Ianthe

Ianthe
by morgana0anagrom
General Information
Full name	Ianthe
Title(s)	High Priestess The Voice of the Cauldron
Age	300+
Species	High Fae
Home	Spring Court Temple Tamlin's Manor Spring Court Vallahan (formerly)
Status	Deceased
Physical description
Gender	Female
Eye Color	Teal
Hair Color	Blond
Relationships
Family	Unnamed Father Unnamed Mother 2 Unnamed Sisters
Series Information
Appearances	A Court of Mist and Fury A Court of Wings and Ruin A Court of Frost and Starlight (mentioned)

“	You and I are so alike—young, untested amongst these... wolves.	”
–Ianthe to Feyre Archeron, A Court of Mist and Fury

Ianthe was one of the twelve High Priestesses of Prythian. She resided in the Spring Court.

History

Early Life

Ianthe was a High Fae noble born in the Spring Court and was a childhood friend of Tamlin's. Her father was one of Tamlin's strongest allies at Court and captain of his forces. Around 300 years ago she becomes the youngest of the twelve High Priestesses. Her father had sensed the trouble coming and packed up Ianthe and her two younger sisters and fled to Vallahan and lived there for fifty years while their people were butchered and enslaved.

A Court of Mist and Fury

Following the events in Under the Mountain and the death of Amarantha, Ianthe returns to the Spring Court from Vallahan and takes the role of High Priestess and personal advisor to the High Lord, Tamlin.

She is in charge of keeping watch and keeping Feyre Archeron company, but in reality she is just trying to keep her tame and loyal to her future husband and locked up in court because of how valuable she is to her. She spends her time planning Feyre's wedding to Tamlin, choosing what she sees fit. She would also officiate the wedding.

Tamlin gives her the temple complex on his lands to occupy and renovate. Ianthe convinces Tamlin not to allow Feyre to learn how to fight. She tells Feyre that "every word from her mouth, every turn of phrase, will be judged, and possibly used against her."

She continually asks Feyre for information about the her family, especially her sisters, Nesta and Elain Archeron, and about where they live. Feyre tells her about the village she lived in, the estate her sisters now live in, and about Isaac Hale and Tomas Mandray. When she gets the information, she passes it on to the King of Hybern, her ally, and then kidnaps the young women and takes them to his castle in Hybern in order to turn them into High Fae with the power of the Cauldron and show the Mortal Queens that it is possible if you have enough willpower.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

When Feyre returns to the Spring Court, Ianthe apologizes to her, claiming that giving Nesta and Elain to the Cauldron was only to spare Feyre the sorrow of seeing her sisters grow old—and that she had to help keep the alliance with Hybern. Ianthe, along with Tamlin, Feyre, and Lucien Vanserra welcome twins Dagdan and Brannagh from Hybern, as well as Jurian, to the Spring Court when they arrive to check the weak points of the section of the wall that borders the court.

During the Summer Solstice, she performs a ceremony but is upstaged by Feyre, who uses her Day Court magic to glow in front of the crowd. This unsettles Ianthe, who scrambles back for control and love from the Court.

A set of keys to Tamlin's manor is later found missing. It is revealed through Feyre‘s magic that the Spring Court Sentry on duty was lulled to sleep by Ianthe, who stole the keys and then unleashed a bunch of nagas on the manor to gain attention after the Solstice incident. Tamlin struggles to choose between the sentry or Ianthe, one having served him and been willing to die for him, and the latter being a powerful ally to the High Priestesses. He chooses Ianthe, just as Feyre had planned, and whips the innocent sentry. This is what ultimately makes Tamlin's sentries leave his service, and splits the Spring Court in half.

During the last expedition to the wall, when Feyre is about to escape the Court to go to the Night Court, Ianthe shackles Lucien with controlling magic and assaults him. Feyre overhears their conversation and comes to Lucien's aide. Feyre uses her daemati abilities and forces Ianthe to smash her hand with a rock until it breaks so she never touches another person against their will again. Her mind is healed by the King of Hybern, but she still can't use her hand.

