Marcello Dragna

**Marcello Dragna** is the governor of The Conquered Isle of Trisda. He is Scarlett Dragna's stepfather, Donatella Dragna's father and Paloma Dragna's husband.

## Appearance

Marcello Dragna wears plum-colored gloves and he also likes to dress impeccably. He keeps up with the latest fashion. His blond hair is always tied back with a neat black bow showing off his manicured eyebrows and dark blond goatee. Although he is in his mid-forties, he doesn't let his body turn to fat. He wears two large rings on his right hand. One ring is a square amethyst and the other is a sharply pointed diamond. The governor wears a perfume that smells like anise and lavender and something akin to rotted plums.

## Personality

Marcello became abusive to his daughter after their mother disappeared. He's cruel and only cares for power. Whenever one of his daughters steps out of line, he physically hurts the other one. He will do anything to keep his daughters from leaving their estate. He feels that the proper level of respect has been denied him and he constantly seeks ways to gain more importance. He is very concerned with his reputation. He likes people to think he is a pious man, but he is anything but. He winks after doing something nasty and mean. "Marcello seldom tells the entire truth, but he also rarely outright lies. He saves his lies for when they will count the most."

## Plot

Governor Dragna has more wealth than most island officials because of his rum trade and other black-market dealings. However, because Trisda is one of the Conquered Isles, he lacks the power and respect he desires. No matter how much wealth he accumulates, regents and nobles from the rest of the Meridian Empire ignore him.

When Paloma abandoned her family, Marcello went rabid. He tore up the entire estate looking for her. He had his guards raid the towns searching for her.

### Caraval

Marcello Dragna lives in and governs the Conquered Isle of Trisda. He turned abusive after his wife Paloma ran away. When Scarlett was around eight years old, Marcello killed Felipe, an older son of one of the kinder guards, by drowning him as punishment for trying to help his daughters escape. He has arranged a marriage between Scarlett and Count Nicolas d'Arcy to increase his power and wealth.

Marcello finds Scarlett and Tella in the cellar with Julian. The sisters try to say it was the other who was kissing Julian. Marcello asks a confused Julian which sister he was with. Tella mouths the word "Scarlett" to him and so Julian says he was with Scarlett. Immediately, Marcello punishes Scarlett by slapping Tella twice across the face as one of his guards holds Scarlett back. Afterwards, Marcello gives Scarlett a letter from her fiancé and tells her that she will be marrying him in ten days. He threatens severe punishment on Tella if anything keeps the wedding from happening.

Once in Caraval, Scarlett reveals that her biggest fear is her father. This leads to him appearing at the hotel she stayed in. Originally, she was able to get away. Later on however, she gets spotted by a man paid by her father to help find her. She is able to make another short escape to the tunnels where she finds Julian, but she is followed by her father. She is able to run and get back to the hotel safely, but when she wakes and starts to search for the other clue she is found by who she thinks is her fiancé, who was actually one of Legend’s actors. Her father puts a knife to Julian's throat and slashes up his face before trying to kidnap him, but Scarlett forces her “fiancé” to make her father stop, and he does.

Later on in the story, the count reunites with his oldest daughter and tries forcing her to return back to his isle, saying that everything he did was for his daughters' good. But Scarlett refuses and threatens him, causing the count to back away and leave.

## Relationships

### Scarlett Dragna and Donatella Dragna

Marcello was a better man and father when the girls were younger. However, after Paloma left them, he became abusive towards Scarlett and Tella. Whenever one of them breaks one of his rules, he will punish the other, as it will bring them more pain. Once Scarlett and Tella tried to leave Trisda with the help of Felipe, the son of one of their father's guards, but they were ultimately found out. Marcello and his guards came to collect them, and as the guards dragged the sisters back to their home, Scarlett watched as Marcello held Felipe's head underwater, killing him. Later, he told everyone that Felipe had accidentally drowned, making Scarlett fear him even more.

## References

1. ↑ *Caraval*: page 20
2. ↑ *Caraval*: page 320