Brion of Gwynedd
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In the fictional universe of the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz, Brion Haldane was the twenty-fifth King of Gwynedd, reigning from 1095 to 1120. He was the twentieth member of the House of Haldane to sit upon the throne of Gwynedd, and the fourteenth consecutive Haldane king since the end of the Festillic Interregnum.
Brion Donal Cinhil Urien Haldane was born on June 21, 1081, the firstborn son and heir of King Donal Blaine Haldane and his second wife, Queen Richeldis MacFaolen. He succeeded his father upon the throne of Gwynedd after King Donal's death on November 14, 1095, but was not officially crowned King of Gwynedd until March 24, 1096. In the early years of his reign, Brion made several state visits to the United Kingdom of Howicce and Llannedd in 1102, followed by visits to the Kingdoms of Fallon and Bremagne in 1103. It was during his stay at the Bremagni capital of Millesfleurs that he met his future wife, the Princess Jehana.
In the summer of 1106, while campaigning to put down the rebellion of Earl Rorik III of Eastmarch, Brion was challenged by Duke Hogan Gwernach of Marluk, the most recent Festillic Pretender. The king's Haldane potential was quickly activated by Duke Alaric Morgan of Corwyn, and Brion succeeded in defeating the Pretender in a Duel Arcane. Upon returning to Rhemuth, Queen Jehana, horrified by her husband's acquisition of magical powers that she considered heretical, embarked upon a religious retreat on July 5. She did not return to court until the following February. In November of 1106, Brion launched a military campaign into Meara to suppress the rebellion of the Mearan Pretender Judhael II, and he succeeded in capturing and executing several of the Pretender's supporters among the nobility.
Brion was widely acknowledged as a natural-born leader, an inspiring commander of men whose very presence elicited immediate respect both on the battlefield and in the royal court. Although not overly fond of academic studies, he was known to be an intelligent and charming man whose interests were quite varied. His marriage to Queen Jehana was occasionally strained, largely due to her general prejudice against all Deryni and her specific ill-will toward Brion's closest friend and advisor, the Deryni Duke of Corwyn, Alaric Morgan. Nevertheless, there was no denying the honest love and affection upon which their marriage was built.
After a decade of relative peace and prosperity in the realm, Brion was struck down without warning by the daughter of an old enemy. While hunting on the plain of Candor Rhea near Rhemuth, the king suffered a fatal heart attack, dying a short time later in the arms of his younger brother, Prince Nigel Haldane. Although it was unknown at the time, the stroke was inflicted by the foul magic of Duchess Charissa of Tolán, the new Festillic Pretender. King Brion Haldane died on November 1, 1120, at the age of 39. He was succeeded by his only son and heir, Prince Kelson Haldane.
[edit] Family
- Married Princess Jehana of Bremagne on January 6, 1104.
- Prince Kelson (later King of Gwynedd)
- Princess Rosane (died shortly after birth)
[edit] Sources
- Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, Codex Derynianus, ISBN 0-89370-011-8
| Preceded by Donal Blaine Haldane |
King of Gwynedd 1095 - 1120 |
Succeeded by Kelson Haldane |
