Ethan Von Nautten biography in relation to Emmeline de Lys (updated June 12, 2020)
BOOK 1: The Architects
Prince Ethan Kristoffer Von Nautten was born to Queen Kyva Anne Von Nautten and King consort Frank Louis Dalton on 28 Bellumber 414 (October 28, 1993 on Earth). His parents lost their lives to Queen Daia Ignata after sending him off to live on Earth.
On Earth, birth memories were planted into the Jackson family: Mr. Ralph Jackson, Mrs. Victoria Jackson, older “sister” Ryanna Jackson, younger “sister” Veronica Jackson, and the rest of the extended Jackson family. He grew up relatively well off, as his family owned two spa locations in Belfast. Mrs. Jackson ended up selling one of the spa locations and worked at an acting agency in Ethan’s teenage years. Ethan went to university in Nottingham, England with his best friend Kyle Madera (later on Rosenthal), who was seeing Emma de Lys (under the guise of Emma Nguyen). He moved to London shortly after graduation to pursue a modeling and music career but struggled for several years before visiting his friend Kyle in Nottingham. However, he had an impressive print modeling portfolio.
BOOK 2: The Cursebreakers
In the year 439, Emma picked him up at the bar, who revealed to him of his true origins as a Hyperion prince of Vytar. He immediately assumed she was roleplaying and went along with it until she displayed real magic in front of him. In shock, he followed her to Vytar, where she explained further about Cyril’s prophecy. He agreed to stay in Vytar since 1) he needed time to let it all sink in 2) his acting career was not kicking off well enough so he thought that as crazy as the idea of Vytar was, it was a chance worth taking.
He trained with his older cousin Queen Geraldine, who gifted him a dragon, who he named Kyvarion. Through her, Lord Bernie, and Lord Elliot, he learned more about his late parents and Hyperion. Geraldine explained that he was the true heir and she was only Queen because she is his oldest surviving relative and first in line after he left to live on Earth. Because of his return, she offered to give him back the throne when he was “ready,” to which he responded, “I’ll think about it.” However, a few years later, Ethan would come to abdicate his right to the throne since he saw how well Hyperion flourished under Geraldine’s leadership and after working with world leaders Grand Duchess Emmeline and High King Felix, he felt that he was better off serving the world with them.
One day, Cyril’s brooch was found smashed and Felix decides to travel the world to find the next artefact that could reveal the prophecy to the Royal Court. They hypothesize that the artefact they’re looking for might belong to Me’eragon.
In a quest to explore the world of Vytar with Lord Elliot Debert, Duchess Emma, and then-Prince Felix, Ethan met the beautiful Princess Maery Saarin of Syren in Caer Meryn. She was visiting a kiosk in a Merynite village where they sold a rare stone. Maery was saucy towards the vendor, insisting that certificates of authenticity were required for international vendors to sell Ragnor’s Rippling Rock, since the mines for it are only found in one region of the world, her home continent Syren. Ethan found the conversation to be intriguing and he stammered when joining the conversation. Maery saw right through Ethan as his attempt to sound Vytarian-born-and-raised. They connected a little but he was summoned by Lord Elliot to follow him into the Caer Meryn palace, Caer Tumnus. This interaction causes Emma to be jealous.
At Caer Tumnus, Prince Ethan met Queen Falena and witnessed her reunion with her son Felix. She, like Queen Geraldine, offered to give up her throne to Felix and insisted that he return home to Caer Meryn and need not endanger his life as a part of the Regaean Royal Court. Felix was then left with a decision to make that year.
After returning to Regaeas, Kyle began a short lived relationship with Princess Genevra. The two had a nasty breakup and always sat on opposite ends of the table. Emma and Ethan often served as a mediator between the two of them. Emma and Ethan often liked to spar together with Kyle.
As Felix planned to visit his mother, Isaac Ignata showed up outside of the Regaean protective barrier. Felix captured him and brought him to the Royal Court. Isaac pleaded that they let him stay in the palace, for he had joined their side, terrified of the things that his sister and his mother were doing in the world. Victor scowled and offered to create a new room in the palace for prisoners. Emma considers this but silently has a telepathic conversation with Felix and the two agree to monitor Isaac within the palace since he may hold useful information. Emma sends regent Peregrine to tail Isaac’s activity within the palace and gives him permission to attack should he ever feel threatened by Isaac.
