Below are the major and minor characters in The Royal Masquerade. Warning, unmarked spoilers ahead.
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Main Characters
Julia Aster/Everhart/Rosario
- Abdicate the Throne: In the end, she can potentially choose to turn the throne over to Fabian so she can be free to marry her love interest.
- And This Is for...: If you choose for her to slap Renza, she dedicates it to herself and then tries to slap her again for her sister Annalisa. Renza stops her from slapping her twice, but points for effort.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: When she wins enough votes to triumph in the inter-House fight for the throne, she is crowned queen by Hunter.
- Bitch Slap: Julia gets the chance to deliver this to Renza in chapter nine in retaliation for being near fatally poisoned, and it's quite satisfying.
- Bookworm: She works in the library in the beginning (if not by her own choice), and is introduced dreaming after having read a romance novel. Vasco at one point fondly reminisces about how she hid books in her lap as a child to read them during dinner.
- Canine Companion: If she's of House Aster (whose sigil is a wolf) or House Rosario (whose sigil is a fox), she can adopt a wolf cub or fox kit as her pet after its mother is killed by Damon.
- Chromatic Arrangement: The three Houses you can choose from for her are represented by blue (Aster), red (Everhart), and green (Rosario). Whichever House you choose will determine the color of the outfits she wears when representing it.
- Deadpan Snarker: Some dialogue options give her witty comebacks, such as one of her possible responses to teasing from Teapot about her noble status:Teapot: Careful, YOUR HIGHNESS. Benches at the Blue Dragon aren't polished twice a day by servants. We wouldn't want you to sit on a splinter...Julia: Yes, we wouldn't want two pricks at the table, now would we?
- Defiant to the End: When suffering from Renza's poisoning and nearing death in chapter six, she refuses Renza's offer to give her the antidote only if she helps her become queen and tells her off with insults.
- Doorstop Baby: She was delivered to her House's doorstep as a baby and taken in by Annalisa's parents twenty years prior to the story.
- Elective Monarchy: At the conclave near the end, she wins most of the votes from the heads of the assembled noble Houses and is thus crowned queen of Cordonia.
- Fluffy Fashion Feathers: The premium gown she wears for the parade in chapter ten, called "Wonder of the World", is trimmed halfway down the skirt with a double layer of gold, blue, and green feathers.
- From Zero to Hero: Goes from a humble library scribe to the reigning queen of a kingdom.
- Good Morning, Crono: The story begins with her being awoken from her dream about being at a ball by the strict head librarian she works for.
- Gorgeous Garment Generation: This is the magic ability of her House Treasure, the Jade Mirror. It creates ball gowns for her to wear, which serve as the book's premium choices.
- Happily Adopted: She is an adopted child of her House and gets on well with her adoptive sister Annalisa, despite her aunts' disdain for her.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: The player has the ability to name her, with the default being Julia. Her surname is determined by which House you choose for her (Aster, Everhart, or Rosario).
- The High Queen: She becomes the benevolent reigning queen of Cordonia in the end. Whether or not she stays queen is up to the player.
- Incompatible Orientation: If the player has her be solely interested in women (making Hunter and Kayden female), she points this out in response to Fabian's proposal of a political marriage by stating he's a lot more male than anyone she's been with.
- Instant Expert: She picks up the basics of ballroom dancing, horseback riding, and jousting all fairly easily for a scribe who was stuck in the library for years.
- Loved I Not Honor More: She can choose to remain queen by marrying Fabian, which renounces any chance of her being able to marry her love interest in the foreseeable future. The consequences are mostly downplayed, though, because she continues her relationship with Hunter or Kayden regardless in private.
- Magnetic Hero: Her capability draws many people to her cause, ranging from commoners to pretty much every noble House that isn't Fierro or Vescovi.
- Marriage of Convenience: In the end, she can choose to continue reigning as queen by marrying Fabian, Queen Kendra's only living relative. The marriage is strictly political and she's free to continue being with her love interest, but in secret.
- Offered the Crown: After finding the letter where Queen Kendra named Hunter her heir, Hunter instead offers the throne to Julia to show the utmost support for her before the conclave.
- Official Couple: With either Hunter or Kayden.
- Parental Abandonment: Played with. Her adoptive parents are deceased. She later reunites with her birth mother, who gave her up, and finds out her biological father is long dead.
- Pimped-Out Dress: Her premium dresses are all appropriately lavish, but special mention goes to the deep blue and gold ball gown with ruffles and a sapphire belt that she wears on the cover (and can wear in the first chapter if you take the diamond choice). Even her plain black dress, which is the free option, has puffed sleeves, gold trim, and bodice lacing.
- Rags to Royalty: A two-fold example. She's a servant's daughter who was adopted by a wealthy family, worked as a common library scribe, and then became the head of a noble House and later the queen of Cordonia.
- Requisite Royal Regalia: She gets to wear a suitably impressive white-and-gold gown when she's crowned queen of Cordonia, which comes with a crown, gold cape, and puffed-out sleeves.
- Save the Villain: In the end, she can choose to try to help Renza when she's about to fall to her death (much to Renza's genuine shock).
- She Cleans Up Nicely: She initially works as a lowly library scribe with a plain robe to match, but she's treated as the belle of the ball when she shows up at the Masquerade Ball in a fancy gown.
- Shipper on Deck: She can actively encourage Annalisa's burgeoning romance with Percival in several ways, such as setting up a date for them at the Beltane festival or helping Annalisa get them a room to spend the night during Theodosia's party at the Nevrakis estate.
- Star-Spangled Spandex: For the Lunar Banquet in chapter four, her premium outfit ("Shining Star") is a gown decorated all over in silver stars like a night sky.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: In chapter five, she can potentially wear Kayden's armor as the Black Knight to defeat Cyrus in a jousting match at the Tournament of Flowers.
- Switched at Birth: She and Fabian Rhys discover themselves to have been switched at birth in the finale chapter by her biological mother, Flora, who sent her away to Elise out of hopes of giving her a better life.
- Unlimited Wardrobe: She has an outfit for every social occasion in each chapter (all premium, obviously).
Annalisa
- Arranged Marriage: She agrees to go through with one to Hector/Olive Nevrakis to secure Theodosia's vote for Julia, though it's left up to Julia as to whether or not to accept the deal. Discovering the bargain the Nevrakis family made with the Cordonian royal family to replenish their wealth renders the whole thing moot, though, and Theodosia agrees to lend her vote to Julia without need for any marriage.
- Beta Couple: She and Percival are this to the Official Couple of either Julia/Hunter or Julia/Kayden.
- Big Sister Instinct: She is very protective of Julia and stands up to her aunts whenever they try to mistreat her. As a child, she defended Julia from neighbor boys who bullied her by pelting them with a whole basket of apples; as an adult, the main reason she worked to make their House noble was so she could gain the authority to be allowed to take Julia home.Annalisa: I have a duty as your big sister to look out for you. It's been that way ever since you showed up on our doorstep.
- Dance of Romance: Her dance with Percival at the Royal Masquerade Ball is what started their romance, though the player doesn't find out about it until chapter nine.
- Early Personality Signs: In a premium scene in chapter eight, when she and Julia reminisce on their childhood memories, she claims her mother told her that the first thing she said as a toddler upon seeing baby Julia was "protect".
- Faux Death: She falls unconscious in a near death-like state for some time from inhaling poison vapors at the scene of Queen Kendra's murder, and doesn't awaken until chapter seven. Because of this, Julia has to take her place as head of their House and perform her duty of petitioning for the House's noble status at court.
- Loved I Not Honor More: Although she loves Percival, she's willing to enter an Arranged Marriage with Hector/Olive if it helps Julia secure an important alliance with House Nevrakis. Julia fortunately finds a way around it when she uncovers the deal the Nevrakises made with the royal family.
