Lelaine Akashi

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A similar entry appears in the Wheel of Time Companion confirming the information available in the main story arc.


General

Lelaine Akashi is an Aes Sedai of and a Sitter for the Blue Ajah, therefore aligned with the rebel Aes Sedai. She is slender and quite pretty with dark, penetrating eyes and a dignified air. She is bonded to Burin Shaeren (LoC, Ch. 8). Her dark, glossy hair shows no sign of gray, even though she is the second oldest Sitter in the Hall (LoC, Ch. 35; CoT, Ch. 19). Her eyes are brown (TPoD, Ch. 18).

She usually wears a solemn expression (NS, Ch. 11), but she has a warm smile when she chooses to use it, which Egwene thinks is a well-practiced tool (ACoS, Ch. 11). According to Romanda, she keeps them tightly rationed (KoD, Ch. 23). Lelaine is very beautiful when she smiles (NS, Ch. 11).

Lelaine is a hard and strong-willed woman whose core is always serious even though she has a ready laugh (CoT, Ch. 17; KoD, Ch. 1).

She has been a Sitter before the White Tower split. In the rebel camp, she leads one of the major factions struggling for control of the Hall (CoT, Ch. 16). She has four Sitters who support her and encouraged her to take the Amyrlin Seat herself (LoC, Ch. 37). Her followers include Faiselle, Takima and Lyrelle (TPoD, Ch. 16).

Timeline

  • Lelaine has been a Sitter for over forty years (ACoS, Ch. 12).
  • She has been bonded to Burin for over twenty years (KoD, Ch. 1).
  • Lelaine is one of the Sitters present when Moiraine and Siuan are raised to Aes Sedai and welcomes them warmly to the Blue Ajah (NS, Ch. 11).
  • She invites Moiraine and Siuan for tea several times "to ease the strain of the first weeks" (NS, Ch. 14).

In Salidar

  • Lelaine holds a meeting with powerful Altaran nobles and Logain, who tells his tale about the Red Ajah. When he finishes, Lelaine assures them he no longer wants glory and that their lands are safe from him. Minutes later, she confronts Nynaeve, asking her what she thinks Rand will do. Nynaeve answers that she hasn't seen him in half a year and wants to know what the Aes Sedai have decided about him. Lelaine does not react to the question and asks instead if Nynaeve knows what Egwene is doing and if she also makes remarkable discoveries. Considering Myrelle's suggestion of putting Nynaeve in Theodrin's care to have her block broken, she also tells her to let Siuan and Leane forget what they were and give up on trying to Heal them and briefly asks her if she ever considered cutting her hair, before sending her away (LoC, Ch. 8).
  • She is one of the sisters to crowd the room, after Nynaeve Heals Logain. She is overjoyed when Nynaeve Heals Siuan and Leane, too (LoC, Ch. 30).
  • She accepts Siuan back into the Blue Ajah "with some version of welcome" (ACoS, Ch. 11).
  • The Sitters meet to raise Egwene to the Amyrlin Seat. Lelaine and Romanda are the last to stand for her. Both of them lead her up to the yellow-painted chair at the end of the room and drape the stole across her shoulders. The Sitters pronounce that she is now raised, while Lelaine takes Egwene's Great Serpent ring from her left hand and gives it to Romanda, who slips it onto Egwene's right. Then they form a line in front of Egwene, with the youngest Sitter in front and the oldest Sitter in the back, each curtsying and kissing Egwene's ring (LoC, Ch. 35).
  • Lelaine enters Egwene's tent and says she needs some guidance in her first months as Amyrlin, although she doesn't say straight out that her counsel would be better than Sheriam's. She is not very pleased when Egwene announces choosing Sheriam as her Keeper. After the proclamation, Lelaine confronts Egwene, asking how she came to raise four Accepted to the shawl. Egwene says it was out of necessity lest she be pointed out as the only Aes Sedai who hasn't sworn the Three Oaths (LoC, Ch. 36).
  • She meets with four other Sitters in a house halfway across Salidar to discuss how to limit Sheriam's influence as Egwene's Keeper. While they talk, Lelaine wonders where Delana is, she should have been there by now. Later, Siuan meets with Lelaine to influence her decision on the siege. Siuan claims to have overheard an angry Egwene complaining about Romanda wanting to stay in Salidar instead of marching toward Tar Valon. Nynaeve tells Romanda the same about Lelaine (LoC, Ch. 37).
  • She counsels Egwene caution and waiting, thinking the right approaches to Tar Valon would see Egwene on the Amyrlin Seat in Elaida's stead so that no one outside would ever get to know what really happened and rumors of a broken Tower would be waved away like country tales. She agrees with Romanda about using gateways to steal the Oath Rod, but not with Traveling into the Tower to get it, as they might be detected while doing so and the Tower Aes Sedai might learn the weave (LoC, Ch. 39).

