Gildraen’s Romantic Publishing House
“Where stories bloom and hearts entwine.”
Overview
Frills & Loom is Gildraen’s most beloved (and occasionally mocked) publisher of romantic fiction. Their titles range from tender rural courtships to sweeping Evergild dramas, mysterious masked lovers, and sizzling magical entanglements. Their books are widely read across class lines — easily found in bookstalls, gift boxes, and tucked beneath pillows — though some readers pretend otherwise.
Frills & Loom’s most popular and iconic author is the elusive Rosamé Ardellan, whose books have defined the press’s golden age. No other name is as closely associated with the publisher’s legacy of passion, elegance, and audacious imagination.
Notable Features
- Series Branding:
- The Blush Collection – Gentle countryside romances with pastoral charm
- Silken Shadows – High-stakes Evergild court intrigue with scandal and passion
- Whispers of Wyrd – Fantastical romances involving magic, curses, and enchanted forests
- Harvest Hearts – Rustic stories of love found between harvests and festivals
- Iconic Cover Style:
- Ornate illustrated borders, flowing script titles, and signature cover art that nearly always includes a windswept cloak, glimmering eye contact, or yearning touches
- The Evergild Response:
- Publicly dismissed as vulgar or frivolous
- Secretly devoured by Evergild nobility; several copies have gone missing from council chambers
- Connection to The Exchange:
- Many Frills & Loom stories are “inspired by true listings” from The Exchange — with permission, or enough distance to claim coincidence
- Anonymous & Scandalous Authors:
- Several books are believed to be thinly veiled memoirs or dramatized gossip penned by minor nobles or fallen romantics — titles that suspiciously echo real events, lovers, or political entanglements. In some cases, entire plotlines have mirrored court scandals or recognisable family feuds, thinly disguised behind poetic names and fictional towns. One infamous book, A Lady’s Quiet Undoing, was quietly recalled after a member of the Evergild recognised themselves in the villain and threatened legal action.
- Some authors publish under one-time-only pseudonyms, submitting manuscripts anonymously through third parties, sometimes even claiming divine or prophetic inspiration. Literary sleuths attempt to trace patterns in word choice and setting to link these hidden voices, forming elaborate theories and heated debates.
- While Rosamé Ardellan remains the most famous, she is far from alone. The press is known to receive dozens of anonymous submissions each season — some brilliant, some scandalous, and some clearly written in a feverish haze of heartbreak, wine, and poor lighting.Rosamé Ardellan
Madame Rosamé • The Doyenne of Desire • La Plume Rose
Rosamé Ardellan is the most iconic and elusive author in Frills & Loom’s catalogue. Her novels have defined the golden age of the press, and her influence on Gildraen’s romantic imagination is unmatched. She is known only by her pen name — her real identity remains one of the realm’s most enduring literary mysteries.
Rumoured to be an older Evergild lady of considerable means, Rosamé is said to reside in semi-exile in a velvet-draped villa overlooking Lake Veilleux, near Vaevessaire. She reportedly dictates her novels while reclining on a swan-feather chaise, surrounded by sugared almonds, lapdogs, and scandal. Her rivals describe her as “a thunderstorm in silk gloves.”
Though she has never appeared publicly, her legend grows with every novel. Readers and critics alike have given her many nicknames:
- Madame Rosamé
- The Doyenne of Desire
- La Plume Rose
- The Baroness of Bodice-Ripping
- The Duchess of Drivel
Whether adored or derided, Rosamé Ardellan is undeniably the heart and soul of Frills & Loom.
Frills & Loom House
Tucked into the heart of Lindral Citadel‘s book district, the Frills & Loom headquarters is instantly recognisable: a whitewashed, ivy-covered cottage nestled between tall, crooked townhouses. So thoroughly mismatched from the surrounding architecture, it appears to have stood there for centuries — a quaint relic predating the city’s grand facades. In truth, it is one of the newer constructions in the district. Local lore insists that Lindral grew up around it, not the other way around, and the illusion has become part of its mythos. Pink climbing roses frame the windows, frilly lace curtains line the inside, and potted blooms spill across the stoop. Locals often spot fans peering eagerly through the glass, hoping to catch a glimpse of a manuscript — or of Rosamé herself (though no one ever has).
Despite its quaint exterior, the building is a hive of passion and parchment. Inside, editors work at cluttered desks surrounded by mountains of florid manuscripts and perfumed correspondence. The bell above the door jingles often — though rarely is anyone permitted past the velvet rope that separates the public foyer from the sacred editorial chambers.
The Frills & Loom Ball
The highlight of the literary calendar, the annual Frills & Loom Masquerade Ball is both a celebration of romantic fiction and a theatrical homage to the characters who live within its pages. Held each spring in a gilded theatre-hall in Lindral, the event draws devoted readers, costumed romantics, anonymous authors, critics in disguise, and even the occasional noble or scholar (under questionable aliases).
Attendees are invited to arrive in costume as their favourite Frills & Loom characters — from windswept druids to flame-haired courtesans, brooding dukes, cunning Evergild enchantresses, and bewitched scullery maids.
Ticket prices for the event not only fund the ball itself — with its lavish décor, champagne towers, and velvet-draped venues — but also help subsidise the price of Frills & Loom books, keeping them affordable and widely accessible. It is, in the words of one editor, “a party with a purpose, so no heart goes unread.”
Traditions include:
- A midnight “reveal”, where guests may choose to unmask (or not)
- The Rosamé Toast, read aloud from one of her most beloved dedications
- Dramatic reenactments of fan-favourite scenes
- A secret corner known as The Confessional, where guests can anonymously submit story ideas, character fan letters, or scandalous gossip — some of which end up in future books
A scandalous critic once referred to the gathering as “The Night of Fools in Lace” — a label meant as an insult, but now whispered with fondness among longtime fans. Rumours abound that Rosamé herself has attended in disguise at least once. Many believe she appears every year — no one knows who she is, of course, but the speculation is half the fun.
Gossip & Lore
- Moonrise at Myrelmere caused a minor duel after characters were recognised as thinly disguised Evergild figures
- A former high priest reportedly resigned after being caught with a copy of The Druid’s Binding Vow in his ceremonial robes
- Folk belief holds that reading a Frills & Loom novel during a thunderstorm ensures the next person you meet will change your life
Cultural Significance
Frills & Loom fills the need for emotional escape, longing, and fantasy. It speaks to those who dream of love — or need to remember it’s still possible. Whether read aloud in secret, passed between hands at market stalls, or quoted in wedding vows, its stories leave a lasting impression.