Larissa Gains: The Bomardi Woman Who Became an Unlikely Ally

Overview

Larissa Gains is a Bomardi woman, the daughter of Hap Gains (fourth in line to the Seat of Bomard), and Toven Hearst's former lover. She first appears among the imprisoned Eversun women, initially hostile and dismissive. Over the course of the novel, she transforms into a reluctant but genuine ally of Briony Rosewood, offering expertise on social performance in exchange for training in mind magic. Her arc is defined by survival, pragmatism, and a slow-burning rebellion against the roles imposed by Bomardi society and her father. This page explores her full character arc in Rose in Chains. For a broader overview of the novel, see the main book page.

Plot Role

Larissa functions as a foil and eventual mirror to Briony. Where Briony is royal, defiant, and steeped in the traditions of Eversun, Larissa is a Bomardi insider who has already experienced the cruelties of her own society. She is initially positioned as an antagonist: she taunts Briony in the dungeon, mocks her escape plans, and refuses to assist the other prisoners. However, Larissa is also among the women subjected to Canning Trow's forced-arousal elixir, making her a victim of the same system that enslaves the Eversun women. Her father, Gains, ultimately disowns her during a portal transit, declaring he has no daughter.

Her critical plot role emerges when Toven reveals his plan: Larissa will learn to transmogrify herself into Briony's appearance, allowing her to impersonate the golden heartspring at Biltmore parties. This scheme protects Briony from the most degrading aspects of heartspring life while giving Larissa cover to investigate something she needs access to at the palace. Larissa thus becomes Briony's chaperone, tutor, and double, bridging the divide between captor and captive. The themes of deception and performance are central to her role.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Larissa is driven primarily by self-preservation, but her actions reveal deeper desires for agency, respect, and escape from her father's shadow. In the dungeon, she admits her envy of Briony—not because Briony has it easy, but because Briony's future represents a life Larissa herself once wanted. This confession reveals her vulnerability beneath her barbed exterior.

She is pragmatic rather than sentimental, observant rather than impulsive. She notes details others miss and calculates her alliances carefully. When she offers to teach Briony how to act convincingly as a heartspring, she does so as a transaction: mind magic lessons in return. Yet her commitment to the agreement suggests loyalty to the arrangement itself, not just self-interest. Her willingness to train daily, even when exhausted, shows a determined streak. When Serena Hearst dismisses her at dinner, Larissa shrinks rather than retaliates—revealing her awareness of the social pecking order within Bomardi high society.

Chronological Arc

Capture and dungeon. Larissa is imprisoned alongside the Eversun women. She mocks Briony's escape plans but eventually reveals they are in the Trow estate, five floors underground. During the forced medical examinations, she is among those selected for Canning Trow's elixir testing.

Auction and appraisal. Larissa is appraised alongside Briony at the Bomardi Ten gathering. Her father forces her to join the proceedings. In the cell afterward, she confesses her envy to Briony. Gains later takes both women through a portal to the Bomardi Circus, declaring he has no daughter.

Arrival at Hearst Hall. A portal forces both women through to the rainy grounds of Hearst Hall. Briony slips through the gate and locks it behind her, separating them. Finn Raquin burns the tattoo off Larissa's arm and takes her through another portal.

Partnership formed. Briony discovers Larissa in Toven's bedroom at 2am. The two women negotiate: Larissa will teach Briony to act convincingly as a heartspring in exchange for mind-cloaking and transmogrification lessons. This alliance elevates Briony's agency over her own body.

Training and progress. Larissa learns to turn her hair brown for short periods and later her eyes green for about twenty minutes. She practices daily, motivated by a desire to attend the Biltmore parties in disguise. Toven postpones using her for the impersonation because she is not ready, but she continues training. She also reveals crucial information to Briony: the magical tattoos come from an elixir forced into prisoners, not from a spell. This discovery gives Briony a lead for her research.

