Elspeth, Heir to the Throne, is six years old at the beginning of the novel, with chestnut hair and blue eyes. She is precocious and considered a brat by everyone she encounters. She has been influenced by a foreign spy named Hulda, who tries to turn Elspeth into a person who would never be Chosen to be a Herald. Luckily, Talia arrives and helps Elspeth become the good person she really is.