Murandian by birth, and a Blue sister with a disreputable past, Cetreise has the Foretelling, manifesting itself through needlework and tapestry, the resulting pieces kept securely among the most prized records of the Tower. Recently returning from a lengthy penance, Cetreise was known to be a bitter foe of the last Amyrlin, Elsbedhe Bodwell. She is believed to have had many penances in her past, and she is despised by most of the Red Ajah, which some believe stems from her possible aid to a channeling man in Illian some years ago, who was in truth her lover and father of her son, Avren. Cetreise has again taken to a lengthy retreat from public affairs in a bout of ill-health brought about by the spate of Foretellings she produced. Recently, however, she was seen in the thick of the battle outside the Shining Walls astride one of her pair of fierce destriers, Champion, but has secluded herself upon return to Tar Valon.

Cetreise was born to a chambermaid in House a'Elver in Murandy, and was rumored to be the daughter of one of the lords of the house, maybe even Lord Daryn a'Elver himself. When her mother's pregnancy began to show, she was trundled out of the manor and dismissed by Lady Ieren do'Theed a'Elver. To this day, Cetreise has a deep-seated HATRED for the a'Elver family that carries over to their descendants.⁽¹⁾ In any event, Cetreise's mother, Keari, was forced to work as scullion in a disgraceful tavern in Lugard, The Scarlet Maiden, and it was there that Cetreise grew up. It was a rough place. It was among the patrons of the tavern that Cetreise learned to use a knife, to brawl, to fight unarmed. When she was fourteen, her mother fell in with a shabby laborer, so she decided it was time to run off. She took in with a traveling merchant's train, as maid to the female merchant, Britte Lewell.

Mistress Lewell regarded Cetreise as her daughter, and taught her to appreciate the finer things in life, and to demand the best. Cetreise became entirely too keen on that idea, and has developed a FASTIDIOUS flaw, which carries over to her own appearance. She is rather vain and proud of herself. It was from the merchant, Mistress Lewell, that she learned her letters as well as a good bit of trade. Cetreise fell in love with one of the guards, a red-haired lad, Jestin a'Soren, himself a runaway lordling, and they planned to marry. Alas, brigands set upon the train, killing both Mistress Lewell and her Jestin, but Cetreise was able to hide. Cetreise was despondent over her LOST LOVE, which has barely tempered with age. She uses his name to this day. Cetreise was able to retrieve a bit of her mistress' gold that she concealed in a secret box in the now ruined wagon, and she took to wandering. Having nothing else to do she decided to go to Tar Valon. On her way north, she met a party of Red Sisters who were returning home from a Dragon-crushing expedition, together with a huge party of wrongfully accused Dragonsworn. Being a clever sort, decided to travel with the party for security. Cetreise was horrified by the treatment these "Dragonsworn" were receiving, prior to being found guilty, and it nettled her. One of the Red Aes Sedai noted that she could channel. As soon as entering Tar Valon, she was made to write her name in the Novice Book, and put on the white.

She was a bright girl, did well in her studies, especially in politics, strategy, Old Tongue, etiquette, as well Esoteric Lore, scholarship in a diverse array of fields. Her Accepted testings were queer, psychedelic things, involving leaving her mother, and her poor Jestin in all sorts of distress. When she a new Accepted, she learned she could FORETELL, which made her a quite a prize. One day, she fell into a stupor while playing at embroidery, and produced a piece she just knew was a Foretelling. The symbolic images and colors seemed to have meaning, like a tapestry.⁽²⁾ This has happened on occasion throughout her life, and the pieces are kept among the most prized Tower records. The Reds guided her training, without her wanting it really, but she earned the enmity of more than a few Red sisters when she chose Blue upon being raised to the shawl. Still deeply troubled by the wrongfully accused Dragonsworn, she VOWED to help bring justice to an unjust world. Since being raised Aes Sedai practically 140 years ago, she has lived an intriguing life, losing more than a few warders, and dropping off the map for years at a time. Her interest is justice, for women especially, and she feels DUTYBOUND to help those wrongfully accused, and the fact that many still are causes her some degree of distress.

Tower records may contain a bit of diplomatic intrigue in her past, putting down a revolt in Jehennah, and it was rumored that she was browbeat a lord, Lord Mathias Venly of Ghealdan into marrying the daughter of his foe and laying down his sword. It is also rumored that she was one of the few Aes Sedai to bear a child, during one of her mysterious sabbaticals. No one knows what happened to the child, or who the father was, her DANGEROUS SECRET, as it may have been a man who could channel.