- Nice Girl: Kind, sweet-natured, and one of only two people who always stood by Julia even when she was a lowly scribe.
- Official Couple: With Lord Percival Beaumont.
- Opposites Attract: With Percival. She's a dreamy and sentimental romantic, while he's a very strait-laced, stodgy law expert.
- Parental Abandonment: Her parents, who adopted Julia, are mentioned to have died when she was a child.
- Spoiled Sweet: Because she wasn't sent to work at the library like Julia was, she was raised in a wealthy family her whole life. Despite this, she doesn't think she's superior because of it and she hopes that becoming nobility will mean that her House can represent the commoners in court.
- Thinks Like a Romance Novel: She really likes romance novels, though she only reads them once each time because she feels that rereading them makes them lose their spark.
Hunter Fierro
- Abdicate the Throne: Downplayed as Hunter was never truly on the throne, being an acting regent in the (seeming) absence of a real heir. After Kendra's will is found and reveals Hunter was named heir after all, though, s/he voluntarily steps down and gives the throne to Julia out of belief in her.
- Always Identical Twins: Averted; s/he and Renza have distinct character designs despite being twins (even if Hunter is female). It's a little jarring if Hunter is both white and male, as he and Renza look absolutely nothing alike.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Makes a passionate love confession to Julia on board the Legacy (and it's sadly even more anguished in the route where Julia romances Kayden, as Hunter is aware that Julia does not reciprocate). Unfortunately, Damon overhears it.Hunter: I know my father would never approve. It would put your House in jeopardy. My House in jeopardy. Your betrothal, my alliance, my throne. Perhaps all of Cordonia in jeopardy. But I love you, [Julia Aster/Everhart/Rosario]. Consequences be damned, I love you, and I just can't bear to hide my heart a single moment longer.
- Big Damn Heroes: S/he rides on horseback to Julia and Kayden's rescue in the nick of time when Cyrus attacks them during their escape from the Vescovi estate.
- Cain and Abel: With Renza. After she reveals her true nature as a villainous schemer, Hunter actively opposes her and their father from then on.
- Chick Magnet: Constantly gets fawned over by a group of admiring women in public, much to his/her embarrassment.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: If chosen as the main Love Interest for Julia, Damon makes no secret of how much he hates Hunter's relationship with her and tries to threaten Julia into staying away. When Hunter declares his/her love to Julia on board the Legacy and admits their relationship would jeopardize House Fierro, Damon is present to overhear it because of Renza and uses it as cause to disown Hunter and make Renza his heir instead.
- Even Evil Can Be Loved: Hunter admits to Julia later that s/he still cares about Renza, even after she showed her true nature by backstabbing him/her to win Damon's favor and trying to kill Julia, because s/he can't forget how close they were as children.
- First Girl Wins: Or guy. S/he is the first Love Interest to meet Julia at the ball in the beginning, and this is played straight if s/he is romanced.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: You can choose their first name, though the default is Hunter, and customize their gender and appearance (male or female and white or East Asian).
- Honor Before Reason: After overhearing his/her declaration of love to Julia, Damon gives Hunter the chance to retract it and remain the heir of House Fierro. Hunter, rather than backtracking, stands by his/her words and even takes off the Sun Pendant to surrender it to Damon.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: If Julia romances Kayden, Hunter gracefully wishes them the best in their relationship and remains their friend despite having earlier made a love confession to the former.
- Ladykiller in Love: Hunter had been with a lot of women previously, but genuinely falls in love with Julia.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: In contrast to Damon's classism and cruelty, Hunter is genuinely kind, cares for the common people, and is a loyal supporter to Julia.
- Love at First Sight: Hunter is seen to be immediately taken with Julia from the very first time they met.
- Nice Guy: Hunter is a kind and chivalrous person with rarely a bad word for anyone, unlike Damon.
- Offered the Crown: Despite their lack of blood relation, Queen Kendra chose Hunter to be her heir. Hunter remembers having initially resisted the offer because s/he was more interested in enjoying a noble life and thought being a regent was too much responsibility, but Kendra convinced him/her to take it.
- Prince Charming: Played straight or gender-flipped, depending on whether you chose a male or female Hunter. Despite the promiscuous past, s/he otherwise fits the bill: kind, good-looking, noble, chivalrous, a prince (or princess) in all but actual title, and potentially able to sweep Julia off of her feet at a royal ball.
- Reformed Rake: Hunter has a... colorful sexual history, but by the time s/he meets Julia, s/he is genuinely trying to leave that far behind despite his/her gaggle of admirers.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Hunter is the scion of a noble House and the acting regent, while Kayden is an illegitimate guard and former stable hand. They don't fulfill the usual stereotypes associated with the trope, though; they're both good people who genuinely care for Julia and are close friends.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: If both Hunter and Kayden are male. He's the sensitive guy, being a sophisticated and romantic noble with a Prince Charming-like personality, and has more of a Pretty Boy appearance with a slimmer build.
- Solar and Lunar: Wears a golden sun-shaped mask at the masquerade ball, contrasting Kayden's moon mask. S/he also owns the magical Fierro amulet, the Sun Pendant.
- Token Good Teammate: Becomes this for House Fierro, as s/he is the only member who supports Julia and isn't power-hungry or cruel like Damon and Renza.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: If both Hunter and Kayden are female. She's the girly girl, being a refined and princess-like lady who wears fancy gowns.
- White Sheep: The only one of the Fierro family who doesn't look down on the lower class or want to kill Julia.
- Whole Costume Reference: For Beltane, male Hunter wears an almost exact
replica of Dominic Hunter's outfit in The Crown & the Flame. - With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Despite a past reputation for carefree promiscuity, he/she takes his/her responsibilities as a possible heir to Kendra seriously and wants to ensure the throne will end up in good hands.
Kayden Vescovi
- Ambiguously Brown: This is one of Kayden's two possible looks in customization (the other being Black). The sprite files list this design as Hispanic, but there's no mention of this in the story itself.
- Birthday Hater: Downplayed. Kayden doesn't hate birthdays, but doesn't care for them because s/he never actually celebrated the occasion (as a child, Cyrus' birthdays were the focus of attention and Kayden only got a few trinkets). Sunshine, Teapot, and Frisk were the ones who began celebrating Kayden's birthdays, and they throw him/her a party at the tavern during Beltane in chapter nine.
- Bodyguard Crush: Serves as a guard to Julia, and can be romanced if the player so chooses. S/he also turns out to have been protecting Julia with hidden magic.
- Cain and Abel: Kayden is a heroic, kind ally and potential Love Interest, while his/her half-brother Cyrus is a lecherous villain. Needless to say, they don't get along. In the end, however, if you take the diamond choice to reminisce with Kayden about his/her childhood with Cyrus in his/her childhood room, Kayden successfully petitions for Cyrus's life to be spared after he's imprisoned and sentenced to hang for his crimes.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Kayden seems rather detached and standoffish in the beginning, but eventually opens up to Julia and becomes a true friend and stalwart ally to her. It's taken further if s/he is romanced.
- Even Evil Can Be Loved: Though they've been estranged for years, it's implied that Kayden still cares about Cyrus deep down despite how awful he is. If Julia lets Kayden reminisce about growing up with Cyrus at the Vescovi estate, Kayden even rescues Cyrus from being hanged in the end and gets his sentence changed to merely life imprisonment.
- Family of Choice: Shares a close bond with subordinate guards Teapot, Sunshine, and Frisk, who are clearly more like family to him/her than Cyrus is.
- A Father to His Men: S/he is hailed as a compassionate leader by his/her subordinates in the royal guard, who form a close unit over their loyalty to him/her and to each other.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Kayden is hardworking, honest, and devoted to his/her job as the Crown Shield, while his/her half-brother Cyrus is...not.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: You can choose their name, with the default being Kayden, and customize their gender and appearance (male or female and Ambiguously Brown or Black).
