Barthelemy Beaumont

Barthelemy, a character in The Royal Romance and The Royal Heir series, is Bertrand and Maxwell Beaumont's father and a member of Via Imperii. Although he is first mentioned in The Royal Romance, Book 1, Chapter 15, he is first seen in The Royal Heir, Book 1, Chapter 10.

Appearance
Barthelemy has gray eyes, gray-brown short hair, and olive skin. He is clean-shaven and wears a gray dress shirt, dark gray tie, camel brown sweater vest, and dark blue blazer.

Personality
Barthelemy appears cordial but aloof. According to Bertrand, Barthelemy has a habit of taking over wherever he goes. He is a private individual, wary of others prying into his business, yet savvy and shrewd. Glen (the groundskeeper at his hidden lodge) says Barthelemy is clever, composed under pressure, and driven with a dark side under his facade. He is a man who will stop at nothing to reach his goals, ruthless in his tenacity, and capable of sacrificing anything or anyone to achieve his ends. He is also manipulative, plays on people's fears, and makes empty promises. He values power over loyalty and ambition over family. He also takes whatever opportunity he has to get what he wants. For example: he works with a con man to blackmail Landon of House Ebrim to vote for him. Even after he is exposed as a criminal, he shows no remorse towards his sons for lying to them and abandoning them at a young age; indicating how he cares more about power and ambition than his own flesh and blood.

He is afraid of crows. He believes crows are the harbingers of death and destruction, bringing plague and ruin wherever they go.

Background
Throughout The Royal Romance series, it was alluded that Barthelemy had passed away. Bertrand and Maxwell spoke about him in the past tense, and since Bertrand had to take over as the Duke of Ramsford, everyone assumed that Barthelemy had died. In The Royal Heir, Book 1, it is discovered that he did not die but was in a coma for a very long time, which drained Ramsford's resources. According to Maxwell, eventually the doctors couldn't do much for him except keep him breathing.

In The Royal Heir, Book 3, it is revealed that Barthelemy faked his illness. He had been staying in a hunting lodge, purchased by a shell corporation decades ago, found a physician (out of many who declined to take part in the deceit) who would corroborate his "illness", and traveled under different aliases to meet with others privately. Although Godfrey had visited in the past and had a key to the private room in the lodge, he had left Cordonia shortly after Queen Eleanor's death, leaving Barthelemy to continue their plans without him.

Book 1

 * Chapter 15: The Brothers Beaumont (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 19: Long Live the King (Mentioned; Determinant)

Book 2

 * Chapter 3: Return to Applewood (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 4: Flirting with Disaster (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: International Impressions (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 7: Girl's Night Out (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 8: City of Lights (Mentioned; Determinant)

Book 3

 * Chapter 8: Artistic License (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 10: A Matter of Honor (Mentioned; Determinant)

Book 1

 * Chapter 7: A Night on the Town (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 10: The Beaumont Bachelor Bash
 * Chapter 11: The Prodigal Father
 * Chapter 12: To Love and to Cherish
 * Chapter 13: Spreading the Word
 * Chapter 14: The Announcement
 * Chapter 15: Apple in the Oven
 * Chapter 16: Great Expectations
 * Chapter 17: Hot Off the Press
 * Chapter 18: The Last Apple Ball
 * Chapter 19: Truth and Lies

Book 2

 * Chapter 3: Welcome to the World
 * Chapter 4: The Royal Tour
 * Chapter 5: Her Royal Highness
 * Chapter 11: Escape to LA (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 12: The Show Must Go On
 * Chapter 13: How Do You Like Them Apples?
 * Chapter 14: Battle Lines
 * Chapter 18: The Beginning of the End
 * Chapter 19: To Betroth, or Not To Betroth
 * Chapter 20: Freeze This Moment

Book 3

 * Chapter 1: Changes
 * Chapter 2: Making Waves
 * Chapter 3: Forever Hold Your Peace
 * Chapter 4: Seeds of Conflict (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: Crossing the Finish Line (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 6: The Princess and the Plea (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)
 * Chapter 7: Ill Will Hunting (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)
 * Chapter 8: Snow and Stone
 * Chapter 9: The Barthelemy Beaumont Bash
 * Chapter 10: A Fox in the Henhouse
 * Chapter 11: The Apparent Trap
 * Chapter 12: The Deciding Vote
 * Chapter 13: The Way Out
 * Chapter 14: Upping the Ante
 * Chapter 15: The Enemy of My Enemy
 * Chapter 16: Devil in the Details (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)
 * Chapter 17: The Crown Regent's Coronation
 * Chapter 18: Crowning Glory
 * Chapter 19: The Once and Future Princess (Mentioned)

