On the message boards I have been toying with the idea that Silviana, the Tower's Mistress of Novices, is who Mesaana has been masquerading as. While researching this idea I instead found much evidence which points to Shevan, a Sitter for the Brown Ajah, as Mesaana's alter ego. Unfortunately to explain this theory and leave no holes, I have to cover other matters; the young Sitter and the Ajah head conspiracy, as well as pointing out another Sitter as Black Ajah. Oh yeah, also

CROSSROADS OF TWILIGHT SPOILERS!

First, there is the infamous dress clue:

*** TPOD, Ch 25, An Unwelcome Return

"Alviarin flung herself from her knees onto her belly before the woman who seemed made of dark shadows and silvery light. Seizing the hem of Mesaana's dress, she rained kisses on it. The weave of Illusion – it must be that, thought she could not see a single thread of saidar any more than she could sense the ability to channel in the women who stood over her – did not hold completely, with her frantically shifting the skirt's edge. Flickers of bronze silk with a thin border of intricately embroidered black scrollwork showed through.

But she did file away a tidbit for herself. Trivial matter or not, Mesaana did not know everything that happened in the White Tower. And Alviarin would keep her eyes open for a sister in bronze skirts bordered on the hem in black scrollwork. Mesaana was hiding herself in the Tower, and knowledge was power."

What's interesting is Shevan appears a few pages earlier, at the start of the same chapter, in a *dark golden* dress:

*** TPOD, Ch 25, An Unwelcome Return

“I am very glad you don't deny Amador and Ebou Dar at least, Velina,” Shevan said drily. And she could be very dry indeed. As tall as most men, and bonily thin with it, the Brown Sitter had an angular face and a long chin, not improved by a cap of curls. With spidery fingers she rearranged her shawl and smoothed her skirts of dark golden silk and..."

I cut that quote off mid-sentence, since the next part of the paragraph illustrates a different point. The descriptions of these dresses are similar: bronze = dark golden, both silk. It is safe to assume that the meeting that Alviarin has with Mesaana is at a later time on the same day that the Sitters meet with Elaida in the same chapter. I won't explain why (for some reason trying to explain with quotes became extremely complicated very quickly) but if you read the chapter it seems quite clear. So we can assume that Mesaana, at the time of the Elaida /Sitters meeting, was wearing the same dress as she wears when commanding Alviarin, later that same day.

So first clue, Shevan is seen wearing a dress of the same colours and material as Mesaana's, and on the same day.

The rest of Shevan's physical description is fairly unimportant, since if she is Mesaana, then her appearance here is simply an Illusion weave. For instance her height – Mesaana is of average height (from the BWB), but we have Shevan described as “as tall as most men.” But if it's an illusion weave, that doesn't matter.

The second half of the paragraph I cut off has Shevan saying some interesting things to Elaida and the 5 other Sitters present:

"...her voice took on pointed amusement. “I'm uncomfortable saying what can and can't be. For example, not long gone, everyone ‘knew' that only a shield woven by a sister could stop women channeling. Then comes a simple herb, forkroot, and anyone at all can feed you a tea that leaves you unable as a stone to channel for hours. Useful with unruly wilders or the like, I suppose, but a nasty little surprise for those who think they knew everything, eh? Maybe next, someone will learn to make ter'angreal again.”

All right, I will write the rest of this post as though I've already proved Mesaana is Shevan (since in my mind it's already true, I just haven't explained it to all of you yet). By writing in this way it's easier to say why Mesaana (as Shevan) says what she says, and also it might be easier to convince people of the theory.

For mentioning forkroot, there are two possibilities. Either (a) forkroot was known about in the AOL and Mesaana is making a subtle stab at the ignorance of AS in this age. Or (b) forkroot is an all-new discovery, and Mesaana is truly ‘uncomfortable saying what can and can't be' since it's a new thing these young ‘girls' have found, like healing Severing. Either of these possibilities IMO strengthens the possibility of Shevan being Mesaana.

