Phèdre's Boys

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In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, Phèdre's Boys is the name given to the sailor-soldiers of Quintilius Rousse.

Rousse gave this name to his soldiers that survived the battle to restore Drustan mab Necthana to his throne, as they requested to be knighted by Phèdre nó Delaunay, who was acting in capacity as the emissary of Queen Ysandre de la Courcel of Terre d'Ange. They take to this new identity enthusiastically, going so far as to make a banner in her honor: a sable banner with a scarlet circle crossed by a golden dart, to represent Kushiel's Dart and her nature as an anguissette. They also create songs about her:

Whip us till we're on the floor,
We'll turn around and beg for more,
we're Phèdre's boys!
We like to hurt, we like to bleed,
Daily floggings do we need,
We're Phèdre's boys!
Man or woman, we don't care,
Give us twins, we'll take the pair!
But just because we let you beat us
Doesn't mean you can defeat us!

Touched by their devotion, Phèdre promises to open the doors of the Court of Night-Blooming Flowers to those soldiers that survive the war to defend Terre d'Ange from the Skaldic invasion. Once in Namarre and facing battle, Rousse releases the troop from naval duty so that they may ride to battle with Phèdre.

Only fifteen survive the Battle of Troyes-le-Mont, but those that do are well-rewarded for their efforts; Phèdre manages to procure for each a token to the Night Court, as she promised. Three of them ask to be dismissed from Rousse's service entirely and to be given into Phèdre's. Both Rousse and Queen Ysandre consent, and so the Chevaliers Remy, Ti-Phillippe, and Fortun journey to Montrève with Phèdre.