Joscelin Verreuil

In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, Joscelin Verreuil is a member of the Cassiline Brotherhood who is contracted to guard Anafiel Delaunay's household. He is tall and well-proportioned, with clear blue eyes and wheat-colored hair that is generally caught in a club at the nape of his neck. He is from Siovale, the middle son of the Chevalier Millard Verreuil, a member of a minor noble House descended from the line of Shemhazai.

Kushiel's Dart

::"Main article: Kushiel's Dart"

Beginnings

When Joscelin is first contracted to guard House Delaunay at the age of twenty-one, he reacts with immediate revulsion to Phèdre nó Delaunay, both as a Servant of Naamah and as one pricked by Kushiel's Dart. On his first assignment with her, he fails to prevent Childric d'Essoms from scratching her with a dagger, and promptly tries to resign his post for failure when they return to Delaunay's household; Delaunay laughs at him and will have none of it. Phèdre thereafter tries to escape him when she goes to visit her friend Hyacinthe in Night's Doorstep, but he follows her, and is mercilessly mocked by a troupe of adepts from Eglantine House. Though Joscelin and Phèdre do not get along at first, Joscelin befriends Alcuin nó Delaunay, teaching him how to fight in a Cassiline manner.

When Melisande Shahrizai first sees him, she jokes that the Cassiline Brotherhood must be stealing their children from the Night Court. He grumbles to this of course and Phèdre laughs.

When Phèdre makes enough money from her assignation with Melisande Shahrizai to complete her "marque", Joscelin accompanies her to the marquist's. Before the "marque" can be finished, however, they are interrupted by a sailor, bearing a message from Admiral Quintilius Rousse to Delaunay; he knows that Delaunay's house is being watched, and gives the message to Phèdre instead: "When the Black Boar rules in Alba, Elder Brother will accede." Phèdre and Joscelin rush to their home, only to find Delaunay already dead, and Alcuin dying. In his final breaths, Alcuin tells Phèdre to tell Ysandre de la Courcel what has happened, to trust Admiral Rousse and the remaining Trevalions, that Thelesis de Mornay knows about Alba, and that the important figure is the Dauphine, not King Ganelon.

Phèdre and Joscelin rush to the Palace, but are turned away both by Ysandre's Guard and Thelesis' servants. While attempting to reach a secret passage from the theatre complex to Ysandre's rooms, Phèdre and Joscelin encounter Melisande, who takes them to her own quarters. Melisande betrays them, drugging Joscelin and interrogating Phèdre before drugging her as well.

In Skaldia

Melisande sends Phèdre and Joscelin to be sold to the Skaldi as slaves, and they are taken past the borders of Camlach into Skaldi territory and sold to Gunter Arnlaugson. Joscelin initially refuses to submit to the Skaldi, and most likely would have gotten himself killed, but that Phèdre steps in and persuades the Skaldi not to harm him. He is instead chained with their dogs until Phèdre can convince him that they will be best served by obedience, until such time as they can make an escape. She begins to teach him the Skaldic language.

Joscelin proves his mettle to the Skaldi when Evrard the Sharptongued provokes him into fighting. Joscelin initially defends himself only with branches, until Gunter puts a stop to the fight, and he asks to be allowed to prove himself with steel. Gunter allows Joscelin to fight Evrard in the "holmgang"; he bests Evrard, first giving him the chance to forfeit, then killing Evrard when he refuses. Gunter then makes Joscelin his thane, deciding he has proved himself a man, and returns his sword, vambraces, and daggers.

Gunter presents Phèdre and Joscelin as gifts to Waldemar Selig at the Allthing. When a group of men attempt to rape Phèdre in the camp, Joscelin protects her and kills two of them. Selig, however, steps in his guard unexpectedly and knocks him in the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. This nearly gets him killed in return, until Knud testifies that it was to spare Phèdre. Following this, Joscelin is ashamed for dishonoring one of his Cassiline vows and, in another show of his inimitable stubbornness, nearly starves himself to death until Phèdre curses at him, calling him a coward, bringing him to his senses. For a short time, Joscelin attempts to teach Selig the Cassiline style of fighting, but the lessons end quickly when it becomes apparent that Selig cannot unlearn his old habits.

