Armandra

Armandra is introduced only by identity: "this Remeran girl who is to be your daughter-in-law," Queen Grendine tells Minalan. The wedding is planned to cap the victory celebrations at Timberwatch.

Minalan attends the royal wedding of "His Royal Highness Tavard III, Prince Heir of Castalshar, Duke of Castal, to Lady Armandra, daughter of the Count of Remeralon." At the ceremony she is Tavard's "vapid little bride, staring at him adoringly." She is not the focus of the event, but the match is a significant political consolidation of the new kingdom.

Armandra's central arc so far. She gives birth to Prince Tavard's infant Prince Heir. She is described as highly excitable after childbirth and notably mistrustful of wizards. Despite Tavard's and Counselor Ustal's objections, she attends the Alka Alon wedding at Sevendor and is delighted by the magical displays — she seeks out Minalan specifically to thank him. She is, Minalan privately concludes, "not particularly bright, even if she seemed to have a good heart and good instincts. Tavard had not wed with intelligence in mind." Palace rumor later has her sulking at Wilderhall, forlorn and despondent after the infant prince heir dies.

Armandra is pregnant again. She skips Rardine's wedding to Anguin due to advanced pregnancy and her distrust of Waypoint travel; Tavard "managed to bitch enough for both of them." Rardine offers sympathy that Armandra still struggles with her most recent pregnancy, confirming the loss of the first heir.

Armandra makes a scene at a court ball hosted by the queen. She appeals to her uncle Duke Cloafin of Remere: "the old sovereign seemed unwilling to defend her against her mother-in-law, while his son Count Camavon took his cousin aside and soundly berated her for her behavior." Her relationship with the Remeran side of her family is fraying, and her disputes with Queen Grendine are beginning to spill into public view.

The infidelity plotline is confirmed. During Tavard's disastrous Gilmoran rebellion, Armandra is held in captivity at Wilderhall by Terleman's forces. Pentandra reports she is "also reportedly with child again," conceiving "during her captivity in Wilderhall . . . when Prince Tavard was in the field preparing to assault Terleman's forces in Gilmora. He was unable to visit his lady wife during her captivity even for the conjugal interlude required under most circumstances to provide an heir." The baby is clearly not Tavard's.

The scandal and its aftermath dominate Armandra's appearances. Tavard confides in Minalan: "Armandra and I have had our problems, but the babe is not responsible for her mother's indiscretions." He refuses Grendine's implied willingness to commit infanticide because "Armandra would never forgive Mother if she killed her child, no matter what the circumstances. She takes her devotion to Mother Trygg very seriously."

Minalan proposes his baby-swap scheme: Armandra and Tavard's pregnant mistress will give birth at an abbey and exchange children, so Armandra raises the mistress's son (the public legitimate heir) and the mistress secretly raises Armandra's actual daughter. Armandra thus becomes a de-facto hostage through her hidden daughter. Rard later reveals the scheme worked: the swapped baby has red hair, and "though Armandra did not have red hair . . . the Kasari are known for red hair, bright red, and freckles." Her secret love was likely from the Bransei tribe. She remains depressed and difficult after the birth.