Editing The Gracious Widow

{{Major spoiler}}
{{Character
|image1 = <gallery>
Widow.png|The Widow
Princess.png|The Princess
</gallery>
|location = [[Spite]]
|alias = Princess Cheren
|allegiance=[[The Fourth City]]<br>[[The Khanate]]<br>[[Criminals]]|relationships=[[The Great Khan]] (father)<br>
William of Paris (former lover)<br>
The Once-Dashing Smuggler (former lover)
}}<blockquote>''"The Widow: half London's contraband bears her mark. Call her the Gracious Widow. She likes that."''<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Connected:_The_Widow Connected: The Widow, ''Fallen London'']</ref></blockquote>'''The Gracious Widow''', as she is commonly called, is one of the most infamous crime lords in [[London]] and the mastermind behind an expansive smuggling ring stretching across the [[The Neath|Neath]].

== The Business ==
<blockquote>''"You still can't see her face, but you can hear emotion in her voice. The Gracious Widow isn't known to express emotion. The Gracious Widow isn't known to say "please". The Gracious Widow has hired knives in every neighbourhood, and doesn't enjoy rejection."''<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig|My Kingdom for a Pig|Fallen London|}}</ref></blockquote>The Gracious Widow is known for her ruthlessness and her readiness to enforce her will through violence.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"You still can't see her face, but you can hear emotion in her voice. The Gracious Widow isn't known to express emotion. The Gracious Widow isn't known to say "please". The Gracious Widow has hired knives in every neighbourhood, and doesn't enjoy rejection."''</ref> She rarely meets with others in person, and when she does, she is often cloaked in shadow<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Attend_an_audience_with_the_Gracious_Widow Attend an audience with the Gracious Widow, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Widow holds her meetings in darkness [...]"''</ref> or veiled,<ref name=":1">''"She adjusts a veil, pins it over her eyes. Dragons coil across its fabric. She stands at your side, takes your arm. She must weigh less than a child. You can feel her bones."''</ref> concealing her face. Her hair is always tied in a tight bun, which has made for an easy way to gesture in allusion to her without saying her name.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_warehouses_of_the_Peaceable_%26_Godly_Trading_Company The warehouses of the Peaceable & Godly Trading Company, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] Inside, rough-looking but exceptionally polite men pack […] entirely legal goods into crates. One […] comes up to you. "Oi. You with the, you know..." she makes a comically severe face, and puts her hand behind her head to suggest a hair bun."''</ref> Though she has access to a brandy that grants youthful immortality,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Older,_Not_Wiser Older, Not Wiser, ''Fallen London''] ''"You protected one of my urchins – without question. You gave up the little brandy you'd bought to heal him." There is a soft exhalation – a laugh? "So I'm offering you enough to do more than just ease your weariness. It won't just give you life – you will be young again. I'm offering you exactly what you wanted to steal from me."''</ref> and she is depicted in portraits as eternally youthful,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Investigate_the_Widow_herself Investigate the Widow herself, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] portraits hang on the wall. In the first stand a stern man, a young girl, and a woman. […] You look at the second. The man is gone, the girl is grown, but the woman looks exactly the same."''</ref> but she appears gaunt and aged.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"You can't see her face in the dark, but you can see her hand as she pours. Gnarled, splotched with old liver-spots. [...]"''</ref><ref name=":1" /> The Widow must still consume her brandy regularly to remain alive,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Aid_the_Duchess Aid the Duchess, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] a group of neddy men descend upon the ship […]. The crew is overwhelmed, the cargo taken. The Widow's suppliers refuse to send more […] without it, the Widow begins a terrible decline."''</ref> but it may have lost its potency over the centuries.