To Tar Valon

  • After Logain is Healed by Nynaeve, Lelaine among others wants to have him gentled again (LoC, Ch. 52).
  • She sends a note to Egwene suggesting their soldiers be paid less (ACoS, Ch. 8).
  • Faolain tells Egwene that Lelaine has offered to take her under protection and see that she is raised properly as soon as they return to the White Tower. Siuan informs Egwene that the Hall is to have the Amyrlin's eyes-and-ears and Lelaine wants to be in charge. With Takima at her side, Lelaine confronts Egwene, sending Gareth Bryne off and telling Myrelle to wait for her, because Lelaine wants to talk to her after. Before she can tell Egwene of her business, Romanda joins them, with Varilin at her side and the Sitters engage in a staring match. Both Romanda and Lelaine weave a ward against eavesdropping around their group to tell Egwene that Delana intents to declare Elaida a member of the Black Ajah. Lelaine tells Egwene she should do something about this and soon, she and Romanda start arguing again, oblivious of Egwene's existance, until she says she will decide what to do once they tell her what to say to Delana. With that, she leaves the four Sitters and rides with Myrelle and Siuan, despite Lelaine's earlier desire to speak with the Green (ACoS, Ch. 11).
  • Lelaine writes a letter to Egwene, telling her to issue an edict Sealed to the Ring, which any sister is allowed to know, that mention of the Black Ajah is to be forbidden as "fomenting discord." Egwene thinks this is crazy, because it would make every sister believe that there is a Black Ajah and that she herself is part of it (ACoS, Ch. 12).
  • After a meeting with the Hall in which Egwene tells the Sitters she has decided to rest a few days, Lelaine gathers up her followers Faiselle, Lyrelle and Takima. She later enters Egwene's tent followed by Faolain. She wants Egwene to pass a message through Elayne or Nynave to Merilille about contacting the Sea Folk in Caemlyn and finding out what Rand wants with them. Again later, she returns to uncover she already knows about the meeting with the Andorans and Murandians and that she wants to be put forward to do the talking (TPoD, Ch. 16).
  • Decked in fine silks and gems, the Hall, led by Lelaine and Romanda, rides out to the meeting with the Andoran and Murandian nobles, accompanied by their Warders and soldiers. Lelaine is surprised to hear Talmanes is there too and Egwene thinks she must be as on edge as she herself is. During the formal meeting, both Romanda and Lelaine wait for Egwene to name either of them to speak for her, but when she does not, they watch in utter silence (TPoD, Ch. 17).
  • When the formal meeting is closed, several nobles want to talk to Lelaine (TPoD, Ch. 18).
  • Riding back to the camp, Lelaine confers with her followers behind a ward against eavesdropping. Later, during a sitting, when Egwene asks the Hall who would stand to declare war against Elaida, Lelaine asks to shelve the question and instead discuss the opening of the novice book and remaining in Murandy for a month. Romanda forestalls her and wants to address Lelaine's fitness as a Sitter. Egwene says a question of war cannot be shelved and waits for the Sitters to stand. Lelaine does so after Moria rounds on her and Lyrelle. When Takima informs the other Sitters that the Hall must carry out any decree made by the Amyrlin, Lelaine remarks how clever this step was and wants to know what the Amyrlin intends to do now. Egwene first of all wants to receive the respect due her station, then says that they will start the siege on Tar Valon in a month (TPoD, Ch. 19).

