Senor Cordova was born in Spain, his grandfather and father were bullfighters. His father was the famous Manolete who died in 1947 in the arena, and his grandfather was the famous Juan Belmonte Garcia whose technique revolutionized the way matadors would approach the sport then, and to this day.

Miguel left Spain in the early 1960s and was a popular matador in Mexico until he was hurt in the arena in 1967. He was never expected to walk again. He spent many months in therapy and did regain his mobility. He knew Morgana from the jet set crowd that followed the bullfighting circuit between Mexico City, Madrid and life on the French Riviera. Morgana invited Miguel to her ranch in Wyoming, called Northern Empire to relax and begin to live again.

Morgana Mendoza the beautiful daughter of the Texas ranch called Northern Empire. She grew up speaking Spanish and English. She was educated at Texas A & M with a degree in animal husbandry. After a nasty divorce with a man who was a Texas oil millionaire, she became one of the jet set crowd. Moving to Mexico City to find escape, she met a matador and began to move in that circle. She met Miguel Cordova and fell in love with the man and the mans love of control over beast in the arena, coupled with the flirtation of death.

Years earlier during a summer school break, she was in California with her father on a cattle buying trip and met Jim. He was writing a story for the San Francisco Chronicle on ranching in the Stockton Valley. Morgana's father liked Jim and asked him to come to there ranch in Texas and write his story. The paper liked the idea as well and Jim had a brief encounter with Morgana during that time.

Bella Mendoza, nicknamed Baby Bella. She was spoiled and pampered, however she had a grown up sense about her that made her appear older than she was. Her older half sister Morgana, was always jealous of her, and always tried to push her out of the way. Bella a senior now in college, had met Jim during his stay at the Texas ranch years ago when he was interviewing her father for a newspaper story. She now finds him attractive and a pawn in the chess game her sister plays with men.