Dianora was the wife of Ansovald, a merchant in the town of Sennar, in the Empire of Kar V'Shem. Dianora was renowned for both her beauty and her kindness. Many men courted her. However, she was completely devoted to her husband, and with time all of suitors moved on, save one: the knight Rand. Determined to end his courting, but also unwilling to be cruel, Dianora pledged to give herself to Rand if he could produce a garden full of summer fruits and flowers in the middle of winter. She hoped that he'd find the pledge impossible, and move on to other loves.