The Royal Finale

 * Chapter 1: Hidden in Plain Sight (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)
 * Chapter 2: Courted (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 3: Crossroads (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 4: Belle of the Ball, Belly of the Beast (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: Testing the Waters (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 8: The Playdate (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 9: Highs and Lows (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 12: When Worlds Collide (Mentioned; Determinant)

Bertrand Beaumont
Bertrand is Barthelemy's older son. According to Drake Walker, Barthelemy was used to winning, and instilled the sense of pride, duty, and reputation mostly to his heir, Bertrand. It made Drake feel almost-sorry for what Bertrand went through.

In The Royal Heir, Book 1, when Barthelemy arrives at the Walker Ranch for Bertrand and Savannah's wedding, Bertrand is surprised. He tells you and his friends that he doesn't know how he feels and that things are more complicated than they seem. He remembers his father differently than Maxwell because Maxwell was much younger when Barthelemy was around, and Maxwell was not as perceptive to the situations around him. While Maxwell thought Barthelemy gave them freedom to do what they wanted, Bertrand believes their father didn't care much what they did after their mother passed away. Barthelemy only showed up to tell them when they did something wrong. Bertrand says Barthelemy may have been serious about House Beaumont's reputation but he was not always a paragon of responsibility himself; Barthelemy wanted his sons to be perfect but he was not the perfect father. Barthelemy expected more from his sons than he was willing to do himself.

In The Royal Heir, Book 2, Barthelemy keeps volunteering to help Bertrand and Maxwell suggests that Bertrand take their father's help. Bertrand first argues that Barthelemy is the reason that House Beaumont's finances are in such a disarray. Eventually though, Bertrand concedes and accepts his father's help in order to spend more time with Savannah and Bartie. In Chapter 13, Bertrand says that he successfully handed over management of Ramsford's finances to Barthelemy.

In The Royal Heir, Book 3, when Bertrand finds out about his father's intentions to take your daughter away and becomes Crown Regent, he first says that he will help in any way that he can. However, at the Beaumont Bash, Bertrand reverses his position and sides with his father. He helps Barthelemy with the Bash and gains his trust. He tells you that he cannot explain but that he is a Beaumont and follows his father's instructions. Over the course of the weeks leading to the next vote of the Conventus Nobilis and after Barthelemy is voted as Crown Regent, Bertrand becomes a part of Barthelemy's inner inner circle. This trust works to Bertrand's advantage though, and at the end of Chapter 17, Bertrand tells you that he has been secretly collecting and storing items for you and your daughter's escape. No matter what happens after Barthelemy is crowned Regent, Bertrand wants your daughter to stay with you. He admits that he could not tell you or Maxwell the truth because he had to convince his father that he had betrayed you both for him.

Savannah Walker Beaumont
Savannah becomes Barthelemy's daughter-in-law in The Royal Heir, Book 1, Chapter 12. In Chapter 11, he tries to insert himself into her life, insisting on walking her down the aisle and taking over the menu at the rehearsal dinner. It takes Bertrand to put his foot down on her behalf to make his father step back.

Bartie Beaumont
Bartie is Barthelemy's grandson. Savannah named him after Barthelemy and her own father, the late Jackson Walker.

Maxwell Beaumont
Maxwell is Barthelemy's younger son. It is mentioned they didn't have a close relationship. Barthelemy always criticized Maxwell for being overweight as a child. When Barthelemy arrives at the Walker Ranch for Bertrand and Savannah's wedding, Maxwell is ecstatic. He knows he was a screw-up when he was a child and now he wants his father to see how much he has grown and to be proud of him.

