Rajiv, called Raj, is the Cait Sidhe Prince of the Court of Dreaming Cats in San Francisco, California. He is the adopted nephew Tybalt and heir apparent to his throne. He is the son of Samson[2] and Kamini. He is best friend to Quentin Sollys, unofficial squire to October Daye, and boyfriend to Helen. He is named for his mother's father.[3]
Raj first appears in An Artificial Night.
About[]
Appearance[]
Raj is an Abyssinian cat, and he has the characteristic russet-red hair in his bipedal form as well. Over the years he has grown from a gawky kitten/pre-teen to a tall and confident Prince of Cats. He has glass green eyes.[4]
Raj is very tactile with those he trusts, namely his teenage friends and his uncle. Raj regularly lays in their laps or sleeps on top of them - and not always in feline form.
Personality[]
Raj is proud and stubborn, partly due to his upbringing by his father Samson, who taught him that he must always be strong and could not cry or show weakness. Despite this, he has a softer side that is sometimes shown in the presence of his friends. He is rational and knows his duty to his people, and he is fiercely loyal to those that he considers his.
He is a natural leader: even in Blind Michael's lands, he easily directed the other children to work together and escape with Toby.
As he grows up, he becomes an expert at the disdainful, standoffish feline behaviors characteristic of his race. He sasses High King Aethlin multiple times, and Aethlin takes it in stride as an inevitable Cait behavior. As Raj grows closer to taking the throne, he also pushes more boundaries with Toby when she gives him orders. However, he understands time and place and follows directions when he knows it's in everyone's best interest.[5]
He enjoys romantic comedies.[6]
Abilities[]
Like all of his race, he can change into a cat and back to human form at will, and possesses all of a cat's abilities and heightened senses in both forms. He can smell the scent of somebody's magic, although not as well as October does.[3] He is getting better at taking passengers through the Shadow Roads, but is still limited to one person on short trips.[5]
He is able to resist some illusion-based magic, such as Bucer O’Malley's persuasion powers.[7]
He has good reflexes, and Quentin says he could be a competitive videogamer if he didn't have to take the throne soon.[8] Toby taught him and Quentin how to use lockpicks.[9]
Biography[]
Raj is the first Royal Cait Sidhe to be born in Tybalt's Court in 60 years,[10] and he is considered very precious for this reason. When he was presented to Tybalt by his parents, Tybalt had a choice between adopting him as a nephew and letting his parents raise him, or driving them away and adopting Raj as his son, as his own father had done. Tybalt chose the former.[11]
In the Series[]
An Artificial Night[]
Several children from Tybalt's Court missing, including his fourteen-year-old Prince, and Tybalt asks Toby investigate to repay her debt to him. In Blind Michael's lands, Toby comes across the young Cait Sidhe Prince running from the Wild Hunt's Riders with a Hob girl. Toby doesn't make a very good first impression: as she tries to explain that she was turned into her current nine-year-old form by the Luidaeg, Raj thinks she must be insane or trying to lure him into a trap, and runs away, but they meet again among the trees. Raj is captured by the Riders soon after, and Toby tracks him down with the help of Quentin. The two boys ask her lieutenants as they lead the rest of the children, including Helen, home and away from the danger. Raj is shown caring about Helen, already claiming her as one of his people.
After an eventful car chase, Toby drops the Cait Sidhe kids off at Tybalt's Court. Raj is greeted by his parents, but it's not long before Toby is attacked by Julie, who is still angry about Ross's death. Raj enters the fight to defend Toby, and they are eventually broken up by Tybalt. When Toby asks Tybalt not to hurt Julie, Raj takes her side, saying that he trusts her. After the book's events, Raj starts visiting Toby regularly, and once he even brings Helen with him.
Late Eclipses[]
Fifteen-year-old Raj is sent by Tybalt to bring Toby a sample of the poisoned meat that killed several of their Court and made even more sick. When Toby asks about his parents, Raj breaks down crying, and tells her that his mother - who couldn't hunt for herself because she broke her leg recently - didn't survive the poisoning.
