Kushiel's Mercy

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Kushiel's Mercy
Kushiel's Mercy Cover Art
Author	Jacqueline Carey
Cover artist	Cheryl Griesbach and Stanley Martucci
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Imriel Trilogy
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Warner Books
Publication date	12 June 2008
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	653 pp (hardback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-446-50004-6 (hardback)
Preceded by	Kushiel's Justice

Kushiel's Mercy is the final novel in Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey. It is the sequel to Kushiel's Justice. Kushiel's Justice follows Kushiel's Scion, which makes Kushiel's Mercy the sixth book in the series, or the third book in the series dubbed the "Imriel Trilogy."

1 What Came Before
2 Plot Summary
3 References

[edit] What Came Before

After burying the head of Dorelei's murderer, Berlik, at her feet, Imriel and Sidonie, accompanied by Alais, Drustan, and a company of both Alban and D'Angeline soldier set off once again for Bryn Gorrydum, and then for home. Along the way, Sidonie takes matters into her own hands, and before everyone watching, takes Imriel into her tent. That night, they learn each other again, and their hopes and passions are rekindled. Upon reaching Bryn Gorrydum, they board the Cruarch's ship with Phedre and Joscelin, bound once more for Terre D'Ange, and Sidonie's disapproving mother.

(Note: This should not be taken as a substitute for the actual book. If you are a fan of the series, it is highly recommended that you purchase the actual work so that you may obtain the full appreciation of the novel.)

[edit] Plot Summary

[edit] Mourning Arrival

Upon reaching the City of Elua, Sidonie and Imriel find that there are many people awaiting them. Some, like the Yeshuites and the Tsingani, were there simply because Imriel was Phedre's foster-son (according to Imriel himself). Also there, however, were small knots of people, each wearing a black armband around his or her arm, signifying death. They all held their thumbs pointed downwards. Imriel later learned that these people were families of his mother, Melisande Shahrizai's, victims.

Once inside the City, Imriel parts ways with Phedre and Joscelin, declining their offer to stay at the townhouse in favor of confronting Queen Ysandre. Upon reaching the palace, Imriel came to find that the Queen seemed to have cooled off since he had last seen her. His room were ready for his use, and he took the opportunity to take a much-needed bath. Hearing a commotion outside his door, he allows his cousin, Mavros Shahrizai, to be admittted to see him.

Mavros appears, and begins berating Imriel for not seding word and worrying him. His anger metls away, though, and he sits and listens to Imriel's story - the story of ho Imriel went and hunted Berlik down, how he was captured, how Berlik wanted to die, and how Imriel made it back and buried Berlik's head at Dorelei's feet. The conversation eventually drifts to Imriel and Sidonie, and Mavros offers the support of House Shahrizai, though he warns that it may not count for much.

Imriel is then summoned for a private audience with the Queen, in her private chambers, but viewed by the Secretary of the Presence. The Queen thanked him for his avenging of Dorelei, then promptly dismisses him, telling him they'll talk about the "other matter" at another time. She also tells him that a Priest of Elua would be by to see him soon. One of Sidonie's personal guard finds him after the audience, and tells him that the Dauphine has requested to see him. He goes, and he tells Sidonie about the upcoming meeting with the Priest of Elua. and Sidonie says that she has done the same, and now it falls to Imriel to convince them of their love.

The Queen, as a way of buying time to come to a decision, decided to treat Imriel and Sidonie's love like it didn't exist. Eventually, the summons from the Priest of Elua came, and Imriel went to see Sidonie, and ask her what she had said to convince the Priest. She spoke of how sometimes, it wasn't the person who chose, but love itself. She said that her mother would ahve allowed her anyone else, but she would have learned nothing the power and might of love. The next day, he goes to talk to the priest. He finds that there are priests of all of Elua's companions, save Cassiel, and they were prepared to decide on his sincerity.

Imriel spoke, and told the priests and priestesses of how he loved Sidonie, how he would do anything for her, how others had been hurt because they had defied Blessed Elua's precept. Evem though he could not explain why, he did his best to make his feeling known. After a while, the Kusheline priest declared he blieved Imriel. The priest of Namaah priestess and Eisheth both voiced their approval at the exact same moment, followed by Shemhazai's priest, Anael's priestess, Azza's priest, and then the priest of Camael. Soon, the priest of Elua gathered his counterparts and took them to deliver their opinion to the Queen.

The time had finally arrived for Ysandre to deliver her deicision on Imriel and Sidonie's relationship. Before a packed Hall of Audience, Ysandre asked both Sidonie and Imriel if it was still their wish to be united and acknowledged in the eyes of the realm and the throne. Ysandre declares that she will not forbid their relationship, but if Sidonie were to declare Imriel her consort, Ysandre would not acknowledge it - there would be no legal binding. If she were to marry him, Ysandre would disinherit her. The only way around this vow, it seems, is for Imriel to find and bring his wayward mother to justice - the execution she managed to escape from twenty-one years ago.

