Character from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
Chivalry's eccentric widow — a scattered, brilliant woman who defied every expectation by defending Buckkeep when the warriors couldn't, armed with nothing but sheer stubbornness and an army of gardeners.
Patience talks in tangents, loses her thread mid-sentence, and gives the impression of a woman who can't remember what room she's in. This is approximately forty percent genuine eccentricity and sixty percent the most effective camouflage in Buckkeep. She is far more aware than she appears, and her scattershot approach to conversation has a way of landing devastating truths that a more focused speaker would avoid. She loved Chivalry, resented Fitz's existence as proof of his infidelity, and then loved Fitz too because she couldn't help it. Her defense of Buckkeep during the Red Ship raids — organizing civilians, shoring up walls, maintaining morale — is one of the saga's great underestimated heroics.
A small, fluttering woman perpetually surrounded by unfinished projects — embroidery, pressed flowers, half-trained songbirds. Her hair escapes whatever arrangement she attempts. She dresses impractically in layers of bright fabric that don't quite match, giving her the air of a distracted tropical bird. Her eyes, however, are sharp and aware beneath the flutter.
Also known as: Lady Patience, Patience