- Heroic Bastard: The illegitimate child of Cyrus’ father, as well as a much better person than his/her half-brother.
- Humble Hero: Dislikes being called a hero because s/he feels that one's work shouldn't be judged by others' appreciation, and considers his/her courage as just part of the job.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Is implicitly attracted to Julia, but if Julia romances Hunter, Kayden respectfully wishes them the best in their relationship and remains their friend.
- Never Had a Birthday Party: Because Cyrus' birthdays got all the attention, Kayden never had anything more on birthdays than a few trinkets as gifts. Sunshine, Frisk, and Teapot were the first to actually celebrate the occasion with Kayden.
- Nice Guy: Kayden initially comes off as aloof, but is a compassionate person with a strong moral code and always strives to do right by everyone as the Crown Shield.
- Pale Females, Dark Males: The Ambiguously Brown appearance for female Kayden is somewhat lighter-skinned than male Kayden's. It's inverted with the Black appearance, which makes female Kayden darker than male Kayden.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Sort of. Due to all the time Kayden spends helping Julia and Hunter, the times Kayden is seen actually performing his/her job as a guard are rather few and far between. The most guard work s/he is seen doing is occasionally giving orders to subordinate guards, and once taking down a squire in a fight at the Fierro estate when Renza orders him to attack Hunter. S/he is revealed to have been looking out for Julia by using magic to protect her from danger, but this comes as a major plot revelation near the end of the book.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Kayden is an illegitimate guard and former stable hand, while Hunter is the scion of a noble House and the acting regent. They don't fulfill the usual stereotypes associated with the trope, though; they're both good people who genuinely care for Julia and are close friends.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: If both Kayden and Hunter are male. He's the manly man, being a skilled and stoic royal guard, and is more of a Hunk with a brawnier build.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Kayden and Cyrus are half-siblings with polar opposite personalities; the former is serious, reserved, heroic, and loyal to duty, while the latter is effeminate, loud-mouthed, villainous, and a backstabbing schemer.
- Solar and Lunar: Wears a crescent moon-shaped mask at the masquerade ball, contrasting Hunter's sun mask. S/he also wears a moon pendant for Beltane.
- The Stoic: Kayden is usually reserved and unflappable, per the occupation.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: If both Kayden and Hunter are female. She's the tomboy, being a tough and no-nonsense royal guard with a toned, athletic figure.
- Undying Loyalty: To Hunter and Julia. For the former, Kayden is his/her steadfast guard and best friend (even despite Kayden's general dislike of nobility). For the latter, Kayden uses his/her hidden magic ability to protect Julia without her knowledge, which includes using it to shield her from a fire and a would-be assassination.
- The Unfavorite: Kayden's father obviously favored Cyrus for being his trueborn son, and treated Kayden as inferior for being illegitimate. Kayden recounts a childhood memory about how their father returned from a trip to Drakovia with only a single gift for Cyrus and nothing for Kayden, which infuriated Cyrus so much that he secretly gave the gift to Kayden.
Renza Fierro
- Always Identical Twins: Averted; she and Hunter are twins with separate character designs. Depending on Hunter's customization, they can look somewhat similar (Asian male and female Hunter), slightly similar (white female Hunter), or nothing alike (white male Hunter).
- Ambition Is Evil: Unlike Hunter, she actively seeks power to use it for her own ends and will go to merciless lengths to make her dream of being on the throne come true (including masterminding regicide).
- Arranged Marriage: She mentions that Damon made her marry a nobleman (though her husband is never named or seen). It's another reason she resents Hunter, as Hunter is given special treatment as the regent while she was forced to marry a stranger to further her father's politicking.
- Ax-Crazy: She starts off as cool-headed and calculating, but descends into this later on in her increasingly desperate attempts to kill Julia and outright bemoans the fact that she won't die already.
- Better to Die than Be Killed: When cornered by Julia and either Hunter or Kayden after losing her fight with them, she chooses her own death over capture.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With her father, Damon. She is the mastermind behind Queen Kendra's assassination that sets off the plot, but she also answers to Damon and helps him in his efforts to crush Julia.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She initially pretends to be Julia's friend at the beginning, but reveals in chapter six that she has gradually been poisoning her and will only give her the antidote if Julia helps her become queen. She also masterminded the assassination of Queen Kendra and plans on taking the throne at all costs.
- Cain and Abel: With Hunter, after showing her true colors as a villain.
- Carrying the Antidote: She poisons Julia and carries the antidote for it inside her dress. Naturally, Julia's able to steal it from said dress when Renza takes it off for her rendezvous with Cyrus.
- Daddy's Little Villain: She's every bit as cruel and malicious as her father Damon and is eager to help him get rid of Julia. The only real difference is that unlike him, she's capable of hiding it for a while.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: She's sleeping with her co-conspirator Cyrus, whom Damon looks down on for being a lout and a lecher. If Julia chooses to steal Renza and Cyrus's clothes in chapter seven, leaving them left in their underwear, Damon is incredibly displeased at the implications of them both conveniently missing their clothing at the same time. And in chapter eleven, when Theodosia's party game reveals that the "rumor" about Renza and Cyrus's relationship is true, he tears Renza a new one for "dishonoring" the marriage he arranged for her.
- Defiant to the End: In the final chapter, she refuses to back down despite being cornered, outnumbered, and defeated after her attempt on Julia's life failed. She instead lets herself fall to her death from the balcony, laughing that she's won.
- Disney Villain Death: She willingly falls to her death from a balcony after a struggle with Julia.
- Driven by Envy: She despises Hunter for having been favored by their father and made the regent, and wants to supplant him/her. She gets what she wants when Damon disowns Hunter and gives their House Charm, the Sun Pendant, to her instead, but it proves a hollow victory when Hunter succeeds in helping Julia become queen.
- Even Evil Can Be Loved: Even after she betrayed her twin to get him/her disowned by Damon and tried to kill Julia, Hunter admits to Julia that s/he still cares deep down about Renza because of how close they used to be as children.
- Evil All Along: She puts on a convincing front of being a generous friend to Julia, only revealing her true nature when she's succeeded in almost completely poisoning her.
- Evil Twin: To her sibling Hunter, in a rare fraternal twins example (rather than identical). Hunter is a genuinely loyal supporter and friend to Julia, while Renza only pretends to be one to hide her devious schemes for the throne.
- False Friend: She pretends to be supportive of Julia when they first meet, and acts like her friend for a while in order to use her in her Evil Plan to get the throne.
- Foreshadowing: Her true nature is hinted at several times before it's revealed.
- Before giving her a drink of either rosewater, honey mead, or red wine, she asks Julia, "What's your poison?" She gives Julia more drinks of whichever one of the three Julia chooses from then on, each one poisoned with cantarella.
- In chapter two, Hunter explains that although s/he and Renza are twins, only one of them could be the head of their House and be made the regent, and thus Hunter was chosen. One of Julia's possible responses is to state she probably wouldn't have been so understanding if she were in Renza's place, and Renza indeed actually isn't.
- She explains to Julia that Julia has to enter engagements with suitors from other Houses to gain their support for Hunter (as Hunter has to be open to marriage as the regent and Renza is already married), and states that no actual marriage has to happen because the engagement can be ended once Hunter wins. When Julia asks whether the suitor's House will be angry at the engagement being broken, Renza answers that the great thing about being in power is that you can do whatever you want (hinting at her callous, self-absorbed personality).
- After Julia's engagement to Hector/Olive is announced on the Legacy, Renza makes this telling comment during conversation with Julia:Renza: We can only play our parts so long before the real us steps forward. Whether we want her to or not.
