Line #89 Characters/ABrothersPrice


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	!The Whistlers
4
5	[[folder:In General]]
6	* AmazonBrigade: A family of Action Girls--every Whistler, including the boys, is trained to some degree in fighting. There's a mention once of "teams of little girls" loading and aiming rifles when they think someone's about to raid the house. And even more so than the current generation is their grandmothers, who were an AmazonBrigade of soldier-spies.
7	* DadTheVeteran: All of the Whistler grandmothers had been common-line soldiers, descended from soldiers, blacklisted for treason, cross-trained as thieves, and turning their hands to becoming spies. They passed their training on generationally, down to [[ChildSoldiers the littlest granddaughter]] so they're well able to defend their youngest and their menfolk. Thanks to the Whistler grandfather, Alannon, and his odd ideas, said menfolk were also somewhat trained. Jerin Whistler being an example of SilkHidingSteel can be laid at Alannon's feet.
8	* TheClan: They "split" a generation ago, so there's a whole other group of Southern Whistlers that get called on during the climax.
9	* ComingAndGoing: Mother Elder Whistler was in bed with her husband Tullen the night before he fell down the stairs and died. At least she has SomeoneToRememberHimBy, a baby boy and the last child she'll ever have.
10	* ConstantlyCurious: The little Whistler kids gleefully go through the luggage of their guests and plan to try and break open a locked portable desk. Their older sister Summer is aghast, but their family name was made in spycraft.
11	* FamilyOfChoice ({{Implied\|Trope}}): Eldest Whistler states that she believes the family is descended from a group like this.
12	-->'''Eldest Whistler''': After looking at my family records, I suspect my family started when a group of women banded together and called themselves sisters.
13	* GoodPaysBetter: Jerin's grandmothers were common thieves, until one of them was caught by some military official and argued that thieves would make excellent spies for the government. She succeeded, and after the war, the surviving sisters were knighted. The Whistlers are quite well off when the novel takes place, and while they do have the skills to be excellent thieves, they are firmly on the side of good and government.
14	* GunNut: Have this reputation locally, Captain Tern tells her princess that she suspects the girls get gun-shaped teething rings when they're tiny and start rifle training at eight. It may actually be earlier. However, the family itself is fairly varied.
15	* TheGunslinger: All of them. Jerin's twelve-year-old sister shoots some bandits, which doesn't surprise him much when he hears about it. Corelle later pulls off a difficult shot while under fire, taking out a conspiracy leader. The fact that they're considred skilled in a western-style world that values such things is telling..
16	* HiddenBackupPrince: {{Averted}} Jerin's grandfather was Prince Alannon, who was kidnapped by enemy spies (Jerin's grandmothers) before his branch of the family lost the CivilWar and was executed down to the littlest toddler. However, Alannon couldn't have inherited the throne, due to an inversion of HeirClubForMen, but might have been executed, too, so he saw little use in revealing his identity. Jerin, on the other hand, does profit from his ancestry: [[spoiler:It makes him a SuddenlySuitableSuitor to the princesses, who are descended from the branch of the family that won the war.]]
17	* HiddenWeapons: every member of the Whistler family is heavily armed, though not ''all'' weapons are hidden. Jerin, as a boy, would not normally be armed, so people are quite surprised that he has a gun. And a dagger. And some lockpicks.
18	* HoldYourHippogriffs: The Whistlers have a family-specific saying, including variations on "Catch a shining coin."
19	* ICanChangeMyBeloved: Jerin's grandfather Alannon apparently succeeded in changing his wives, but they were just a little rough around the edges to begin with, and he mainly taught them proper diction, table manners and so on. And he wasn't delusional enough to do it voluntarily, he was kidnapped by them, they wanted a husband and did everything in their power to make him comfortable. Averted with Jerin himself, who, when considering the prospect of having to marry the Brindle sisters, thinks that he might be able to make some changes to their home to make himself more comfortable, but that he'll still have to live with their personalities.
20	* IcyBlueEyes: Most of the Whistlers are blue-eyed, and [[CoolBigSis Eldest]] in particular is alert and calculating and it shows. Not much gets past her.
21	* {{Plunder}: In the backstory, the Whistler grandmothers sneak into the palace of the Queens of Southland on reconnaissance near the end of the war, and while there they liberate some impressively elegant cutlery, jewelry, and the almost-old-enough-to-marry Prince Alannon in a bathrobe. He was not happy about this, but since the war ended and his mothers, father, and sisters were [[LeaveNoSurvivors executed for treason]], he [[AMatchMadeInStockholm made the best of things]], getting his new wives to build him a bathhouse.
22	* LamarckWasRight: They border on this. Sure, the grandmothers were spies and passed the knowledge on. Still, the fact that even the toddler sisters can professionally search guests' luggage (including the locked chests) for anything suspicious without being noticed, strongly suggests that, at the very least, natural selection was at work. [[spoiler: And of course, there's Jerin, whose only experience with subterfuge is trying to get his sisters to do a part of the housework. When he's kidnapped, he instantly applies his knowledge to outwitting the kidnappers, with considerable success.]]
23	* LittleMissBadass: Once they're above eight or so, the little Whistler girls all get training to be this. They were given [[ChildSoldiers soldier training]] to better protect themselves and their brothers while their elders are gone. When a shot rings out outside of the house, the littlest ones and the boys stream in first and their slightly older siblings follow "doing a slower rear guard, scanning over their shoulders for lost siblings or strangers." Teams of mixed-age little girls load and aim rifles. Twelve-year-old Blush directs the proceedings, though she does falter a little when someone actually knocks on the door. Heria, at fourteen, is more sure of herself.
24	** They also get training in espionage and thievery, the little girls report to Jerin what they found in the Queen's Justice saddlebags.
25	* LittleMissSnarker: The littlest Whistlers don't show this, but twelve-year-old Blush has a very sardonic remark about seventeen-year-old Corelle when she comes back from courting Balin Brindle.
26	* MilitaryBrat: They're descended from soldiers-turned-thieves-turned-spies. The "original" Whistlers involved in the [[CivilWar War of the False Eldest]] numbered thirty, but only ten survived to marry and became the grandmothers of the stories' crop. They passed a lot on to their children. Eldest Whistler, their oldest grandchild, expresses an interest in helping the Queens' Justice, a kind of army branch, due to her upbringing.
27	* MasterOfUnlocking: The entire family given that their grandmothers were soldiers turned thieves turned spies, the little ones look through the lockboxes of military officers and even Jerin gets in on the action.