The Widow operates a smuggling network along the river near [[Spite]],<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Working_for_the_Widow Working for the Widow, ''Fallen London''] ''"Smuggling operations along the river near Spite are the business of the woman they call the Gracious Widow. It might be profitable to earn her attention."''</ref> trafficking jewels,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Avoid_an_Unfair_Tax_on_Jewels_(Action) Avoid an Unfair Tax on Jewels, ''Fallen London''] ''"Lamentably, Mr Stones imposes ever higher taxes on the import of jewels. You can help the Gracious Widow's people in their pursuit of free trade."''</ref> tea,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Help_Bring_in_Smuggled_Tea_Under_Cover_of_Darkness Help Bring in Smuggled Tea Under Cover of Darkness, ''Fallen London''] ''"You muffle the oars of your rowboat and slip out to the barge where your accomplices wait. They hand down crates of tea one by one. There's no sign of the Bazaar's Excisemen, and you're paid well at the end of the night."''</ref> [[Clay Men]],<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Run_interference_for_the_coffins_%E2%80%93_and_take_a_peek Run interference for the coffins – and take a peek, ''Fallen London''] ''"You rob a greengrocer, shout THIEF! in a crowded street, […] and generally ensure the law is kept busy. […] you take advantage of the driver's distraction […] A Clay Man? Why are they smuggling Clay Men out of the city?"''</ref> and diluted peach brandy<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Sneak_a_sip_of_the_brandy Sneak a sip of the brandy, ''Fallen London''] ''"You wait until the night-watchmen are occupied with tea and gin […] and slip out with an armful of walking-sticks. You twist the handle off one and take a cautious swig of brandy. It hasn't made you any younger […] Perhaps it's watered down?"''</ref> in and out of [[London]]. She is also the founder of Greyfields Winery,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"[...] Greyfields was founded on mushrooms that came from that source. I know, because I founded it when the Fifth City fell."''</ref> and runs a firework business that undercuts [[Mr Fires]]' prices.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Ambition:_Bag_a_Legend!_40_%E2%80%93_Talk_to_the_Gracious_Widow Ambition: Bag a Legend! 40 – Talk to the Gracious Widow, ''Fallen London''] ''"Jervaise's wife, whoever she may be, wants a reliable source of cheap fireworks. He has sent you to negotiate with the Widow on his behalf. Apparently, she's the best person to talk to if you don't want to pay Mr Fires' prices..."''</ref> Her brandy in particular has attracted dangerous attention from seekers of immortality: the [[Duchess]],<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_shipment_arrives_tomorrow! The shipment arrives tomorrow!, ''Fallen London''] ''"You are certain the Duchess will make her move on the brandy. No one else can help her so well; no one else is as prepared to stop her. You stare at the shipping papers and mull your options."''</ref> the [[Khanate]] elite,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Deal_with_Peach_Brandy_pirates Deal with Peach Brandy pirates, ''Fallen London''] ''"Your agent […] confirms that these 'pirates' never strike anything except the Widow's shipments. […]''

''[…] One of her own people substituted bottles of cold tea for the […] shipments […]. The piracy was […] cover. The […] brandy probably ended up with the Khanate elite. […]"''</ref> perhaps the occasional ambitious octogenarian.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Older,_Not_Wiser Older, Not Wiser, ''Fallen London'']</ref> Though the Widow and the Duchess are longtime rivals, the Widow respects her greatly — despite the Duchess’s frequent attempts to sabotage her vital brandy shipments.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Betray_the_Duchess Betray the Duchess, ''Fallen London''] ''"Begrudging respect" "[...] I'm pleased she can still keep up after all these years."''</ref> Officially, the Khanate denies any connection to the Widow, but unofficially, their dealings with her are extensive.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Khaganian Ambassador was intended to win. He owes me a great deal, and auctions are useful for moving money. Nobody questions the price when the items are priceless. Paintings. Sculptures. Terribly rare wines. Of course, they don't need to be real."''

''She sips her airag. "This is real. What you purchased is not. But you did purchase it, which leaves me in an awkward situation. My money didn't come from the Khanate. My relationship with them is compromised. But I do have my money. I'm in a forgiving mood."''</ref> 

