| Name | Briallyn |
|---|---|
| Age | Early 30s |
| Species | Human → High Fae |
| Status | Deceased |
| Kingdom | Mortal Lands |
| Rank/Title | Mortal Queen |
| Eye Color | Dark |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Appears in | A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Silver Flames |
Contents
Biography / History
Early Life & Fall from Wealth
Briallyn, one of the eldest Mortal Queens, helps sell the youngest queen, Vassa, to the death-lord Koschei, setting Vassa’s curse in motion.
A Court of Mist and Fury
When the Night Court asks the queens for their half of the Book of Breathings to fight Hybern, Briallyn and the others refuse unless Rhysand proves his goodness. She later learns that Queen Demetra secretly gave the Book to the Night Court. Enraged, Briallyn and the eldest queens have Demetra killed and openly ally with the King of Hybern, using her body as proof of their loyalty.
At the Cauldron’s revival, Briallyn volunteers to be Made High Fae. But because the Cauldron seeks retribution for Nesta stealing some of its power, it warps Briallyn into a withered Fae crone, leaving her horrified and furious.
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Terrified by Briallyn’s fate, the remaining queens refuse to enter the Cauldron and retreat to their palace. Briallyn stays aligned with Hybern but vows revenge on Nesta for causing her cursed transformation.
A Court of Silver Flames
Still desperate to regain her youth, Briallyn allies with Koschei and seeks the Dread Trove, believing it can restore her power and help her strike Prythian. With aid from Beron, High Lord of Autumn, she obtains the Crown and uses it to control a group of Eris’s soldiers.
Briallyn uses the Crown to seize control of Cassian’s mind and has him abduct Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie, depositing them unconscious into the Blood Rite. Her plan is to isolate Nesta inside the mountain’s trials and either let the Rite kill her or use Cassian as her puppet to finish the job.
When Nesta survives the Rite and reaches the peak of Ramiel, Briallyn confronts her. She demands the Dread Trove, still gripping Cassian’s mind with the Crown and forcing him to attempt to kill Nesta.
But Nesta stops fighting the Crown’s influence — and instead reaches deep into her own power, the same Death-tinged magic she stole from the Cauldron. She releases it fully.
Nesta’s power slams into Briallyn, aging her instantly, disintegrating her body, and reducing her to nothing but ash.
Appearance
As a mortal woman in her early thirties, Briallyn is described as having a cunning, striking beauty, with:
- Black hair
- Black eyes
- A sharp, calculating presence beneath her youthful features
Changes Through the Series
- After Submerging in the Cauldron (A Court of Mist and Fury):
When Briallyn volunteers to be the first queen to enter the Cauldron, it warps her instead of elevating her. Rather than becoming a powerful High Fae, she emerges transformed into a withered, shriveled crone, her body twisted as punishment for the Cauldron’s stolen power.
Personality
Briallyn is ambitious, manipulative, and driven by vanity. Her desire for power often blinds her to consequences.
Key traits
- Ambitious and power-hungry:
She seeks immortality and greater strength at any cost, even betraying fellow queens. - Vain:
Briallyn values beauty and status, making her crone-like transformation an unbearable humiliation. - Vindictive:
After the Cauldron twists her into a withered Fae, she becomes obsessed with revenge, blaming Nesta for “stealing” power and causing her downfall.
Powers & Abilities
Winnowing (Mortal Queen)
Like the other Mortal Queens, Briallyn can winnow, but only when in the presence of several of her fellow queens. This ability was granted to them by the Fae after the War.
- Immortality
- Enhanced strength, speed, and senses
- Typical High Fae abilities (winnowing, faelights, glamours, etc.)
- An unusually high level of raw magic, similar to a High Lord’s heir
Made High Fae (Cauldron-Made)
After entering the Cauldron, Briallyn becomes Made High Fae, gaining:
- Immortality
- Access to High Fae magic
- A Cauldron-linked power, allowing her to scry and locate objects Made by the Cauldron
Due to the Cauldron punishing her for Nesta’s stolen power, Briallyn emerges not as a powerful beauty but in the twisted form of a withered crone, a shape she is unable to change.