Selig, however, does not trust Joscelin and keeps him chained in a small hut outside his compound. After Phèdre's berratement of him, he begins to regain his strength and train as surreptitiously as possible chained in the hut. Phèdre visits him as frequently as is seemly.

Joscelin initially does not want to take part in Phèdre's plan to escape from Skaldia and return to Terre d'Ange to warn Ysandre de la Courcel about the depth of the treachery in the realm, partly because of the danger involved and partly because it would mean breaking no few of his Cassiline vows, specifically the one about attacking unprovoked. Phèdre persuades him, though, and Joscelin disguises himself as a Skaldic warrior, killing several guards so that he and Phèdre may escape from the camps.

After nearly a day on the run, a group of the White Brethren and Harald the Beardless catch up to them. He slays these White Brethren while Phèdre kills Harald.

Several days out on their journey, Phèdre and Joscelin take shelter in a cave, where Phèdre patches Joscelin's wounds, and the two end up making love. The next morning, they find etched on the cave wall the sigil of Blessed Elua, and realize that he and his Companions rested in that same place during their wanderings.

Phèdre and Joscelin near one of the passes through the Camaeline Mountains only to discover the pass already blocked with Skaldi of the Marsi Tribe; this forces them to take the longer and much harder pass over the mountains, made more difficult when they lose both of their mounts to missteps.

Uncovering Treachery

Once back in Terre d'Ange, Phèdre and Joscelin encounter the men of the Marquis le Garde, one of the Allies of Camlach; she borrows names from Cereus House and tells them she is Suriah of Trefail, and that Joscelin is her cousin Jareth, refugees from a town that has been set upon by the Skaldi. When it looks as though they are going to be taken into custody, Joscelin takes out his sword and holds their commander at knifepoint, demanding horses for their escape. This is significant as Cassilines vow only to draw their swords to kill.

They proceed down a road called Eisheth's Way, until they encounter a Yeshuite wagon on the road. The Yeshuites give them shelter when they recognize Joscelin for a Cassiline, with whom their people share an affinity. They take Joscelin and Phèdre all the way to the City of Elua; in gratitude, Phèdre gifts them with the small grey pony that has come with them all the way from Skaldia.

Once inside the City, Phèdre decides that the only person she can trust is her old friend Hyacinthe, whom she and Joscelin seek out immediately. From Hyacinthe, Phèdre learns that she and Joscelin were tried and convicted in absentia for the murders of Delaunay, Alcuin, and the entire household. Phèdre writes a letter that seems to be a love note to Thelesis de Mornay that is delivered by one of Hyacinthe's boys. With the help of Thelesis de Mornay, they are able to gain a private audience with the Dauphine and convince her of the truth of their story.

Following the funeral for King Ganelon, Joscelin is present at a secret council of the new Queen's, tucked away in a Courcel estate. When Ysandre decides to send Phèdre as her ambassador to Alba, Joscelin, loathe to leave her, swears his sword into Ysandre's service and is allowed to accompany Phèdre to Alba. For his trouble, he is declared by the Prefect of the Cassiline Brotherhood, who wanted him to return to his service instead of continuing to guard Phèdre. Thelesis de Mornay names this "Cassiel's Choice": to continue serving as Companion even when outcast from an order. Ysandre returns to him his Cassiline armor, daggers, and sword, so that he may fight as a Cassiline even though he is anathema.

In Alba

Joscelin proves himself a poor sailor on the voyage to Alba, prone to seasickness.

He disapproves of Phèdre's handling of the Twins.

During the battle for Drustan's throne, Joscelin moves to defend Necthana and her daughters when Maelcon's men come to capture them, but fails to prevent Moiread from taking a spear and dying. He feels extremely guilty over this and, in arrogance. mopes over the matter and blames himself for her death until Drustan tells him not to demean her sacrifice by taking responsibility for it.

On the road in Alba, Joscelin indicates that he had somewhat to do with the creation of Phedre's Boys. He convinces Phèdre to let them continue saying that they need to have a face and person to fight for, since they don't know the Queen it may as well be the Queen's emissary.

