Lucy Bluecrowne

****M******elusine Bluecrowne**, or **Lucy**, was part of the first family to own Greenglass House. Lucy was the daughter of Richard Bluecrowne, the captain of the *Left-Handed Fate*, where she grew up, and the brother of Liao. Lucy was very brave, and she loved the sea.

## Biography

### *Bluecrowne*

Lucy's father Richard Bluecrowne introduced her to Bluecrowne House, where she was to live. Lucy, despite her father's best efforts, was rather bitter about the house, because it was not a ship. Lucy sulked and disliked the house, missing the *Left-Handed Fate*, her father's ship, desperately. Lucy's stepmother Xiaoming and half brother Liao then entered, and Liao expressed his delight at the house. Liao then went out and set off fireworks, even though it was daylight, and soon after suggested that Lucy have a small boat to use, since she couldn't live on a ship, and Lucy agreed.

Lucy had a nightmare about the time when, aboard the *Left-Handed Fate*, she had been severely injured in a battle. This was why her father was having her live in a house now, because it was safer. She woke and missed her shipmates, then went downstairs for breakfast. Xiaoming spoke to her about the hardship of change and how it could not be prevented. She encouraged Lucy to do what she could to make Bluecrowne House feel more homelike, and Lucy declared that she needed a boat. Xiaoming agreed, Kendrick obliged, and brought Lucy and Liao to the Quayside Harbors to find one.

They met Jianming Cerrajero, and discussed boat preferences. Liao mentioned Xiaoming, and Jianming commented that it was a boy's name, after which Liao grew so angry that Lucy had to drag him away. hey proceeded to visit Tom Yarrow on Mr. Cerrajero's recommendation, and viewed his boat, which Lucy liked a lot. She left, however, wanting to view other boats before deciding. Lucy presented Tom Yarrow's boat to Kendrick, having decided that this was the boat she wanted. Liao, on Lucy's request, listed different names of fireworks, and Lucy decided to name the boat Driven Star. Lucy took command of the boat and took it for a test cruise.

Lucy pulled the boat alongside the *Left-Handed Fate*, and members of its crew inspected the cutter. Lucy declared that she did indeed want the boat, and they negotiated with Tom Yarrow to purchase the cutter. Lucy joyfully began inspecting it, and admitted to Kendrick that she had indeed fallen in love with it previously, and it was to be called the *Driven Star*.

Lucy and Liao, wandering around the Quayside Harbors, saw Foulk Trigemine and Ignis Blister. Blister had a fire in his hand, and after some coaxing, showed Liao how to hold a fire in his hand too. He then agreed with Lucy's suggestion to sell Liao some special ingredients for making fireworks, and Liao entertained himself with Blister's ingredients and products. Meanwhile, Lucy talked to Trigemine, who also did not know what Liao and Blister were talking about. Trigemine and Blister were, it was decided, to come to the Bluecrowne home, so Blister could teach Liao more about fireworks. Blister gifted Lucy a lamp, explaining its provenance, and she and Liao left.

They returned to the house, and Lucy realized that her father had built different parts of it to resemble places she'd stayed ashore when the *Fate* was in port, to make it feel more homelike to her. Lucy declared that the house should have a name, and they decided to make it the Chinese translation of 'blue crown', so it would feel like the family house. They later sat on a platform on the grounds of the house, and met Xiaoming.

In the morning, Lucy got up and ate breakfast hastily, wanting to get back to the *Driven Star.* She spent a long time cleaning out the cutter. She and Liao then took the boat out onto the Skidwrack River, and Liao sent up fireworks to celebrate. Liao was troubled, however, feeling that the firework should not have worked as well as it had. He shared with Lucy how Blister had hinted that he was special, and how Blister seemed to think he was some sort of fire spirit. Liao did not think he was doing magic, and Lucy comforted him.

Liao woke Lucy as one would on a ship, to Lucy's annoyance. Garvett then helped Lucy make cakes as Blister had requested, but things went quickly wrong, with Lucy burning herself and spilling boiling water everywhere. Each agreeing not to tell anyone else what had happened, they decided to buy the cakes instead. Nell Levinflash showed up, and Lucy overheard her arguing with Captain Bluecrowne over Lucy not living aboard the *Fate*. Her father brought the news that the schooner was going to Flotilla for maintenance, Lucy was devastated that the ship would not be staying in the Harbors where she could see it, but fought down her disappointment and acted happy for Liao.

Trigemine and Blister showed up at Bluecrowne House, and after being welcomed by Lucy, Blister quickly got to work with Liao, but soon the warehouse exploded. Kendrick and Garvett ran in and discovered no trace of Liao, and the dismayed Lucy was coaxed into returning to the house. There, she found Trigemine, who informed her that Blister had taken Liao and explained that if she got the knife Albatross, he would help her rescue Liao.

Lucy went for the knife, taking the *Driven Star* to the Ironmonger's workshop, where she broke in, but was caught. The Ironmonger, Jonas Forgeron, and Jianming Cerrajero all calmly discussed her dilemma, and informed her that Trigemine had lied to her about helping her get Liao back. After a lengthy discussion of Morvengarde and what Trigemine and Blister would do, Lucy decided not to take the Albatross, knowing now that it would do no good. They provided Lucy with a marlinespike, and she went on her way, to rescue her brother. After she had left, Simon Coffrett showed up, and told the Ironmonger that Lucy had what she needed to take on the sutlers.