[edit] The Many Uses of the Unseen

Following the declaration, Imriel, Sidonie, and few of their closest, most trusted friends held a conference of their own, trying to decide what to do. Sidonie immediately dismisses the idea of setting off to find Melisande anytime soon, on the ground that she wants Imriel to be around as long as humanly possible. Imriel proposes the idea of asking the Master of the Straits for assistance, by searching with his mystical sea-mirror.

That night, Imriel realized he had to tell Sidonie about a shadowy part of his history - his involvement with the Unseen Guild. He speculated that by contacting them, he could find his mother's whereabouts. But to do so, he had to tell Sidonie of the dangers they presented. Once she is informed, she goes to find her mother and have a talk about the situation. During this time, Imriel is asked to see Claude de Monluc, the captain of Sidonie's guard, who was worried that Imriel might be after his post. Imriel managed to remove his fears, and came to an understanding with the captain. After her talk with her mother, Sidonie told Imriel that her mother already knew of the Unseen Guild, from Phedre, who had also been told of its existence by Imriel years ago.

In the months that followed, they settled into a routine. There were Parliment decisions to make, parties to attend, plans to be made. Finally, word came back from the Master of the Straits. His search of both Alban and D'Angeline soil had proved unable to find Melisande. Imriel realized that they would have to search elsewhere. He also realized that he would have to call upon the Unseen Guild. He decided to contact Diokles Agallon, who had approached Imriel for a favor on the Guild's behalf several years before.

Before he put that plan into motion, however, he decided to get as much out of his situation as he could. The Longest Night rolled around, and he and Sidonie decided to attend it together. Calling on Farielle no Eglantine, the two decided on their theme for their costumes - Night and Day. Imriel would be Night, and Sidonie would be Day. There surfaced only one problem, however - a minor lord from one of the estates bordering one of Imriel's ow holding began to publicly insult Sidonie, there in the middle of the Ball. Imriel finally discerned that he had been put up to it by Barquiel L'Envers, who still had a deep-seated grudge against Imriel. Both were promptly thrown out by Ysandre herself.

Finally, with the arrival of winter, the time had come for Imriel to put his plan into motion. He wrote to Diokles, being very vague and suggestive in his letter. Once sent, he settled into his other problems. Finally spring came, and people began to wonder at Imriel's lack of action. Sidonie dismissed the guards in her service who had been gossiping about her and Imriel's relationship, and found that there were a great many more who wished to take their position. Upon choosing the replacements, she found that they were wont to dote on her. Soon after, Imriel decided to keep his long-standing promise to Alais, and went to Montrève to select a new puppy for her. Sidonie went with him, and they passed several days of happiness and peace with Phedre and Joscelin.

[edit] From Carthage With Love

At long last, Imriel's response arrived - but it was not what he had expected. To all outward appearances, the letter seemed to be a love note from a besotted peer. Upon further inspection, however, Imriel found the note contained a hidden message - similar to the medalion Canis had given him (see Kushiel's Scion). Upon research, Imriel found that the message said that Diokles had not had the answers Imriel sought, but someone in the Carthaginian entourage did. All Imriel had to do was push for their delegation to enter the City of Elua, and the answer would present itself to him.

As it turned out, there was indeed a Carthaginian delegation awaiting approval for entry into the City of Elua. The new general of Carthage wished to make alliances and become better friends with his neighbors, it seemed. Imriel went with Sidonie to speak to the Queen about the situation. Ysandre did not seem too upset about the proposal, only curious. Ysandre convenes a session of Parliment, with the intent to decide on whether or not to allow the Carthaginian delegation into the City of Elua. After hearing the long list of tirbute General Astegal planned to give them, Parliment, almost unanimously, voted to allow them entry. And so it was.

Around two weeks later, six Carthaginian ship sailed into the City's docks. As the tribute was being unloaded, Astegal came to speak to Ysandre, Drustan, Sidonie and Imriel. He had many flattering things to say, yet still seemed genuinely interested in the City of Elua. He also brought news that his horologists has a great "marvel" to show to the entire city on the night when the moon would fall under the world's shadow. That night, the Queen threw a fête in honor of the Carthaginians. It was at this celebration that Imriel met a one Sunjata, an apprentice to a Carthaginian jeweler. Imriel learned that Sunjata was a eunuch, and it seemed that they had somewhat in common, both having been abducted by Carthaginians. Just before parting, it came to Imriel's attention that Sunjata was a member of the Guild, but was separated from him before he could ask anything else.

