Eleanor Rys

Queen Eleanor, a character in the The Royal Romance and The Royal Heir series, was the former Queen of Cordonia, second wife of the late King Constantine, and mother to King "Liam". Although she is mentioned in various chapters of the series, she is first seen in a premium scene of The Royal Heir, Book 1, Chapter 3.

Appearance
Eleanor's appearance is determined by which of the three character models is chosen for Liam.

Personality
Eleanor was thought to be kind, noble, and dignified. However, some people at court mistake her gentility for weakness.

Background
Eleanor was a commoner by birth and not a native to Cordonia. In fact, her parents were Auvernese.

Book 1

 * Chapter 4: Save the Last Dance (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 7: Fire and Ice (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 13: Hunting for Love (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 14: Fair Game (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 15: The Brothers Beaumont (Mentioned; Determinant)

Book 2

 * Chapter 1: Homecoming (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: International Impressions (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 11: A Night at the Opera (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 19: Ascension (Mentioned; Determinant)

Book 3

 * Chapter 3: Allies Among Enemies (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 6: Ember of Hope (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * ‎Chapter 9: Pomp and Circumstance (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 20: A Warm Reception (Mentioned; Determinant)

The Royal Holiday

 * Chapter 1: 'Tis the Season (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 2: Winter Wonderland (Mentioned; Determinant)

Book 1

 * Chapter 3: Your Kingdom Awaits (Determinant)
 * Chapter 4: Courting Crowns (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: The Open Road (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 8: Ride Like the Wind (Determinant)
 * Chapter 11: The Prodigal Father (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 13: Spreading the Word (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 14: The Announcement (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)
 * Chapter 15: Apple in the Oven (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 16: Great Expectations (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 17: Hot Off the Press (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 18: The Last Apple Ball (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 19: Truth and Lies

Book 2

 * Chapter 1: Labor of Love (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 2: First Days (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 3: Welcome to the World (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 4: The Royal Tour (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: Her Royal Highness (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 6: To Catch a Traitor (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 7: Thanks (But No Thanks) (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 13: How Do You Like Them Apples? (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 16: In Love and War (Mentioned)

Book 3

 * Chapter 5: Crossing the Finish Line (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 6: The Princess and the Plea (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 7: Ill Will Hunting (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 14: Upping the Ante (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 15: The Enemy of My Enemy (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 16: Devil in the Details (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 18: Crowning Glory (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 19: The Once and Future Princess (Mentioned; Determinant)

The Royal Finale

 * Chapter 1: Hidden in Plain Sight (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 2: Courted (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 3: Crossroads (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 6: The Comeback Queen (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 9: Highs and Lows (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 10: Gangbusters (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 12: When Worlds Collide (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 13: Family Matters (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 16: To Wear the Crown (Determinant)

Constantine
Eleanor was the second wife of Constantine and the former Queen of Cordonia. She wanted to rule by winning the loyalty of their people through kindness and she balanced out Constantine's worse instincts. When Liam was young, she was poisoned by their enemies and died. It took Constantine a long time to find love again (with Regina), as he thought that he was too old and set in his ways.

In The Royal Heir, Book 1, if you are married to Liam and decide to do the pregnancy photoshoot, he tells you that his mother and Constantine did a similar photoshoot when she was pregnant with him.

In Chapter 18, Leona Walker tells Liam that Eleanor was so afraid of Constantine that she kept secrets from him. You and your friends go to investigate Eleanor's private room and discover a hidden room where she was keeping tabs on Cordonia's enemies. You have the premium opportunity to look through her diary, but it reveals no secrets to her death except for her distaste towards Barthelemy and Godfrey.

Liam
One of Liam’s strongest memories of her is when she brought him to the city near Applewood Manor. They sat on the steps of an old library as she read his favorite story to him, and he can still remember the scent of her jasmine perfume. She used to say that whenever she felt like an outsider, she'd visit the library. She said you were always home in a library because the knowledge it holds is universal. She also used to play the guitar and sing at picnics. She showed him the wishing well, bringing him there when he was a child. Whenever he visits the gardens, he is reminded of her. The palace gardens were her last wish, her vision, before she died.

In The Royal Holiday, Liam remembers going on carriage rides with his family when Eleanor was alive. She used to point out the birds that stayed in Cordonia during the winter, and Leo loved seeing all the decorations.

