Katharine Marie Moorland Katharine Marie Moorland was the Lord Speaker of the Council of Lords of Ravens Bluff from ? - - ? Appearance . Lady Katharine is 5 ' 4 " tall and weighs 105 pounds . She is astonishingly beautiful with green eyes and red hair and looks very youthful due to her elven heritage . Her slim build belies her toughness and she is frequently underestimated due to her size , her beauty , or both . In town she favors a simple fine linen dress cinched at the waist by a belt of leather and gold on which she carries a magical dagger with a jeweled pommel . In cold weather she adds a lambskin cloak held by a silver brooch in the form of her family coat of arms . Her long red hair is worn loosely . Outside town she wears high soft boots and buckskin breeches , a linen shirt , a heavy plain traveling cloak and a leather hat into which she tucks her hair to keep it out of the way . Personality . Katharine is an open , friendly , adventurous woman , an expert rider , a skilled archer , and even dabbles in the arcane arts . She likes to spend time listening to tales of exotic creatures , far - away lands , and mystical powers . She is flattered that many women in town mimic her style of dress and she likes the prestige of being Lord Speaker . Being the only woman currently on the Council of Lords she does not feel she has equal authority with her male counterparts and is actively working to change this situation . She is quite aware of men ' s interest in her but does not consider any of her current suitors worth her time . She gently but firmly turns them down and rarely has to be forceful except in the most persistent cases . She is rather smitten with Lord Russel Roland but does not let her feelings be known due to the difference in their ages . She knows she is expected to marry in the next few years but she is more interested in enjoying the world for now . Background . Katharine is the daughter of Lord Phineas Augustus Moorland and his elvish wife Arlayna . She has two older and two younger brothers so she competed with them relentlessly and learned to ride and shoot at an early age . Her father encouraged her to become self - reliant while her mother insisted she learn about the duties and social behavior of a woman of nobility . It is from her mother that she also got her interest in magic . At age 30 she received the title of Lady and an income from a small holding of land - - she will not receive her full inheritance until her father dies or she marries , whichever comes first . She maintains a house in Ravens Bluff and is well - liked by most of the townspeople who find her more approachable than most other nobility and because she is usually responsible for scheduling the city ' s festivals and special events . Lady Katharine became a member of the Council of Lords when her father retired from the post . Some believe he retired when her two older brothers were away in foreign countries just so she would get the seat on the Council . Because of her great wisdom and high intelligence she was often consulted on a wide range of business before the Council and eventually was elected Lord ( some say Lady ) Speaker for a two - year term .