Alfonso De Carlo

* Book
* Comic

Crown Prince Alfonso De Carlo is the male lead of "Sister In This Life I Have Become the Queen", and the main love interest of the protagonist Ariadne. As the only legitimate son of King Leo III, he is the sole heir to the throne of San Carlo.

## History

### Early Life

Alfonso was the only legitimate son of King Leo III and his wife, Queen Margaret. He already had an older brother, Cesare, but since Cesare was the son of their father through his mistress and not his legal wife, Alfonso was the true heir to the throne, despite being younger. This made for a bad relationship between the two brothers, as Cesare hungered for the power of the throne and envied his younger brother for getting everything Cesare wanted for himself.

### First Timeline

Alfonso was originally expected to marry a daughter of Duke De Balloa, a distant cousin of his mother from the Gallico Kingdom. The Duke’s firstborn daughter, Susanna, was considered an ideal choice for his Queen, but she died in an illness, and her younger sister Lariessa took her place. Lariessa traveled to the Estrcuscan Kingdom to meet Alfonso with the intention of marrying him, only for any marriage hopes to be dashed when Countess Rubina, Leo’s mistress and Cesare’s mother, poisoned Alfonso’s mother, who had been a Gallican princess before her marriage to the Estrucan King. The Gallican royal party saw this as a personal attack on theor nation, and they demanded compensation for unjust death of one of their own. When the Estrucan royal family failed to meet their standards, the Gallican army appriacged the borders of the Estrucan Kingdom and seized the Gieta Reigon with little resistance from the Margave of the region.

This betrayal by the Margave caused public outrage from the people of Estrucan, soarking a new wave of prejudice against Gallico, and Prince Alfonso, who was born of one Gallico woman and betrothed to another, siffered the brunt of it, with people questioning him as a leader because of his lack of impure Estrucan blood. The public demanded that Alfonso’s marriage to Grand Duchess Lariessa be anulled, even forming a tax refusal union to put pressure on the royal family. Eventually, King Leo gave in, called off the engagement between his son and Lariessa, and sent her and her party back home.

After the uproar, Alfonso’s father decided that, to avoid further risk of political loss, and please the people by giving them a Queen of pure Estrucan blood, the next Crown Princess should be from a local noble family with high political influence but no military power and no blood ties to the royal family. Excluding all close relations woth military power, the only remaining candidates were Julia De Baltazar, daughter of the Marquess De Baltazar, and Lady Isabella De Mare, oldest daughter of the Cardinal De Mare, a man of great esteem but no actual political power. Then, as the kingdom fell into decline, King Leo needed the church’s support to end the conflict diplomatically. And so, the Cardinal’s daughter Isabella was chosen to become Alfonso’s bride.

Thus, Alfonso married Isabella, as an arrangement between the families, much to Isabella’s joy. Alfonso treated Isabella with love and kindness, and she eventually became pregnant with his child, although she would miscarry later on.

Alfonso’s world turned upside down, however, upon his father falling ill. Cesare, in an attempt to steal the throne, accused Alfonso of poisoning the King. What followed was a rebellion between brothers for the crown, until Alfonso ended up murdered when his sister-in-law, Ariadne, poisoned him, in a mission to make Cesare the new successor.

### Second Timeline

When Ariadne travels back in time, she meets Alfonso again at Ramboiullet Shelter, where she is staying. He is very kind to her, talking pleasantly with her and giving her his handkerchief. Ariadne plans to seduce and marry him to escape her previous fate. When bringing Sancha back from the Shelter, she lies to her stepmother and half-sister that Alfonso personally asked her to take Sancha in.

He meets her again in passing when she is being escorted by a lady-in-waiting for a change of clothes as a guest of his mother. He brings her into royal gardens and talks to her, and plans to use his teenage rebelliousness to coax him into a secret relationship. He confides in her his troubles, and she consoles him. Alfonso finds himself developing romantic feelings for Ariadne.

He meets her once more in the royal gardens when she arrives at the palace to receive a reward for exposing the Apostle as a fraud. They chat in the garden. She swears her loyalty to him, and he forms a bond with her. However, by now, Ariadne begins to feel guilty for being so nice to him and to know he trusts her so much, since she wronged him so badly in her past life due to her devotion to Cesare.

