Elspeth was one of a long line of Deltoran monarchs who were slowly but surely stripped of power and influence by their chief advisors, in reality the servants of the Shadow Lord seeking to undermine Deltora from within. Elspeth's advisor was notable for calling a halt to work on The Deltora Annals and an end to the Gripper-weeding program previously supported by the royal family. Sadly, Elspeth apparently trusted his word and took no action to countermand his decrees.
Josef, the chief palace librarian in the time of Alton, wrote about Elspeth in the foreword of his book, The Deltora Book of Monsters, while he was travelling Deltora hiding from the servants of the Shadow Lord. He had fled the palace when he became certain that Alton's chief advisor, Prandine, was a servant and spy for the Enemy, carrying with him The Deltora Annals.[1]
Physical appearance[]
Nothing is known of Elspeth's physical appearance.
Personality[]
Little is known of Elspeth's personality other than the fact that like various rulers who preceded and succeeded her, she was trusting of her chief advisor and ignorant of their villainous intentions, undoubtedly due to the actions of her predecessors and the institution of the Rule.
Elspeth's name shares some similarities with that of her ancestor Elstred, and might be seen as a feminine version of that name. In real life the name Elspeth is a female given name from Hebrew, a Scottish variant of the name "Elizabeth".[2]
