Fanfic:Crysthia's Three Arches
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The First Arch
Crysthia woke up and looked around. Her husband, Lord Aldrien, naturally was still asleep. Be steadfast. The way back will come but once. Crysthia had no idea where that had come from. It didn't seem to be her own thought. Oh well, she'd best get up and make sure the cook hadn't overslept again. Her husband always got irritable when breakfast was late. She hated her life, but she was a Cairhienin Noble, and her parents wanted her to marry a High Lord. This was her life, whether she liked it or not.
Quickly she dressed and went down to ensure breakfast was satisfactory. She didn't want to deal with her husband's anger yet again. It was bad enough she still remained without child. He was often cross with her about that. He wanted an heir.
When she got to the kitchens the cook was busy preparing the breakfast. "Breakfast will be ready momentarily mistress." The cook said and went about her duties. Crysthia smiled, well at least there should be no fight this morning. She hoped.
A few minutes later Lord Aldrien came downstairs. The cook immediately set breakfast on the table. "Good morning husband, did you sleep well?" Crysthia inquired and received a grunt in response. She bent her head and concentrated on breakfast. Best not to say anything at all, rather than invite trouble. She thought to herself.
"So, wife, are you with child yet?" He asked suddenly. Crysthia looked up, not expecting the question. He knew very well she wouldn't know for at least a week. "It is too soon to tell, my husband. It will be at least another week." Crysthia responded, hoping that would be the end of it.
"A woman should know when they are pregnant, why must I wait a month for an answer each time! I'm sick of this wife!" Aldrien raged. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Crysthia noticed a silver arch in the doorway. Be steadfast. The way back will come but once. Crysthia had no idea what it meant, but she felt suddenly that she must go through that arch. "I am sorry husband, that I cannot deliver you a son faster." She said as she stood and headed for the arch. "Where do you think you are going! I am not finished with you!" Aldrien raged on. But Crysthia didn't care, she continued through the arch. The last thing she heard was Aldrien cursing ever having married her.
The Second Arch
Crysthia was standing in front of a rather large group of novices, lecturing on how to get around the truth without lying. Be steadfast. The way back will come but once. That wasn't her own thought, where had it come from? She paused for a second in the middle of a sentence. The novices were startled by the sudden stop. She shook her head and began speaking again. "A beginners trick when getting around the truth, is simply to be as vague as possible. Don't give them anymore information than they need to know?" Crysthia was saying as a novice raised her hand.
"But you're only an Accepted, how could you have experience in avoiding the truth when you cannot lie?" The novice asked with a slight smirk.
Crysthia did not like the girl's attitude but decided to ignore it. "A good question. One of the first things you learn as a novice is that you must strive to be as an Aes Sedai, to act as if you have already taken the Three Oaths. Admittedly, without the oaths it is easier to lie, even when not meaning to, but it is still good practice to avoid the truth, while always speaking the truth, rather than outright lying. Because once you take the oaths you cannot lie, and you must then learn how to get around the truth without lying or else stop speaking altogether so as not to endanger yourself and the tower." Crysthia paused for any comments, but there were none. She felt she was on a role, and quite happy to continue speaking as if she knew what she was talking about.
"Did you know that an Aes Sedai can, unknowingly lie. This is not something that is generally discussed, but if an Aes Sedai believes something to be true then she can say it. Even if it is utterly false." Just then she noticed a silver arch way. Be steadfast. The way back will come but once. She wondered where that had come from. She wanted to continue with her lecture, to give examples, but something was telling her that she needed to go through that arch.
She started walking toward the arch as the students protested that the lesson wasn't finished yet. The last thing she heard was a novice saying that she didn't think Crysthia knew what she was talking about anyway.
The Third Arch
Crysthia Sedai walked the corridors of the White Ajah quarters. Be steadfast. The way back will come but once. She had no idea where that had come from. It sounded so familiar, yet Crysthia couldn't place it. She shook the distant echo of words from her head. She had been summoned by the Amyrlin Seat and mustn't be late.
It was not overly unusual for the Amyrlin to summon the head of an Ajah, but the way in which she had been summoned left Crysthia curious. She hasted her steps, and soon approached the Amyrlin's study. There was no Keeper outside to greet her, or announce her presence to the Amyrlin. Strange, where is Lianthis? Crysthia thought. She knocked on the door and waited for the Amyrlin's call.
"Come Daughter." Crysthia heard the familiar voice and entered. "I received your summons Mother." She said curtsying. She could see worry in the Amyrlin's eyes. This worried her deeply, for it must be something very grave if the Amyrlin let any emotion show at all.
"Lianthis is dead, murdered!" The Amyrlin began. Crysthia gasped in shock. "Who... who did it mother?" Crysthia manged to stammer. "It was a member of the Black Ajah. She has been caught and stilled, and she will be executed tomorrow." The Amyrlin informed her.
"Who was it?" Crysthia asked, though she feared she did not want to know. "It was Kalitina Sedai." She answered simply. Crysthia was shocked, a member of her own Ajah! It just couldn't be! And besides that fact, Kalitina was her friend, or at least she thought she was. Was that why the Amyrlin had called summoned her?
"Do not worry Daughter, I have not called you hear to answer for a member of your Ajah. I have called you here, to ask you to be my new Keeper." The Amyrlin said. The words did not register at first. It took Crysthia a moment before she realized exactly what the Amyrlin said. "I would be honored, Mother." Crysthia replied just as she noticed a silver archway. Be steadfast. The way back will come but once.
Crysthia went wide eyed. She knew what it meant. She knew she had to go through that arch, that she would not be able to accept the Keeper's stole. It wasn't fair! She didn't want to go through that arch. Yet she knew she must. She took a deep breath and walked towards it. "Where are you going daughter!" The Amyrlin shouted. "I have not dismissed you! We are not finished here!" That was the last thing that Crysthia heard as she entered the arch