Their paths cross once more at the art exhibition at the salon. Alfonso sees Ariadne and drops whatever conversation he was havong woth other nobles to chase after her, openly seeking her company. They talk pleasantly, and Ariadne admires some beautiful lavender hydrangeas, while Afonso admires her instead. They joke about stealing one for Ariadne and sneaking it out of the manner, and Afonso lifts her up so she could indeed take one, which she does, while Alfonso is in awe of her beauty.

Later, during the auction, Alfonso bids on the Victoria Nike statue, being displayed by Vincencio Del Gato, promising two thousand ducato on it. Before the bid becomes final, however, Cesare gets everyone’s attention and claims that Ariadne said Alfonso should not buy the statue, suggesting that perhaps the statue is a counterfeit, but Ariadne denies claiming such a thing. When Vincencio asks that she prove such a claim anyway, Ariadne proves it by pointing out that the wing of the Victoria Nike was once broken. When the man insists it was repaired and restored, Ariadne refutes that something broken and repaired would break again in the same pattern if disturbed. She then borrows Cesare’s cane and uses it to topple over the statue. When the supposedly-repaired wing remains in tact as if brand-new, she declares it a forgery, to which Cesare backs her up by asking if the auctioneer is actually the real Vincencio Del Gato. The auctioneer flees from the scene, confirming his guilt in the eyes of the guests.

Alfonso later catches Cesare with Ariadne outside the salon, gripping her arm in a threatening manner, amd orders him to unhand her. Cesare begrudgining obeys and kneels before Alfonso, showing him the proper respects. Alfonso then whisks Ariadne away with a smile. Alfonso asks how she knew the Victoria Nike statue being auctioned was a counterfeit, to which she applied she did not know for certain, but did not want to risk him losing money if it was. She insisted that he owed her a favor in return for saving him two thousand ducato, and requested a wish that she would name and demand when the time arrived. Alfonso agreed, and promised to write to her.

Alfonso offers to be Ariadne’s escort for her upcoming debutante ball. The morning of, he arrives at the De Mare house and sends away Zanobi De Rossi, the escort that was assigned to Ariadne by his aunt Lucrezia. Alfonso escorts Ariadne during her entry into the ball. Right after they make their entrance, Cesare arrives and reads aloud a demand that he, Cesare, be Ariadne’s official escort. Cesare shares the first dance with Ariadne, while Alfonso watches. Seeing an opportunity, Isabella catches Alfonso’s attention and makes it look like he was approaching her, forcing him to accept a dance with her. Isabella attempts to charm Alfonso, but none of her seductions work on him, as he is entranced by Ariadne. After the dance is over, Alfonso immediately takes Ariadne up on the next. At first Ariadne is sure that Alfonso was successfully charmed by Isabella, until he starts speaking in favor of her over her sister. They share pleasantries until, in the middle of the dance, Ariadne’s brasserie snaps, due to Isabella’s sabotage, and her dress rips over her chest, exposing her breasts. Alfonso covers her woth his cape and helps her escape from prying eyes.

Once out of the public’s sight, Alfonso takes her up to her bedroom, where she weeps from humilation over what just happened, as Alfonso consoles her and lets her cry on his shoulder. She expresses insecurity for her body, but Alfonso assures her that she is beautiful, privately thinking to himself how covered her up partly because he didn’t want anyone else other than himself to look at her body in such a manner, and how he wants to keep her beauty all to himself.

Back at the ball, Alfonso overhears Isabella suggest that Ariadne ripped her gown on purpose to show off her body, prompting rumors from the other young ladies calling the younger Lady De Mare vulgar. Angered by such accusations towards his beloved Ariadne, Alfonso harshly reprimands Isabella and her friends for speaking so illy of their hostess. Isabella, with crocodile tears, insists that she was complimenting Ariadne on her body and Alfonso misunderstood her. Just then, Ariadne re-entered the ball and tearfully chided her sister for speaking so freely about her body when Isabella, as her sister, should know how much Ariadne hated having people’s attention on it, turning everyone’s whispers against Isabella.