Isaac insists he does not plan to attack the palace and then offers new information: Princess Sophie Von Nautten is alive and isolated in an igneous cave in Natyan. Ethan, having heard stories from Geraldine that Princess Sophie was never found and presumed dead, wants to find her immediately. Emma and Felix tell him to halt, as they need to come up with a proper plan. The last attempt to infiltrate the Natyan palace went terribly so they hatch a plan over the course of a few weeks to get to the cave. However, once they arrive, the cave is empty. A red stained message on the wall reads, “I’m onto you. - Bloodshed,” right above a roughly painted insignia of a four legged creature with horns. Ethan cries in despair but Felix tells the group Sophie must still be alive, believing that they only moved her from her original prison.
The group makes the journey back to palace, where they discuss the message they found in the cave. They come to the realization that the note may have been sent by someone else other than the Ignatas, since the Ignatas’ insignia is of a dragon and the painted animal had horns, not wings. “Looks like some kind of moose,” Kyle quips, trying to cheer Ethan up.
During flying practice with Idryll, Emma stumbles upon a message left at the Regaean protective barrier. It reads, “Traitor in the palace. The princess has been moved.” The note prompts Emma to show the others and they aggressively interrogate Isaac. Isaac still continues to make a case for himself and after a few questions, he suggests that Princess Sophie might now be held captive in one of the Ignata’s private cellars. It is entirely possible, since he remembers his mother torturing traitors in the east wing of the castle. The group decides to infiltrate the palace. They allow Isaac to come along, as he knows more about the castle than anyone. Peregrine also reports that Isaac has been absolutely harmless and gets along with the castle staff. However, Kyle, Victor, and Genevra still do not trust him. Ethan sees this as his only hope to save the sister he barely knows but wants to know. After all, she is the only surviving Von Nautten besides himself (Geraldine is a Summer).
The group plans their invasion. Emma writes back to the mysterious messenger and leaves her note, “Who is the traitor?” The messenger replies, “I have never heard his name but under his hood, I can see that his skin is white as porcelain and he walks like a cat.” Emma sends out another message, “Where does your allegiance lie?” The reply does not have any words but instead, the mysterious messenger sends her a rough sketch of the same four-legged animal. This time, it is clearer that the animal is a stag. Emma discusses this with Ethan and they wonder if Sophie escaped with someone on their side. They share that their family’s sigils are a wolf and a swordfish respectively, neither of them resembling stags. Before Emma could write back, she receives another message a few days later: a rough but organized sketch of the Ignata palace map. She is interrupted by Felix, who tells them it’s time to go.
Ethan, along with the group, ride the three dragons (Idryll, Raegyll, and Antonyr) to the palace. They perform kinship spells to track Sophie with Ethan’s hair. They split up into groups, Valerie and Genevra, Emma and Felix, and Ethan Isaac and Kyle. Kyle abandons Isaac after a heated argument and ushers Ethan to follow suit. Ethan follows reluctantly. Isaac goes off alone and finds Sophie and makes her feel safe.
Emma and Felix end up at the throne room, where Izabela is waiting for them. The real traitor is revealed and it is not Isaac. He says he is engaged to Izabela. In shock and anger, Emma telepathically calls for Ethan, Valerie, Kyle, and Genevra. They appear within minutes. During the skirmish, Isaac shows up with Sophie. Ethan and Sophie exchange a quick emotional first meeting. The group appear to be winning against the Natyani soldiers until the traitor threatens to kill Sophie. Ethan lunges forward and the traitor stuns his left arm. The traitor tells everyone to surrender and get their one chance to go back to the castle. The soldiers seize the group. Sophie is killed anyway and Ethan screams and gets out of the soldier’s grip to fight Izabela and the traitor. The traitor gets ready to fight Ethan and send out a shock wave but Isaac steps in front of Ethan and dies. Victor laughs maniacally and sends another shock wave. The shock wave in turn, knocks everyone out.
