The Main Characters of The Consort of the King Novellas

William – Biology degree student and new cub

William has grown up as a ward of the state, orphaned at a young age he never knew his real family. In and out of foster homes and the care system, for him, university life was a huge relief. He was one of the lucky ones, he may not have had the best experiences but he did not have the worst and has done well for himself so far. He has always been interested in biology since he was a young boy and winning a prestigious scholarship to fund his study at the University of Evolutionary Biology in Winchester was a dream come true. Although it is a tiny and new establishment without the prestige the environment is ideal for William and he has flourished in his time there. 

That all came crashing to a halt when he visited a nearby woodland to study the local flora. He was sketching the plants and trying to develop the talents that served the early naturalists so well, when he was surprised to find himself face to face with a wolf. As they are extinct in the United Kingdom, it clearly must have escaped from a zoo. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts to appear non-threatening, when it drew near and sniffed him, his attempt to stroke it resulted in a painful nip on the hand followed by the wolf running off. He attempted to follow it and saw it disappear into a small cave, far too narrow and dark for him to dare exploring on his own. 

Returning to his fellow students he recounted his story and has been defending his honesty and good sense ever since. No-one believes him about the wolf he saw and his girlfriend is so incredulous at his story that she breaks up with him. So he ventures back to the woodland and finds a perch on a nearby hill where he can get a photo of the wolf coming out of its den. It is there that he meets Brian, a local country gentleman, the first person who shows the slightest amount of belief in his story. Though he is twice his age, William feels an immediate affinity for this charming man whose wry smiles hide behind a neatly trimmed beard. 

Brian – Country gentleman, former soldier, travel writer and more

In his country house not far from Winchester, Brian leads a somewhat solitary life. His travels have seen him visit more continents and countries than many people can even name and his writing about those experiences has given him a comfortable lifestyle. His loneliness cannot be abated by financial security though and he rattles about the large house with little reason to be there all the time.

Until he meets William and his interest is piqued by this quiet, studious young man. He decides to introduce himself in the best way he knows how and see how this young man will respond. Is William the cub he has been looking for, for so long? The one to enrich his life and give him new purpose? Does he really hold the great potential that Brian can sense in him?