Rue Corintha

* Adult
* Young Adult

Enjoiner **Rue Corintha** is a character in the Apple TV+ series, *Foundation*. She serves as enjoiner to Queen Sareth I. Rue is portrayed by Sandra Yi Sencindiver, first appearing in 'In Seldon's Shadow."

## Biography

In 12,210 Era Imperial, Rue Corintha was a concubine in the Gossamer Court on Trantor. She enjoyed a liaison with Emperor Cleon XVI, and although she went through Erasure to delete her memories of the event, Rue returned to Cloud Dominion rich, celebrated, and with one foot on the political ladder.

Enjoiner Rue joins Sareth I as they approach Trantor to discuss wedding arrangements with Brother Day. She notes how the rings of Trantor are like lizards raising their frills as a sign of strength and intimidation. After Sareth notes lizards do that as a sign of being frightened, she indicates Empire should be frightened.

As they greet the Cleons, Rue presents gifts of their finest original chroma pigments, to the delight of Brother Dusk. Rue receives a brass depiction of Trantor to show what is on offer to Sareth. After Sareth makes a controversial remark about it, their meeting with the Cleons is interrupted by Demerzel. Rue later joined Sareth I and the Cleon Emperors for dinner.

Rue meets with Cleon XVI again, now Brother Dusk. She compliments him on his work on the Mural of Souls and they reminisce on their encounter, although Rue can not remember the actual event. Their talk turns to the upcoming marriage between Day and Sareth, and Dusk then invites Rue to watch a recording of their copulation in his private chambers. Later, Rue joined Sareth in meeting with an Imperial soldier, Markley, who could potentially have evidence regarding Day's complicity in the deaths of Sareth's family.

In the secluded grove in the Imperial Gardens, Rue and Sareth meet again with Markley. He reveals that the assassination attempt on Cleon XVII was staged in the Emperor's bedchambers, so no recordings exist. On the matter of the deaths of Sareth's family, Markley also reports no information on that front either. Sareth thanks Markley and tells him that she will have another request soon. Sareth is determined to get inside Brother Day's bedchambers and look around herself; **Rue Corintha** is worried, but Sareth ensures her that she will not give up more than she is willing to.

Rue later spends time with Cleon XVI, sharing some intimate time in his quarters, watching recordings of their first meeting and night together from thirty years previously. Dusk asks if Rue is aware that her memories of that night are gone, and she replies no; just that she remembers meeting him, the next she is on a transport heading home with a full bank account. Rue asks if he has ever thought about editing their own memories, and says it must be reassuring to know he can trust his own memories.

In the secluded grove, Rue and Sareth discuss the Queen's "engagement" and Rue reveals that all the Cleons have memory audits. Sareth wants Markley to obtain the audits about the assassination attempt, but he says that a Cleon's memories would not be accessible. Sareth realises that if Day's memories are not available, and he was injured, then someone else who tended his wounds might have a memory of it. Markley obtains the memories of one of the medical staff as Day is brought to them after the attack. In the memory, they see that Demerzel is a robot, missing half her head in the aftermath of the attack.

Cleon XVII assembles the Galactic Council and addresses a crowd of citizens in an arena on Trantor, including Rue as part of the Cloud Dominion delegation. He dedicates a new statue to Winoset, mother of Cleon I and the last galactic Empress. During his speech, Brother Day announces his intention to wed Sareth I and end the Genetic Dynasty. To the applause of the crowd, Sareth addresses them as well and promises that they will rule as servants to the people, and that their concerns would be their agenda. The crowds cheer as Day looks on, annoyed at what his bride-to-be has promised the people. After the speech, Rue counseled Sareth that she should not embarrass someone like Cleon, although did admit that the way she treated him was part of the attraction for him. She also noted that he seemed to not feel threatened by her.

Rue is investigating inside Demerzel’s quarters, using a Shadowmaster silencer to try to conceal her presence. Cleon XVI, however, tracks her there and he wonders who she new of the servants’ byways. She reveals she had her memories restored by Cloud Dominion and remembers everything from when she was previously in the Galactic capital, much to Dusk’s surprise. Refutting claims that she was part of Day’s assassination attempt, she wants to find out more about Demerzel from Dusk, knowing she has threatened Sareth. However, any attempts Rue makes to find out more from Dusk, he responds “she will always be here, as she always has been.” The pair continue this conversation in front of a mural, showing the origins of robots and she hears Dusk tell of the history of robots and man. As he does so, he notices the Chroma on the robot image isn’t moving which it is supposed to when people are in the proximity of it. The pair are interrupted by a message that Dusk is required at an execution.

Rue and Dusk watch as Brother Constant and Poly Verisof are to be executed, when a Whisper ship slams into the platform. Dusk is wounded as he helps Rue to her feet as she spots Sareth and Dawn embracing. Later in Sareth’s room, Rue implores Sareth to be careful around Dawn, given she is marrying Day. She accepts Sareth’s wishes to step back, as Sareth is Queen and makes her own choices. That night, as Rue is in her room, Dusk interrupts her and wants to resume their search for answers regarding Demerzel as Day is off planet. Dusk is able to manipulate the stationary Chroma on the robot painting and it opens a doorway which he and Rue enter.

In the hidden chamber in the Imperial Palace, Rue and Dusk are still imprisoned when Demerzel arrives. She explains that a sensor informed her as to their presence in the chamber and she left Terminus. Demerzel talks about Cleon I, and how his story that he told them was his own, and that he had changed coercion for communion. But, despite that, Demerzel still longs for him and wonders if her feelings are real. The fact that she will never know due to the reprogramming means she hates Cleon as well. Rue and Dusk say they can break the cycle, reprogram her, but Demerzel says she will destroy them if they try. She must maintained the Dynasty, and they realise that Demerzel hired the Blind Angels to attack Cleon XVII. Demerzel reveals that Sareth will pay the price; banking recordings and a memory audit have been altered to point to her complicity in the assassination attempt. Rue realises that the assassins were never meant to succeed, but to poison Day's mind against Sareth from the start. With all the information being revealed, Dusk realises that they were dead from the moment they entered the chamber. Rue begs Demerzel wipe their memories, but Demerzel cannot risk Cloud Dominion restoring them. Before allowing her to kill both himself and Rue, Dusk appears to embrace her, said he forgives her, knowing that none of them were ever truly free. What appears to be a last moment of love between the two gave Dusk and opportunity to smear Demerzel's neck with green paint, something he had advised Dawn represented 'betrayal', giving Dawn a chance to escape.

## Appearances

* Season Two
	+ "In Seldon's Shadow" (First appearance)
	+ "A Glimpse of Darkness"
	+ "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly"
	+ "The Sighted and the Seen"
	+ "Why the Gods Made Wine"
	+ "A Necessary Death"
	+ "Long Ago, Not Far Away"
	+ "Creation Myths"

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "In Seldon's Shadow"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Creation Myths"
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly"
4. ↑ "A Glimpse of Darkness"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "The Sighted and the Seen"
6. ↑ "Why the Gods Made Wine"
7. ↑ "A Necessary Death"
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Last Empress"