During the Siege

  • At the beginning of another sitting, she suggests discussing the negotiations with the White Tower Aes Sedai. Moria shelves this question and instead wants to know what Akarrin and her party found at the site of the huge eruption of the One Power (Rand and Nynaeve cleansing saidin). After the report, Moria, Malind and Escaralde, the three Sitters who had called the Hall, inform the others that they would not stand against a Forsaken attack with their current power and that circles including men are much stronger. When Moria suggests allying with the Black Tower, the other Sitters, excepting Lelaine and Romanda, voice their objections loudly. Lelaine stands for the agreement (CoT, Ch. 19).
  • After the sitting, Lelaine and Romanda are still arguing (CoT, Ch. 20).
  • Lelaine sends Emara to Egwene with the request to meet with the Amyrlin; Egwene sends Emara away to tell Lelaine she can come at any time she chooses. The Sitter shows up later and talks about the consequences of Kairen's death, the agreement with the Black Tower and letting Maigan do the talking about the Warder bond (CoT, Ch. 30).
  • When Siuan is informing the Amyrlin's council that Egwene is being held prisoner in the Tower, but does not want a rescue attempt, Lelaine enters Myrelle's tent and Sheriam reiterates what Siuan just told them. Telling Sheriam to wear her stole, Lelaine asks Siuan to accompany her for a walk. The Sitter puts together the pieces of information she learned from questioning Faolain. She also wants to know everything Siuan knows about Egwene's situation and the other woman complies, also telling her that the Amyrlin called a sitting in Tel'aran'rhiod. Lelaine wonders what Elaida is getting at if Egwene is not to be tried. She wants Siuan and the Amyrlin's council to be as faithful to her as they have been to Egwene and help her gain the Amyrlin Seat in case Egwene dies or is stilled (KoD, Ch. 1).
  • She speaks to Nisao and demands of her to stop asking questions about Anaiya and Kairen's deaths, because their murders are business of the Blue Ajah. Nisao wants Romanda to talk to Lelaine about this and the Yellow Sitter accedes, planning to tell Lelaine that Nisao can ask all the questions she wishes to (KoD, Ch. 23).
  • Lelaine calls the Hall to a sitting and when Romanda arrives, she asks the Blue Sitter why she had done so. Lelaine does not want to repeat herself and only says "it will be dramatic," making Romanda wonder whether she intends to unseat Egwene. Once eleven Sitters are present, Lelaine is content to begin and wants to have the session Sealed to the Hall, but not formal. She then tells the Hall that a Green sister was brought to her with a proposal and asks Moria to bring her in. When Merise Haindehl and Jahar Narishma offer the Hall to bond a total of forty-seven Asha'man, Lelaine stands in favor (KoD, Ch. 23).
  • Lelaine is winning the battle with Romanda (TGS, Ch. 8).
  • Lelaine asks Siuan how the negotiations are going as she doesn't want to be seen taking to active a hand (TGS, Ch. 8).
  • Lelaine has begun accepting the new novices (TGS, Ch. 8).
  • Siuan tells Lelaine she saw Romanda and Maralenda talking to try and distract her from attempts to gain power (TGS, Ch. 8).
  • She refers to Byrne as a ruffian. She offers to pay Siuan's debt, but is persuaded against it when Siuan says it is good, to keep an eye on him (TGS, Ch. 8).
  • Lelaine is acting as Egwene's greatest supporter (TGS, Ch. 8).
  • Egwene tells Siuan not to spend too much effort opposing Lelaine as it will benefit her when she returns and will benefit the rebels if she doesn't (TGS, Ch. 8).
  • Lelaine calls a meeting of the Hall when she learns Elaida has Travelling (TGS, Ch. 18).
  • She interviews Shemerin and finds it hard to believe Elaida demoted her simply for lacking poise (TGS, Ch. 26).
  • Lelaine is the second to re-swear the oaths (TGS, Ch. 45).
  • When Egwene returns she sulks and tries to look pleased (TGS, Ch. 45).

