Hugh Belenus

Hugh Belenus, The Firelord, served Taranis, and feared his power, but he was of the opinion that the king should be replaced. When Taranis beat and kidnapped Meredith, in A Lick of Frost,  Hugh was instrumental in getting Meredith away from the king's bedchamber and away from the Seelie mound. He believed that Meredith was the vessel of the power of faerie, that through her they would regain much of what they were. He believed that Meredith held the future of all faerie.

Taranis had called a press conference to tell the press he was giving sanctuary to Meredith after she was attacked by her own guard. Hugh was frustrated that the king's lies were being repeated, but he assured Meredith that they had leaked the information that the king had attacked her and her men during a meeting in their lawyers offices days previously. He also explained that the press conference had been his idea, so that the press would actually be inside the Seelie mound, and further their escape plans. Hugh planned to walk Meredith right into the press corp, during a live feed, looking 'disheveled and injured.'

Meredith told them to get her in front of the cameras and she would gladly play lady in distress for them. Hugh was pleased she was well enough to understand the plan. He then revealed that he had also smuggled Doyle into the mound in his black dog guise.

Hugh tried to ease Meredith's grief over Frost's transformation into a white stag, he told her her lover was not dead, but that in three years, or seven, or one hundred and seven he would return to his true self.

Hugh told Meredith he had heard of those around her becoming fertile and bearing children, that if she could make a pure Seelie couple pregnant, all of the king's support would fall away from him. He wanted to be her experiment, he loved Lady Elasaid, who also aided in Meredith's escape from the king. He told Meredith that they would very much like to have a child of their own. She promised that after she was safe and healed she would happily try a fertility spell for them.

Just before Hugh carried Meredith into the press conference, she prayed and was rewarded with a shower of rose petals, Hugh wept and called her his queen.

Meredith described him as having fiery hair, that when startled, his eyes, normally the color of fire, "showed a moment of fire..as if someone had struck the embers of his power," and they became like two small fire places full of dancing flame.