House Circe is not the youngest of Rebma's noble houses, nor the weakest, nor even the worst-behaved by any significant margin.  But reputation has its own momentum, and sometimes Circe is the whipping-boy because it has been the whipping-boy in the past.  And Circe's resentment--not always unjustified--breeds pride and belligerence, which breed misbehavior, which... yeah.  It's a vicious whirlpool, that's for certain.

Circe is split into two warring factions: those who want to disprove the House's reputation by behaving properly for a century or three, and those who want to disprove the House's reputation by accomplishing great deeds.  The "behave" faction is smaller but in charge.  Lady Melíne Circe and her supporters do their best to ride herd on their more rebellious kin and keep the family in the good graces of Queen Moire.  Melíne's younger brother, Boussar, is just canny enough to know that he's not canny enough to seize power, and contents himself with moping, whining, ranting, and planting the seeds of rebellion among the House's youth.  The most dangerous member of the House is probably  Melíne's younger daughter Hélia, who is canny enough to be dangerous, and has taken the role of the loyal opposition, arguing that her mother should swim with the tide, by channeling the House's verve in less foolhardy directions, rather than stand against it by avoiding all risks entirely.  This middle path pleases no one, but it positions Hélia to be the compromise candidate if compromise were ever to become the least unpalatable option.