Immortality has left the Widow lonely. To find companionship, she has taken to adopting [[urchins]],<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/A_familiar_face_by_the_school_railings A familiar face by the school railings, ''Fallen London''] ''"You last saw this girl […] with an urchin-gang. […] 'I got caught robbin' the Gracious Widow, didn't I? […] She took a shine to me. […] the Widow's lookin' for a daughter, but I've already got a mum […] Don't know what to do.'"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Older,_Not_Wiser Older, Not Wiser, ''Fallen London''] ''"To pass the time, she's collected children – like it's a hobby. That can't be right, can it?"''</ref> raising them as her own,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Older,_Not_Wiser Older, Not Wiser, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Jaded Sister examines the pictures on the wall – they are of ragtag groups of children: brushed-up urchins. There are series of pictures, charting children growing up. In photos showing the children encroaching on adulthood, they stand with a veiled woman. The Gracious Widow?"''</ref> and integrating them into her vast operations.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Older,_Not_Wiser Older, Not Wiser, ''Fallen London''] ''"The stacked pictures tell a similar story, although older ones are paintings. Over and over, a group of children have been gathered, nurtured to adulthood, to be eventually replaced. The contents of the filing cabinets supports this. Handwritten files track education, health, qualifications, marriages, births, deaths. The interest taken in all these lives is deep and personal."''</ref> These children work in her winery,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Gracious Widow is waiting. So are her urchins. Now you see them in the shadows, crouching, hungry-eyed. They are the workers who bottle her wine, crush the mushrooms beneath stomping feet in her giant presses. How many surround you? Too many."''</ref> serve as messengers,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Alert_the_Gracious_Widow_to_these_complaints Alert the Gracious Widow to these complaints, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] an Urchin has brought her reply by note: she will see to the matter. [...]"''</ref> and even act as enforcers.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/My_Kingdom_for_a_Pig My Kingdom for a Pig, ''Fallen London''] ''"Knives. Switchblades. Pistols. Her urchins are armed to the teeth. They creep closer, weapons shining. Some crawl on all fours. Some whistle. [...]"''</ref>

== The Khan's Daughter ==
<blockquote>''"'The Princess. A Favoured Daughter, a Troubled Soul...'"<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Khan's Daughter, ''The Silver Tree'']</ref>''</blockquote>The Gracious Widow, once known as '''Princess Cheren''', played a key role in the sale of the [[Fourth City]]. She was a favorite of her father, the [[Great Khan]], and was noted for her beauty.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ An appeal to vanity, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'The Khan's daughter was a notable beauty. I'm sure I'm not the first to ask her to sit for a sketched portrait...'"''</ref> Strong-willed and independent from the beginning,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Princess's ambition, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Do you know what it is like, being a Princess of the Golden Horde?' she asked me. 'The Princess is highly important, and utterly unvalued. She is prized for her beauty and resented for her intellect. She is free to inherit the world, and more securely imprisoned that the wretches in the Khan's dungeons. What would you do, if you were her?'" [Editor's note: The mention of the Golden Horde here is erroneous. Under Möngke Khan, the khanate later known by this name was an important ally and sort of a vassal state of the Mongol Empire.]''</ref> Cheren had become an accomplished rider, hunter,<ref name=":3">[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ 'My status made me a suitable choice for chaperone...', ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'He taught me to ride when I was a child; he knows I am a better hunter than any of his horsemen. Yet he insists on sending a foreigner to chaperone me in our own territory!'"''</ref> and falconer<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ 'The Royal family like to use birds of prey for hunting...', ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'The Princess is exceptionally fond of her own sparrowhawk, named Bayar. The Interpreter translated this name for me as 'joy'. This is fitting...'"''</ref> by young adulthood — but to her chagrin, the Khan remained protective of her and perhaps overconcerned for her safety.<ref name=":3" /> He presented her to visiting traders at any opportunity,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ Royal silks, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'My father likes me to look beautiful. I am a credit to him, he says. He drives a hard bargain, when he deals with the traders. But he never asks if this is what I want, to be caparisoned like a prized horse...'"''</ref> and kept a close eye on her personal life,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Khan's eyes, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Khan watches Princess closely, especially when near William. [...] They forget I'm there, now. Khan saw her watching W. and his eyes narrowed. Angry with her, though, or him? Assume obvious - that there is suspicion of a love affair, or an unrequited passion on W's side? But then again Khan must be very used to his daughter being admired...'"''</ref> probably with the goal of securing her an advantageous marriage (as royals do). The Khan's attempts to mollify Cheren with gifts were fruitless, as she accepted them only out of pity.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The etiquette of gifts, ''The Silver Tree''] ''<nowiki/>'He is sure to shower her with presents this evening. Everything that the town has to offer and anything traders have brought through the gates. There is something so sad about this, isn't there? But she does love him, and she will take pity on him. At least for a while longer.'''</ref> Though the Khan's extended family posed threats of rebellion, it was the Princess's strong personality that caused him more anguish,<ref name=":2">[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ Quiet conversation with the Emperor, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"He sighed. 'My family is large and troublesome; my brothers' sons, with their armies spread all over the world, are all keen to challenge me for leadership of the Empire. And yet my daughter causes me more sleepless nights than any of them.'"''</ref> and they frequently argued over her autonomy.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ A disagreement, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"A disagreement about the best way to set traps for wolves led to the Khan striding off in a temper. 'Little does he know,' said the Princess to me. 'I have a strength that more than matches his. All the more so for being forced to stay silent so long.' She glared after him, but then her face softened. 'Sometimes, I think he does know,' she added. 'And that's the part he can't understand.'"''</ref> It would seem that neither of them truly understood each other.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The ending for the Khan and his daughter, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Cheren is wilful, but I do love her above all else,' said the Khan. 'My father is flawed, but I do love him very dearly,' said the Princess. If their troubled relationship hadn't been endangering the city, it wouldn't matter. But it was."''</ref>