Gildas, the servant of the Master of the Straits, calls Drustan, Rousse, Phèdre, and Hyacinthe to come ashore; Joscelin insists on accompanying Phèdre, to which Phèdre replies that she will kill him herself before letting anyone else die for his vow, but Gildas lets him come along because he is Companion-Sworn to her.

The War

They finally reach Terre d'Ange in the midst of battle with the Skaldi. They learn that the D'Angelines army is mostly holed up in the fortress of Troyes-le-Mont. They plan to charge the Skaldi army the next morning and aim strait for Selig, because they know that if they kill the Skaldi leader, the fractious nature of the Skaldi tribes will prevail and the massive army will be broken.

Knowing this plan will work most effectively and give the D'Angelines the greatest advantage if those inside the city know of it beforehand, Phèdre decides to make a suicidal attempt to sneak through the Skaldi lines and warn those on the battlements not to fire on Isidore's troops. Knowing that no one will let her sacrifice herself like this, especially Joscelin, she silently slips out of the Alban-D'Angeline camp in the dead of night. She manages to gain the wall and shout a message to be delivered to Ysandre before the Skaldi drag her down. When Selig learns what she has done, he begins to skin her alive as a message to Ysandre; making a show of it outside of arrow-range. He is interrupted almost immediately, however, by Joscelin - who followed Phèdre from the camp - who challenges Selig to the holmgang.

Selig agrees but when Joscelin wins the contest, Selig states he will let him live long enough to watch what he does to Phèdre. Joscelin goes into the position of the "terminus" (the final act where a Cassiline kills himself and his ward at the exact same time). Upon seeing a rescue force leaving the fort, however, Joscelin quickly changes his mind and kills Phèdre's captor. The diversion of the holmgang gave the troops within the castle enough time to mount a rescue party for her and Joscelin, who are thereby rescued from assured death.

Towards the end of the battle, a small Skaldic force makes its way inside the walls; among the D'Angelines fighting them is Luc Verreuil, Joscelin's elder brother, whom he rushes to join.

The D'Angelines win, and what Skaldi were not killed in battle flee. Phèdre and Joscelin discover that Selig and D'Aiglemort killed each other in battle. Also killed was Eamonn mac Conor, the twin king and lord of the Dalriada. Joscelin also find his father was in the battle as well and lost a hand in the fighting.

Queen Ysandre and Drustan are reunited for the first time in some years. Ysandre gives Joscelin into Phèdre's service in return for Phèdre's service to her.

Conclusion

Despite this, he spends most of his time immediately after the battle with his brother and father, not seeing Phèdre, who is busy with the aftermath of the war. When they are about to leave, he finally introduces them to her. They beg her to visit them in Siovale to meet the rest of Joscelin's family - his mother and sisters. Joscelin himself has not seen them in many years.

After his family leaves, the Duc du Morhban arrives with Melisande in chains. After her trial, she escapes, and Phèdre and Joscelin are unable to return to the City of Elua as they had planned. When they finally make their way back, they at last fall into a regular relationship.

Ysandre clears Phèdre and Joscelin's names, and bestows all of Anafiel Delaunay's estates onto Phèdre. Phèdre insists that the house in the City of Elua be sold, as she could not bear to live there after all that had happened. At this point, Phèdre officially becomes the Comtesse de Montrève, inheriting Delaunay's mother's estate in Siovale as well.

After the wedding of Ysandre and Drustan, Phèdre travels to Montrève with Joscelin and her three new retainers, the Chevaliers Remy, Ti-Philippe, and Fortun, the remnants of Phèdre's Boys. After settling in, Phèdre and Joscelin travel to L'Arène to find Taavi and Danele; they return with Seth ben Yavin, a Yeshuite scholar who agrees to teach Phèdre the Habiru language.

Kushiel's Chosen

::"Main article: Kushiel's Chosen."

The Hunt for Melisande

Kushiel's Dart, the first book in the Kushiel's Legacy trilogy, ends with the arrival of a mysterious gift at Montrève, the Comtesse Phèdre nó Delaunay's quiet country estate. Kushiel's Chosen picks up immediately after an Italian merchant and former acquaintance presents Phèdre with her sangoire cloak, last worn when she was betrayed by Melisande Shahrizai, the deadly but beautiful and manipulative scion of Kushiel. She takes it upon herself to find out how Melisande escaped from Troyes-le-Mont, the fortress featured during the climatic Battle of Troyes-le-Mont in Kushiel's Dart.