After Ariadne’s debutante ball, Alfonso returns home to his mother, who tells him that he has received a formal proposal from Grand Duchess Lariessa De Balloa, the daughter of Duke De Balloa, to be his wife. Alfonso is hesitant at first, as because of his developing feelings for Ariadne, but Margaret explains to him that as much as she likes Ariadne, the illegitimate daughter of the Cardinal is unfit is wed the Crown Prince, and by remaining close to her, Alfonso might scare off any men she does have a chance with. Alfonso reluctantly agrees to the betrothal.

At the royal hunt, Alfonso, with King Leo, greets the royal party from Gallico. He seems uncomfortable discussing marriage to a woman other than Ariadne, but maintains the role of the dutiful son and prince. As they wait for all the participants to return from the royal hunt, Alfonso worries that Ariadne chose another man to be her companion for the stroll, before deciding that she couldn’t, as he is the only one who truly knows her, as he is the only one she would truly open up to. His worries are somewhat justified, however, when he sees Cesare return with her, stand up for her in front of King Leo, and speak kindly to her after the verdict of her attempted murderer is delivered.

Despite the marriage negotiations, Alfonso continues to exchange heartfelt letters with Ariadne, and envision a future where she rules alongside him. He invites her to the upcoming masquerade ball, hoping to get a moment with her there, but is instead commanded to accompany Lariessa the entire evening.

Alfonso finally meets the Grand Duchess face to face the day of the masquerade. She seems friendly and gentle-mannered, but he finds she speaks so much of her late sister and nothing of herself. He stops her and tells her that he would like to hear more about Lariessa herself. This simple action, however small, causes Lariessa to fall madly in love with Alfonso, as no one had ever before expressed interest in her over her older sister. She tries to impress him by claiming she won a painting contest, but Alfonso spots her lie and says the age limit at the time meant she couldn’t have even entered, causing her to panic.

At the masquerade, Alfonso tries to keep himself occupied with Lariessa, but spots Ariadne nearby and slips away, desperate to see her. He tries to talk to her, but she tries to send him away. It is then that they are caught by Cesare, who is jealous. Cesare reprimands his younger brother for pursuing Ariadne when he is betrothed to another, and tells Ariadne that Alfonso is unworthy of her attention, that he us merely leading her on, before promising that he, Cesare, will send a proposal to the Cardinal the coming morning to ask for Ariadne’s hand.

When Alfonso hears that the younger De Mare daughter has passed away, he assumes they are speaking of Ariadne, and fears the worst. He travels back to San Carlo, and is relieved to discover that it was Arabella, not Ariadne, who passed away, although he soon grows worried for Ariadne, having just lost her younger sister. He travels to the De Mare household, where Ariadne is the only one accepting mourning callers, whereas the rest of her family are doing as they please in their own private chambers. He consoles her over the death of her little sister, and as they share a tender moment and she croes on his shoulder, he realizes that no matter what, he cannot marry Grand Duchess Lariessa. He promises Ariadne that he will make certain they can be together, no matter what.

## Relationships

### Romantic

#### Ariadne De Mare

Ariadne murdered Alfonso in her first life out of devotion to Cesare, who had promised to marry her and make her Queen in returning for helping him secure the throne for himself. However, when Cesare broke this promise and married Isabella instead, Ariadne traveled back in time, vowing to avoid her previous fate. She sees Alfonso as a safety net, as marrying him is her best bet to a more stable life.

At first, Ariadne only approached Alfonso in her second life with these selfish but sensible motives, wanting to use his favor to escape the doom of her first life. Alfonso falls for her tricks and develops romantic feelings for Ariadne, even hesitating over his arranged marriage to Princess Lariessa because of them. Over time, however, Alfonso’s kindness and warmth to Ariadne stirs new feelings inside her, which also causes her to feel guilt over her sins against him in her past life. At some point, Ariadne decides to protect him to atone for her crimes against him, and later on in the story, his well-being, not her own, becomes her first priority.

Later in the story, it is hinted that he had already developed some feelings for Ariadne in the first timeline.

Isabella De Mare

Isabella De Mare, though born illegitimately, was recognized as a legitimate daughter of nobility due to her mother’s status and de facto marriage to the Cardinal of San Carlo. She was also considered the most beautiful and refined maiden in all the kingdom, and thus had many admirers. However, Isabella considered only one man in the kingdom worthy of her -- Alfonso, the rightful heir to the throne. By marrying him, Isabella would become the highest-ranking lady in the kingdom, and her name would be honored for herself instead of her family. Thus, Isabella refused to accept a lesser man as her husband, which is why she used Ariadne to get out of marrying Cesare.