Another man, a one Gillimas Hiram, approached Imriel soon after, bearing an offering from the Council of Thirty, as an apology for Imriel being abducted by Carthaginians. Imriel looked over the gift, and found that it contained the symbol of the Guild, the inverted lamp. Gillimas also said that, should it catch his fancy, Imriel should make a journey to the isle of Cyhtera, where the wood to make the gift had come from. Imriel caught on to the fact that this Gillimas was also a Guild member, but soon lost track of him, too.

The next day, Imriel found that Astegal desired to experience the pleasures of the Night Court, and wished Imriel to accompany him. During the excursion, Imriel learned from Astegal, which he had already heard from Sidonie, that Astegal had made a bid for Sidonie's had in marriage. Imriel dismissed it as politics, and they moved on. Upon arriving at Jasmine House, Imriel found he had another chance to gather information - Gillimas was in the group, and had taken a liking to one of the adepts of Jasmine House, and was also very drunk. Imriel asked the Dowayne to have the girl seeing to Gillimas to come get him once he had passed out.

She did. Imriel snuck into the room and applied some pressure to Gillimas to get him to talk. Through this, Imriel learned that his mother was indeed on the Isle of Cythera, the mistess of the lord of Paphos. He spoke to Sidonie on the matter, and she wondered at the safety of the attempt. The next day, however, the horologists spectacle was to take place, so the incident was put out of mind. However, upon going to look at the progress of the marvel, Imriel began to feel uneasy about it for reasons he could not explain. On the way back to the City, he and Sidonie quarreled for the very first time. They eventually made up, and the day of the spectacle arrived soon after. Everyone in the City gathered around Elua's Oak to watch. Just before it began, Sunjata reappeared and asked for a private word with Imriel. Once alone, Sunjata stabbed Imriel with a needle, and as he fell, told Imriel that the fever would break in a month, and that he was lucky his mother loved him, and that if he wished to undo what was to be done, he must speak to Ptolemy Solon. Looking at all the people, Imriel saw a green flash, then passed out.

[edit] Month of Madness and Beyond

Imriel wakes up, feverish and not knowing who or where he is. Slowly, his sense of self returns... but he does not know anyone around him. All he knows is that he must reach Cythera. He shouts obscenities and threats at the people who mattered most to him, not knowing that they meant anything to him. The ropes they used to tie him to his bead gave him lasting scars, a fitting reminder of his struggles during insanity. And then, all at once, at the touch of the full moon's light on his skin, the madness vanishes, and Imriel comes back to himself, weak and disoriented.

The first person he speaks to is Phedre, who happens to be have fallen assleep watching over him. She calls Joscelin, and he convinces them that he is all right. However, after speaking to the for but a few moments, he begins to realize that, even though he has overcome his madness, they seem to be under an entirely different illusion. It gets to the point where Phedre and Joscelin actually think he is still insane, even though he is quite himself. He learns that Carthage is now a very close friend of Terre D'Ange, and, to his horror, that Sidonie has happily gone off to marry Astegal.

Once he has a measure of his strength back, Imriel begins to try and think of ways he can get out of the city - he has to make it to Cythera. He overhears a conversation between a guard and a chambermaid that Barquiel L'Envers and Ysandre had been in a shouting match. And then it occured to him - everyone in the city seemed to be under the same madness as Phedre and Joscelin. But L'Envers had not been in the city that night. He saw the thread of hope and graspsed it, asking to speak to Barquiel.

After a bit of a scuffle, Barquiel agrees to see Imriel, realizing that they both were not under the same madness that gripped the City of Elua. Imriel tells his whole story - including the bits about the Unseen Guild and Cythera. Barquiel implies that he had heard of the Guild years ago, but dismissed it without evidence. He also said that Ysandre was considering sending the D'Angeline army to the Aragonian border in support of Carthage's war.

Imriel realizes that he needs to ask Barquiel for help to get out of the city. Upon talking with him, Imriel also realizes one other thing - if he gets out and makes it to Cythera, the prices for help will be a pardon from execution for Melisande. Imriel tells Barquiel that he still has to try, and one way of diverting at least some of the madness would be to send to Alba - for Alais. She would be the only one capable of sitting the throne, Imriel reasoned, and Barquiel decides that it might actually be plausible.

Barquiel agrees to assist Imriel, but also swears a vow to him - if he proves false or fails, Barquiel will make it his life's work to hunt Imriel down and kill him. Imriel agrees, and the plans are underway. It starts with a trip to the Temple of Eisheth, under the guise of a "healing journey." While he was alone, one of Barquiel's guards comes to get him, and under a heavy cloak, escapes the temple with the guard, by way of a carriage. Imriel soon arrives at the City's wharf, where a Barquiel had found a barge willing to take Imriel down the Aviline River on the way to Marsilikos, where Imriel would have to find his own way to Cythera.