Phèdre returns to the City of Elua with Joscelin and her chevaliers, Remy, Fortun and Ti-Phillipe (see Phedre's Boys). Phèdre returns to the City of Elua, to resume her life as a Servant of Naamah in the hopes of descerning where Melisande is and what she plans. Unfortunately, the return to Namaah's service causes an uncomfortable rift between her and Joscelin, with them no longer sleeping in the same bed.

Joscelin becomes increasingly interested in the Habiru religion of the Yeshuites. He begins to spend much of his days with his friends in the Yeshuite quarter of the city and becomes increasingly upset with Phèdre. He also begins to wear a "khai" pendant. He still, however, holds to his oath to Phèdre and continues to guard her and travel with her.

La Serenissima

Finding only dead ends, Phèdre decides to travel to the La Serenissima in Caerdicca Unitas, in her order to track down the missing guardsmen of Troyes-le-Mont. While there, Joscelin visits the Yeshuites in La Serenissima often. They are very badly treated and ostracized so he decides to teach them to defend themselves. He teaches them the Cassiline fighting style and his star pupil is Micah ben Ximen.

In the meantime, Phèdre and Joscelin's relationship of tension increases as he is now leaving her for longer and longer periods of time. She is also being courted by Severio Stregazza who later proposes to her at a party. She refuses out of love for Joscelin but is saddened and leaves the party early.

At home, Phèdre and Joscelin get into a fight and have rough sex together. Out of shame for what he has done, shame that Phèdre greatly enjoyed it due to her nature as an anguissette, and that he can no longer bear living with her, he leaves her that night saying he can not be with her and she doesn't need him anyway.

The next morning, Phèdre decides to go and tell the Prince Benedicte de la Courcel what she has learned and that there may be a plot against the Queen. At this private meeting with the Prince Phèdre learns that the mysterious new, young wife of Prince Benedicte is Melisande herself. This makes Melisande send her to the prison on the island of La Dolorosa, where the mourning of Asherat-of-the-Sea for her dead son Eshmun will eventually drive her mad.

During her imprisonment, Melisande visits her and makes her an offer. We will later find out that Joscelin has in fact learned of Phèdre's betrayal thanks to Ti-Phillipe and has followed Melisande to find where Phèdre is. That night, the island fortress is attacked by Joscelin, in an attempt to save Phèdre. He does this by killing the guards at one end of the long rope-bridge and then climbing the underside of the bridge all the way across. Due to weight, however, he can not bring his sword with him and fights only with his daggers. Unfortunately, Phèdre falls off a cliff of La Dolorosa before Joscelin can reach her and is washed into the sea.

The Reunion

Eventually, Phèdre manages to smuggle herself back into La Serenissima, and finds Joscelin with Ti-Phillipe in the Yeshuit quarter of the city. There they live in secrecy, having cut and dyed their hair, trying to figure a way to reach Queen Ysandre on their own and in secrecy, though admittedly they don't have the information she needs and only a vague warning. The ideal time would be during her progressus regalis but she will be surrounded by people, and likely Benedicte, at all times. While they don't know what Benedicte is up to, Phèdre, Fortun, and Remy disappeared after their meeting with him and his guards came to take Ti-Phillipe into custody.

Phèdre has a plan though and that evening they are reunited on a small island on the out-skirts of La Serenissima. There they sleep together again and their emotional wounds are healed. Joscelin admits he was stupid and Phèdre said she didn't do much to help matters. Joscelin says he was more miserable without than with her and will never leave her again. They make love in their tent on a bed of roses, thorns included. Phèdre likes the thorns of course but for once Joscelin does not mind.

