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Emma
Emma Stanton (nee Caldwell)
A twenty-one year old baker's daughter from Lake-town who flees to Erebor after being forced into an unwanted marriage, where falls in love with Thorin.- Affectionate Nickname:
- Emma's brother Billy calls her 'Emmie'.
- A decidedly non-endearing example from Frederick, who refers to Emma as "sweet-pea". She despises the pet name and coming from Frederick, it comes across as condescending and creepy. It actually becomes a plot point, as when Frederick - pretending to be Emma's father - calls her sweet-pea, it triggers her Repressed Memories as Frederick's the only one who ever called her that.
- Awful Wedded Life: Emma technically spends just one day as Frederick's wife and it's made abundantly clear that their marriage would've been living hell (for her at least).
- Big Brother Instinct: Or rather, big sister instinct in regards to Billy. She does her best to comfort him when their parents argue and shield him from the more unpleasant parts of their life. When she regains her memories, after getting over the shock her immediate goal is to find Billy and make sure he's safe.
- Broken Pedestal: Briefly towards Kate after learning she's a prostitute. She gets over it pretty quickly, realizing her mother only did it to provide for her and Billy, and deeply regrets how she treated her after finding out she's dead.
- Child Marriage Veto: Emma tries to run away when she finds out that her father betrothed her to Frederick. Unusually for this trope, her mother is also opposed to the match and tries to help her escape; sadly, their efforts are for naught as Emma runs straight into Frederick's minion, Clay.
- Damsel in Distress: She is kidnapped by Thranduil as part of a deal with Frederick, but she isn't a quiet prisoner and he soon releases her once he gets her side.
- Damsel out of Distress: After being forced to marry Frederick and imprisoned in his house, she escapes through a window and then manages to walk half way to Erebor.
- Dark Secret: She regards her Dark and Troubled Past as this; as she puts it, her mother is a prostitute, her father is a violent drunk who murders her mother and ends up in jail, she herself was married off against her will to a man who beat and raped her, which caused her to run away and attempt to drown herself in a fit of madness. She worries about what Thorin will think if/when finds out her secrets. Fortunately, Thorin doesn't care about any of this and loves Emma for herself.
- Defiant Captive: When Emma is forced to marry Frederick, she tries to fight him off, at least until he beats her so badly she briefly loses consciousness, then escapes by climbing out of a window the moment she has an opportunity. Later, after being kidnapped by Thranduil, she attacks anyone who enters her room - including the servants sent to bring her food and clothing - and even attempts to pull a knife on the Elfking himself.
- Designated Victim: Emma is targeted by all the villains at one point or another: her father William sells her as a bride to against her will, Frederick forces her to marry him and abuses her, then plots to recapture once she escapes, Thranduil kidnaps her for Frederick (although he becomes her ally after learning of Frederick's true nature), Leena poisons her younger brother to drive her away from Thorin and later orders Vini to kill her (though Vini can't go through with it), and finally, Clay tries to kill her before being taken out by Mabel. After all that, it's not surprising Thorin insists she move permanently to Erebor where she'll be well-protected.
- Despair Event Horizon: Subverted. Emma briefly crosses it early in the story, feeling trapped in her nightmarish situation, and impulsively attempts to drown herself. However, she gets better after the attempt fails.
- Grew a Spine: Emma develops into a more strong-willed and independent young woman over the course of the story, unafraid of standing up for herself (even to those she loves).Emma: "Then do what you must because I intend to protect myself — whatever the cost. I've grown tired of people like you who push me around just because they think I am weak".
- Insecure Love Interest: She struggles with being one to Thorin throughout the fic, thinking she is unworthy of him and that they have no viable future together. By the end, she overcomes this and settles into her role as his queen, though she admits she finds it strange wearing a crown at their wedding.
- Lethal Chef: Cooking is not Emma's forte, she having a tendency to either burn or undercook everything she tries to make. After she marries Thorin, she doesn't have to worry about that because she has servants who can cook.