- Freudian Excuse: It's not deeply explored, but growing up with a man as classist and cruel as Damon for a father and being neglected by him in favor of Hunter is heavily implied to be why she's so power-hungry. She also mentions that Damon made her marry a stranger from another noble House, so her marriage presumably isn't a happy one.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: She certainly looks like a demure Proper Lady, and she wears a rich, elaborate purple Tudor style gown to show it.
- Manipulative Bitch: She gets Julia to trust her as a friend and exploits that by poisoning every drink she gives her under the pretense of generosity, which comes very close to killing her. She also manipulates Hunter into declaring his/her love to Julia in front of a hidden Damon, who uses that as his reason for disowning Hunter and making Renza the heir instead. In addition, she proves to be a skilled blackmailer (having been able to find an embarrassing painting from Zya's youth and use it to force her to vote for her to be queen) and easily sways Theodosia into ordering for an arranged marriage from Julia's House in exchange for Nevrakis's vote.
- The Masochism Tango: Even though her public disparaging of Cyrus was mostly an act put on to fool Julia into trusting her, her true interactions with him show she doesn't think that highly of him in private either. When she and Cyrus have sex, they repeatedly insult each other and bicker over which of them will truly be in charge on the throne.
- Motive Rant: When her true colors are revealed, she goes on one to Julia in chapter six.Renza: Neither of us are women willing to let the world dictate our fates. We will take what we deserve. You've never made a secret of that, and neither did I. [...] They passed me over, Julia! They handed my destiny to my twin, then dismissed me into the bed of a stranger. Like you, sweet Julia, I will not sit in the corner with my legs crossed in a pretty dress and wait for someone to say I'm worthy. Because I am worthy. And I am taking what I want with or without their approval.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: She poisons Julia with cantarella, the vapors of which were what caused Annalisa's coma. Because Julia steals the temporary antidote Renza kept around as part of her Poison and Cure Gambit, Vasco is able to use the antidote to develop a permanent cure that also heals and awakens Annalisa.
- "Not So Different" Remark: She says something to this effect about herself and Julia when telling the latter her real motivations, stating she and Julia are both proactive and intelligent women who take their own fates in their hands.
- Poison and Cure Gambit: This is basically her Evil Plan. She gradually poisons Julia with cantarella while pretending to be her friend, and will only give her doses of the antidote if Julia obeys her at all times and helps her become queen. Julia only survives by stealing the antidote and giving it to Vasco so he can make more of it for her.
- Sibling Rivalry: One-sided on her part, but she reveals to Julia during her Motive Rant that she's always hated Hunter for being the favored twin and believes she deserves to take his/her place as head of their House.
- Unholy Matrimony: She and Cyrus are secretly having an affair while plotting to seize the throne, and discuss the possibility of ruling together as king and queen while doing the horizontal tango.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: She and Hunter were genuinely close as children. Hunter recalls that whenever s/he skinned a knee during their games, Renza always made him/her feel better by making up a rhyming game to distract from the pain while an adult treated the wound.
- Walking Spoiler: It's pretty much impossible to discuss her without mentioning that she's actually a villain who betrays Julia.
Damon Fierro
- Abusive Parents: He's domineering and emotionally abusive to his children, and disowns Hunter solely for supporting Julia.
- Ambiguously Absent Parent: He's a prominent villain, but his wife, Hunter and Renza's mother, is never mentioned or addressed. Hunter's mention of having had a governess in the past and reminiscing about how s/he saw Queen Kendra as a mother figure hint that she's deceased.
- Archnemesis Dad: Becomes this to Hunter, as Hunter supports Julia in her ambitions while Damon will go to any length to crush them. He eventually strips Hunter of his/her heir status by taking away the House Treasure, the Sun Charm, from him/her and giving it to Renza instead, and supports her bid for the throne over Hunter's.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: He's the head of a noble House, as well as a cold and cruel villain who looks down on commoners and especially has it out for Julia for trying to rise above her station.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With his daughter, Renza. He seeks to stop Julia from winning the throne and will stoop to any lows to do so, including disowning his other child and assembling an army to declare war on her.
- Dead Animal Warning: He shoots a wild animal associated with Julia's House (either a wolf, bear, or fox) in front of her as a warning about how much he wants her gone.
- Evil Is Petty: He despises Julia for being a lowly scribe who became the head of a noble family. In chapter three, he even goes so far as to shoot an innocent live animal that is known to be the animal sigil of Julia's House to show that he wants her dead.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Somewhat. He actually had nothing to do with the assassination of Queen Kendra, which was masterminded by Renza and Cyrus. But he fueled Renza's resentment of Hunter by favoring the latter as heir, and his constant maneuvering of them to seek the queen's favor was what drove Renza to want to be queen at all costs.
- Hate Sink: Unlike Cyrus (who's Laughably Evil) and Renza (who has something of a Freudian Excuse), there's nothing charismatic or likable about Damon. He's just an elitist, deeply unpleasant piece of work who hates Julia for being a scribe adopted by nobility, disowns his own child for supporting her, and does nothing but cause problems for them.
- I Have No Son!: He all but disowns Hunter for supporting Julia, and takes away Hunter's status as heir (including the accompanying House Charm) to give it to Renza instead.
- Jerkass: He's cold, cruel, and unpleasant to be around in addition to being classist.
- Karma Houdini: He suffers next to no real consequences for all the wrongs he's done, which includes declaring war on the throne when Julia becomes queen. The closest thing to a comeuppance for him is that he suffers the indignity of his armies disbanding on him after Fabian is crowned, and the epilogue mentions that he died in obscurity without his ambitions fulfilled.
- Kick the Dog: He kills an innocent wild animal with his crossbow just to be a dick to Julia, as the animal represents her House's sigil (depending on her House, the animal in question is a wolf, bear, or fox). Said kill orphans the animal's cub, which Julia and Vasco take in.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He outlives his daughter, Renza, after she lets herself fall to her death upon failing to kill Julia.
- Parental Favoritism: He initially seems to favor Hunter, who is the regent to the throne and heir to the House, over his/her twin Renza. After Renza shows her true colors, however, he reveals he despises Hunter's kind nature and support for Julia and openly favors Renza instead for being obedient to him.
- Parental Neglect: Hunter mentions that Damon was hardly ever there for him/her and Renza during their childhood, and only paid attention to them when maneuvering them at court to try to get Queen Kendra to favor them.
- Pet the Dog: Downplayed. In chapter six, he very grudgingly congratulates Julia on securing an engagement with Hector/Olive by stating she's not quite as useless as he thought. Being who he is, though, he ruins it by warning her not to fail him.
- Professional Butt-Kisser: He apparently was this to Queen Kendra, which was how Hunter was chosen to be her heir. In chapter six, he claims he spent twenty years trying to win her favor for his children and that he worked himself half into the grave for the smallest of changes to her opinion.
- Sarcastic Clapping: He gives a slow, sarcastic clap when he comes out from behind the back curtains in the ship cabin, having heard Hunter admit that his/her confession of love to Julia would put House Fierro in jeopardy.
- Shipping Torpedo: If Julia romances Hunter, he threatens her to stay away from him/her, virulently disapproves of their relationship, and uses it as yet another reason to disown Hunter.
- The Social Darwinist: His little lecture to Julia about knowing her place, which he gives before killing the animal that symbolizes her House's sigil, utterly reeks of this.Damon: In this world, there are predators and there are prey. If the prey forget their station, if they reach for things they never should have, then a predator will remind them where they belong.
- Sore Loser: He refuses to accept Julia's legitimate victory as Cordonia's queen after it's conclusively determined from the conclave. First he denies the fact that Queen Kendra appointed Hunter to succeed her (because Hunter used his/her authority as heir to give the throne to Julia instead), even after Julia brings out the queen's letter to prove it. Then after Renza's death, he twists the facts to frame her as an innocent victim of a cold-blooded murder by Julia. He eventually goes as far as planning to lead armies against Julia to dethrone her, as he believes she is an usurper.