The Greatest Battle

The next morning, their plan is set in motion. They sneak into the Temple of Asherat, where the Queen will be visiting for the changing of the Doge, and hide on the balcony. They wait as there is a long ceremony by the Temple Priestess and large crowds outside in the Campo Grande. Just before the Dogal seal can be passed on, however, Phèdre speaks the voice of Asherat saying that Benedicte seeks the death of his Queen. In the ensueing arguments, Phèdre nó Delaunay reveals herself to be the voice of Asherat on the balcony. Joscelin guards the stairs with Ti-Phillipe from the coming Temple guards.

Queen Ysandre turns ashen and demands that Phèdre explain what she is up to and why she is here. Phèdre replies, "Your majesty, you allowed me to go in search of the traitoress Melisande Shahrizai. And I have found her. There." She points to the young veiled second wife of Benedicte de la Courcel. At this moment the doors suddenly open and rioters enter the Temple, throwing everything into chaos. The pirates then take over the guarding of the balcony while Joscelin and Phèdre watch for the Queen's traitor-Cassiline to reveal himself.

Phèdre notices first and Joscelin shouts and runs off, sliding down the banister. One of the Queen's Cassiline guards is in the position of the "terminus". Joscelin, seeing he does not have enough time, throws one of his daggers the Cassiline guard, which forces him to block and thereby loose precious moments. His cover is blown and one of the Cassiline guards turns on him, though still stunned. Drawing his sword, he kills him. The next does not have enough time to draw his sword and is killed as well. Before he can move on to the third and final guard, Joscelin appears. They duel, one Cassiline against another, causing the whole Temple to go silent in awe. Phèdre describes the battle as mesmerizing and beautiful. Eventually, realizing that he can not win, the assassin-Cassiline David de Rocaille kills himself on Joscelin's sword, having failed to murder Ysandre for her mother's killing of his sister, Edmeé de Rocaille.

Melisande tries to escape but Phèdre, Ti-Phillipe, and Severio Stregazza stop her. Meanwhile, Prince Benedicte de la Courcel is dying, having fought to protect Melisande and his men. Melisande is not arrested or killed, however, as the temple of Asherat has given her sanctuary. Her royal son is no where to be found and Melisande will not say where she has sent him.

Home

But all is not yet solved. Melisande has sent riders on fast horses to secure the City of Elua and set about rumours that Queen Ysandre is dead. Because Barquiel L'Envers has closed the city, thanks to Phedre's command and unknown by Melisande, the city can not be taken but all of its surrounding area is. Ysandre rushes back to the City of Elua and disproves the rumours that she is dead by throwing coins that bear her image to the crowds and soldiers. Ysandre reclaims the throne of Terre d'Ange.

The novel ends with Joscelin finally being Phèdre's formal . Joscelin is also named the Queen Champion.

Kushiel's Avatar

::"Main article: Kushiel's Avatar."

Comtesse Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève is contacted by her former lover and rival, Melisande Shahrizai, to find Melisande's son Imriel de la Courcel. The Prince has been missing for nearly ten years because Melisande had hidden him (see Kushiel's Chosen). Now it appears that he has gone missing from there as well. Melisande reveals that he had been hidden in an isolated Temple of Elua in Siovale, raised having no knowledge that he is a royal prince and believing that his parents are dead. Melisande has tried to find him through her extensive list of allies but has been unable to. Knowing Phèdre to be loyal to the throne (House Courcel) she asks her to find him. Melisande and Phèdre make a deal: if Phèdre will promise to find Imriel, Melisande will give her the location of the lost tribe of Dan, whose elders know the Name of the One God, allowing Phèdre to free Hyacinthe of his terrible burden.

Phèdre sends word of a missing boy of Imriel's description among the Tsingani, who often see and hear things others do not. Phèdre and Joscelin go to the Temple to look for clues and information, finding little. They decide to continue from there to Montrève. On their way they stay an evening in the spare room a peasant-family in southern Siovale. They ask the family if thy had seen any child of Imriel's description. The woman then begins to cry and ask if this is some cruel trick for her own daughter went missing around the same time. Phèdre and Joscelin decide to go to the Verreuil estates in order to set up a full-fledged search and to learn how many move D'Angeline children have gone missing.

At the Verreuil estates, Joscelin has a lovely reunion with much of his family including his parents. Phèdre also gets to meet his family, other than his father and eldest brother, for the first time. They are worried by the news and begin a search when a Tsingani wagon arrives, bearing news. It appears that the children have been taken by slavers who were seen travelling to Aragonia.