Despite the time spent apart, Barthelemy still remembers Maxwell's idiosyncrasies. He knows Maxwell is only quiet when he has too many words to get out at once. Barthelemy expects Maxwell to side with him and House Beaumont, but in The Royal Heir, Book 3, Maxwell is ashamed, distraught, and angry. The younger man first wonders if his father was always conniving and cruel or if the coma or his father's friendship with Godfrey affected his mind. However, as the weeks progress and Maxwell and his friends investigate Barthelemy, Maxwell never imagined his father would be so bad. He learns that his father faked his illness and has been plotting against the Crown for years.

Maxwell is not shy or polite enough to bite his tongue. In all Court functions, Maxwell takes the opportunity to tell everyone how Barthelemy was a terrible father and how he shouldn't be allowed to raise The Heir. He is especially devastated if the heir is his daughter, and how his father is using her to gain control of the Crown.

Your Character
"You're still a Beaumont as far as I'm concerned... so in a way, I consider myself your father too."

- Barthelemy to You, TRH1, Ch.11

No matter whether you become his daughter-in-law by marrying Maxwell, Duchess of Valtoria, and/or Queen of Cordonia, he prides himself on the fact that his sons sponsored you and that you've proven yourself. If you do not choose to welcome him with open arms, he is taken aback. In Chapter 14, after you and your spouse make an announcement of your pregnancy to the press in Cordonia, he makes his appearance to the surprise of the reporters and takes their attention away from you.

If Maxwell is your spouse, in Chapter 16, he offers you the chance to purchase a premium mobile for your nursery.

In Book 2, Chapter 20, he revives the Great Houses through the Conventus Nobilis, claiming that he must for the security of the realm. He cites the alliance and near-war with Auvernal as the downfall of King "Liam"'s reign and asks that the Great Houses vote to remove Liam from power and that you and your spouse resign custody of the heir to him. In Book 3, Chapter 1, Liam tells him that because he is missing House Nevrakis's vote, the motion fails and he cannot claim the right to be Regent nor can he claim custody of your daughter. Barthelemy counters that another vote will take place in a few months where only a majority vote is needed.

Throughout Book 3, Barthelemy tries his best to undermine and ridicule you in order to make you and your spouse look unfit to be parents. Whatever you choose to do, Barthelemy wins the vote in Chapter 12 and takes emergency custody of your daughter in Chapter 14. With the assistance of Godfrey, you are finally able to expose his crimes to the court and the press in Chapter 18, bringing about his downfall and arrest.

The Heir
Barthelemy is your daughter's grandfather, either biologically through Maxwell or figuratively due to House Beaumont sponsoring you during the events of The Royal Romance, Books 1 and 2. He uses his ties to her in his usurpation of the throne, and though he publicly tries to win her affections in front of the court and press, your daughter dislikes him from the start, taking her cues from you and your spouse.

Annabelle
Annabelle was Barthelemy's wife who passed away when Maxwell was a child. If asked for marriage advice in The Royal Romance, Book 3, Chapter 18, if Maxwell is not your fiance, Maxwell will say that his mother could make Barthelemy laugh until he cried.

Constantine
In the past, Barthelemy was one of Constantine Rys's trusted friends and vassals. However, Barthelemy worked against Constantine in secret, supporting Lionel & Camellia Nevrakis during their unsuccessful coup and conspiring to kill Constantine’s beloved wife.

Eleanor
In The Royal Heir, Book 3, Chapter 14, Olivia states that in his ledger (which was later destroyed) it showed purchases he made about two decades ago: a steel goblet and a small dose of fluoride. Later, you and your friends find evidence on Godfrey's hard drive that corroborate this: a bank statement that shows Barthelemy bought the goblet used to poison Queen Eleanor.

Godfrey
Godfrey and Barthelemy used to be friends and worked together during Constantine's reign. They used to go hunting together, although Madeleine doesn't remember her father bringing home much game. Bertrand remembers Godfrey being around all the time, spending hours with Barthelemy in the study. Bertrand had overheard them speaking about having King Constantine sign papers but they were unsuccessful because Queen Eleanor persuaded the king to take more time to 'consider the risks'. After Queen Eleanor's death, the two had a falling out when Godfrey left for England indefinitely and Barthelemy felt the other had abandoned him.

"What good is power if we're dead?"

