Acknowledgements
Thank you to my parents, Marty and Rob, for a lifetime of love and encouragement, and to Julie, whose belief never wavered. To my great-aunt Harriett, a very special mahalo for all her stalwart support.
Dramatis Personae
Anafiel Delaunay-noble
Alcuin nó Delaunay-Delaunay’s pupil
Phèdre nó Delaunay-Delaunay’s pupil
Guy-Delaunay’s man
Joscelin Verreuil-Cassiline Brother (Siovale)
Ganelon de la Courcel-King of Terre d’Ange
Genevieve de la Courcel-Queen of Terre d’Ange (deceased)
Isabel L’Envers de la Courcel-wife of Rolande; Princess-Consort (deceased)
Rolande de la Courcel-son of Ganelon and Genevieve; Dauphin (deceased)
Ysandre de la Courcel-daughter of Rolande and Isable; Dauphine
Barquiel L’Envers-brother of Isabel; Duc L’Envers (Namarre)
Bandoin de Trevalion-son of Lyonette and Marc; Prince of the Blood
Bernadette de Trevalion-daughter of Lyonette and Marc; Princess of the Blood
Benedicte de la Courcel-brother of Ganelon; Prince of the Blood
Maria Stregazza de la Courcel-wife of Benedicte
Dominic Stregazza-husband of Thérèse; cousin of the Doge of La Serenissima
Marie-Celeste de la Courcel Stregazza-daughter of Benedicte and Maria; Princess of the Blood; wed to Doge of La Serenissima’s son
Thérèse de la Courcel Stregazza-daughter of Benedicte and Maria; Princess of the Blood
Isidore d’Aiglemort-son of Maslin; Duc d’Aiglemort (Camlach)
Maslin d’Aiglemort-Duc d’Aiglemort (Camlach)
Marquise Solaine Belfours-noble; secretary of the Privy Seal
Rogier Clavel-noble; member of L’Envers entourage
Childric d’Essoms-noble; member of Court of Chancery
Cecilie Laveau-Perrin-wife of Chevalier Perrin (deceased); former adept of Cereus House; tutor to Phèdre and Alcuin
Roxanne de Mereliot-Lady of Marsilikos (Eisande)
Quincel de Morhban-Duc de Morhban (Kusheth)
Lord Rinforte-Prefect of the Cassiline Brotherhood
Edmée de Rocaille-betrothed of Rolande (deceased)
Melisande Shahrizai-noble (Kusheth)
(Tabor, Sacriphant, Persia, Marmion, Fanchone-members of House Shahrizai; Melisande’s kin)
Ghislain de Somerville-son of Percy
Percy de Somerville-Comte de Somerville (L’Agnace); Prince of the Blood; Royal Commander
Tibault de Toluard-Comte de Toluard (Siovale)
Gaspar Trevalion-Comte de Forcay (Azzalle) cousin to Marc
Luc and Mahieu Verreuil-sons of Millard; Joscelin’s brothers
Millard Verreuil-Chevalier Verreuil; Joscelin’s father (Siovale)
Liliane de Souverain-adept of Jasmine House; mother of Phèdre
Miriam Bouscevre-Dowayne of Cereus House
Juliette, Ellyn, Etienne, Calantia, Jacinthe, Donatien-apprentices of Cereus House
Brother Louvel-priest of Elua
Jareth Moran-Second of Cereus House
Suriah-adept of Cereus House
Didier Vascon-Second of Valerian House
Ailsa-woman in Gunter’s steading
Gunter Arnlaugson-head of steading
Evrard the Sharp-tongued-thane in Gunter’s steading
Gerde-woman in Selig’s steading
Harald the Beardless-thane in Gunters' steading
Hedwig-woman in Gunter’s steading
Kolbjorn of the Manni-one of Selig’s warleaders
Knud-thane in Gunter’s steading
Lodur the One-Eyed-priest of Odhinn
Waldemar Selig-head of steading; warlord
Trygve-member of the White Brethren
White Brethren-Selig’s thanes
Abhirati-grandmother of Anasztaizia
Anasztaizia-mother of Hyacinthe
Csavin-nephew of Manoj
Gisella-wife of Neci
Hyacinthe-friend to Phèdre; "Prince of Travellers"
Manoj-father of Anasztaizia; King of the Tsingani
Neci-headman of a kumpania
Breidaia-eldest daughter of Necthana
Brennan-son of Grainne
Cruarch of Alba-King of the Picti
Drustan mab Necthana-son of Necthana; Prince of the Picti
Eamonn mac Conor-Lord of the Dalriada
Foclaidha-wife of the Cruarch
Grainne mac Conor-sister of Eamonn; Lady of the Dalriada
Maelcon-son of the Cruarch and Foclaidha
Moiread-youngest daughter of Necthana
Necthana-sister of the Cruarch
Sibeal-middle daughter of Necthana
Gildas-servant of the Master of the Straits
Master of the Straits-controls the seas between Alba and Terre d’Ange
Tilian-servant of the Master of the Straits
Vitale Bouvarre-merchant; Stregazza ally
Pierre Cantrel-merchant; father of Phèdre
Camilo-apprentice of Gonzago de Escabares
Danele-wife of Taavi; dyer
Emile-member of Hyacinthe’s crew
Maestro Gonzago de Escabares-Aragonian historian; former teacher to Delaunay
Fortun-sailor; one of Phèdre’s Boys
Gavin Friote-seneschal of Perrinwolde
Heloise Friote-wife of Gavin
Purnelle Friote-son of Gavin
Richeline Friote-wife of Purnelle
Aelric Leithe-sailor
Jean Marchand-second in command to Rouse
Thelesis de Mornay-King’s Poet
Mierette nó Orchis-former adept at Orchis House
Remy- sailor; one of Phèdre’s Boys
Quintilius Rousse-Royal Admiral
Taavi-Yeshuite weaver
(Maia and Rena-daughters of Taavi and Denele)
Master Robert Tielhard-marquist
Ti-Philippe-sailor; one of Phèdre’s Boys
Lelahiah Valais-chirurgeon (Eisande)
Japheth nó Eglantine-Vardennes-playwright
Seth ben Yavin-Yeshuite scholar
Chapter One
Lest anyone should suppose that I am a cuckoo’s child, got on the wrong side of the blanket by lusty peasant stock and sold into indenture in a shortfallen season, I may say that I am House-born and reared in the Night Court proper, for all the good it did me.
It is hard for me to resent my parents, although I envy them their naiveté. No one even told them, when I was born, that they gifted me with an ill-luck name. Phèdre, they called me, neither one knowing that it is a Hellene name, and cursed.
When I was born, I daresay they still had reason for hope. My eyes, scarce open, were yet of indeterminate color, and the appearance of a newborn babe is a fluid thing, changing from week to week. Blonde wisps may give way to curls of jet, the pallor of birth deepen to a richness like amber, and so on. But when my series of amniotic sea-changes were done, the thing was obvious.
I was flawed.
It is not, of course, that I lacked beauty, even as a babe. I am a D’Angeline, after all, and ever since Blessed Elua set foot on the soil of our fair nation and called it home, the world has known what it means to be D’Angeline. My soft features echoed my mother’s, carved in miniature perfection. My skin, too fair for the canon of Jasmine House, was nonetheless a perfectly acceptable shade of ivory. My hair, which grew to curl in charming profusion, was the color of sable-in-shadows, reckoned a coup in some of the Houses. My limbs were straight and supple, my bones a marvel of delicate strength.