- Lineage Comes from the Father: Inverted with Emma. She closely resembles her mother in appearance and demeanour, whilst inheriting virtually nothing from her father. She takes this even further later in the story, vowing never to speak to or even think of William again after he murders Kate and, after inheriting the winery once owned by her mother's family, she changes it back to her mother's maiden name of Stanton, and changes her own surname to Stanton as well.
- Mal Mariée: She's a beautiful and innocent twenty-one year old who is forced to marry Frederick Devlin, whose wealth is matched by his Jerkassery. His age is not clearly given but he's indicated to be much older than Emma (he reminds her of her father in some ways, so it can be inferred he's closer to his age than hers). He's ugly, sleazy and feels entitled to Emma. On the first day of their marriage, he rapes her and beats her into unconsciousness when she tries to fight back, then leaves her locked in her room. Luckily for Emma, he doesn't lock the window. After learning she's escaped, he decides that once he gets her back he'll drug her to keep her under control. Meanwhile, Emma finds shelter with Thorin, who is both much better looking and a much better person than Frederick (though he's technically older, seeing how dwarves live longer and age slower than humans), and ends up having a relationship with him. She never feels guilty about it for one second, save over the fact that Thorin is also supposed to be marrying someone else (though his betrothed isn't exactly the stuff of dreams either).
- Nom de Mom: Emma eventually changes her surname from Caldwell to her mother's maiden name of Stanton, largely to dissociate herself with her father after his abysmal treatment of her and especially because he murdered her mother.
- Plucky Girl: Particularly in the second half of the story. No matter what life throws at her, she manages to soldier on and find solutions to her problems.
- Promoted to Parent: She becomes Billy's legal guardian, after their father is imprisoned for murdering their mother.
- Self-Made Woman: Emma becomes this in the second half of the story, after inheriting her family's old winery from her late husband and restoring it to its former glory. Marrying Thorin and becoming queen of Erebor is just a bonus.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Emma to a certain extent. She's said to be very beautiful and it's part of the reason the vile Frederick forces her to marry him, and earns her the immediate ire of Leena. On a less serious note, it also results in Thranduil making unwanted advances, though she easily brushes these off.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: Emma technically cheats on Frederick with Thorin, but considering what an utterly horrible person he is and that the marriage was forced on her, Emma is definitely this trope and is not portrayed negatively.
- Thwarted Escape: Emma is moments away from setting off in her family's boat to escape Esgaroth and her forced marriage to Frederick...only for Clay to catch her.
- Trauma Conga Line: Poor Emma. In one day alone, she finds out her mother is a prostitute (which is a big shock to her), is forced by her abusive father to marry a man she finds repulsive who beats and rapes her, has to flee from the house in the night and nearly drowns herself, after which she loses her memories. Upon finally regaining her memories, she learns her father murdered her mother, falls in love with a man she thinks she'll never be able to have, gets kidnapped, is rejected by her lover, watches her little brother almost die, is nearly murdered in her own bed and suffers a traumatic birth.
- You Remind Me of X: Kate thinks to herself that Emma reminds her of her own father, in that they both tend to be rather fastidious and anxious people.
- You're Not My Father: She doesn't say it to his face because she vows never to see him again, but she privately disowns William as her father after learning he has murdered her mother.
Kate
Kate Caldwell, nee Stanton
The mother of Billy and Emma, and wife of William. She is a baker who does what she must to support her family.- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: She's this, as it turns out. She only became a prostitute to support her impoverished family, she is a loving mother and hands out free bread to poor families.
- Horrible Judge of Character: She mainly stayed with William - even when Neil offered to take her in - because she believed it was wrong to take her children away from their father. She doesn't seem to realise until William gives Emma away like property that William doesn't give two hoots about his kids.
- The Pollyanna: Kate usually tries to look on the bright side no matter the situation and Emma describes her as being an "eternal optimist".
