Noverantale's depiction of the book's cover
| “ | I almost forgot. I have another installment of The Beautiful Cordelia for you to read. | ” |
–Lucie to Cordelia, Chain of Gold | ||
The Beautiful Cordelia is a novel written by Lucie Herondale about her parabatai Cordelia Carstairs.
History[]
Lucie began writing The Beautiful Cordelia in 1899. It had initially been written as a way to cheer Cordelia up during an extended stay in Switzerland; however, Lucie has continued it from there. By 1903, Lucie had been mailing Cordelia a new chapter every month for over four years.[1]
For Cordelia's wedding to James, Lucie gifted her a bound version of the book.[2]
Though it was never published,[3] a copy of the book with an elaborately stitched cover was kept on the bookshelf of the Merry Thieves' room at the Devil Tavern. There it was found by a Carstairs descendant—Emma—over a century later.[4]
Description[]
The Beautiful Cordelia chronicles the adventures of a beautiful young woman named Cordelia and her love, Lord Hawke. The pair were separated when Cordelia was captured by pirates and the story follows her as she tries to find her way back to him. Her journey is constantly complicated by many adventures and other attractive men who always fall for her.[1]
According to Cordelia, the book mainly follows the same sequence of events: Cordelia meets a suitor, "they woo her, they kiss, and then they usually die a horrible death to make way for the next suitor." Lucie also tends to avoid sex scenes and focuses on other details such as the weather when such a scene would take place. Cordelia suspects Lucie does this and kills them off as she does not know what happens after a kiss.[2]
As of the latest chapter in August 1903, Cordelia was trying to escape the Bandit King, who is actually the son of a duke and not all that wicked.[1] In a chapter read during December of that year, Cordelia was trying to escape Prince Augustus, who wanted her to marry him instead of Lord Byron Mandrake. Lucinda was on the way to rescue her with a knight whom she loved and had returned as a ghost after going to war.[2]
Known characters[]
- Beautiful Cordelia — the heroine based on Cordelia Carstairs.
- Lord Hawke — Cordelia's main love interest that she was separated from and is trying to reunite with.
- Bandit King — the son of a duke whom Cordelia was trying to escape from, believing him to be wicked.
- Highwayman — a handsome duke's son, wrongly convicted of a crime, thus forcing him to make a living on the roads, whom Cordelia had met at an inn.
- Lord Wingrave — a brave man whose hand was rejected in marriage.
- Pirate King — secretly the son of an earl who was romancing Cordelia.
- Lord Kincaid — an artist whose work was banned in London which caused him to flee to Paris, where he makes Cordelia his muse.
- Duke of Blankshire — one of Cordelia's betrotheds that died.
- Brave/Princess Lucinda — Cordelia's companion based on Lucie herself.
- Prince Augustus — a prince who held Cordelia captive while trying to convince her to marry him. (Presumably named and based off of Augustus Pounceby.)
- Lord Byron Mandrake — a pirate, who is Cordelia's true love at one moment.
- Sir Jethro — a knight and war hero who is Lucinda's love interest; based on Jesse Blackthorn.
- A collection of ice goblins in spats that are based on Matthew Fairchild.
- A band of smugglers that Cordelia was entangled with.
Known excerpts[]
- From Chain of Gold:
- It was deep night, the forest deep and dark. The beautiful Cordelia, astride her white palfrey, galloped along the twisting road that gleamed white in the moon's graceful light. Her shining scarlet hair blew behind her, and her radiantly beautiful face was set with steely determination.
- Suddenly she cried out. A black stallion had appeared, blocking the road ahead of her. She pulled back on the reins, skidding to a halt with a gasp.
- It was him! The man from the inn! She recognized his handsome face, his radiant green eyes. Her head swam. What could he possibly be doing out here in the midst of the night, wearing very tight breeches?
- "My word," he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "I was warned that the ladies in this neighborhood were fast, but I didn't think that was meant to be taken literally."
- Cordelia gasped. The nerve of him! "Pray, remove yourself from my path, sir! For I have an urgent errand this night, upon whose completion many lives depend!"
- From Chain of Iron:
- The brave princess Lucinda raced through the marble halls of the palace. "I must find Cordelia," she gasped. "I must save her."
- "I believe the Prince holds her even now, captive in his throne room!" Sir Jethro exclaimed. "But Princess Lucinda, even though you are the most beautiful and wise lady that I have ever met, surely you cannot fight your way through a hundred of his stoutest palace guard!" The knight’s green eyes flashed. His straight black hair was disarranged, and his white shirt was entirely undone.
- "But I must!" Lucinda cried.
- "Then I will fight at your side!"
- Meanwhile, in the throne room, the beautiful Cordelia struggled against the terrible iron shackles chaining her to the floor.
- "I really do not see why you don’t want to marry me," said Prince Augustus in a sulky manner. "I would love you forever, and give you many jewels and a herd of stallions."
- "I want none of those things," said the noble and beautiful Cordelia. "I only wish you to release my true love, Lord Byron Mandrake, from durance vile."
- "Never!" said Prince Augustus. "For he was an evil pirate. And before that, you were entangled with a highwayman, and before that, there was the band of smugglers... Really, if you agreed to marry me, you would finally be making yourself respectable."
- "I do not want to be respectable!" cried Cordelia. "I only care for true love!"
- The Brave Lucinda clasped her hands before her. Did her eyes deceive her? But no! It was indeed her beloved, Sir Jethro, returned from the war. Truly he seemed weary and war-torn, his brightly blazoned armor daubed with blood—no doubt the blood of the innumerable poltroons he'd slain upon the battlefield. But these marks of battle only made his beauty shine more brightly. His black hair gleamed, his green eyes shone as she ran toward him.
- "My darling, you are alive," she cried.
- He clasped her face between his cold hands. "I am not alive. I am a ghost and only you can see me."
- "It does not matter!" cried Lucinda. "Alive or dead, I love you still!"
Trivia[]
- Lucie often writes herself and others into the novel.
- According to Anna Lightwood, Lucie often steals her lines for her books.[2]
- The Beautiful Cordelia is inspired by a story Cassandra Clare wrote at a young age called The Beautiful Cassandra. It was also an extremely long and convoluted book that she would distribute to her friends.[5]
- Lucie's character—Princess Lucinda—was originally meant to be named Princess Lucretia.[6]
- Though the character is written in excerpts as Sir Jethro, Lucie and Jesse both refer to him as Lord Jethro.[2]
- The character's name was also changed from its original conception as Sir Jerrod.[6]