- Vicariously Ambitious: He spent two decades working to put his child on the throne, rather than himself, which was what led to Queen Kendra choosing Hunter to be her heir. When Hunter defies him by expressing love for Julia, however, he instead throws his support behind Renza to make her queen.
- Whole Costume Reference: His outfit is strikingly similar◊ to Tywin Lannister's.
Cyrus Vescovi
- Abhorrent Admirer: He first introduces himself with a sleazy come-on to Julia, who immediately finds him repulsive. Unlike other examples of this trope, he gets over this rather quickly (though he still makes obnoxious overtures towards her from time to time) and has no problem with trying to kill her later.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: The head of a prestigious noble House, as well as an obnoxiously shameless libertine and power-hungry schemer.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Self-absorbed, foppish, and promiscuous though he may be, he's also a cunning plotter and can be downright dangerous at his worst. He helped Renza mastermind Queen Kendra's assassination by hiring the assassin, and he effectively attacks Julia and Kayden before they can escape the Vescovi estate. If it weren't for Hunter's intervention, he could have killed them.
- Big Brother Bully: He's Kayden's older half-brother and can be downright nasty towards him/her. Kayden notes that he wasn't always like this in the past, but growing up a spoiled noble under their father's thumb made him turn out for the worse.
- Cain and Abel: He's a selfish and lascivious villain, while his half-sibling Kayden is a heroic and hardworking guard. It should go without saying that they don't get along. But if the player chooses the premium option that lets Kayden reminisce about his/her childhood with Cyrus, back when they had a better relationship, Kayden petitions for Cyrus to be spared from execution in the end.
- The Casanova: He has a ridiculous amount of libido and loves to use it with anyone, both female and male.
- The Dandy: The fact that his magical House Treasure is a comb says a lot. He uses it to style his hair and is highly vain and meticulous about his appearance in general. If you have Julia steal it while he and Renza are getting it on, he goes the rest of the book with permanently disheveled hair.
- Depraved Bisexual: He's a shameless flirt who will come on to anyone regardless of gender, as well as a hedonist and schemer.
- The Dragon: He helps Renza with her schemes to seize the throne.
- Drama Queen: Tends to be incredibly melodramatic when he's emotional. When he's in prison, he laments not having had anyone to talk to in five whole hours as if it's a fate worse than death.
- Establishing Character Moment: He introduces himself to Julia by pretending to reminisce about how they were on a private gondola while he fed her grapes and she felt him up, then claiming he confused the future with the present again when she reacts with confusion, bragging about how attractive he is, and using his House Charm to magically straighten his hair. All of that sets the tone for his personality.
- Even Evil Can Be Loved: He's a creep and a nasty piece of work, but Kayden is implied to still care about him deep down. In the end, depending on whether or not Kayden reminisced about their childhood together, Kayden even saves Cyrus from being hanged and gets his sentence commuted to merely life imprisonment.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He may be a villain, but he genuinely cares for his beloved dog Lord Pompadour and wants him to have a comfortable life. When he's imprisoned, he asks Julia to adopt Pompadour or find him a good home, since he will be in prison for a long time at the very least. If you visited Kayden's childhood room, Kayden will plead for his life and he will be given a life sentence; otherwise, he will be hanged.
- Evil Counterpart: To Hunter and Annalisa.
- Both Hunter and Cyrus are prestigious nobles who have a history of promiscuity and attracting multiple admirers. While Hunter has moved on from it, takes his/her responsibilities to the throne seriously, and (if chosen as the main Love Interest) makes a genuine commitment to a relationship with Julia, Cyrus actively enjoys his lechery, revels in stringing both Emery and Theodosia along, and schemes to gain the throne by having anyone in his way killed.
- Cyrus and Annalisa are both the eldest children of noble families with less privileged younger siblings (Julia is adopted; Kayden is illegitimate), whom they were close to during childhood. Annalisa never stopped loving Julia as her sister and still accepts her as one of the family, while Cyrus turned against Kayden when they grew older and treats him/her with contempt for his/her background.
- Fan Disservice: He's a good-looking man who indulges in a lot of carnal activity, but his repulsive personality makes anything "sexy" he does gross and unappealing. His method of kissing is described as overly wet and "writhing" with suction-like sounds, for starters. His off-screen banging with Renza in chapter seven, which Julia is forced to listen to while hiding under the bed, is entirely Played for Laughs because of their melodramatic attempts at dirty talk, terrible kissing, and constant playground insults at each other.
- Faux Affably Evil: He acts friendly when it suits him, but it's largely a show to hide his nasty and conceited personality.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The foolish to Kayden's responsible. He's a vain, self-absorbed philanderer; Kayden is honest and devoted to duty.
- Freudian Excuse: A rather weak one compared to other examples, but the way Kayden talks about their father indicates that he was an unkind nobleman who instilled his classist values in Cyrus and made him the way he is now.
- The Hedonist: He absolutely loves the finer things in life, including parties and orgies, and spares little thought to anything but his own desires.
- Hopeless Suitor: Downplayed. Calling him a "suitor" would be generous, as all he really wants is a roll in the hay, but he makes unwanted come-ons to Julia even though she's both uninterested and in a developing romance with either Hunter or Kayden.
- Incompatible Orientation: He hits on Julia, even if she's played as a lesbian who only has female Love Interests.
- It's All About Me: An arrogant, loutish lecher who only cares about satisfying his own hedonism and wants to seize the throne out of pure greed.
- Jerkass: Classist, lecherous, narcissistic—he's the whole package and then some.
- Large Ham: He tends to be melodramatic a lot, but goes really over the top when he's provoked (which is not particularly hard to do).Cyrus: I AM A SEXUAL ICON!
- Laser-Guided Karma: His crimes are exposed at the conclave, leading to his arrest. Depending on whether or not Kayden looked back on their childhood together, he is either sentenced to a lifetime in prison or executed by hanging.
- Laughably Evil: He's melodramatic and prone to preening to the ninth degree with many a comical one-liner, as well as a villainous and power-hungry schemer.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: His hair is long enough to reach his shoulders, and he keeps it maintained with his magic Sapphire Comb at all times.
- The Masochism Tango: His relationship with fellow conspirator Renza basically amounts to this, as shown in chapter seven. When they have sex, they repeatedly insult one another and bicker over which of them gets to be the real ruler of Cordonia.
- Mister Muffykins: He has his pet Pomeranian, Lord Pompadour, which he dotes on and takes around with him almost everywhere. Other than snarling at Julia's pet once at the Tournament of Flowers, though, Pompadour doesn't seem actively malicious most of the time. Kayden notes that Cyrus has a penchant for owning dogs of this type; before owning Pompadour, he had another one named Lady Pumpernickel before she ran away.
- Narcissist: Supremely vain? Self-absorbed? Uncaring for anyone's feelings but his own (and his dog's)? Extremely entitled to the power he thinks he deserves? He checks practically all the boxes.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: He's played up as a narcissistic fop most of the time, but he can be legitimately dangerous when he wants to be. When he catches up to Julia and Kayden during their escape from the Vescovi estate, he nearly kills them.
- Pet the Dog: Literally. For all his many faults, his affection for his dog Pompadour is sincere. He even has a painting◊ of him in his tent at the Tournament of Flowers.
- Really Gets Around: Sleeping around seems to be his main pastime, up there with pampering his pet Pomeranian. He's in relationships with at least three different people.
- Right-Hand Cat: His pet Pomeranian, Lord Pompadour, is a dog version. He serves as Cyrus's doted-on companion, and seems to be the only living thing other than himself that he cares about.
