how to take the city?
And that brings us back to Halima and the HIGH likelihood that she/he has Egwene under Compulsion.
Anyway, as I said before, this feels like the stopping point for this arc. We’ll see where things go in Book #8.
2 thoughts on “A Crown of Swords (Chapter 32): Sealed to the Flame”