Bellamew was a sculptor, and King Leck's special favorite. She created stunning statues and was later killed by Leck. She was the sister of Holt and mother of Hava.
Appearance[]
She was broad-shouldered, tall, and had kind eyes, according to Bitterblue.
Personality[]
Bellamew was strong and brave. She did everything she could to protect Hava. Bellamew sculpted people, mostly women, turning into strong, ferocious things.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Bellamew lived and worked in Leck's castle. He "kept her for himself," so he could rape her. Eventually, Bellamew became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter she named Hava. To keep Hava safe, Bellamew pretended that Hava had died. Whenever anyone came near, Hava would use her Grace to hide. Sometimes Bellamew would become panicked and hide Hava even when Leck was nowhere near because she would often get confused. Leck became suspicious that Bellamew was hiding something and lying to him. When he learned about Hava, he killed Bellamew. Hava was eight.
Bitterblue[]
Bellamew created a sculpture of Bitterblue turning into a castle, which is later reflected in Bitterblue's conversation with Fire.
Bitterblue often expresses respect and admiration for Bellamew sculptures. When she sees the statue of her mother, Queen Ashen, she thinks that "the sculpture didn't just look, but felt like Ashen." The statue also makes it certain that Ashen and Bellamew knew each other pretty well. Bellamew completed approximately fifty-five sculptures of human transformations. Hava says Bellamew's sculptures weren't about people being what they're not, not really. She had a way of seeing truths about people and showing them with her sculptures. Hava's Grace was the inspiration for all her sculptures. Her work stands in the castle's art gallery as "something that had transcended Leck's cruelty."
Bitterblue learns about Bellamew's life in Leck's journals, eventually realizing, based on this information, that Hava is her half-sister. Leck wrote in his journals that Bellamew "will not take instruction at all" and that she is "a world of problems unto herself." He asked her to make a sculpture of Fire, and it began as such, but then it turned into a sculpture of Ashen. The sculpture of Ashen had too much strength and feeling to Leck. Bellamew made a sculpture of Bitterblue, and when he looked at it, he became convinced that it pitied him. Bellamew will not stop making her transformation sculptures. Leck writes in his journal that he cannot kill Bellamew yet because “there is something in her mind” that he wants. He knows she is lying to him about something. Somehow, she has found the strength to lie to him, and until he knows the nature of this lie he can’t kill her.
Seasparrow[]
Hava recalls that her mother once told her to keep a list of cherished qualities she would like in a friend. Hava also remembers how she used to jump out and surprise Bellamew when she was little. But it wasn't safe to startle Bellamew because too often she wasn't in her "strong mind." Leck and his Grace made it hard to have lucid conversation with her.
Hava recounts how Bellamew hid Hava for her whole existence, until one day, when Hava was eight, they were sitting together and Hava was handing her mother tools for her work when Leck came into her workshop unexpectedly and saw Hava. Leck then killed Bellamew because, as Hava describes it, Leck was too weak to coexist with things he couldn't control.
To help Hava survive living in the castle with Leck's Grace infecting everyone, Bellamew made Hava small stone figures that were sharp so she could press them into her palm and clear her mind of Leck's lies. These small sculptures were white stone, with veins of red copper.