A stranger appears to have been watching from the shadows and he enters the throne room. One by one, he carries Ethan, Valerie, Felix, Emma, Genevra, Kyle, Isaac and Sophie’s bodies and latches them onto the three dragons, who he has tamed. The masked stranger rides back to Regaeas and brings the unconscious and fallen bodies to Bernie and Elliot. He explains what happened. Bernie expresses great gratitude but the stranger leaves and refuses to reveal his true identity. “Just call me Bloodshed.” Bernie gasps, “You really are on our side.” Bloodshed glares, “I’m on no one’s side.” It is revealed in a later book that he was in the palace to find the broken brooch after tracking its remnants to the Ignata palace.
The group are treated for their injuries and wake up. They are grateful for Bloodshed.
Ethan and Emma talk about how they had similar goals on Earth before leaving. They struggled with the same things, despite being in different industries. Lastly, they talk about Sophie. Emma and Ethan have a warm embrace. It is a charged moment between them. Bernie and Elliot arrange a proper funeral for Sophie and Isaac. Many years later, their portraits would be hung in the Royal Gallery and Emma names her son Gilbert Felix Hibernius Isaac.
BOOK 3: The Warriors
At the ball, Kyle, Felix, and Valerie grin at the sight of Emma. Genevra gives Emma a slight smile. Ethan is blown away by how she looks. Emma also compliments his look. Bernie announces the royal court. During the feast, people start dancing. In the original plot, Emma and Ethan were going to dance anyway. Kyle asks Emma to dance first, and she teases him about not being able to pluck up the courage to ask Lydia to dance. Emma pushes him towards Lydia. Meanwhile, Emma notices that Princess Maery is looking at Ethan. She returns to the feast table Ethan is sitting alone. She tells him, “Why so serious? Dance with me.” She assumes that Ethan is still thinking about the death of his sister and asks him in an attempt to cheer him up.
Ethan implies his affections for Emma to which Emma replies, “And what are you, dead meat?” Just when they both smile and make each other blush, Alec cuts in. She dances with Alec and Ethan awkwardly walks away. Alec flirts with Emma and she’s not entirely having it (yet) so she sasses him back. After the dance, Alec is eventually caught for breaking into the palace. Emma, Genevra, Ethan, Felix, Cornelius, Elliot, and Bernie chain and interrogate him. Alec is allowed to be in the palace, under supervision.
Kyle and Emma catch up and he implies he’d love to have a threesome with Valerie but Emma awkwardly responds, “That’s my cousin…” Kyle forgets since Emma and Valerie do not look very much alike as Emma resembled the Debert family more than the de Lyses and Valerie has a few de Lys traits but she mostly took from the Lefevres. Ethan finds this an odd comment.
Ethan sees Emma with Alec around the palace and his jealousy is subtle. Then he and Emma set off to Earth with Valerie to track Izabela and Victor. Ethan and Valerie have a best friend dynamic.
With Valerie working, Ethan and Emma go on a little rendevous and then they run into a bank robbery attempt. They’re supposed to be working on the Izabela and Victor tracking. They turn invisible and stop the intruders. Excited, they buy costumes and spend several days playing superhero, bonding over music, and going to bars while tracking Izabela and Victor. The moment it makes the news, Valerie is pissed off. But they protest that it’s only to do good and that once they return to Vytar, their powers will just remain a mystery. Valerie groans and tells them they can do it but use Figmented Potion. “Luckily I had the sense to bring some for our mission.” She’s disappointed they wasted their time but they protest and tell her that they’ve discovered that Izabela and Victor are heading southwest. They tore three of Isaac’s buttons off and promise to sew it back later for travel purposes.
The following weekend, Emma, Ethan, and Valerie head for the Bermuda Triangle. Valerie discovers that Victor is tracking them, “They know we’re here!” She reveals there’s a lilac kinship line between her and Victor. (While the Essentials choose descendants that are purest of heart, their siblings may not share the same traits. For example, Valerie is well-intended and Victor is quite evil. Marcus is a power hungry politician but Alec is not so corrupted.) They are traveling to the Bermuda Triangle by Fading on a ship.
