Una

Una is a supporting character in the Stardust novel and film. She is the mother of Tristan Thorn and was imprisoned as a slave by Ditchwater Sal. She is portrayed by Kate Magowan.

Biography
Una is a cat-eared faerie girl of great beauty who works as a slave for Madame Semele until released by an improbable occurrence that fulfills the conditions of her debt. Una suffers constant abuse at the hands of Madame Semele, being beaten and called a "slattern". When not toiling for the witch-woman, she is kept in the form of a multicoloured bird chained by a silver thread to a Romani wagon. She is later revealed to be the Lady Una, only daughter of the Lord of Stormhold, and Tristran's birth mother.

Book
Una was enslaved by Madame Seleme when she was still a young girl, on a day when Una was playing by the waterfalls. To trick her, Madame Semele took the form of a pretty frog, luring Una to follow her out of the safety of her Father's (who was the 82nd Lord of Stormhold) kingdom. When she was out of the Kingdom of Stormhold with Una following her eagerly, Madame Semele took her true form as the evil, old witch she really was, before capturing Una, popping her in a sack, and imprisoning her as her slave. Madame Semele then cuffed a silver chain to Una's wrist, which ran down to Una's ankle, and then ran into Madame Semele's caravan. Una only gains her freedom when the unbreakable chain finally breaks which is when the moon loses her daughter, if that occurs in a week when two Mondays come together. Una told Dunstan Thorn that she 'awaits that day with patience.'

Una first caught the eyes of Dunstan Thorn while working behind the stall of Madame Seleme. She offered him the snowdrop flower in exchanged for a kiss. Afterwards, she told Dunstan to meet her at a woods tonight. When Dunstan left, Madame Seleme was angry at her slave so she turn Una into a flame-colored bird for giving away her most prized possession. Later that night, she met Dunstan in the woods, where she explained to him that she want her freedom. Then they made love.

Years later, Una was still in bird form when the witch queen came to talk to Ditchwater Sal. The witch queen made Sal to forget about their encounter and the conversations about the fallen star, Una was apparently unaffected as she remembered everything.

She then encountered Tristran when her chain was trapped by a branch in the middle of the woods. She soon recognized Tristran as her son, but couldn't speak to him. After Tristran freed Una, Madame Seleme appeared and accused Tristran for attempting to steal her bird. Tristran explained to her that he was only trying to free the bird who was trapped by the logs. Madame Seleme didn't take his words for it, then later apologized. After the deal of taking Tristran and Yvaine to Wall was made, Una tried to give the warning when Tristran gave Madame Seleme the snowdrop flower, which the latter turn Tristran into a dormouse. During the travel to the Market, Una let Yvaine to feed and pet her, showing affection in return.

After they reached Wall and Tristran turned back into human form, Una tried to get his attention but to avail. Later on in the day while in human form, she spotted Yvaine sitting next to the sleeping Tristran in a field. Without telling Yvaine the truth, Una explained to her about him, then quietly went back to the way she came.

Tristran and Yvaine kissed which fulfilled the prophecy of Una, which broke the chain that bound her free and she demands reparation of everything she had caused to her, as Una explained to her that she is the firstborn of the King of Stormhold. Then, she went and asked Yvaine to give Tristran the Royal Ruby of Stormhold, which revealed that Tristran is the next heir of the throne because of his bloodline. Una then told Tristran that they will travel to Stormhold by palanquin, which Tristran politely refused. Then, they argued until Una gave in and left Tristran and Yvaine to their travel.

Due to the absence of the new king, Una filled in as a substitute and ruled the kingdom for eight years; until Tristran and Yvaine returns.

Movie
Una was first seen working behind a stall at the Market when she caught the eyes of Dunstan Thorn. She offered to sell him a snowdrop flower, in exchanged for a kiss. Dunstan obliged and leaned in to kiss, and Una turned at the last moment and they made out. She tempted him to follow her in the stable, and explained to Dunstan about the chain the bound her leg and that she is working for Ditchwater Sal. Una lure Dunstan into the cavana where they made love. Months later, Una wrote a letter and place a babylon candle on her newborn son basket and send him off to his father.

