| Name | Ianthe |
|---|---|
| Age | 300+ |
| Species | High Fae |
| Status | Deceased |
| Rank/Title | High Priestess |
| Eye Color | Teal |
| Hair Color | Blond |
| Family | Unnamed Father, Unnamed Mother, 2 Unnamed Sisters |
| Appears in | A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin |
Contents
Biography / History
Early Life
Ianthe was a High Fae noble born in the Spring Court and grew up as a childhood friend of Tamlin. Her father, a powerful ally of the court and captain of its forces, held significant influence within Spring. Approximately three centuries ago, Ianthe rose to become the youngest of the twelve High Priestesses. When unrest began to threaten their lands, her father sensed danger and fled with Ianthe and her two younger sisters to Vallahan, where they lived in safety for fifty years while their people were slaughtered and enslaved.
A Court of Thorns and Roses — Timeline Events
Returns to the Spring Court as High Priestess
After Amarantha’s fall, Ianthe returns from Vallahan and installs herself as High Priestess of the Spring Court. She positions herself as Tamlin’s spiritual advisor and gains significant influence over him.
Gathers Information About Nesta and Elain
Under the guise of friendship, Ianthe pries for details about Feyre’s sisters and their home. She secretly passes the information to the King of Hybern.
A Court of Wings and Ruin — Timeline Events
Feigns Remorse When Feyre Returns
When Feyre infiltrates the Spring Court, Ianthe offers a false apology for her role in the sisters’ transformation, insisting she acted out of duty and compassion.
Aligns Herself with Hybern’s Delegation
She helps welcome Hybern’s twins, Dagdan and Brannagh, and Jurian to the Spring Court and accompanies them during wall inspections.
Tracks Feyre and Kills the Suriel
Ianthe follows Feyre into the woods with Hybern soldiers and kills the Suriel on Hybern’s orders. Feyre lures them to the Weaver’s cottage, where the Weaver kills Ianthe and the soldiers.
Appearance
Ianthe is described as strikingly beautiful, with:
- Long, gently curling golden hair
- Teal eyes framed by elegant High Fae features
- A full, sensuous mouth and a pert nose
- A slim, supple body typical of High Fae
- A midnight-blue tattoo across her forehead depicting the phases of the moon
She often wears:
- Pale blue-gray priestess robes that conceal her slim waist
- A fine belt set with perfectly oval sky-blue stones in silver
- A delicate silver circlet with a large blue stone at the center
- A built-in cloth panel beneath the circlet to pull over her brow and eyes while praying
- Sets of silver rings and bracelets that chime softly when she moves
Her voice is noted to be sweet and feminine.
Personality
Ianthe projects serenity and holiness, but beneath her priestess façade she is defined by ambition, manipulation, and self-serving cunning. Her intelligence and charm mask a calculating nature focused on securing status, influence, and power.
Key traits
- Cunning and manipulative:
Ianthe knows precisely how to influence others and uses her position as a High Priestess to bend people to her will. She is willing to coerce, deceive, and emotionally manipulate to achieve her goals. - Ambitious and self-serving:
Her primary aim is to align herself with powerful males—preferably courtiers or High Lords—to secure an advantageous match and offspring, regardless of their interest or consent. - Socially perceptive:
In the Spring Court, Ianthe was useful to Tamlin because she monitored the movements, loyalties, and intentions of those within and outside the court. Her awareness made her an effective political asset. - Deceptively supportive:
Ianthe cultivates the appearance of compassion and friendship, but her alliances are strategic. With Feyre, she pretended to be a confidante while fully supporting Tamlin’s control and manipulating Feyre into believing she had her best interests at heart. - Authoritative and controlling:
Backed by her title as a High Priestess, she expects obedience and uses her religious authority to justify forcing others into decisions that benefit her.
Powers & Abilities
High Fae Priestess
As a High Fae and one of the twelve High Priestesses, Ianthe possesses the standard abilities of her kind, though she is not shown to wield significant raw power.
