Cast of Characters

Nadja Applefield

Nadja Applefield is a sunny, charming girl, with a talent for dancing and making friends wherever she goes. Even though she is very young, she shoulders responsibility well, often taking care of the children younger than her at the orphanage. Nadja was left to be raised at the Applefield Orphanage as a baby, her only possession at the time being an elaborate heart-shaped brooch. Nadja grew up at the orphanage believing her parents were dead. However in the days before her 13th birthday, Nadja received a surprising gift in the mail: a trunk containing a party dress and a diary, both keepsakes belonging to Nadja's mother. The gown was worn by Nadja's mother at her first ball, and the diary was her mother's colorful description of all the people she met and danced with at that ball. Nadja is amazed by this gift, and stunned to discover that her mother might actually be alive out there somewhere. When bad men arrive to steal the brooch away from Nadja, she leaves the Applefield Orphanage and begins a career as a dancer with the travelling Dandelion Troupe. Her dream is to someday be reunited with her mother.

Rosmary Applefield

Rosmary is another girl who was raised at the Applefield Orphanage. While Nadja is the type to always run around climbing trees with the boys, Rosmary is more feminine and dreamy and would rather watch from afar. Rosmary is unhappy about her status as an orphan, and always likes to fantasize that she is really a beautiful princess who was lost by her family, and who will be rescued any day now. Nadja played along with Rosmary's dreams by calling Rosmary 'princess' and pretending to be her faithful knight. But fantasy is not reality, and when Rosmary turns 13, she, like all Applefield children, has to leave the orphanage and get a job. She eventually ends up working as a maid for a very wealthy household. However even then she never stops dreaming...

Oliver Campbell

Another Applefield orphan, Oliver is the first among Nadja's friends to turn 13 and leave for the city to find work as an apprentice. He ends up working at a leather craftsman's shop, learning how to make beautiful handmade saddles. Oliver is a brave boy who has always admired Nadja. He is resourceful, and at one point helps Nadja escape from the bad men chasing her.

Georg Haskill

Georg is the "gentle strongman" and leader of the Dandelion Troupe. The car they all travel in appears to belong to him, and he is the one who decides where they will travel to next. Georg is gruff and macho, but he has his weaknesses as well. He is addicted to treasure hunting, and cannot turn down any maps offered to him. His treasure hunting passion has dragged the Troupe off course in their travels several times. It is unclear if any of his treasure hunting exploits have ever actually yielded any treasure, but Georg is always keen on going after the next treasure on the horizon.

Sylvie Arte

Sylvie is the "songbird" of the Dandelion Troupe. Her beautiful voice (and sexy looks) captivate her audience wherever she goes. Sylvie is sort of an older sister figure for Nadja while they are on the road. She is good at giving Nadja advice, and is someone Nadja can turn to with her romantic problems. Sylvie can be frivilous at times. She likes going shopping, and at one point she is seen dating Antonio Fabiani, a very shady character. However Sylvie has some romantic problems of her own. She suffers unrequited love for Raphael, a traveling musician. Her love afair with Raphael is very romantic yet melancholy.

Abel Geiger

Abel is the Pierrot of the Troupe, in charge of comedy and laughter. He wears clown make-up while on stage, and performs all kinds of amusing antics such as juggling, acrobatics, and standing on a large ball. Even though he is the Pierrot, Abel can be very serious at times. He is a very well educated man. He helps Nadja to read her mother's diary, which is in a language Nadja does not know. He also helps her look for some books in a library. Behind Abel's Pierrot make-up lies a sad past and a family he had to leave behind.

Rita Rossi

Many of the members of the Dandelion Troupe have sad pasts, and Rita is no exception. Rita works as the lion tamer for the Troupe. She is an orphan like Nadja, however a tragic incident in her past robbed her of the ability to speak. Rita's parents were also lion tamers, and Rita grew up in the circus life. After the death of her parents, she was adopted by the Dandelion Troupe, and performs on stage with the twin lions 'Creme' and 'Chocolat'. I find it strange how the lions never seem to grow larger! They must be mutant lions!

