- Vol. III -
CHARACTERS
Heath Somersby
‘You’ve known me since I was a little boy, sir. You know I’m not a cold-blooded killer.’
Short, affable and far happier in kitchens and stables than a parlours and dance floors, 15-year-old Heath is overshadowed by his glamorous royal cousins. Yet despite his inauspicious manner, Heath is an excellent swordsman. Will this skill prove a blessing or a curse?
Maggie Pie
‘Love, by its very nature, cannot be an unnatural thing.’
This homely and unassuming pastry cook finds work at the kitchens at Netherpitch Castle. Disturbed by the vicious antics of her mistress, Maggie makes an unlikely friend of her downtrodden master - knowing that in some circumstances, it’s always wise to play the fool.
Rufus Eapley
‘I’m not the bogeyman you know. I used to be on the side of the angels too.’
This exiled duke and declared traitor is trapped in a violent marriage to a woman he hates yet still plots to steal Serin’s crown. However, although almost universally despised, could there be a sliver of decency left in the heart of this vain, petulant and devious schemer?
Arch-Duchess Loretta
‘They took his tongue before they broke his neck. Here I’ve saved it for you, husband.’
She may be the sister of a king but Loretta is ‘like a warthog with the grace and manners of a rabid jackal’. The brutal Mistress of Netherpitch has already seen three husbands to their graves and is intent on tormenting her fourth. But has she finally met her match?
Rowan Summerson
‘If you had these powers you’d want to use them. What’s the good in hiding them away?’
Golden-boy Rowan is that rare thing – a first-born prince without a kingdom to inherit. Resentful of this, Rowan endeavours to outshine his sister, Queen Serin, with a manipulative charm offensive and forbidden use of his powers. But how far will his pursuit of adulation go?
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