Melisande Thenardier

Melisande Thenardier is a widow of Brune's former duke Felix Aaron Thenardier and a mother of the late Zion, niece of a late Brune King Faron and a cousin and rival of current Brune ruler Regin.

Appearance
Melisande is described to be a refine woman in her 30's who possessed a long blonde hair and her voluptuous body figure. She also has a signature silver bracelet stuck on her left arm that was treated with a big jewel.

Personality
Like the late husband, Melisande is a power hungry woman who wished to obtain the crown by all means necessary. Unlike her husband however, Melisande was one of Brune's blue-blood due to her ties with Faron and some of Brune's renowned aristocrats and notabilities. For this reason, Melisande possesses arrogant and haughty tendencies to prove Brune's might by belittles anyone who is unworthy for Brune's throne, including her lesser famous Regin. Like her husband, Melisande also said to be cruel and sadistic woman who indulging her enemies's torture as her entertainment.

Despite her position however, Melisande is incompetent in terms of politics and she had to rely her trusted subordinates (such as Armand) to deal the situation outside her knowledge.

History
Little was known about Melisande but she was married to Thenardier and became his wife. She become a Duchess of Nemetacum because of her position as a wife of Duke Thenardier. Upon her husband's demise in Mereville Fields however, her rank was officially stripped but under Regin's mercy, Melisande had to stay in Nemetacum's local temple.

Hidden Uprising Against Regin
Even spared by Regin for her husband's crime and supposed to be stayed in a local shrine, Melisande was among of many who disapprove Regin's position as Brune's new ruler.

During the Halo Festival, Melisande and House Thenardier's longtime follower Armand attended the banquet and attempted to publicly insult Regin by accusing her of possessing a fake version for Durandal. Despite the intervention from Mashas Rodant and House Augre members, Melisande continued to berate against Regin while pretending to be shocked over a broken holy sword, seemly successfully humiliate her cousin. Unfortunately, just as both she and her follower were on their grasp for victory, they were shocked to see Regin prepared the "real" Durandal to everyone in the banquet hall. Still, of all people who no longer doubt the young queen, only Melisande and Armand weren't easily to be convinced as she continued her plot to overthrow her cousin for the throne.

Role in Sachstein Invasion
It was later revealed that before her arrest, Melisande has been write a letter to Sachstein in order to overthrow the queen whilst conspired with local merchants in giving away half of Nemetacum's territories to invasive army. Consequently, Nemetacum was invaded and conquered by Hans's led Nemetacum Invasion Unit without resistance until the arrival of Tigre and his newly reformed army, who narrowly repelling the invasive army by killing Hans.

Last Revolt and Death
After being freed by Armand, Melisande rendezvoused with her supporters. While a messenger reported that Regin has escape from her bedroom, Melisande instead smirked and ordered her subordinates to marched for the Audience Room as she knew her cousin will be there via a hidden passage.

When she saw Tigre entered into the Audience Hall to aid Regin, whom she recognized as her family's killer, Melisande's confidence wavered as she hastily ordered her subordinate to kill both Tigre and Regin, only for her to see Elen's assistance and Armand's death by Tigre's arrow shot, further lowered her factions morale. Still, Melisande refused to give in as she used the the fake Durandal's shard to kill Regin. During the Royal Cousins clash however, Melisande's clothes was burn by a fire from Regin's torch but when she run to put it off, she accidentally fell into a hole which was a secret passage between Regin's bedroom and Audience Room.

Consequently, Melisande broke her neck from the fall and also being stabbed by the fake Durandal shard onto her chest. In her dying words, Melisande told Regin that all she ever wanted was to restore her family's former life she once had, garnered Regin's sympathy. With Melisande succumbed to her injury, the uprising is finally quelled for good.

Trivia

 * Prior the end of Brune's initial Civil War, Melisande is the only survivor of House Thenardier due to Regin's mercy over the fallen House. Ironically, Melisande also the new ruler's latest opposition when she quietly plotting an uprising against her cousin for the throne.


 * Both Tigre and Melisande share their same action by inviting foreign armies with different motivations: Tigre invited Zhcted Army to save Alsace from Zion's atrocious invasion while Melisande invite Sachstein Army to dethrone Regin for the throne.


 * Whilst her appearance doesn't being illustrated in the Light Novel's counterpart, Melisande made a cameo silhouette in the manga series' 32nd chapter regarding Thenardier's ambition to secure House Thenardier's survival.
 * She also makes her own appearance on special epilogue on special chapter.
 * Ironically, Melisande unintentionally commited suicide after the fake Durandal stabbed her chest and suffers broken neck.