- Sacrificial Lamb: She's depicted as a loving, optimistic, put-upon mother and Hooker with a Heart of Gold, who is murdered by her abusive husband in the third chapter for trying to defend their daughter (though her death isn’t confirmed until a few chapters later). This results in Emma having to look after Billy on top of all her other problems; unlike some examples, Emma also grieves for Kate for the rest of the story.
- Sweet Baker: She ostensibly bakes bread for a living after losing her father's winery, and is a kind and generous person who gives her products away for free to families in need.
Billy
Billy Caldwell
Kate and William's youngest child and younger brother to Emma.- Harmful to Minors: Poor Billy. In addition to growing up in an abusive home, it's implied he witnessed (or at least overheard) his father murdering his mother, he lives on the streets for several weeks afterwards, fending for himself, and later he is nearly fatally poisoned by Leena.
- Like a Son to Me: Though she doesn't refer to him as such, it's all but stated Dis comes to view him as a surrogate son, treating him in a maternal manner and doting on him, especially as Billy has recently lost his mother whilst Dis lost her sons, Fili and Kili.
- Minor Living Alone: Four year old Billy lives alone for several weeks after his mother is killed and his dad is sent to jail.
- Son of a Whore: His mother is a prostitute, though because he's only four and Kate hid this part of her life from her family, he doesn't appear to be aware of this.
William
William Caldwell
Kate's husband and father of Emma and Billy. He is an alcoholic and gambler, who mistreats and neglects his family.- Abusive Parent: Towards Billy and Emma. He's a neglectful jerkass who essentially sells off his daughter when he gambles away their house. Kate doesn't dare leave Billy alone with William because she doesn't trust him to look after him.
- The Alcoholic: Doubling as an Alcoholic Parent. He spends most of his time drinking down the local tavern or hungover in bed, which doesn't improve his attitude and his relationship with his family any.
- Domestic Abuse: He is verbally abusive towards his wife Kate and he sometimes physically abuses her too, given Emma sees her with a bruised face after they argued. He eventually kills her.
- The Gambling Addict: The reason his family is so poor is because he either drinks or gambles away their money. He also gambled away the family winery and he even gambles away the house at the beginning of the fic, prompting him to try and trade his daughter as a wife to Frederick in place of the house.
- Lazy Husband: He does nothing around the house or to help with his wife's baking business (their only apparent source of income), leaving all the work to his wife and daughter. The fact he's often drunk or hungover doesn't help.
- Put on a Bus to Hell: William never appears again after the first few chapters; it's mentioned that he was thrown in prison for murdering Kate. In the end, Emma is told he is dying and asked for her, but she refuses to see him.
- The Resenter: Towards his wife and even his own daughter. He feels they both look down on him as a waste of space who can't provide for them. He doesn't appear to grasp that it's his own actions that make them contemptuous of him, and even then they tolerate a lot of his behavior until he forces Emma to marry Frederick.
- Unwanted Spouse: For Kate. If they ever loved each other, those days are long gone, but she still stays with him because she feels it would be wrong to take the children away from him despite the fact she's found a new love in Neil, who offered to take her and the children in.
- Would Hit a Girl: He physically abuses his wife, then he takes it a step further when he murders her.
Frederick Devlin
Frederick Devlin
A merchant based in Lake-town who owns several successful businesses. He is one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the area, but also one of the most power-hungry and unscrupulous.- Abhorrent Admirer: He openly lusts after Emma and forces her to marry him. She makes it plain she finds him repulsive.
- Asshole Victim: Absolutely no one is sad when Frederick falls from his horse and breaks his neck trying to escape from Thranduil's guards.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Frederick leaves Emma in a room by herself, with the window unlocked and no guards. No prizes for guessing what happens next. He himself states he underestimated her and doesn't intend to make the same mistake twice once he gets her back.
- Disc-One Final Boss: He is killed around half way through the story, with Leena becoming the main antagonist for the rest of the fic.
