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The three girls huddled together. They didn’t have names, not anymore. Not since they had been brought onto that ship and taken on their journey across the sea. In the time since, they had been treated as less than human. Sunlight had been rare. Even interaction with people who were not sul’dam was rare.
At first, they had tried to use their names amongst themselves, to ensure that they were still sure of who they were. But once the sul’dams on the ship had realized what they were doing, they had cracked down on that. Their punishments had been so harsh that the girls were afraid to even think their old names, or the names of the other girls, let alone say them allowed.
They had been Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne. But now they were nameless. Perhaps, when they made it to land, when they found their way into permanent ownership, they would be allowed names again. But those names wouldn’t be ones of their choice, names they were used to. It would be like someone naming their pet. The pet does not decide its own name. They had been told that many times.
They were alone in that dark room, with no light at all. But then, after they heard footsteps approaching in the hall outside, the door opened. The light from the hallway flooded in, although it was dim out there, and so only did so much in the room. But it was enough that their eyes still had to adjust to it.
One of the sul’dam, a woman who had never given the girls her name, sneered at them. “We’ve landed. Welcome to Seanchan.”
A few minutes later, a group of sul’dam, which did not include the one from before, came to take them off the ship. Led by their collars, they were taken to the dock. The first stable land they had been on in months, it felt strange. It had taken a while, but they had become accustomed to the sea. Now, they would have to become used to the land once more.
Of course, there were many things they would have to get used to.
Several times, the trio was broken up and reunited. They had been interrogated many times while on the ship to Seanchan, but now that they were there, the interrogation had even more to ask. Questions about where they had come from, who they were, what the lands they had come from were like. Most of all, questions about the White Tower.
They could try withholding information, or even lying, but it wouldn’t get them far. Their wills had been broken on the voyage over. It was hopeless.
It was midday when they arrived, but the sun was well past set by the time they were finally taken back to any kind of sleeping place. More like a stable that happened to have beds in it than a proper bedroom, but at least they had space to themselves. Or perhaps it wasn’t for the best. Maybe the girls would have preferred company. Or maybe it was better to be alone, so that they couldn’t be heard crying to themselves. The oldest of the three certainly preferred it that way.
From there, their lives took on a rhythm. Interrogating, training, isolation. It seemed as though that was all their lives would ever be again. Every now and then, a few times a week, they would be allowed to see each other. A generosity on the part of the sul’dams, and they made sure the damane knew it.
Eventually, however, things changed. They were shuffled out of their cells in a way which was hardly unusual. But rather than the interrogation room or any of the places they might train, they were taken outside. Properly outside, onto the street, surrounded by ordinary people.
The gazes from those people, briefly flicking to the collar, then looking away, felt like the attention one might give a pet on the street. Or perhaps less than that. A child might still pet a dog, but no one around was so kind.
They weren't on the street for long, however. Together, the three damane were herded onto a cart. It was attached to a carriage, but they didn't have the privilege of sitting there.
At least they were able to see around them. They hardly talked, scared of who might hear them, but being able to see the land that would forever more be their home had some kind of novelty to it.
The cart took them through the city, away from the coast. They never left the tall walls which surrounded it, but eventually came to a large manor on the edge. It was large enough to have its own gardens and rivers inside, which the damane saw briefly as they were ushered into the main building. A servant carried the bracelets of the a’dam behind them. He, but not them, could move it. Even a servant was of a higher status than them.
It was all extravagant. Even the former princess could appreciate the displays of wealth on display. But at the same time, it made her stomach sink, because it gave her an idea of what they were doing there.
They were led through halls and halls and halls, eventually stopping in a small room. Every wall, and even the floor, was made of a strange material reminiscent of straw. The walls themselves were thin, and it seemed the floor was much the same, atop the harder construction. But there was little time to contemplate building materials, because they were alone in the room for a few short moments.
The damane had been instructed in the proper ways to sit. Even if it was uncomfortable, they stayed in those positions, eyes at the floor.
The thin door slid open. In walked a woman, tall for the Seanchan, dressed in fine and regal clothes. A far cry from the brown rags the damane had to wear. But as soon as they had a glimpse of her, their eyes turned back down. They would remain small and servile unless told otherwise.
The woman, some type of fine lady, walked over and sat down in front of them. The servants had laid each bracelet before the respective damane. Now, the woman picked each up and inspected it, before setting it down again.
“What are your names?”
None of them spoke. They had been trained by this point to forget their names. It had not been a pleasant training. Should they have been disobeying a command? It was hard to say which part of their training took precedence.
The woman said it for them. “You will answer when addressed. I was told you had been well-trained before this. Do you need more training? I asked you for your names. You will tell me.”
All three of the damane were uncertain, but eventually one was able to get the words out of her mouth. As soon as she did, the others followed suit.
“Nynaeve.”
“Elayne.”
“Egwene.”
The woman listened, then smirked. “Interesting names. Foreign names. Names that none of you will ever hear again. I will give you new ones once I’ve decided you deserve them. For now, you will be nameless. You will accept this.”
They had no other choice but to accept it.
“I’ve been told of your specialties. You, especially,” She pointed at Egwene, “Didn’t come cheap, because of that.”
She reached down and picked up the bracelet to one of the a’dams. She seemingly chose it at random, barely considering which of the three it went to. The oldest of the three was the one unfortunate enough to be chosen, however.
“Bow.”
The damane hesitated for only a second before obeying. She had to think about what was really wanted. But she had seen examples of Seanchan bowing since arriving on the continent. So she prostrated her entire body before the woman who held her life in her hands.
The woman smiled. “You seem to have learned well already. You’ve only been here for a short time, right?”
“Yes.” She didn’t know if she needed to say more than that, so she didn’t.
The sul’dam played with them for a little bit more. It truly felt like playing, in the same way a cat might play with a stuffed mouse. The three damane could do nothing to stop her. And certainly, the bemused smile she had on her face was more catlike than anything.
But she seemed to grow bored of them. Or, perhaps, she had somewhere else to be. She set all three bracelets down in front of her, then stood up and left. She had no reason to tell her damane where she was going. They didn’t deserve to know. But as soon as she was gone, three servants came in after her. They picked up the bracelets, without putting them on, and started leading the damane through the mansion. Through, and outside, and to an outbuilding on the grounds.
It was a sparse room. Only a few beds and a dresser. Each damane would have their own bed, at least, but that was assuming they were alone in the room. If there were other damane, it would mean sharing.
None of them liked the idea of sharing. It was easier to cry yourself to sleep when you were alone. And now that they were further gone than ever, they knew there would be a lot of that.
It was hard to say what would happen next but the rest of their life. They could only hope that the pain would someday become numb.