Character from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
The youngest Farseer prince — a vain, ambitious schemer who murdered his father, tortured his nephew, and sold out his kingdom because he believed he deserved the crown more than anyone who actually earned it.
Regal is charming the way a blade is sharp — it's the primary function, and everything else is handle. He can work a room like no other Farseer, making allies of enemies and sycophants of lords, but the charm is entirely transactional. Beneath it is a petulance so profound it registers as malice. He hated Fitz from the moment the bastard arrived at Buckkeep — not because Fitz threatened his position but because Fitz's existence reminded everyone that Chivalry had something Regal never would: legitimacy earned through character rather than birth. Every scheme Regal hatches, from poisoning Shrewd to allying with the Red Ships, stems from this core wound: he is the least of his father's sons and he knows it. Regal does not have the Skill naturally but trained under Galen, who was loyal to him. His cruelty is not mindless — it's strategic, targeted, and always in service of the only cause he believes in: himself.
Handsome in a polished, courtly way — dark Farseer coloring but softer, more refined than his brothers. He dresses immaculately, favoring rich fabrics and Jamaillian fashions that set him apart from the rough-hewn Six Duchies court. His beauty is the weapon he wields best, and he knows exactly how to use a smile, a tilt of the head, a perfectly timed gesture of wounded nobility.
Also known as: Prince Regal, King Regal