The blueprint for Chimeg is the Mongolian princess, Khutulun, the daughter of Kaidu, a Mongolian ruler and great grandson of Ghenghis Khan. Chimeg sees herself as a match for any man, whether on the battlefield, or ruling with an iron fist. She sees no reason why she cannot succeed her father as ruler of the Kuruk, and resents her older brother, Altan, whom she sees as weak.

Chimeg is headstrong, rash, and prone to violent outbursts. The castration of her effeminate husband, the heir to the Sul Empire, sets in motion the flight of the Kuruk, and the pursuit by the Sul. This forms the foundation of book two.