28	* NobleFugitive: Alannon, sort of. He didn't flee on his own accord, but was abducted from the castle when it was under siege. After his family was executed, there was a search for him, but he didn't see a point in revealing his identity, and chose to stay with his [[TheKindnapper kidnappers]], who treated him well and catered to his every whim. (They were working for the enemy, but had their own agenda, which was getting a husband. Alannon fit the job description, and might have ended up dead or [[AFateWorseThanDeath worse]] if discovered by their superiors, so they just [[AbductionIsLove took him for themselves.]])
29	* NoodleIncident: The treasonous activity that their great grandmother Elder did is never elaborated on, nor are most of their wartime exploits that reduced their numbers to a third.
30	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The mother Whistlers do punish Corelle for making many stupid decisions but they give her a chance to ''learn'' from those mistakes, recognizing her strength of character and natural independence as responsible for these missteps.
31	* ThievesCant: The Whistlers are fluent in thieves' cant, due to their grandmothers having been thieves, they still use a version of it to communicate.
32	* WalkingArmory: Another Whistler habit that leads to an ExtendedDisarming scene when the sisters escorting Jerin visit the royal palace, and decide to ''really'' disarm, out of respect for their hosts. They have mostly guns, but also concealed knives, knuckledusters and garrotes. This isn't counting the rifles in their luggage.
33	** Apparently all the Whistlers go out armed like this.
34	** By standards of the world, Jerin is also this given he has a ChastityDagger and a little concealable gun. Just in case.
35	* WartimeWedding: The Whistler grandmothers married grandfather shortly after the War of the False Eldest. This is the reason why [[spoiler: their bridegroom's ancestry is not mentioned in the papers, and only few know that he was actually a prince of the realm]]
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Eldest]]
39	!!Eldest Whistler
40	* AloofBigSister: ({{Zigzagg\|ingTrope}}ed): Both played straight and subverted--it comes with being Eldest, but she has softer moments at well, and is intensely loyal to her family.
41	* BigSisterInstinct: Particularly protective of [[NonActionGuy Jerin]] and her younger sisters, even if they're technically half-siblings their society makes no distinction. When Jerin gets married this attitude extends to her new sisters-in-law -- as she declares, "We Whistlers have an unbreakable rule -- you mess with one of us, [[BigDamnHeroes you mess with us all!]]" This is quite a turnaround as before when she believes he was raped by the crown princess Ren, she plamned to kill the woman but is enough of a ReasonableAuthorityFigure to listen to him.
42	* CallOnMe: On his wedding day, she tells her brother that their family will always be there for him if he needs them.
43	-->'''Eldest''': Chin up. Eyes front. Show no fear. You're a Whistler--and your family will always be there if you need us.
44	* EffortlessAmazonianLift: After returning to the apartment after a reconnisance mission went deadly Jerin gives his sister as she comes through the door, and responds by returning it, picking him up and walking him through back into the suite.
45	** With Cullen--it's the first time Jerin's seen his sister blush.
46	* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Ren finds Eldest Whistler almost as striking and beautiful as her brother Jerin.
47	* HandOnWomb: [[spoiler:Upon their arrival at Jerin's wedding, Cullen is seen doing this to Eldest Whistler.]]
48	* MyBiologicalClockIsTicking ({{Downplayed\|Trope}}): Eldest Whistler, twenty-eight years old, would like to have one child before menopause. Having seen her mothers pregnant she's aware that sometimes they seem miserable, other times they almost glow, and she wants to experience it once.
49	-->'''Eldest''': I'm glad that we're able to afford more than one husband. I'd hate it if I had to wait a whole month for one night of pleasure, and only twelve chances a year to catch a baby. Years go quickly when measured in twelve days. I don't have many years left before my time of change comes.\
50	'''Jerin''': I didn't think you'd like having babies.\
51	'''Eldest''': ''[shrugs]'' I'd like to have at least one, to see what it was like. Our mothers seemed so miserable pregnant--puking in the morning, bloated up like something dead left in the sun too long, and waddling around like a force-fed goose. ''[mimics the walk]'' I don't know why anyone would want to live through it. Yet, at times, it seems like that's when they were the happiest. They'd get that smug, satisfied smile, and practically glow. ''[reflects a moment, and then nods]'' I think one baby will be enough to leave me content, more than happy for my sisters to bear the rest.
52	* TakeAThirdOption: In regards to [[spoiler:Eldie at the end]].
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Jerin]]
56	!!Jerin Whistler
57	* BleedEmAndWeep: [[spoiler:Does not take his first kill very well at all.]]
58	* ButIWouldReallyEnjoyIt: Cira and Jerin, up until the very end.
59	* ComfortingComforter: Jerin carries a wounded soldier to the family farm, and tucks her in, in his sister Corelle's bed, to take revenge on Corelle for not being there, as would be her duty. It still emphasizes his caring, nurturing personality, which makes him attractive to potential wives… [[FlorenceNightingaleEffect and the soldier herself, Odelia]].
60	* ContrivedClumsiness: When Jerin gets disarmed and his lockpicks confiscated. He "accidentally" blunders into the woman who took his derringer and palms it with sleight of hand while she [[EatingTheEyeCandy enjoys it]], then repeats the "mistake" with the woman who took his lockpicks.
61	* CrushBlush: He blushes profusely at thoughts of Ren, and especially at innuendo. He's blushy in general, once flushing after a bath is prepared for him because of the idea that strangers have paid that much attention to a place where he is to be naked. He's complimented on it by Lylia.
62	* DeliberatelyCuteChild: He deliberately starts using childish words [[spoiler:when he's kidnapped]], in order to make himself seem more harmless. He's 15, but boys are extremely culturally sheltered so it's somewhat believable., especially to people who don't know him. He never tries to pull this off in front of his own family, probably because they were all taught by the same spying grandmothers.
63	* DistressedDude: Jerin, several times. He's not entirely helpless in these situations, but he'd have been in very bad shape without assistance. On the other hand, his resourcefulness and unusual skills seriously impress Cira.
64	** [[DamselOutOfDistress Dude Out of Distress]]: When he's taken captive, his own skills and his initiative are vitally important to effecting his escape.
65	* TheDutifulSon: Jerin in spades; he cooks, he cleans, he takes care of his little sisters and brothers and he worries about making a good marriage that will benefit his family.
66	* EverythingsSparklyWithJewelry: He owns [[MementoMacGuffin one piece of jewelry passed down from his grandfather]]. Ren sees it and believes it's the ''Emerald Hart'', which was worn by the Prince Alannon when he was abducted.
67	* FarmBoy: Is introduced on the farm he's lived all his life, which he leaves relatively early in the plot. He has a storied ancestry, his grandmothers helped win a CivilWar, [[spoiler: and stole his grandfather a prince during it.]]
