Heartless characters

Appears from the start

The unmarried daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Rock Turtle Cove. Catherine is an accomplished baker who hopes to open a shop with her maid and closest friend, Mary Ann. Her parents instead expect her to make an advantageous marriage, and the unmarried King of Hearts has begun showing her conspicuous favor.

Appears from the start

Catherine's maid, confidante, and intended business partner. Mary Ann takes Catherine's dream of an independent bakery seriously and supplies practical judgment when Catherine's imagination outruns her circumstances.

Appears from the start

The well-meaning but ineffectual ruler of Hearts. He adores Catherine's baking and pursues her with the expectation that she will welcome becoming his queen, without understanding how different her own ambitions are.

Appears from the start

Catherine's status-conscious mother, who manages her daughter's prospects closely. She regards the King's interest as an extraordinary opportunity and considers Catherine's wish to enter trade unsuitable for the family.

Appears from the start

Catherine's father, a wealthy nobleman whose household supplies the security she is expected not to question. He generally follows his wife's plans for Catherine and does not treat the proposed bakery as a serious future.

First appears in chapter 6

The King's newly arrived court joker, a gifted performer whose confidence and private attentiveness immediately distinguish him from the rest of the court. Catherine is drawn to him even as the King presses his own suit.

First appears in chapter 7

A large, smiling cat who appears and disappears at will. Cheshire is an amused observer of court life and an unpredictable source of information, offering Catherine hints more readily than straightforward help.

First appears in chapter 8

A solemn raven who accompanies Jest. He speaks in verse and watches the people around Jest with wary intelligence, suggesting that the joker's arrival in Hearts has purposes beyond court entertainment.

First appears in chapter 16

An eccentric hat maker and friend of Jest who presides over elaborate tea parties. His workshop and gatherings offer Catherine access to a circle less constrained by the expectations of her parents and the royal court.

First appears in chapter 24

A pumpkin farmer whose domestic troubles become entangled with the terrifying attacks disturbing Hearts. He appears frightened and aggrieved, and Catherine initially encounters him as one of the kingdom's desperate subjects rather than as a clear enemy.