Anna Petrova

Anna Petrova is a very mysterious character. She is sort of a grandmotherly figure for everyone in the Troupe, yet none of them are really sure just how old she is. Anna sews all the costumes for the Troupe (Though it seems to me that Nadja and Kennosuke are the only ones who occasionally change costume) and she also operates the phonograph mounted on the top of the car. Anna has a side business of making fashionable hats for noblewomen, and occasionally the Dandelion car must detour so Anna can deliver a hat to a buyer. Anna is also a fortune teller. She know right away after she first sees Nadja that fate has some adventures in store for her, and throughout the series she always seems to know when important things will happen to Nadja.

Thomas O'Brien

A gentle musician, Thomas plays the violin for the Dandelion Troupe. He is a very quiet sort of guy, but very talented, and very dedicated to his music. One of the few times Thomas really gets angry is when someone insults his music and his playing. Thomas gives Nadja her first dancing prop- a baton of sorts that has a matching castanet that attaches to one end, and a belled piece that attaches to the other end. Another thing about Thomas is his practicality. He is often gentle and quiet, but he is also very down to earth when it comes to day to day life. He is concerned about how the Troupe earns money and the success of their performances.

Kennosuke Tsurugi

Son of a samurai family, Kennosuke ended up in Europe while searching for a way to support his younger sister. He is fascinated with mechanical things and is great at repairing them. His curiousity about the Dandelion steam car almost gets him in really big trouble, but he ends up joinging the Troupe as a performer. His Samurai Sword show impresses audiences all over Europe, and while in Italy he teams up with Nadja to perform an Italian Flag routine. Kennosuke has a crush on Nadja and often gets jealous when other boys, such as Christian or TJ, show interest in her.

Harvey Livingston

Harvey is an American journalist who works for a French newspaper. He is is very interested in the Mysterious Thief Black Rose, and travels all over Europe following him, trying to get a big story break. Harvey supports what the Black Rose does, and doesn't really want to expose him, he just wants to interview him. Harvey also dislikes injustice and uses his newspaper stories to expose government corruption. He is the older brother of TJ Livingston, and rased him when their parents died. Harvey crosses paths with Nadja in several countries, and helps her out at one point by printing a newspaper article on her behalf.

TJ Livingston

TJ is Harvey's younger brother who encounters Nadja and the Dandelion Troupe in France. TJ is a tough kid, but he has great affection for his older brother Harvey who raised him. Like most males that Nadja encounters, TJ develops a crush on Nadja, which of course creates a great rivalry with Kennosuke for her attention.

Christian Strand

Called the "Mummy Professor" by Kennosuke, Christian is one of the first people Nadja met after joining the Dandelion Troupe. He is a smart boy who has always wanted to be an archeologist. It is his dream to go to Egypt and discover ancient tombs of the Pharoahs. Christian is smitten with Nadja, and she happily encourages him to continue his studies. He is happy to find a girl who is not bored when he discusses his dreams about going to Egypt. She even seems interested when he talks about mummies! Christian is instrumental in Nadja discovering some information about her family.

Leonardo Cardinale and Thierry Rothschild

Leonardo and Thierry are wealthy textile merchants, and are acquaintances of Anna Petrova's. Leonardo is the more colorful of the pair, always flirting with the ladies and having several with him at any time. He claims to simply love beautiful things. He finds Nadja to be very adorable, and likes to call her his 'Little Rosebud,' much to Nadja's dismay. However Leonardo and Thierry prove to be great friends to Nadja, and even manage to give her a fabulous makeover on a couple of occasions when she is forced to attend society functions. They also assit her with tracking down one of the people from her mother's diary. Thierry is more subdued than Leonardo, and usually limits himself to only ONE woman at a time. :D

John Whittard

A troubled genius, John has been studying music in Paris for many months without much success. When he meets Nadja, he affects a very haughty attitude, especially when talking to the other members of the Dandelion Troupe, but he secretly envies them for their freedom and pleasure in their craft. John was considered a genius pianist in his home of England, but since coming to France he hasn't been inspired at all. Nadja's sunny personality manages to break John's slump as she gives him ideas about how to be in France yet keep a little bit of Engand with him too. John's encounter with Nadja helps put him back on the path to musical success. He eventually returns the favor by connecting her to an important person in her past.

