Gild

King Midas was once a vigilante named Tyndall who rode throughout Sixth Kingdom, saving villagers from bandits and raids. At that point in his life, he possessed no title and was not of noble birth. When he saved Auren and took her under his protection, he maintained control of her and then used his magical power of gold touch to bargain with the ailing king of Sixth Kingdom and marry the princess, Malina, thereby inheriting the throne. (Malina was unable to inherit the throne directly because she has no magic of her own.)

The character of Midas is the most direct parallel to the original Greek myth that inspired the series. He is also the first of several antagonists who collectively represent The Damaging Effects of Patriarchy. He is charming, conniving, and manipulative, as seen in his treatment of Auren and in his complex scheme to kill King Fulke and take over Fifth Kingdom. He is obsessed with his gold-touch power and proves himself to be deeply possessive, controlling, and power hungry. He keeps a collection of saddles to assuage his extensive sexual desires, and he habitually manipulates Auren through a combination of charm, feigned compassion, shaming, and threats of violence. In Gild, Midas’s scheme against Fulke leads him into an intensifying conflict with King Ravinger of Fourth Kingdom, and this inciting incident propels the conflict of the rest of the series.

King Fulke is a secondary antagonist in the novel. As the ruler of Fifth Kingdom, he believes Midas to be his ally and remains unaware of Midas’s treachery until the last possible moment. After Fulke’s murder, Midas tells Auren that Fulke was in the business of sex trafficking, citing this as the reason why Midas wanted to kill him. However, the narrative never clarifies whether or not this is just another of Midas’s lies to control Auren. Regardless, the author implies that Midas would have killed Fulke for his own gain anyway. During Fulke’s appearances in the early chapters of the novel, he delights in committing violence against women and becomes obsessed with Auren, due to her gold skin and her status as unique and unattainable. Fulke’s fixation on Auren allows Midas to manipulate him into handing over his army in exchange for the mere promise of a single night of sexual intimacy with Auren. The threat of submitting to Fulke fuels Auren’s fears and damages her misplaced faith in Midas, thereby contributing to the tension of the novel as Auren struggles to come to grips with the psychological effects of her years of captivity and coercion. Additionally, Fulke’s death is the excuse that Midas uses to gain control of Fifth Kingdom, and this dynamic leads to Midas’s escalating conflict with Ravinger.

Digby is Auren’s primary guard, both in her cage at the castle and on the road when they travel toward Fifth Kingdom to rejoin Midas. He is stoic and professional and maintains strict control over himself and the guards under his command. However, he also demonstrates some degree of care and compassion for Auren, saving her from Fulke and showing habitual attentiveness to her needs. Though he resists her efforts to joke or develop a deeper rapport, he clearly cares about her feelings and well-being. In the last section of the novel, Digby leaves the caravan with several guards to scout the path ahead, and he is therefore absent when the pirates attack. Auren does not know if he is still alive, and it remains unclear whether he will make an appearance later in the series.

Rissa is one of King Midas’s many saddles, or enslaved women whom Midas sexually exploits. She is one of his favorites and also gains the interest of King Fulke before his death. Auren describes her as blonde, beautiful, poised, and professional, and she often serves as a foil to Auren. While Auren is considered the king’s favored, she has never been required to perform as a traditional saddle, and unlike Rissa, she therefore lacks the skills to keep lecherous and violent men entertained. Rissa, on the other hand, is a consummate professional and performer who can maintain a carefully controlled façade of sensual pleasure in distasteful and even dangerous circumstances. She initially does this to preserve her standing and amenities when she lives under Midas’s aegis, and she later uses these skills to survive among the pirates.

Rissa, like all the saddles, resents Auren because of the favoritism that Auren receives from Midas and other men. She also disdains Auren’s lack of skill as a saddle. However, following the incident when Auren throws a book at her in a ruse designed to give her an excuse to withdraw from her degrading duties, Rissa slowly begins to treat Auren with more tolerance, if not kindness. Together, Rissa and Auren deal with Captain Fane and dispose of his body after Auren kills him. This traumatic experience also builds a new sense of connection and camaraderie between them.

Sail is a guard under Digby’s command who is chosen to help protect Auren and the other saddles during the voyage to Fifth Kingdom. He is young, kind, and a little naïve, and he is more willing than the other guards to overlook Auren’s status and speak to her like a friend and equal, even gently teasing her. He thus becomes Auren’s first and only real friend in years. He takes his duty to protect her seriously, making every effort to defend her during the pirate attack and comforting her after their capture. He is killed for his efforts, triggering Auren’s first real demonstration of rage and power as the pirates hang his body from the mast as a warning to others. Auren’s need to save his body from further defilement leads her to reveal her ribbons to others for the first time. Ultimately, Sail and Digby are the only two male characters in the narrative who do not revel in The Damaging Effects of Patriarchy.

Captain Fane is the leader of the Red Raids, or snow pirates. He becomes Auren’s primary source of danger in the last third of the novel. He is large, with dark hair and eyes, and he wears a white coat and red balaclava like all the Red Raids. Fane is the first of the pirates to recognize who and what Auren is and how valuable she could be. However, while he intends to auction off the other saddles, he decides to keep Auren for himself because he is excited by the idea of possessing a powerful king’s prized trophy. 

Even more than Fulke, Fane delights in inflicting violence on women. Like Midas, he is power hungry and obsessed with wealth and gold, but he remains cautious and nervous in his dealings with Commander Rip and the soldiers of Fourth Kingdom even though he clearly resents their power over him. The scene in which Auren kills Fane with her own version of the gold touch stands as the climax of the novel because Auren’s many dangers and tribulations have led her to unleash a previously unknown magical power.