From Blood and Ash

Prince Casteel Da’Neer breaches the Kingdom Solis under the alias Hawke Flynn. Incredibly handsome, the Ladies in Wait swoon over him. Penellaphe calls him beautiful and remarks on, “the planes and angles of his face” that make her, “yearn for some talent with a brush or a pen” (32). Being Atlantian, he also possesses superhuman abilities, such as heightened senses and increased speed and strength.

Prince Casteel is in a constant state of anguish over the enslavement of his brother, an anguish that feels like “chips of sharp ice” (33). It’s his desire to save Malik that initially facilitates his relationship with Penellaphe. He cares very little for the laws and gods of the Ascended. He has no concern for Penellaphe’s title, which forbids her from forming any level of familiarity with others. Prince Casteel’s non-conformity matches well with Penellaphe’s desire to escape her role as Maiden. Prince Casteel makes Penellaphe feel loved and beautiful, two things no one has ever made her feel before. He worships her scars, viewing them as an extension of her beauty. He protects Penellaphe from the abuse of Priestess Analia and the Duke, creating a safe environment for her to explore herself and the world around her.

Despite his physical perfection, Prince Casteel does possess character flaws. Prince Casteel is the paragon of sexuality. While he does sexually liberate Penellaphe, he is aware that his sexual desires often get the best of him. He is aware of his “limitations” and knows that his need for Penellaphe is “far too great” (383). Prince Casteel is promiscuous and incredibly flirtatious by nature. He allows Penellaphe to be intimate with him despite knowing that he will soon use her as ransom for his brother.

Prince Casteel’s dedication to protecting Penellaphe leads him to enact vengeance on anyone who lays a hand on her. While this trait can be positive, for example when he murders the Duke, it can also be very negative, like the tragic death of Mr. Tulis. We see the negative side of his protective nature when he murders all of the Descenters who attacked Penellaphe in her holding cell. These men are Prince Casteel’s followers, who are desperate to be liberated from an oppressive society, but none of this matters to Casteel when Penellaphe’s safety is at risk. When she asks how long Jericho is to be tortured Prince Casteel responds, “Until I know for sure no one will dare to lift a hand against you again” (486). Prince Casteel’s actions stand in stark contrast to Hawke’s belief in death with dignity. Penellaphe reflects that a very different man sits beside her now. 

Vikter Wardwell is a Royal Guard for the Rise, duty bound to protect the Maiden. He has been Penellaphe’s personal guard for years, remaining a constant in her life through the deaths of Hannes and Rylan. A father figure to Penellaphe, Vikter cares deeply for her. He gives her combat lessons and gifts her a Bloodstone dagger. Vikter values greatly Penellaphe’s ability to defend herself. He is well aware that a time may come where she must fight for her life. A loyal Royal Guard, Vikter is always prepared to fight for the Maiden and for the crown. He possesses a serious demeaner and a determined work ethic.

It’s this same level of commitment to the crown which prevents Vikter from stopping the Duke’s abuse outright. While he is fine with liberating Penellaphe in private, for example their combat lessons and death with dignity, he fails to defend her publicly. Aware of his complacency in Penellaphe’s abuse, he begs for her forgiveness before he dies. In his death, Vikter redeems his shortcomings and makes amends for failing Penellaphe.

A Lady in Wait and Penellaphe’s personal maid, Tawny is one of Penellaphe’s closest confidants. The daughter of a successful merchant, Tawny was given to the court at the age of 13. “Tall and lithe,” Tawny has, “rich brown skin and beautiful brown eyes” (50). Her personality is bubbly and energetic. She enjoys dancing and decorating masks with the other Ladies in Wait. A strong sense of humor, Tawny often teases Penellaphe for liking Hawke. Tawny shares in Penellaphe’s rebellious nature, and the two routinely cause mischief around the castle. She tries to uplift Penellaphe’s spirits whenever she can, encouraging her to embrace her unveiled face and stunning physique before the Rite (264). Tawny also serves as a constant for Penellaphe, reassuring her that their friendship is real.