68	* FriendToAllChildren: Jerin is good with kids but doesn't let them walk all over him, even the little princesses, which makes him look that much more suitable as a husband.
69	* GainingTheWillToKill: [[spoiler:After he was kidnapped, his rescuer is almost killed by the kidnappers so he has to step in. He doesn't like it, but makes no resolution to not do it again, either.]]
70	* GibberishOfLove: Poor Jerin manages to stay on topic when ambushed by a princess, but he still babbles and knows it.
71	* HatesBaths: The younger sisters are very unhappy when bath day is announced. Could be partly due to the fact that they have no running water and have to carry it to the tub in buckets.
72	* IdenticalGrandson: Jerin resembles his grandfather enough to prove that they're related. Apparently, that's where Jerin gets his good looks from.
73	* InnocentBlueEyes: A excellent example, He's ''very'' innocent, and prone to [[CrushBlush blushing]]. While not as sheltered as most boys in his culture he is by most western standards.
74	* [[LettingHerHairDown Letting His Hair Down]]: Jerin usually keeps his hair in a practical braid. He gets to "let it down" at a royal ball, where it is decorated with flowers and jewelery, and arranged so that it cascades down over his shoulders. [[spoiler: There's also the incident when Princess Lylia talks him into kissing her. She undoes his braid, a physical symbol of the unchaste act she got him to commit. Princess Ren re-braids it later, after scolding Lylia.]]
75	* LikeADuckTakesToWater: He's a country bumpkin, and when he receives an invitation to spend some time at the royal palace, he is bored at first, because there is absolutely nothing to do. Then, as tends to happen in such novels, he finds out about an intrigue against the royal family, and puts to use his hobbies, which include code-breaking and [[spoiler:lockpicking]], as some of his ancestors were spies and the family upholds traditions.
76	* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Is the last one to be told that [[spoiler:Princess Ren]] intends to make an offer for his hand in marriage. Justified in that it is a very good match, more than he could hope for, and no one wants to get his hopes up in case it doesn't work out in the end.
77	* LongHairedPrettyboy: His hair is long enough to be braided, and he dresses well. Almost all women who are not related to him make at least one comment on how pretty he is. Paying lots of attention to his appearance is part of his culture, but the beautiful face is genetic.
78	* MarryForLove: What Jerin really wants is to marry into a family he'll love instead of simply enduring. [[spoiler:He gets his wish, falling in love with all the princesses.]]
79	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Given that men are rare and considered more emotionally fragile and less intelligent and driven than women. [[spoiler:When kidnapped and tied to a bed, Jerin tries to take advantage of this by whining and using the 'baby words' of bodily functions to make it easier to believe that he's too helpless to try and escape.]]
80	* ObliviouslyBeautiful: At the beginning of the novel at least. This is mostly due to his being extremely sheltered -- his sisters would not approve of strange women telling him that he's pretty, and he doesn't see many men to whom he could compare himself. Only when his old teacher warns him to not walk around unveiled on the ship on which they are traveling, as some women could be tempted to abduct him, does he realize that he is not just average-looking.
81	* PromotionToParent: When his father Tullen Whistler née Beawater dies, Jerin steps into the child-nurturing and house-tending role, and does well at it, since he'd been helping and learning from his father all along. The downside is that when they hear he's leaving to be married, his youngest sisters react as if losing another father.
82	* SecurityCling: Near the climax Jerin is trying to escape on horseback. A woman on another horse comes up alongside, grabs him by the waist, and tries to jerk him onto her horse. He could fall to the ground and possibly be trampled, or he could end up in front of her on the saddle; to his shame, his body chooses the latter and he clings to her, terrified.
83	* SerialRomeo: He falls in love easily and frequently. Luckily for Jerin, all of the women whom he gets attracted to [[spoiler:turn out to be the royal princesses]].
84	* SexGod: Jerin's father and grandfather considered it advisable to give him tips on how to keep all his spouse happy given he's societally to marry all the sisters in a family too. [[spoiler: His wives, who are not at all inexperienced, are indeed very happy with his skills.]]
85	* SilkHidingSteel: Prince Alannon passed it down to him.
86	* TechnicalVirgin: Jerin after being seduced by Ren. He has angst over it, worrying if it means his mouth isn't virgin now, or if it's a whole package deal. Deconstructed during an STD scare, when they realize that it ''could'' be enough for him to get infected.
87	* TenderTears: Jerin cries several times over the course of the book.
88	* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Tomgirl And Girly Boy -- Jerin and Cullen. Cullen, despite growing among the noble folk is rather wild and contemptuous of the rules. He's bored and longs to do more adventurous things, like riding a horse. Jerin in turn, who's grown up in a farm and got to do such "unladylike" things in his life, is much more proper and calm.
89	* TrouserSpace: Where he keeps his lockpicks, and apparently his ChastityDagger, though he can remove that without too much indecency.
90	* UnderestimatingBadassery: While his kidnappers are clever enough to search Jerin for hidden weapons, and even find his set of lockpicks. They still end up underestimating him, as he [[spoiler: pretends to stumble against them, and steals his stuff back just moments after they took it.]]
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Corelle]]
94	!!Corelle Whistler
95	-->''"Either Corelle, Heria, or Blush will be Mother Eldest for the younger sisters. You can't make good decisions as an adult if you were never allowed to make any decisions while you were a child. Now is the time for Corelle to learn from her mistakes. [...] Where Corelle leaves, the others follow. We only need to teach her to lead wisely."''
96	--->--'''Mother Eldest'''
97	* BigSisterBully: Corelle is nasty toward Jerin in the first chapter--but then she's suffering from teenage hormones for the BoyNextDoor. She gets better.
98	* BigSisterInstinct: While all of Jerin's sisters are like this to some degree, even those younger then him, Corelle is also this despite the above trope.
99	* BlackSheep: Definitely, but handled constructively, instead of side-lining her the mothers recognize a strong character under her {{Jerkass}}ery, decide it's vital for the family's interests, and straighten her up. After having her give away some of her favorite possessions first.
100	* DisappointedInYou: Corelle's punishment for irresponsible behavior is very calmly delivered. The Whistlers don't yell at kids or beat them... they just strip Corelle of all possessions she doesn't need to survive. As they're not rich, and are a large family, Corelle doesn't have much to begin with, but it's still a harsh punishment.
101	* HypocriticalHeartwarming: Corelle has lots of complaints regarding her brother Jerin. He talks too posh, he doesn't wear the right clothes ... but when some woman dares imply that Jerin would be ''lucky'' if a noblewoman like her would deign to marry him, Corelle is enraged. Justified in that this is an insult to (social standing of) the whole family, but it's also clear that Corelle won't let someone outside the family insult her brother.