Cheren was familiar with metalworking,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ A collision of interest, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'The Princess knows a great deal about weaponry, and proved a fine help in conversing with the armourer, who only took a small token from me for the privilege...'"''</ref> and was the designer of the famed Silver Tree<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Silver_Tree|The Story of the Fountain|The Silver Tree|}}''’’The Princess had designed the Silver Tree. [...]’’''</ref> that now stands in the [[Forgotten Quarter]]. She stole from her father's treasury<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ A bag of pearls, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"Nobody wanted to trade. The Alan caravan master told me that the pearls were stolen. Khan's men looking for them. Wasn't the first time Pr. had done that. Buried the pearls...'"''</ref> and made covert deals with passing merchants<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ A bag of pearls, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Traded the pearls on as asked. Didn't ask questions. Why does she need silver? Saw her take it to the forge. Think she was having them melted down...'"''</ref><ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ Repair work, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Easy enough transaction in the end. Turkish trader willing to keep quiet. Pr. grateful. Said her father wouldn't understand any need for adjustments to fountain...'"''</ref> to produce the magnificent sculpture, which she hoped would show her father that the Mongol Empire no longer had to expand (though it had the opposite effect).<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The life of a Princess, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'It is not the wine, but what it represents. My past and my future, do you see? I wanted the Silver Tree to show my father that our empire was already magnificent; that it was not worth expanding at the expense of family. I designed the serpents to represent unity, but I fear he sees them as a spur to ambition...'"''</ref> Cheren also dabbled in brewing, as it was common for Mongol women to brew airag for their families,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ Tending to the airag, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"[...] it was the evening I met the Princess on the outskirts of town, at the huts where the airag was left to ferment. I asked why she was there. 'I only take the traditional interest expected of me, as a woman,' she said. 'There are simply a few tasks that must be done under the moon. 'She did not appear nervous. I remember that she could lie well."''</ref> but she used this as a cover for her pursuit of immortality.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ Companionship, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Have you never felt simply that there is no hope for the future?' she asked me. 'Surely this is not an unusual emotion? I am sick of my father telling me that I will be happy if I simply do as I am told. I will not be happy, even if I do as I want. What I need is time. Would you not pay any price for time, if it were offered to you?'"''</ref><ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Significance of Peaches, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"He told me of the trees at the end of the world, whose fruit granted longevity to those that ate it. I asked how long one could expect to live. 'Long, very long,' was the answer. I did not ask what would happen if the fruit was distilled..."''</ref> Under the tutelage of a wise shaman,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The four serpents, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"The drink tasted like all the spices in the market - as if a camel had got loose and kicked over a few stalls. Seeing my face, the Princess grew defensive. 'I have just begun this line of enquiry,' she said. 'But it's fine. I have a teacher. He is knowledgeable. More so than anyone.'"''</ref><ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ Significance, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'The Princess has seen something hidden in plain sight,' he told us. 'The ones your people describe as idol-worshippers, though they be followers of many faiths and not at all the same [...] many of them know of the potency of intoxication. But we shamans understand that the spirit can step out of the body, and sometimes, the essence of something else can enter.' [...] Waiting for us on a thin wooden chair was an impossibly ancient man. 'This is my great-grandfather, [...] Perhaps now you see that the things the Princess is learning have consequences?'"''</ref> she used smuggled fruit from Cathay<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The four serpents, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"The Princess handed me a bowl of something clear and oily. I sipped and coughed. 'It's not rice wine, but it is from the East,' she said. 'They have fiery plums, there, and I am experimenting with them."''</ref><ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ A favour for the Princess, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"He was cheerful, that day. 'Of course. My daughter must have anything she desires. Even if it is a cart full of Cathay peaches packed into barrels and nestling in straw.'"''</ref> to grow a guarded secret orchard,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The little peach orchard, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"Nobody was allowed in the Princess' little orchard. I chatted to a guard while we waited for her to emerge. He said that she'd had the trees carried from far Cathay at huge expense to her father."''</ref> and used the Silver Tree as her concealed distillery.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Silver Lions, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"I looked. There was nothing there. Just four lead-lined tunnels leading, I knew, to the chamber the airag was pumped from. 'No, no!' It was the Princess's voice, but she was not in the courtyard. It was coming from the lion's mouth!"''</ref><ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Hidden Chamber, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"I remembered visiting the chamber beneath the Silver Tree, and seeing the strange metal containers that were concealed there..."''</ref> Cheren's search for metal and imported fruit for her endeavors marked the beginning of her smuggling empire.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ What's she doing?, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Merchants more than they seem. Why in God's name does a princess of Tartary need smugglers in her employ? I had no idea. But she liked that I knew, and that I was surprised...'"''</ref>