During one of her sabbaticals, Cetreise found herself in Illian, secretly guiding an effort by the Assemblage to reorganize their court systems, instituting reforms. During her time in the city, she became aware of a man who could channel, although he himself was not aware of it. The time was not right to leave her work in Illian, so she persuaded the man to come reside with her so she could keep an eye on him. She delayed sending messages to Tar Valon, because she was unwilling to leave her work in Illian, and she felt that she would have to accompany him to Tar Valon, and decided to keep him in her personal custody for a time. She did not trust the Red Ajah to handle him in a fair manner, so she held off sending for Red sisters until she could protect him. The man, Nicos Arseides, who was a poet and bard of some repute, was still unaware he could channel, and because Cetreise was such a forceful presence, he found himself acquiescing. In time, they become lovers and she became pregnant with his child. When the time came that she could leave Illian, she finally sent word to Tar Valon. Her DANGEROUS SECRET is that she harbored a channelling man for a time. ⁽³) When the Tower delegation had arrived, she accompanied him to Tar Valon to see that he was treated justly during his inquest. After his inquest, he was gentled and released from of the Tower, whereupon he, distraught and depressed, flung himself from the Shining Walls into the river. She later left Tar Valon to better conceal her pregnancy, and in time she had her son, whom she settled in a remote part of Cairhien. ⁽⁴⁾ Her visits to him accounted for many of her unexplained absences.

Because of her flouting of tradition, refusing summonses and Ajah strictures, she is not well regarded among her sisters, and the Reds still harbor resentment against her for snubbing them years ago, and her enemies in the Tower may know about her son. She is rather INFAMOUS in the Tower. As she grows old, an old injury from when she was hit with a crossbow bolt in her leg during a campaign in the Borderlands, which was not Healed properly, has caused her to need the use of a cane, making her LAME.

• Perseinde Apeneos's Personal Page.
• Aloris Cadrille's Personal Page.
• Elivet Carnayar's Personal Page.
• Esmaya Corrantes' Personal Page.
• Althea Farrelyn's Personal Page.

• Perseinde's The Blue Ajah Page.

White Tower Links:

• The White Tower Page.
• The Tales of Taveren homepage.
• Katherielle's The Archives of the Brown Ajah.
• The Chronicles of the Gray Ajah.
• Perseinde's The Blue Ajah Page.
• Perseinde's The Red Ajah Page.
• Perseinde's The White Ajah Page.
• Rigan and Tianan's Battle Roster of the Green Ajah page.
• Roisene's Wards of the Yellow Ajah page.

Tales of Taveren Remnants and Inspired Resources:

• NEW! Light's Official Tales of Ta'veren Memorial.
• Sarah Hough's Tribute to Tales of Taveren.
• House Vanderode of Cairhien
  • and its vassal,House Moendivell.
• House Cordaevell, Royal House of Cairhien,
  • and its vassals, House Alixandred and House Roseillin.
• House Rhiaghan of Cairhien
  • and its vassal, House Belovinde.
• House Dhamsid of Arad Doman.
• House Perizahd of Arad Doman.
• House Sulamaad of Tarabon.
  • and its vassals, House Sahudaan and House Mohamaar.
• House Versyr, Royal House of Andor (on Tales of Ta'veren, only)
• House Aurand, Royal House of Andor (on Concordat of Illian, only).
• House Belmond of Andor.
• House Hune of Andor.
• House Roesone of Andor.
• House Artemedes of Illian.
• House Ulyseneos, Royal House of Illian.
• House Corsobar of Altara.
• House Korenze, the Royal House of Saldaea.
• House Zadnere of Saldaea.
  • and its vassals, House Savedra and House Ladzani.
• Raziah ibn Sulamaad, Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah.
• Lilavaere Vanderode's archives.
• Callandor's Index of Tales Organizations.
  Cetreise Maerine do Arveny a'Sorhen - cetreise@iname.com

  
  

  Page © 2001-2004 Helène Duvalle, Corinne Henry-Belleworth.
  "Cetreise a'Sorhen" logo © Helène Duvalle.
  Wheel of Time setting © Robert Jordan and Tor Books
  "Poppies in Lace" graphics courtesy of Structures by Design.