#Imriel de la Courcel

[zareleonis]

The underpainting for "Kushiel's Avatar III" by Tran Nguyen

[nanshe-of-nina]

Kushiel’s Legacy GIF sets || Imriel de la Courcel

What does it mean to be good? When I was a child, I thought I knew. It was easy then. I knew nothing of my birth or my heritage. My childhood was spent in the Sanctuary of Elua, where I was a ward. My days were spent in work like play: scrambling the mountainsides and tending goats with the other children of the Sanctuary, climbing trees and swimming in the swift stream while our charges grazed. I was steeped in the precept of Blessed Elua: Love as thou wilt. And I did. I loved without reserve, freely and easily—my playmates, the priests and priestesses of the Sanctuary, the goats I tended, the earth beneath my feet and the sky above my head. I am a D’Angeline; I loved Terre d’Ange, the country of my birth. With all my heart, I loved our gods, Elua and his Companions, and I knew myself loved in return. I was happy. I never thought to be anything else. When I was ten years old, everything changed. I was stolen by Carthaginian slave-traders and sent on a journey into hell. And I thought I’d die there, but I didn’t. I was rescued. I was brought out of damnation into safety. And everything changed again. In a distant fortress on the far verges of Khebbel-im-Akkad, the D’Angeline Queen’s delegate bowed his head and greeted me as Imriel de la Courcel, Prince of the Blood. All that I knew of myself was a lie.

[intimacydarling]

"Love as thou wilt."

That is the prime directive of Terre d'Ange: the fictionalize and fantasied France of an alternate history in which Jesus had a son, Elua ben Yeshua, who gained disciples of his own. Each had their own particular... fetish.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

I think that a major theme in this series is that even though Elua teaches them to ‘love as thou wilt’ the characters are still constrained by the society they live in and forced to adhere to its rules. For example, Delaunay fell in love with a man, which meant that he would never have biological children of his own and continue the family bloodline. His father disowned him as a result. 

Terre D’Ange seems to focus a lot on bloodlines. I think that the heteronormativity OP mentioned might stem from this. To continue a bloodline you would need to have biological children, which means that you would need to marry a woman.   

d'Angelines, Heteronormativity, and Gender Roles

So, for the past few months, I’ve been listening to Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series on my commute. This is my 2nd read plus with the books, but my first listen with them, and my first in a while. I remember reading them soon after they came out and a number of friends became somewhat infatuated with them. In this pass, though, while still enjoyable, I’m noticing a lot.

While Terre d'Ange is a very sex positive place, I notice we never see any homosexuals, and few male bisexuals. Lots of bisexual ladies, with that seeming to be the norm, but few bisexual men. Mavros, Imriel’s cousin is. Lucius, Imriel’s friend from Tiberium is bi enough that he seems to think it likely that his marriage will produce heirs. Ti Phillipe is bi, but his lover Hughes might be the only homosexual in the series… and that’s only because I cannot recall anything to the contrary (his infatuation with Phedre might be sexual, but she’s also a hero of the realm). There are also a number of cameos of Servants of Namaah who are bisexual males, but they are cameos, not even as well developed as Hughes. The two male leads, Joscelin and Imri, are, respectively, celibate-except-for-Phedre and bicurious but pretty firmly heteroromantic.

The heteronormativity extends to cultural expressions. At his wedding, it is expected he will dance with his (female) Courcel cousin with whom he has an openly strained relationship, but never with his (male) Sharazai cousin who seems to be his best friend in residence. It may simply be omitted, but it is *always* omitted. Tiberium is noted as being hostile to homosexuality (especially male homosexuality), but Terre d'Ange never seems to embrace it.

Lastly, to gender roles. Women have property and inheritance rights in Terre d'Ange, but are still in constrained gender roles. While Phedre bemoans the place of women in Tsingano, Akkadian, and Serenissiman society, and Imriel opines on their restraint in Tiberian, I cannot recall any example of d'Angeline freedom… their are no women warriors or sailors mentioned, at least among the d'Angelines. Women are queens and ladies and the wives of seneschals (not even the seneschal themselves), and sex workers are treated with respect, but there are no d'Angeline examples of women who break out of relatively conventional gender roles. Phedre, for all that she throws herself into danger at the slightest provocation, barely even has self-defense training, while her adoptive son is trained in an exclusive fighting style from 10 years old, with at least passing familiarity with a more common style… and is skilled enough at 16 to fight a blooded warrior (Eamon) to a standstill.

Ah, well, there is a reason this blog is called “Overthinking It.” It is inspiring me to think more deeply about sex and gender roles roles in fantasy, especially in settings divorced from Earth history.

[hussyknee]

Really love that in Phedre's Trilogy she and Joscelin are petty, self-involved disasters whose motto is "fuck it, we ball" and literally can't communicate to save their fucking lives, and in Imriel's Trilogy he's like "my foster mother is a goddess, the most perfect human, an angel on earth, my foster father is the greatest warrior alive, full of wisdom and dignity, they're practically telepathically linked by love, have never done a thing wrong in their lives—".