Now mentioning ter'angreal is very likely also a subtle stab at AS ignorance. Mesaana, being a forsaken and therefore knowing a lot of what is going on in the rebel AS camp, IMO already knows of Elayne's rediscovery of the art of making ter'angreal. Hence mentioning it to these Tower AS who haven't learnt that news yet, a sly joke only she understands, hence her voice taking on ‘pointed amusement'. Her amusement was pointed at these AS, like ‘I know something you don't know, nyah nyah!” well chosen wouldn't be that petty... yes they would... I digress.

There is one other quote in this chapter which adds weight but needs no extra theories (coming later). Andaya, one of the youngest sitters, tells off (in a roundabout way) Shevan and Velina (the white sitter present) for talking rubbish:

“I think we might concern ourselves with what we know to be true, yes?” Andaya asked firmly...(insert laborious dress and hair description here)... “Idle speculation, it wastes precious time. The world hangs by a thread, and myself, I do not wish to fritter away valuable hours prattling about supposed logic or chattering over what every fool or novice knows. Does anyone have anything useful to say?” For a sparrow, she could put acid on her words. Velina's face went red, and Shevan's darkened.

At face value, it seems that both Velina and Shevan are embarrassed by Andaya's retort. But if Shevan is Mesaana, then her face darkening is more likely in anger. Shevan, when mentioning the ter'angreal, was not ‘chattering over what every fool or novice knows' but mentioning something which is only known to a select few outside of the rebel Sisters. Hence her anger, she's probably thinking, “why you impudent upstart I know more than you've ever dreamed,” it makes so much sense if this is Mesaana.

More support comes in COT, when Alviarin returns after leaving for a month. As she enters Elaida's study...

COT, Ch 21, A Mark

“Alviarin,” Elaida said, sounding surprised, before she could get a word out. The hardness of Elaida's face softened in what almost seemed pleasure. Her mouth quirked close to a smile. Elaida had had no reasons to smile in some time. “Stand over there and be quiet until I have time to deal with you,” she said, waving an imperious hand toward a corner of the room. The Sitters shifted their feet and adjusted their shawls. Suana, a beefy woman, gave Alviarin a tight glance, and Shevan, tall as a man and angular, stared straight at her with no expression, but the others avoided meeting her eye."

Hmmm... Shevan (Mesaana) staring straight at Alviarin her errand-girl, who has maybe been away a bit too long (Alviarin took detours aside from Mesaana's orders before returning to the tower). It seems significant. As for Suana... maybe she's just an old-fashioned AS who think less of Alviarin since she skimped out on her duties as Keeper. But for Suana, meh...

Elaida soon afterwards asks if the Brown and Green Ajah's also support negotiations:

COT, Ch 21, A Mark

“The Brown,” Shevan began, then pursed her lips in thought and visibly changed what she had intended to say. Outwardly, she seemed utterly composed, yet she was rubbing her long thumbs against her long thumbs against her bony forefingers unconsciously. “The Brown is quite clear on the historical precedents. You have all read the secret histories, or should have. Whenever the Tower has been divided against itself, disaster has struck the world. With the Last Battle looming, in a world that contains the Black Tower, we can no longer afford to remain divided a day longer than need be.”

What was she going to say? It seems to me Mesaana thought about saying what she wanted rather than what the Brown Ajah wanted, but then decided against drawing attention to herself. By itself it seems irrelevant, but added with the other stuff, it sounds like a careful Forsaken to me. What annoys me about this chapter is that there is no description of Shevan's appearance, while in almost every chapter of the damn series there are long, long studies of the clothes of every character in each scene. The reason it annoys me is this:

Quote context: Alvy ran from Elaida and called Mesaana, SH has just walked in.

COT, Ch 21, A Mark

Abruptly, the shadows in the room lurched. Everything seemed to shift sideways as the darkness thickened in midnight lumps. And then the darkness was gone. Startled, Alviarin found herself with her begging hands stretched up toward a blue-eyed woman of flesh and blood, garbed in bronze-embroidered green. A tantalizingly familiar woman who looked just short of her middle years. She had known Mesaana walked the Tower disguised as one of the sisters, though no Chosen she had met showed any sign of agelessness, but she could not match that face to any name. And she realized something else, as well. That face was afraid. Hiding it, but afraid.