102	* IdiotBall: Corelle starts the story grabbing this and running. "My mothers and elder sisters are away, and told me to not leave the farm, not even to mend the fence ... guess what, I'll go and visit the neighbor boy, and take the other middle sisters with me ... after all, what could ''possibly'' go wrong?" Yeah. What could happen is that some bandits who have no qualms about killing men pass by, and Corelle's innocent virgin brother has to go out, only guarded by a preteen sister, and carry a strange woman who was wounded by the bandits to safety.
103	* JerkAss: She gets better later, but her personality remains on the rougher side. Her default conversation tends to be acerbic.
104	* LiterallyLovingThyNeighbor: Corelle has a crush on Balin Brindle, the neighbor boy, even growing her hair out for him. Many of her sisters don;t get what she sees in him.
105	* MiddleChildSyndrome: Corelle seems to have a bad case of this. The idea that she will be the Eldest to the younger sisters helps her get better.
106	* NaughtyIsGood: {{Justified}} She has the strength of personality to get her sisters to join her in doing things they're not supposed to. She is severely punished for leaving the family farm unprotected, but it is mentioned that she is to be raised as a future leader of a family unit, because her strength of character, together with some more commonsense she still has to gain, will make for a good authority figure.
107	* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: When left in charge of the family farm while the mothers and elder sisters are away. Corelle chooses to do the one thing she was not allowed to do: leave the farm unguarded while she visits the pretty son of their neighbors. When the actual authorities return, they are ''not'' amused.
108	* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: None of her siblings can understand what she sees in Balin Brindle, who is fat and ugly like the rest of his family and implied to be sleeping with his mothers, she claims he has beautiful eyes. Her mothers hope that she’ll see there are more worthwhile men than him. [[spoiler: Considering her oldest brother is married to the princesses and her older sisters are married to the princesses’ full cousin, she probably will]].
109	[[/folder]]
110	[[folder:Summer]]
111	!!Summer Whistler
112	* BeautyIsBest: Jerin considers her the most beautiful of his older sisters which is why he recommends her for the group going to Mayfair, she likely is given no one gainsays his estimate.
113	* CoolBigSis: Not to the extent of Eldest but she's the one that sends candy back to her youngest sisters and is always there for Jerin to talk to about his fears.
114	* TheHeart: Does the most to keep the four Whistlers together during their adventures in Mayfair.
115	* NamesToTrustImmediately: She's very sweet, and Jerin considers her the prettiest of his sisters, arguing that they want the future husband to consent to the match, best foot forward and all that right? Granted, he could just be saying this because he likes her and going to the city would be fun for her.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Heria]]
119	!!Heria Whistler
120
121	The eldest of Jerin's younger sisters, who is very willful and WiseBeyondTheirYears
122	----
123	* HotBlooded: She is quick to grumble about things she dislikes or tattle on sisters who annoy her, spends a solid minute swearing after one of her younger sisters won't let her inside without a password, and eagerly grabs her rifle and marches off to investigate when she hears suspicious noises in the nearby woods.
124	* PragmaticHero: She is a decent person, but she's not above snooping through guests' belongings to learn more about them and mainly argues in favor of rescuing Odelia due to the legal penalties the family might face for failing to save her.
125	* SmallRoleBigImpact: She disappears from the story after Jerin leaves for the capital barely a quarter of the way through book, but she is the one to rescue Odelia from the raiders, bringing the Whistlers and the Royals into contact and setting the plot into motion.
126	[[/folder]]
127	----
128
129	!The Royal Family
130	[[folder:In General]]
131	* EmasculatedCuckold: {{Gender Inverted\|Trope}} and PlayedForDrama, with [[spoiler:Keifer cheating on his royal wives in his bed in the palace, with his ''own sister'']].
132	* GuessWhoImMarrying: The IdiotBall was held by the siblings, not the parents, with regards to marrying Keifer. The Porters did everything they could to make it happen, including extramarital visits by Eldest. [[spoiler: Keifer turned out to be a SelfDisposingVillain but he took out quite a few family members, including the Eldest Princess and Eldest Porter thanks to his stupidity.]]
133	* IWantGrandkids: Queen Elder explicitly tells the protagonists that her family's numbers are reduced, and she wants grandchildren. Justified in that she is one of the Queens, and there need to be heirs of the throne. She doesn't pester her daughters about this, though - they know what is expected of them.
134	* LifeSavingMisfortune: Three of the four older sisters who survived the opera bombing all only did so due to circumstances that would have otherwise been completely unpleasant: Odelia being grounded for a minor act of misbehavior, Trini being bedridden after Keifer beat her, and Ren getting upset because the opera performance was based on a dark moment in her family's history and running outside crying.
135	* ModestRoyalty: For the entire family really. Odelia gets mistaken for a common soldier on first acquaintance and the rest of the royal family seems to dress like this, too, as no [[LawOfConservationOfDetail explicit mention is made of extravagant dresses]]. It was even a major source of friction with Keifer when he wanted extravagant private rooms.
136	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Queens don't do much, being largely retired, but all the princesses are highly active in the running of the kingdom. Much of what they do is political, even the youngest princess is expected to attend when they sit in judgment at the royal courthouse, but two of them start off the book trying to help part of the armed forces track down some stolen experimental cannons. Further, the adult sisters have dedicated offices where they seem to spend a good deal of time.
137	* {{Significant Green Eyed Redhead}}s: From the very beginning, you can tell the girl they found in the creek is important because of her coloring. In fact their hair coloring is called "Royal red" only half in jest.
138	* VerbalJudo: Comes with the territory of being a politically active royal. When Princess Ren hears that the Whistler family, who saved her little sister, has been found to be armed up to the teeth (though they ''did'' turn in all of their weapons), she tells a servant to make sure her mothers know that Jerin was in incredible danger just a short time ago, to make them look like innocent victims, anxious for the safety of their brother, instead of the BadassFamily they are.
139	** They show this in arguments between themselves and their mothers too, such as when discussing the possibility of marrying Jerin.
140	* UnexpectedSuccessor: The royal family traditionally rules as a unit (especially after the last time they tried to "split" the royal family as some large families do, two generations back, led to civil war). Nevertheless, the Eldest of their family, like any other family in this setting, holds particular authority. When ''ten'' of their older sisters are killed in a theater explosion, all of them are given a step up in importance especially Ren being thrust into the role of Eldest without having been raised to prepare for it. There's the expected drama about her being an InadequateInheritor, made worse that the vanished Halley is seen as a better fit.