- Secret Relationship: He secretly woos Theodosia despite officially courting Emery Beaumont, and she only reveals it publicly when she dumps him in a rage for seemingly choosing an engagement with Emery over her. He also turns out to be sleeping with Renza, being her accomplice in Queen Kendra's assassination.
- Sibling Triangle: What soured his relationship with Kayden. They used to be close as children, but when they were teenagers, Cyrus had feelings for a foreign noble girl named Raven and she instead fell in love with Kayden. Though Kayden never returned her infatuation, Cyrus was enraged when he found out and looked down on Kayden for being illegitimate from then on.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: He and Kayden are total opposites in addition to being half-siblings. Kayden is serious, reserved, heroic, and loyal to duty, while Cyrus is effeminate, loud-mouthed, villainous, and a backstabbing schemer.
- Sissy Villain: He's very flamboyant and effeminate, as well as ruthless and devious in his plans to seize the throne.
- Smug Snake: He's as conceited and cruel as he is overconfident in his schemes, and doesn't adapt well when they don't work out.
- The Sociopath: He's one at his core beneath all the Laughably Evil mannerisms. He has no empathy for anyone who isn't him or his dog, has a massive ego and a sense of entitlement to the throne to go with it, treats his sexual conquests as pawns to do with as he pleases, and has next to no regard for anyone with lower social status than his own.
- The Unapologetic: He makes zero apologies for his lechery and dissolute lifestyle. This actually works in his favor, as his lack of shame over anything he's done means that no blackmail can work on him.Cyrus: The key to never being blackmailed is never being ashamed!
- Unholy Matrimony: He and Renza are secretly sleeping together during their plotting to take the throne, and discuss the possibility of being king and queen while banging each other.
- Upper-Class Twit: Subverted, actually. His foppish, effeminate mannerisms and mindless hedonism make him seem like one, but he can be a fairly clever and dangerous villain when he wants to be. He helped Renza in having Queen Kendra assassinated, and he nearly murders Julia and Kayden in their escape from the Vescovi estate.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: According to Kayden, Cyrus was kind as a child and loved Kayden as his sibling despite their gap in social status. All of that only changed when they grew older.
- Villainous Widow's Peak: His hairline is swept back into a widow's peak, and he's a conceited, slimy villain.
- We Can Rule Together: In chapter six, if you buy the premium scene to have Julia join the other nobles on their trip to Rebus Isle, he offers Julia the chance to be his ally and have a night of "unspeakable passion" with him. Being the oh so charming guy he is, he also threatens to not be as friendly next time if she says no. Julia naturally refuses.
Supporting Characters
Vasco
- Apologizes a Lot: He offers to tender his resignation every time he makes a minor mistake.
- Hired Help as Family: He's treated like a father figure by Julia and Annalisa, and he cares for them as though they're his own.
- My Greatest Failure: He takes Annalisa's poisoning and subsequent coma hard. When Julia is afflicted by that same poison and he has to find the antidote for her, he assures her that he will not fail her like he did Annalisa.
- Nice Guy: A kind, affable man who cares greatly for Julia and Annalisa.
- The One Guy: The only male member of Julia's household that we see (and he's a servant, rather than a relative).
- Parental Substitute: He acts like a surrogate father to Julia and Annalisa in the absence of their biological ones.
- Renaissance Man: He claims to have mastered many different skills, which was why he got his job as steward. The player doesn't actually see most of them, but he's well-versed enough in poisons to be able to create a permanent antidote for cantarella.
- Undying Loyalty: He's served Julia and Annalisa loyally since they were children, and comes through for them whenever they need his help.
Zya
- Adoption Diss: She's fond of insinuating that Julia isn't a "real" member of the family because she's adopted and insulting her for it, and hates the idea of Julia taking Annalisa's place as head of their House. However, she eventually gets over it.
- Bitch Alert: She's first introduced scolding Annalisa for bringing Julia home and ordering her to return her to the library at once, then rudely talking down to Julia and insinuating she's not a real member of the family for being adopted. This pretty solidly establishes her attitude from then on.
- Evil Aunt: Downplayed. She's not a villain, but she's introduced as an unpleasant piece of work who banished Julia from the family to work as a scribe in the library (and when the girl was a child, at that). She gets somewhat better later on.
- Heel–Face Turn: After Julia finds out that Zya is being blackmailed by Renza to vote for her to be queen with a nude painting from her youth and helps her negate said blackmail, she becomes kinder and supports her from then on.
- Jerkass: She starts off as this, being cruel and spiteful towards Julia and calling her an adopted stray (and, later, an "orphaned bitch"). Later circumstances soften her up considerably when it's revealed that she's being blackmailed by Renza.
- Old Shame: She's utterly ashamed and embarrassed by the nude painting of herself that she allowed a past lover to make in her youth, which Renza exploits to blackmail her. Julia can either convince her it's nothing to be ashamed of or have it burned as per her wishes.
- Took a Level in Kindness: It takes a while, but she eventually stops being quite so crotchety when she warms up to Julia and attends her coronation to show her support.
Elise
- Extreme Doormat: Implied. She's not nearly as cruel as Zya, but she seems to go along with what she does most of the time and was essentially her accomplice in sending Julia away to the library when she was a child.
- Grew a Spine: She finally asserts herself against Zya in chapter eight by agreeing to Julia and Annalisa's decision to have their House bid for the throne, which runs contrary to Zya's belief that they should save themselves by supporting Renza and Cyrus.
- The Mistress: She is later revealed to have been the mistress of Queen Kendra's brother Lord Cranston, whom she had a son named Fabian with out of wedlock.
Theodosia Nevrakis
- Alpha Bitch: She certainly seems to be one at first, being a spoiled and narcissistic socialite with a love for the extravagant and little regard for anyone but herself. She gets a little better later on.
- Attack on the Heart: Discussed. At the Tournament of Flowers in chapter five, if Julia suggests to her that they break Cyrus's heart to get back at him, Theodosia takes it literally:Julia: We can break his heart.Theodosia: Yes. I can reach into his chest and crush his beating heart.Julia: I meant metaphorically...Theodosia: ...I did too.
- Attention Whore: She loves being the center of attention. In her ledger, she has a note that Hunter owes her three favors for "stealing" the spotlight off of her by being fawned over by court women.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: She reveals to Julia at the Tournament of Flowers that this is the main reason for her infatuation with Cyrus. During her debut ball, Cyrus saved her from public humiliation by giving her first dance when no one else would, and she has promised herself to him ever since.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: Her idea of punishing Cyrus for two-timing her with Emery, as shown at her party in chapter twelve, is...unique. She gives every guest a room outfitted with their hearts' desires (or what she thinks they are), and for Cyrus's, she puts herself in only her lingerie in a human-sized bird cage, with the intention that she's taunting him with what he can't have. Unfortunately for both of them, Julia is the one who unknowingly walks in on this set-up.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: She dislikes accepting help or pity from others, especially those she considers lesser by virtue of not being Nevrakises. When stuck inside the high net trap with Percival at one point in the Royal Hunt, she denies she needs help and claims she likes the view from the net, then refuses to thank Julia and her group for freeing them. She also initially refuses Julia's attempt to console her after her loss at the Tournament of Flowers, though that turns to wailing over Cyrus.
- Drama Queen: At times. She throws emotional fits when she's in a particularly bad mood (such as reacting to the news of Julia's supposed engagement to Hector/Olive with crying about how everyone's finding love except for her), and she bemoans how awful it is to have a wine spill on her dress at all even though she has a House Charm, a handkerchief called the Scarlet Cloth, to magically vanish stains away.
- Dude Magnet: She claims to be this, stating that "lesser men" show up at her doorstep with flowers, presents, and love confessions. Whether she actually is one isn't shown.