“She's been very useful,” Mesaana said, not sounding afraid at all, in a voice that tugged the edge of recognition, “and now I will have to kill her.”

GRRR! If there was a description of Shevan's dress, I might have been able to pin her down, but no. I believe that what Alviarin sees as Mesaana here is Mesaana's REAL face, with no tied-off illusion weaves or nuffin like that. This matches the description of Mesaana in the BWB and elsewhere – blue-eyes, just short of her middle years – so I think this is really her.

I think as Shevan, as I said before, Mesaana uses Illusion to look like her, modifying the image of her face somewhat. Since it's still the same face, just warped into a more angular one (Shevan's face), Alviarin almost recognizes her, but not quite. I'm not sure Mes also modifies her voice to be Shevan; it would seem a ‘tantalizingly familiar' face coupled with the same voice would allow Alvy to know her here. In fact, by her quote of having to Kill Alvy, maybe Mes already thinks she has been discovered. So maybe this suggests she don't mask her voice, but I don't want to get stuck in the semantics of this.

Right! So there's the stuff that is evidence on it's own. To give new evidence I have to explain a couple of side theories very quickly:

(1) The split in the WT is basically between the Reds and the Blues. So the other five Ajahs have been taking measures to assure that no matter which of the two Amyrlins win, the Tower will be truly united with a strong Hall of Sitters. To that end, the 5 Ajah heads have given 5 of the vacant Chairs in the Tower Hall (which became vacant due to 6 sisters aside from Blue leaving the Tower) to temporary Sitters; either to young Sisters who can be easily convinced/commanded to abdicate, or to the Ajah heads themselves (who will be willing to give up their Chair since they order their own Ajah's Sitters what to say anyway).

The Exception to this is Shevan – she is the 6th sitter who doesn't fit the pattern.

(2) Velina, a Sitter for the White Ajah (not one of the temporary Sitters), is Black Ajah.

For (1) I will give no proof – it would take too long. But it is plausible and makes intrinsic sense (makes sense as a guess without explicit proof). Now for (2), here is small bit of evidence from TPOD.

TPOD, Ch 25, An Unwelcome Return

"The six Sitters skidded to a halt uncertainly when Alviarin did not move out of their way. Even a Keeper with Alviarin's influence did not impede Sitters. Though Velina, normally the most self-possessed woman in the Tower, flinched for some reason. Alviarin glanced once at Elaida, coolly, studied the Sitters for a moment, and understood everything."

Well I know using just one quote is paper-thin evidence, but...

Velina flinched for some reason? I propose that this reason is because Velina is a BA AS who unexpectedly came into contact with the leader of the BA. She would know Alviarin as the BA leader only if she was in the same “heart” or on the supreme council. I propose the latter. Also consider the following quote, from the Elaida/Sitters meeting I keep using. The Sitters (one from each Ajah) are arguing, and Rubinde (Green Sitter) just said something mean.

TPOD, Ch 25, An Unwelcome Return

"Andaya drew herself up, her feathers well and truly ruffled. For that matter, Duhara's eyes narrowed; mention of men who could channel always lit fires in her head. Shevan clicked her tongue as if at children squabbling – though she looked pleased to see it – and Velina frowned, for some reason sure that Shevan had aimed at her. This was amusing, but getting out of hand."

I should have said this before – the first part of the sentence I've highlighted is just like a forsaken amused at the ‘foolish girls' of this age arguing, again implying that Shevan is Mesaana. The second part is the weird bit – it could be interpreted as Velina being indignant about being a source of amusement for a fellow BA agent. I think that Mesaana as Shevan has met with Velina, claiming to be a BA agent higher than Velina, and given her orders or similar.

Well aside from that, here's stuff to do with the young Sitter's conspiracy.