141	* {{Violently Protective Girlfriend}}s: Kidnapping Jerin angers all the adult princesses, who nearly get into a brawl in public over who's going to do what to rescue him.
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Ren]]
145	!!Princess Rennsellaer
146	* TheChainsOfCommanding: {{Justified}} Ren isn't really keen on all the responsibility that comes with being Eldest as she hadn't been born nor raised to that role, so she's having a hard time adjusting. Her sister Halley, who was more respected, vanished and left her to do the job, but they both were born as younger sisters and didn't expect to ever have to shoulder that much responsibility. [[spoiler: Halley later reveals that she vanished on purpose, at least partly in order to make people look up to Ren more.]]
147	* CoolAunt: Ren is this for little Eldie Porter, who calls her "Auntie Ren". Ren is a princess, which [[PrincessPhase makes her even cooler.]]
148	* FlashbackNightmare: Ren dreams sometimes about the moments before -- and just after -- a theater exploded. Sometimes they're AnxietyDreams and details are mixed around, new characters added, but other times they're pretty true to life. [[spoiler:They were under control until Halley leaving started them up again.]]
149	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Odelia and Ren. Odelia is happy-go-lucky and would rather kiss pretty boys than take up any royal duties, while Ren--not so above kissing pretty boys herself--is a ProperLady.
150	-->'''Ren''': I'm frightened for your life and you're ogling farmers' husbands?
151	* HatDamage: Princess Ren [[DivingSave gets tackled]] by Eldest Whistler and saved from a BoobyTrap; her hat is less fortunate.
152	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: If Ren hadn’t confronted [[spoiler: Kij about Keifer’s lover, The Porters would have been none the wiser, and could have been quietly rounded up after Eldest Whistler’s letter identified them as the culprits.]]
153	* QuestionableConsent: her first face-to-face encounter with Jerin, 15, as he's trying to get a midnight snack, has her kissing and groping him despite his initial reluctance. Although she stops just shy of intercourse (because it would be rude to do so in his mothers' home) and Jerin later tearfully tells his eldest sister he enjoyed it, the latter rightfully reminds him the woman should have stopped at his first no.
154	* ReluctantRuler: PlayedWith, she always knew she was to be one of the queens and she seemed to have accepted that, what she didn’t expect was to end up their leader after her older sisters died and Halley ran away.
155	%% * TraumaInducedAmnesia: Ren forgot for some years what, exactly, happened before the explosion that killed most of her family. Then she has a nightmare, which she can remember afterwards, and realizes that this was what happened - her sister said something like "I wished he was dead" about Keifer, who was inside the building, too. This serves to explain why Halley, who ran away to find the culprits for the death of their family, is so obsessed about it; she needs to get rid of her feelings of guilt about those words.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Halley - Beware of unmarked spoilers!]]
159	!!Princess Halley[=/=][[spoiler:Cira]]
160	* BeneficialAbandonment: A sororal variation [[spoiler:Halley was the natural leader of the surviving princesses, but she wasn't the eldest -- and by the traditions of this world, the eldest ''has'' to rule the family; especially the royal family, which has a recent tradition of turning into a CivilWar over this point. Halley disappeared BecauseYouCanCope and to try and force her eldest to step up and take more responsibility.]]
161	* ButIWouldReallyEnjoyIt: [[spoiler:Cira and Jerin, up until the very end.]]
162	* ChekhovMIA: Princess Halley is conspicuously absent for most of the book, [[spoiler:until it's revealed she was Cira all along.]]
163	* CoveredWithScars: Cira only has one visible on her face, but they're also all over her back, just covered by her coat.
164	* DyeOrDie: [[spoiler:To keep the SignificantGreenEyedRedhead thing from letting anyone know she's royal]].
165	* ExactWords: Cira tells a group of women intending to group together to start a new family of "sisters", which she's been invited to join, that she's "done second in line" and that "some" felt she "was usurping my sister's authority", so she left. Details she's leaving out include that she's Halley, currently, the second eldest living princess, behind Ren, that she was the natural leader of her age group among her sisters, and that ''she'' was the one who felt she was getting in the way of her current Eldest's authority, since most found it more natural to look to the more dominant Halley for leadership over the less confident Ren.
166	* FreakinessShame: [[spoiler:Doesn't like the scars she's collected from the theater bombing even confessing her belief that she's repulsive thanks to said scars. Her female lover refused to touch her after she was scarred. Jerin says different and actually believes it as he thought the scars gave her otherwise plain face character when she first saw her.]]
167	* GoodScarsEvilScars: [[spoiler:Cira has an enormous silvery scar on her face that healed well, so it's not raised. She also has similar scars all over her body. In-story she's seen as ambiguous for quite some time, and it turns out that she's the missing princess.]]
168	* GladToBeAliveSex: [[spoiler:Cira tries to invoke this with Jerin after a narrow escape from death but he refuses given he's engaged to the princesses, and is ignorant of her real identity.]]
169	* GuileHero: The reason why she is tipped to be the leader of the sisters with the death of their sister Eldest. She proves this by going undercover with no backup into the underworld to find her families killers.
170	* HaveIMentionedIAmGay: Cira mentions her girlfriend, who left her some time ago. Later on, she again refers to said girlfriend to emphasize that she's really, really gay. [[spoiler: She just pretends, because some women want to rape Jerin, and she wants to take the fun out of [[ForcedToWatch making her watch.]] She's actually bi, and eagerly kissed Jerin earlier.]]
171	* IAmNotPretty: [[spoiler:Cira has a prominent scar on her face, and under her clothing she is CoveredWithScars. She doesn't find herself attractive, and mentions a lover who had lost interest in her after she acquired those scars. Jerin thinks she would be plain and unremarkable unscarred, but the scars [[FreakinessShame add character and boldness]] to her appearance.]]
172	* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Cira says this a couple of times [[spoiler: while rescuing Jerin from kidnappers, some of whom she kills]]. She would, of course, normally not have exposed a delicate young man to such cruelty. In the backstory, some princesses, after seeing a play about a civil war, at the end of which ''toddlers'' were executed, reason that their ancestors did what they had to do, as any survivors would have led to a [[YouKilledMyFather You Killed My Mother]] situation. [[spoiler: That said, when faced with a similar decision at the end, they ultimately choose to TakeAThirdOption to avoid either option.]]
173	* IWishedYouWereDead ({{Zigzagg\|ingTrope}}ed): Halley said she wished Keifer was dead the moment before a bomb went off in the theater he--and several of her older sisters--were inside of. Zigzagged in that she really did wish ''he'' was dead, but felt awful about her sisters getting killed too.
