Isidore d'Aiglemort

In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, Isidore d'Aiglemort is the reigning of Camlach after the death of his father. He has dark eyes, and is known for his hair, such a pale blond that it appears silver. His standard bears a silver eagle. Isidore proves himself a startlingly quick thinker who keeps his emotions ever concealed, an exceedingly ambitious and cunning young man who aspires to the throne of Terre d'Ange; he was fostered for three years in House Shahrizai in Kusheth, which is perhaps why he does not "think with his sword", as is often said of Camaelines.

Isidore first appears in the series at the Midwinter Masque that Phèdre nó Delaunay serves at, in the company of Baudoin de Trevalion, masked as a jaguarondi. Later, he comes into his title as Duc d'Aiglemort upon the death of his father, Maslin. As soon as he is instated, he petitions the King for an additional 500 retainers to hold the border of Camlach against the Skaldi.

Not long after becoming Duc, Isidore and his forces, along with the Glory-Seekers of Prince Baudoin are instrumental in pushing the Skaldi back from the Camlach mountains. Isidore receives intelligence that the Skaldi were planning to launch an attack on the three Great Passes of the Camaeline Range. The d'Angeline victory is considered the greatest since the Battle of the Three Princes.

Despite being militarily allied with the Prince in that campaign, as well as being one of his close friends and companions, Isidore does not flinch from publicly accusing House Trevalion of high treason when the opportunity presents itself. He first hears of the matter from one of Baudoin's drunken Glory-Seekers, and takes the matter immediately to a public hearing, where it is revealed that he had the assistance of Melisande Shahrizai in exposing the treason; it was she who gave him letters from Foclaidha of Alba to Lyonette de Trevalion, detailing a plot to overthrow the throne and place Baudoin upon it. Isidore and Melisande both testify against Baudoin at his trial.

Following this, Isidore goes to King Ganelon with two requests: to be given the hand of the Dauphine Ysandre in marriage, and to be granted the Glory-Seekers who were Baudoin's retainers as his own. Neither request is granted. Isidore is quite angry about this, feeling the King owes him a certain debt for exposing treachery and keeping the Camaeline border safe; Phèdre encounters Isidore and learns these things while in the Palace one day. Isidore then shows his keen mind and perception, recognizing Phèdre as the servant of Cereus House who brought Prince Baudoin "joie" at the Midwinter's Masque ten years earlier, though he had never seen her in the interim.

After being rebuffed by Ganelon, Isidore turns traitor on his country, seeking to gain the throne in whatever way he can. He pays Skaldic tribes to attack the border towns in Camlach, so that he may win glory and fame by seeming to drive them back again and again. The Skaldi refer to him as "Kilberhaar", or "Silver-hair", and consider him an ally.

Isidore also sends agents out to prevent a message from Quintilius Rousse from reaching Anafiel Delaunay; the message is that "when the Black Boar rules in Alba, Elder Brother will accede", a reference to Drustan mab Necthana taking back rulership of Alba and uniting his country with Terre d'Ange, a fate that runs directly contrary to what Isidore desires. Delaunay is killed by Isidore's men before the message can reach him, though Melisande Shahrizai believes had Isidore been there himself, he would have been wise enough not to kill Delaunay before the full story could be gotten out of him.

Isidore's treachery extends itself to a proposed deal with Waldemar Selig, the self-made king of the Skaldi. Isidore offers to let the bulk of the Skaldi fighting force through the two southern passes in the Camaeline Mountains, to draw the Royal Army there, while a smaller unit including Selig himself would come through the northernmost pass, to parlay with Isidore and the Allies of Camlach. The terms he puts forth are that the Skaldi withdraw in exchange for trade, possession of the flatlands north of Azzalle, and acknowledgement of Selig as the King of Skaldia, with the price to Terre d'Ange being Isidore on the throne. Selig, though, sees a mightier prize at stake, and decides to betray Isidore and take the entire country once his fighting force is through the mountains.

Isidore discovers Selig's treachery after the invasion begins. While he leads the Allies of Camlach, the Glory-Seekers formerly loyal to Baudoin de Trevalion, who formed the rearguard, fall upon the rest of Isidore's forces. Though they fail to halt the Allies entirely, they do manage to slow his progress. Isidore learns that Selig betrayed him from a captured Glory-Seeker.

Phèdre, seeking to trap the Skaldic army between the walls of Troyes-le-Mont and an advancing army, persuades Isidore to turn against Selig and back to his own country. Ghislain de Somerville takes Phèdre under a banner of truce to with Isidore. She brings to his attention the fact that he will be a dead man no matter what, but offers him the choosing of the manner of his death, proposing that he regain his honor and die a hero by fighting for Terre d'Ange. What eventually persuades him is the revelation that Melisande was the one to betray him to Selig; Isidore agrees to the plan not to help Ysandre, but to spite Melisande.

During the battle, the Camaeline cavalry, with Isidore at its head on his black horse, charges straight through the center of the battle. Isidore's horse goes down, but he gets back up and takes Selig's horse down with a Skaldic axe; during the following fight, Isidore takes seventeen wounds, but his sword finds Selig's heart.

Isidore is not yet dead from his wounds by the time Phèdre makes her way to him; he confesses that he fears Kushiel's punishment. Phèdre gives him water and witnesses his death.

The remainder of the men loyal to Isidore who survive the Battle volunteer to pursue the fleeing Skaldi back into their own territory. They call themselves "the Unforgiven", and bear black shields.