[bisexualmeninfiction]

Imriel no Montreve de la Courcel (Jacqueline Carey)

Imriel nó Montreve de la Courcel is a protagonist in Jacqueline Carey’s lengthy and very bisexual Kushiel series, and the only male one. Imriel appears in Kushiel’s Avatar and is the main character in Kushiel’s Scion, Kushiel’s Justice and Kushiel’s Mercy. Set in a fantastic alternate-universe France where everyone is descended from angels, these books depict a sexually permissive society where bisexuality (as well as sex work, non-monogamy, and BDSM) is normal and accepted. 

That’s the good news. 

The bad news is that Carey seems uninterested in fully investing in her characters’ bisexuality and the male characters get particularly short shrift. 

Her female protagonists (Phedre and Moirin), both end up with men as their long-term partners but have emotionally and sexually intense relationships with women along the way. By contrast, Imriel barely kisses a man and never loves one romantically. His significant relationships are all with women.

In fact, as far as I recall (look, there are a lot of really long books), there are no significant male/male relationships in any of the Kushiel novels at all. Two prominent male characters who begin a relationship die quickly afterwards. Imriel’s gay friend comes from a less accepting culture, goes through significant angst over his attraction to men and ends the book single.

Imriel was raped and abused by men as a child and this is explicitly given as the reason he’s unwilling to explore relationships with men as an adult despite being attracted to them. While that would be totally understandable if Imriel were a real person, it’s frustrating in the context of the lack of attention to queer male relationships among other characters in these books and also Imriel’s particular character arc. 

A large part of Imriel’s evolution as a character is his struggles to come to terms with his trauma around sexual sadism so he can have the kinky sex (with a woman) that he really wants. Carey could have had Imriel similarly address his trauma around men, but she doesn’t really and he ends the books almost where he started in that respect.

Though it’s undercut by the way almost every character ends up in a male/female relationship, Carey’s female characters (both protagonists and side characters) have significant relationships with men and women. The disparity in Imriel’s treatment is obvious and disappointing - it really feels like Carey wasn’t comfortable writing a bisexual man.

I should be clear that I really love these books and it’s great to see so many bisexual characters on the page. I just wish Carey had fulfilled all the potential she created.

Says “bisexual”? No.

Immortal/non-human? Yes. D’Angelines’ distant descent from angels makes them inhumanly beautiful and contributes to their society’s sexual openness.

Dies? No.

Evil? No.

[white-queen-lacus]

After... Years? Yes, years... I've been finally able to complete a drawing! Well... Actually it wasn't exactly one drawing but a couple of drawings, but I successed! 💖 Again from my favorite book series Kushiel's Legacy, Imriel dressed as the Night Prince for the Masque! I took some liberties, since his dress was totally black and he has stars in his hair, but it was too dark...

And here, the couple finally together, the Night Prince and his Sun Princess:

[dangelineplaytest]

I bear grave news. Prince Consort, Imriel de la Courcel, has died... of mommy issues.

Yours truly

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

The tattoo wasn’t very large, not much bigger than the engraving on Astegal’s signet ring. It was stark and black against her skin. I laid the blade alongside it, breathing slowly and deeply. I could do this. I had to do this. Before I was born, the Skaldi warlord Waldemar Selig had attempted to skin Phèdre alive on the battlefield of Troyes-le-Mont. If a man could do such a thing for spite, I could do it for love. I cut into Sidonie’s flesh. Her entire body jerked and she uttered a stifled cry that brought tears to my eyes. Blood flowed, making the hilt of the little blade slippery. Cutting and cutting, all the way around it, shaking my head to clear my eyes of the tears that blurred my vision. Gods, it was awful. It was the most awful thing I’d ever done. But I did it. I set the paring knife and the bloody disk of skin and flesh on the table. “It’s done.” Sidonie spat out the sash, but her hands remained braced on the table, knuckles white. For a long moment, she didn’t move or speak, only breathed hard, her ribcage heaving. Blood trickled down her spine. “I’m going to kill him,” she said at last in a low, savage voice. “Kushiel bear witness, I swear, I’m going to kill him myself!” She straightened and turned so quickly I had to step back. I saw the full helpless fury of the knowledge of what had been done to her written in her face. Everything, every violation. Every night in Astegal’s bed. And then her expression changed. “Imriel,” Sidonie breathed, tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Blessed Elua! How could I forget you? In a thousand years, how could I forget you?” “You didn’t,” I said, my heart aching for her. “Neither of us did. Sidonie, you found me inside Leander when I didn’t even know myself. And I fell in love with you all over again. All the magic in Carthage couldn’t stop us from loving one another, any more than all the politics of Terre d’Ange could. You were right when you said Blessed Elua must have some purpose for joining us, because here I am – ” She reached up to me and stopped my mouth with a kiss, with a dozen kisses. I groaned aloud and gathered her to me, sinking one hand into her hair, wrapping my arm around her waist. “Erase him from me,” Sidonie whispered against my lips. “You’re hurt,” I murmured. “I don’t care.” She shook her head. “I need you.” I slid both hands down to grasp her buttocks and lifted her gently. She clung to me, legs wrapped around my waist, arms twined around my neck, kissing my face as I carried her to the bed. I found clean towels by the washbasin. “Every trace,” I promised, bathing the blood from her skin while she knelt on the bed. The wound was still seeping, but slowly. I’d made the cut as shallow as I could. “Every trace of him, gone.” “You promise?” Sidonie whispered. “Always.” My throat was tight, my heart overflowing. “Always and always.”

