Elide Lochan is the daughter of Cal and Marion Lochan, the Lady of Perranth, and a member of the Blackbeak Witch-Clan.
Biography
Early Life
Elide was born to Cal and Marion Lochan, the Lord and Lady of Perranth. When she was eight or nine years old, the ruling house of Terrasen was assassinated by the King of Adarlan, and her mother sacrificed her life to help the young princess Aelin Galathynius escape. Elide's father, Cal, rebelled against Adarlan's rule and was executed shortly afterward, leaving Elide with her uncle Vernon — Cal's younger brother — who was assigned to be her caretaker.
Vernon was very cruel, which was evident when he watched his brother's execution and stole his title as Lord of Perranth. A few years into his warden-ship of Elide, she fell down a flight of stairs and severely injured her ankle. Her uncle, however, did not trust any healers — and did not want her to run away, so he refused to have her ankle looked at, causing her to be permanently crippled. During her time under the warden-ship of Vernon, she had a nursemaid named Finnula, who taught her almost everything Elide knows, and as she did not have any other teachers, she can’t read since Finnula could not. Sometime during her childhood, she began praying to Anneith, the goddess of wise things and slow deaths. She caught the attention of the goddess and Anneith began guiding her and giving advice.
While Aelin was fighting two Valg Princes, she saw Elide in a flashback back in Terrasen. After Aelin's parents were killed, Marion took her to a manor with her own daughter and told Elide to go upstairs and wait for her return. Marion was killed soon afterward, and Elide waited for her mother to come back, which she didn't.
Ten years later, Vernon brought Elide to Morath with him, as he acted as an adviser to Duke Perrington. In Morath, Vernon assigned Elide to be a servant and had her legs chained, preventing her from running away and making her limp even more pronounced.
Elide played the act of a small timid and frightened girl, but spent her time at Morath secretly looking for ways to escape the prison that she was being held in. The heir of the Blackbeak coven Manon Blackbeak first encountered Elide whilst she was cleaning the fireplace. Elide continued her demure act, although Manon saw through this and assumed Elide was a spy; Elide tries to assure Manon that she is not a spy by informing her that she cannot read. After cutting Elide and tasting her blood, Manon confirmed that Elide had witch blood flowing in her veins.
Asterin, one of Manon's Thirteen, discovers Elide has witch blood. Manon demands Elide act as a spy for the Thirteen and offers her protection in exchange. Elide, as a servant, has access to the rooms in which the Yellowlegs witches were being kept to breed demons (unbeknownst to Manon at the time).
From this point on, Elide stays in Manon's room and continues to plan her escape. However, when Manon and the Thirteen are called to Oakwald Forest, Vernon takes the opportunity to capture Elide and lock her in the dungeons. He informs her that he knows of her witch blood, and he is planning on using her for a breeding experiment—the same way the Yellowlegs witches were used.
As Elide is being taken to be implanted, Manon finds her and slaughters all the guards who were manhandling her. Her and Manon then run, only to be stopped by Kaltain, who informs them that she destroyed the Valg prince who was inhabiting her body and plans to help them. She gives Elide the Wyrdkey that Perrington had put inside her arm and makes her promise to deliver it to Celaena Sardothien. Elide promises, and then she and Manon run to the aerie.
Manon and Elide barely escape the blast as Kaltain uses her powers to blow up a third of Morath. However, when they finally land safely, Manon informs Elide that the King of Adarlan has been killed by Aelin Galathynius. Elide thanks Manon for saving her life and sets off with the Wyrdkey to be reunited with her queen and her court.
Empire of Storms
Since escaping from Morath, Elide has been wandering through the woods in an attempt to find Queen Aelin. This is where she runs into Lorcan Salvaterre—Fae Queen Maeve's second-in-command who is hunting down the Wyrdkeys (one of which is in Elide's possession). After discovering that Elide is from Morath, Lorcan strikes a deal: he will protect her, and in return, she will give him every detail he needs to get into Morath. Along the way, they run into a carnival troupe. Lorcan and Elide pose as husband and wife and join the troupe as sword thrower and fortune teller, so they can better blend in and disguise themselves.