After Re-unification

  • Lelaine is still causing trouble (TGS, Epilogue)
  • She is present at Nynaeve's raising and votes no (ToM, Ch. 20).
  • Lelaine attends the meeting Romanda calls and is initially the last stand for Egwene's proposal about how to run the war. She does stand for the proposal to give the Amyrlin and all Sitters time to attend any meeting of the Hall (ToM, Ch. 27).
  • She is one of the five Egwene chooses to accompany her to the meeting where the Dragon's Peace is forged (AMoL, Ch. 5).
  • She is with Egwene and several other Aes Sedai when the Sharans arrive and recognises them from Cairhienen acounts (AMoL, Ch. 20).

Relationships

Siuan gets on very well with her (NS, Ch. 14), only Moiraine was closer to Siuan. She was also the only one beside Leane, Siuan was able to keep after donning the stole (LoC, Ch. 30). Lelaine keeps her distance from Siuan after she was stilled, because she is Aes Sedai no longer (LoC, Ch. 8), but after Siuan is Healed, Lelaine is glad to have her back (LoC, Ch. 30). Still, when in company, Lelaine seldomly gives Siuan a second glance; according to Lelaine she avoided Siuan, because of the awkwardness it would cause. She says she wants them to be friends again and asks Siuan if she can be as faithful to her as she is to Egwene (KoD, Ch. 1)

She makes Moiraine nervous with her penetrating gaze (NS, Ch. 14).

She thinks Nynaeve's discoveries are remarkable, especially because of her block. However, she agrees with Myrelle that they indulge her too much and she must work harder on breaking her block (LoC, Ch. 8).

There is no love lost between Romanda and Lelaine. The Blue Sitter only voted for Egwene to keep Romanda from the stole, as Romanda on the Amyrlin Seat would pain her as much as being exiled. Romanda did the same (LoC, Ch. 37), although she would rather have Lelaine on the Amyrlin Seat than Elaida (KoD, Ch. 23). Most of what they do is to spite the other, and it is rare for them to agree (ACoS, Ch. 8); their opposition is almost instinctive (CoT, Ch. 17). Once, Romanda even goes so far as to question Lelaine's fitness of being a Sitter (TPoD, Ch. 19). According to Lelaine, Romanda as Amyrlin would be a disaster as bad as Elaida and wants Siuan and Egwene's council to support her against the Yellow Sitter (KoD, Ch. 1). Romanda wants to take any advantage she has over the other woman and thinks she has been entirely too smug of late and her smiles are unsettling (KoD, Ch. 23).

Even after Egwene is raised, Lelaine still sees her as a novice (LoC, Ch. 36). She often smiles at her like Egwene was her pet novice or an Accepted she was fond of (LoC, Ch. 39). Egwene thinks Lelaine might benefit from ji'e'toh (LoC, Ch. 37). Lelaine is often disrespectful or even threatening to Egwene, saying that she might grow into the stole in another hundred years and needing someone who knows what she is doing to pull down Elaida (TPoD, Ch. 16) or implying that they had made a mistake in chosing Egwene for the Amyrlin Seat and have yet to rectify it (CoT, Ch. 30). She avoids Egwene's authority almost instinctively (CoT, Ch. 17), but after the the war against Elaida has been declared, Egwene demands respect due the Amyrlin from Lelaine, otherwise she will unchair her and name a penance, although she has no intention to (TPoD, Ch. 19). According to Siuan, Lelaine grudgingly comes to accept her (CoT, Ch. 30), although apparently, she plans on betraying Egwene for the Amyrlin Seat (KoD, Ch. 1).

Lelaine is displeased to see Sheriam as Egwene's Keeper and wants to undermine her influence (LoC, Ch. 37). Like with Lelaine and Romanda, Sheriam would likely claim the sun is going down when either of the Sitters said it goes up. Egwene thinks the three women might actually come to blows over who is going to lead her by the scruff of the neck (ACoS, Ch. 8).

