fables

“ His mind is obviously still addled, father. „
― Holben to the King to the West, Fables #96 — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Chapter Three of Rose Red"


Holben is a human Fable who debuts in flashbacks from the Homelands in Fables #96 — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Chapter Three of Rose Red." He is the younger of Prince Brandish and the youngest son of the King to the West.

History

Background

Holben was a prince of the House of Descry and the youngest son of the King to the West, the ruler of the Golden Realm.[1] He was two years younger than his brother Prince Brandish, the king's firstborn son and heir.[1] The royal family lived in Castle Lancedore.[3]

The cursed brother

Eventually, Holben's brother Brandish was cursed by the dwarf Coalheart and turned into a bear. Along the way, Prince Brandish befriended both Snow White and Rose Red as children, both of whom had a hand in helping lift his curse after the dwarf was killed. Prince Brandish then promised to marry Snow White in thanks, and promised Rose Red that his younger brother would marry her.[1]

Returning home, Brandish's father, while overjoyed at his long-lost son's return, refused to let his sons marry commoners, let alone ones scratched out of the forest and with magic no less, and Holben refused to marry a child, instead wanting to marry a pretty girl he could bed. Holben mockingly suggested that Brandish's mental state was affected by the lasting consequences of his recent enchantment, stating his hope that it was a transient issue; otherwise, their father might need to reconsider on which of them would succeed him. The king replied that the marriage wasn't going to happen, no matter what was behind Brandish's notion. The king ideally planned to marry off his sons politically, having them wed one of the daughters of his many rivals to solidify stately alliances, which was fine with Holben, as long as the intended bride was pretty. When the king threatened to disown Brandish in favor of his brother if he disobeyed him, Holben voiced his support by exclaming, "huzzah."[1]

Afterward, when discussing the situation with the girls' mother, the king noted that although Brandish had sworn an oath to marry Snow White, Holben had done no such thing.[1]

Adversary's invasion

Decades later, the Golden Realm had been taken over by the Adversary when the Empire rose, and the king was forced to mortgage half his kingdom to stay in power. One day, Holben watched from the background as their father urged Brandish to pursue a strategically advantageous marriage without delay, with the intention of establishing their rule over the entire world. However, Brandish, desperate to add Snow's magical lineage to his future sons, remained adamant about marrying Snow White.[4]

Appearances

Fables

Original source

Holben is based on the prince's brother from the fairy tale of "Snow-White and Rose-Red." The name "Holben" was invented for the comic; in the fairy tale, the character is unnamed.

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Fables #96 — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Chapter Three of Rose Red"
  2. ↑ Fables #132 — "Bird Calls: Part Two of Camelot"
  3. ↑ Fables #125 — "Riding in Cars with Gods: Chapter One of Snow White"
  4. ↑ Fables #126 — "Fabletown by the Book: Chapter Two of Snow White"

Notes

  1. ↑ Fables #96 — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Chapter Three of Rose Red" ― note that according to Fables #95 — "Snow White & Rose Red, Chapter Two of Rose Red," Holben's brother is named Brandish Descry, while according to issue 96, House of Descry is the name of the family's royal house. This would suggest that Holben's full name is Holben Descry; however, the comic has never commented on this.