Aethlin Sollys is High King of the Divided Courts of Faerie on the continent of North America, and Quentin Sollys's father. He first appears in Full of Briars.
About[]
Aethlin is the husband of High Queen Maida Sollys and father of Quentin Sollys. He has a friendly, if somewhat prickly, relationship with October Daye, to whom Quentin is squired. He sent Quentin to the Duchy of Shadowed Hills as a child to be fostered anonymously by the Torquills, who together with Toby protect Quentin from potential enemies and train him to one day succeed his father as High King. Aethlin and Maida live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where their ruling seat is located.
Aethlin has authority over all of the Kings, Queens and nobles of his continent, and serves as judge when any of them commit a crime against the kingdom or Faerie.
According to the Luidaeg, he is "child of a child three times removed from [Oberon]."
Biography[]
As a young man, Aethlin fostered among the nobles of the Westlands to learn how to be a just ruler. During that time he met Maida, who was the daughter of a local noble. They fell in love and, under his parents' condition, Maida used a hope chest to remove her human heritage so the two could get married.[2]
When King Gilad died, Aethlin and Maida supported the Queen of the Mists as the new ruler without properly confirming her legitimacy.[3]
They were influenced by Evening Winterrose to send their children into blind fosterage, specifically sending Quentin to Shadowed Hills in the Kingdom of the Mists.[4] Quentin writes to them regularly, though he tones down the danger of his adventures in his letters.[2]
In the Series[]
Late Eclipses[]
Sylvester and Quentin convince Aethlin to pardon Toby for the crime of killing Blind Michael, which the Queen in the Mists wishes to kill her for.
One Salt Sea[]
Aethlin and Maida approve of Toby as Quentin's knight-master.
Full of Briars[]
After personally and publicly confirming Arden Windermere as the rightful Queen in the Mists, Aethlin and Maida visit with Quentin, Toby, and their family. They consider bringing Quentin home for his own safety but are convinced to let him continue his training under Toby.
Once Broken Faith[]
Aethlin and Maida preside over the conference of rulers held in the Kingdom of the Mists to determine whether to allow the use and spread of the cure for elf-shot invented by Walther Davies. He catches Toby, Walther and Arden in the act of using a loophole in his orders in awakening Madden. Although he stops Nolan from being awakened, Toby reminds him that their plight was a result of his failure in not validating the False Queen's claim to the Mists. He clarifies the orders, and forces Toby to attend the conclave.
After the conclave, he realises that Toby - while having no lust for power - had the qualities of a kingbreaker after her actions in killing Blind Michael, deposing pretenders to the thrones of the Mists and Silences, Evening being elf-shot and witnessing the deaths of Highmountain's monarchy. In an effort to ensure her loyalty, he discusses her fate with Sylvester and Arden, who defend Toby's absolute avoidance of gaining power. They offer to host Toby and Tybalt's wedding in their knowe back at Toronto as a show of good faith.
When Sorrows Come[]
Aethlin and Maida host Toby's wedding at the High Court in Toronto. During their welcome feast, a Doppelganger disguised as Aethlin's seneschal Nessa attempts to assassinate him. Toby stops the assassination but recommends they check that all the other staff are as they appear.
Their party goes to investigate Nessa's rooms. One of the guards is killed by a trap on the doorknob. When Toby takes too long picking the room's locks, Aethlin has his Candela guard teleport in. Toby scolds him, pointing out that she has two Cait Sidhe present who could have done the same anytime. They open the door to find the Candela incapacitated by and elf-shot trap in the room.
Against Maida's judgement, Aethlin decides to personally interview his staff in his office. He is struck by a contact poison on the surface of his desk. Toby feeds him her blood, trusting his Daoine Sidhe bloodworking to absorbe her her healing Dóchas Sidhe abilities. It works, but when Aethlin awakens he briefly thinks he is Toby herself. He is enraged to realize that Quentin has been with the wedding party, disguised, all along. Heedless of onlookers, Aethlin demands to see his son.
Aethlin, Maida, Toby, Tybalt, and Quentin gather. Aethlin rants about Quentin's irresponsibility, but Quentin swears at him in human slang. They argue, Aethlin furious at Quentin's disrespect and Quentin finally letting loose his frustration at a decade of feeling abandoned by his parents. Afterward, Aethlin wonders if his son hates him and Toby assures him that Quentin is hurt, and an emotional teenager, but still loves him.
Aethlin's guards hurry him to a more secure location, and Toby's party continues investigating.
And With Reveling[]
After the plot is solved, at the wedding reception, Aethlin gives Toby and Tybalt one of their seven blessings.
Relationships[]
Maida Sollys[]
Aethlin met his wife when he was a prince, touring his kingdom so that one day he would be better prepared to rule it. She was a changeling herself, and when they fell in love Aethlin's parents demanded she use a hope chest to become pureblood before they married.[5]
During Toby's visit to the High Court, she begins to suspect that Maida would have very little standing in the Westlands should Aethlin die. As Queen Consort, she likely wouldn't be able to hold the throne on her own.[6]
Quentin Sollys[]
For some time after being sent into fosterage, Quentin is confused and resentful of his parents, feeling like they didn't want him around. He now understands that they were influenced by Evening Winterrose. Quentin closely resembles his father, especially sharing his metallic bronze hair, and fears that being seen in the same vicinity as Aethlin will lead his parentage to be discovered.
When Quentin sees his parents again for Toby's wedding, he unleashes a decade's worth of hurt and loneliness. He yells at his parents for sending him into blind fosterage; allowing him to believe he'd was being punished to be sent to a backwater, broken Duchy; separating him from Penthea, who was his only true friend; and for being absentee parents even when he had been living at the High Court. Aethlin fears that Quentin truly hates him, but Toby assures him that it was just pent-up emotions.[6]
Penthea Sollys[]
Penthea is Aethlin and Maida's daughter who was sent off into blind fosterage when she was twelve years old. Quentin talks about how the two of them were raised more by nursemaids than their parents while at home, but it is unclear how Penthea feels about her parents now.
October Daye and Raj[]
Aethlin allows both Toby and Raj a level of casualness that few could get away with. Toby jokingly threatens to depose him, and his only reaction is that she shouldn't say such things in front of his guard lest she be taken seriously. Likewise, Raj lives up to the Cait Sidhe by showing utter disdain for the High King of the Divided Courts.
Quotes[]
"Sometimes, getting away long enough to hit the Timmy’s for donuts is the hardest part of my week." - Aethlin[2]