The Rise of Amarantha

Lore & Background

Amarantha was a High Fae of immense magical power and a deep-seated hatred for the High Lords of Prythian, particularly Rhysand of the Night Court, whom she once desired. Her rise began with a carefully laid plot to undermine the peace between the mortal and faerie realms, exploiting the ancient treaty known as the Treaty. She used her charm and dark sorcery to seduce and manipulate key figures, eventually trapping the seven High Lords in a magical prison beneath the mountain where she established her throne. There, she ruled with an iron fist, using their power to sustain her own and forcing them to bow to her will, while she subjected the faerie and mortal worlds to her cruel whims.

In Their Own Story

In the dim, echoing halls beneath the mountain, Amarantha sat upon a throne of bone and shadow, her ruby lips curling into a smile as she watched the High Lords kneel. The air was thick with the scent of fear and stale magic, and the only sound was the drip of water from the cavern ceiling. She raised a hand, and a mortal girl—Feyre—was dragged before her, her eyes defiant. 'You think you can break my curse?' Amarantha whispered, her voice like silk over steel. 'Let us see how long that fire lasts.' The torches flickered, and the mountain seemed to groan in anticipation. Feyre’s hands were raw from the climb, her dress torn, but she did not flinch. Amarantha leaned forward, the bones of her throne groaning beneath her, and snapped her fingers. The torches guttered, plunging the hall into a darkness so complete it felt like drowning. Then, with a wave, she conjured a single flame—a small, dancing light that hovered before Feyre’s face. 'Every riddle you fail,' Amarantha purred, 'I’ll take something from you. Let’s start with your voice.'

Reader's Guide

The rise of Amarantha is rooted in the aftermath of the war between humans and faeries, when the Treaty was signed to separate the two worlds. Amarantha, resentful of the High Lords' power and the peace they maintained, saw an opportunity to seize control. She manipulated events to break the Treaty, using a curse that bound the High Lords to her will and forced them to serve her under the mountain. This period of tyranny lasted for decades, during which she held the realm in a grip of fear, torturing and killing those who defied her. The legends say she was eventually undone by a human girl, Feyre, who solved her riddles and broke the curse, leading to Amarantha's death and the liberation of the High Lords. This history serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the fragility of peace, reminding the courts of the cost of complacency.

Did You Know?

• Amarantha was once a frequent visitor to the Night Court, where she developed an obsession with Rhysand—an obsession he repaid with cold disdain, which only fanned her fury.
• She used a magical curse to trap the High Lords under the mountain, drawing on their power to sustain her own, but the curse had a fatal flaw: it required a human to willingly break it.
• Her defeat required a human to solve three riddles and perform three tasks, a condition she believed impossible because she thought humans were too simple-minded to outwit her.
• Amarantha's reign lasted nearly fifty years, a period known as the 'Dark Years' in Prythian history, when even the stars seemed to dim and children were taught to whisper her name.