**Spoilers for Chosen and Avatar**
Imriel was born as a part of Melisande Shahrizai and
Benedicte de laCourcel's scheme to put a trueblooded
D'Angeline heir on the throne. When the assasination attempt in La
Serenissima fell through, Melisande sent Imriel with a Priest of Elua
to a Siovalese sanctuary where he was raised utterly ignorant of his
heritage. When he was ten years old, he was kidnapped by Carthaginian
slavers and sold first to a Menekhetan slave trader, then to Drujani
bone-priests, Aka-Magi. In Drujan, he was brought into the zenana of
the Mahrkagir, where he was tortured and molested. Phèdre and
Joscelin save him. He pulls a sneaky trick and stows away on
the rest of Phèdre and Joscelin's journey to find the Name of God;
eventually, he proves utterly necessary to the quest. The news of his
parents' crimes is broken ungently to him. Phèdre, Joscelin, and
Imriel return to Terre d'Ange by way of La Serenissima; Imriel
despises his mother when he sees her. Phèdre, however, promises to
raise him in her household and allow him to make his own
choices/judgments if Melisande will swear not to raise a hand against
Ysandre or her daughters. Melisande promises, so, with the boon
granted by the Companion's Star, Phèdre and Joscelin adopt Imriel into
their household, and he becomes Imriel nó Montrève de la Courcel. He
accompanies Phèdre and Joscelin to free Hyacinthe with the Name
of God, and Phèdre says that, when everyone else was terrified, "Imri
knew. I saw it, in depths of his eyes [...] a faith shining forth in
them such as [his mother's] had never held.
Imri had never doubted" (KA 718).
Imriel's holdings inherited from his father are Heuzé in L'Agnace,
Barthelme in Namarre, and Lombelon in L'Agnace, which he deeds to
Maslin (KS 51). As the Duc de Barthelme, he is entitled to a
hereditary seat in Parliament (KJ 67).
**Spoilers for Scion, Justice, and Mercy**
When Imriel is fourteen, his mother leaves the Temple of Asherat and
goes missing. When Imriel gains his majority at eighteen, he goes to
the University of Tiberium, trying to learn where Anafiel Delaunay
learned the arts of covertcy. There, he uncovers the Unseen Guild,
embarks on an affair with a Tiberian noblewoman Claudia Fulvia,
and stands by her brother Lucius's side when he is possessed by his
long-dead great-grandfather. Imriel returns to Terre d'Ange and agrees
to wed Dorelei mab Breidaia, Drustan's heir's sister.
Once back in Terre d'Ange, Imriel falls in love with his cousin, the
Dauphine, Sidonie de la Courcel. They begin an affair that must
be kept secret, and, unsure of the depth of their feelings, Imriel
goes through with his wedding to Dorelei. He conceives a son with her,
Aniel, but both Dorelei and their unborn son are slain by Berlik
of the Maghuin Dhonn. Imriel tracks Berlik to the far reaches of the
north, snowy Vralia, and kills him. He brings back his skull to be
buried under Dorelei's feet and returns to Terre d'Ange and his love,
their relationship having been revealed immediately before he set out
on his quest. Ysandre is passionately displeased; Drustan is merely
displeased out of respect for Ysandre's pissiness.
Imriel accepts a charge to bring his mother to justice as the price
for his wedding Sidonie. However, shortly after he finds out where
Melisande is (Cythera), Carthage employs a horrific magic spell
against Terre d'Ange which results in Sidonie believing herself in
love with Astegal, a Carthaginian general, and sailing away to
marry him. Imriel goes to Cythera to beg his mother's aid; she and her
lover, Ptolemy Solon, grant it and give Imriel the keys to undo
the spell. He follows Sidonie to Carthage, then to Aragonia, and they
fall in love again, proving that Blessed Elua does not join hearts
without a purpose. Eventually, the two overcome the spell and save
Terre d'Ange from a civil war as well as a widespread betrayal of its
alliances. In the end, Imriel and Sidonie are wed, and there is joy
and joie and love.
*Backstory from Naamah's Kiss; not plot-relevant*
Imriel's title after Sidonie becomes Queen is Prince Consort; he and
Sidonie have three children. The oldest is a daughter named Anielle,
who becomes Queen.
Imriel looks almost exactly like his Shahrizai kin, having the
blue-black rippling hair and the starry blue eyes. He and Sidonie,
however, have eyebrows shaped the same way, Courcel brows.
Timeline A timeline
of Chosen thru Mercy in terms of Imriel, Sidonie, and
Alais's ages can be found
here.
If you're a member and have
something that you would like to submit to our library, please send a private
message Mariana Shahrizai.
