Nuala is a fairy of the faerie court who appeared during the events of Season of Mists.
History[]
Nuala was presented as a gift to Dream from the Fae. Once accepted into Dream's household, Nuala takes on the housekeeping duties of the Dreaming, until her brother, Cluracan, brings her back to Faerie in The Kindly Ones.
When she departs, Dream grants her a boon as a reward for her years of service, allowing her to call on him if she needs to. Nuala had been nursing a crush on Dream for some time, so she finally calls him, asking him to love her. Dream is unable to do this, but he says that he can at least "send you a dream of my love." Nuala responds, "I already have that, my lord."
Other appearances[]
The Dreaming (1996)[]
She subsequently appears in the Sandman spinoff series.
The Dreaming (2018)[]
TBA
The Dreaming: Waking Hours[]
TBA
Appearance[]
Nuala is a small, brown-haired, plain-looking girl. She appears initially as a beautiful blonde woman, but that appearance was the result of a faerie glamour. When Dream removes the glamour, her true appearance is revealed.
Personality[]
Nuala is a kind, awkward, sensitive, free-spirited girl who likes eating flower petals. She is depicted as a lover of nature, caring for her small patch of land in the Dreaming. As she falls for Dream, she tries to draw his attention by polishing the castle daily. She is often slighted by those she cares for, such as her brother, Cluracan or many of the Fair Folk who do not share her ideals, which saddens her deeply. In the Dreaming, she looks relieved not to have to shield her real self. However, she longs for more and seems to grow during her time in the Dreaming. Ultimately, she leaves the Twilight Realms after confessing to Dream and his subsequent rejection, realising that she desires more out of life.
Relationships[]
Cluracan[]
Cluracan is Nuala's brother. He is also fairy-folk. Although she cares for him deeply, she is constantly disappointed by his lack of interest in her. The two bicker quite a lot and seem confortable with one another. He does care for her in his own way. In the end, though she will always love him, she realises he only uses her as a means to an end (such as when he offered her to Dream as a bribe).
Titania[]
Titania is Nuala's former Queen. As Queen of the Fair Folk, she sees Nuala as a servant and seems to despise her for all the (predominantly male) attention she draws. The feeling is mutual, and Nuala does not seem to care much for her queen. Titania is also the only person Nuala has enjoyed causing distress to by confessing the Dreamlord (her former lover) had not mentioned her once.
Dream Folk[]
During her time in the Dreaming, Nuala bonds with several entities on and off-screen. She seems comfortable with all but on-screen her main friendships include Matthew, the raven and Lucien, the librarian who always shares his wisdom.
Thessaly[]
Sometime between the second and third year of her stay in the Dreaming, Nuala becomes Thessaly's maid. It is unclear whether they were friends, but although Thessaly was Dream's lover, Nuala does like her, calling her nice and keeping the pendant she gave her.
Dream[]
Although she was meant to be a gift, Nuala falls in love with Morpheus. It is unclear whether it is him or rather his lack of interest in her physical features that draw her to the Endless but she falls nonetheless and even confesses. Despite her eagerness at pleasing and helping him any way she can, he does not love her back. She is incredibly saddened when he sends her back to the Twilight Realm. She gives him a parting kiss on the cheek, which he seems undecided about.
Powers and Abilities[]
Standard fairy abilities. She can use a glamour to change her appearance and make it more appealing.
Behind the Scenes[]
- In the Sandman audio drama, she is played by Niamh Walsh, who also portrayed young Ethel Cripps in the Netflix adaptation.