Raphael

A travelling romantic troubadour, Raphael is a friend of the Dandelion Troupe, and is the man that Sylvie is hopelessly in love with. However Raphael is the type of man to never stay in one place for very long, and Sylvie has a difficult time trying to confess to him. Raphael is very poetic and romantic and melancholy all at the same time. He sees everyone as having invisible wings that symbolize their heart, strength, and courage. He thinks Nadja has very beautiful wings. But as for him, he believes his wings are broken due to the loss of a great love in his life. Raphael nevertheless helps to encourage Nadja at a low point in her life.

Antonio Fabiani

Antonio Fabiani is a somewhat shady character. He is a businessman from Italy who is always trying to strike up business ventures with various investors. Unfortunately some of those business ventures go bad, and his investors lost money, all to Antonio's gain. Antonio craves money and is not above using less than scrupulous means to get it. He first sees Nadja on the night of the masked ball, however it wasn't until they meet again in Italy that Nadja really sees what a scoundrel he is. Antonio's behavior really troubles Nadja until she learns about his past, growing up in Venice. She learns that people are not all good or all bad, and she hopes that Antonio will someday walk a path that is more straight and narrow. Personally I think his scheming ways really come in handy later in the series XD

Julietta

Nadja first meets Julietta at an exclusive vacation resort in Italy that the Dandelion Troupe is performing at. Julietta is a gentle, kind woman, who Nadja likes instantly. Amazingly enough, Julietta is the fiance of someone Nadja knows! Unfortunately her fiance doesn't appreciate her, and Julietta has begun to feel lonely and vulnerable. This sets her up nicely for succumbing to the attentions of Antonio, who showers Julietta with all the attention she never receives from her fiance. However Julietta is a mature woman, and her experiences and insight help Nadja make her own important decision.

Jose Rodriguez

Jose is a handsome and famous Spanish Matador. His skill at bull fighting draws huge crowds who gasp in awe at his seemingly effortless display of talent. He gets dangeruously close to the charging bulls, almost as if he cares little for his own life. And this may be the truth. At one time Jose was in love with a beautiful Flamenco dancer, Carmen. However instead of realizing their dreams of success together, she left him for someone wealthy. This left Jose crushed and spiritless. He rescues Nadja from being run over, and through watching her master the flamenco, he is reminded of his own passion for success at his sport. When Carmen arrives back on the scene, Nadja helps them determine their future relationship.

Carmen

Carmen is a Flamenco dancer from Spain. She is a very passionate and ambitious girl. Years of hard work made her into one of the most talented of Flamenco dancers, yet it was not enough. Carmen's true love is a bull fighter named Jose. Carmen's affair with Jose was as passionate as her dancing, but it, too, was not enough for Carmen. She soon began to crave riches and power over love and dancing, and dumped Jose for a wealthy foreigner. This left Jose broken hearted. However Carmen's return to Spain and to Jose could start a new chapter in their love affair.

Francis Harcourt

The son of a noble family, Francis Harcourt is loved throughout Europe for his generous giving and charity work. He is young and handsome, and has girls swooning for him all the time, however his focus is on his work. He travels all around, donating money to the poor and helping the underprivlidged. Francis and Nadja meet on the night of a charity ball being held at his family's estate. He is enchanted by her, and she is dazzled by him. They forge a bond while sharing memories of their childhoods. After a romantic dance in the moonlight, Francis and Nadja cross paths many times as they each go from country to country doing their work. However even though he seems to be the perfect guy, Francis does have troubles and concerns of his own.

The Black Rose

Dashing and Mysterious! The Black Rose is the talk of newspaper headlines all across Europe! He is a famous thief who steals from the wealthy and gives to the poor. But the trick is in which targets he chooses. The Black Rose preys upon those who misuse their wealth in bad ways, those who try to get rich off of the poor people's work, who waste their money in frivilous pursuits. Because of this, the Black Rose is a champion of the people. He employs the trademarks that a lot of thieves of this genre do- dashing black costume with long flowing cape, concealing mask, and rose-crested calling card that tells his victims he was there. At first Nadja is outraged at the Black Rose's exploits. Then she becomes confused, as she learns of the good he is doing, giving money to the poor. As with Francis, Nadja encounters the Black Rose many times during her travels. Do you want to know who the Black Rose is? It's a HUGE Spoiler, so please only click this link if you really don't mind having the plot spoiled for you!

