The Veiled Kingdom

Dacre is the co-protagonist of The Veiled Kingdom and is Nyra’s romantic interest. He is described as tall with dark hair, dark eyes, and a sharp jawline. He is fae and possesses fire magic and healing magic. He is the son of the rebellion’s leader, Davian, and he also leads the rebellion’s regiment of warriors. He has a difficult relationship with his father, whom he blames for his mother’s death in the rebellion’s earlier raid on the palace. Despite his troubles with his father, Dacre is completely dedicated to the rebellion and its aims. This loyalty initially puts him at odds with Nyra, whom he calls “little traitor” (43). Despite this overt hostility, however, the moniker has a slightly flirtatious edge that hints at Nyra and Dacre’s fledgling romance.

Dacre is drawn to Nyra for reasons he cannot understand. As Davian asks Dacre about Nyra and her alleged lack of magic, Dacre resists the idea of following the rebels’ usual methods of torturing loyalists to gain information. As their relationship develops, his desire to protect Nyra grows stronger. When Davian strangles Nyra in a fury, Dacre is deeply enraged by his father’s behavior and thinks, “I wanted to kill my father for what he had done to her. I had threatened to do so” (271). Though his relationship with his father has been strained since his mother’s death, Dacre has never before threatened him outright.

Dacre admits his desire to keep Nyra safe and let her experience the world, but after he discovers the existence of her magic, he changes his mind. Later, upon learning of Nyra’s real identity, he feels deeply betrayed because he is more concerned for the success of the rebellion than he is for Nyra, and this will be a central conflict in The Hunted Heir.

Wren is Dacre’s sister and the daughter of Davian, the leader of the rebellion. She is described as having light hair and green eyes. She, like Dacre, is a trained fae warrior who excels in combat. Also like Dacre, she feels a strong connection to Nyra from the moment she meets her. When Dacre and Kai rescue Wren from the dungeon, she insists that they also rescue Nyra because she wants to protect Nyra from the needless violence of the palace guards. Even after Dacre exposes Nyra’s rebellion mark as a fake, Wren remains kind to her on their journey to the hidden city. This feeling is reciprocated as Nyra’s training continues, and she tells Dacre, “I’ve become really fond of Wren” (194). Wren is Nyra’s first friend in the hidden city, and she takes care of Nyra in the immediate aftermath of Davian’s violence. Her platonic affection for Nyra will be complicated in the next novel in the series as Nyra’s real identity is more widely revealed.

Davian is the leader of the rebellion and the father of Dacre and Wren. He is a secondary antagonist in the novel. He is described as looking like an older version of Dacre, with dark hair and a sharp jaw, but with light eyes and a facial scar that he incurred during the rebellion’s raid on the palace. Davian is a cold and calculating leader who refuses to let emotions cloud his judgment. For example, when he allows Dacre and Kai to try to rescue Wren from the palace, he gives them specific instructions on timing, limiting their attempt to a mere half-hour. This exchange proves that Davian is willing to let his daughter rot in the king’s dungeon rather than risking Dacre’s capture. He sees his children as warriors first, and he also took this attitude toward his wife as well. As Dacre reflects, “Part of me wondered if [Davian] could even recall the way she had loved all three of us before the raid” (177). Davian’s behavior in the wake of his wife’s death is so cold and calculated that Dacre does not even believe him capable of remembering the love that his wife felt for their family.

Dacre and Davian have a difficult relationship, which compels Dacre to keep secrets from his father and to work clandestinely with his grandmother. However, Davian is aware of Dacre’s actions, though he does not reveal this until Nyra’s true identity comes to light. In this moment, Davian belittles Dacre for believing himself capable of subterfuge and for having feelings for Nyra. The exchange illustrates their adversarial relationship and Davian’s antagonistic actions toward Dacre. At the end of the novel, Dacre is clearly afraid of Davian, thinking, “A chill ran down my spine as I watched my father’s eyes narrow on my mother’s photo” (327). The image of Davian glaring at a photograph of his deceased wife alarms Dacre, especially given that Davian has requested that Dacre bring Nyra to him, without explaining what his plans for her. This scene reveals that Davian is dangerous and poses an immediate threat to Nyra.