Kurshina
| Kurshina | |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Ashravan |
| Died | [1] |
| Titles | Empress of the Rose Empire |
| Nationality | Grand |
| Homeworld | Sel |
| Universe | Cosmere |
Kurshina is the former Empress of the Rose Empire on Sel.[2]
Appearance and Personality
Kurshina has red hair.[3] Little else is known about her, but she is likely close in age to her husband, Emperor Ashravan, who is forty.[1]
History
During an assassination attempt against Ashravan by the Glory Faction, Kurshina was killed and Ashravan sustained a brain injury that put him in a vegetative state.[1] Kurshina's death allowed the arbiters from the Heritage Faction to keep Ashravan's condition secret from the empire, since tradition allowed him to have a mourning period of one hundred days.[1] The arbiters publicly claimed that Ashravan had sequestered himself while he mourned, enlisting Shai to try to make an Essence Mark and fix Ashravan's mind before the end of the mourning period.[1]
During Shai's detailed research into Ashravan's life, she discovers that Ashravan's first love from a storybook had red hair; Shai believes that this subconsciously drew him to Kurshina.[3] She also discovers that Ashravan once nearly had an affair.[3]
After Ashravan is stamped with Shai's Essence Mark and wakes up, he remembers Kurshina's death. Shai can see that this causes him intense grief, although he hides it quickly.[2] He later vows to punish his wife's murderers.[4]