With her sturdy hiking boots and her short, curly black hair, Solimar looks “more like a rough-and-tumble forest elf than a princess”—and she likes it that way (9). Only the gold hoop earrings she has worn since she was a baby hint at her royalty. Despite her royal lineage, Solimar is practical and progressive. She is frustrated by unwritten, outmoded conventions that keep her and other women from joining the yearly caravan and from having a say in the kingdom’s governance. Solimar wants to make a difference in San Gregorio but knows that her traditional role as princess will keep her on the sidelines when her brother becomes king.

Solimar is defined by her independence and determination. She faces high stakes struggles yet perseveres with courage. Her sense of purpose and inner strength are the reasons the monarchs choose her to be their “benevolent courier.” Doña Flor, trusty Lázaro, and Zarita all sense this “something special” that Solimar has inside.

Solimar’s commitment to the monarchs reveals her love of nature and her desire to preserve it. Solimar’s connection to nature is even evident in her name. In Spanish “sol y mar” means “sun and sea.” On her journey to save the monarchs, her family, and her kingdom, Solimar comes of age.