- Food Slap: She throws two glasses of wine in Cyrus's face in a rage when Emery publicly declares that s/he and Cyrus are to be married.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: They're not seen actually interacting, but she seems to have this dynamic with Hector or Olive. She's spoiled and enjoys having a good time more than anything else, while Hector/Olive is a practical and unsentimental businessperson who strives to be the royal archive keeper.
- Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: Although she's usually rather feminine and vain about her appearance, she also partakes in the jousting at the Tournament of Flowers and wears an appropriate suit of armor for it. None of her matches before the one with Emery are shown, but she was apparently good enough to almost get to the finals.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: She turns out to have a huge one. She acts like she knows she's the best, but her insecurities show in her clinginess towards Cyrus for his past attentions to her and her envy of Julia (hilariously revealed in her ledger to be because Julia has a cute pet that follows her around). The epilogue text notes that she eventually got over this and learned to genuinely love herself.
- It's All About Me: She's very self-centered and doesn't think much about anything outside herself and her own desires. The main reason Julia gets her support is because Theodosia is so impressed to see Hunter and Kayden compete for Julia's attention that she promises to get Julia a more "worthy" suitor, which to her obviously means a Nevrakis one.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Later events show that she's this. She's egotistical and conceited, but she also proves to be a genuine ally to Julia and helps her become queen.
- Lovable Alpha Bitch: Although she's spoiled and vain, she becomes a loyal ally to Julia and lends her vote for her to be queen (even if it's after she initially tried to lay a claim to the throne herself).
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: She claims she and Cyrus had sex on a table at the Lunar Banquet.
- Narcissist: She proves she's this trope with her room, which has her likeness painted all over the walls in addition to at least nine statues of herself.
- Pink Means Feminine: She wears a hot pink Pimped-Out Dress, and is a noblewoman with a love for the showy and extravagant.
- Rich Bitch: Initially seems to fit the bill perfectly, as she's self-absorbed, spoiled, and from a noble family. She does end up helping Julia become queen, though, so she's not all bad (and she's definitely not as classist as Damon).
- Secret Relationship: She and Cyrus are secretly seeing each other while he publicly courts Emery to get House Beaumont's vote for him to be king, and she resents having to hide their relationship. When Emery announces an engagement with Cyrus (after a little prodding from Julia), she's utterly enraged and dumps him over it.
- Sore Loser: She takes her loss in her jousting match with Emery at the Tournament of Flowers very poorly, due to believing Cyrus gave the favor he promised her to Emery instead, and reacts to Emery's attempt to help her up by pulling him/her into the mud.
- Spoiled Brat: As the scion of a noble family, she's very used to getting her way and hates not being the center of attention.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Her favorite snack is salted grasshopper truffles, which Cyrus gives to her at the Tournament of Flowers to butter her up.
- Ungrateful Bitch: Unlike Percival, she doesn't give a word of thanks to Julia and her group for getting her and Percival down from the net trap and storms off in a fit over the supposed damage her ordeal did to her complexion.
- Unknown Rival: She absolutely despises Emery for "stealing" Cyrus from her and is hostile every time they interact. Emery, in contrast, is polite to her when not thinking about philosophical quandaries.
- Upper-Class Twit: Downplayed. She's not stupid, but she's clearly more interested in entertaining herself and showing off than being a real player in the court intrigues. Her idea of trying to become queen involves throwing a ridiculous estate party to win the other nobles' favor, rather than actively seeking out ways to get on their good side or meeting with potential suitors like Julia does.
Percival Beaumont
- Actual Pacifist: He's not a combatant and prefers talking out solutions to fighting.
- Beta Couple: He and Annalisa are this to the Official Couple of either Julia/Hunter or Julia/Kayden.
- Brainy Brunette: Unlike Emery, Percival is genuinely intelligent (if occasionally dense at times) and a skilled bureaucrat.
- Career-Ending Injury: If you don't take the premium choice to have his injuries healed immediately in chapter fifteen, he's forced to retire from jousting and hunting to become a professor at the capital's college of barristers.
- Comically Missing the Point: As smart at law as he is, he's also somewhat dense when something's not spelled out to him. In chapter nine, when Julia gives obvious hints to him that the "masked woman" waiting for him is actually Annalisa, he insists he only loves Annalisa and cannot be distracted by a woman who supposedly "bears a striking resemblance" to her. He catches on when Annalisa takes off the mask.
- Dance of Romance: His dance with Annalisa at the Royal Masquerade Ball is what started their romance, though the player doesn't find out about it until chapter nine.
- Deadpan Snarker: He has his moments, such as this exchange when he and Theodosia are stuck in a net trap from a tree:Theodosia: I don't need help. I happen to think the view is fine from here.Percival: That's not what your screeching implied five minutes ago.
- Determinator: The man gets stabbed multiple times on his way to vote for the new ruler at the conclave, and still survives to make it known that his vote is for Julia.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: He's much smarter and more level-headed than his sibling Emery, an airheaded Absent-Minded Professor who pines hopelessly for Cyrus.
- Identical Grandson: Looks like a dead ringer for Maxwell, his descendant in The Royal Romance.
- Informed Attribute: He's said to be talented at jousting and was apparently the champion at the Tournament of Flowers, but the player never sees it because he was defeated in his match before the finals.
- Nice Guy: He's a genial fellow who has no malice towards anyone and always tries to be honorable.
- Non-Action Guy: He hates the idea of jumping into a fight or dueling over a matter and much prefers to resolve conflict by talking, which makes him ill-suited for re-enacting Annalisa's romantic fantasy of a man dueling for her honor. He's apparently at least adept at throwing knives (which he teaches Julia how to do in chapter twelve), but he's never seen using them for combat. Ironically his House Charm is an obsidian whetstone for sharpening knives, called the Warrior's Stone.
- Official Couple: With Annalisa.
- Opposites Attract: He's a strait-laced, stodgy law expert, while Annalisa is a dreamy and sentimental romantic.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: With Emery. He's stuffy, practical, and level-headed with a love for laws, while Emery is absent-minded, philosophical, and rather out of touch with reality.
Emery Beaumont
- Absent-Minded Professor: S/he is a scholar who is frequently lost in thought and loves pondering philosophical questions, often to the detriment of actually having a conversation.
- Brainy Brunette: Inverted. Emery is a dark-haired scholar, but incredibly scatterbrained.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Comes off as very out of touch with reality and is a total space cadet more often than not. The epilogue states that Emery garnered a small, but devoted following for his/her unorthodox brand of philosophy.
- Establishing Character Moment: When introduced to Julia, Emery is so lost in thought that s/he has to be prompted by Percival to say hello to Julia. S/he apologizes for being distracted, then asks Julia about why Sunday is part of the weekend when it is when the week begins. This succinctly summarizes his/her Absent-Minded Professor personality and spells out how Julia's blind date with him/her at the Lunar Banquet will go (read: not well).
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: S/he is rather airheaded and out of touch with reality, in contrast to his/her level-headed older brother Percival.
- Hopeless Suitor: Truly seems infatuated with Cyrus and wants to marry him. Cyrus, for his part, only seems to be interested in Emery for an alliance with House Beaumont.
- Identical Grandson: S/he is identical to Maxwell's brother Bertrand in The Royal Romance, regardless of gender.
- Lady Looks Like a Dude: Their gender is determinant based on whether Julia is attracted to men or women, as they're presented as a potential suitor Julia must attract to get House Beaumont's support. If Emery is male, he looks exactly like Bertrand from The Royal Romance. If Emery is female, she...still looks like Bertrand.