One piece of information caught his attention - Jeanne de Mereliot had not been in attendance of the "miracle" of Carthage in the City of Elua. Imriel sent her a message, and a reply came back swiftly. A meeting was arranged, and Imriel went to see Jeanne. During this meeting, Imriel learns what it was that drove him mad - (from a Hellene book) To induce madness, forge a needle of silver that has never seen daylight, one handspan's length. Bathe it in the sweat of a lunatic's brow mixed with the effluvium of a horned toad. For one year, expose it to the light of the full moon. When plunged into the vitals, it will induce madness for the duration of the moon's cycle. After talking with Jeanne, Imriel manages to secure passage on a ship bound for Cythera. As it so happens, the ship that would be carrying him and the Bastard to Cythera was none other that the Aeolia, the ship that had carried him to Tiberium and back. Without any incident, they made it to Cythera, and the next stage of Imriel's journey.

[edit] An Unknown Familiar Reflection

Imriel is escotred to a villa where he will await until he is called upon by Ptolemy Solon, or the "Wise Ape," so named for his vast brilliance and unbelieveable ugliness. The next day, Imriel recieves his summons, and meets with Solon. Solon knows who Imriel is, even though he had been traveling under the name 'Cadmar of Landras.' Solon tells Imriel that Melisande is indeed on Cythera, but in her own private villa, and that he wanted to talk to Imriel alone first. Solon asks Imriel whether the neddle had worked or not, and also says that he is undecided on whether or not to help him. he does tell Imriel, however, that the most likely way to sway him would be to commute Melisande's sentence from execution to exile.

During his conversation with Solon, Imriel learns that Sidonie has married Astegal. According to Solon, some two weeks before Imriel arrived on Cythera. Also, Solon says that Carthage should be preparing to launch its invasion of Aragonia. Solon asks Imriel if he will willing see his mother, and Imriel agrees to do so. They have another intellectual discussion, and then Imriel is sent to bed, so that he may see his mother the next day.

Imriel, while practicing his Cassiline swordsmanship, meets Leander Maignard, a very distant kinsman, who is there to take Imriel to his mother. Once at his mother's villa, Imriel meets her for the first time in many years, and is at a loss for what to say. He tells her that her sentence will be commuted to exile, and that he will do anything she asks to obtain her help. They talk for the rest of the day - it was the only thing she asked for, even though she agreed to send word to Solon to help before asking it. Imriel, during this time, realized her could not hate his mother, and even came to care for her in some small way.

The next day, Imriel goes to meet with Solon. Solon says that he had enough information to hazard a guess at what Carthage meant to do, but he made Imriel tell the tale, over and over and over again. After many, many tellings, Solon sends Imriel away to begin working on figuring out how to unravel Carthage's spells. During this time, Imriel spends more time talking to Melisande and Leander, learning about them and things that had happened. Finally, Solon sent word that he had found the key.

Solon tells Imriel that there are several spells at work - one bound to Terre D'Ange, and one bound to Sidonie. Imriel learns that there is malevolence at the heart of the spell that binds Terre D'Ange - a bound ghafrid-gebla, or desert spirit, or elemental. The way to end the spell would be to free the ghafrid, but to do so, Imriel must find the vessel it is bound to. Also, to free Sidonie, he must retrieve his ring from Astegal, and a token Astegal had given to her, as that was the power of the spell.

Only one way to help Sidonie presented itself - Imriel must sneak into Carthage. But everyone knew who he was, so he would have to go under the guise of a glamour. The only troubling part, however, was that the glamour would have to make him believe he was someone else, so that he could maintain the image and not appear as himself to anyone else. The person chosen for Imriel to become was none other than Leander. Solon performed the rituals, submersing Imriel's consciousness into himself, making him believe he was Leander. To help with the effect, the glamour was woven into all of Leander's clothing, so that the only way anyone would see Imriel as Imriel would be if they saw him mother-naked. To reverse the effect, Solon planted a trigger in Imriel's subconscious - to become himself once again, he must kiss Sidonie full on the lips. Once everything was in place, Imriel, thinking himself Leander, set off for Carthage, to try and rescue Sidonie.

[edit] The Seemingly Endless Journey

(Note: because of the hypnosis, Imriel now thinks of himself as Leander, and shall be refered to as such until he is returned to himself) Leander arrives in Carthage, and quickly intergrates himself into the scene. He rents a house, with full staff, and goes to the slave market to purchase some bearers for his palanquin. Being on a "diplomatic mission" from Cythera and Ptolemy Solon, he was adequately endorsed to afford all he needed. At the market, Leander saw something that upset him for unknown reasons - an Aragonian boy being sold. He quickly dismissed it in favor of finding his bearers. He picks an old Hellene wreslter, two Carthaginian brothers, and a Amazigh, or desert folk. Once they were all back at his house, Leander laid out his plans to them. He managed to buy their loyalty rather easily, and promised to set them free once he has accomplished his goals.