Later, when Feyre is asking the Suriel how to nullify the Cauldron and its power, Ianthe, with the help of two Hybern soldiers, arrive at the location where they are standing and kill the Suriel. Feyre then has them chase after her and leads them to the Weaver's Cottage, and locks them there, where they are eaten by its owner.

When Feyre meets the Weaver in the final battle against Hybern, she is wearing Ianthe's circlet which she kept as a prize.

Appearance

Ianthe has long, gently curling, golden hair and a slim waist, usually hidden under her pale blue-gray robe. On her forehead, above her brows and teal eyes, she has a tattoo in midnight-blue ink of the different stages of the moon cycle. She has a set of silver rings that she wears on her manicured fingers. Her typical wardrobe consists of a robe with a fine belt of sky-blue, limpid stones, each perfectly oval and held in shining silver. On top of her hood, she wears a matching delicate band of silver. In the middle of the silver band is a large blue stone. A panel of cloth is folded up beneath the circlet. It's a built-in swath meant to be pulled over the brow and eyes when praying. Ianthe has a full and sensuous mouth and a pert nose. She is described as very beautiful. Her voice is sweet and feminine. As a High Fae, she has elegant features and a supple body. She wears a set of silver bracelets that tinkle together.

Personality

Ianthe is smart, cunning, and ambitious towards her goal of ensnaring a wealthy courtier or High Lord for marriage and offspring, whether they want her or not. She knows exactly what she wants and will go to great lengths to get it, including manipulating others and forcing people to do what she wants. She was a benefit to Tamlin in the Spring Court as she was aware of everyone in Court and outside of it. She hurt Feyre by always siding with Tamlin and being completely and utterly supportive of the wedding, but manipulated her into believing she was her close friend.

Relationships

Feyre Archeron

Feyre befriends Ianthe after returning from Under the Mountain. She worships her and Tamlin as if they were "newly minted gods, blessed and chosen by the Cauldron itself." She stays with Feyre at events and dinners to tell her about those in attendance. Feyre is more than happy to hand over the power to make decisions regarding events in the Spring Court, including Winter Solstice and Feyre and Tamlin's wedding. Feyre even lets Ianthe pick out what clothes she wears. Feyre admits that she has let Ianthe become a crutch, but Ianthe seemed willing to be one, caring when she couldn't. Feyre hates that Tamlin sides with her, even when he agrees with Feyre.

After leaving the Spring Court, and befriending Rhysand's Inner Circle, especially Morrigan, Feyre realizes that Ianthe was never truly her friend. She despises her for how she treated Lucien and Rhysand.

Rhysand

The first interaction we see between Ianthe and the High Lord of Night is at Feyre’s wedding. When Rhysand arrives to disrupt the wedding, Ianthe backs away from the altar, her face drained of color.

Later, Rhysand shows Feyre a memory of Ianthe from around one hundred years prior to the events of A Court of Thorns and Roses, in which Ianthe tries to persuade Rhysand into an alliance. She first flirts with Azriel and many of the other males in his Court before going after Rhysand. Rhysand discovers Ianthe lying naked in his bed. Ianthe tries to get Rhysand to sleep with her. Her true motives are revealed when she tells Rhysand their offspring could rule Prythian. He continuously refuses her advances until she tries to touch him inappropriately. He then breaks her hand with his magic and tells her to never touch anyone in his Court again.

Lucien Vanserra

Ianthe shows a continuous interest in Lucien during her stay in the Spring Court, even though he doesn't reciprocate. She often finds ways to bring him up in conversation, to corner him at events, and to touch him. Her interest in him is due to his powerful lineage and the prospect of conceiving his children. While Feyre was living in the Night Court, Tamlin refused to take part in Calanmai so instead Lucien took his place, and at Ianthe's insistence, completed the Great Rite with her.

While on one of the scouting trips with Prince Dagdan and Princess Brannagh, Ianthe tricks Lucien and shackles him to a tree to force him to accept her sexual advances. Feyre interrupts them and Lucien is released, witnesses Feyre's attack on Ianthe, then escapes with her.