Miri is a fourteen-year-old girl from the mountain village of Mount Eskel. Due to her small stature, her father forbids her from working in the linder quarry, leaving her feeling isolated and unsure of her worth. When a royal mandate forces the village girls to attend a princess academy, she discovers a passion for learning and commerce. She possesses a strong sense of justice and a playful, stubborn personality that frequently puts her at odds with authority figures.

Peder is a fifteen-year-old boy from Mount Eskel and Miri's childhood best friend. He is gentle, soft-spoken, and possesses a talent for carving the local linder stone into intricate figures. He feels conflicted about his community's expectation that he work in the quarry instead of pursuing his artistic inclinations as a carver.

Britta is a fifteen-year-old lowlander sent to live with relatives in Mount Eskel. She joins the local girls at the academy, where her outsider status makes her a target for suspicion and prejudice. Despite initial misunderstandings about her background, she demonstrates a shy, kind disposition and struggles quietly with her reading lessons to avoid drawing attention to herself.

Olana is a royal tutor from the capital city of Asland, tasked with educating the eligible girls of Mount Eskel. She looks down on the mountain residents, viewing them as uncivilized compared to lowlanders. She runs her classroom with strict discipline, enforcing harsh punishments like withholding meals or locking disobedient students in a dark closet.

Katar is an older, highly ambitious girl from Mount Eskel attending the academy. Having lost her mother at birth and growing up with an emotionally distant father, she feels alienated from the village and desperately wants to be chosen as the princess to escape. She is intelligent and determined, frequently clashing with Miri for top academic standing.

Dan is the violent and opportunistic leader of a group of bandits operating in the region. Seeking to exploit the royal mandate, he targets the academy in hopes of securing a wealthy ransom, utilizing intimidation and physical force to control the isolated students and staff.

Steffan is the prince of Danland. Following a decree from the creator god's priests, he must select his future bride from the isolated mountain village of Mount Eskel. He remains an intimidating, distant figure to the academy girls as they study commerce, diplomacy, and etiquette to prepare for his eventual arrival and evaluation.

Laren is a quarrier in Mount Eskel and the widowed father of Miri and Marda. He stubbornly refuses to let Miri work in the linder quarry due to her small size, a protective decision rooted in past family tragedy that inadvertently makes her feel useless. He is a steadfast, hardworking man who cares deeply for his daughters' safety.

Marda is Miri's older sister. Because she is two months older than the prince, she is disqualified from attending the academy and remains in Mount Eskel to work in the quarry. She is hardworking and supportive, sharing a close bond with her younger sister despite their different daily routines.

Doter is a well-respected quarry woman in Mount Eskel and the mother of Peder and Esa. She possesses a deep understanding of the village's history and families, offering valuable context to Miri about the dangers of the quarry and the motivations behind her father's protective rules.

Esa is an academy student from Mount Eskel and Peder's sister. She has a permanently injured arm from a past quarry accident but remains a steady, compliant presence in the classroom. When faced with Olana's extreme punishments, she gradually finds her voice to protest unfair treatment alongside the other girls.

Gerti is a twelve-year-old girl from Mount Eskel and one of the youngest attendees at the academy. Timid and easily overwhelmed by the harsh new educational environment, she frequently relies on older girls like Miri for protection and guidance during difficult lessons.

Os is a prominent villager and leader in Mount Eskel. He acts as a spokesman during council meetings and negotiations with lowland traders, working to protect the village's interests and maintain order when royal soldiers arrive to enforce the academy mandate.

Enrik is a lowlander trader who exchanges goods for Mount Eskel's valuable linder stone. He acts as an economic gatekeeper for the village, shortchanging the mountain residents and resisting any attempts by the villagers to negotiate fairer wages for their hard labor.

Knut is a servant and cook at the lowland academy. Unlike the royal tutor, he does not look down on the mountain girls and treats them with basic kindness as he manages the building's daily upkeep and prepares their meals.

Frid is a sturdy mountain girl from Mount Eskel attending the academy. Accustomed to the hard physical labor of her home, she learns to navigate the strict etiquette and reading lessons mandated by the royal tutor while experiencing the luxury of fine dresses for the first time.

Bena is one of the eligible teenagers from Mount Eskel chosen for the princess academy. She participates in the grueling lessons and shares the collective homesickness of the mountain girls as they prepare for the prince's evaluation.

Liana is a village girl from Mount Eskel who attends the royal academy. Over time, she develops an unexpected interest in court etiquette and the finer points of lowland culture.