In COT two the Tower hunters of BA met in hallway and are discussing the young Sitter's:

COT prologue, Glimmers of the Pattern

"Seaine's face took on a muley expression. Yukiri almost expected her ears to lie back. Then she exhaled. “Did the head of you Ajah have a hand in choosing Andaya for the Hall? More than usual I mean?”

“She did,” Yukiri replied carefully. Everyone had been sure Andaya would go into the Hall one day, perhaps in another forty or fifty years, yet Serancha had all but anointed her, when the customary method was discussion until a consensus could be reached on two or three candidates, then a secret ballot. That was Ajah business, though, as secret as Serancha's name and title.

“I knew it.” Seaine nodded excitedly, not at all her normal manner. “Saerin says that Juilaine was handpicked for the Brown, too, apparently not their usual way, and Doesine says the same about Suana, though she was hesitant about saying anything. I think Suana may be head of the Yellow herself. In any case, she was a Sitter for forty years the first time, and you know it isn't common to take a chair after you were a Sitter that long. And Ferane stepped down for the White less than ten years ago; no one has ever entered the Hall again so soon. To cap it off, Talene says the Greens nominate choices and their Captain-General choose one, but Adelorna chose Rina without any nominations.”

We know from the COT glossary that Suana (yellow); Ferane (white), Serancha (Gray) and Adelorna (green) are heads of their respective Ajah's. Suana and Ferane have taken seats as their choice, while Adelorna, Serancha, and the Brown head each chose a young sitter (Rina, Andaya and Juilaine respectively) to babysit Chairs in the Hall. But there is also the matter of Shevan...

COT prologue, Glimmers of the Pattern

"Yukiri raised one finger. “Five Ajahs had to choose new Sitters after women they had in the Hall joined the rebels.” Seaine nodded, and Yukiri raised a second finger. “Each of those Ajahs chose a woman as Sitter who wasn't the... logical... choice.” Seaine nodded again. A third finger joined the first two. “The Brown had to choose two new Sitters, but you didn't mention Shevan. Is there anything...” Yukiri smiled wryly, “odd... about her?”

“No; according to Saerin, Shevan would likely have been her replacement when she decided to step down, but –“

“Seaine, if you're actually implying the Ajah heads conspired over who would go into the Hall – and I never heard a more crackbrained notion! – if that's what you're suggesting, why would they choose five odd women and one who isn't?”

“Yes I am suggesting it. With the rest of you keeping me practically under lock and key, I've had more time for thinking than I know what to do with. Juilaine and Rina and Andaya gave me a hint, and Ferane made me decide to check.”

What did Seaine mean about Andaya and the other two giving a hint? Oh. Of course. Rina and Andaya were not really old enough to be in the Hall yet, either. The custom of not talking about age soon enough became the habit of not thinking about it, either.

“Two might have been a coincidence,” Seaine went on, “even three, though that stains credulity, but five makes a pattern. Except for the Blue, the Brown was the only Ajah to have two Sitters join the rebels. Maybe there's a reason in that why they chose one odd sister and one not, if I can figure it out. But there is a pattern, Yukiri – a puzzle – and whether it's rational or not, something tells me we had better solve it before the rebels get here. It makes me feel as though somebody's hand is on my shoulder, but when I look, there isn't anyone there.”

They ask is there anything odd about Shevan – well I believe there is, she's a Forsaken in disguise. I think Mesaana either Compelled the right people to get in, or just deliberately chose to disguise herself as a prospective Sitter – say she killed Shevan and took her place when it became clear that the Brown's would choose Shevan as Sitter.

I think that there is MUCH evidence to suggest that Shevan is really Mesaana in disguise. The evidence for Danelle (the most respected Mesaana candidate) is just physical – she's ‘dreamy', has blue eyes, and taps her finger on her lips thoughtfully. Whereas this evidence I have put forward for Shevan has less to do with physicalities and more to do with the psychology of an AOL channeler in the new age. I don't propose this is a new idea – the dress similarities have been mentioned on the message board – but hopefully in compiling the evidence this way it is something new.

Anyone agree?