Cimorene

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Cimorene is the heroine of Patricia C. Wrede's novels dealing with the Enchanted Forest (Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons). She is a nontraditional princess, too tall, with jet-black hair. In addition, she likes things that are not at all proper for a princess to like, leading to her parents getting exasperated with her every time she escapes her lessons to learn "something more interesting," such as fencing, cooking, and economics. She follows a frog's advice and runs away from her castle and an arranged marriage. In the first book, Cimorene finds herself "dealing with dragons" as the princess of the dragon Kazul. While living in the "dragon city" (an extensive cave system populated exclusively by dragons) in the Mountains of Morning, Cimorene learns magic, cleans, cooks, organizes the library, and becomes entangled in dragon politics.

Also living in the dragon city are three other captive princesses, two of whom behave like typical damsels in distress. The third princess, the slightly more sensible Alianora, becomes Cimorene's friend. She later helps discover that soapy water with a little bit of lemon juice can melt wizards. She uses this to stop the rigging of the dragons' king selection ceremony. Cimorene also meets a very clean witch named Morwen in this book, who becomes a strong supporting character in the following books.

In "Searching for Dragons", Cimorene meets Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest. During their adventure, Cimorene and Mendanbar get to know each other and eventually fall in love. They get married at the end of the book. Along the way, they meet the magician Telemain, the Giantess Ballimore, and many wizards from the Society of Wizards (some of whom they melt).

In "Calling on Dragons", Mendanbar's magic sword has been stolen. Cimorene, pregnant with their first child, must retrieve it from the Society of Wizards. Mendanbar cannot leave the Enchanted Forest himself or wizards will be able to drain the magic from the forest. Cimorene sets off in search of the sword, led by a giant enchanted rabbit named Killer. She is joined by her old friends Morwen, Telemain, and Kazul. They successfully regain the sword, but return home to discover that the wizards have attacked the castle and imprisoned Mendanbar. Only the magic sword can pierce the magical barrier created by the wizards, and only Mendanbar or his child can wield the sword. The dragons erect a magical barrier around the castle to keep the wizards out, while Cimorene decides to live on the edge of the Enchanted Forest and raise her son in obscurity until he is old enough to take the sword and free his father.

"Talking to Dragons" centers around Cimorene's son, Daystar, who narrates the novel. Cimorene appears only as "Mother" until she is finally reunited with her husband and her true identity is revealed.