Characters On Wings of Blood Briar Boleyn

Orcades Le Fay: Ghostly Guide and Soul of the Bloodmaiden

Overview

Orcades Le Fay, later Orcades Pendragon, is the deceased mother of protagonist Medra Pendragon. A former high fae princess and general, she died giving birth to Medra in the world of Aercanum. After Medra’s near-death in the Prologue, Orcades’ soul becomes lodged in Medra’s mind, serving as a spectral guide and secret keeper. She reveals the existence of soul magic, the Bloodmaiden legend, and the history of dragon riders, all while navigating her own ambiguous state “betwixt and between” life and death. Orcades is not a physically present character but a constant internal voice whose wisdom and former power become both a resource and a complication for Medra.

Plot Role

Orcades functions as a hidden mentor and emotional anchor. She appears in Chapter 10 (taking over the narration), but the first hint of her existence comes in the Prelude, where her final words are quoted: “Who meets their death devoid of love shall surely face their end. / But one who gives their soul away, eternity extends.” This couplet foreshadows her soul-gift to Medra. In Chapter 11, Orcades explains how she saved Medra by lodging part of her own soul in Medra’s mind, pulling her from the brink of death into the vampire world of Sangratha. Throughout the story, she offers commentary, warns about highblood politics, and helps Medra attempt a dangerous soul-separation ritual using an ancient spell from The Dark Art of Eternal Bonds.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Orcades’ primary motivation is love for her daughter—a love she describes as “boundless.” She sacrificed her own afterlife to save Medra. Yet she is also proud, calling her soul-saving feat a “wondrous accomplishment” and preening at her own cleverness. She retains the sharpness of a former general, dismissing highblood bullies as “little privileged bastards” and advising Medra to win over Regan as an ally. Her actions are constrained by her spectral state: she cannot physically intervene but can influence Medra’s magic, as seen when she promises to pour all her power into the separation spell (Chapter 29). She also shows a pragmatic, sometimes dark sense of humor, joking about her daughter’s romantic life and the impossibility of their situation.

It is interpretation that Orcades’ lingering presence is motivated by unfinished maternal love rather than a desire for continued existence, but she explicitly states she has no wish to steal Medra’s life. This is a fact from Chapter 21, where she says, “I have no wish to steal my daughter’s life.” Her willingness to accept her own final death after the separation ritual reinforces this selflessness.

Chronological Arc

  1. Prelude: Orcades’ last words are quoted, establishing her thematic link to love, soul‑giving, and eternity.
  2. Prologue: She is absent from the narrative but her soul-gift has already taken effect—Medra survives the vampire’s bite.
  3. Chapter 10: Orcades speaks to Medra for the first time, revealing she saved her daughter.
  4. Chapter 11: Orcades explains the mechanics of soul‑lodging and discusses separation options, beginning with books.
  5. Chapter 21: She reassures Medra that she will not usurp her body and acknowledges the “tedium” of their shared condition.
  6. Chapter 29: Orcades agrees to the no-anchor version of the separation ritual, risking her own annihilation.
  7. Chapters 33–60: Orcades remains a quiet presence, observing Medra’s romance with Blake and the awakening of the dragon Nyxaris. By the end of the book, she has not yet been separated, leaving her fate open for the series.

Relationships

Medra Pendragon: The central bond. Orcades is emotionally close to Medra yet physically invasive. Medra feels both gratitude and resentment (“The ghost of my dead mother is riding around in my head”). Their dialogue mixes affection, sarcasm, and tension. Orcades’ maternal tenderness—remembering Medra as “the most beautiful thing she had ever seen”—softens the conflict.

Blake Drakharrow: Orcades does not interact directly with Blake but comments on him. When Medra feels attraction, Orcades promises to avert her “mind’s eye” during intimate moments, showing both discretion and a mother’s protectiveness.

Jia Shen: Orcades speaks only to Medra during their meeting with the librarian. She approves of Jia’s discretion and warns Medra to trust carefully, revealing her own experience with court intrigue.

Regan Pansera: Orcades urges Medra to befriend Regan, seeing her as a potential powerful ally—ironic given Regan’s early hostility. This advice highlights Orcades’ strategic mind.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  • Saving Medra: Orcades’ unconscious act of lodging her soul in Medra saves her life but strands them both in Sangratha. Consequence: Medra gains a constant companion and secret knowledge but loses her old world and family.
  • Choosing the no-anchor ritual: Orcades rejects the anchor option that would preserve her soul in an object, accepting final death. This decision removes the danger of Orcades taking over Medra’s body and demonstrates her ultimate sacrifice.
  • Withholding information: Orcades is initially vague about how to separate their souls, forcing Medra to research forbidden spells. This leads Medra to discover dangerous blood magic and indirectly triggers the chain of events that awakens Nyxaris.

The text confirms Orcades’ choice in Chapter 29, where Medra notes her surprise that Orcades preferred the no-anchor method. The consequence of Orcades’ vagueness is inferred: if she had been more direct, the ritual might have been avoided, but the plot clearly unfolds because Medra seeks the spell.

Theme and Symbol Connections

  • Identity and Heritage: Orcades embodies Medra’s unknown fae heritage and the legacy of the Pendragon bloodline. Her presence forces Medra to confront who she is apart from her mother.
  • Love and Possession: Orcades’ soul-gift blurs the line between love and possession. She is inside Medra without consent, though she claims no wish to control. This mirrors the book’s broader themes of consent and control.
  • Power and Hierarchy: Orcades’ history as a general and princess informs her view of power. She advises Medra to play political games, contrasting with Medra’s desire for freedom. This connects to the power and hierarchy theme.
  • Resistance and Survival: By giving her soul, Orcades resists death itself. Her survival strategy—embedding in another’s mind—becomes a metaphor for survival under oppressive systems, explored in resistance and survival.
  • Blood and Soul: The Prelude epigraph links blood to voice and lineage. Orcades’ soul resides in Medra, making her a living memory. The soul-separation ritual uses blood as a conduit, reinforcing the identity and heritage theme.

Symbolically, Orcades’ repeated call for Medra to “thrive like a rose, even in this dark place” echoes the Bloodmaiden legend—a figure of sacrifice and rebirth. Her final words in the Prelude serve as the book’s thematic motto, suggesting that love can extend existence beyond death.

5 Book-Specific Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Orcades choose to save Medra without planning to take over her body?
    In Chapter 21, she explicitly tells Medra, “I have no wish to steal my daughter’s life.” Her love is selfless; she accepts that after the separation ritual she will likely fade from existence. This is a fact, not interpretation.

  2. What method does Orcades suggest to separate her soul from Medra’s?
    Initially she is vague: “You could start by consulting some ancient books. Or some wise person” (Chapter 11). Later, Medra finds the spell in The Dark Art of Eternal Bonds (Chapter 29). This is a fact.

  3. Does Orcades ever physically show herself in the story?
    No. She exists only as a voice in Medra’s mind. The reader never sees her actions or external appearance beyond her quoted words. This is a fact from the evidence.

  4. How does Orcades react to Medra’s growing connection with Blake Drakharrow?
    Orcades assures Medra she will not intrude on romantic moments, saying she will “simply be happy that you are happy” (Chapter 11). This reflects a mother’s respect for privacy.

  5. What is the meaning of Orcades’ last words in the Prelude?
    The couplet contrasts a loveless death with a soul-gift that “eternity extends.” It foreshadows Orcades’ own action of giving part of her soul to Medra, granting her daughter a second life while Orcades faces annihilation. This interpretation is supported by the Prelude’s placement right before the Prologue.

Further Reading