Cheren's loving but fraught relationship with her father came to a head when she fell in love with William of Paris, a sculptor and goldsmith who had been taken as a captive to Karakorum.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Interpreter and the Sculptor, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"The Interpreter wasn't given to gossip, but she said a many things about William of Paris. That he was a Cathar heretic, that he'd been further east than Karakorum, that he was engaged in an affair with the Princess. [...]"''</ref> The Khan disapproved of the affair,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Khan's eyes, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"[...] I remember, even now, the way the Khan's knuckles whitened as he gripped his goblet of airag and the way the Princess's cheeks dimpled as she glanced at the Sculptor. [...]"''</ref> would certainly never have allowed them to marry,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Silver_Tree|The Story of the Fountain|The Silver Tree|}}''"[...] She and the Sculptor were in love. The Khan would never allow them to marry. [...]"''</ref> and might have had William killed if it became public knowledge.<ref name=":0">[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Interpreter and the Sculptor, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"She said, 'William of Paris must learn to be more careful. If I could learn of his affair, then so could the Khan. And then he would be staked out for the wolves and the vultures.'"''</ref> Neither Cheren nor William could keep their love a secret very well, however, as everyone around them had suspicions.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ '..but if her father found out...', ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'Observed two servants discussing the Princess' affairs. Decided to advise her to prudence...'"''</ref><ref name=":0" /> Cheren later gave the credit for the Silver Tree to William in hopes that the Khan would become more amenable to their relationship,<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ I asked the Shaman's to convince the Princess to abandon her affair, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'I made it for love of William,' she told me, 'and for my father. I wanted him to love William too, and to have a wonder unlike any other - one that would glorify the Empire as he had dreamed.'"''</ref> though there were rumors that William was in fact a fraud.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ The Princess's admirers, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"It was she who directed me to a tall, garrulous Northman. [...] 'What does she see in that French fool?' he muttered. 'He is a fraud. We have heard of him, you know. The King of Denmark will not have him at his court ever again.'"''</ref> 