Lelaine agrees with Romanda that Mat means trouble. She thinks it is a good idea to put as much distance between themselves and him as possible (LoC, Ch. 44).

She seems to allow her followers a little more leeway than Romanda does hers, but they are still firmly in her grip (TPoD, Ch. 16). Takima and Faiselle "hardly put one foot in front of the other without Lelaine’s permission" (CoT, Ch. 16). She puts backbone in the ones participating in the negotiations with the Tower Aes Sedai lest they agree to Elaida's terms (KoD, Ch. 23).

Lelaine offers Faolain protection from the sisters who do not accept her as Aes Sedai and will see that she is raised as soon as they are back in the Tower (ACoS, Ch. 11). Egwene has Faolain accept the offer to be able to spy her out (CoT, Ch. 30), but when the younger woman made one slip too many, Lelaine presses information out of her instead. She still thinks of Faolain as an Accepted until she is properly tested, but she knows she will make a formidable Aes Sedai, because she only gave Lelaine bits and pieces of what she wanted to know (KoD, Ch. 1). Around her, Faolain is resigned and meek (TPoD, Ch. 16).

Moria Karentanis, another Blue Sitter, is not a follower of Lelaine, but according to Siuan, Lelaine and Lyrelle thought she would cling to her (TPoD, Ch. 16). Being of the same Ajah, both must at least "give the appearance of a common front," however much Lelaine wants to chide Moria sometimes (CoT, Ch. 19).

Lelaine tells Bryne that lately, his judgment isn't as good as it it was, but she doesn't faze him (TPoD, Ch. 17). Lelaine is pleased at every wedge in Bryne's relationship with Egwene (CoT, Ch. 30).

The fact that Elaida both unseated an Amyrlin Seat raised from the Blue and proclaims that the Blue Ajah is disbanded enrages her. Lelaine and Romanda agree that Elaida must be stripped off staff and stole, as soon as possible (CoT, Ch. 16).

Maigan is Lelaine' woman. The Sitter takes advantage of Maigan's position in Egwene's council replacing Anaiya to try and influence the Amyrlin Seat (CoT, Ch. 30).

Lelaine was sure Elayne would choose Blue Ajah upon raising, instead of Green, as the young woman has a "deft feel for the currents of politics" (CoT, Ch. 30).

She hasn't kept a secret from her Warder in twenty years (KoD, Ch. 1).

In the beginning, Nisao thought Egwene would end up as either Romanda or Lelaine's pet (KoD, Ch. 23).

Strengths and Talents

She stands as high in the One Power as Elaida (NS, Ch. 14). She and Romanda are the next strongest women in the rebel camp after Egwene, as strong as Siuan used to be (ACoS, Ch. 9).

Zarya Alkaese is as strong as her (ACoS, Ch. 23) and Rainyn can easily match her, too (TPoD, Ch. 2).

