The Ravens

A king who lives on a lonely cliff in the sea needs eyes in the wider world. In The Mystery Love of Dragon, those eyes belong to the Ravens — three spies who serve the Dragon King, Baudraen, and who are not quite what they seem.

Who are the Ravens?

The Ravens are Maximilian, Paul and Yarvena. In their bird form they are sleek black ravens, each wearing a small dark ninja-style mask that marks them as something more than ordinary birds. They can also take human form, and when they do, they look like a team of scouts: matte black clothing of leather and wool, short capes of raven feathers, belts of knives and tall black boots. Their training is that of ninjas — silent, quick and almost impossible to notice until they want to be noticed.

The three spies

• Maximilian Raven — tall and lean, with straight dark-brown hair falling to his jaw, a thin moustache, a short beard and dark, watchful eyes.
• Paul — slim and athletic, with short dark hair, a short fringe and shaved temples, dark stubble and brown eyes narrowed in a sceptical squint.
• Yarvena — slender, with very long straight dark-brown hair, large almond-shaped grey-green eyes and a calm, confident presence.

Why the Dragon King needs them

Baudraen has spent sixteen years searching for the girl who freed him from the forest vines when he was a little dragon, and in Part 2: The Poisoned Roses, Nicolas swears to find her, whatever it takes. A search like that calls for patience, secrecy and sharp eyes — exactly the skills of a raven who can slip through a village unseen or watch from a rooftop for days.

Coming in the series

The Ravens have not yet appeared on screen. When they do, they will carry the Dragon King's will into the human kingdom, where Princess Natali walks the village streets in disguise and Christabel plots in the castle garden. Three watchful spies in a kingdom full of secrets are bound to make the story more interesting. Each of the three has a personality of their own, and the coming parts will show how they fit into the mystery.

See the full cast on the series page and in the viewer's guide.