YMMV / The Chronicles of King Rolen's Kin

• Complete Monster:
  • Warlord Palatyne is a vicious overlord who took over of several holdings by force and seeks to Take Over the World. Cunning and manipulative, he tries to arrange for first Pirola, and then Isolt, to marry him. Whenever he can't get what he wants fast enough he always resorts to force and murder, such as by murdering Rolencia's king under a flag of truce and ordering his entire line murdered when he cannot marry Piro, and then by trying to rape Isolt when her father delays the wedding. He is also very petty, keeping Byren in an animal cage to be mocked and shamed by the populace.
  • Cobalt is the son of the former king's bastard and desires the crown for himself. To that end, he betrays his family by making an alliance with Warlord Palatyne to take over Rolencia. To gain the King's trust, he plays a Wounded Gazelle Gambit by claiming raiders killed his wife on the way to Rolencia. In truth, he had her murdered to make a sob story for himself. He divides the royal family and blackmails Orrade into becoming his spy by threatening to reveal he's gay. He also tries to threaten Queen Myrella into becoming his lover by threatening her daughter. Once he is king he threatens another innocent girl into pretending to be Princess Piro to legitimize his claim to the throne, and murders her sister once she escapes, taking great glee in the girl's death.
• The Woobie: Isolt, the princess of Merofynia. Her parents were cold to each other and were completely disinterested in her as a person growing up and she had no friends or peers to associate with. When she was 15 her father was mind controlled into nearly marrying her to a warlord who nearly rapes her when the proceedings aren't going fast enough. Her father then dies while she's escaped her castle and she is forced to live in exile for several months. When she returns she is again nearly forcefully married to the warlord. After the warlord is killed she nearly faces a coup d'etat because her nobles don't want to be ruled by an unmarried queen and faces several assassination attempts. She has to deal with most of this all alone or with only one or two friends by her side to support her. She really just needs a break from all the horror.

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