174	* RuggedScar: This captures her character very well, given the scar that goes across her face, the hidden ones on her back and her tough-as-nails demeanor.
175	* StrongFamilyResemblance: [[spoiler:Being the only princess to avert this trope, using DyeOrDie to occlude the SignificantGreenEyedRedhead thing, is what helps sell Cira as a different person then Halley otherwise she doesn't look much like her sisters.]]
176	** [[spoiler:Played straight though with her cousins. After she reveals her true identity to Jerin, he realizes that she looks just like the Moorlands and she must’ve taken after their father.]]
177	* WhatBeautifulEyes: When Jerin first sees Cira, he's struck first by the scar on her face, then by the fact that it gives her face a degree of character and boldness that it otherwise lacks, and ''then'' she lifts his veil:
178	--> Her eyes were green, green and changing as summer wheat, one moment dark as velvet, next light as silk, with long thick dark eyelashes. Gorgeous eyes. How could he have thought her plain with such eyes?
179	[[/folder]]
180
181	[[folder:Odelia]]
182	!!Princess Odelia
183	-->''In this remarkable house, instead of lying dead in woods, her charmed younger sister found refuge. It figured. Ren laughed aloud as it occurred to her how typical the event was of Odelia's life.''
184	--->--'''Ren'''
185	* DamselInDistress: The first major action Jerin takes is to go out, pick the princess Odelia up out of a river, and carry her home. His sister Heria found her but wasn't big or old enough to carry her so far herself, and sending out the other middle sisters to get her would leave the boys and the littlest girls mostly unprotected, so Jerin went with Heria to protect him.
186	* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: Odelia feigns being more badly hurt than she actually is out of a hope for Jerin to keep tending her, fantasizing about stealing a kiss from him. She later mentions how good he was at comforting her when she first woke up.
187	-->'''Ren''': Odelia, I can't believe you were beaten half to death, left to drown, and all you're concerned about is the handsome son of poor landed gentry.\
188	'''Odelia''': I'm still alive. The bruises will heal. Why dwell on the past? The future holds the chance to steal a kiss or two from the prettiest man I've ever seen my whole life. [...] Maybe he'll come check on the poor unconscious princess. Don't tell them I woke up.
189	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Odelia and Ren. Odelia is happy-go-lucky and would rather kiss pretty boys than take up any royal duties, while Ren--not so above kissing pretty boys herself--is more of a ProperLady.
190	-->'''Ren''': I'm frightened for your life and you're [[EatingTheEyeCandy ogling]] farmers' husbands?
191	* LoveAtFirstSight: Odelia sees Jerin's face for some seconds when (after she was unconscious for a time) she opens her eyes, and he murmurs something comforting. That's enough to make her decide that she must, if not more, at least get a kiss from him. {{Justified\|Trope}} by the lack of men, and Jerin ''is'' rather pretty. It's left unclear how strong her feelings are, exactly (not that she'd be able to judge it, she can't have much experience with love), but she's willing to pretend unconsciousness, which must be quite boring, in the hopes that [[FlorenceNightingaleEffect he will spend more time with her.]]
192	* PlotArmor: InUniverse, Ren remarks that Odelia seems to have this. She gets beat over the head with an iron rod, very nearly killed and left for dead, then rescued by the grandchildren of knights and their beautiful brother, and Ren says that's about typical of Odelia's luck.
193	* UndressingTheUnconscious: Had to be undressed while unconscious after she's picked up from the river by Jerin, as her wet clothes could get her sick.
194	* YouAreInCommandNow: When Ren goes off to save Jerin she swats Odelia and appoints her Eldest while she's gone. Odelia is not happy about this.
195	[[/folder]]
196
197	[[folder:Trini]]
198	!!Princess Trini
199	-->''Ren had no fears that Trini could act as Elder Judge; her sister was quietly stubborn--no one would be able to bully Trini into a decision.''
200	--->--'''Ren's''' thoughts on her sister.
201	* CassandraTruth: She was the only one of the princesses who saw Keifer as the monster he was and tried to block the marriage, but as she was only thirteen at the time, she was overruled.
202	* DefrostingIceQueen
203	* DoesNotLikeMen: For ''very'' good reason. This unfortunately places her in conflict with her sisters, since they want to marry Jerin and she doesn't want to marry at all.
204	* HoldingHands: What happens when Trini finally warms a bit to Jerin.
205	* NeverBeHurtAgain: Trini's reluctance to marry again is part of a larger coping mechanism.
206	* KindnessButton: She's rude to Jerin at first, but turns out to be very altruistic when she thinks he is in danger.
207	** The moment that first seems to soften her impression of him is when the family is discussing what to do with the late king consort's clothes. Jerin suggests sending them to his own family, either to repurpose into items for the younger sisters or to provide Cullen with the royal wardrobe his new wives otherwise wouldn't be able to afford; some of the other princesses laugh at this idea, but Trini immediately insists that Jerin is right. The aforementioned HoldingHands moment happens shortly afterward.
208	* KnightInSourArmor: Trini is very pessimistic about Jerin's character, pointing out that her sisters were deceived before. Eventually, though, when she is told that he might be in danger, she quickly forgets about her former suspicions and decides to [[spoiler: marry him so that the family of her ex-husband doesn't get him]]. It could be partly revenge, but she is also shown to be quite aware of the issue of poverty in her realm, so it is reasonable to believe that it was ''mostly'' selfless.
209	--> [[spoiler:'''Trini:''' I wouldn't give a ''dog'' to the Porters.]]
210	* LoveIsAWeakness: Thinks that love is merely an expression of physical desires and not much else, given her own prior experiences.
211	* RapeAsBackstory: Keifer was awful to all of them, but the episode with Trini was especially bad.
212	-->'''Ren''': He hit her in the head with a paperweight and, while she was stunned, dragged her to his bed and tied her there. He beat her and--and serviced her, and everything else he could think of to hurt her.\
213	'''Odelia''': He broke her nose and blackened her eyes. He broke two of her fingers, and burned her on one hip, like a cattle brand, for calling him a cow. He was threatening to cut her face when Eldest showed up.
214	* {{{Woobie}}: Her father was poisoned, she was raped and beaten by a husband that she had specifically warned her family against marrying, got told by her eldest sister that it was her own fault said assault had happened, and lost half of her sisters in the same incident that mercifully killed off her husband. Small wonder that when the story begins, she has absolutely no interest in trusting another man, let alone marrying again.
