Tuon

Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, aka: Daughter of the Nine Moons, is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's popular "Wheel of Time" fantasy series.

She is 19 years old and described as being ebony, or dark-skinned, petite, with a heart-shaped face and having large brown eyes. Second born, Tuon is the favorite daughter of the Empress of the Seanchan and her banner is two gold lions harnessed to an ancient war-cart.

Tuon has become more central to the plot since one of the series' main characters, Mat, has proclaimed that she is to be his wife (a Seanchan custom that is done by proclaiming that statement aloud three times, partially completes the ritual for at least one of the pair.) She is the Daughter of the Nine Moons, the title taken by the heir to the Seanchan empire, and makes her first appearance in the series in Book 9 ("Winter's Heart"), where she docks in Ebou Dar. It is here in the city's royal palace that Tuon first meets Mat when he barges in on a meeting between her and Tylin. The sul'dam in the Tarasin palace nicknamed Mat 'Toy' and Tuon calls Mat 'Toy' throughout the book. Throughout the rest of the novel it seems that she takes great care to be wherever Mat is and based upon an earlier conversation between Tuon and Anath, her Truthspeaker, about a "damane"'s telling of her future, many speculate that that foretelling has to do with Mat, one begins to see why. When Mat is about to escape with Amathera and the Aes Sedai made prisoners by the Seanchan, Tuon intercedes and they struggle, but Noal Charin holds her. She is named Daughter of the Nine Moons by Egeanin causing Mat to be surprised into naming her thrice as his wife. Left with no options, Mat kidnaps her and her servant, Selucia.

Valan Luca's circus is where Tuon is hidden for most of the next book ("Crossroads of Twilight" ) and it is also where Mat tries to woo his wife-to-be. Learning that she is being characterized as a disloyal servant, Tuon grows angry with Mat. After returning from a trip with him and her servant from a town, they learn that a former "sul'dam" Renna stabbed Egeanin and has run off. Mat pursues and has Renna killed to protect Tuon and the others, but upon his return to the circus Tuon has it be known that it and everyone is under her protection for the time being... Everyone but Mat.

"Knife of Dreams" finds Tuon still traveling along with Mat as he discovers that Moiraine is still alive. The is no longer in Salidar while Aes Sedai and the Seanchan are looking for Tuon everywhere, but Tuon revises her opinion of Mat as she watches him organize an effective resistance against her countrymen, feeling she has finally seen him "in his element." She completes the marriage ceremony by proclaiming that Mat is her husband three times in front of witnesses. She reveals that she knew she would marry Mat because of the future spoken of by her "damane". (Her actual feelings for him have not been established, but it is clear that she holds him in high regard, and she has said straight-out that she may yet grow to love him.) She also learns that she is now the Empress of the Seanchan because her mother, the current Empress, was killed, along with the other heirs.

The two latest books in the series refer to her dark skin and tight curly hair, suggesting that she may look African. This does not appear to be a trait of Seanchan in general (who are described with all kinds of appearances) though it might be a look associated with the Imperial house. As Tuon is the only surviving member of the house, it is unlikely the question will be resolved.

Tuon was actually first mentioned in The Great Hunt when High Lord Turak identified her as standing highest of the Empress's children in terms of favor.

It has been demonstrated that Tuon is very skilled with the a'dam, "training" uncollared female channelers until their minds and wills are broken. Her damane, which include a former Aes Sedai , are shown to become particularly childlike and obedient.

External links

* http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org