Orual ("Maia")

The narrator of Till We Have Faces, Queen Orual is the eldest daughter and successor of Trom, King of Glome. After a 40-year reign, nearing death, and no longer fearing the gods, she writes for eventual Greek readers, whom she calls on to judge between her and the gods. Orual's father mocks her ugliness, but provides her and beautiful younger sister Redival a learned Greek mentor, the Fox. When even more beautiful half-sister Psyche is born, Orual treats her as a daughter. Orual fails to spare Psyche's life when the Priest demands a Great Offering to purge the kingdom; ugly Orual is not an acceptable substitute sacrifice and falls too sick to affect a rescue.

At their final meeting, Psyche angers Orual by her calm acceptance, and Orual fails to be any comfort. Recovering, Orual recruits her fencing tutor, Captain Bardia, to take her to...