Phèdre and Joscelin follow the trail. Imriel, however, has been sold since Aragonia and their trail turns out to be long indeed. They find out that Imriel has been sold to the "Skotophagoti" of Drujan. These "Skotophagoti" seem to control death itself and worship an evil god. This leads them to Drujan's neighbour and once occupier, Khebbel-im-Akkad. There they learn more of the new kingdom and king Drujan, the Mahrkagir ("Conqueror of Death"). Each piece of information is more frightening than the last. In Nineveh, Phèdre is refused aid from Khebbel-im-Akkad and those around her including Joscelin beg her not to enter Drujan.

While she is sitting contemplating her options, Joscelin sees her mote shrinking until it is barely visible, only to return an instant later in full. She evidently heard nothing that was being said at that time and later tells Joscelin that Kushiel and all of Elua's Companions came to her then and asked her to go into Drujan to save Prince Imriel.

Phèdre decides to enter the harem ("zenana") of the ruler of Drujan, in the capital Daršanga, under the guise of a noblewoman abducted by a vengeful former lover, Joscelin. Joscelin then presents her as a gift to the Mahrkagir because he is too angered to be with her.

During their time in Drujan, Joscelin sees the Mahrkagir use her horribly during dinners in the hall. Dogs and people are tortured and killed for the evening entertainment and we never learn what else he had to witness during the days. He sees that Phèdre's nature as an anguissette makes her enjoy this cruel treatment and it sickens him. He is challenged to fight on a few occasions and kill his opponent for sport, another detestable act that goes against his nature.

One evening, however, Phèdre makes eye contact with him and holds up her fingers to indicate ten, ten days more. He learns that he should request Imriel for 'after meal entertainment' and is granted it by the Mahrkagir, who wishes to make Imriel's admirer Jagun jealous. Imriel tells him that Phèdre has learned that in ten days she is to be offered as a sacrifice to the Angra Mainyu, the god who channels power to the "Skotophagoti" (in Drujan, called the Aka-Magi) by sacrificing a person they love and eating their heart, in an act called the vahmyâcam. Imriel says that Phèdre has decided that she must kill the Mahrkagir on the night of the vahmyâcam as they will both be alone, unarmed, and in near darkness. She is plotting with the women and eunuchs of the zenana to stage an escape and needs Joscelin's help.

On the night of the ceremony, during the festivites in the hall, the women of the zenana taint the drinks of all the guards and guests with opium. When taken to the darkened room with the Mahrkagir, Phèdre stabs the Mahrkagir in the heart with a sharpened hair pin. With the Mahrkagir dead, the Aka-Magi loose their powers. In the hall, Joscelin and the women and boys of zenana stage their attack. The slaughter is massive and the cost high but eventually all the drugged guards and guests are killed, most by Joscelin himself. Joscelin's arm is badly injured in the fighting and many fighters of the zenana are dead. Phèdre, Joscelin, Imriel, and the rest of the survivors of the zenana flee to Khebbel-im-Akkad.

In Khebbel-im-Akkad, Imriel learns his true identity and hates himself and does not wish to return to Terre d'Ange. Joscelin convinces Phèdre to go to Imriel and tell him the Melisande that she knows. This brings some solace to the Prince and he agrees that he will travel back to Terre d'Ange while Phèdre and Joscelin travel onward on their search for the name of god. Imriel, however, pays a boy to pretend to be him so that he can stow away on Phèdre and Joscelin's ship headed for the city of Iskandria in Menekhet.

Phèdre and Joscelin find Imriel but agree to take him with them. From Iskandria they travel down the Nahar, stopping at some Temples and generally enjoying the journey. They then leave the Nahar at Majibara and ride Camels through the desert to reach Meroë. Here they meet the rulers of Jebe-Barkal and receive free passage through the land and gifts to be taken to the lost tribe of Dan in Saba. On their way, they take the last of the zenana women, Kaneka, back to her home of Debeho, a small town of huts and very friendly people.