- Faux Affably Evil: He can turn on the charm when he wants to, but any of his attempts to be kind or generous are only to serve himself. He initially acts welcoming and friendly towards Emma, encouraging her to eat dinner, giving her a pet name and trying to reassure her about their marriage, though it's always with an underlying tone of "Or else". When Emma refuses to play along, he quickly drops the act and becomes hostile towards her.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: He acts this way towards Emma pretty much constantly. He takes it to its logical, horrifying conclusion and outright forces himself on her after they're married.
- Manipulative Bastard: He pretends to be an amnesiac Emma's father in an attempt to recapture her and lies to King Thranduil's face about Thorin 'kidnapping' his wife (Emma was given shelter in Erebor to escape his abuse) to persuade him to help him get Emma back with no questions asked. Luckily, Thranduil isn't stupid and turns on Frederick the moment he gets Emma's side of the story.
- Meaningful Name: His surname of Devlin. Switch the "L" and "I", and take out the "N", and you get "Devil".
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Because Emma was still married to Frederick when he died, she inherits all his money and lands, including his winery, which originally belonged to Emma's family before her father gambled it away. As a result, she becomes a wealthy and successful Self-Made Woman.
- Obviously Evil: Although it's more down to his behaviour than his appearance (though he's noted to be tall and imposing, and rather ugly). The very first thing we're told about him is that he's a "hateful scoundrel". His attitude is generally one of sneering condescension to everyone around him, if not outright hostility.
- Rich Jerk: He's one of the wealthiest men in Esgorath, thinks his wealth makes him untouchable and indeed uses it to get away with all kinds of horrible things...until he comes up against Thorin and later Thranduil, that is.
- Slimeball: Frederick is quickly established to be an utter scumbag, described as being an "unscrupulous man who grew wealthy at the expense of those less fortunate than he. When things did not go his way, he often resorted to violence by way of two thugs which he kept under his employment". He had no problem taking the Caldwells’ winery from them after winning it in a game of poker, even though it was their only source of income, or lying and cheating to get what he wants. His very creepy, unsubtle attraction to Emma – who makes it plain she does not reciprocate – makes him even sleazier. Finally, he agrees to exchange the Caldwells' house for Emma's hand in marriage and also takes the time to tell William about his wife being a prostitute, purely to stir up trouble.
- Unwanted Spouse: For Emma. She never wanted to marry him and barely hid her contempt for him even before their betrothal. She is intimidated into marrying him and flees the same night after he abuses her. Even after regaining her memory, she avoids mentioning he's her husband.
- Would Harm a Senior: Mabel claims that Frederick wouldn't think twice about beating a frail old woman like her if she displeased him (hence why she didn't try to intervene when he raped Emma). Given what we see of Frederick, she's probably right.
- Would Hit a Girl: When Emma resists his sexual advances, he violently assaults her, leaving her covered in bruises and limping. Mabel is also intimidated by him and believes he would physically hurt her if she irked him.
Neil
Neil
A innkeeper from Dale who has a close friendship with Kate.- Chekhov's Gunman: He's an innkeeper in Dale who Kate tells Emma to seek out early in the story when she tries to flee her forced marriage, saying he will help her. Emma never makes it out of Esgaroth and so is unable to reach Neil but much later she goes to find Neil after she discovers Thorin has married Leena due to a misunderstanding, feeling she can no longer stay in Erebor. Neil not only helps her get back on her feet and becomes a friend to her, it turns out he was actually in love with Kate and even wanted her to leave William to be with him, which is why Kate knew he'd readily help her daughter.
- Did Not Get the Girl: He never did get with Kate, due to her untimely death at her husband's hands.
- Nice Guy: Neil is very friendly and generous; he never judged Kate for being a prostitute, travelled all the way to Esgaroth to check on her children after she was murdered and immediately agrees to help Emma despite having only met her that same day.