215	[[/folder]]
216
217	[[folder:Lylia]]
218	!!Princess Lylia
219	-->''Lylia had turned sixteen at the beginning of the year and was eager to speak her mind. Unfortunately, her mind was filled with odd notions and sweeping reforms, some of them far from practical.''
220	--->--'''Ren'''
221	* ChivalrousPervert: Lylia smuggles her cousin Cullen lewd tintypes and educates him on what she knows. They have a pact that whoever has sex first tells the other everything. Jerin finds Lylia slightly threatening in an exciting way.
222	-->'''Cullen''': We've got a vow that whichever of us has sex first, we'll tell the other everything.
223	* InternalReformist: Very strident political opinions and has a clear eye for the problems of Queensland society.
224	* PracticeKiss: Cullen and Lylia have tried it, but since they're cousins who were raised together, Cullen cheerfully admits that it was like kissing a sister.
225	-->'''Cullen''': One time, we practiced kissing. ''[shrugs]'' But it was like kissing your sister.
226	[[/folder]]
227
228	----
229
230	!The Moorlands
231	[[folder:Eldest]]
232	!!Eldest Moorland
233	* FriendOrIdolDecision: Eldest Moorland is confronted with the option to marry her brother Cullen to the Whistlers who he loves, and get little in way of a "brother's price", as the family is poor, or sell him to the highest bidder, so to speak. [[spoiler: She chooses Cullen's happiness over the money.]]
234
235	[[/folder]]
236	[[folder:Cullen]]
237	!!Cullen Moorland
238	* ChivalrousPervert: Lylia smuggles her cousin Cullen lewd tintypes and educates him on what she knows. They have a pact that whoever has sex first tells the other everything. Cullen is seen as harmless and kind of adorable.
239	-->'''Cullen''': We've got a vow that whichever of us has sex first, we'll tell the other everything.
240	* CovertPervert: Somewhere between this and a true innocent. He's very interested in the pornographic pictures his cousin Lylia gives him, but when he's sharing them with Jerin, he comments at one point:
241	--> "Why would anyone want to put his mouth ''there''?"
242	* CurtainCamouflage: Cullen uses this trope in order to listen to what his sisters have to talk about with Eldest Whistler. [[spoiler: He leaves his hiding place to hug and kiss Eldest Whistler when he hears that she plans to marry him.]]
243	* EveryOneLovesBlondes: It's actually muddy blond but it gets dyed a very appealing honey blonde for the ball.
244	* FallbackMarriagePact: Discussed and averted, his cousins the princesses are all very fond of him and at least one of them would like to have a such a pact with him. But it's pointed out he's too close of a relative.
245	* ForbiddenFruit: {{Lampshaded}} by Cullen who's introduced sneaking into Jerin's room, telling him that "even the air smells better" now that he is in a place where ''he'' decided to go. (While not technically forbidden from talking to Jerin, he ''was'' supposed to stay in his own room at that point in time.)
246	* GildedCage: Cullen feels like he's in an, albeit mild, version of this. He sneaks into Jerin's room and comments that "even the air smells better" when he is where he decides to be, instead of where his family decides he should be.
247	* HandsomeLech: Thanks to the tutelage of his cousin [[ChivalrousPervert Lylia]], Cullen is shaping up this way. He's entirely fascinated by sex, but because it's important that he remain a virgin until marriage, the best he can do is flirt, which he's become good at. Eldest Whistler finds him harmless and charming.
248	* {{Keet}}: Cullen is rather excitable, and can't keep a dignified look on his face for more than ten seconds - when Jerin meets him all dressed up for a ball, he ruins the impression by making grimaces.
249	* PracticeKiss: Cullen and Lylia have tried it, but since they're cousins who were raised together, Cullen cheerfully admits that it was like kissing a sister.
250	-->'''Cullen''': One time, we practiced kissing. ''[shrugs]'' But it was like kissing your sister.
251	* ShelteredAristocrat: Cullen is exceptionally sheltered even by Queensland standards and cannot wait to cook, clean and take care of his home and wives like other men--also learn to ride.
252	* SpoiledSweet: Cullen is like this.
253	* [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Tomgirl And Girly Boy]]: Jerin and Cullen. Cullen, despite growing among the noble folk is rather wild and contemptuous of the rules. He's bored and longs to do more adventurous things, like riding a horse. Jerin in turn, who's grown up in a farm and got to do such "unladylike" things in his life, is much more proper and calm.
254	[[/folder]]
255
256	----
257
258	!The Porters
259
260	[[folder:In General]]
261	* DistinguishingMark: Many of the Porters have 11 toes. Having a different father from her siblings, Kij doesn’t [[spoiler: but her daughter does, the latter being a significant plot point]].
262	* RichBitch: The Porter sisters get a lot of status from being the princesses' in-laws. Kij's sister seems to be in the habit of telling everyone their whole family history, lest anyone forget that they are important. HilarityEnsues when Kij asks Corelle: "Do you know who I am?" to which Corelle replays by repeating everything Kij's sister just told her about the family.
263	[[/folder]]
264
265	[[folder:Kij]]
266	!!Kij Porter
267	* ActionMom: Kij Porter, a mother, a badass and a captain of her own ship. [[spoiler:And the BigBad.]]
268	* BigBadFriend:
269	* DeliverUsFromEvil: [[spoiler:Averted, Falling pregnant does not stop her from continuing to work evil plans. To be expected, as she doesn't view herself as evil, and would want her child to follow in her footsteps. So if anything it's motivation.]]
270	* EntitledToHaveYou: Kij feels entitled to a second dance (and more flirting) with Jerin because she's a noble. When Corelle comes to fetch him, stating that other women want to dance with him, too, Kij asks her: "Do you know who I am?"--then Corelle shuts her down.
271	* NeverMyFault: When confronted by Jerin and Cira at the end of the book, [[spoiler:Kij]] claims that all of her own and her family's misdeeds--which at latest count include treason, murder and attempted murder (including members of ''her own family''), piracy, kidnapping, and smuggling--are actually the fault of the royal family, because the [[spoiler:Porters]] lost money and property in the War of the False Eldest.
272	* VillainousIncest: [[spoiler:Kij and Keifer Porter were culturally brother and sister, genetically full cousins. They had sex and even conceived a daughter before Keifer was killed.]]
273	[[/folder]]
274
275	[[folder:Keifer]]
276	!!Keifer Porter
277	* BeautyIsBad: Keifer, who is described as having been very beautiful, but also stupid and cruel.
278	* BrainlessBeauty: According to pretty much everyone who knew him Keifer was very, very pretty but also very, very stupid.
279	-->'''Odelia''': I've seen dogs smarter than him. But he was beautiful.
