next in line to become the official castle priest. He first appears when taking over Ella's history lesson after his father has a stroke. Jed is very philosophical and often ponders life. He also falls in love with Ella. Like the Prince, he finds Ella very beautiful, but he can see her humor, courage, intelligence, and perseverance. Mary - 10- or 11-year-old castle servant. Mary ran for help when Lord Reston fell ill during Ella’s history lesson. She and Ella become good friends and Mary assists Ella in escaping the castle. Also, Mary is a very loyal friend who always tells Ella the truth, except when she is asked about the death of her father. Mary states that he was killed in a tournament, but in reality he was beheaded for having an affair with the queen. Mary is somewhat insecure, as she feels that she is not pretty. Prince Charming - Handsome, selfish prince of Fridesia. Ella is chosen as his wife because of her beauty. Mary describes him as so stupid that he couldn't get out of bed without having someone there to tell him which foot to put down first. When Ella falls out of love with him, he acts violently toward her. At the end of the book he is married to Ella’s stepsister, Corimunde. Lucille - Ella’s selfish, cruel, and demeaning stepmother. She tricks Ella's father into thinking she loves his hobby; books. However, her true nature is revealed after their marriage, which breaks his heart. After Ella’s father dies, she immediately becomes hostile toward Ella and makes Ella her personal slave. She made Ella a slave once she got rid of the maids and other services around the house pleading they were not needed. When Ella is proposed to by the prince, Lucille tries unsuccessfully to flatter her. She has two daughters, Corimunde (who later marries the Prince) and Griselda. Both girls are exact versions of Lucille, only much heavier and not clever or sly at all. If Ella does something wrong she is sent to bed without dinner by Lucille. Ella's Father - Ella's father. He taught Ella to read and he himself is a huge fan of books. He travels to many places to find various types of books. Ella's father was killed before the book started by trying to cross the Sualan border for books and was mistaken for a spy.