Sioned

"Sioned" is the fictional heroine of Melanie Rawn's fantasy books in the Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies.

(Pronounced 'Sh-"ned" ' according to pg. 42 of the US paperback version of "Dragon Prince" by Melanie Rawn.)

Dragon Prince character| name = Lady Sioned of River Run


bgcolor = gold
fgcolor = turquoise
birth = 677, River Run, Syr
race = "faradhi"
colors = emerald, sapphire, onyx, and amber
rings = seven given, at least nine earned, wears only Rohan's emerald
dragon = Elisel
titles = High Princess, Princess of the Desert
princedom = The Desert

Sioned was born in the year 677 to the Lord and Lady of River Run in the Princedom of Syr. She was named after her grandmother, Siona, who was the Princess of Kierst by marriage. She had an older brother named Davvi, who was twelve years her senior. In 679 Sioned and Davvi's parents died and left him the young Lord of River Run. In 687 he married Wisla of River View. Wilsa took a quick dislike to the young Sioned, for Sioned was an odd child, ungainly, and had unslightly red-gold hair. Three years after their marriage Wisla convinced Davvi to send Sioned to Goddess Keep, the home of the "faradh'im", or Sunrunners. It was soon evident that Sioned was in fact a "faradhi" herself. So it was that she began her Sunrunner training.

When she turned sixteen years of age, Sioned earned her first "faradhi" ring for being able to Call Fire. In the Fire she called she saw the face of a golden man - Prince Rohan of the Desert - and an older image of herself. In this image a strand of her hair formed golden circlets upon their brows. Sioned knew she was destined to love and wed this man.

Biography

Dragon Prince Trilogy

At the age of twenty-one and the bearer of six "faradhi" rings, Sioned was called by Andrade, the Lady of Goddess Keep, to travel to the Desert to meet and wed Rohan. Sioned, accompanied by her close friends and fellow Sunrunners Camigwen, Ostvel, and Meath, set out for the distant princedom. After a sickening river crossing Sioned finally met her beloved, the man she'd seen wreathed in flames years before. Rohan told her that he had been shown her face in Fire and that he had loved her from the first, but then he revealed his dream and plan to unite the princedoms in peace. In order for his scheme to succeed, they had to pretend to be at odds during the upcoming "Rialla" as it was rumored that the High Prince Roelstra wanted Rohan to wed one of his daughters. There was another reason to tread carefully with their affection: the fact that any child of Sioned and Rohan's union would more than likely be a Sunrunner. A Sunrunner Prince would be a powerful and dangerous being indeed. Many of the other princes would not like one of their brethren to hold a different power than their own, nor would they want a Prince beholden to Goddess Keep. Together Rohan and Sioned would have to map out their child's - and any other Sunrunner lords' - path together and set a precedent with the before unheard of Sunrunner Princess (although this was admittedly very different than a ruling Sunrunner Prince or even a ruling Sunrunner Lord; that example would be set by their nephew, Maarken).

Rohan and Sioned carried out their plan of dislike in public, while privately they met with the aid of Rohan's squire, Walvis, and got to know each other - falling even deeper in love. During an excurtion to dragon caves, Sioned saved the lives of Maarken and Jahni, Rohan's nephews. Rohan rewarded her with an emerald ring, which she wore on her left ring finger - the finger reserved for the tenth "faradhi" ring, the ring of the Lord or Lady of Goddess Keep. This caused the beginnings of a rift between Andrade and Sioned. During this time Urival, the Chief Steward of Goddess Keep, taught Sioned more of the Sunrunner arts than her rings technically allowed.

After the "Rialla", during which Rohan's plans had mostly come to fruitation, he had won Sioned her wedding necklet, and they had made enemies of the High Prince Roelstra and his daughter Ianthe, the two were married and Sioned became Princess of the Desert.

In the year 701 the plague struck the Continent, killing many, including Sioned's friend Camigwen, Rohan's nephew Jahni, and Rohan's mother Milar. It also rendered Sioned barren. A cure was finally found in the form of "dranath", though it was also a highly addicting and dangerous drug.

Two years of hardship and rebuilding passed. In that time tensions grew between the Desert, Princemarch, and the "Merida", who were assassins hiding in Cunaxa. Rohan was captured by Ianthe and taken to Feruche, a Keep on Princemarch's border. Sioned tried to rescue him, but was also captured. Both were tortured during their imprisonment, though in different ways (Sioned was held in a lightless room and raped by various soldiers), and when they were finally released, Ianthe was carrying Rohan's child (he had been drugged and Ianthe would either pretend to be Sioned or torment him with tales of Sioned's torture}. Sioned and Rohan grew apart due to their imprisonment and a war erupted between the Desert and Princemarch. Once Rohan's child was born, Sioned returned to Feruche with Tobin, Rohan's sister, and Ostvel. She took the babe and destroyed both Ianthe and Feruche. Sioned claimed Rohan's child as her own and named him Pol after the stars. Then, while holding her new son, Sioned reached out to find Rohan; however, the distance was very great and there wasn't enough light... until Sioned discovered that she could weave the stars. She reached out to Rohan once again; he was duling Roelstra. Wanting to protect him, she crafted a dome of starlight around the two fighters to ensure a fair fight. Rohan won. He became the new High Prince and Sioned the High Princess; the new emblem of the High Prince was a dragon and with emerald ring. Rohan then made one of Roelstra's daughters, Pandsala, Reagent of Princemarch until Pol could claim the princedom for his own.

