Julien Moreau, also known as the diviner Miravi, serves as the novel’s primary antagonist. He is a complex and dynamic character whose descent into obsessive madness drives much of the central conflict. Initially appearing as a lost and amnesiac stranger who has spent two centuries in the Lost Lands, Moreau is a master of deception. This guise allows him to infiltrate Anne’s court and later ally himself with Marguerite of France, all while pursuing his singular, all-consuming goal: finding and ruling the lost city of Keris. As a powerful catoptromancer, a diviner whose magic is tied to mirrors and reflections, he creates illusions, travels unseen through shadows, and manipulates the perceptions of others. His formidable power represents the distorted and illusory nature of his ambition.

Arden uses the device of a prophecy that promises Moreau will wed a woman who will lead him to Keris as the motivation that drives his actions throughout the story. His quest reveals his deeply cruel and objectifying nature, viewing women as disposable tools to achieve his ends. He has married and murdered four previous wives when they failed to fulfill the prophecy, and his attempts to control first Anne and then Isabeau exemplify the objectification of women through conquest. Moreau’s madness intensifies as his plans are thwarted, raising the narrative stakes as his initial charm and feigned vulnerability give way to violent ambition. His inability to control Anne, who possesses a similar but more innate power, ultimately leads to his downfall at the hands of the ghosts of the wives he murdered.

Arden depicts Moreau as both a force of evil and a tragic figure warped by his own desires. His two centuries in the Lost Lands have unmoored him from human morality, leaving him with immense power but a fractured psyche. He acts as a dark reflection of Anne herself as both seek to rule a kingdom tied to ancient magic. However, while Anne’s power is rooted in responsibility and a desire to protect her people, Moreau’s is born of self-interest and entitlement. His sorcery, though powerful, is ultimately a corrupting force that leads him to a prison of his own making, forever trapped with the women whose lives he destroyed.

Louis of Orléans, Anne’s primary love interest, is a dynamic, round character who evolves from a cynical political prisoner into a figure of deep loyalty and self-sacrifice. When he’s first introduced, he has been freed from his prison in Bourges by Marguerite of France to serve her political ends: securing Anne’s marriage to the French king. Hardened by war and imprisonment, he initially approaches his task with a world-weary pragmatism, advising Anne to accept her fate and negotiate the best possible terms with France. He represents a shared childhood that Anne once idealized but exists in the novel’s present as a man forced to make bitter compromises for his own survival.

Louis’s transformation is catalyzed by his admiration for Anne’s courage and his reawakened sense of duty to her and her family. His decision to defy Marguerite and help Anne escape from Nantes acts as the turning point in his arc, pointing to The Relationship Between Integrity and Self-Sacrifice as a central theme in the novel. His loyalty to and growing love for Anne compels him to forfeit his freedom and risk his life for a cause he believes in, shifting his focus from self-preservation to Anne’s protection. Having chosen a side, Louis becomes Anne’s most steadfast protector and confidant, using his military skill and courtly knowledge to aid her. He is one of the few characters who sees and understands the true strength and intelligence beneath her often deceptive public persona.

His relationship with Anne develops from a rekindled friendship into a deep and complex romance that forces both characters to confront the conflict between personal desire and political duty. Louis respects Anne’s sovereignty and her capabilities, seeking to support rather than control her. When Anne embarks on her final quest into the Lost Lands, he follows, facing the illusions of the castle of Never-Was by her side. His willingness to support her claim as Queen of Keris, even as he leads her armies, emphasizes his character growth. He becomes a man who finds his purpose in serving a queen and a cause worthy of his loyalty.

Marguerite of France (whom the author’s afterword notes is a renamed version of the historical Anne of France) serves as the novel’s secondary antagonist. She is a static, round character who embodies the cold, calculating nature of imperial statecraft. As the brilliant former regent of France, her primary and unwavering motivation is the annexation of Brittany to consolidate the power of the French crown—a goal she pursues with relentless pragmatism. She perceives Anne as a political asset, a piece of territory to be won. Her strategy to humiliate Anne into submission through a public examination of her body despite her internal revulsion at the concept highlights a complex inner struggle between her own experiences as a woman, and her determination to accomplish her goal at any cost.

