The second child of Oisín and Virila Dune, Chrysanthemum was born during a winter visit to Sliabh Rook for the New Year. She was a quiet child, especially compared to her older sister, Iris (b. 1978), who talked constantly. The two got along wonderfully, though. When Chrysanthemum was 5, she attempted to hit a servant with a large serving spoon, a pattern of violence which continued as she got older. Her parents became concerned when, during her younger brother Cedar’s (b. 1984) 7th birthday, she attempted to throw a rock at him. She was sent to multiple rehabilitative counselors, who tried to teach her to be kinder to others, and not to be as self-centered as she was, but it was ineffective. Because of this, she was not often taken in public, and her ladies-in-waiting were trained in self-defense to prevent her from attacking others.
As Chrysanthemum entered her teens, she became less physically violent. However, a new pattern of manipulative tendencies and being quick to anger, in line with Iris’ behavior, presented itself. Along with that, she became very well known for her extravagant everyday wear, including large ball gowns that cost thousands of dioscóir. She often went on long vacations to different places in the kingdom, showing off her extreme fashion sense and luxury lifestyle, which often did not match up with the financial situations of those around her, or even her own family. This earned her a lot of dislike, and even outright hatred, from those living within the Dappled Forest.
While visiting the coastal town of Portániasc in 1994 with her sister, Chrysanthemum was introduced to a local bookseller, Rian, with whom she became immediately infatuated. The two began having an affair, and Chrysanthemum invited Rian to move to Sliabh Rook. They continued courting each other, even after the birth of Calliope Fogg (b. 1995), Rian’s daughter with another woman in the Floral Court. Chrysanthemum reluctantly agreed to raising her, and was often said to mistreat the young girl, having her do tasks meant for servants as opposed to treating her as a daughter.
In August 1997, two years after her official announcement of courting Rian, Chrysanthemum announced their engagement, with the ceremony being held only a couple weeks later. In April of 1998, she gave birth to her only son. She often switched between loving him, refusing to put him down or let others near him, and being hateful of her son. However, she always portrayed herself as a very caring mother, and would punish those in the Floral Court who said otherwise. He was banished in 2016, and was formally stripped of his title as Prince, as well as removed from House Dune entirely, in 2017. There are rumors that he still lives in the Dappled Forest, but Queen Chrysanthemum will imprison anybody who mentions it.
In the late 90s, after learning of King Oisín’s plans to have her brother become the official heir to the Dappled Forest, Chrysanthemum became enraged, believing that the crown was rightfully hers. Using her connections within the Floral Court, she spent the next year enacting a plot that dethroned her father, installing herself as the new Queen of the Dappled Forest. It is unknown what became of the king after this, as he has not been seen in public since being dethroned. Many suspect him to be dead.