The forbidden relationship between the princess and the sculptor drew the attention of [[Mr Wines]],<ref>{{Citation|http://silvertree.storynexus.com/|The Emissary's Secrets: Ambush|Silver Tree|}}''"'My cohorts and I would buy this city. We want to take it somewhere it would live forever. The story of the Princess, the Sculptor, and their love is delicious.'"''</ref><ref>{{Citation|http://silvertree.storynexus.com/|The Fate of the City: I threw my lot in with the Emissary|The Silver Tree|}} ''"In fact, you may call me by my name from now on. Address me as Mr Wines, if you please." [Editor's note: "Mr" is anachronistic and used for the reader's convenience, but I cannot confirm whether William of Rubruck (''The Silver Tree''<nowiki/>'s player character) would have used the Old French'' Sire ''or'' Seignur'', or the Middle Dutch'' Mijnhere''.]''</ref> and when Karakorum was invaded by forces from Cathay, the Great Khan sold his capital to the [[Echo Bazaar]] in order to save both the city and Cheren.<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ I ran to the Princess, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"'My father has made his choice. Rather than let Karakorum be burned by members of our own family, he has struck a deal with the Cloaked Emissary. For love of the city, he has sold it! But I do not have to stay here, even though I'm part of the bargain.'"''</ref> He died soon after its Fall, most likely because he was gravely injured in the attack.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_end_of_battles The end of battles, ''Fallen London''] ''"Lie down. Here with us, where the air is velvet. Set aside your sword, there. My servant has your horse. We will care for her. And you. We will care for you. What is your desire?"''</ref><ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Truth Truth, ''Fallen London''] ''"I know, I know. It can be hard at first. Be at peace. You need never move from this place. Yes, this red rock. The grass will cover you. Your ribs will give rest. We will raise stones to honour you, who saw the sky."''</ref> William the Sculptor eventually died as well; after the loss of her lover, Cheren became known as "the Widow."<ref>[http://silvertree.storynexus.com/ I chose to trust the Princess, ''The Silver Tree''] ''"Autumn and winter pass, although they are hardly recognisable as such, down in this cavern. A year. Ten. Five hundred winters. Time is not the same, here in the roots of the earth. They call the Princess the Widow now, since William's death. They call her less kind things besides."''</ref>

=== After the Fall ===
The Widow's pursuit of immortality was at least a partial success; in addition to her centuries-long lifespan, her beloved sparrowhawk Bayar is still alive thanks to her peach brandy.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Bitter_Saker_Falcon Bitter Saker Falcon, ''Fallen London''] ''"After a while the Widow asks you to excuse them. "We are old friends,"  [...] When your falcon returns to you, he seems cheerier. And does he smell faintly of brandy? As a token of gratitude, the Widow gifts you with a wrapped bundle of Fourth City relics. "For your companion," she says, "as a reminder of home.""''</ref> At some point after the Fall of the [[Fourth City]], the Widow forged a pact with the Leopard Khan<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Arcana Arcana, ''Fallen London''] ''"But her bargain with the Leopard Khan dates from an ancient pact: her knowledge; his garden; their airag. [...] It's worth a fortune. The Stone Pigs can stir. The Sixth City can fall. Locked away like money in a vault, this garden is the Leopard Clan's insurance policy – and the Widow's leverage."''</ref> to create an even more potent elixir of immortality,<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Arcana Arcana, ''Fallen London''] ''"Ages ago, when the trees were saplings, the True Khan himself sat in this garden. His astrologers and advisers surrounded him. His loyal dachshunds lay at his feet. His predecessor's daughter knelt, and took his hand, and begged a boon. The gardener, shackled and staked to the ground, would provide every resource for her greatest recipe."''</ref> in a ploy involving [[Elder Continent]] fruit and requiring [[The Sixth Sacristan|a very strange "gardener."]]<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Arcana|Arcana|Fallen London|}}''"[...] At the Mountain's heart, the Garden grows. [...] And the Garden requires a very particular type of gardener. [...] One who can tolerate direct exposure to the Mountain's divinity. One who was born in the light. The Khagan's garden isn't the Garden, but the Great Khan brought seeds from the Elder Continent. Only the Sacristan can tend to them."''</ref> The process would take centuries to produce results, but once it did, the Widow would receive a share of this brew.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Arcana Arcana, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Gracious Widow won't be pleased," says the Thirsty Croupier. "But as long as the gardener stays shackled, she'll get her 'airag'. The first batch took centuries to digest; so will the second [...] The Sacristan has been eating fruit this whole time. Even if it stops eating, the Khanate will still have a steady supply."''</ref> 

