Emily is a 31-year-old Cambridge dryadologist who recently accepted a marriage proposal from a Faerie monarch. She prefers practical, sensible clothing often stained with ink over courtly finery. Though mortal, she holds considerable status through her deep academic knowledge of the Folk and their folklore. She relies on her research and intellect to survive the dangerous politics of her new home.

Wendell is the exiled monarch of Silva Lupi who also poses as a dryadology professor at Cambridge. He possesses striking good looks, wavy golden hair, and immense magical abilities. He is an exceptionally skilled tailor, creating exquisite, sometimes dangerous garments like a cloak with a living, hungry hem. Underneath his playful and vain exterior, he harbors a deep love for his kingdom and his partner.

Arna is Wendell's half-mortal stepmother and the former ruler of Silva Lupi. She murdered her husband and stepchildren to seize power and exiled a young Wendell. Following a previous conflict, she is presumed missing or dead by many in the court, though her enemies suspect she is biding her time. She is cunning and highly strategic, relying on deception rather than raw magic.

Taran is a centuries-old courtier who presents as a young, imposing figure. As Arna's half-brother, he holds significant status but loudly professes disinterest in ruling, citing the high mortality rate of monarchs. He possesses a droll, sarcastic demeanor that masks a capacity for dispassionate cruelty toward his peers.

Shadow is a Grim—a guardian spirit that takes the shape of a large, black dog. He is missing sight in one eye and suffers from joint pain due to his advancing age. Despite his physical limitations, he refuses to leave Emily's side and possesses the supernatural ability to sense death.

Known formally as the Beast of the Elderwood, Orga is a powerful magical cat with rippling black fur and golden eyes. She survived dangerous encounters in the past, leaving her highly defensive and prone to unprovoked hostility. She tolerates very few people other than her owner.

Deilah is a teenage princess of Silva Lupi with long golden hair and jewel-blue eyes. Following her mother's disappearance, she has been kept isolated under house arrest. She frequently expresses her frustration through theatrical tantrums and initially views the incoming royal couple with intense hostility.

Niamh is a mortal dryadologist from the University of Connacht who disappeared into Faerie decades ago. She survives as the royal scribe by deliberately avoiding court politics and remaining inconspicuous. She retains a warm, animated teaching style and offers a welcoming presence to newcomers.

Lilja is a mortal woman from Norway who temporarily resides in a magically tidied cottage in Ireland. Having survived a harrowing kidnapping by the Hidden Folk, she remains deeply skeptical of fairies and their motives. She is a skilled woodcarver.

Margret is a Norwegian woman spending the winter in Corbann. She grounds her friends through practical domestic care, frequently mastering traditional baked goods. Like her partner, she harbors significant misgivings about Faerie politics based on past trauma.

The Head Housekeeper is an oiche sidhe, a type of common working faerie. He possesses wispy, dust-colored hair and many-jointed fingers. He is so unassuming and visually grey that he practically blends into the flagstones. He keeps the royal castle running and observes the nobility closely while remaining completely ignored by them.

Exiled from Exmoor, this beautiful golden-haired courtier resides in Silva Lupi. She wears a striking crimson cloak and her hair drips perpetually with blood. She represents the casual, bloodthirsty cruelty inherent in many Courtly Fae, viewing violence as an entertaining exercise of power.

Callum is a mortal man who lives among the dangerous Courtly Fae. He understands the inherent perils of his position but maintains his status through his connection to a powerful noble.

Ariadne is a university student studying dryadology. She assists established professors with their academic research into folklore and magical entities.

Farris is a Cambridge professor who tracks down his colleague to deliver a warning. He harbors deep suspicions about the true nature of the Folk and actively attempts to dissuade his peers from associating with them too closely.

Edgar is a deceased scholar who studied the Folk extensively before his death. While his family long believed he died of a heart attack, his private writings document a fatal obsession with a dangerous enchantress from Exmoor.

Wherry is a member of the Courtly Fae who assists in maintaining order in the kingdom. His position subjects him to the casual brutality of higher-ranking nobles.

Poe is a needle-toothed faerie native to the snowy regions of Norway. He maintains a magical tree that functions as a portal between locations.

The Hidden King is the ruler of the Hidden Folk in Ljosland. Having been freed from centuries of imprisonment, he presides over a desolate, wintry domain and fiercely guards his borders against trespassers.

Lady East Wind is a mysterious courtier appointed to the royal council. She possesses the startling ability to vanish entirely in a sudden blast of air.