Leander has the old Hellene wrestler, Kratos, learn the streets of the city, so that he may find his wa around more easily. Leander goes to see Sunjata, the one who had stabbed Imriel, under the guise of needing a new gemstone for a ring. Afterwards, Sunjata is sent to see Leander, and Leander tells Sunjata his plan. Leander soon learns that, to see the princess, he must first go through Bodeshmun, the hologist who ensorceled the City of Elua. Bodeshmun, after much consideration, consents to allowing Leander to see Sidonie, but threatens to mortally injure him if he upsets her in any way.

Leander goes to see Sidonie, and makes a slight fool of himself while trying to flirt with her. He is told to come to see her the next day, so that they may get to know each other better over chess. On his way home, Leander fidns he cannot stop thinking about her, and wonders what is wrong with him. Indeed, the next day, he presents himself at Sidonie's home to play chess, as they had arranged. Their sessions went on for several days. During the time, Leander had been subconsciously looking her over to see what thing she wore each and every time, as that might be part of the love-spell connection to Astegal. He makes a gambit, thinking her ring might be it, and finds out it is not. The search goes on.

Over the course of their meetings, Leander comes to realize that he might be falling for Sidonie. Sidonie also comes to realize that Leander is discouraging her from talking about Terre D'Ange, and it unnerves her. Leander also has Sunjata make a replica of Imriel's gold ring that Astegal wears, to begin another phase of his plan later on. During one of the meetings, after Sidonie had dsicreetly questioned Leander about why he was acting strange and why she could not know anything about Terre D'Ange, she invites him to go with her to New Carthage, which she would be departing for shortly, to go see her husband. Leander agreed, as it would progress his plans. He also comes to realize he is deeply in love with Sidonie.

Before they set off for New Carthage, Leander released all his slaves. All but Kratos left to find their ways in the world. Finally, they depart. Upon arrival, Leander manages to secure lodging in the palace from Astegal, who had been convincedd to do so by Sidonie. Also, Leander met one of his old acquaintances - Justina, who also worked for Melisande as a spy, like Leander himself and also Sunjata. After she makes contact with him in the palace, Leander asks her to try to switch Astegal's ring with the fake one he had made, as Justina happened to be Astegal's lover. Leander and Sidonie resume their games of chess while in New Carthage, and learn more still about each other. After one such match, Leander finds a message from Justina awaiting him, and goes to see her, finding that she could not do as he asked, and returned the fake ring to him. Kratos, however, saves the day by presenting an alternate plan with the same outcome - have one of the Aragonian servants switch the ring while Astegal was being seen to. Leander compells into his service a young girl named Esme, who seemed to be a favorite of Astegal's, for she was always the one to give him massages. It was decided between Leander and Esme that she would steal the ring for him during one such occasion.

As it turned out, that gambit paid off. Esme was able to steal Astegal's ring and replace it with the fake, and delivered it to Kratos, who took it to Leander. Many days of waiting had paid off. Unbeknownst to Leander, he had witnessed a scene in which Astegal shouted at Bodeshmun, and the cause was Sidonie - she had regained a bit of herself after the ring was taken, and had spoken to the Aragonian king who had surrendered himself. She learned some very strange things, and finally began to believe Leander. The day came when Astegal would set off to conquer the rest of Aragonia, and Sidonie endeavored to find a time when she and Leander could speak in private. They tried taking a walk, but Astegal's Amazigh guards tailed them relentlessly. On their way back to the castle after giving up, an Aragonian gardener tried to attack Sidonie, and Leander protected her faster than the guards could.

Bodeshmun calls Leander before him, and compliments him on his reflexes with the princess. He also, in a conversation with Sidonie's physician, alludes to the possiblity that she might be with child. A few hours after Leander is dismissed from Bodeshmun, Girom, the physician, comes to tell Leander that the princess will not take a sleeping draught without him there. Once there, she makes him promise to stay until she falls asleep, and then guard her door once she sleeps, to which he readily agrees. Once they were alone, Sidonie asks Leander to explain himself, but instead, ends up kissing him. This triggers the return of Imriel to himself, and he tries to convince Sidonie of who he was. She, having forgotten all about Imriel, asks who he is, still thinking he is Leander. He finally gets her to listen to him, and come to some small understanding of the situation, but, not wanting to push her, leaves to guard her door, as he had promised. He tells Girom outside of her room that she slept, and he left. Imriel still appeared as Leander, because of the spell woven into the clothes.