Miscellaneous

  • While in Salidar, the Sitters live on the upper floors of the Little Tower with their servants (LoC, Ch. 29).
  • If the Sitters had not raised Egwene to the Amyrlin Seat, Romanda or Lelaine might have filled out that position (LoC, Ch. 35) and both only stood, because they did not want the other woman to wear the stole (LoC, Ch. 37).
  • All of the Sitters had a hand in writing the speech Egwene has to recite during the proclamation of her ascension to the Amyrlin Seat. Sheriam tells her they won't be pleased at her changing or leaving out things (LoC, Ch. 36).
  • She cares neither for Gareth Bryne's army nor for the rulers to which embassies were sent (LoC, Ch. 39).
  • Elaida is convinced that if the rebels thought they had a chance of success, then either Sheriam, Lelaine, Carlinya or anyone except Egwene would be their Amyrlin (ACoS, Prologue).
  • Lelaine procures Selame from among refugees to give to Egwene as maid. She actually serves as a spy for the Blue Sitter (ACoS, Ch. 8).
  • She and the other Sitters give Egwene pretty dresses and other precious things as gifts, believing they might make her more amenable for their own causes (ACoS, Ch. 9). Lelaine has given her a necklace with matching earrings of emeralds and white opals, for example, which Egwene wears to the meeting with the Andoran and Murandian nobles (TPoD, Ch. 17).
  • As a Sitter, she has access to the dream ter'angreal, but she would likely send someone else instead of entering Tel'aran'rhiod herself (ACoS, Ch. 10).
  • Romanda has her methods to root out the Black Ajah, but Lelaine says no self-respecting sister would submit herself to them. The Yellow Sitter then says something that sounds dangerously close to an accusation and challenges Lelaine, by offering to submit to her methods first if Lelaine is second (ACoS, Ch. 11).
  • When Siuan suggests killing Nicola and Areina for blackmailing the Amyrlin Seat, Egwene is exasperated and wonders if Lelaine and Romanda were next for not agreeing with her in case she would let Siuan arrange it (ACoS, Ch. 12).
  • Elaida dreams of birching and stilling Romanda, Lelaine and Sheriam and has the rebel leaders swear an oath of fealty to her (ACoS, Ch. 32).
  • Most Aes Sedai in the camp believe Siuan doesn't like attaching herself to a woman who holds the position that was once hers and giving her advice; Egwene thinks this belief must be maintained or else Lelaine and the other Sitters would find a way to seperate them (TPoD, Ch. 15).
  • She doesn't believe "Sea Folk wilders" know more about working the weather than Aes Sedai (TPoD, Ch. 16).
  • Egwene thinks that if she unchaired Lelaine, the Blues would almost immediately select her again (TPoD, Ch. 19).
  • She seems unconcerned about the huge eruption of the One Power (Rand and Nynaeve cleansing saidin) everyone believes was the Forsaken (CoT, Ch. 16).
  • After returning from her failed mission in Caemlyn, Kairen spends a good amount of time with Lelaine (CoT, Ch. 17).
  • After Kairen's death, Lelaine thinks maybe Myrelle will bond her Warder to save him, although it is said that Myrelle marries her Warders and Llyw would not do for a husband. When Lelaine tells her as much, Egwene wonders whether she knows about Myrelle's bond with Lan (CoT, Ch. 30).
  • Beonin thinks now that Egwene is captured, more sisters will abandon the rebels and return to the Tower, leaving Lelaine and Romanda with the remains of "their so-called Hall" behind (KoD, Ch. 2).

Quotes

"The four women with her had suggested she try for the Amyrlin Seat herself, and she had not been reluctant, but a failure would have meant Romanda being raised instead, which would have pained Lelaine as much as being exiled. How Romanda would gnash her teeth if she ever learned they had all voted for the child just to keep the stole from Romanda’s own shoulders." (Lelaine; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 37)

"Romanda, Lelaine and Sheriam might actually come to blows over which would march her about by the scruff of her neck." (Egwene; A Crown of Swords, Chapter 8)

"Lelaine’s reserve cracked for a moment, in a surprisingly warm smile for Siuan. They had been friends, once, years ago, and she had even offered something like the patronage that Faolain had accepted, a Sitter’s protection and sheltering arm against the sneers and accusations of other sisters. Touching Siuan’s cheek, Lelaine softly murmured something that sounded sympathetic. Siuan blushed, a startling uncertainty flashing across her face." (Egwene observing; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 16)

"Mother, by now even Lelaine and Romanda know you’re the Amyrlin Seat in truth, whether or not they’ll admit it. That pair wouldn’t have fallen in line with Deane Aryman. I think they’re beginning to see you as another Edarna Noregovna." (Siuan; Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 30)

"Oh, that is priceless. The Hall to sit right under Elaida's nose, as it were. I almost wish I could let her know just to see her face." (Lelaine, when Siuan tells her Egwene called a sitting in the Hall of the Tower in Tel'aran'rhiod); Knife of Dreams, Chapter 1)

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