Later, when Toby is sick with iron poisoning, Raj is the one who finds her awake when he tries to deliver her the next batch of Walther's counter-poison. He embraces Toby, and even purrs, even though Toby comments that doing so in public is not appreciated by most Cait Sidhe. He also appears at Toby's trial before the Queen of the Mists, holding Helen's hand.
One Salt Sea[]
Raj accompanies Tybalt to Toby's place to offer her an alliance in the war between the Undersea and the Kingdom of the Mists. While Toby changes her clothes, Raj teaches Tybalt how to make coffee, with questionable results. Raj and Quentin both accompany Toby to Bucer O’Malley, and Raj is incredibly enthusiastic about the idea of Toby beating him up. He is aware of Bucer's attempts to use his magic on them and is visibly disgusted at the sight of him trying to persuade them.
Ashes of Honor[]
At the beginning of the book, Tybalt finds Toby because Quentin complained to sixteen-year-old Raj that she was getting in danger, and Raj immediately let Tybalt know. Not much later, Tybalt finds Toby again because Raj is missing - he has been accidentally caught up in one of the portals Chelsea Ames opened while running from her captors. Tybalt and Toby track him all the way to Annwn, and when they return to their Court of Cats, Samson strikes Raj. Raj stands up for himself, telling Samson that he is a Prince of Cats, and he can beat Samson easily.
Raj finds Toby and Tybalt again in Tamed Lightning, with a gun in his hand, saying he is there to kill Tybalt. Tybalt pushes the gun down and reasons with Raj, and he admits that he knew he was going to lose the fight, but he came anyway because his father told him that Toby was already dead, and Tybalt was dying. Samson wanted Raj to kill Tybalt while he was weak, and claim his throne. Tybalt gives Raj a difficult choice between fleeing with his father or refuting him and standing by Tybalt, and Raj chooses to stay, although he says he will not help Tybalt kill his father.
Chimes at Midnight[]
While Toby and her allies are off hunting goblin fruit, Raj and Quentin are at Toby's house watching horror movies. Later, Quentin tells Toby that Raj and Helen are fighting "again".[12] For the rest of the book, Raj mostly plays taxi service to Quentin.
Full of Briars[]
Quentin calls Raj his brother, and mentions that Raj had known who he was for far longer than anyone else did. Raj is unafraid of offending the High King, and starts by calling him out, then immediately puts his feet in Quentin's lap and steals a roll of bread from his plate to claim Quentin as his, right in front of his parents.
The Winter Long[]
Raj appears after Toby was rescued from the ocean by Dianda Lorden, when she still thinks that Tybalt and Quentin both drowned. They have a confusing conversation where Raj is trying to take Toby to the Court of Cats, and Toby is refusing to go because she thinks it would be for Raj's coronation or Tybalt's funeral. Raj is clearly upset, both by thinking Toby was dead, and by seeing Tybalt and Quentin both fall apart. Right after, it is Raj's comment about living in a fairy tale that helps Toby realize who Evening really is.
Raj meets Chelsea for the first time while she is watching ReGenesis, and Raj comments that Ellen Page is "extremely attractive for a human". The boys then play videogames with Chelsea while the adults deal with Evening in the knowe.
A Red-Rose Chain[]
Tybalt acknowledges that he doesn't dare leave seventeen-year-old Raj in charge of his Court while he follows Toby to the Kingdom of Silences. Raj is not ready, and handing the power back to Tybalt upon his return would be seen as weakness.
Once Broken Faith[]
The book opens with the sleepover at Toby's place that Raj attends, along with Quentin, Karen, Chelsea and Dean. Quentin and Raj are arguing about what movie to watch, and getting quite competitive over opening the door. Raj blushes at the sight of Chelsea and stands up straight to look taller.
