Terre D'Ange... It is a fictional land based on the historical time period and area of Pre-Renaissance France....
The main focus in interest in the beginning, was the woman who was known as Phedre de la Courcel no Montreve.
Terre D'Ange, especially the City of Elua, where we center this story, was into civilization, and very much into political intrigue.
It all starts here....
The City of Elua's main race were called D'angelines, said to have descended from the one main deity heard of in that area (Elua), though there are some in line of another deity.
Phedre was born of a beautiful D'angeline woman who belonged to the Night Court's house, the Jasmine House, a house of pleasure. Her father was a merchant. Since Phedre's mother were not to be seen or working pregnant, the young couple started traveling on the road, and on the road, Phedre was born.
By the time she was four years old, her mother wanted her to have as good a life as possible, without her family, and into the house she went. She was taken to the House of Cereus, the only one believed to take her in for the defect in her eye..
It was a single red mote, floating in the iris, the color of crimson.
They didn't know... but her future Master, Anafiel Delaunay, a high up poet and noble who had fought in war, had knew, what they called "defection" was really what was going to make this small girl a real wonder... a prodigy.
Phedre was bought from him, and made foster siters to Alcuin, another pupil of his. Phedre, no longer belonging to any of the Night Court's Houses, and a special pupil of Delaunay's... indeed she became great.
The mote in her eye meant she was Kushiel-struck (Kushiel, God of Punishment), struck by his arrow. It meant, as one to become a courtesan, she was also, anguissette. Pain and pleasure would always come hand in hand with her. No one has seen an anguissette in this generation, no one was old enough, but the grandfather of the old marquer has seen one.
Delaunay of course taught her first in observation, awareness, memory. By the time she was done, she could hide anywhere, and unnoticed, hours after the hours of conversation between those to whom she was listening too, repeat it to Delaunay word for word. Alcuin was always better at it however, and became his own loved prodigy throughout court.
The City of Elua has a rule: LOVE AS THOU WILT.
Everyone in Terre D'ange were free to love who they wanted, no matter the sex. The age however, was twelve for boys, minimum.
To be free of a house, or even free of Delaunay, one had to complete a marque. Naamah, the woman who loved many men to save her consort, Elua, when actually pleasured would leave fingernail marks on their backs.
To follow suit, patrons pleased would pay what they wished, to the one they are with, mostly to be sent to go towards their marque, for again, their marque was their freedom from the house they were in.
A marque, a tattoo that mostly took over their whole back... Each house had their own marque to give to their adepts, however, Delaunay decided to give them their individual marques that reflected off his students in a more in depth way.
Finally, but not last, as a masochist, Phedre's life was full of love and pain, the fate of this special spy and anguissette. Terre D'ange was very kink friendly, as is this Coven.
Phedre and her marque....