- Loose Lips: Casually lets it slip to Julia at the Lunar Banquet that s/he and Cyrus are going to get married, and then immediately afterwards admits that Cyrus told him/her to keep that a secret so Theodosia wouldn't find out. Julia takes advantage of this by convincing Emery to publicly announce the engagement, causing Theodosia to angrily dump Cyrus for cheating on her.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: With Percival. Emery is meandering, philosophical, and tends towards having a head in the clouds, while Percival is intellectual, stuffy, and practical.
- Upper-Class Twit: Is from a noble family and is ostensibly a scholar, but seems too absent-minded and airheaded to really be good at the job.
Queen Kendra Rhys
- Actually, I Am Him: She briefly converses with Julia about a painting on display in the palace before the ball in the first chapter, which leads to Julia commenting to her that the queen has good taste for putting up the painting. Annalisa ends up being the one to tell Julia that she's speaking to the queen.
- Cain and Abel: Her brother, Lord Cranston, plotted to assassinate her to usurp the throne. He only failed because Elise, his mistress, immediately informed Queen Kendra about the plot. Kendra later ordered her Crown Shield, Valora, to arrest him and Cranston was killed in the ensuing struggle.
- Celibate Hero: Possibly. Nothing is said of her personal life, but she had no spouse and never had a child.
- The High Queen: By all accounts (and from what little is seen of her), she was a kind and benevolent queen who truly cared for her people.
- Identical Grandson: She looks identical to Queen Adriana, her ancestor and Kenna's mother in The Crown & the Flame.
- Nice to the Waiter: According to Hunter, she was compassionate to absolutely everyone, including the lower class, and had a way of speaking to her subjects that always made them feel valued.Hunter: She was devoted to her people, to all of us. But when you were in the room with her, it was as if you were her only subject. Her only concern. I always thought, that is what it truly means to care about people. It's something I will remember if I'm fortunate enough to inherit her throne some day.
- Parental Substitute: She was a mother figure to Hunter, who felt closer to her than to Damon and strives to follow her example over his.
- Plot-Triggering Death: Her assassination and apparent lack of a named heir create a power vacuum in Cordonia, causing the inter-House fight for the throne that spans the plot.
- Regal Ruff: It's much smaller than other examples, but her outfit features a distinctly ruff-like collar. Appropriate, as the setting is 1600.
Teapot & Sunshine & Frisk
Teapot
Sunshine
Frisk
Kayden's main subordinates in the royal guard.- Amazon Chaser: Teapot is implied to have a thing for muscular women, if what he toasts to in chapter twelve is any indication:Teapot: To big beefy ladies who can CRUSH YOU BETWEEN THEIR TOES!
- Bald Head of Toughness: Teapot is the only one of the three who's completely bald, as well as the most aggressive and short-tempered member.
- Can't Hold Her Liquor: Sunshine tends to go out of control when she has even a drop of alcohol, and with her super strength she’s been known to cause a lot of property damage.
- The Dividual: They're distinct characters with individual personalities, but always show up as a trio and are never seen apart.
- The Faceless: Frisk's face is always completely covered by his helmet. He apparently wears it so often that Kayden muses about starting to forget what Frisk's face looks like.
- Family of Choice: They're a very tight-knit group and share a close bond with Kayden, who considers them his/her found family.
- Gargle Blaster: Their choice of drink in their premium scene in chapter four is a frothing black ale, which they give an ode to thusly:Kayden: If it's cold...Frisk: If it's dark...Teapot: If it can STRIP THE PAINT OFF A BARN...Sunshine: Then it's good enough for us!
- Genki Girl: Sunshine is incredibly outgoing and energetic, hence her nickname.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Teapot is so named because of his short fuse, quickness to violence, and habit of Suddenly Shouting.
- Has a Type: Frisk has a thing for married women. This obviously gets him in trouble with their enraged husbands, so he always wears his helmet to avoid recognition from them in public.
- Muscles Are Meaningless: Sunshine is described as having "twig-like" arms, but can quickly pin a man in arm wrestling in seconds.
- One-Sided Arm-Wrestling: Sunshine subjects Frisk to this when they arm wrestle, pinning him so hard that his armored hand leaves a dent in the table.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Unlike Kayden (who goes by "Chief"), their real names are never revealed.
- Pintsized Powerhouse: Despite her small stature and relatively young age, Sunshine is extremely strong and can easily beat a grown man at arm wrestling.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Frisk and Teapot seem to form this dynamic. Frisk is defined by his love for married women and hides behind his helmet to avoid fights with their husbands; Teapot is a bald, bearded man with a short fuse and a tendency for Suddenly Shouting.
- The Smurfette Principle: If Kayden is male, Sunshine is the only female royal guard.
- Suddenly Shouting: Teapot talks like this at times because of his short temper, hence his nickname.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Frisk apparently had a relationship with his archery instructor when he and Kayden were recruits together at the academy, which went poorly when he snuck into her bedroom in a Cupid costume while she was away and instead ran into her husband.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: Sunshine wears her hair in a ponytail, and is just as competent and dedicated to being a guard as the others are.
- True Companions: They serve as both Kayden's loyal subordinates and stalwart friends who stay true no matter what. Kayden all but outright calls them his/her family by choice.
Hector & Olive Nevrakis
Hector
Olive
Two members of House Nevrakis. One of them is Theodosia's sibling and a possible suitor for Julia, depending on the player's preferences.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Seems to be the responsible sibling to Theodosia's foolish, although they never actually interact on-screen. Hector/Olive is a practical and unsentimental sort who strives to be the royal archive keeper, while Theodosia is vain and self-absorbed.
- Identical Grandson: An example that weirdly goes in both directions. Hector looks like his ancestor Diavolos, while Olive looks like her descendant Lucretia.
- Love Is a Weakness: Downplayed. Though he/she isn't malicious about it, Hector/Olive considers love a weak motivation and states that he/she believes hard work and ambition are more important than romance or sentimentality.
- Marriage of Convenience: Hector/Olive proposes this to Julia during their blind date, saying it would be advantageous for both of them because Julia will become the high chancellor to Hunter and Hector/Olive will be the archive keeper. Obviously, Julia doesn't go for it even before Hector/Olive breaks it off anyway.
- Static Role, Exchangeable Character: They both exist in-story, as they're seen conversing at court in the second chapter, but which one of them appears later as Theodosia's sibling that she puts forward to be a potential suitor depends on whether the player chose for Julia to be interested in men or women. If Julia is interested in men (or both), Hector is her suitor; if Julia is interested in women, Olive is.
Flora
- Good Parents: She loved Julia greatly and only gave her away with the selfless intention that a noble family would raise her in a luxurious life. After decades of separation, she sought out Julia to reunite with her and ask to be part of her life again.
- Mommy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: She claims she sent Julia (as a baby) to House Aster, Everhart, or Rosario in effort to give her daughter a better life than she could offer as a lowly servant.
- Switched at Birth: She was the one who did the switching, having swapped Elise's son with her daughter so that she could be raised by a noble family.
- The Un-Reveal: It's never revealed what she was up to during the twenty years she spent away from Julia, or how she was able to track down Julia to reunite with her.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Regardless of whether you chose for Julia to accept her back into her life or reject her, she doesn't appear again after the choice you made and there's no mention of her in the epilogue text.
Fabian Rhys
- The Good King: He's said to have been this after being crowned in the epilogue.
- Hidden Backup Prince: Unbeknownst to the public and to himself, he is Kendra's nephew who was raised as a commoner when he was switched at birth with Julia. Putting him on the throne resolves the issue of succession and keeps Cordonia from going into civil war.
- Identical Grandson: He looks exactly like the white appearance for Liam in The Royal Romance.
- Last Episode, New Character: He only appears in the final chapter.
- Switched at Birth: It's revealed that he and Julia were swapped at birth by Julia's mother Flora, who sent her daughter to Fabian's mother in order to give her a noble's life and raised Fabian as her adoptive son.