Clay
Clay
One of Frederick's hired thugs, who is happy to do anything his employer asks of him.- Abhorrent Admirer: To Emma; he's a thug who threatens her with her violence while also lusting after her.
- Attempted Rape: He tries to rape Emma late in the story and he likely intends to kill her too. Mabel thwarts him.
- Avenging the Villain: Part of his motive for trying to rape and kill Emma is to avenge Frederick, blaming her for Frederick' death (even though his death was accident and it was his own actions that led to it.
- The Dragon: He's Frederick's right-hand henchman, happily carrying out his boss' dirty work.
- Dragon Their Feet: He outlives Frederick and turns up at Emma's house much later in the story, attempting to kill her. Mabel kills him in self-defense, which leads to her and Emma becoming closer; the incident also leads to Thorin demanding Emma move to Erebor permanently to prevent any future incidents.
- The Resenter: Towards Emma after she escapes, because Frederick takes it out on him and threatens dire consequences should he fail to find her. After Frederick dies, Clay loses his livelihood and he decides to blame Emma, plotting to hunt her down to take revenge.
Mabel
Mabel
An elderly servant working for Frederick. Colin
Colin
An elderly winemaker employed by Frederick. He once worked for Kate's father.Dwarves
Thorin
King Thorin II Oakenshield
The King of Erebor, who was responsible for restoring the kingdom after it was decimated by the dragon Smaug. He's doing his best to be a good ruler, but his growing affection for Emma conflicts with his duties.- Being Good Sucks: At the start of the fic, it's only been eight months since he lost his nephews Kíli and Fíli reclaiming Erebor and he's starting to feel The Chains of Commanding. It gets worse when he falls for Emma, with various factors keeping them apart, in particular his duty to his kingdom though he's much happier once they finally get together without it negatively impacting his reign.
- Drowning My Sorrows / I Need a Freaking Drink: He gets extremely drunk during his wedding feast with Leena; the event is both incredibly stressful for him and he’s angry and depressed about Emma supposedly leaving. When Dís tells him to lay off on the booze a bit, he replies that as it’s his wedding day he can drink as much as he likes and is drunk when he consummates the marriage, much to Leena's displeasure.
- The Dulcinea Effect: In regards to Emma. The moment they properly meet (she having been unconscious when she was first brought into Erebor) he feels compelled to show her compassion and is unusually gentle with her. Only a few days after they met, he learns Emma might be in danger and is fully prepared to go charging off to rescue her until he's informed she's safe.
- Hot-Blooded: He's easily riled and can be rude, irritable and prideful at times, but he’s also very determined and passionate, especially when it comes to people he cares about.
- Icy Blue Eyes: Thorin's piercing blue eyes are mentioned several times and match his intense personality.
- Idiot Ball: Thorin picks it up a few times.
- When Emma goes missing (snatched by Thranduil under the assumption she'd been taken from her lawful husband by Thorin), Thorin's immediate assumption is that she doesn't really love him and left of her own free will. Even though everyone else points out he doesn't know what happened, his mind is made up and he decides to marry Leena immediately.
- Later, in an inverse of the earlier situation, he learns Emma is in Mirkwood and assumes she's been kidnapped, leading to him charging up there with a small army to wage war on Thranduil...only to find out Emma really is there of her own free will this time, helping the king set up his own winery.
- Marry for Love: Dís asks Thorin if he's thinking of abandoning his Arranged Marriage to Leena to marry Emma after she realises he's fallen in love with her. He actually goes through with the marriage to Leena out of duty, but by the end of the fic, he and Emma end up married after all.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Unlike in The Hobbit, Thorin wasn't killed during the Battle of the Five Armies and is currently ruling Erebor.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: He's technically cheating on Leena with Emma, as he's betrothed to her at the time he begins a relationship with Emma, although he (reluctantly) remains faithful to her throughout the duration of their marriage despite his feelings for Emma. He is largely portrayed sympathetically given his love for Emma and Leena's villainous nature, though some characters, such as Dís, do express concern about the potential political ramifications.