In the Fourth City's final years, the Widow stood against the [[Rosers]],<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Why_is_the_Gracious_Widow_interested_in_the_Rosers%3F Why is the Gracious Widow interested in the Rosers?, ''Fallen London''] ''"You do not get to sit where I do, at my age, if you let your enemies get away from you."''</ref> and blames them for its destruction.<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Speak_with_the_Roseate_Queen Speak with the Roseate Queen, ''Fallen London''] ''"The Queen glowers at the Widow, who you note, has been bound and cowled. "Whatever calamity you blame my subjects for, you will not seek vengeance for while I rule." She softens, though only a little. "We might speak of justice together, however.""''</ref> That said, she was also an ally (or possibly relative) of [[Yesterday's King]], the final ruler of the city, and persuaded him to begin a doomed rebellion against the [[The Masters of the Bazaar|Masters]].<ref>[https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Tracking_down_the_monarch_of_the_past Tracking down the monarch of the past, ''Fallen London''] ''"[…] Did the Khan's daughter send you? That woman ruined me. Promised me the thrones of the world. All I had to do was bring down the Masters of the Bazaar. […]"''</ref>

== Historical and Cultural Inspirations ==
Peaches are a Chinese symbol of longevity; birthday desserts are commonly decorated with or designed to look like peaches. In many of the folkloric and religious traditions that comprise Chinese mythology, the ''xian'' (humans who have ascended to godly status) consume Peaches of Immortality to extend their lives. The peach trees that bear this fruit are said to only do so every several thousand years (the exact number depends on the source).

The Gracious Widow is inspired by Shirin, the daughter of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6ngke_Khan Möngke Khan] — the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. William of Rubruck recorded that her mother was a wife of the Khan, who was a Christian, led an ''ordu'' (settlement/clan/tribe), and died sometime before 1254. Möngke loved this particular wife dearly and thus favored Shirin, who had inherited her mother's ''ordu''.<ref>{{Citation|https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/rubruck.html|William of Rubruck's Account of the Mongols|University of Washington|}} ''"He [Möngke] [...] is a little man, of medium height, aged forty-five years, and a young wife sat beside him; and a very ugly, full-grown girl called Cirina, with other children sat on a couch after them. This dwelling had belonged to a certain Christian lady, whom he had much loved, and of whom he had had this girl. Afterwards he had taken this young wife, but the girl was the mistress of all this ordu [clan or tribe], which had been her mother's."''</ref> But according to Chinese sources on the Yuan Dynasty, as well as a translated account by a Persian historian of the time, Shirin was the daughter of Oghul-Qaimish, an Oirat noblewoman who was probably not a Christian and was previously a wife of Möngke's father Tolui; the Khan had inherited her as a wife according to Mongol custom.<ref name=":4">{{Citation|https://ia600505.us.archive.org/27/items/Boyle1971RashidAlDin/Boyle_1971_Rashid_al_Din.pdf.|The Successors of Genghis Khan|The Internet Archive|}} ''"He had another senior wife, called Oghul Qoimish, of the Oirat [and a member of the ruling family of the Oirat] [...] She had first of all been betrothed to Tolui Khan  [...] He had no sons by this wife but two daughters, the elder called Shirin and the younger Bichqa [...] He had given Shirin in marriage to [Chochimtai], the son of Taiju Kuregen. [...] When Shirin died, Bichqa too was given in  marriage to the son of Taiju Kuregen."''</ref> Per these records, Shirin was given the title of Grand Princess of Chang State,<ref name=":4" /> and married a man from the Olkhunut tribe who seems to have risen to prominence because his father married a daughter of Genghis Khan.<ref>{{Citation|https://ia600505.us.archive.org/27/items/Boyle1971RashidAlDin/Boyle_1971_Rashid_al_Din.pdf.|The Successors of Genghis Khan|The Internet Archive|}} ''"He had given Shirin in marriage to [Chochimtai], the son of Taiju Kuregen. Taiju had married [Altalun], the youngest daughter [of Chingiz-Khan]; he belonged to the Olqunut [...]"''</ref> Shirin had a younger sister named Bichige, who was married to Chochimtai Küregen after Shirin's death.<ref name=":4" />

Little is known about the specifics of Shirin’s life, including her personal undertakings and the date of her death, as historical records remain limited. The affair depicted in fiction between Shirin and the French artisan Guillaume Boucher is purely artistic license, as no historical evidence supports such a relationship, and Boucher is known to have had a wife and children in his homeland.

== References ==
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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Human]]