Ione Hawthorn

**Ione Hawthorn** is the Queen of Blunder and the maternal cousin of Elspeth Spindle. She is the daughter of Tyrn Hawthorn and Opal Hawthorn and wife to the King of Elms, Renelm Rowan.

## Biography

### Early Life

Ione is the eldest of Tyrn and Opal Hawthorn's three children. She has two younger brothers. Her mother is the sister of Elspeth's deceased mother, Iris Whitebeam. Ione and Elspeth lived together since Elspeth caught fever from the infection and was sent to stay with the Hawthorns. Like her mother, she held great affection for her cousin Elspeth and kept the infection a secret.

### *One Dark Window*

Ione is introduced as Elspeth's favorite cousin who accompanies her to the Spindle House on her nameday. Ione disliked Elspeth's stepmother, Nerium, due to her poor treatment towards her cousin. At breakfast the next day, Tyrn Hawthorn announces that House Hawthorn has been invited to celebrate Equinox at Stone, the King's castle. Ione is delighted by the news. He also revealed the nightmare card he retrieved a few years ago and that he intended to present it to the king during the celebrations.

#### Event of Equinox

At Equinox, her father suggested that she accompany him when he meets the King and the high prince. She shares this news with Elspeth, who to her surprise was very upset with this decision. Ione believed that the High Prince Hauth was a wonderful leader, who would become a King unlike any other. She hoped that the persecution of the infected would stop under his rule. Her cousin did not share the same opinion and found her to be delusional. Finally when Tyrn Hawthorn made his bargain in exchange of the nightmare card to the King, he presented Ione as a candidate for marriage. He deemed her not very pretty but the King decided to bestow her with a maiden card, which she decided not to use yet. After the first banquet, Elspeth instantly knew she carried the maiden card. Elspeth urged her to not use the card and to forfeit the engagement, Upset, Ione asked Elspeth to let her make her own decisions.

At the second banquet, Ione was betrothed to the High Prince of Blunder. By the magic of the maiden card, her appearance changed to perfection as she became the most beautiful woman. At their first banquet together, Hauth urged her to drink a lot. When she noticed Renelm Rowan, Hauth's younger brother, she asked him about Renelm's attire, to which Hauth answered with malice and expressed his discontent. Due to being drunk, Ione could not remember much about that night except from the fact that she had lost her maiden card. When Ione was too drunk, Hauth danced with her at the gardens with several other men, which was witnessed by her father but he did nothing. Later, the High Prince led her to the throne room and with his scythe, compelled Ione to hide her maiden card inside the hearth.

Ione wakes up the next morning in Hauth's bedroom with no memory of the previous night. He assured her he had not touched her. She pleaded with him to return her maiden card but he refused. Prince Hauth continued to use the scythe on Ione on several occasions. Due to the maiden's magic and its price, Ione's heart grew colder and she stopped feeling emotions. Her royal fiancé kept other women around, to which she also felt nothing.

After Equinox, Ione visits Elspeth at Castle Yew with Hauth. Her demeanor remained indifferent and cold towards her cousin. She did not speak with the same warmth and affection. She notices Elspeth's broken wrist, to which Elspeth says she fell off a horse. When Hauth mentioned breaking the wrist of the highwayman who attacked him in the woods, she suspected Elspeth's injury to be associated with the attack. She did not mention it to the prince. When Elm made fun of Hauth's appearance and Ravyn broke his wrist, she even stifles a laugh.

At the market day, dressed in the color of house Hawthorn, she's escorted by the prince at Castle Yew. When the prince discovered Elspeth's broken wrist, Ione said she fell off a horse.

## Powers & Abilities

### Maiden Card

* Healing and regeneration- The ability to heal any minor or fatal injury
* Allure- The user gains beauty and perfection in their appearance

## Trivia

* The name Ione is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "violet flower".

1. ↑ *Ione*. Nameberry.