It is probably safe to assume that
L'Envers is the sovereign duchy of Namarre, given Duc Barquiel's
preeminence.
House L'Envers is of Namarrese descent, with a strain of Kusheline
blood. Their arms feature the bridge over the river of Hell; the
password of their House is "the burning river".
Violet eyes are a trait of House L'Envers: Barquiel, Isabel, Valère,
Ysandre, Nicola, and Alais all have them.
L'Envers's House color is purple, presumably the same royal purple as
their eyes (KC 658)
Members of House L'Envers:
**spoilers that are really backstory and not plot points thru
Chosen**
Isabel L'Envers: Barquiel's sister, Rolande's wife, and
Ysandre's mother. Isabel was blond with purple eyes, a true scion of
House L'Envers, and she arranged for her rival's death. Edmée de
Rocaille died of a cut saddle girth, and Anafiel Delaunay wrote a
satire naming Isabel a murderess. For that, Delaunay's poetry was
banned,
but Rolande, his lover, protected him from further consequences.
Rolande also married Isabel and fathered a daughter, Ysandre de la
Courcel. After Rolande's death at the Battle of Three Princes, Isabel
"began positioning members of her own family to assume power" (KD
118). She was poisoned by Thérèse and Dominic Stregazza
- Dominic gave Vitale Bouvarre the salver of poisoned candied figs,
but it was Thérèse who knew how she loved them (KD 283).
Nicola L'Envers y Aragon: Nicola is Barquiel's cousin; she has
bronze hair and the violet L'Envers eyes. Although she is married to
an Aragonian noble, Ramiro Zornín de Aragon, she visits the
City of Elua occasionally. Nicola's sons are Serafin, the
elder, and Raul, the younger. In Chosen, she contracts
Phèdre for an assignation on Barquiel's orders to question her about
Melisande's whereabouts. When Phèdre refuses to trust Barquiel, Nicola
entrusts her with the password of House L'Envers: the burning river.
Phèdre uses this password to beg Barquiel's aid to protect the City of
Elua when Melisande and Benedicte's treachery is revealed. Out of
gratitude, Phèdre bestows the only lover's-token she ever gives a
patron on Nicola. In Avatar, Nicola's husband Ramiro has become
the King's Consul of Amílcar (KA 138). He and Nicola aid Phèdre and
Joscelin in their quest to find Imriel. In Scion, Nicola and
her younger son Raul visit the City of Elua. Nicola brings Imriel the
Bastard, a speckled Aragonian horse, and Raul becomes one of Imriel's
friends. In Mercy, Nicola aids Sidonie and Imriel in returning
to Terre d'Ange from Carthage's outpost in Aragonia.
