Anafiel Delaunay

In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, Anafiel Delaunay is a clever spymaster and poet, the man who buys Phèdre nó Delaunay's marque and trains her. He has very fine features, grey eyes, and ginger hair, and was educated at the University of Tiberium. He is noted for having an air of stillness about him, an observant calm that lends him a dignity surpassing others in any crowd.

During Kushiel's Dart

Anafiel is called to Cereus House by its Dowayne, Miriam, to inspect Phèdre when her penchant for experiencing pain as pleasure is first noted. He buys her marque for an extremely high sum, which even so regretted not asking for more, and leaves her at Cereus to be reared until her tenth birthday. He encounters her once more before then at the Midwinter Masque.

When Phèdre is delivered into his charge, he immediately sees to her education in languages, culture, politics, and physical training. Anafiel allows her to visit her friend Hyacinthe under the condition that she let his retainer Guy accompany her covertly, indicating that he does not wish to deprive her of her freedoms but to ensure her safety she must be accompanied. It is Anafiel who introduces Phèdre to Melisande Shahrizai his sometime friend and long-ago lover. She recognizes immediately what Phèdre is and is intrigued.

Delaunay uses Phèdre and his other charge, Alcuin nó Delaunay, to uncover political secrets, including the names of the murderers of Isabel L'Envers.

In his secret service to the princess, Ysandre, he secretly works to unite the crowns of Terre d'Ange and Alba by fulfilling the betrothal of Ysandre and Drustan mab Necthana. He is awaiting word from Admiral Quintilius Rousse when he is murdered by agents of Isidore d'Aiglemort and Melisande. Several months after his death, Ysandre rescinds King Ganelon's edict against his poetry.

The night before his death, Phèdre learns some of Delaunay's mysterious past - his love with Prince Rolande - by finding and reading a poem of his that was banned long ago:

:"O, dear my lord, :Let this breast on which you have leant :As close in love as a foe in battle :Unarmed, unarmored, grappling chest to chest :...:Laughter winging airborne, we struggled :For advantage, neither giving quarter :How I remember your arms beneath my grip :Sliding like marble slickened :Your chest pressed to mine :Heaving :...:I buckled :Falling :Vanquished; O sovereign adored :...:Sweet the pain of losing :Sweeter still this second struggle :...:O, dear my lord, :Let this breast on which you have leant :Serve now as your shield." [Kushiel's Dart, page 334 (hardcover)]

His Mysterious Past

Anafiel's true name is Anafiel de Montrève, and he is originally from the province of Siovale. Anafiel and Prince Rolande de la Courcel became lovers when they were at the University of Tiberium together, and remained so throughout Rolande's life. While at the University, Rolande began to call Anafiel by his mother's maiden name, as Delaunay was also the name of an Eisandine shepherd loved by Elua. He was nicknamed "Antinous" by the masters of the University, after a lad loved by an ancient Tiberian . It was during this time that Delaunay's father, the Comte de Montrève, disowned Anafiel for refusing to marry and have heirs. His mother, an Eisandine woman named Sarafiel Delaunay, lends him her family name after his disownment. From his homeland and upbringing, Delaunay inherits a great love of learning, and keeps a grand library at his home in the City of Elua.

Being the dauphin of Terre d'Ange, Prince Rolande de la Courcel did not refuse to have heirs and so became engaged to Edmée de Rocaille. There existed no ill will between Edmée de Rocaille and Anafiel; they had been childhood friends, and Edmée understood that she was trading passion to be the Queen of Terre d'Ange and the mother of Rolande's heirs.

When Edmée was killed, Anafiel wrote a poem, "Antinous' Ode to His Beloved", describing in a thinly veiled story the machinations of Isabel L'Envers to remove her rival from the equation. Isabel called for Anafiel's banishment and the banning and destruction of his poetry, despite his refusing to claim authorship of the poem and only thin evidence to say he actually did author it. It is understood that Rolande used his influence to make sure Delaunay was not banished though his poetry was still banned and destroyed.

At the Battle of the Three Princes, Anafiel served with Rolande, and thus stood as witness to the Prince's death. Anafiel rescued the boy Alcuin from a village that was being overrun by the Skaldi, to fulfill Rolande's promise that the boy would always be cared for. Anafiel also swears a vow to Rolande before his death to stand as protector to Rolande's daughter Ysandre.