Gizette's Public History

Gizette was born between Julian and Gerard and, like her brothers, had a strong sense of duty and responsibility toward Amber. Whereas Gerard was Admiral of the South Fleet and Julian was Warden of Arden, Gizette was Oberon's personal courier.

From an early age, Gizette proved to be a girl in motion. Nothing could keep her still for long. She was in the saddle by five and riding full sized warhorses by nine. After fairly running the Pattern at 22, Gizette proved to have an affinity for hell-riding that was unmatched in her family. With her older brother Benedict's tutelage and her own tendency to race through Shadow whenever possible, Gizette soon became quite the expert hell-rider.

Her legacy within Amber, though, is that Gizette founded the Écurie des Champions, the Stable of Champions or more familiarly, L'Ecurie, at the tender age of 60. This enormous compound just outside of Amber city used to house the finest mounts from all of Shadow. While there was a distinct tendency toward horses and other equines, dragons, running birds and reptiles, dolphins, enormous battle cats and other beasts were not absent either.

In the distant past, when Gizette was actually in Amber, she was most often to be found at L'Ecurie, caring for the stock, trading horse-stories with the staff, riding some new resident or just in general having a good time.

However, even then Gizette was not actually in Amber often. As Oberon's premier courier, Gizette was most often off on a mission. And as such had an astonishing familiarity with Shadow, the Golden Circle and other areas of the King's interest, including the occasional visit to Chaos. When not carrying messages for the King of Amber, Gizette was always willing to lend her services to those of her siblings that she favored. Gizette, then and now, would far rather be in the saddle and riding than any other thing one would care to name. Sex does not head her list.

Except in one instance.

Extremely discretely -- as it would have meant both their deaths under Oberon’s reign -- Gizette had been carrying on a centuries long affair with her half-brother Bleys. They were very, very careful to only meet in Shadows far from Amber, and to maintain a cool mien toward one another while in Amber itself.

Gizette didn't have to work to keep a cool mien toward Bleys' full siblings, considering both Brand and Fiona too much work to be around. Her other siblings don't seem to bother her much at all, something she shared with her brother Gerard. Siblings she has carried messages for in the past include her own full brothers, of course as well as Benedict, Finndo, Osric, Llewella, Eric, Dierdre and Caine. Corwin always seemed little creepy to her and Gizette didn’t enjoy Florimel's eye-rolling at her boyish attire.

At one time, Gizette's pride and joy had been the Ailes Argentées. A gift to her from her brother Julian, the master conjurer, the Ailes Argentées are a plain golden kirtle most of the time. But when Gizette truly needed to make speed, two enormous silver wings unfurled from her back and the girl became a lightning angel of velocity. Gizette was no more discrete about the nature of the Ailes Argentées than Corwin was concerning Grayswandir or Julian was concerning Morgenstern. The Ailes Argentées were a part of her and who she was.

All that has changed after the First War of the Rose. Often remembered for her rather... impetuous kidnapping of Oberon’s last Queen and with her relationship with Bleys out in the open, Gizette chose to make herself scarce within Amber. Even though it was she who first hailed Benedict as King, Gizette never felt the temptation to put herself under his rule.

Shortly after Benedict’s Coronation, Gizette left Amber, returning to Chaos to remain by her recovering beloved’s side. That was a very long time ago and Gizette did not return to Amber until the dawn of the Second War of the Rose.

In the time between the wars, Gizette remained by Bleys’ side in House (I still can’t remember) for the centuries it took him to recover to consciousness. Despite numerous invitations and attempts, she did not participate in the social life of Chaos at that time. Though perhaps her extensive exposure to (the Chaos Lord/Doctor whose name I can’t remember) showed, because as the centuries turned onward the naive daughter of Order began to have less and less trouble with the wild environments of Chaos.

Once Bleys recovered enough to leave his stasis chamber, he and Gizette set up an independent living situation – a situation that eventually led to a House that Bleys chose to call Candent. While Gizette was not a key player in the House’s formation or in it’s subsequent politics, she was not completely absent either, notably treating the whole thing as one of beloved’s hobbies. But an interest she didn’t share. The early days of the House were characterized by fiery battles and equally warm reconciliations between the two.

After their first tumultous century together,Gizette and Bleys seemed to have settled upon a relationship that worked for them both. Gizette’s wandering nature remained strong and the Princess was often off in Shadow, learning new skills (usually involving some combination of vehicles or mounts and speed) or doing whatever she wished, while Bleys remained in Chaos, learning new skills (usually involving some combination of higher powers and politicking) or doing whatever he wishes.

And if either of them had relationships when apart, well... that was when they’re apart. When Gizette returned to Chaos, whether for a day, a month, a year or a decade, she was Bleys’ Lady and he was her Lord and the two were the center of House Candent. Together.

For nearly 500 years, that seemed to be work admirably.

The second War of the Rose re-introduced Gizette to working closely with her family en masse – an experience she didn’t enjoy this time around either. (Gizette has developed a noticeable paranoia and a ‘twitch’ concerning roses after enduring both Wars.) The acts that Gizette committed and the sorrows she endured during that Second War have left their marks on the formerly ebullient girl-child. And while Gizette is not ashamed of anything she did during either War, even a millenia later she still doesn’t want to talk about it.

The last 1000 years have seen a mellowing and a developing maturity in Gizette. While still a mostly cheerful and playful person, Gizette has devoted herself to her House and her position, becoming the Lady of House Candent in deed as well as in name.

Gizette now devotes much of her time, energy and thought into making House Candent a welcoming and safe ‘neutral zone’ for all of the powers of the myriad realities – whether Amberite, Chaosian, Rebman or whatever. She has parlayed her own tolerance, Bleys’ diplomatic abilities and their combined connections into a formidable power base. (Though Gizette holds no illusions that Bleys can remain entirely neutral for any length of time, she has tried to encourage him to enjoy the challenge of maintaining the delicate balance and illustion of true neutrality.)

Though still widely traveled throughout Shadow, Gizette has definitely ‘settled down’ in Candent and her travels are now more often designed to bring resources and alliances back to the House than for the sheer joy of traveling. Gizette has also ended her self-imposed exile from Amber, though she keeps her visits there short and of a diplomatic nature. She also still maintains as much of a relationship with as many of her family members as they will allow, but there is a certain reserve to her now as she has something to protect, her House.