Dovasary Balitang

Dovasary Balitang
Titles
Primary Title	Queen of the Copper Isles
Biographical Information
Nickname	Dove
Born	Winter/Spring 450 HE
Race	half raka, half luarin
Nationality	Copper Islander, Kyprish
Physical Description
Gender	Female
Height	Small
Hair	Brown/black
Eyes	Brown
Family Information
Ancestors	the Haiming Dynasty, the Temaida family, the Rittevon family, the Balitang family
Parents	Mequen Balitang † (father, deceased), Sarugani Temaida † (mother, deceased), Winnamine Balitang (adoptive mother)
Siblings	Saraiyu Balitang (sister), Petranne Balitang (half-sister), Elsren Balitang † (half-brother, deceased)
Descendants	Presumably the rulers of the Copper Isles
Other Family	Mequen Hetnim (nephew)
Affilliation
Rank	Noble, royal
Occupation	Ruler of a country
Affiliation	The raka conspiracy, the luarin conspiracy, Kyprioth
Bibliographical Information
Universe	Tortallan Universe Universe character

Dovasary Haiming Temaida Balitang, nicknamed Dove, is the Queen of the Copper Isles. She succeeded Rubinyan Jimajen and Imajane Rittevon as reigning monarch in 463 HE after the raka rebellion was successful, thus fulfilling Kyprioth's prophecy of a twice-royal queen with the luarin Rittevon blood, and the raka Haiming blood. Her parents were the late Mequen Balitang, a Rittevon duke, and the late Sarugani Temaida, a descendent of the Haiming family, thus making her belong to both royal lines. She is the sister of Saraiyu Hetnim, Petranne Balitang, and the late Elsren Balitang. She is an aunt of Mequen Hetnim and stepdaughter of Duchess Winnamine.

Biography

Early life

Dove was born in the beginning of 450 HE as the second daughter of Mequen Balitang and Sarugani Balitang, former Temaida. Sarugani died years later in a riding accident when Dove would have been approximately four or five years old. Mequen would later remarry Winnamine Fonfala. In Rajmuat, Dove exploited her stepmother's desire for acceptance by sneaking out of the Balitang household and into the city. Around the time the Balitangs were exiled to Tanair, Winnamine was debating whether or not to put a stop to it.

Exile by the Rittevon King

Shortly after Aly was sold to the Balitang family, King Oron began to have unsettling thoughts of the family, driven by his paranoia. Oron invited them to prove their loyalty with expensive offerings. He later decided that he would feel far more at ease if the Balitangs temporarily vacated Rajmuat. This, as well as their depleted coffers from the gifts, drove Drove and her family to Tanair, Sarugani's dowry.

On Tanair, Dove took to listening at keyholes, eavesdropping on conversations held by her parents, and probably others as well. She occasionally visited with Aly as the other girl tended her goat herd, having taken to reading there to avoid her hotheaded sister and Prince Bronau, an arrogant luarin prince.

Towards the end of the stay at Tanair, Dove and her family are confined to one room during a battle not dissimilar to a siege, in which Bronau attempted to force Sarai's hand in marriage in a play for the throne of the Copper Isles. A skirmish that led to the death of Mequen Balitang occurred. Dove, as well as the rest of her family, was in a state of mourning, but Dove still kept her head in light of the circumstances.

Rubinyan Jimajen, Bronau's older brother, visited them at Tanair. He and his wife, Princess Imajane were then regents to Dunevon Rittevon, the new boy king of the Isles. He apologized to Winnamine Balitang for his brother's actions and said he was sorry for the death of Mequen, as they had been close friends. Aly could see he wasn't lying, and that he was actually mourning for the Duke. He invited the Balitang family back to Rajmuat, and Winnamine said that they would arrive in due time, but that she also needed time to grieve. Rubinyan understood, and left.

Dove and her family did meet Aly's father. He had tracked Aly from Rajmuat to Tanair, disguising himself as a slave trader. He offered to buy her, and Winnamine saw through him after a while.

Return to Rajmuat

Back in Rajmuat, the Balitangs were forced out of mourning by a royal decree, and Dove's Great Aunt Nuritin Balitang arriving in a flurry of guards and servants.

While the family settled back into their former life, Dove was introduced to the conspiracy to fulfill a prophecy by putting Sarai on the throne. She visited with her old friends—merchants, beggars, fishermen, glassblowers, pottery-makers, etc. She carefully observed the nobles around her even as she played chess and discussed philosophy and astronomy with some of the greatest minds in the Copper Isles. Despite her watchful eye, she was as surprised as everyone when Sarai eloped with Zaimid Hetnim, one of Emperor Kaddar's most trusted healers and friends.

