Marcia is the current seneschal of the County of Goldengreen, swearing fealty to Dean Lorden. She was formerly the ticket-taker of the Tea Gardens and swore to Lily.
About[]
Marcia is a thin-blooded changeling of unknown ancestry. She requires fairy ointment in order to see the world of Faerie.[2] She originally worked for Lily, who took her in when most of Faerie wouldn't due to her blood status. She is currently seneschal of Goldengreen, where she manages the household and helps with baking and other tasks. She also has a curious tendency to escape powerful enchantments, and for those around her to dismiss this as unimportant.
Toby describes her as "unfailingly kind."[3]
She was born in 1983 but teasingly calls herself Toby’s “elder” when Toby is transformed into a child’s body.[4]</nowiki></ref>
In the Series[]
Rosemary and Rue[]
Marcia is the ticket-taker for the Tea Gardens, under Lily's protection. Toby easily puts an illusion spell on her, making her believe mushrooms are the right fare for re-entry. [5]
A Local Habitation[]
At Toby's request, Marcia contacts Tybalt and later Shadowed Hills, to send help to ALH Computing.
An Artificial Night[]
When Toby brings the rescued children to the Tea Gardens, Marcia recognizes that Toby and May are glamoured even though she can't see past the spell. During an encounter with Marcia in Chapter 22, Toby states, "You were born in nineteen eighty-three."
Late Eclipses[]
Marcia is distressed when Lily grows ill. She is touched by Toby's dedication to saving Lily, especially after the Tea Gardens held Toby prisoner for so long. When Lily dies, Toby moves Marcia and the rest of Toby's people to Goldengreen for safekeeping. Later, Marcia gives Toby first aid.
One Salt Sea[]
Toby promotes Marcia to seneschal of Goldengreen. Marcia gives Toby information about Dugan and notes that Gillian may suffer long-term repercussions from her ordeal. When Dean Lorden takes over the County, he keeps Marcia's position.
Chimes at Midnight[]
Marcia greets Toby, Arden, and Tybalt when they bring Arden to Goldengreen.
The Winter Long[]
When Evening takes over Goldengreen, Marcia and Toby are the only ones not paralyzed by her glamour.[6]
Night and Silence[]
When Toby visits Goldengreen, she finds Marcia baking bread in the kitchen. She feeds Toby and confirms that it would be a bad idea for any thin-blood to learn fae-repelling tricks, lest they become a bigger target for the prejudices against thin-bloods and merlins. She says that she has brought "half" of San Francisco's thin-blooded changelings to Goldengreen for their safety.[7]
The Unkindest Tide[]
Marcia joins the envoy to the Duchy of Ships to serve Dean. The transition into the Summerlands doesn't seem to affect Marcia at all, even though it is worse the more human someone is.[8] When Dean meets his Firstborn and faints, Marcia buys a tincture from the locals to revive him, and jokes about him and Quentin rooming together.[9]
After the selkie Isla is killed, Marcia offers to make a tincture to preserve her pelt.[10] When Torin's guards attack Toby and her friends, Marcia steps away from the conflict.[11]
The Luidaeg asks, "Weren't you tempted?", but Marcia responds, "No. I have other paths to walk, and other roads to run. I can't do them wrapped in a sealskin that isn't mine.".[10]
A Killing Frost[]
Marcia makes a token protest when Toby comes to Goldengreen to interrupt Dean and Quentin's date.[3] Later when Simon attacks Goldengreen, Marcia is the only one who escapes being turned into a tree.[12] Although severely traumatised and unwilling to forgive Simon for his actions under Evening's bindings, Marcia allows him in only because he's technically Toby's prisoner.
Trivia[]
The online fan community has noticed increasingly peculiar details about Marcia, leading many to believe she is a more powerful fae in disguise or other missing character. This theory became especially popular after another minor character's true identity was revealed.
- Even with her enhanced Dóchas Sidhe abilities, Toby has never identified Marcia's magic signature or heritage. Nor has this absence of identification ever bothered Toby.
- Marcia reacts strongly to seeing Arden for the first time, growing pale and looking like she’s going to pass out. Arden disappeared over a century prior.[13]
- Marcia has avoided or broken multiple powerful spells cast on her.
- When Evening Winterrose attempts to reclaim Goldengreen, Marcia and Toby are the only ones to escape her control.[6]
- She was able to escape being turned into a tree by Simon. It is unclear how.[12]
- The transition into the Summerlands doesn't seem to affect Marcia at all, even though it is worse the more human someone is.[8][14]
- The Firstborn Amphitrite seems to recognize her, though Marcia insists she is a simple changeling.[8]
- The Luidaeg offers Marcia one of the Selkie pelts, but Marcia says, "No, it's another ballad for me. I won't sing the song of the sea, not right now, not today."[15]
- Marcia seems to know the history of the Selkie pelt, including that the Roane it came from was male ("'I'm sorry for the woman who died, and for the people who died before her, all the way back to the boy who died to make the skin in the first place'"), before the Luidaeg tells the story of the pelt immediately after ("'His name was Beathan,' she said. 'He was my grandson[…]'").[15] No one, including the Luidaeg, comments on Marcia knowing the history of the pelt all the way back to Beathan.
References[]
- ↑ An Artificial Night Ch 22
- ↑ Rosemary and Rue, ch. 25
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Killing Frost Ch. 5
- ↑ An Artificial Night Ch. 22<nowiki>
- ↑ Rosemary and Rue, ch. 14
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Winter Long Ch. 13
- ↑ Night and Silence Ch. 14
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Unkindest Tide Ch. 5
- ↑ The Unkindest Tide Ch 7
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Unkindest Tide Ch 17
- ↑ The Unkindest Tide Ch 19-20
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 A Killing Frost Ch 15
- ↑ Chimes at Midnight Ch 10
- ↑ Chimes at Midnight Ch 18
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Unkindest Tide Ch. 24