While Phèdre's skin heals cleanly, the scars on her heart do not, not to mention Joscelin's heart and what he had to watch. It takes many months for her and Joscelin to love and understand each other as they once did. After a rhinoceros attack in the camp, Phèdre and Joscelin go to a secluded pool and finally make love, as his caresses erase all of the physical, mental, and emotional scarring that Drujan exacted upon them both. Phèdre and Joscelin soon learn that they have grown to love Imriel as their son and that he has grown to love them like parents.

Phèdre, Joscelin, and Imriel eventually reach the lost tribe of Dan. There the people have a strong affinity with Joscelin because he is a follower of Cassiel. They get into a number of discussions but Joscelin does not seem to agree with them on the nature of god and his will.

The people of Saba debate but decide not to let them travel to the island that contains the name of god. The women, however, disagree with this decision and help Phèdre, Joscelin, and Imriel to escape on boat. They row toward the island of Kapporeth, where the Arc is kept. Having been betrayed, the Sabean male rulership chase after them, leading to a stand-off on the island. Joscelin vows that he will defend Phèdre but that he does not want to kill on holy soil. The doors then suddenly open and Phèdre gains access to the Temple and learns the name of the one god.

The tribe of Dan give up their charges as they can see in her eyes that she contains the Name of God. They travel back to Tisaar and on to Meroë with a tentative re-alliance between Saba and Jebe-Barkal. In Jebe-Barkal, Phèdre is given gifts to take back to the Queen of Terre d'Ange and is given gifts of her own. Joscelin receives a traditional warriors outfit, to everyone's chagrin, and Imriel receives a rhinoceros-hide belt to hold his daggers. They travel back the way they came though the journey is very different as it is rushed and Phèdre is acting strangely because she contains the name of god. She sees beauty everywhere and often forgets to eat or drink, her mind is filled with the Name of God. Joscelin is often having to remind her to take care of herself.

From Menekhet they depart straight for La Serenissima and Melisande. Imriel spits at Melisande's feet and says he hates her before leaving the room. Joscelin follows him and tries to calm him while Melisande and Phèdre talk. He later learns that Melisande has promised Phèdre that if Phèdre herself would raise Imriel, Melisande will never raise a finger against Queen Ysandre's daughters and will never use any form of trickery against the D'Angeline throne.

Phèdre presents Imriel in Terre d'Ange to the Queen, where she is punished by Queen Ysandre for not having sent Prince Imriel back to Terre d'Ange and instead taking him with them on a dangerous journey. Her punishment is that she must stay in the City of Elua until Drustan mab Necthana, the Cruarch of Alba and Ysandre's husband, returns to Terre D'Ange in the spring. Phèdre is upset about this, since she knows the Name of God and wants to help Hyacinthe immediately. Phedre, however, has her own boon to ask. Phedre asks Ysandre for custody of Imriel, as foster parents. Ysandre refuses but Phedre uses her promise from over ten years ago -- a favour that she can never be denied. This is the favour that she asks. The Queen agrees reluctantly and insists that Imriel and her daughters must still have a relationship and that visits by the prince will need to be frequent.

Upon the Drustan mab Necthana's return they journey to the Straits and Phèdre frees Hyacinthe from the curse with the Name of God.

Kushiel's Scion

::"Main article: Kushiel's Scion."

The book begins with Imriel reflecting on his childhood. He lives with Joscelin and Phèdre as a son and visits his royal cousins often. He does not like Sidonie but Alias is as a sister to him. He lives with Joscelin and Phèdre in Montrève in the summer and they live in the City of Elua in the winter. Joscelin teaches Imriel the Cassiline fighting style and Phèdre teaches him the arts of covertsy.

At the age of fourteen we learn that Imriel's mother, Melisande Shahrizai, has vanished from the Temple of the Asherat-of-the-Sea in La Serenissima. Instead of spending summer at Montrève, Phèdre, Joscelin, and Imriel are summoned to court. Imriel then meets his Shahrizai kin, who will foster with him come the following summer. The Queen is convinced that Imriel has not been told or given any information from his mother as to where she is.