Unlike Moreau, whose power is magical, Marguerite’s power is entirely political. She’s intelligent, authoritative, and accustomed to wielding power in a world dominated by men. However, she is also unnerved and ultimately outmaneuvered by the forces of magic that she cannot comprehend or control. She initially dismisses the tales of unicorns and korrigan kings, but she is pragmatic enough to attempt to use them to her advantage when she witnesses Moreau’s power. Her temporary alliance with him is a calculated risk, but his madness and unpredictability prove to be a liability. Marguerite represents the world of political manipulation and control, which ultimately proves insufficient against the rise of ancient magic. Trapped by her own rational worldview, she’s unable to counter a power that operates outside the known rules of her political game.

Isabeau, Anne’s younger sister, is a key supporting character, representing the personal stakes of the narrative for the protagonist. As a duchess, Anne acts to protect the realm, but as a sister she acts to protect Isabeau. Characterized by her youthful impulsiveness and fierce devotion, Isabeau is more emotionally transparent than her politically savvy older sister. While Anne operates with careful calculation, Isabeau acts on raw feeling. She internalizes Anne’s lessons about the sacrifices required of royalty but interprets them with a child’s understanding of the consequences, which leads her to make rash decisions, such as when she offers herself in marriage to the korrigan king.

Like her sister, Isabeau demonstrates bravery and resourcefulness. Her impulsive decision to give Moreau the mirror from Brocéliande inadvertently accelerates the magical conflict, yet it is also her fierce courage that allows her to wound him with a sword in the chapel of Never-Was. Her relationship with Anne is the emotional core of the story. Anne’s desire to protect Isabeau from the harsh realities of their world is a primary motivation for all her political maneuvering. As the story progresses, Isabeau begins to mature, learning to temper her impulsiveness with a growing awareness of the dangers they face.

Henri, Anne’s half-brother, serves as her support system and protector. A static and flat character, Henri lacks his sister’s aptitude for statecraft but compensates with unwavering bravery and devotion. He readily participates in Anne’s schemes, whether it involves wearing a ridiculous hat to fool a French general or fighting korriganed in the Lost Lands. His role is to provide his strength and loyalty to Anne in a narrative landscape filled with political intrigue and deception. While he does not always understand Anne’s complex plans, his trust in her is absolute. His presence provides Anne with a reliable and uncomplicated source of support, a bastion of familial love in her otherwise fraught political life. His capture and subsequent rescue from the Lost Lands serve to further motivate Anne’s final confrontation with Moreau.

Jean de Rieux, Anne’s counselor and guardian, is a tragic figure who ultimately betrays her in a misguided attempt to keep her safe. Appointed by Anne’s father, Jean is deeply protective of his ward, but his approach is defined by caution and fear. He constantly worries about Anne’s bold plans and advises her against taking risks. This anxiety culminates in his decision to turn Anne over to Marguerite of France, choosing the known threat of French domination over the unpredictable menace of the korrigan king. His fatal flaw is a lack of courage and imagination, demonstrating the inadequacy of conventional thinking in a world where magic is real. His subsequent death by suicide emphasizes the weight of his choices.

Elesbed is a minor character who represents the common people of Brittany and their connection to the land’s ancient folklore. Rescued by Anne from a war-torn farm, she is a brave and resourceful orphan who possesses a practical wisdom and perspective on the world that the highborn characters lack. She instinctively understands the dangers of the Lost Lands and the korriganed, often acting as a source for forgotten lore. She forms a strong, sisterly bond with Isabeau and proves to be a fiercely loyal protector, biting Moreau to free Isabeau and later helping to rescue Henri from his enchantment. Her journey from a lonely orphan to a trusted member of the ducal household parallels Brittany’s own revitalization under Anne’s rule.