Lubero, also referred to as Rubero in some parts of the text, is the current emperor of the empire and Alec's half-brother. He is the eldest son of the late emperor. Lubero has an unstable position and has been relentlessly pressuring the Marquis of Oppreese to send Valerie to him as his first empress. He believes his unstable position is due to the House of Oppreese remaining neutral as the most powerful frontier in the empire. For generations, the House of Oppreese had provided daughters to the imperial family as mistresses of the palace, and Valerie was destined for the same fate had her father supported Lubero.
