Bethamin Zeami

Author: Atarah al'Norahn

General

Bethamin Zeami was a Seanchan sul'dam. She is one of the few people who know that sul'dam can actually channel, though she keeps this a secret. At one point, she was collared and held in Egeanin's basement, though Egeanin eventually set her free (TSR, Ch. 38).

Bethamin is tall with dark eyes and a dark complexion (TSR, Ch. 38; WH, Ch. 20; CoT, Ch. 3).

Bethamin strives for absolute perfection, both in herself and in the damane that she trains (WH, Ch. 20).

Timeline

• Egeanin is holding Bethamin prisoner with an a'dam in her basement (TSR, Ch. 38).

• Egeanin frees Bethamin (TSR, Ch. 51).

• Bethamin is doing damane inspections. Once she is done, she intends to go shopping but instead finds a Seeker in her room in The Golden Swans of Heaven. He speaks to her about Egeanin and tells Bethamin to renew her friendship with the other woman (WH, Ch. 20).

• Bethamin finds Egeanin and Bayle Domon and tells them about the Seeker. She is rather hysterical (WH, Ch. 21).

• Egeanin blackmails Bethamin help her and the others escape Ebou Dar (WH, Ch. 29; Ch. 30).

• Bethamin is with the others in Valan Luca's Circus (CoT, Ch. 1).

• Bethamin channels when Edesina wraps her in air to stop her spanking Joline (KoD, Ch. 7).

• Joline agrees to teach her (KoD, Ch. 7).

• Bethamin is meek around the Aes Sedai (KoD, Ch. 27).

• When Teslyn, Joline, and Edesina leave for Tar Valon, Bethamin goes with them. Mat asks her to find a way to fix the problem with sul'dam being able to channel without it causing the empire to collapse. She seems to take heart from this (ToM, Ch. 17).

Miscellaneous

• Bethamin and Egeanin have known each other for ten years (TSR, Ch. 38).

• When Egeanin collared Bethamin, she hadn't yet known that an a'dam could hold a sul'dam. Egeanin had only meant to secure Bethamin for a few moments (TSR, Ch. 38).

• Bethamin tried to escape from Egeanin when she was captured and collared, but her attempted flight left her writhing on the floor upstairs, wracked by nausea (TSR, Ch. 38).

• Bethamin thinks that Ebou Dari garments are indecent (CoT, Ch. 28).

• Bethamin, Renna, and Seta follow Joline, Teslyn, and Edesina to keep an eye on them. (CoT, Ch. 28).

• When the sul'dam follow the Aes Sedai into a town or village, Bethamin always reports tidbits that she picked up eavesdropping to Mat (CoT, Ch. 28).

Quotes

"Please, Egeanin. This is all a mistake. You have known me for ten years. Take this thing off of me." (Bethamin to Egeanin; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 38)

"And if he learns about Renna and Seta, he will know for sure! He'll come after me, and the other sul'dam! You have to stop him! If he takes me, I'll give him your name! I will!" (Bethamin to Egeanin about the Seeker; Winter's Heart, Chapter 21)

"I think we're done with a'dam, but there are other ways to settle these girls down. May I suggest my Lord return in an hour? They'll tell you what you want to know without any squabbling once they can't sit down." (Bethamin to Mat about Joline, Teslyn, and Edesina; Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 3)