Dís
Princess Dís
The sister of Thorin and mother of his late nephews, Fili and Kili. She serves as one of Thorin's closest advisors and confidants.- Big Brother Instinct: Inverted; Dís is actually Thorin's younger sister, but she's frequently looking out for him. She tries to keep Leena away from him so she won't bug him and because she's (rightly) suspicious of her, and she's initially furious with Emma for hurting Thorin's feelings by running off without telling anyone.
Leena
Lady Leena
A dwarven noblelady and Dain's niece by marriage. She is betrothed to Thorin as part of an alliance. She desires to be a queen more than anything and is willing to go to any lengths to achieve this.- Alas, Poor Villain: Leena's death is generally treated as an avoidable tragedy and despite her being nigh-universally hated, no one rejoices in it.
- Ambition Is Evil: A lot of Leena's despicable actions are driven by her desire to be queen.
- Asshole Victim: Her death, though horrific, is deserved considering all of the horrible things she'd done; not to mention it's implied her own actions contributed to her demise. Case in point, most people are more upset about her baby dying.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: She gets exactly what she wants when she becomes Thorin's queen...only to find it's not nearly as great as she thought it would be. Thorin can barely stand to be around her, let alone loves her, and is still in love with Emma. Her sister-in-law openly dislikes her and none of her subjects care for her either. Before long Leena is utterly miserable.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She comes across as one to everyone, save for Dís, who sees right through her from the moment they meet.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: For Thorin, to the point of trying to kill both Emma and her brother.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Leena hates that few people in Erebor are willing to constantly bow and scrape to her simply because she's the future queen, and lets everyone know it. This doesn't exactly endear her to people.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: Leena is deeply unpopular amongst her subjects for her snobbery and spoilt ways, and isn't above using murder to get her own way or to simply settle petty scores. Most people are not looking forward to her becoming Queen of Erebor and she makes it plain from her thoughts and conversations with Vini that she fully intends to abuse her power to serve herself. Of course, Thorin catches on eventually and after being found guilty of trying to murder Billy and Emma, Leena spends most of her reign confined to her chambers, with Thorin's intention being to strip her of her title and send her packing.
- The Ingenue: Leena acts like one around most people, though in reality she’s the exact opposite.
- Manipulative Bitch: Leena is by far the biggest Manipulative Bitch in the fic. There is no one she wouldn't try to weasel her way around, she's spent most of her life scheming her way to power and almost everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie.
- Narcissist: Leena fits all four criteria; she's extremely vain and self-absorbed, craves power and respect, and is deeply offended and upset when she feels she's not getting the adulation she 'deserves'.
- Princess in Rags: To an extent near the end of the fic. Although she still lives in luxury, any power she had in Erebor is gone after Vini spills the beans on her mistress's dark doings. She's confined to her rooms until her baby is born, with the intention being to strip her of her title and send her back to her family to answer for her crimes. She still acts like she's the queen, but it's pretty clear she's little more than a prisoner in a fancy cell. The sole reason she isn't thrown in the dungeons or sent away immediately is because she's carrying the king's child.
- Psychopathic Womanchild: Leena can come across as one, especially when she throws tantrums when she can't get her own way, though she usually hides this side of her from most people...At first.
- Rich Bitch: Leena, through and through, combined with Aristocrats Are Evil.
- Royal Brat: And this is putting it mildly. She's not just entitled and snobby, she's prepared to bloody her hands to get what she wants.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Beautiful!: Leena's general attitude is this; she's been getting away with stuff all her life by batting her eyelashes and flirting. Unfortunately for her, Dis and Thorin aren't as willing to put up with it.
- Unwanted Spouse: She eventually becomes this for Thorin. Although he willingly goes through with their marriage, it couldn't be made any clearer he's only doing it for the good of Erebor and he grows to dislike her more and more with each passing day. She's extremely put out by this, but doesn't do much to actually endear herself to him.