In The Royal Heir, Book 1, Chapter 5, if you explore the town with Liam in the premium scene, he tells you that he once did a load of laundry. He and his brother had made the mistake of playing tag near a tower of champagne glasses; European Guy dodged, Liam tackled, and they brought the whole thing down. His mother felt it was only fair that they clean up the mess they made. In Chapter 13's premium scene, if he is your spouse, he tells you that he knows one lullaby that Eleanor used to sing to him. In Book 2, he sings the lullaby to your child.

If Liam is your spouse, he tells you more about his mother in Book 2. In Chapter 2, he says she taught him the recipe for a traditional hearty bread with apple jam. It is a Cordonian staple for new mothers. In Chapter 3, if you go on a date with him, he takes you to one of his mother's favorite restaurants. She used to sneak him and Leo in through the back so they could have a nice meal without the public watching. After she passed away, Liam and Leo would go back at least once a year; and when Leo was busy, Liam would take Drake there whenever the former needed cheering up.

In Chapter 5, Maxwell says his dad Barthelemy had a great time at "Liam"'s anointing. Although Constantine didn't appreciate him opening all the champagne with a sword, Eleanor thought it was hilarious. In her secret study, if you decide to read her diary, you discover that she went through fifteen hours of labor when "Liam" was born.

Bastien
Bastien was in the Royal Guard when Eleanor was queen. According to Regina Rys, he was very loyal to Eleanor and Regina believes that she doesn't measure up to the late queen in his eyes.

Olivia Nevrakis
After her parents' failed attempted coup, Liam persuaded his parents to bring Olivia Nevrakis to the palace and make it her home. His mother tried to be kind to her but his father couldn't. Whenever Constantine looked at Olivia, he saw a Nevrakis. If you decide to help Olivia with her memories in The Royal Heir, Book 1, Olivia remembers a time that took place several months after Liam and his family returned from their trip to Walker Ranch. Eleanor and Jackson were speaking secretly about her hyperemesis gravidarum, which makes Liam realize that his mother was pregnant near the time of her death.

In Eleanor's secret room, she kept entries about the Nevrakis family, trying to keep tabs on Olivia's relatives after her parents passed away. Eleanor also had some maps that mentioned the Sons of Earth.

Godfrey
According to Hakim, Godfrey opposed many of Eleanor's reforms. She wanted to redistribute noble tithes to the people, and she had dreams of alliances with other kingdoms. In Book 3, Chapter 16, he admits that he and Barthelemy felt she was overextending her power and influencing Constantine, taking power away from the nobles who are owed it.

Barthelemy
Although in The Royal Heir, Book 1, Chapter 19 -if you and your friends decide to read Eleanor's diary- she can tell her husband that she is not fond of Barthelemy nor Godfrey, both Eleanor and Barthelemy are not shown interacting much in the past except to exchange pleasantries. Nevertheless, Barthelemy believed Eleanor was a threat to his power over Constantine and as revealed in The Royal Finale, Chapter 16, he received permission from the Via Imperii to eliminate her.

Sigrid Runarsdottir
Sigrid was Eleanor's former friend. Although their friendship was genuine on Eleanor's side, it is revealed in The Royal Finale, Chapter 16, that Sigrid thought Eleanor's idealism made her weak. Eleanor had confided in Sigrid about Constantine's paranoia and the turmoil happening in Cordonia, asking Sigrid to watch over Lena until it was safe to bring Lena home. Eleanor also asked Sigrid to bring Lena home in the event that something happened to her and Eleanor was unable to do it herself.

However, her trust in Sigrid was misplaced. Sigrid gave Barthelemy permission to kill Eleanor because he promised he would be able to deliver Cordonia to her and Cordonia was what she really wanted.

Trivia

 * Bertrand Beaumont mentions that she was friends with Francesco, the Italian statesman.
 * She shares the same name as Eleanor Waverley from The Haunting of Braidwood Manor, Eleanor Harlenay from Veil of Secrets, and Eleanor St-Claire from Crimes of Passion, Book 1.
 * Her three appearances are based on young Mary from Desire & Decorum.
 * In The Royal Heir, Book 1, Chapter 19, it is revealed that Godfrey was responsible for her death.
 * Eleanor is a playable character in a premium flashback scene of the same chapter.
 * In Book 3, Chapter 14, it is revealed that her murder was masterminded by Barthelemy.