Lucy returned to Bluecrowne House, where she found Xiaoming and told her what had happened. Xiaoming was not angry at Lucy, seeming only disappointed, which Lucy thought worse. Xiaoming used a bone to discern why Liao had been taken, then speculated about the peddlers, hinting that she was not what she seemed, but much older and more powerful. She provided Lucy with an elixir to walk through fire and warned Lucy of the pain this battle would entail.

They then went to the house where Trigemine and Blister were, and met Trigemine at the door despite Lucy believing that they should enter with surprise. Trigemine was exteremely angry that Lucy did not have the Albatross. They went to the garden, where Liao was trapped in a pillar of fire, though he seemed unhurt. Lucy fought Trigemine, cutting him with the marlinespike, while Blister and Xiaoming fought until Blister managed to tie Xiaoming (who had somehow turned into a crane) up. Lucy walked through the fire imprisoning Liao despite the incredible pain, to the peddlers' shock. From inside the fire prison, the elixir enabled Lucy to speak to the fire, and she was able to move with the fire. Lucy used the marlinespike given to her by the Ironmonger to take apart the rope holding Xiaoming. Xiaoming escaped, blinding the sutlers, and Lucy and Liao walked off as well.

Lucy, Liao, and Xiaoming spoke about what had happened, and Xiaoming professed her love for them. Lucy later understood that she had been saying goodbye, as she knew she could not escape. Blister then sent belluine after her, and as the fire connected with her, she disappeared. Lucy, knowing they had to go, loaded the sobbing Liao into the *Driven Star* and they set off. The *Left-Handed Fate* showed up as well, but could do nothing to help. Trigemine swam after them and attempted to board the boat, and after some thinking Lucy decided, sadly, to sink the *Driven Star.* Liao exploded his rocket supplies and the two swam away, before being loaded onto the *Left-Handed Fate.*

Aboard the *Fate*, Liao explained to Captain Bluecrowne that Xiaoming had been, he said, unbodied, and he did not know how long it would be until she would return. In the morning, Captain Bluecrowne informed Lucy that they would stay aboard the ship with him, which made her quite happy, though she missed Xiaoming. Lucy and Liao visited Bluecrowne House, where they found the key they had intended as a present for Xiaoming, and put it under the door so she could have it when she came home.

### *The Raconteur's Commonplace Book*

Captain Frost told a story about Melusine, Lowe, and the *Fate*. Melusine and Lowe, the children of the *Fate*'s captain, often argued about the meanings of omens because of how they'd been brought up differently. However, when Lowe broke the steward's prized storm bottle, they both knew it was bad. Melusine helped Lowe make a new storm bottle, but they had to use different ingredients, since Lowe was out of camphor. The bottle's contents began to climb up the walls of the bottle, and the two children found that they had left the harbor and were on a foggy red sea.

A ghostly ship was approaching, and Melusine and Lowe found that they were the only ones aboard the ship. After debating for a while, the two agreed that the ship needed to be guided to a harbor. Lowe set up a rocket to contact them, and Melusine steered their own ship to lead the xebec crewed with ghosts. The ship followed them toward where Valletta Harbor had been, and gradually the mist dwindled and the sea turned back to blue. The xebec's crew thanked them, then the ghost ship disappeared and the crew of the *Fate* returned. Melusine, confused, looked around, and found the steward and his company returning from shore in the ship's cutter. She told Lowe that she would not help him admit he'd broken the storm bottle.

### *Greenglass House*

Mrs. Hereward mentioned to Milo that one of her ancestors had built Greenglass House. She told Owen that there were two children in the Bluecrowne family, the elder being a girl called Lucy, and the younger being Lucy's half brother Liao. Lucy and her father had lived aboard their ship while Liao and his mother lived in China. Lucy's father had wanted to bring his family together and so had built Greenglass House. Lucy had requested that Liao translate Bluecrowne into Chinese, then had written it down phonetically as Lansdegown. Mrs. Hereward presumed that Owen was either a descendent of Liao or descended from someone Chinese who had married one of Lucy's descendants.

### *Ghosts of Greenglass House*

Owen mentioned to Milo that he had looked for information about the Bluecrowne family. He had discovered letters from Liao Bluecrowne to Mr. Fulgor, noting that he could be descended from either Liao or Liao's sister Lucy.

## Physical appearance

Lucy has short blond hair like a boy's. She wears dresses but also things that are good for climbing and other tasks for being aboard a ship. Lucy is described as looking English, unlike her Chinese brother.

## Personality and traits

Lucy is very strong and a force to be reckoned with. She can weather almost anything and is very smart. Lucy loves the sea and ships, and dislikes being on land for too long, where she does not feel all her sharp skills.

## Relationships

### Liao Bluecrowne

Lucy loves Liao very much. She ad Liao understand each other very well, Liao knowing many of the feelings Lucy does not share. Lucy will do almost anything for her brother, even act happy about living on land. She goes to great lengths to rescue him, and cares deeply for him.

### Xiaoming

Lucy loves her stepmother very much. Xiaoming cares for and understands Lucy, and the two of them share a gesture of love. Even though they are not related, Xiaoming and Lucy are quite close.

## Trivia

* "Melusine" means "strong in work". Mélusine was someone who, in European folklore, lived in the water.
* "Lucy" means "light".

## Gallery

**Take a look at our **gallery for Lucy Bluecrowne****.

## References

1. ↑ https://nameberry.com/babyname/melusine
2. ↑ https://babynames.com/name/melusine
3. ↑ https://www.thebump.com/b/lucy-baby-name