The Priory of the Orange Tree Characters

Annes Beck, Loth and Margret’s mother, is married to Lord Clarent Beck and was a former Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Rosarian. She’s a tall and beautiful Black woman who is humorously blunt and overbearing. She delights in planning Margret and Tharian Lintley’s entire wedding for them.

The Chief Officer is the highest-ranking Seiikinese official who oversees Orisima, a Mentish trading post. He likes to lord his power over those below him in status.

Katryen, or Kate, is one of Sabran’s Ladies of the Bedchamber. Lord Kitston is in love with her, though because he writes her using a pseudonym, she never discovers who her mysterious admirer is.

Lady Oliva is the Mother of the Maids. She oversees the maids of honor who work in Sabran’s household. Nosy, exacting, and somewhat bigoted, she was cruel to Ead when she was Ead’s supervisor, and she keeps close tabs on her charges.

Ishari was Tané’s childhood friend when they were both apprentices. Tané finds her disappointingly uninvested in her studies. Ishari is chosen to work as a scholar on Feather Island. She dies when fire-breathers attack, trying to save documents from destruction.

The Sea General is the highest-ranking dragonrider in the High Sea Guard. He oversees the water trials and helps select which apprentices will go to Feather Island, which will enter the High Sea Guard, and which will become dragonriders.

Onren is an apprentice who joins the High Sea Guard as a dragonrider alongside Tané. She often encourages Tané to relax and have more fun—she herself embarks on a romantic relationship with Kanperu during the water trials.

Kanperu is an apprentice who joins the High Sea Guard as a dragonrider, along with Tané and Onren. He and Onren begin a romantic relationship during the water trials.

Dumusa is an apprentice who joins the High Sea Guard as a dragonrider alongside Tané.

Oscarde is Jannart’s son and Truyde’s father. The ambassador to Inys from Mentendon, he’s jovial and kind.

Lady Linora Payling is a gossipy young woman who works in Queen Sabran’s household. She’s murdered when Sabran and Aubrecht process through Ascalon.

Estina Melaugo is the boatswain on the Rose Eternal, working under Captain Gian Harlowe.

Lady Arbella Glenn is one of Sabran’s Ladies of the Bedchamber, a role she also fulfilled for Queen Rosarian. After the trauma of watching Queen Rosarian die, Arbella doesn’t speak. An elderly woman, she dies in her sleep one night while in bed with Sabran.

Priessa is the Donmata Marosa’s closest and most trusted Lady of the Bedchamber. Though she pretends to have embraced the Nameless One, she’s still a firm believer in the Six Virtues and helps the Donmata Marosa lead a resistance movement within Yscalin.

The Grand Empress Dowager is the Unceasing Emperor’s grandmother—and she’s one of the people he trusts above all else. She gave him important advice on how to carve out some power for himself in a job that often seeks to disempower rulers in favor of greedy advisors.

The Mentish princesses Bedona and Bietriese are Ermuna and Aubrecht’s younger twin sisters. They attend Aubrecht and Sabran’s wedding in Inys.

High Princess Ermuna is Aubrecht’s younger sister. She rules Mentendon after Aubrecht dies. Though she helps Sabran track down much-needed information about Seiiki, she’s incensed about both Truyde’s unjust execution and Niclays’s overly long banishment. She gives Niclays permission to return to Mentendon without seeking Sabran’s approval.

Nairuj is a Red Damsel. She and Ead were rivals in childhood, but when they reconnect as adults, they’re friendly with each other. Mita tasks Nairuj with murdering Ead, but it’s implied that Nairuj uses a nonlethal dose of poison to spare Ead’s life.

Padar is the Golden Empress’s navigator. He completes and interprets the star charts that Niclays develops, leading the crew to Komoridu.

Ghonra is the captain of a ship in the Fleet of the Tiger Eye. The Golden Empress’s heir apparent, she accompanies the Golden Empress and others to Komoridu to find the mulberry tree.

Tulgus is the old cook at the Priory of the Orange Tree.

Bess Weald is a key player in the plot to murder Prince Aubrecht. She’s beheaded along with Truyde for her crimes.

Empress Mokwo ruled Seiiki more than a thousand years before the events of the novel. Little is known about her in the present, but one historical letter on Feather Island suggests she knew and communicated with Neporo.

The bonesinger is a grave attendant on Feather Island. He shows Tané to the caves containing information on Empress Mokwo.

Lady Nelda Stillwater is one of the Dukes Spiritual. She’s the Duchess of Courage and remains loyal to Sabran throughout Igrain Crest’s attempted power grab.

Pitosu Nadama is the leader of Seiiki. He pledges his forces to ally with Inys and the West to fight the Nameless One on the Abyss.

Sir Grance Lambren is a Knight of the Body who helps to protect Sabran and Aubrecht during their ill-fated procession through Ascalon. He dies in the ensuing fight.

Prince Edvart II was the former prince of Mentendon and is deceased in the novel’s present. He was friends with both Jannart and Niclays, though it’s unclear if he knew about their romantic relationship.

Lord Lemand Fynch is the Duke of Temperance and one of the Dukes Spiritual.

Ragab travels through the desert with Ead, telling her stories and keeping her company.

Kwiriki is the East’s primary dragon god. He was the first dragon to forge positive relationships with humans and to take one as his rider. His bones are supposedly at the bottom of the ravine that divides Feather Island.

The Imperial Dragon is the leader of the Lacustrine dragons. Her rider is the current Emperor or Empress of the Empire of the Twelve Lakes.

The Chieftain of Askrdal is a 70-year-old noble from the Kingdom of Hróth. Igrain Crest advocates unsuccessfully for Sabran to marry him.

Dame Joan is a Knight of the Body who’s imprisoned with Tharian Lintley. She helps Ead and Loth free Sabran and arrest Igrain Crest.

Dame Suzan is a Knight of the Body who’s imprisoned with Tharian Lintley. She helps Ead and Loth free Sabran and arrest Igrain Crest.

Sir Marke is a Knight of the Body who’s imprisoned with Tharian Lintley. He helps Ead and Loth free Sabran and arrest Igrain Crest.

Orsul is one of the five known High Westerns.

Valeysa is one of the five known High Westerns. She’s killed during the final battle with the Nameless One.

King Raunus is the king of the northern kingdom of Hróth. He is allied with Inys.

Norumo is Onren’s Seiikinese dragon.

King Jantar is the king of the Ersyr and is allied with Inys.

The Governor of Ginura is the head official in Seiiki’s capital city.

The Governor of Cape Hisan is the highest-ranking official in Seiiki’s Cape Hisan.

Parspa is a hawiz, a giant bird. She is the last known hawiz in existence. Chassar tamed her, so she’s loyal only to him.

Tallys is a kind scullery maid who works in Sabran’s palace. She helps Ead escape.

Sarsun is a sand eagle who serves Chassar.

Muste is Niclays’s apprentice on Orisima.

Panaya is Muste’s companion.