So I've been thinking a lot about Elaida recently, among other Reds, and have come to the conclusion that she doesn't make sense as a Red.

She doesn't have much in the way of motivation, but what little she has would, in my opinion, push a young woman to become a Gray or a Blue. She has the Foretelling, like a strong, famous Blue (Gitara Moroso) and she likely would have studied with the older Aes Sedai as an Accepted to better understand her Talent. During that training, Gitara likely would have set hooks into Elaida's mind and thoughts about joining the Blue ajah.

Elaida herself fortold that the Royal House of Andor would be the key to winning Tarmon Gaidon, and we know that Blues and Grays are the most commonly politically oriented Aes Sedai.

Now, if one took her foretelling as her reason for joining an Ajah, the Green would make more sense because the Greens are actively looking toward the Last Battle. Their purpose is to be ready to fight the LB, and someone who had a foretelling regarding the LB could be an incredible asset to the Greens, especially if she had more foretellings.

The Red Ajah's purpose is to preserve the World, protecting it from the destruction mad channelers would wreak. But Elaida hasn't done that, at all as far as we can see. As a young sister, she might have been part of the vileness, when roving bands of Reds Gentled men on sight, but for the last 20 years of plot time, she's been the advisor to Morgase.

Which is another connection to Gitara Moroso who went from being the Blue Keeper to being Aes Sedai advisor to the Queen of Andor before Morgase.

Is there some conversation I'm forgetting? Did Elaida think about why she chose to be a Red and I have just buried it out of sight and mind? Was it a machination of Galina's that pulled Elaida into the Red camp?

Or, was Elaida as a Red just a plot contrivance? Was she set up to be a foil to the Blue Ajah as a whole, but Gitara and Moiraine in particular? She really is a foolish version of Gitara, while she also mirrors Moiraine in many ways.

Thoughts?