(See also: Gaimraith (Disambiguation))
Species: Alshee
Younger daughter of Macha, one of the heroes of the Alshee, and first bearer of the Crown of Winter Frost (now defunct).
Khione and Gaimraith were called on to perform the Crown Ritual in conjunction with the Pact of the Elemental Courts.
Something went wrong during the ritual and Gáel Asai (the spear) was turned too far toward Lia Vail (the stone). While this could have been either a mistake or deliberate, based on later actions, we would generally not be surprised if she did this on purpose.
Update: we know she did this on purpose, as guided by Kalloch. - Belladonna
In the last days of the wars between the Fey and the Primordials, Gaimraith and Khione argued over Khione’s friendships with Auberon and Maeve and leniency towards Sorl Puck. This culminated in Gaimraith assassinating Khione and using the four treasures to steal half the power of the Crown of Winter’s Grace, in an attempt to consolidate the power of the Winter Court into something that she could control. She was given the title of Blood Queen at that time, although the origins of the name are unclear.
Update: We know that she chose the moniker “Blood Queen” after she assassinated Khione and “let her blood run over the floor.” From “Tale of First Spring” - Belladonna
Gaimraith chose Khione’s disciple Sios as the new Winter Heir, although at this time Sios didn’t know what had happened to Khione, and the Winter Court was forbidden to speak of the ‘Forsaken Queen.’
While hunting the Primordials, Gaimraith came across Endermor and became fascinated with it. She thought the elves would be far better hosts for the Fey than their current, shorter-lived hosts. Per Priestess Kalloch’s suggestion, she made a pact with Princess Anzu Dawnsinger to join the Fey and the elves of Endermor as a symbiotic host relationship in exchange for Gaimraith’s assistance in Anzu’s quest to save the world. Anzu bargained for the pact to be open to all Fey, regardless of Court affiliation. Gaimraith grudgingly accepted.
All seemed well until Anzu, who had bonded with Sios, and Frey, who had bonded with Maeve, discovered what had really happened to Khione. Horrified, they confronted the Blood Queen and were soundly defeated. She seized control of the Crown of Winter Grace and prevented Anzu and Sios from being able to move at all while she tried to kill Frey and Maeve.
The Blood Queen took the Crown of Autumn Air, but Frey’s familiar bit her hand off before she could kill Frey. Sios pled her loyalty in order to spare Anzu, and the Blood Queen sundered their bond and banished Anzu from the Dreaming. At some point, she also killed Sios and sought a new, more compliant Maiden to take the Crown of Winter Grace.
Gaimraith reforged Maeve’s Crown of Autumn Air to serve Winter and gave it to Priestess Kalloch. Together they unleashed a curse on Frey and also on the Autumn Court, turning them into the Blind Fey.
With three Crowns, Winter was too strong for any of the other Courts to confront on their own. Although Summer acquired a third Crown from Auberon, Fergus eventually convinced Titania to make peace with Winter instead.
To escape the seasonal madness, she brought the Winter Court into the Underworld, taking the Crown thereof and binding it to the Crowns of Winter, creating the Dark Fey.
The red crystals in the Crown of Winter Frost are hers. She has exerted an unclear level of influence over various wearers of the Crown of the Winter Monarch, to the point that others have also been known as the ‘Blood Queen.’
Most recently she has exerted increasing degrees of influence up to and including a full possession of King Jocham after a ritual that was intended to communicate with her to ask about the Mantlemourne Primordials. We needed a Wisp present to stabilize the ritual but did not realize until it was too late.
These days, she is in full control most if not all of the time. Extreme caution should be taken if the Winter King is sighted and it is very important to pretend that you think that it’s still him in control. (Doesn’t seem that important anymore, Dunc)
When Cassius confronted her, she pulled on his old oath to Persephone1) to curse him to “protect the Winter Heir,” but it is unknown what her final goal in this was or who the Winter Heir is. Our current best guess is either Katria as the wearer of the Crown of Winter’s Grace, although her proper title is Winter Princess, or Nemiriel as Anzu’s heir and the Starweaver twin born with ice magic.
It is unknown if she retains the ability to control the wearer of the Crown of Winter’s Grace. The Blood Queen attempted to do so during the ritual to force Katria to free her, but either this power has faded or the ritual temporarily protected Katria from her influence. (She has some control now, as she has used the Winter’s Grace to kidnap Princesses Nemiriel and Katria).
The Blood Queen was vanquished in the Crownroads by the Dreamwalkers in order to end her attempted coup on Croithir.