Victor and Izabela find them, with their third companion, Saedna. Victor assumes they were trying to lead him into a trap, that the Bermuda Triangle was the trap. In an anxious hurry, the trio leave the Bermuda Triangle with Ethan staying behind and diving into it instead. Valerie and Emma discover Ethan is not with them so they Fade back to the Bermuda Triangle and find out that Saedna has come after Ethan. Emma cannot swim so Valerie looks for Ethan in the Bermuda Triangle. Ethan and Valerie engage in battle with Saedna. Because Valerie is underwater, she can’t necessarily use her powers. She fights with a wooden rod from under the sea. When she has Saedna cornered, she tells Ethan to go to the surface and to tell her whenever he is no longer in the ocean. Emma is left to battle Victor and Izabela. She blocks every one of his shocks so that Ethan and Valerie can survive, her barrier spell is complete but in exhaustion, she finds it difficult to fight Victor and Izabela. She screams for her father after a moment of desperation. Ethan then lunges out of the sea with a spindle and surfs the ocean. Emma tangles Victor and Izabela with seaweed and lets Ethan in the barrier. Ethan fights Izabela while Emma fights Victor.
Meanwhile Saedna knocks Valerie out and leaves her for dead. Saedna heads up for the surface. Emma jumps back onto her raft and brings Ethan along with her. With Emma still fending Victor and Izabela off, Ethan mentally shouts “NOW!” to Valerie. It isn’t happening and Emma begins to freak out. Ethan shouts it more and more. Suddenly, from under the sea, Valerie shocks the entire ocean, killing Saedna in the process. Emma is nearly knocked off the raft before Ethan pulls her back up. Izabela is knocked out by Emma’s telekinesis and falls into the ocean. Victor, being able to handle some electric shocks, dives into the ocean for Izabela as the ocean stings his skin. Valerie emerges to the surface, gasping for air. They both Fade to Seychelles and it is revealed that most creatures did not survive Valerie’s underwater attack.
They camp at the beach, Ethan gets some attention from the Seychelles
beach girls, which he thrives in. To annoy him, Emma flirts with some surfer models, who are into her because of her looks and her English accent. They reconvene and relay that Victor and Izabela are also after the last Essential. Valerie is unable to sleep because she’s afraid she’ll catch Victor trying to track her again. Ethan comforts her. Emma interrupts them. They decide to return to the flat, where Alec, Felix, Genevra, and Ethan are waiting for them. Ethan is subtly annoyed to see Alec and Emma is surprised with a jolt. Alec retorts back at Ethan and then at the group for not staying focused. Valerie then responds coolly that the four are dressed in “stealth” outfits. Felix sheepishly responds that Bernie thought the outfits would be ergonomic, but he also wants to play in their charade.
They decide that Ethan, Kyle, Alec, and Genevra travel invisibly to track Victor and Izabela since they’re Untrackable, as Valerie, Emma, and Felix are all related to Victor. Izabela has recovered and she and Victor arrive at Miami beach, frightening regular humans. Emma confronts them with Valerie and Felix. She questions Izabela for her morals. There is a beach fight and people run for shelter. Ethan is almost struck and Alec saves him. Genevra and Kyle fight alongside, putting their past behind them. Felix and Valerie are shielding the people as he casts a Memory enchantment over them. Victor and Izabela head to Felix and Valerie to attack and the group follows suit. Realizing they are outnumbered, Victor reveals that they found Eugene, who is unconscious, and they leave with him.
The group makes sure everything is taken care of before they return to Vytar. Ethan says, “At least we have the spindle.”
Back home, Felix and Bernie study the spindle to uncover more truths about Marylla and Cyril. Felix then finds a piece of thread on Emma’s garments and they find out it belongs to Victor. It appears Victor and Izabela were ahead of them and discovered Eugene through the Orb Tower. Eugene is an essential. Victor found out about a second prophecy that Cyril wrote about Marylla. Felix took some time to figure out who the thread belongs to (Victor). Over dinner, Martha thanks Emma for her generosity and remarks her resemblance to Kate. Cornelius argues that Emma is a de Lys through and through. Martha scoffs and says that Emma inherited her powers from Kate. Ethan is surprised Emma gave the Shans a house but not the Rosenthals when they arrived. Emma says Nicholas was happy in the palace so they assumed the Rosenthals were fine in the palace. She and Elliot wanted to keep Martha away from Cornelius. Ethan remarks that the Rosenthals didn’t get that choice.
