Fainne

Fainne
Character Description
Name	Fainne
Age	16 (in Child of the Prophecy)
Gender	Female
Title	The Child of the Prophecy
Ethnicity	Erin, Briton, Fair Folk
Alias	Curly (by Darragh)
Physical Description
Skin colour	Pale
Hair Colour	Red
Eye Colour	Mulberry
Height	Average
Family
Mother	Niamh (II)
Father	Ciaran
Siblings	None
Children	Danny (II), Niamh (III)
Other relations	Colum (paternal grandfather/maternal great-grandfather) Lady Oonagh (paternal grandmother) Niamh (maternal great-grandmother) Hugh of Harrowfield (maternal grandfather) Sorcha (paternal aunt/maternal grandmother) Simon of Harrowfield (maternal great-uncle) Liam, Diarmid, Cormack, Conor, Finbar, Padriac (paternal uncles/maternal great-uncles) Conri (paternal uncle) Sean (paternal cousin/maternal uncle) Liadan (paternal cousin/maternal aunt) Aisha, Fernando, Carmen, Dolores, Luis, Juan (paternal cousins/maternal cousins once removed) Muirrin, Deirdre, Clodagh, Maeve, Sibeal, Eilis, Finbar, Johnny, Fintan, Cormack, Coll (paternal cousins once removed/maternal cousins) Emer, Oisin, Ronan, Firinne, unnamed boy, unnamed girl (paternal cousins twice removed/maternal cousins once removed)
Significant Other	Darragh (husband)
Affiliation
Residence	The Needle

Fainne is the main character of the third book of the Sevenwaters series, Child of the Prophecy. She is the daughter of Niamh and Ciarán, a couple that met in the second book, Son of the Shadows.

Biography

Early Life

When Fainne was still an infant her mother drowned after falling from the top of the Honeycomb. It was presumed that she committed suicide, as she'd been mentally disturbed. Because of this Fainne was raised solely by her father, Ciaran.     For most of her childhood, Fainne was raised in a strict druidic environment in an isolated cove in Kerry. Although Fainne did not know it, her father was preparing her so when the time came she would be able to stand watch in the Needle. Her father taught her as much as he could about the magic that she had inherited from him, so that she could control it. 

In Child of the Prophecy

Ciaran sends Fainne to Sevenwaters, to meet her relatives for the first time. Before she goes, he sends for Lady Oonagh to teach Fainne how to behave herself in such a household. Lady Oonagh has other plans. She commands Fainne to go to Sevenwaters and kill the Child of the Prophecy. When Fainne protests, the Lady Oonagh threatens to kill Ciaran if Fainne does not do what the Lady Oonagh wants. During her stay at Sevenwaters Fainne comes to care for the family there, but soon  realizes that anyone she befriends would be in danger. After Fainne is influenced to start a fire near the building where the druids are staying which seriously injures her ten-year-old cousin Maeve, she is guilt-ridden and is treated with suspicion because everyone knows she is a sorceress. When she goes to Inis Eala, where the men are preparing for the final battle for the Islands, she meets Finbar, her uncle, and with his help she realizes that she has the power to stand up to the Lady Oonagh, and that the necklace limits her magical abilities. Fainne travels as a bird to the Islands on the day of the battle. Eventually she defeats the Lady Oonagh and it is discovered that she is the Child of the Prophecy. She goes to the Needle to stand watch there for the rest of her life.

Afterwards

Fainne remains on the Islands for the rest of her life and is unable to leave. Darragh joins her there and they have two children, Danny and Niamh. 

Physical appearance

Fainne is small and slight, with pale skin and mulberry eyes framed by long red hair. She has a scar on her shoulder from when she was pecked by Fiacha as a child, thereby marking her as the child of the prophecy. One of her ankles is twisted and deformed due to the nature of her conceivement. 

Personality

Due to her isolated upbringing, Fainne is introverted and highly independent. She was raised to be studious and knowledgable, and thrives on having time to herself for intellectual pursuits and to cultivate her magic abilities. She is resistant to accepting help, preferring to solve problems on her own.

Fainne has trouble adjusting to living at Sevenwaters, which is teeming with relatives she's never met, and takes time to develop her social skills. She also develops a talent for manipulation, as she uses Eamonn's attraction to her as a tool for negotiation.

For a time, Fainne lives under the weight of lies told by her grandmother, Lady Oonagh, believing that her relatives betrayed her mother Niamh, which eventually led to her suicide. Her misconceptions and torn loyalties, along with the fear that they will persecute her for being a sorceress, makes Fainne cautious about trusting people.

Relationships

Ciaran

Despite Ciaran's solitary and stern personality, Fainne and Ciaran have a very close and loving father-daughter relationship. When Oonagh tells Fainne of her intentions of destroying the Fair Folk and the child of the prophecy, Fainne agrees to do as she wishes only because Oonagh is threatening Ciaran's life. 

Family Tree  

• Father: Ciaran
• Mother: Niamh
• Siblings: None
• Spouse: Darragh
• In-laws:
  • Mother-in-law: Peg Walker
  • Father-in-law: Dan Walker
  • Siblings-in-law:
• Children:
  • Danny
  • Niamh
• Grandchildren:
  • None as yet

Appearances

• Child of the Prophecy