Sioned and Rohan soon mended the distance between them for they loved each other truly and deeply.

Fourteen years later, while Sunrunning, Sioned bumped into a dragon and was overwhelmed by colors. When she had recovered, she wished to attempt to communicate with the giant beauties. A young female dragon, Elisel, was intrigued by Sioned and the two formed a deep bond.

After years of stewing in their hatred, Ianthe's other two sons, Ruval and Marron, emerged and tried to claim Princemarch as their own. Before Pol fought either of them, Rohan revealed to Pol the truth about his parentage. At first Pol was outraged, but then he told Sioned that she would always be his real mother.

Dragon Star Trilogy

The Dragon Star Trilogy talks mainly about Pol and his years as ruler. Just as his father was tested as a prince before he became a High Prince, so will too Pol find himself tested here but against much more formidable enemies. Rohan's enemies were after all mere humans. Pol's enemies were, along with the Vellantims, the faceless and nameless sorcerers, who lay in hiding all these years waiting for the right time to come out in the open.

The trilogy also opens new facets of relations between Pol and Sionell, Pol and Andry, Andry and his family, Andry and Sioned. The Trilogy reveals the true heritage of the Sunrunners, the truth of Pol's heritage (he has both Diarmadhi as well as Faradhi abilities) and let's us have a sneak peek at the elusive Isulkis.

Many peace filled years passed, then without warning an army from across the sea attacked, claiming vengeance against the "diarmadhi", or sorcerers. The new foe, the "Vellant'im", were once under the harsh rule of the sorcerers and had awaited the day they were strong enough to seek their revenge. Sioned and Rohan were now sixty years old, but both rose to defend their homelands. Rohan died of a heart attack while defending Stronghold, his keep and the seat of the Desert. Sioned held him and mourned deeply, her grief setting the entirety of Stronghold ablaze. She also cut her hair and let it burn with him. A part of Sioned died with Rohan; she became harder, her ruthless streak becoming more and more evident. She aided Pol as best she could throughout the brutal war, and much ground was gained - or rather defended - with her strength at his side.

At the end of the year long war, Sioned saw peace restored to the Continent and her son Pol the High Prince of not only the Princedoms, but of the "faradh'im" and "diarmadh'im" as well. The lands were well and truly joined.

Overlooking the lands of her husband, Sioned wove herself into the starlight and joined her beloved Rohan as he whispered to her on the winds.

Sioned is also a very popular welsh name

Family Links

*Rohan: husband

*Pol: son (not by birth)
*Rislyn: pseudo-granddaughter
*Jihan: pseudo-granddaughter
*Meiglan: pseudo-daughter-in-law

*Davvi: brother
*Lords of River Run: brother's family

Elisel

"Elisel" is Sioned's dragon. In the Old Tongue Elisel means 'Little Wing.'

Sioned bumped into a dragon when Sunrunning and was overwhelmed with colors - like impacting with another Sunrunner, just much, much more powerful. Discovering that dragons may possess the same gifts as "faradhi", Sioned tried to approach a dragon consciously. She was again overrun with colors, emotions, and even images. Sioned passed out. Interestingly, the little, reddish she-dragon with gold underwings seemed concerned; she didn't fly away until Sioned awoke.

The next time she tried was after the "Rialla" of 719. The Desert delegation was moving slowly because Hollis was still recovering from an enforced "dranath" addiction. Along the way the party saw a group of dragons in a clearing. Rohan spoke of having a Keep built nearby for Pol - they were in Princemarch, but very close to the Desert border. Sioned decided to try and approach another dragon. She spread her colors out before her, and gently showed them to the dragons. A young female, Elisel, grew curious and approached. Once again Sioned was baraged with colors, feelings, and images, but they weren't as strong as the last time. She cautioned Elisel to be gentle; the young dragon was. Once her excitement was curbed, Sioned was able to decipher the images Elisel showed her. Sioned asked questions and tried to project the emotions she was feeling and what she was seeing over to Elisel. Sioned pulled Rohan to her side and sent feelings of love and happiness to the young dragon, then sent images from her memory of home and them caring for Pol as a child. Elisel understood. She grew excited again and sent images and feelings back to Sioned, images of her home and her family. The connection was made. Elisel and Sioned were bonded for the rest of their lives.