Ethan argues that Emma doesn’t do anything without asking what he thinks about it. Emma is annoyed since she’s the leader and sometimes, he gets too antsy about following her. Like he can’t put his boyfriend ego aside to get serious and professional when they’re on their missions. For the good of the mission, for the good of Vytar, they decide to break up.
Izabela confronts Victor about his vision after their wedding night. Victor deflects her confrontation over Eugene’s unconscious body and Izabela begins to question the world war, is she on the right side?
BOOK 4: The Royal Court
Ethan and Emma are awkward around each other for most of the beginning of this book. Emma regrets Ethan being her first lover and first for many things. Kyle starts teaching Emma how to swim, especially after the incident last book. Kyle jokes that Izabela and Victor are going after all their siblings and Emma replies that it’s just the first war all over again. Kyle worries his sister Colette may be next but she’s on Earth and she can’t be an Essential. While this is happening, Ethan is spending more time with Alec, they’ve mended their initial impressions. Alec is somehow relieved that Ethan and Emma broke up but doesn’t show it.
One day, Emma is sparring with Felix and Alec jumps in to give her a tip, then she sends Felix flying into the lake. She, Alec, and Felix then splash in the water. One of the lighter moments during these times of war. Later on, Emma dries herself in one of the recreation rooms and runs into Ethan. They awkwardly catch up, almost kiss, and that’s when Alec and Felix arrive. Alec doesn’t say a word, he just looks hurt at Emma and pissed off at Ethan. Felix gives Ethan a glaring look for “fooling around” with his sister.
The Syren King and his daughter come over and stay in the palace, offering their armies and hoping to sign an alliance. Ethan runs off with Maery eventually, he thinks he’s only just nearly kissed Emma because he misses physical touch with a woman. Emma sees Maery occasionally chatting with her friends in the kitchen and Maery blushes pink whenever she sees Emma.
Emma and Ethan eventually find a way to work together effectively without mentioning anything about their past. As Alec finds himself falling for Emma, he tries to repress it as he doesn’t want the group to be more divided since they have two pairs of bitter exes: Emma and Ethan, Genevra and Kyle.
During the final battle, Emma and Ethan fight alongside each other a few times. Ethan does not see that Emma and Alec have an epic battle kiss on top of Idryll. After the battle, however, he does see Emma and Alec cozied up and is fine with it. Alec looks at him apologetically and Ethan shrugs and smiles as if to say, “Take good care of her. You’ll do a better job than I did.” / Alternate version, Valerie tells Emma that Ethan knows about Alec and Emma. Emma doesn’t know how to respond and Valerie tells her Ethan wasn’t mad. Apparently, Alec and Ethan had a talk about how Alec had genuine feelings for Emma but didn’t act on it to not upset Ethan. Ethan responded to Alec by saying he’d rather his ex-lover be in the hands of someone he trusts than anyone else. He’s come to like Alec and although he no longer loves Emma, he cares that Emma is with someone like Alec.
Ethan is reminiscing in the palace alone. Emma catches up with him and they gaze out at the lawns where they once walked together as a couple. She then leaves and hugs him goodnight. She meets Idryll below and flies on him as Ethan watches. After a peaceful flight, Emma meets at Alec’s gatehouse and into his arms, they kiss (elaborate further on this in Alec’s bio with Emma) and fly into the night.
The book ends with a coronation ceremony. Emma extends a hug to Maery for the first time before the ceremony, and to Ethan as well.
Epilogue reveals that Vera Louis is looking up the origins of the Royal Court, hundreds and hundreds of years into the future. Kyle Rosenthal married Lydia Celestine and had daughters: Thalia and Quincy. Ethan Von Nautten married Maery Saarin and had children: Jean Sophia, Melanie, Evan, Caroline, and Martin. Valerie Lefevre married Eugene Dale and had children: Arelynne, Roland, and Cyrce. Felix Aragon married Martin Staub and had children: Thomas, Bernard, and Lena. Emma de Lys married Alecandro Sheeran and had children: Gilbert and Evanna. She puts the history books down and walks outside of a shack to see an apocalyptic world, which is revealed to be Earth.