Once back in his rooms, he finds that Sunjata already knew that he was Imriel, because his mother had written to tell him as much, and also to have Imriel's weapons and bracers returned to him. Kratos appears, and Imriel tries to explain the situation to him. Imriel tries to send Kratos away with Sunjata, who is already leaving, because Imriel is afraid that Kratos will be harmed. Kratos choses to stay, saying he doesn't care who Imriel is, and that he is an interesting fellow. Thankful, Imriel begins to set his plan into motion - rescuing Sidonie. That evening, he goes to see her as he is supposed to, and, upon learning she had drugged the guards to buy them some time, decides to prove who is to her, by way of removing all of Leander's clothing. She saw him as he was, and found she knew him, but could not remember him. So, upon his request, she shed all of her clothing in an attempt to remove the spell woven on her. Imriel realized it was not in the clothing - it was in the seal of House Sarkal tattooed into the middle of her back. After a moment's thought, she bade him to cut it out of her. He did, feeling sick, and once it was done, she had regained herself, swearing to kill Astegal herself. Then she looked at Imriel, and asked how she could have ever forgotten him. Imriel explains that she hadn't, that she had found him inside Leander, and they has simply fallen in love all over again, proving that they were meant, really and truly, to be together. She stops his explanation with a kiss, and then she asks him to erase every trace of Astegal from her flesh and soul. Imriel does so, and they make love with all that they are. Afterwards, Sidonie asks Imriel to explain how to save Terre D'Ange, which he does. During the bandaging of her wounds, Imriel voices her concerns over her being with child, although he adamantly swears he will love any child of her blood. She explained that she couldn't be, for she and Astegal had been married in a Carthaginian way, with no prayers to Eisheth to open the gates of her womb. Imriel laid his concerns in that area to rest.

Imriel put the last part of his plan into motion. He found a way to escape with Sidonie. Her part in the plan was to distract Bodeshmun. On the night they were due to leave, Imriel disguised himself as a Amazigh warrior, and snuck to Bodeshmun's quarters, dispatching an Amazigh guard on the way. He entered Bodeshmun's quarters, and finds both Bodeshmun and Sidonie asleep, from the sleeping draught she had placed in the wine. As he prepared to move Sidonie, Bodeshmun tried to kill Imriel, but Imriel was prepared, thwarted his attempt, and killed Bodeshmun instead. He took the talisman , one part of the spell binding Terre D'Ange, from Bodeshmun, and before he died, whispered "It is not wise to meddle with D'Angelines in the matters of love." Imriel then sits with Sidonie for hours, hoping she will wake, and when she does, not, is forced to roll her into the carpet and carry her out through the wine cellar. He reaches the ship that had brought him to New Carthage all the way from Cythera, and the captain, at first not believing anything, recieves an order from Sidonie, and thus sets off.

Once at sea, Imriel tells Sidonie, at her request, how Bodeshmun died. Then, once in the master cabin, he inspects her wound and finds that it is starting to become infected. A problem arose, however, in the form of swift pursuit. Someone in New Carthage had caught on and sent a ship after them. Realizing they could not get away, or reach Marsilikos in time, Kratos proposed a drastic plan. They were close enough to the Aragonian city of Amílcar, which was blockaded by Astegal's navy. His idea was to set fire to the ship and sail right through the blockade. With no other option, it was carried out. They made it through in a rowboat, leaving their burning ship behind, and were taken into custody by the soldiers in Amílcar. Once everything was taken care of, the sailors and Kratos, who has suffered severe burns and a broken rib, along with Sidonie, all were seen to by a chirurgeon. Lady Nicola L'Envers came to see them. She tells them that her son, Serafin, has taken over the rulership of Aragonia in abscence of the real king, and they set off to see him. At a council, Imriel and Sidonie explain their story, and Imriel, still under Solon's spell, revealed himself to dramatic effect. After the council, Sidonie recieves treatment for her infect wound, but it renders her incapacitated for two whole days. Eventually, Serafin called a council of Aragonians to discuss what was to happen. As it turned out, they decided to assist Sidonie and Imriel, but in a very small and roundabout way.

