Percival Richards

Percival Richards, a character in the Desire & Decorum series, is Tristan Richards's son and Gideon Payne's pawn in his attempt to overthrow the monarchy. He is first seen in Book 3, Chapter 7.

Appearance
Percival has blue eyes, short blond hair, and fair skin. He wears a dark green jacket over cream-colored jumpsuit-like skeleton suit (a transitional attire worn by small boys between the ages of three and seven, consisting of ankle-length trousers buttoned onto a short jacket worn over a shirt with a wide collar edged in ruffles).

Personality
Percival is innocent and impressionable, believing in the stories told by his "Uncle Renard" (and by you if you decide to tell him a bedtime story in Chapter 12).

Book 3

 * Chapter 7: London Calling
 * Chapter 10: By Royal Appointment (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 12: Tower of Terror
 * Chapter 13: Love and War (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 14: Anticipation (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 16: A Joyous Union (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 17: Wife or Death (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 18: 1817 (Determinant)

Desire & Decorum: First Winter

 * Chapter 1: Deck the Halls
 * Chapter 2: All I Want for Christmas
 * Chapter 3: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
 * Chapter 4: Sleigh Ride

Tristan Richards
Tristan Richards is Percival's biological father. When Percival was born, Mr. Sinclaire attempted to give him to his father to raise. However, at that time, the former-Duke Richards dismissed Mr. Sinclaire's claims saying that the child could be sired by anyone. In Book 3, Chapter 12, Mr. Richards tells you and your friends that he legitimized Percival a few months ago during your engagement to him under Gideon's advice. He was aware of Gideon raising the child in France for some time.

According to Gideon's stories, King Tristan wanted to marry Princess Roselyn but it was the evil Mr. Sinclaire and your character who stopped them from being happy. If you decide to tell Percival a story in Chapter 12, you can change the villain of the story to a dragon named "Dragideon" who stopped their happy ending.

Roselyn Sinclaire
Then-Duke Richards had an affair with Roselyn, leading to the intense animosity between himself and her husband, Mr. Sinclaire. She ended up pregnant with the duke's baby, but he refused to take her in. Mr. Sinclaire could not refuse her return to his household in her state, and she delivered her baby at Mr. Sinclaire's townhouse in London. She named the baby "Percival" and shortly died after childbirth.

Ernest Sinclaire
Mr. Sinclaire was set to raise Percival as his own son when Duke Richards cast him aside. However, Roselyn's brother - Comte Renard d'Ouler - discovered his existence and traveled to London to get Percival and bring him to France. Even if Mr. Sinclaire wished to keep in contact, Comte Renard told him that it would confuse the child and that it wasn't necessary.

After you and your friends finally expose Gideon Payne's treachery, you have the option to suggest that Mr. Sinclaire adopt Percival himself or just have Percival visit him from time to time. Whichever you choose, Percival will be with Mr. Sinclaire during the holidays in First Winter.

Gideon Payne
Under the guise of Comte Renard d'Ouler, Gideon Payne raised Percival. He planned to make Percival the King of England after Harry Foredale assassinates Queen Charlotte and Prince Regent George. When you finally oust Gideon during your wedding reception in Book 3, Chapter 17, he admits that Percival would have been more difficult to place on the throne but easier to control than Tristan.

Your Character
In Chapter 7, you follow Gideon to The Royal Rose Inn and discover Percival. You overhear Gideon telling Percival the story of King Tristan, Princess Roselyn, the evil Mr. Sinclaire, and an evil version of yourself. In Chapter 10, you can try to tell Queen Charlotte and Prince Regent George of Percival's existence but it falls on deaf ears. In Chapter 12, when you and your friends go to Mr. Richards' former townhouse to find the papers legitimizing Percival, you all run into Percival. He is struggling to sleep because of the stories he has been told. He is afraid of the "evil Lord Ernest" and that the man will come after him. If you choose to take him back to his bedroom in the premium scene, you can tell him a different version of the story. You help him reimagine your character, can choose to rename Ernest into "the Noble/Wise Lord Ernest", and villainize Gideon into a dragon. After finishing the story, Percival says he wants to become like Lord Ernest when he grows up since he is "The bravest man in all the world."

If you marry Ernest and encourage him to adopt Percival, he will call you "Mama" and Ernest "Papa" in a premium scene of Book 3, Chapter 18.

Madame Laurent
Madame Laurent is Percival's governess.

Trivia

 * He shares the same first name as Percival Beaumont from The Royal Masquerade, Percival Jennings from The Unexpected Heiress, and Percival from Guinevere.
 * If Your Character marries Ernest Sinclaire and encouraged him to adopt Percival, he will call her "Mama" and Ernest "Papa" in a premium scene of Book 3, Chapter 18.
 * If Your Character marries Ernest Sinclaire and encouraged to have Percival visit instead, he will call her "Auntie" in a premium scene of Book 3, Chapter 18.
 * If Your Character does not marry Ernest, but encourages him to adopt Percival, he will still call her "Auntie" in the premium scene.
 * In the same chapter, he is referred to as Duke of Karlington.