Raj attends the conclave about the elfshot with Tybalt, wearing jeans and a Delta Rae T-shirt. Toby comments that they are being disrespectful on purpose to play to the expectations of their audience. Thankfully, Raj gets out of the conclave before it is closed and everyone is stuck in the knowe.
The Brightest Fell[]
When Toby returns from her bachelorette party, Raj is sleeping on the couch with his head in Tybalt's lap, and he's unwilling to move even when Tybalt tries to tell him to get up. He finally gets up when Tybalt pulls Toby into his lap and on top of Raj. After Tybalt and Jazz are taken by Amandine, Raj is sent to Walther to get the elfshot cure to wake Simon. Although he wants to join Toby on her quest, Toby convinces him that with his Uncle gone, he must go back to Court and protect it against anyone who might want to use the opportunity.
Night and Silence[]
After Amandine's betrayal, Toby and Tybalt are barely talking, which makes Raj and Quentin both worry for them. Raj sleeps on top of Quentin, and Toby has to make him move to wake her squire. Raj doesn't shift back to bipedal form, and Toby figures out it's because he's avoiding talking to her or being questioned about Tybalt. Later, at Toby's request, Raj goes to get Shade and bring her to the Mysterious House in Berkeley. When Tybalt shows up, he mentions that Raj threw his phone at his head and told him to stop acting like a coward and talk to October.
The Unkindest Tide[]
May mentions that "they" (presumably Tybalt and Ginevra) are working eighteen-year-old Raj to the bone, so he's happy to have one night off. He is also present when the Luidaeg tells the boys the story of the Roane, but he doesn't accompany his family to the Duchy of Ships.
Hope is Swift[]
Raj learns from Cal, a young Cait Sidhe, that Toby and the others set sail to the Duchy of Ships. After musing about his relationship to Cal, Tybalt and to Helen, he goes to Ginevra, the new regent of his Court. He helps Ginevra shift her ears back to humanoid ears, because she is powerful but not trained well enough yet. When Raj goes to visit Helen, Cal is ordered by Ginevra to follow him. Helen and Raj share a romantic evening, and on his way back home, Raj is hit by a car he was saving Cal from. He wakes up at a human vet's office, and Helen shows up with her father and Cal to collect him. Ginerva reminds him while he's recuperating that he is worthy of the throne, as he had saved Cal from what could've been a fatal accident.
A Killing Frost[]
Raj appears briefly to call out Amandine's hypocrisy at her divorce proceedings in Muir Woods, despite purebloods viewing affairs with humans as insufficient as an affair. Toby notes that he sleeps with Quentin, in cat form, more nights that not.
When Sorrows Come / And With Reveling[]
Nineteen-year-old Raj visits the High Court with his loved ones for Toby and Tybalt's wedding. He acts as Toby's unofficial squire throughout their adventure, providing lock picks when she requests them and rescuing Toby from being stranded on the Shadow Roads.
At the wedding reception, he tells Tybalt and Toby that he is meant to give them one of their seven blessings, but he doesn't feel like it at the moment.
The Innocent Sleep[]
Raj and Ginevra are in crisis mode trying to care for the Court of Dreaming Cats under Titania's Faerie. When Tybalt and Ginevra are both thrown in Sylvester's dungeon, Raj helps rescue them. Then when Tybalt and Ginevra go off to convince Toby to break the illusion, Raj returns to looking after his subjects.
Relationships[]
Tybalt[]
Tybalt is Raj's adopted uncle and primary parental figure after the death of both Raj's parents. Tybalt adopts Raj and raises him as his heir to the Court of Dreaming Cats. Tybalt remembers what his own abusive adoptive father was like and strives to do better with Raj. The two have a fairly tactile relationship as befitting Cait Sidhe: Raj can be found sleeping on Tybalt's lap during movies, and Tybalt is physically affectionate with him in private.
After Tybalt's relationship with Toby becomes serious, he is more intentional about turning his royal duties over to Raj. He arranges for Ginevra to act as Raj's regent and has functionally ceded the throne to Raj.