Years later, Una is in her bird form when Lamia appeared and talked with Ditchwater Sal about the fallen star. Una apparently feels threatened when Lamia begins to use her power on Ditchwater Sal by telling her that she cannot fetch the star for herself. Later on when they met Tristan and Yvaine on the road to Wall, Una begins to flap her wings when Tristan gave Ditchwater Sal the snowdrop flower and turned into a dormouse. They reached the Market safely and Una watched Tristan and Yvaine make their way to an inn.

Una was working behind the stall the next morning when she saw Yvaine dejectedly walking towards the gap of the wall. Una called out to Yvaine, but to no avail. Knowing what is going to happens to the fallen star if she crossed the wall, Una hijacked the canava with Ditchwater Sal inside of it and made her way to the gap of the wall, stopping Yvaine just she was about to cross the gap. Una explained to Yvaine about what will happens to her when Ditchwater Sal force the door of the canava opened. Ditchwater Sal accused Una for kidnapping her when Lamia arrived in a horse carriage. After Lamia killed Ditchwater Sal, she forced Una and Yvaine into her carriage and took them to her lair. During the attack of the lair by Septimus and Tristan, Una tried to escape but was grabbed by Septimus. Before he could kill her, Septimus recognized her as his sister and let her go. Tristan almost done the same thing when Una told him that she is his mother. They watched the fight as Septimus kill Empusa and was inevitably drown by Lamia doll. Una told Tristan to be careful as she exited the lair and watched the fight from outside as Tristan battle the witches. Una smiled and was about to go inside when Tristan and Yvaine make their way outside but then the door closed by Lamia, leaving Una outside.

After the defeat of Lamia, Una reunited with Tristan and Yvaine, told her son that he is the next heir of Stormhold once the Royal Ruby was filled. During the coronation of Tristan and Yvaine, Una is seen holding hands with Dunstan, and gave Tristan and Yvaine a Babylon Candle.

Dunstan Thorn
Una first met Dunstan at the Market event as he was passing through. It could be described that it was love at first sight, based on the movie. In both the book and movie, Una offered Dunstan a snowdrop flower in exchanged for a kiss. In the book, Una told Dunstan to meet with her tonight at a nearby woods. When night fells, Dunstan met Una in the woods and they made love. Months later, Una sent her newborn son Tristran to Dunstan to be raised by him. Later in the book, Dunstan will tell Tristran about Una but only briefly. In the movie, Una made love to Dunstan in Ditchwater Sal's canava. She then send Tristan to Dunstan with a letter and a babylon candle. Una never reunited with Dunstan until the ending of the film, where they are shown holding hands during the coronation of Tristan and Yvaine.

Ditchwater Sal
Not much is known on how Una ended up in Madame Seleme clutches. In the book, it was implied that Madame Seleme kidnapped Una and forced her into being her slave. In the movie, it was Septimus that gave Una away to Madame Seleme. Una is Mademe Seleme slave and managed the stall, until she lost that trust when she gave away Madame Seleme most prized possession, the snowdrop flower. Over the course of the event of Stardust, Una spend her time as a bird and was chained to the cavana. Towards the ending of the book, Una cited that when two Mondays joined together, she will be free. When Tristran and Yvaine first kissed, Una chain broke, freeing her from Madame Seleme. Una then demands to be compensated for her work over the years, threatening Madame Seleme that she will hunt her down if she not do what she says. In the movie, Una was freed when Lamia killed Ditchwater Sal for breaking the promise on not finding the star, even though Sal couldn't even see nor hear the star.

Family
Not much is known what her relationship between her and family, but due to the family tradition of the throne being only passed onto a male heir, Una was not a target of her brothers attempts to kill each other for the crown. In the movie, she seemed to have a positive relationship with her brothers, even the ruthless Septimus who seemed appalled when their father accused him if had anything to do with her disappearance. While she was unable to see her dead brothers ghosts, they were all genuinely happy to see her again, showing they had love for there sister. Her relationship with father was uncertain, but in the movie on his death bed he asked for Una, forgetting she has been missing for years and was rather disappointed she wasn't present, showed he cared for her too.

Trivia

 * The Princes' names all refer back to their place in the family: Primus, the firstborn (Primary), Secundus, the second-born, Tertius, the third (Tertiary), and so on in that fashion. Likewise, Una the Princess is the first-born daughter. This tradition comes from Latin, as some Romans called their children after the order of their birth, though usually as a nickname, only sometimes being a given name, especially with daughters.