Lorcan and Elide grow closer during their travels, and Lorcan eventually agrees to help Elide find Aelin. They catch up with her in Eyllwe, where Elide reunites with not only Aelin but Manon as well, who she was told had died. During this reunion, she gives the Wyrdkey to Aelin. Lorcan leaves her on a beach and engages in battle with Maeve's armada. Maeve sneaks ashore and captures Elide, threatening to kill her unless Aelin gives herself up. Aelin submits to Maeve, and Elide is freed. She is furious with Lorcan after realizing that he gave away their position and blamed him for Aelin's capture.
Kingdom of Ash
Following the events in Eyllwe, Elide still harbors anger and resentment towards Lorcan. While on the boat to Anielle, Aelin has Lorcan swear himself to her and he accepts so that he can stay with Elide. She says awful things to him that cause him to give up in the battle in Anielle and let himself get cut down. Elide rides out on Farasha, risking her own life, to save him from bleeding out and drowning in the flood caused by the Valg breaking Anielle's dam. On the ride back to safety, Lorcan confesses his love for Elide and then tries to slip off the horse to lessen the weight so that she can live. Elide grabs his arm, forcing him to stay on the horse, saying that if he tries to fall, she would fall with him. She gets him back safely, though Aelin's fire is what ultimately saves them both from the water. Elide falls asleep sitting at the end of Lorcan's bed as he sleeps. When he wakes up, she asks him if he meant what he said, to which he replies that he did. They kiss, and Elide admits that she, too, loves him and Lorcan hints that they would eventually have sex, but only when she is ready.
Later, Yrene Westfall tells Elide that she can heal her leg, but it will take a long time, but eventually, she will have to get it fixed. Elide is informed that they have her uncle in custody. Vernon reveals an imminent attack on Orynth, and he is left in a room to starve to death.
Elide travels to Orynth with Aelin's court, and gives her Athril's ring, which Lorcan gave to her. During the final battle, Elide helps Yrene and the healers tend the wounded. When Maeve and Erawan arrive with their armies she realizes that they are outnumbered and going to lose. She comes up with an idea to save them; taking Yrene with her, she finds Lysandra and they fly to find Dorian and Chaol. Chaol objects to Yrene joining the fight, but ultimately has to settle for Dorian going with them.
Lysandra flies them to the battlefield and while Yrene draws Erawan away from Maeve, Elide ambushes him and stabs him with Damaris, pinning him to the ground. Yrene kills him with her healing magic while Elide watches. After the battle, Elide reunites with Manon but is devastated to learn of the deaths of the Thirteen. She is worried at Manon's emotional state but lets her go. She then finds Lorcan standing vigil for Gavriel. He congratulates her on her role in Erawan's defeat and when she deflects his compliments, he kisses her and asks her to ask him to marry her. She laughs at the thought of his new name, but asks him nonetheless and expresses her happiness at staying with him.
Elide later attends Aelin's coronation and joins Aelin on the balcony to be beheld by the people of Orynth. When everyone says goodbye, Elide promises to write to Yrene. She goes home to Perranth with Lorcan, and they get married within the week.
Personality and traits
Elide is described to be cunning, smart, and deceptive. She can't read, but that only propels her to achieve more. She has a courageous heart and lives to serve the Queen of Terrassen since her mother gave her life to protect the Queen. Elide is very unique from the rest of the characters in the series because, unlike them, she may act cold, but deep inside, she has a real heart of glass.
Physical description
Elide has a pale, triangular face, onyx eyes, and long, thick midnight-black hair. She has a crippled right foot, described as a mass of glossy scar tissue, leaving her foot twisted on its side. According to Vernon, Perrington, and Elide herself, she looks almost strikingly similar to Kaltain. Elide is curvy and has full breasts, but she flattens them by binding them with bandages to avoid attracting unwanted male attention. She is described as pretty; Lorcan describes her as beautiful. She also is shorter than normal people, but not very short.
Appearances
- Heir of Fire (flashback)
- Queen of Shadows (first appearance)
- Empire of Storms
- Kingdom of Ash
Gallery
Trivia
- While Elide was locked in the tower her most prized possessions were her father's sigil ring, a doll that her mother brought her from a journey to the Southern Continent and a bone-white comb that was the first gift Cal gave to Marion.[citation needed]
- Both Manon and Lorcan state that Elide smells of cinnamon and elderberries.[citation needed]
- The problem with her leg may soon be fixed, as Yrene offered a solution for it, and Elide seemed inclined to take her up on that offer.