She demonstrates:
- Immortality
- Enhanced strength, speed, and senses typical of High Fae
- Basic magic, such as creating and controlling faelight
- Minor spellcasting, including the ability to use a small flicker of magic to lull someone into sleep, allowing her to move undetected or manipulate circumstances
Unlike other powerful fae, Ianthe is never seen summoning large-scale magic.
Relationships
| Feyre Archeron | Feyre initially befriends Ianthe after returning from Under the Mountain, viewing her with admiration and treating her and Tamlin as if they were “newly minted gods, blessed and chosen by the Cauldron.” Ianthe accompanies Feyre at court events, guiding her through social expectations and explaining the attendees. Grateful for the support, Feyre allows Ianthe to take charge of Spring Court ceremonies—including Winter Solstice preparations and Feyre and Tamlin’s wedding—and even lets her choose Feyre’s clothing. Feyre later admits she relied on Ianthe as a crutch, and Ianthe willingly filled that role. However, Feyre grows increasingly frustrated that Tamlin consistently agrees with Ianthe over her. After Feyre escapes the Spring Court and forms genuine friendships within Rhysand’s Inner Circle—particularly with Morrigan—she recognizes that Ianthe was never truly her friend. Feyre ultimately despises Ianthe for her manipulations and for the harm she caused Lucien and Rhysand. |
|---|---|
| Tamlin | Ianthe and Tamlin grew up together in the Spring Court, their families closely connected through her father’s position as one of Tamlin’s strongest allies and captain of his forces. Their childhood familiarity later became a foundation for Ianthe’s influence in the Spring Court. After Amarantha’s defeat, Tamlin relied heavily on Ianthe for guidance, ritual support, and court appearances as he attempted to rebuild his territory. As a High Priestess, Ianthe positioned herself as Tamlin’s trusted adviser, reinforcing his decisions and encouraging strict control in the name of “safety.” She held significant sway over Spring Court ceremonies and political dealings, often speaking on Tamlin’s behalf and shaping his interactions with visiting courts and priestesses. Tamlin accepted her counsel readily, unaware of the manipulation behind it. Despite her outward loyalty, Ianthe’s interest in Tamlin was ultimately self-serving. She sought a powerful mate and future offspring, viewing Tamlin as an ideal candidate regardless of his disinterest. Her unwavering support during Feyre and Tamlin’s engagement masked deeper motives, as she intended to secure influence at the highest level of Spring Court leadership. Their relationship deteriorates after Feyre leaves the Spring Court and Ianthe’s treachery becomes increasingly clear—particularly her role in manipulating Tamlin, enabling the court’s decline, and later betraying him to Hybern. |
| Rhysand | The first on-page interaction between Ianthe and Rhysand occurs at Feyre’s wedding, when Rhysand arrives to interrupt the ceremony. Ianthe immediately retreats from the altar, her face draining of color at the sight of the High Lord of the Night Court. Later, Rhysand shows Feyre a memory from roughly a century earlier, revealing Ianthe’s true nature. In this memory, Ianthe attempts to secure an alliance with the Night Court by flirting with Azriel and several other males before turning her attention to Rhysand. He finds her naked in his bed, attempting to seduce him with the claim that a child born between them could one day rule Prythian. Rhysand repeatedly rejects her advances, but when she tries to touch him without consent, he uses his magic to break her hand and warns her never to lay a hand on anyone in his court again. |
| Lucien Vanserra | Ianthe shows persistent interest in Lucien during her time in the Spring Court, despite his clear lack of reciprocation. She frequently brings him into conversation, corners him at court functions, and attempts to touch him—all motivated by his powerful heritage and the prospect of bearing a child with strong magical lineage. When Tamlin refuses to participate in Calanmai, Lucien is pressured to take his place, and at Ianthe’s insistence, she completes the Great Rite with him. Lucien deeply regrets the encounter. Later, while accompanying Prince Dagdan and Princess Brannagh on a scouting trip, Ianthe manipulates Lucien into a vulnerable position and shackles him to a tree in an attempt to force him into sexual compliance. Feyre intervenes, frees Lucien, and attacks Ianthe before the two flee together. |
