A Court This Cruel and Lovely

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses violence, coercive control, and suicide.

Prisca is the protagonist of A Court This Cruel and Lovely, and many scenes are told from her first-person perspective. She has amber eyes and curly blonde hair that is nearly white, although both hair and eyes are magically changed to brown when she goes undercover among the castle staff. Because she is not yet 25 years of age, she has not been subjected to the Gifting ceremony and her illicit magical powers have therefore remained hidden.

From the very beginning of the novel, she is portrayed as a survivor. Her upbringing was one of constant displacement and secrecy due to her mother’s fear that Prisca would be discovered by the king and his minions. This fraught history fuels Prisca’s initial distrust of others. However, she is also unwilling to stand by when those she cares about are in danger. This loyalty often pushes her into dangerous situations in which others, like Lorian, would choose self-preservation over heroism. Despite being an outsider with little formal training in court politics, Prisca quickly adapts to life in the castle. Her ability to think strategically is critical to the plans to free the hybrid prisoners, and she even manages to infiltrate the queen’s inner circle.