Traître de Coeur

Excerpt from Anita de Istmo's The Life of a Secretary

It was in a Fidiran brothel that I first met Marla. She was beautiful, though she was Cetoile -- it was to be expected. The high price she commanded for her services was no concern to the general I served. Over the two weeks we spent in that city, the general seemed to grow obsessed with her. His work suffered. The training he was giving the local garrison, stationed in a refurbished and rebuilt ancient Rumain establishment, grew questionable at best. He composed horrible poetry dedicated to Marla's beauty, the joy that she gave to him, and wrote sheaf after sheaf of devotions bold enough to make a Red Hat blush.

In the end, we departed the city. The general was heartbroken. By turns he lamented and raged. He blamed himself, he blamed her, he blamed the gods. Ten years later, I returned to the city on another errand. Out of curiosity, I sought out the brothel the general attended. Marla was still there, and still lovely. The years sat lightly on her, and though we met a scarce three times all those years ago, she remembered me. Something the general said pulled at my memory, and I dared to ask the question.

"Is it true that you cannot forget a person that you have met?" I asked as we sat, drinking strong tea.
"No," she replied with a small smile, half-concealed by her cup. "My memory is, for the most part, normal. I meet a lot of people in my line of work." Her Rumain was perfect, if slightly accented. I remember that the general said she had a considerable education. She shifted the neckline of her gown, and I could not help but stare as she bared a swathe of pale flesh. On the left of her chest was a tattoo rendered in black and red. It brought to mind a circle of thorns. "Do you know what this is?"

I shook my head. I had heard of Thornhearts, but I had assumed they were a rumour, and Marla was, by my estimations, not a witch.

"In Cetoile, we celebrate love," she said, looking out the window. She left her breast bare and cupped her tea. "We worship it. I have betrayed it, and this tattoo is a reminder of it. I can never forget a person who falls in love with me, even briefly."

I never visited Marla again. In moments of idle silence, I still wonder if I had, even for a moment, fallen in love.

Traître de Coeur is the name given to any Cetoilais who betrays a lover. In Cetoile, this is a crime on par with treason. Betrayal can take many forms. Many foreigners assume this is limited to adultery. In reality, this title encompasses an array of actions, including deception, abuse, and blackmail. Adultery is rarely the root of this serious criminal conviction.


After an alleged Traître de Coeur is found guilty in a court of law, the convict is handed into the care of Children of Bronze. The convict has two weeks to appeal the conviction and argue their case with the Children. If the convict is able to convince the Children to doubt the charges, the case returns to the criminal courts for a lesser sentence. Should the convict fail to convince the Children, either through weak arguments or admission of guilt, the Children of Bronze seek two clergy of other Etoiline orders to ratify the conviction. One of these clergy must be of the order dedicated to the Star from which the convicted duchy of birth takes its name.


Following this conviction, the criminal is marked with a tattoo over their heart. The thorned circled tattoo is imbued with a lifelong magic that causes any who fall in love with the one bearing this mark to be unable to forget them. The Traître de Coeur is then expelled from Cetoile for a period of time decided upon by the victim, or the family and friends of the victim should the victim be unable to decide. The maximum permitted period of expulsion is fifty years from the date of expulsion. Outside of Cetoile, a Traître de Coeur is free to live as they will. Should a Traître de Coeur be discovered entering Cetoile before their expulsion expires, they are imprisoned in a dungeon cell for the remainder of their expulsion.

Examples of Crimes

• Abuse -- Emotional, physical or sexual -- of a lover, or a child of a lover.
• Deception of a loved one with intent to harm.
• False declarations of love with intent to gain power -- be it financial, political, social or other.
• Malevolent destruction of property with intent to cause fear, control or damage a loved one.

A title given to Cetoilais who have betrayed a lover. Colloquially known as Thornhearts.

Related

Cetoile | Etoiline Religion | Zariel