Rosso and Bianco

These two shady characters are private detectives hired by both Duke Preminger AND his son Herman to locate Nadja. Rosso and Bianco are money grubbing, with few morals. They are, however, pretty good at tracking Nadja as she travels around Europe. The first find her in England, where their attempt to steal her brooch results in a fire that destroys her home and sends Nadja on the path to find her mother. Bianco is a little more money-hungry than Rosso, I think. Rosso appears to be the one in charge though, and he has no qualms about stealing from a little girl.

Herman

This evil schemer is Nadja's uncle Herman. He is the current heir to the Preminger estate, but not if Duke PReminger has anything to say about it. Believe it or not, but Herman is Colette's younger brother. Two more dissimilar people you will never see! Herman is sneaky and greedy, and determined to get his hands on the Preminger fortune no matter what. He also hires Rosso and Bianco to find Nadja, at the same time they are already working for his father! But his goal is to get the brooch, the main form of proof Nadja has about her heritage. However when an unexpected ally comes his way, his plan changes and he focuses on a disturbing new way to trick his father. No one likes Herman much, and it's easy to see why!

Fernando Gonzales

Spoiled Rotten! Fernando Gonzales is the son of a wealthy Spanish noble family, and all his life he has been pampered and spoiled. This resulted in Fernando's petty, malicious personality. Fernando finds Nadja very attractive (in a snotty rich kid way) but instead of being nice to her, he bosses her around and publically humilliates her by forcing her to attend a masked ball as an entertainer. He also blackmails Nadja into attending another ball. He is a really awful kid. His family also happens to be the one that employs Rosemary after she leaves the orphanage. Rosemary has a huge crush on Fernando, but his mean attitude towards her is one of the things that causes Rosemary's startling behavior.

Maryann Hamilton

The daughter of a very wealthy and respected family, Maryann grew up as a friend of Francis Harcourt. He sees her as his very important childhood friend, but Maryann wants more. She is very posessive of Francis, and is upset at the relationship he seems to have with Nadja. While not nearly as menacing a threat as Herman or Rosso and Bianco, Maryann does make some trouble for Nadja's love life.

Duke Preminger

Duke Preminger is Nadja's grandfather, and head of the Preminger household. He is a cold man who is very concerned with the importance and continuation of the Preminger good name. Social status is important as well, so he was very upset when Colette disobeyed him to be with Raymond. He has a poor relationship with his son, Herman, and does not wish his title to pass down to him. Instead he would see it go to his granddaughter Nadja. Therefore he hires some private investigators, Rosso and Bianco, to locate Nadja for him.

Colette

Colette is the beloved mother Najda is searching for. She is the daughter of a Duke, and is thus of extremely high social status. This meant very little however, when she met Raymond, a handsome musician. It was the night of her first ball, and love at first sight for the both of them. Colette risked her father's wrath to elope with Raymond, and shared many happy days with him. They both had great love for their daughter, Nadja. Unfortunately great illness and cruel fate would separate Colette from her daughter. All these years, Collete has believed Nadja to be in heaven, never knowing that somewhere out there Nadja is searching for her.

Raymond

Raymond is Nadja's father. He originally met Colette on the night of her first ball. He was working at the estate as a music teacher, and was playing piano in one of the side rooms when Colete wandered in. They pretty much fell for each other on first sight, and shared a waltz that evening, however they didn't marry until a few years later. Colete's father was against the match, as Raymond was but a poor music teacher, so Colette and Raymond eloped. They lived in Paris, where their daughter Nadja was born. Raymond loved Nadja and Colette very much, and wrote the lullaby 'Etoile' for Nadja.

Count Waltmüller

The Count is a handsome man and a longtime friend of Colette. He is in love with her, and was honored to marry her, in spite of her past love with her husband Raymond. Count Waltmüller is kind and friendly, and a good husband to Colette.

Oscar

Oscar is a very bright young man, and good friend to Colette. He is Herman's stepson, but does not get along with his stepfather very well. (I don't think anyone gets along with Herman very well...) Oscar barely tolerates Herman for his mother's sake, but would rather not be in the same room with him.