Relationships

Briony Rosewood. Larissa's relationship with Briony evolves from antagonism to wary partnership. She mocks Briony in the dungeon, envies her, then becomes her tutor in the arts of deception. Briony, in turn, teaches her mind magic. Their alliance is transactional but becomes essential to both women's survival.

Toven Hearst. Larissa was Toven's lover. She knows his intimate details and uses this knowledge to offer Briony guidance on playing the part of a heartspring convincingly. She also knows him well enough to understand that Briony has not been sexually exploited at Hearst Hall, a point she exploits during their negotiation. Toven provides her shelter and protection at Hearst Hall in exchange for her cooperation.

Hap Gains. Larissa's father is cold and dismissive toward her. He forces her to participate in the auction arrangements, shows her no affection, and ultimately disowns her publicly. Their relationship is one of abuse and neglect, which explains both her survival instincts and her emotional guardedness.

Serena Hearst. Serena is cold toward Larissa, failing to extend the same respect she offers Briony. The strained dinner highlights Larissa's lower status in Bomardi society despite her former intimacy with Toven. Larissa tried for years to gain Serena's approval and failed.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme and Symbol Connections

Larissa's arc connects to power and control through her relationship with her father and Toven. She is a woman navigating a patriarchal system where her value is tied to her relationships with powerful men. Her decision to learn mind magic represents a claim to bodily autonomy: she seeks the power to change her appearance and move unseen through the spaces that would trap her.

Her role in the impersonation plot ties directly to themes of deception and performance. She must teach Briony to act as a willing heartspring while simultaneously learning to become Briony. This doubling highlights the theatrical nature of survival in Bomardi society, where everyone performs a role to protect their true selves.

Her confession of envy and her endurance of the elixir connect her to trauma and survival. She has suffered under the same system that preys on Eversun women, yet she has fewer avenues of resistance. Her pragmatic alliance with Briony is itself an act of quiet resistance and rebellion—she chooses whom to serve, even within her limited options.

Book-Specific Questions and Answers

Why does Larissa initially refuse to help the Eversun women escape from the dungeon?

She scoffs at the idea of fighting their way out in chains, calling Briony "absolutely mad." She also distrusts Briony, fearing she would be left behind if the others escaped. Her refusal stems from both pragmatism (the escape seems impossible) and self-preservation (she does not trust the Eversun prisoners to include her).

What does Larissa confess to Briony in the dungeon, and what does it reveal?

Larissa admits she envies Briony—specifically, she envies "what your life will be." She cannot sleep for envy even while standing in a line to be sold. This confession reveals that Larissa sees Briony's future (being bought by Toven) as desirable: it represents a life of safety and value that Larissa herself once wanted but can no longer access.

How does Larissa know about the magical tattoos, and what does she tell Briony?

Larissa was forced to drink an elixir when her own tattoo was created. She recalls having her jaw pried open and the liquid forced down her throat. She tells Briony the tattoos come from an elixir, not a spell, giving Briony the crucial insight that an antidote might exist. When allowed, she examined the elixir but found its composition inconclusive.

What motivates Larissa to partner with Briony, and what does she want in return?

Larissa wants lessons in mind magic—specifically, cloaking and transmogrification—so she can change her appearance and attend the Biltmore parties in disguise to access something she needs there. In exchange, she offers to coach Briony on how to convincingly perform as a heartspring, using her knowledge of Toven and Bomardi social expectations.

Does Larissa succeed at learning mind magic and impersonating Briony?

She makes significant progress, learning to change her hair color brown for short periods and later her eyes green for about twenty minutes. Toven judges her not ready for the Friday Biltmore party and postpones the impersonation for a week. She continues practicing, and Briony's teaching advances Larissa's skills, though the book leaves open exactly how far she ultimately progresses. The arrangement remains intact as a fragile alliance.

For further discussion of character arcs and plot questions, see the questions and answers page and the ending explained page.