Lord Véridice Lyrienne

Véridice Lyrienne is the lord of the most important Dark House in the empire, the leader of the Dark political faction, and one of the suitors participating in Lady Annabelle Alyssenne's Courtship Rituals in Book 1: Deadly Courtship.    

Childhood

Véridice was born has the only child and heir to Lord Rénice Lyrienne.   The House of Lyrienne co-founded the empire alongside the House of Alyssenne, and they have both led it since then by respectively leading the Dark and Light political faction. By itself, the Estate ruled directly by the Lyrienne is also one of the biggest and more prosperous in the empire.   However, despite this glorious past, the House of Lyrienne was greatly diminished in recent centuries because of the behaviour of its lords. Lord Rénice was the worst of all and managed to both ruin their House and make an incalculable number of ennemies. He died incredibly young for a powerful mage (in his 50s), after which events became murky.   What is publicly known is that his infant son Véridice grew up in an orphanage in the capital of the empire, Arianie, not knowing of his past and his identity.    

Return to the South

When Véridice did discover his inheritance, he immediately head back to the South and the Lyrienne Estate, only to find that in his absence it had been torn apart and claimed by a multitude of small lords and ladies. Véridice did not hesitate to carry a bloody fight to reconquer the entirety of the Lyrienne Estate and re-establish the supremacy of his House in less than a decade.   This is a story that is well known in the empire and that is constantly retold and embellish. It fills people with a mixture of horror and admiration depending on their political affiliation. Véridice managed to use this interest to also re-establish the political influence of his House without having to kill all of his rivals in the Dark faction.   It took him a few more years to become the uncontested leader of the faction, but he was patient, diplomat, and charismatic enough to eventually win everyone to his cause—or he simply terrified them behind closed doors.    

Relationships with the Alyssennes

One of the big stories of Véridice's return is the souring of the relationship between the Lyriennes and Alyssennes. Despite being on opposite political factions, they had always been the greatest of allies thanks to their long history and to their Estates neighbouring each other. Now, for reasons unknown to the public they were constantly at each other throat.   This eventually resulted in the biggest betrayal, with Véridice suspected of having killed Lord Matthew Alyssenne and his wife x and known to have killed soon after their son Lord Justinien Alyssenne and his wife Lady-Consort Léonie.   It is now well known in the empire that he is attempting to finish destroying the House of Alyssenne by killing Lady Annabelle Alyssenne. This is why his sudden decision to participate in Annabelle's Courtship Rituals came at a huge shock and why everyone is looking with horrified fascination to see how he is going to betray and kill her.