As I followed Valeria Olarion through the narrow streets of Rackenshore, my thoughts began to wander.
There's always that one character, isn't there?
While most romance fantasy stories throw the main character into a sea of suitors, with charming male leads falling over themselves to win the protagonist's favor, there's always the gatekeeper. The stern, no-nonsense girl who stands firmly at the side of the heroine, acting as a buffer between her and the horde of admirers. Sometimes a best friend, sometimes a rival, but always the same type: sharp, cold, and with a face that could freeze the sun.
Valeria was exactly that type.
