Where Loyalties Burn: Meet the Characters Who Defy Kings and Rewrite History

🔥 Where Loyalties Burn – Meet the Characters Who Defy Kings and Rewrite History

A gripping historical novel set in medieval Wales. Discover the powerful cast at its heart — rebels, royals, and women who won’t be silenced.

In a time when kingdoms fall with a whisper and loyalty can get you killed, who can you trust?

Welcome to the world of Where Loyalties Burn — a historical epic inspired by real events and figures from 12th-century Wales. This is a land on fire, ruled by ambition, resistance, and love that defies convention.

At the centre of this novel are the characters who risk everything to claim their place in history.

⭐ Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd

Warrior. Mother. Patriot.

Daughter of the deposed King of Deheubarth, Gwenllian is as intelligent as she is fearless. Raised in a court torn apart by conquest, she fights not just with weapons but with strategy. Her marriage to Griffith ap Rhys is both a political alliance and a love forged in rebellion. As sister-in-law to the more famous Nest, Gwenllian’s story is one of fiery resistance, maternal courage, and ultimate sacrifice.

⭐ Griffith ap Rhys

Heir in exile. Dreamer of dynasties.

Driven to reclaim his father’s throne, Griffith ap Rhys returns to Wales determined to outwit the Norman invaders. His love for Gwenllian is matched only by his devotion to the cause of Welsh sovereignty. Charismatic but often torn by impossible choices, he is a man caught between legacy and leadership.

⭐ Nest ferch Rhys

Beauty politicised. Survivor of scandal.

Sister to Griffith, Nest has become a pawn in the games of kings. As a mistress of Henry I and the woman abducted by Owain ap Cadwgan, her name has been immortalised — but her voice is too often lost. In this novel, Nest is more than a figure of history: she’s a woman navigating a brutal world with quiet power.

⭐ Gruffydd ap Cynan

Veteran king. Keeper of memory.

The long-reigning King of Gwynedd, Gruffydd ap Cynan commands respect across Wales. Shrewd and seasoned, he serves as both ally and foil to the younger generation of rebels. His reign offers cautionary lessons — and warnings unheeded.

⭐ Angharad ferch Owain

Noble matriarch. Shield between worlds.

Wife to Gruffydd ap Cynan and mother to future rulers, Angharad is a formidable presence. She knows the cost of politics — and the price of silence. Her loyalty is never blind, and her role behind the scenes is crucial to the Welsh court’s survival.

⭐ Owain ap Cadwgan

Lover. Abductor. Unpredictable rebel.

Owain is infamous for one act — the abduction of Nest — but there’s more to him than legend. Caught between love, defiance, and reckless ambition, he is a wild card in the fracturing Welsh nobility. His choices send tremors through kingdoms.

⭐ Henry I of England

The lion in the distance.

Cold and calculating, King Henry I manipulates power from afar. Through marriages, alliances, and suppression, he extends England’s grip on Wales. His reach is long — and his memory, longer.

⚔️ Why These Characters Matter

Every rebellion has its figurehead — and its ghosts. Where Loyalties Burn doesn’t just revisit history. It asks what it means to stand for something when the cost is everything.

These characters — all drawn from real history — don’t just fight for thrones. They fight for identity, autonomy, and a voice in a world that would rather see them silenced.

📚 Ready to Enter the Fire?

Where Loyalties Burn is a richly imagined historical novel perfect for readers of Sharon Kay Penman, Hilary Mantel, and Elizabeth Chadwick.