Matthias Avent

Matthias is a prince of House Avent, one of the older sons of the Emperor, and an elder brother of both Selene and Alexander. Though his elder standing should grant him precedence, he lives in the shadow of the politically ascendant Alexander, elevated as Prince Regent above him.

He first appears as the Emperor's envoy to Latarra, ratifying a peace treaty and threatening Hadrian with consequences if he flees Imperial authority again. During the Gododdin crisis, he serves on the Imperial war council, reporting civic unrest and plague-driven riots while advocating for limiting contact between Imperial forces and the local population.

Emperor William XXIII himself names Matthias among the sons who cannot be trusted with succession, describing him alongside Alexander as a creature of the Chantry. Hadrian's assessment is harsher still: where Alexander is an empty vessel for the Chantry's ambitions, Matthias is considered worse. He is present aboard Aurora itself during the final crisis, and Hadrian reflects that killing Alexander would accomplish nothing since Matthias -- and others of the Aventine house -- stand ready to replace him.