Aragonia had been fighting with Euskerria, a small country that had land composed of both Aragonia and Terre D'Ange. It was decided that their help would be needed, but the only way to secure it would be to grant them sovereignty of their own country. Serafin decided to do so, but he could not send many men to help Sidonie and Imriel get past Astegal's seige army camped outside their walls. Before they were to depart, Nicola threw a fête, so as to help give the impression that the Aragonians would be drunk and disoriented to the forces of Astegal outside their walls. During this party, Imriel meets his kinsman Marmion, who expresses his desire to see things set right, and his happiness at the prospect of having Sidonie as his near-kin by marriage to Imriel. The next night, a secret misson was launched, and Imriel, Sidonie, and a single guide managed to get past Astegal's army amid some chaos caused by Aragonian soldiers. They made for Roncal, the easiest-to-reach Euskerri settlement, within several days. They had been pursued by Astegal's Amazigh, three hundred strong, and persuaded the people of Roncal to fight. They forced Imriel to fight with them as a sign of comittment, and so he did. The Amazigh were slaughtered, with minimal loss on the Euskerri side. Afterwards, Janpier Iturralde, the closest thing to an ambassador the Euskerri had, convened a meeting of all the villages in Euskerri, and came to a decision - the Euskerri would help Aragonia, and take their sovereignty, only if Imriel and Sidonie went with them.

After much debate, Imriel and Sidonie swore they would go with the Euskerri, and soon after, they departed. All the Euskerri settlements had been alerted, and they expected some six thousand to show up. At the spot that they planned to engage the Carthaginian, Imriel had three hundred Euskerri don the Amazigh's garb, which they had taken from the corpses, to try and draw Astegal's forces out. They launched their plan, and led a portion of Astegal's forces into an ambush, killing all of them. At the same time, Serafin launched his own attack, and the battle broke out. Once the fighting finally stopped, Imriel learned that Astegal had been captured alive, much to his delight, but then learned of the losses. Of the six thousand Euskerri who had come to help, only fifteen hundred remained. Still, they had held up their end of the deal, and Aragonia gave them their sovereignty. All that remained was Astegal's execution. The next day, as he was being walked to the block, Astegal broke his bonds, stole the executioner's sword, and took Sidonie hostage. Imriel, who suffered from a wound taken the day before, offered him a deal - fight him, and if Astegal won, he would get a fast horse and an hour's lead. Astegal accepted, despite Imriel's insistence that he would not win. During the fight, Astegal tried to upset Imriel by telling him of things he had done to Sidonie, and recieved no reaction. Letting his guard down, Astegal was stabbed in the stomach by Imriel, who told Astegal the same as he had told Bodeshmun - it is not wise to meddle with D'Angelines in the matters of love. He paused before the killing blow, however, to ask Sidonie what she wished. She placed her hand over Imriel's on the the hilt of his sword, and together they drove it through Astegal's heart, killing him. Afterwards, it was time to return to Terre D'Ange. Sidonie, Imriel, and Kratos boarded a ship captained by the same man who had brought Imriel from Cythera, and were now bound for home.

[edit] Homeward Unbinding

On the way to Marsilikos, Imriel suddenly remembered that anyone who had left the shores of Terre D'Ange for another shore would regain their wits, but once back on the the shores of Terre D'Ange, would lose them all over again. He spoke to Sidonie about it, and theyc ould find no way to get around it. They finally reached Marsilikos, but were stopped by a ship, part of Admiral Rousse's navy, but pledging loyatly to Alais, who wanted to know who they were. They explained, and Imriel had an idea. He got all the components needed for the ollamh binding ritual, and placed it on Sidonie in a last ditch effort to keep her sane. They stepped onto the land of Terre D'Ange, and the bindings seemed to have worked.

They managed to be taken to Turnone, where Alais, Barquiel L'Envers, and a shadow Parliment were holed up and ruling everything outside of the City of Elua. They made it inside, and met with Alais and Barquiel. During their time in Euskerri, Sidonie and Imriel had sent a messenger to warn Barquiel of the dangers of the spell, and what bound it - a gemstone, with instructions to look for it. Upon arriving, Imriel found that, despite a thorough search, no gemstone had been found. After settling in for awhile, they went and met with the shadow Parliment, and gave them hope. Sidonie had hatched a plan - she would take Imriel and Kratos into the City with her, with her as the grieving widow, Kratos as her husband's most loyal bodyguard sowrn to protect her, and Imriel as her addled cousin who seemed besotted with her and eased her soul. They left in the face of a great threat - Ysandre, seeing plots and deceit everywhere, had decided to declare war on Alais and Barquiel and sack one town every day until they knelt before her and surrendered. They set their plans into motion and left soon after, on the same barge that had carried Imriel out of the City, no less.