Quentin Sollys[]
Quentin is Raj's best friend. The two of them spend a lot of time together, and Raj often shares his room, or hangs out on his shoulder in cat-form. Raj and Quentin often flirt with one another; however, due to their positions as both a Prince of Cats and Crown Prince of the Westlands High Throne, they can't be together and instead choose to remain best friends. Quentin and Raj are comfortable enough to sleep in the same bed, Raj typically in feline form. The two are practically inseparable, and they understand how rare this is for two Princes of opposing courts.
October Daye[]
Toby is Raj's unofficial knight - unofficial only because it would be a conflict of interest to integrate Raj into the hierarchy of the Divided Courts. She is also functionally a surrogate mother, both in her role as knight and as Tybalt's fiancé. Toby likes to joke he practically lives at her house. Raj's loyalty to Toby is great that he willingly tears into Tybalt for abandoning Toby when Gillian had been kidnapped.
Samson[]
Samson, Raj's biological father, was killed after attempting a coup on Tybalt's life in order to put Raj on the throne ahead of schedule. There was a lot of tension between Samson and Raj, because Samson always expected him to be strong. Raj is unaware that Samson despised him for being born a Prince of Cats. Raj blames him at least partly for his mother's death.
Helen[]
Helen is Raj's girlfriend. They met when they were both kidnapped by Blind Michael. Although Raj likes Helen, he knows that he will eventually have to break up with her for his Court, the same way Tybalt has to set his crown aside when marrying Toby. They have broken up several times before, but they always got back together. Raj is well aware that Helen's mental health has been declining ever since their mutual abductions, and Raj convinced Helen to get the help she needs.[13]
Cal[]
Cal is one of Raj's subjects, and while Raj insists that they cannot be friends because of their difference in position, Cal doesn't seem very convinced of this fact.[14]
Chelsea Ames[]
Chelsea and Raj are friends who play videogames together. There have also been some indication that Raj has a crush on her.[15]
Ginevra[]
Ginevra is the daughter of Jolgeir, a Princes of Cats, and the sitting regent for the Court of Dreaming Cats after Tybalt's kidnapping. Although she technically outranks Raj, the two of them both have a lot to teach each other and learn together.
Quotes[]
- “My father says Uncle Tybalt’s friend October is an adult.” He paused. “And a hussy.”[16]
- “Raj did something to the coffee machine. It’s making foam, and Walther won’t stop laughing. You should come take a look.” - May[17]
- “I’ve been able to beat you for a long time. You know that too, or you wouldn’t be goading me. I love you, Father. I don’t like you very much. I think maybe you shouldn’t come around me for a little while.”[11]
Trivia[]
Word of God[]
- Regarding video games: "Officially, Raj does not play [Overwatch]. Unofficially, there’s a reason that every time TinyTiger72 comes on, the team acquires an incredible Sombra and an air of plausible deniability."[18]
- If Toby and friends were to play Dungeons and Dragons, "Raj would play a Tabaxi barbarian or a Tabaxi monk to get that dex boost just to fuck with everybody else at the table. Like, no, I do get to attack seventeen times a turn, and my bonus means that even when I role a two, my initiative is higher than yours. Toodles!"
- Raj does not have a phone.[19]
References[]
- ↑ And With Reveling
- ↑ An Artificial Night, Chapter 21
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hope is Swift
- ↑ One Salt Sea, Chapter 24
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 When Sorrows Come
- ↑ Once Broken Faith Ch 12
- ↑ Late Eclipses
- ↑ The Unkindest Tide
- ↑ When Sorrows Come
- ↑ An Artificial Night, Ch. 4
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ashes of Honor
- ↑ Chimes at Midnight, ch. 2.
- ↑ Hope is Swift
- ↑ Hope is Swift
- ↑ Once Broken Faith ch. 1
- ↑ An Artificial Night, ch. 10.
- ↑ One Salt Sea, ch. 17.
- ↑ Tumblr: Overwatch
- ↑ Tumblr: Pokemon Go