Tawny symbolizes someone who is content with her status at the Castle Teerman. She is afraid of the world outside the Rise and would much prefer that Penellaphe be a bit more cautious. She begs Penellaphe to stay inside the castle, where it’s safe, instead of fighting alongside the Royal Guards. She rejects Penellaphe’s invitation to travel to the capital because “going out there like this” terrifies her (332). Tawny feels excitement about her Ascension, the starkest contrast between her and Penellaphe.

Duke Teerman is an Ascended who resides over the Castle Teerman. Penellaphe describes him as a “pale snake” she’d once seen as a child: “Beautiful to look upon, but its bite dangerous and often deadly” (128). He is depicted as sprawled about arrogantly in his office chair while nurturing a drink. The Duke conducts Penellaphe’s lessons, where he beats her with his red cane as punishment for her unbecoming behavior. He teases Penellaphe for her scars and makes her feel guilty for her parents’ death. He rules with a definitive head, denying the Tulis family their request to keep their child with a voice that “brooked no argument” (132).

Lacking morals, he searches for self-gratification wherever he can find it, looking to dominate others around him to prove his own self-worth. He is ultimately held accountable for his abuse of Penellaphe and his tyrannical rein over the Castle Teerman when Prince Casteel shoves his red cane through his heart. Entitled and prideful, the Duke acts as an antagonist.

Eloquent and sophisticated, The Duchess Teerman rules with a softer hand than her husband. When she speaks, “she sounded like someone who’d never raised their voice or hand in anger” (129). Despite offering some refuge for Penellaphe while at the Castle Teerman, she is still complacent in the abuse and the crimes of Kingdom Solis. It’s alluded that the Duke abuses the Duchess as well, prompting Penellaphe to conclude that being an Ascended, “didn’t mean she held power over her husband” (233). The Duchess is an intelligent woman with a calm demeaner. Her ruthless nature shines forth in her lack of sympathy over the death of the Duke and Lord Mazeen.

Despite others seeing Lord Mazeen as “handsome and tall,” Penellaphe knows this Ascended’s true nature (79). A “bully” to Penellaphe and her brother Ian, the Lord still holds a grudge over a lost card game to the siblings years ago. He sits in on the Duke’s lessons, holding Penellaphe’s hands down while she is beaten. He finds gratification in the misfortune of others and possesses a high opinion of himself. Penellaphe suspects Lord Mazeen is responsible for the death of Malessa Axton, a Lady in Wait. Overcome by bloodlust, the Lord serves as a secondary antagonist in the novel. Patronizing and emotionless, Penellaphe frees herself from the Lord’s abuse when she brutally decapitates him after he ridicules Vikter’s death.

Kieran Contou is a wolven, a species previously believed to be extinct. He entered the Castle Teerman under the guise of a Royal Guard and is appointed to escort Penellaphe to the Capital. He is dedicated to serving Prince Casteel Da’Neer. Penellaphe assumes that Casteel and Kieran have formed a sacred bond with one another, “confident that a Prince was of the class that wolven would be bonded to” (477). When in wolven form, Kieran is vastly stronger and faster than any mortal.

Jericho first appears as the unknown man who murders Rylan and attempts to kidnap Penellaphe in the Queen’s Garden. He wants nothing more than to torture and murder Penellaphe. Jericho has already been disciplined once for harming Penellaphe, which resulted in him losing his hand. Yet his aggressive and erratic behavior lacks any sensible logic. Disloyal to his Prince, Jericho does whatever he wishes. He pursues his own personal gratification at the risk of further punishment. Jericho’s obsession with killing Penellaphe results in his own horrible, slow death. The torturing of Jericho shows Penellaphe a cruel side of Prince Casteel, prompting her to remind him of death with dignity.

Ian Balfour is Penellaphe Balfour’s brother. His Ascension was a special case, granted by the Queen because of his relation to the Maiden. While Ian does not make an appearance, we come to know him through stories Penellaphe tells. He writes Penellaphe letters each month filled with tales of the “Stroud Sea” and “befriending the water folk” (21). With letters acting as their only form of communication, Penellaphe often wonders what Ian’s life is like now, if he is happy in his marriage, or if he walks in the sunlight. Ian protected Penellaphe when they lived in the Castle Teerman together, telling her funny stories and playing with her under the willow tree in the Queen’s Garden (287).