280	::Even ''Kij'', who loved him, called him stupid.
281	-->'''Kij''': Keifer, dearly as I loved him, was an idiot.
282	* ConspicuousConsumption: Keifer planned to have the floor ripped out and replaced by the most expensive marble, and have the ceiling gold-plated, but he died before he got around to actually doing it - the princesses didn't approve of so much luxury, as they're aware that they're already living in much more comfortable surroundings than their subjects.
283	* CutenessEqualsForgiveness: PlayedForHorror He got away with beating and raping Trini, who was only thirteen years old at the time, so badly that she's confined to her bed for weeks. When Eldest caught him red-handed he smiled sweetly and claimed poor Trini had "provoked" him. Fortunately, he died before Trini had recovered from her injuries.
284	* DumbBlonde: Had golden hair like the rest of his family, but unlike them was pretty stupid.
285	* DumbIsGood: Keifer hid behind this trope. Everyone who knew him agrees that he was very, very dumb. That enabled him to get away with quite a lot of deception -- no one thought he was clever enough to be evil.
286	* EasilyForgiven: Constantly, a standout among his crimes was hitting the thirteen-year-old Trini over the head, chaining her to his bed, beating her bloody, and [[MaritalRapeLicense servicing]] her. It was only Trini's eldest sister who forgave him, though, Trini never forgot it.
287	* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: He's the prince consort who's expected to be enticing. He's repeatedly described as acting childlike which is helped by his blue eyes and blond hair. He looks so innocent that he got away with torturing the thirteen-year-old Trini, even though he was caught doing it by her eldest sister. Apparently, he managed to convince Eldest that he'd been provoked so it was all ''her'' fault, really.
288	** This is all before we find out about his role in the various assassinations the Royal family has had to deal with.
289	* GoldMakesEverythingShiny:: Keifer intended to have the ceiling of his rooms gilt, this is on top of having mirrors over the beds and new marble on the floors. It shows off his decadence and wasteful mindset compared to the royal family's pragmatic attitude toward things.
290	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Keifer was assigned to have the older princesses go to a theater so when it caught fire they would be killed. It was specifically chosen so he could duck out the back and escape, but he missed his cue and stayed; Eldest Porter came to fetch him but was killed as well.]]
291	* InnocentBlueEyes: Subverted, he exploits his appearance to make himself seem innocent, but was anything but.
292	* InterplayOfSexAndViolence: Keifer ''liked'' hurting his wives during sex, even if it was their first time and especially if he thought they slighted him somehow. It's one of the many reasons why no one is sad he's dead.
293	* LysistrataGambit: Keifer often withheld sex in conjunction with throwing raging fits in order to get his wives to go along with whatever he wanted. His older wives were madly in love with him, so it tended to work. [[spoiler:And he cheated on them anyway with his tantrums mostly as cover for his trysts.]]
294	* ManipulativeBastard: Was no bright light, but he ''was'' clever and manipulative and very, ''very'' beautiful. He withheld sex and threw tantrums and at times was very sweet to the elder princesses to the point where they supported him when he really hurt Trini, [[spoiler: and all along he did as his much more intelligent family wanted]].
295	* MeaningfulName: In German his name means "the one who nags" how apropos.
296	* PosthumousCharacter: A right bastard and remembered as one even several years after his death.
297	* PsychopathicManchild: While more intelligent than he appeared on the surface, at his core he was basically a spoiled five-year-old in a grown man's body who used his good looks and status a a prince consort to get his way.
298	* ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful: Got away with severely injuring and involuntarily servicing Trini because his beauty helped in convincing Eldest that his victim "provoked him".
299	* VillainousIncest: [[spoiler:Kij and Keifer Porter were culturally brother and sister, genetically full cousins. They had sex and even conceived a daughter before Keifer was killed.]]
300	* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: He '''raped''' and tortured Trini but he was still able to get away with it thanks to his hold over Eldest and her elder sisters. This was after Eldest came in and caught him red-handed.
301	%%* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: Keifer caused a lot of damage to his young wife Trini before his oldest wife came in and interrupted. He'd charmed her thoroughly and she loved him, so when he turned up the sweetness on Eldest and said he was sorry and didn't really mean it, she believed him, and cleaned up Trini and half-convinced her it was all her fault before their mothers saw her.
302	* WouldHurtAChild: He was even mean to little Cullen.
303	-->'''Cullen''': Keifer? Oh, I hated him. He used to lie to me and make me cry. I was only nine or ten at the time. He told me that my you-know-what would fall off because I ate too many cookies. Then one day he smacked me. I forget why--actually, I'm not sure there was even a reason why--but we didn't come back to the palace again until after he was killed.
304	[[/folder]]
305
306	[[folder:Eldie]]
307	!!Eldie Porter
308	* CheerfulChild: One that's wormed her way into her Auntie's hearts too
309	* DyeOrDie: [[spoiler:At the end, to help her fit in among the Whistler children, they dye her hair so she looks more like her new adoptive sisters.]]
310	* ExtraDigits: Eldie has an extra toe on one foot, polydactyl isn't unusual for the Porter family.[[spoiler:This tips off Eldest Whistler to the paternity of Kij's daughter, Eldie, who was sired by Kij's brother Keifer, given her having such a trait is evidence of incest. This had happened while Keifer was married to the princesses.]]
311	* DeceptiveLegacy: [[spoiler: She and everyone else is told that her father was some guy in a so-called "crib", a kind of brothel where women pay for a try at getting pregnant. However, it turns out that she was fathered by a man that is regarded as the brother of her mother. It is not actual sibling-incest, they're cousins by blood, but socially it's a different matter.]]
312	* HappilyAdopted: By the Whistlers at the end.
313	-->'''Eldest''': There is redemption for the innocent.
314	* InSeriesNickname: As the oldest and only child for the latest Porter generation she's "Eldest", already being raised to be the leader of subsequent sisters. At the moment she's only five years old is affectionately called Eldie by her 'aunt' Ren.
315	* MeaningfulRename: [[spoiler:Little Neddie was not born with that name. She was adopted in order to save her from being executed with her family, as she was a toddler at the time. Her adoptive family renamed her.]]
316	* SomeoneToRememberHimBy ({{Implied\|Trope}}): [[spoiler:The official reason of her existence is that Kij went to a crib to cope with Keifer's death, the ''day after'' the bombing. To be born in the right timeframe to make this believable, she must have been conceived very shortly ''before'' he died.]]
317	** [[spoiler:She also has eleven toes, something only Porter children from Keifer’s father’s line have, not Kij’s.]]
318	[[/folder]]
319

Context Characters / ABrothersPrice