Aisling Querelle

For the episode of the same name, see Aisling.

Aisling Querelle
Relatives	Rycroft Philostrate (son)
Occupation	Singer (formerly)
Species	Fae
Gender	Female

Aisling Querelle was a famous faerie singer who was the mother of Rycroft Philostrate until she was murdered by a Darkasher created by Piety Breakspear.

History

In the height of her fame, Aisling met Absalom Breakspear. Not long after, she canceled her standing engagement at the Abbey and left because she had become pregnant with Philo, and went to go carry and deliver her baby. Simon Spurnrose acted as a benefactor and she stayed as a guest in his house for the remainder of the pregnancy, an event which Simon never disclosed to his children. Because Philo was a half-blood, his mother knew he would struggle to be accepted by human and fae. Knowing this, Aisling wanted him to have a chance at a better life and gave her son to Dr. Morange to sheer his wings so he could pass as human before being taken to the Foundling Home.

Even after giving him up, Aisling made sure he was in good hands. She would visit the home in the late hours of the night as Philo slept as sing over him.

Biography

Season one

Killed by the Darkasher

Aisling takes a stroll along the riverside, where she finds a flute that she briefly plays. She also finds the photo of Philo, left behind by Vignette. Unbeknownst to Aisling, a grotesque creature waits in the darkened tunnels. She can hear its monstrous footsteps approaching. She attempts to fly away, but it grabs her and drags her inside the tunnel.

The true story of Aisling Querelle

Aisling's body is found and identified the next morning. Through an autopsy, Philo discovers that her liver was taken. Judging by the veining on her wings, the Puck butcher acting as coroner concludes that she was approximately 90 years old. There’s some distention in the vaginal area, suggesting at least one pregnancy. There’s also atrophy in her coracoideus. Wing muscle. What the doctor can’t determine is what was used to kill Aisling.

Mima Sawsaan of the Revanscleer order has come to see Aisling’s body. After what happened, Aisling would never rest if Mima didn’t anoint her. Philo allows Mima Sawsaan to begin the process, though he watches from the corner. Aisling would lite a candle at Mima’s shrine every week. For who, she couldn’t say. When Philo asks if she knows of anyone who would want to harm Aisling, Mima reveals that a pall hangs over her, and she was taken by a great evil. She was killed by something unnatural. Neither man nor fae.

Throughout his investigation into Aisling's death, Philo makes a number of discoveries; his old Headmaster Costin Finch knew Aisling. They met a long time ago, before he took his vows. They were close then. He saw her perform multiple times. So, it would seem the murders were connected somehow, though Costin and Aisling hadn’t spoken in at least 20 years. He also discovered that she was his mother, and that the song Grieve No More was written about him. Many years ago, while Philo lived in the Foundling Home, a young Aisling sang the song over a sleeping Philo.

From Runyan Millworthy, an old friend of his mother's, Philo learns that ought six or ought seven is when Aisling was at the height of her fame. There was someone she wouldn’t talk about. Runyan had never seen her so happy. One day, she changed. She canceled her standing engagement at the Abbey and went away for months. When she came back, she was sadder. She wrote a song about it. Aisling stayed with a benefactor in the Crossing for that time she was gone. Things were different back then. Friendships between fae folk and humans were not so impossible. The benefactor in question was Simon Spurnrose.

Philo follows this lead to the Spurnroses. Their Faun housekeeper Afissa tells Philo she had just started working for the Spurnroses at the time Aisling moved im, and Simon let her have what is now Imogen’s room. He was a good and progressive man. He ever arranged for Morange to look after her. Beyond that, Aisling stayed until the baby came. Cried for days after Morange left with him. Aisling never spoke of the father. Afissa was given the impression that she was frightened of him. According to Afissa, the baby has sad little wings. By the looks of them, he never would’ve even been able to fly, assuming he survived, as a lot of half-blood don’t make it far. Afissa always wondered what became of the child. As he is arrested following the uncovering of his true nature, Philo reveals to Afissa that he was the baby in question.

Towards the end of his investigation, Philo meets his father, Absalom Breakspear. Absalom was a college student when he first saw Aisling at a late night salon on the Row. Her performance made an impression on him. Out of everyone in the salon, she chose him, a farm boy from the Hinterlands. When Winter came, Absalom brought her to the very house that he and Philo are standing in, his family’s summer home. They were the strangest and most uncomplicated days of his life. But, when his father discovered their secret, he threatened to kill her unless Absalom broke it off. She asked to see him one more time after that, but he never showed up. He now realizes that what she wanted to tell him is that she was pregnant.

Solving Aisling's murder

Philo eventually discovers that the Darkasher is controlled by Piety Breakspear. Piety had received a blackmail letter, supposedly from Aisling, demanding money from Absalom in exchange for not revealing the existence of their half-blood child. As Piety is obsessed with a prophecy stating that Absalom's son is destined for greatness, she created the Darkasher to hunt and kill that child. As she did not know who it is, Piety has been having the Darkasher kill those who knew Philo's real identity and steal their livers so that she can learn their secrets in an attempt to find him. Although Piety manages to find Philo, she is killed by Vignette, ending the threat of the Darkasher.

In the aftermath of Piety's death, Jonah Breakspear discovers Aisling's blackmail letter. Runyan Millworthy confirms that Aisling did not in fact write it and never would've. Jonah uncovers that the letter was actually written by Sophie Longerbane whose father had uncovered old rumors about Absalom and Aisling, but refused to use them against Absalom, possibly out of lingering affection for Piety. Sophie is not so moral and sent the blackmail letter as part of her plot to gain political power for herself. Despite the revelation of Sophie's actions, Jonah chooses not to turn her in and instead to ally with Sophie as he begins segregating the fae folk.

Appearances

Season one

• Some Dark God Wakes
• Aisling
• Grieve No More (flashback)
• The Gloaming (flashback)