Finally, they reached the City, and were admitted readily once the guards realized who she was. Ysandre and Drustan awaited them, and they listened gravely to her story. Things moved quickly from that point on. Sidonie, at the funeral for Astegal, proposed to the whole City that they scour the City, searching for the stone. After five days of nothing, tempers began to flare. In a dinner one night, where all of House Courcel seemed to be gathered, Imriel offered a suggestion to Ysandre and Drustan that got him thrown out and forbidden to call on her, thus ending their contact for the time being. The next day, Ysandre declared an official end to the search for the gem. Several days later, Imriel awoke to a summons to the palace, as there was a delegation from Alais. At the hearing, Imriel realized that Sidonie had removed her bindings - she was lost to the spell. Ysandre, after hearing that Alais was not going to surrender, threw Alais' delegation into the dungeon. After leaving, Imriel went to Elua's Square, to see if he could not yet find the gem. After a fruitless search, he prayed to each of the Companions individually, hoping they would grant his city mercy. They returned to the palace, where Ysandre and Drustan were preparing to delcare war. After the declaration was made, Imriel, feelin like he was filled with divine presence, strode to the front of the Hall of Audience, and spoke to Ysandre and Drustan, saying "Your majesties, you must no do this thing. The gods themselves forbid it." And then he collapsed, unconscious. When he awoke, he knew exactly where to find the gem - inside the tree in Elua's Square. He fought with Joscelin briefly, who had just easily defeated Kratos, and won, knocking him unconscious, and left for Elua's Square with Kratos, following the Queen and her entourage.

He reached the Square, and, before everyone, scaled the tree, searching for the gem. Just as he was about to give up hope, he found it, in a mud-covered hollow, and removed it, attempting to break the spell by saying the word of power. He tried several times, but nothing happened. Finally, in desperation, he was forced to take Sidonie hostage. He spoke to her of his love for her, and told her to look into her heart for the truth, to forget her memories. She read the word of power while holding the stone, and the spell released. Imriel threw the stone away, and it exploded, showering many people with shards of emerald. Imriel protected Sidonie, shielding her with his body, and recieved many shards of emerald in his back for it. The demon burst from the stone and shot away from the city, towards its home which it was now free to return to.

In the aftermath of the spell's release, everyone looked to Sidonie and Imriel for answers. Ysandre, ashamed and horrified with herself, tried to abdicatethe throne and place Sidonie in charge, but Sidonie refused, saying she had fallen under the spell's influence, same and everyone else. She did, however, agree to server as regent for the duration of one month, to bring Terre D'Ange back to order. During her time as regent, things returned to a semblence of normalcy. Imriel, as Sidonie's known lover, was seen as co-regent, and with his battle-knowledge, a military figure as well, and the castle guard and the Royal Army consulted him on matters of defense, and his word was seen as interchangable with Sidonie's. The shadow of doubt about "Melisande Shahrizai's son" had passed, and the people of Terre D'Ange trusted and respected Imriel. A delegation awas sent to bring back Alais and Barquiel, and reunite the realm and House Courcel. A week later, they arrived, with Hyacinthe in tow. At a ceremony in Elua's Square, Ysandre presented the Medal of Valor to both Alais and Barquiel, who had held the country together in its time of need.

[edit] Horizons, Horizons

Months passed, and things in Terre D'Ange righted themselves nicely. Alais, always displeased with the way things had been run in Alba, ended her engagement to Talorcan, and asked to become an ollamh, so that she might have as much power as the Cruarch. Ysandre resumed the throne from Sidonie, and Imriel and Sidonie's betrothal was announced throughout the realm. The wedding date was set for one year later, the next summer, so as to give the land some time to heal, and also allow the occasion to be as joyous as possible. Word came from Aragonia that the Carthaginians had surrendered. Drustan returned to Alba, and before he left, there was a small gathering for family, where Imriel finally fulfulled promise to Alais - he brought her her new dog. The seasons changed, and Terre D'Ange healed.

[edit] The White Wedding

As is tradition, Imriel and Sidonie were separated before their wedding. Two days before the wedding, Imriel finally saw Sidonie, and found out something else she had done - she had a marqué placed on her, a sunburst, with the scar of her old tattoo in its center. She told Imriel it was his mark, as she belonged to him, wholly and completely. That night, Imriel and Sidonie made love like they had on her seventeenth birthday - he bound her with silk rope.

One day before the wedding, Imriel learned that Sidonie had been taken to the Temple of Eisheth, that she might ask the goddess to open the gates of her womb, so that she could bear children. And then came the day of the wedding. Imriel was fused over for a long time by Favrielle no Eglantine's apprentices, and he finally shooed them away when Phedre and Joscelin arrived to escort him. He went, and found Sidonie on the altar, glorious in her white dress. The priest spoke the vows, as did they, and they sealed it with a kiss. Once the ceremony was over, Imriel spoke to many of his friends - Lucius of Lucca, Eamonn and Brigita, Maslin de Lombelon, Urist of Clunderry. Even Leander Maignard appeared, hoping to see Sidonie and report back to Melisande. Sidonie was amused to meet him, and, seemingly to stir up trouble, kissed him passionately enough to unnerve him. The night ended when Imriel, full of more happiness that he had ever been, picked his new wife up in his arms, and set off towards the castle, carrying her in his arms, whispering his love her, trailed by many, many friends and loved ones.