- Godfrey to Barthelemy

According to Godfrey's journals, Barthelemy tried to convince him to stay in Cordonia, telling him that he would be throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime if he left. However, Godfrey did not want to risk his life and anger Constantine further. If you have the key to Barthelemy's private room in his lodge, Glen tells you that no one has had a copy of the key for a long time, inferring that Godfrey may have been the last to hold it. Later in Book 3, Godfrey elects to testify against Barthelemy in exchange for being extradited to Cordonia, and provides you with evidence to bring about his downfall.

Olivia Nevrakis
Because Barthelemy can't win Olivia's vote in the Conventus Nobilis, he tries to undermine her leadership in Lythikos by stirring the Lythikans against the Crown and Cordonia. He promises to give them independence and sovereignty, something that no other leader has promised them before. However, King "Liam" says that Lythikos relies on the subsidized food imports from the rest of the kingdom, and it would be too expensive for them to be self-sufficient and independent. Olivia takes offense to that, but "Liam" points out that "strength" does not equal food. You have the chance to prove to Olivia that Barthelemy is wrong and she will stand with you in front of her people. If you are unsuccessful though, the Lythikans are unimpressed by you.

In The Royal Heir, Book 3, Chapter 12, his men catch Olivia outside of one of his properties, knowing that she is investigating him. They destroy the evidence she found - evidence proving that he was behind Queen Eleanor's assassination - and take her to Vance Kovac, who imprisons her in one of his mansion's cells. With Olivia out of the way, Barthelemy has his men pull Olivia's aunt Lucretia out of prison temporarily, so she may make House Nevrakis's vote during the second Conventus Nobilis. As expected, Lucretia votes in his favor, opposite of what Olivia would have done. In Chapter 18, when he's exposed to the court and you choose to call for a vote for his arrest, Olivia gladly votes for Barthelemy's arrest.

Kiara Theron
Before the vote in the Conventus Nobilis, Barthelemy promises Kiara that if she votes for him, he will only be your daughter's guardian in name only, that he will leave your daughter in your and your spouse's custody, and that he only wants to be the Crown Regent to guide Cordonia to a better, more prosperous future and to be a better leader than King "Liam" (and you, if you are Queen). This proves to be false as Kiara discovers during the weeks leading up to the second vote, causing her to feel ashamed at having believed him in the first place.

In Book 3, Chapter 9, if you decide to snoop around Barthelemy's office with your spouse, you discover that he had re-scheduled Hidar's Auto Expo to take place on the same day as House Theron's Flower Festival. As Kiara originally believed, the Auto Expo was scheduled for the following day, but he purposely changed the day to cause commotion in an effort to undermine your attempts to win Kiara's vote.

Lionel & Camellia Nevrakis
In The Royal Heir, Book 3, Chapter 18 it is shown that Barthelemy was a “silent partner” when Lionel and Camellia attempted their coup against King Constantine. The Nevrakises wanted Barthelmey to be a more prominent and public partner, but Barthelemy told them that he was happy being behind-the-scenes and expected them to honor their agreement with him if and when he needed a favor from them in the future.

Anton Severus
Barthelemy supported Anton Severus when the latter attempted to overthrow King Liam. It was the failure of this attempt that convinced Barthelemy that he needed to take the Crown for himself, since both coups failed.

Cedric Vescovi
In order to win the vote to become Crown Regent, Barthelemy invited Cedric Vescovi, a descendent of Cyrus Vescovi, to the Conventus Nobilis. Barthelemy offered to restore Cedric's House in exchange for his vote and discretion, which Cedric was overjoyed to accept. Before his official coronation, Barthelemy later states that once he is crowned, he would be removing the current members of the Royal Council and replacing them with his own people, inviting Cedric to join.

Trivia

 * The surname Beaumont is of French origin and means "beautiful mountain".
 * In Book 3, Chapter 9, if you snoop around his office with your spouse, you discover that Barthelemy is afraid of crows.
 * In Book 3, Chapter 14, it is revealed that he is the one who planned and ordered Queen Eleanor's murder.
 * His crimes include murder, treason, blackmail and kidnapping.
 * He is a playable character in a premium scene of The Royal Heir, Book 3, Chapter 18.
 * In Book 3, Chapter 18, he is arrested for treason and regicide.
 * In Chapter 19, Bertrand is reappointed as the Head of House Beaumont.