Despite Joscelin's discomfort, the Shahrizai kin stay with them in Montrève for a month. During this time Joscelin tries to stay clear of them as much as possible though is always courteous. Imriel, however, seems to have a good friendship with his cousin Mavros.

When Imriel turns sixteen, Eamonn mac Grainne, son of Grainne and Quintilus Rousse, comes to foster at the Montrève residence, where Imriel and Eamonn become good friends. Joscelin and Phèdre like Eamonn and see him as a good influence on Imriel. When Eamonn leaves, he makes Imri promise to come visit him in Tiberium, where he will be studying at the university.

Joscelin takes Imriel a trip one day to learn about a new growing technique that a D'Angeline has developed. It is a more sophisticated version of a gree-house that decreases outdoor growing times by at least a month. Imriel seems very disinterested but Joscelin tries nonethless.

When Imriel asks Joscelin what he thinks about Imriel marrying Princess Dorelei, Joscelin tells him it would be a good idea but to remember that love is important and to ultimately follow his heart.

Imriel begins to feel lost and confused so Mavros and his cousins decide to braid Imri's hair and take him to Valerian House, where he finally releases his long-held and feared desires for kinky pleasures. This throws him all into turmoil but is not a negative experience. After returning home though, he can no longer look at Phèdre because she is an anguissette, and leaves the house to drink himself into a stupor. Joscelin goes with him as more of a protector than a comfort. This lasts for at least a couple of days and Joscelin pulls him out of more than one fight.

Imriel then decides he needs some distance and decides to follow in Eamonn's footsteps by studying at the University of Tiberium. After packing lightly, Imri and Gilot, his man at arms, travel to Tiberium to seek knowledge and learning. There are few letters from him but all seems to be well. Imriel goes to a friend, Lucius', wedding in Lucca. Upon reaching Lucca, however, disaster had struck. The bride-to-be had been kidnapped and her lover, who is not Lucius, has been killed. Imriel manages to rescue the bride but cuts off the assailant's hand in the process.

While all of Imriel's friends manage to leave Lucca on the grounds of non-combatants and foreign citizens, Imriel can not. The leader of the attackers insists that if Imriel wants to leave he must pay the same price, the loss of his hand. The D'Angeline host that is negotiating on his behalf refuses and Imriel himself refuses. So Lucca comes under siege with Imriel trapped inside. Joscelin and Phèdre, while not there, hear this news from the D'Angeline hosts and worry.

Ultimately, Imriel survives but Gilot dies in the battle for control of Lucca. Under the command of Gallus Tadius, Lucca emerges victorious and Imriel is escorted to Terre d'Ange safely. He tells Joscelin and Phèdre all that happened to him, which turned out to be a lot more than he said in his letters, and that he will agree to wed Dorelei.

Kushiel's Justice

::"Main article: Kushiel's Justice."

Joscelin does not make many appearances in this novel as it is primarily about Imriel's personal journeys and internal quests. He mainly features as Imriel's adoptive father and therefore is in the background of many scenes early in the book.

Joscelin and Phèdre disappear for a long time in the novel because they are on a quest to hide the book of Rahab so that no other can control the waters as the Master of the Straits. No details about this are mentioned, however.

Joscelin and Phèdre, when they come back from this trip, learn of what has happened to Imriel and that he has gone to hunt down Berlik. This eventually takes them to Vralia and they seem to be hot on his trail. They eventually meet up with him in a small town where the locals are convinced he is a Tartar and has escaped the law. Phèdre negotiates with them, proving Imriel's story, and they leave for the capital. After staying in the capital, Joscelin gets to be reunited with his once pupil (during Kushiel's Chosen in La Serenissima), a Yeshuite now of well renown, Micah ben Ximen.

They then all leave for Terre d'Ange and Joscelin and Phèdre support Imriel's relationship with Sidonie.

Kushiel's Mercy

::"Main article: Kushiel's Mercy"

To be released June 2008

House Verreuil

Chevalier Millard - Joscelin's father

Ges (maiden name not given) - Joscelin's mother

Luc - Joscelin's eldest brother, married to Yvonne (maiden name not given)

Mahieu - Joscelin's younger brother, married to Marie-Louise (maiden name not given)

Jehane - Joscelin's eldest sister, interested in genealogy