Lyrelle

Lyrelle is the laughter of Natali and Baudouin. A fiery red-haired archer and student of Moonroot Academy, she is Natali’s best friend and the only person in Sylvael who treats the princess exactly like everyone else. Whenever the story grows heavy with crowns, vows and ancient laws, Lyrelle says out loud what everyone else is only thinking, and usually at the worst possible moment.

Appearance

Lyrelle is impossible to miss. Her copper-red hair is gathered into a long, thick braid, her face is covered in freckles and her bright green eyes are almost always narrowed in a cheeky, knowing grin. She dresses for the forest rather than the court: fitted leather armour in forest green and brown, a short green hooded cape and a longbow with a quiver on her back. Next to Natali’s cream chiffon and silver circlet, she looks like what she is: a huntress who would rather climb a tree than curtsy.

Personality

Lyrelle is bold, fearless and incapable of staying quiet. She jumps out of the bushes to scare a princess, mocks a nobleman to his face and jokes about the most sacred ritual of the kingdom. Her humour is never cruel, though. It is how she protects the people she loves: by puncturing pompous moments, by making Natali laugh when she is about to cry and by refusing to let anyone, including herself, take embarrassment too seriously.

She is also far more observant than her jokes suggest. She notices Natali’s blush before Natali admits it, understands that Baudouin’s refusal to look at the princess is proof that he is always looking, and sees through Aelarion’s confidence in a single sentence. When it is her own turn before the Heart Tree and the roots stay still, she does not sulk. She grins and turns it into a joke at her own expense.

Story so far

Lyrelle’s first appearance in Part 2 answers the cliffhanger of Part 1: the rustling in the bushes was her, and she leaps out with a delighted “Boo! Got you, Princess!” She drags Natali to her first day at the Academy, tells her to get used to being bowed to, and then asks Aelarion whether the Tree told him that Natali is his future bride.

In Part 3, during Master Eldrin’s first lesson, her withered flower crumbles into ash, and she shrugs it off: at least it is warmer now. In Part 5 she stands beside Natali at the duel, watching her friend’s anxious face with a knowing smirk. In Part 6 she catches Natali on the gallery at sunset, tells her she is blushing and observes that she healed Baudouin as if he were made of glass.

In Part 11, as Eldrin explains how the Heart Tree chooses pairs, Lyrelle whispers that she hopes it picks someone who can cook. In Part 13 she nudges Natali at the edge of the training circle and points out that Baudouin has not looked at her once, which is exactly how you know he is looking. In Part 16 she braids Natali’s hair before the ritual and threatens that if she does not hold still, the Tree will pair her with a goat. When the Queen arrives, Lyrelle straightens and respectfully bows her head.

At the ritual in Part 20, Lyrelle stands before the roots with her hands on her hips. Nothing happens; a single leaf falls at her boots. Her verdict is that the Tree knows she is too much for anyone. And in Part 21, as the court gasps at the Tree’s choice for Natali, Lyrelle sums up the coming storm in one line: this is going to be loud.

Relationships

• Natali is her closest friend. Lyrelle teases her constantly, helps her prepare for the ritual and is there for every important moment.
• Baudouin is someone she reads easily, and she clearly approves of the way he looks at her friend.
• Aelarion is the target of her sharpest line in Part 2. She is not impressed by titles.
• Master Eldrin is her teacher, though his lessons rarely go as planned for her.
• The Elf Queen receives a respectful bow from her, one of the few moments when Lyrelle is entirely serious.

Meet the rest of the cast in the characters guide.