Kushiel’s Mercy, Jacqueline Carey

[jesatria]

LONGEST NIGHTS IN THE SERIES- Phèdre’s household dresses as Skaldic gods

[zareleonis]

In a similar example from the latter Kushiel books, a number of characters close to Imriel call him Imri. The one character who never, ever does is Sidonie. Part of that is reflective of her reserved nature, but it’s also reflective of the fact that she never sees him as a harmless boy one would call by a diminutive nickname. She sees him at first as a dangerous threat, and then as a dangerous temptation, and finally as a worthy partner. In every instance, she takes him very seriously.

Jacqueline Carey, on Imriel and Sidonie

[nanshe-of-nina]

Kushiel’s Legacy GIF sets || Alais de la Courcel

“Imriel!” Heedless of the protocol of adults, Alais, the younger, launched herself at me with a shout of delight. “Welcome back! I missed you!” I caught her, staggering a bit under her weight, and tried to fend off her kisses. Slight though she was, at ten years of age, her exuberance carried an impact. “Hello, Alais.” “Did you bring me a puppy?” she demanded. “You promised you would, from the spring’s litter in Montrève.” “I forgot,” I said honestly. “But I wasn’t expecting to be here so soon.” “Oh.” Her violet eyes, like unto the Queen’s, darkened. It was her only resemblance to Ysandre. For the rest, she looked purely Cruithne, like her father. “Of course. I’m sorry, that was thoughtless.” “That’s all right,” I said. “I’ll remember, next time.”

[luminarily]

Just finished kushiel's mercy and I am filled with so many emotions!!! My boy imriel has gone so far and seen so much and changed!!! So well!!!! He's learned how to love!!!! So!!! Many !!!! Emotions!!!!!!

[trinuviel]

The Court of the Night-Blooming Flowers 8/ - Bryony House

Motto: Wealth Seeks Company

Canon: Wealth

“Behold!”, Mavros flung up his arms. “Bryony House.” Even from the courtyard, it stood in marked contrast to Alyssum. It was a grand structure, three stories high, with steep gables. Every window was ablaze with light, and the mullions were adorned with ornate reliefs of bryony vine. When the door opened, laughter and music and the rattle of dice spilled out.

We were ushered into the receiving salon, which was modeled after the Hall of Games in the Palace. A throng of D’Angeline nobles played at games of chance and skill - dice, cards, rythmomancy, and other, more obscure games. The atmosphere was sharp and charged.

...

“Imri, this is the Dowayne, Janelle nó Bryony,” Mavros said. “Watch your purse.”

She tapped his arm with a folded fan. “Never wager what you can’t afford to loose, for Naamah will take all you have and more. What are you after, you naught child?”

Mavros smiled lazily. “Tokens.”

On the Longest Night, there are two fêtes of note in the City of Elua. One was at the Palace, and the other was at Cereus House, first among the Thirteen. it is a night Naamah’s Servants celebrate among themselves, and no one, not even a Prince of the Blood, may attend without a token.

“Is that so?” Her wide mouth curled. “And what do you offer for them?”

Mavros spread his arms. “What would you wager?”

“A challenge!” Janelle nó Bryony flung back her head. “Let’s put it to the crowd, shall we?” She gestured toward the corner, and an attendant there struck a massive bronze gong. The sound reverberated and an expectant hush followed. “A challenge!” she repeated. “Lord Mavros Shahrizai and Prince Imriel de la Courcel come begging a wager for tokens! How shall we judge them worthy?”

...

Patrons shouted out suggestions, profane and amusing and vile. Janelle nó Bryony listened, nodding, until she heard one that took her fancy echoed a number of times. “The hourglass?” she murmured. “That would suit. Indeed, so well that I’ll take the challenge myself. And I shall choose the contestant.” She pointed at me. “Are you minded to accept, your highness? If you loose, I win a forfeit of my choosing.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling foolish. “I don’t understand.”

“‘Tis a simple matter, sweet prince.” Janelle stepped close to me, caressing my cheek. Her grey eyes shone. “I seek to please you in the time allotted,” she breathed in my ear, making the hair at the nape of my neck stand on end. #And you seek to outwait me. Will you play?”

It was something, it seemed, for the Dowayne of Bryony House to take on a challenge personally.

(From Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey)

[hussyknee]

Kushiel's Justice summary: Would you kill baby Hitler? The Maghuin Dhonn say yes.

[sun-princess-sidonie]