Post-elopement, Dove won over the conspiracy group while the god Kyprioth kept Aly for three days, reminding them that Sarai wasn't the only twice-royal, and proving both her political prowess and practicality as she kept up with Aly's spy work in her absence. As the regents, even though they were greatly offended that Sarai would elope after they offered her a marriage to King Dunevon, continued to invite the Balitangs to social events, Dove proved that she could wade through even the most charged conversations. When Princess Imajane made a subtle suggestion that Winnamine was not able to keep an eye on her stepdaughters and children, Dove steered her away from that line of questioning. This was good, as that suggestion could have been enough to have Elsren dismissed from the king's entourage.

Supplied with a new candidate, the rebellion was renewed with vigor. The regents kept a careful eye on the Balitangs, and in one instance they hired assassins in order to kill Dove during a riot. Aly successfully protected her charge, even though the riot was large and scale, as the raka were killing men of the Watch in protest for the near assassination of their queen candidate. A horse-sized kudurung came to rescue Dove without any urging from the humans, and flew Dove to the safety of Balitang House. As most everyone recognize the true ruler to be the one who controls the kudurung, all of Dove's staff knelt before her, even Winnamine and Petranne.

Ulasim Dodeka ordered that the raka conspirators attack the Grey Palace at dawn. Aly gave Dove Secret, a creature known as a darking. Dove and Secret became inseparable throughout the battle. To show support for the people fighting for her and the cause, Dove rode the kudurung above the battle, and just out of reach of the arrows. Ulasim proclaimed her to be glorious and the bright future before he died.

Queen of the Copper Isles

Dove was crowned queen later that year, and forced all of the old Rittevon supporters and soldiers to swear to her by use of a blood oath. She did not have Taybur Sibigat, the former Captain of the King's Guard, swear, as she knew that he would be loyal to her and not the Rittevons who had Dunevon killed.

Dove recruited Aly as her spymaster and Taybur Sibigat as the captain of the Queen's Guard. The coronation occurred shortly after Midwinter, the prophecy fulfilled.

Physical appearance

At thirteen, Dove is described as looking a bit like her sister Sarai, with creamy-gold skin and long black hair. She is also said to have "observant black eyes" and is small-boned. She is considered plainer than her sister, and considerably more inconspicuous, a trait she uses to go unnoticed, collecting gossip and news. As a half-raka noble, she has mastered a polite political face, showing nothing but pleasant interest.

Personality and traits

Dove is the rational side to her sister's impulsivness. Logical and intelligent, Dove prefers books and chess to jewelry and fancy dinners. Instead of making friends with nobles her age, she prefers the experienced older men of the court and merchants. She's interested in what goes on in the local markets, things like whether the price of fish is up or if the glassmaker is making a new type of bowl. She also is interested in the merchants' lives, hearing stories about their children and pasts. She is not as admired by the higher classes as her sister is, but has made her mark among the common folk. She has a temper, but less so than her sister, and thinks things through before she speaks.

Because of her interest in the people, political matters, economic matters, and spy matters, Dove is far more suited than her sister to rule a country. Although younger, she is far more realistic than Sarai, and understands the world much more than her sister does.

She is also extremely intelligent and bright, and an avid and proficient chess player. Before her family's exile, she played chess often with Duke Nomru and Baron Engan.

Relationships

Saraiyu Balitang

Dove had a fairly stable relationship with her older sister. She did think that Sarai was far too hotheaded, and often hid from her. She knew that Sarai was very fluttery, and loved her, but recognized that she was not a good fit for leading.

Winnamine Balitang

Dove's relationship with her stepmother is far better than her sister's was. Dove and Winnamine understand the danger while in Rajmuat, and the two develop a very close friendship. Winnamine became a mother to her.

Alianne of Pirate's Swoop

When Dove first meets Aly, she is distant, as she thinks Aly is just another slave. However, she soon grows to trust Aly greatly for the other girl's services to her family. After the death of her father, the family returns to Rajmuat, bringing Aly. Dove and Aly form a very tight-knit friendship, as Dove is very more interested and intelligent in the ways that a state runs, and how people work—unlike her sister, who is more headstrong and idealistic. After Sarai runs away, Aly backs Dove in her new placement as the twice-royal heir. Dove offers Aly a position as spymaster under her, and is pleased when the other girl accepts—as she sees Aly as more than just a servant, a friend.

Family

Balitang Family Tree

Balitang family
Balitangs See Rittevon Nuritin Balitang See Temaida Balitang man Rittevon woman See Fonfala Sarugani Temaida Mequen Balitang Winnamine Fonfala Zaimid Hetnim Saraiyu Balitang Dovasary Balitang Petranne Balitang Elsren Balitang Mequen Hetnim

Trivia

Tamora Pierce included some traits of Elizabeth I of England in the character of Dovasary Balitang.