Nettle Farseer is the illegitimate daughter of FitzChivalry Farseer and Molly Chandler. She was raised away from Buckkeep by her mother and Burrich and grew up ignorant of her paternal heritage.
History[]
Nettle was conceived during the course of Fitz and Molly's relationship in Royal Assassin, but her conception was kept secret by her mother. Molly left Buckkeep before her pregnancy was known to Fitz and returned to Buckkeep Town. Some time during the pregnancy, Molly and the stablemaster Burrich became close, with Burrich assisting during Nettle's birth.
Burrich and Molly eventually fell in love and married. They had several more children together, with Burrich claiming paternity of Nettle as well.
Character[]
Nettle is stubborn, determined, and pragmatic. She resembles her mother and her maternal grandfather and has a low-pitched voice.
As a Farseer, Nettle possesses the Skill; unlike her father, she is not Witted. Growing up, Nettle experienced Skill-contact in her dreams with a mysterious presence she named Shadow Wolf, who is revealed to be Fitz. She is very powerful in the aspect of Skill dreams. She is able to contend with the dragon Tintaglia in Skill, who makes Icefyre rest his head on the hearth of the Narchessa, allowing the marriage of Dutiful and Elliania.
She deeply cares about her family and greatly admires Burrich, despite being the first of her siblings to openly argue with him. She has an interest in hawking and used to want to become a woman-at-arms in Buckkeep, to the dismay of her parents.
Events[]
The Tawny Man Trilogy[]
When Nettle comes in contact with Fitz through her Skill dreams, he hides his true identity from her, but she nevertheless discovers more than he wishes. She is unknowingly the subject of many a debate between Chade, who wishes her informed of her parentage and trained in the Skill, and Fitz, who wants his daughter to be left alone instead of being subject to Farseer machinations. Despite Fitz's objection, provisions for Nettle have already been made, including documents attesting to her true parentage and declaring her the heir to Withywoods, the estate of her grandparents Chivalry and Lady Patience.
When Thick struggles with seasickness on Dutiful's voyage to the Out Islands, Fitz begs Nettle for her help calming him. Nettle manages to soothe Thick by shaping his dreams into a comfortable, pleasant place. Dutiful senses Nettle's Skilling at one point and demands to know her identity. Fitz reluctantly reveals it, and Dutiful orders Nettle to be brought to Buckkeep Castle and trained in the Skill, as well as tutored in courtly manners.
Upon finding out that Fitz is her father, Nettle is at first offended and hurt and wants nothing to do with him. Nettle eventually comes to accept the inevitability of her changed life and makes her peace with Fitz, even accepting his renewed courtship with and eventual marriage to her mother. Nettle becomes the leader of Dutiful's new Skill coterie, which is named for her.
Fool's Assassin[]
Nettle, like Fitz, is concerned when an aging Molly declares herself pregnant, and similarly disbelieving when Molly gives birth to Bee. Nettle privately shares the opinion of many on Bee's fitness and likelihood of survival.
Nettle is concerned for her sister's welfare, believing that the slow-growing Bee is illiterate and incapable of speech. She admonishes Fitz for neglecting Bee after Molly's death and threatens to take Bee to Buckkeep Castle to be properly educated as a Farseer heir. She is surprised when Bee expresses a desire to stay with her father, but respects her wishes.
Nettle secretly marries the guardsman Riddle against the wishes of Kettricken, Dutiful, and Chade. Their wedding is witnessed by Hap Gladheart and Queen Elliania, who supports Nettle as a fully-blooded female member of the ruling house.
Fool's Quest[]
When Nettle reveals that she is pregnant, Elliania is ecstatic, certain that the baby will be female. She announces Nettle's pregnancy and Farseer heritage to the entire court at Winterfest.
Assassin's Fate[]
Nettle eventually gives birth to a daughter, whom Elliania names Hope.
When Nighteyes informs Bee that Fitz is dying in the Mountain quarry, Nettle insists on gathering her Skill-coterie to assist her father and bring Kettricken through the Skill-pillars; her directives are ignored by Kettricken, who journeys through the pillars with the Fool, Spark, Perseverance, Bee, and Lant instead. Nettle eventually joins them with her coterie members, and she assists in easing Fitz's pain.
Gallery[]