- The Vamp: She uses her beauty to manipulate others, and it's revealed she's used sex in the past to get men to do her favors. She tries the same on Thorin, although he is mostly immune to her due to already being in love with Emma, as well as Dís ' efforts to keep them apart.
- Villainous Breakdown: After Vini cannot bring herself to kill Emma, Leena goes completely Ax-Crazy, having a screaming fit and repeatedly slamming Vini's head onto the floor.
- Would Hurt a Child: She attempts to poison little Billy.
Dain
King Dain
The cousin of Thorin and Dís , and king of the Iron Hills. He is Leena's uncle by marriage.- Cool Uncle: He tries to be this to Leena; he dotes upon her, comforts her when she’s upset and arranges a great marriage for her. He also tries to persuade Thorin to marry Leena sooner rather than later after she comes to him in tears, saying she fears Thorin with put her aside for another woman. Leena actually takes advantage of her uncle’s generosity and love to get what she wants.
- Creepy Uncle: When Dís realizes that Leena wasn't a virgin when she married Thorin and may not be faithful to him, Leena tries to save face by claiming Dain groomed and pressured her into having sex with him. This is actually a complete lie; Dain views her like a daughter more than anything and is shown to be disturbed when she behaves inappropriately towards him, such as coming to visit him late at night in only a nightgown and trying to kiss him on the mouth.
- Horrible Judge of Character: In regards to Leena; he falls hook, line and sinker for her Spoiled Sweet ingenue act. "Very delicate child" my ass. There are moments where he seems to suspect she has more sinister motives, but either dismisses it or accepts her excuses.
- Innocently Insensitive: When he suggests that Dís get remarried and have some more children to occupy herself. He's trying to help, but it's only been eight months since she lost both her sons and she clearly isn't remotely interested in having a replacement family.
Vini
Vini
Leena's devoted maid and confidant.- The Confidant: Vini serves as this for Leena. She's described as being Leena's most trusted servant and she frequently confides in her about her plans, vents to her about her problems and gloats to her when things are going well for her. Vini often offers her mistress comfort or advice, and keeps all her secrets. This doesn't turn out so well for Leena eventually; after she viciously attacks Vini for failing her, Dis is able to persuade a dying Vini to tell her what she knows about Leena. Vini has quite a lot to say, which proves Leena's undoing.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: She gets her head bashed in by Leena repeatedly smashing it against the floor and dies hours later in agony (presumably from haemorrhaging).
- Et Tu, Brute?: She is truly heartbroken when Leena turns on her and fatally injures her, as she had served her faithfully for years and saw her as a friend.
- Everyone Has Standards: Vini does lots of dirty work for Leena, but not even she can bring herself to murder Emma in her sleep on her orders.
- Only Friend: She's the only real friend Leena has. Leena even refers to her as such, though in her case she's mostly manipulating Vini and sees her as disposable. Vini, however, really does see Leena as a friend and does whatever she can to help her.
- Redemption Equals Death: Poor Vini. The one time she defies her mistress and in doing so saves Emma's life, Leena flies into a rage and badly injures her by smashing her head against the floor. Vini only lives long enough to air all of Leena's dirty laundry to Dis.
- Sycophantic Servant: She is absolutely devoted to Leena and meekly serves her even when Leena takes out her frustrations upon her or insults her. She genuinely cares for her mistress and wants to see her happy more than anything, despite knowing just what an awful person Leena is.
- Undying Loyalty: Subverted in regards to Leena. Despite her creepy levels of devotion to her mistress, she is unable to bring herself to kill Emma for her. Leena doesn't take this well.
- Yes-Man: To Leena. She constantly agrees with everything Leena says, showers her with praise and blindly follows her orders at least until she asks her to murder Emma.
Tara
Tara
Dís' maid.- Flat Character: We don't get to know much about her beyond the fact she's Dís' most trusted servant.
- Nice Girl: She's consistently loyal and helpful to Dís and Emma.
