Lady Elizabeth Wallis is the daughter and political apprentice of the Earl of Stylhet. She is currently betrothed to King Alasdair V as part of a strategic alliance intended to unite the thrones of Dael Riata and Bernicia. Although presented as a 19-year-old “late bloomer,” she is an experienced 24-year-old hero who has been trained in the darker arts of statecraft.

They are in the story

• First appears: Arriving at the mouth of the River Reoch aboard a Bernician ship, preparing for her formal welcome to Dalreoch.
• Function: As the future Queen, she is a central figure in the King's plan to stabilise the realm and pursue his claim to the Bernician throne. She manages her own network of informers and serves as her father's apprentice.

Elizabeth is described as a polite and charming “model of a dutiful daughter,” though this masks her true depth as a political schemer. She is a powerful hero with a strong bloodline and advanced magical talents:

• Persistent Shaping: Inherited from her mother, this rare talent allows her to create real objects from her imagination that last indefinitely, unlike the temporary conjurations of her father.
• Shapeshifting: She can manifest distinct physical identities. Her secondary personas include “Lizzie,” a manipulative and power-adept version of herself, and “Jake,” a young man learning the arts of war and romance.
• Mental Talents: Like her father, she can sense unspoken motivations and has a magical talent for remaining unnoticed by others.

Because her different identities do not share a constant stream of memory, she and her personas must leave notes for each other to bridge the gaps in their experiences.

Notable people

• Bernard Wallis: Her father, mentor, and the Spymaster of Bernicia.
• King Alasdair V: Her fiancé; she noted him as being better looking than she had hoped upon their first meeting.
• Jill Pennyfeather: Her attendant, companion, and unofficial bodyguard, who is also a trained spy.
• May: Her practical 17-year-old maid who has worked with her for five years.
• Sir Iain Alpin: The Knight Commander of the Life Guard who serves as her formal escort in Dalreoch [18].

• Dalreoch: The Dael Riatan capital where she has arrived for her royal wedding [19, 20].
• stylhet: Her family's Earldom in Bernicia where she spent time at her father's country seat [10, 21].
• eastport: The Bernician port where she was born and where her father's rise to power began [5, 22].