After an incident ended Alfonso’s engagement to Princess Lariessa, he was arranged to marry Isabella, much to her joy. She met her goal, marrying Alfonso in a lavish ceremony and becoming the Crown Princess, just like she wanted. She later became pregnant with his child, although she later miscarried. However, Isabella’s plans to become Queen were disrupted when her half-sister and rejected suitor staged a rebellion, accusing Alfonso of treason and later murdering him. But things worked out for Isabella, at least in this timeline, when eight years later, Cesare, now the rightful successor, proposed to Isabella again, and this time she accepted. After marrying Cesare, she visits Ariadne in the tower and confesses that she didn’t care about Alfonso’s murder, since he could no longer make her the highest woman in the land as she’d hoped, making it clear that she only loved Alfonso for his status and power.

After Ariadne travels back in time, Isabella is still dead set on marrying Alfonso and becoming the Crown Princess, which is why she supports Ariadne coming back into the house. She makes several attempts to catch his eye, but in this timeline, he is in love with Ariadne, and all her attempts to seduce him end up failing.

#### Princess Lariessa De Balloa

Alfonso was unofficially engaged to marry a daughter of Duke De Balloa, a distant cousin of his mother from the Gallico Kingdom. At first, he was set to marry the firstborn daughter, Susanna, but she died young, and her younger sister Lariessa was next in line. Upon meeting her, he found she spoke highly of her late sister, and instead expressed interest in her and asked for her interests and accomplishments. This single act of kindness and courtesy made Lariessa fall madly in love with him to the point of obsession, as no one before had expressed interest in her over her sister.

In the first timeline, an incident disrupted the engagement, canceling the marriage. Lariessa returned to the Gallico Kingdom unmarried, and Alfonso’s marriage to Isabella was arranged. In the second timeline, the incident was avoided, and Lariessa’s engagement to Alfonso continued, only for it to end anyway when Alfonso chose to break it off.

### Familial

#### King Leo III

King Leo takes pride in Alfonso, his only legitimate child. Compared to Cesare, whom he forbid from calling him father even in private, Leo has adored Alfonso from birth, since he is the true heir to his throne.

#### Queen Margaret

Alfonso is very close with his mother, and Margaret is proud of her son. She confides to him about her past and her lost love. However, she will not hesitate to set him straight, like when she explains to him how his friendship with Ariadne would hurt her in the long run and ruins her chances of a good marriage.

#### Cesare De Como

Despite being brothers, Alfonso and Cesare have different mothers. Cesare’s mother was Countess Rubina De Como, a mere mistress of King Leo, while Alfonso was the King’s son through his lawful wife and Queen. Naturally, this made Alfonso the rightful heir over his older brother, who could only be acknowledged in public as Alfonso’s cousin and not his actual brother. It didn’t help matters that King Leo blatantly favored Alfonso from birth, even forbidding Cesare from calling him father even in private, and Queen Margaret, who had treated Cesare kindly before, became cold to him following the birth of her biological son.

Thus made Cesare hate and envy Alfonso, frustrated that his own lack of legitimate birth kept him from the power and respect that his younger brother was given freely, both by the kingdom and by their father, just because he had been born to the proper mother. When he was rejected by Isabella De Mare, the woman of his desires, and betrothed to Ariadne instead, Cesare was very upset, more so when Isabella married Alfonso instead, giving Cesare one more reason to resent and envy his brother. Despite being promised to others, Cesare continued to see Isabella, his brother’s wife, and profess love for her behind Alfonso’s back.

When King Leo fell ill, Cesare accused Alfonso of poisoning him and staged a rebellion that ended in Ariadne poisoning Alfonso to marry Cesare the rightful successor. Eight years later, Cesare achieved his goal of becoming the King, even taking Isabella, Alfonso’s widow, as his bride.

Things do not change much between the brothers after Ariadne travels back in time. Cesare still resents Alfonso and envies his status as heir. So deep in his envy and desire to have one over on Alfonso, that he actively pursues Ariadne wholeheartedly after seeing that Alfonso has grown an attachment to her, despite having no interest in her before, since he likes the idea of stealing something away from his brother who has everything.