Character from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
The prince who inherited a stolen throne and an impossible legacy — raised believing Verity was his father, discovering Fitz was, and learning to be a better king than either.
Dutiful began as a sheltered boy chafing under expectations he didn't choose, and grew into a king who chose them willingly. His arc is a quiet answer to every Farseer who came before him — he has Shrewd's political intelligence without the coldness, Verity's decency without the passivity, and Fitz's stubbornness without the self-destruction. He has the Skill and initially a Wit-bond with a cat named Mistrel, though that bond is severed. He learns to navigate the tension between these magics and the political reality of ruling a kingdom that persecutes Wit-users. His relationship with Fitz evolves from resentful ignorance to complicated love — he cannot call Fitz 'father' publicly, but the bond is real. Dutiful's marriage to Elliania of the OutIslands is a political match that becomes genuine, and his reign represents the possibility that the Farseer line might finally break its cycle of sacrifice and betrayal.
Dark-haired with the Farseer features, but there's something of Kettricken's Mountain Kingdom bearing in his posture. He grows from a sulky adolescent into a composed young king with surprising speed. His resemblance to Fitz is close enough to be uncomfortable for those who know the truth, though he carries himself with a prince's confidence that Fitz never developed.
Also known as: Prince Dutiful, King Dutiful