Paschal

A physician in the service of Prince Laurent. Paschal heals Damen's back after the whipping in Captive Prince and applies salves to it daily at the beginning of Prince's Gambit. Although he is largely a backgroundcharacter for the majority of the series, Paschal plays a crucial role in defeating The Regent in providing the final proof that he did, in fact, kill his brother, King Aleron, at the battle at Marlas.

## History

Paschal used to work as a palace physician under Queen Hennike's care, and later as King Aleron's physician, but became the Regent's physician after Aleron and Auguste's death at Marlas.

Paschal and his brother, Langren, were born outside Arles, though it is unknown where exactly. They came to the capital together (at least seven years before the books begin), where Paschal became a physician in the Queen's household and Langren sought a place as an archer in the King's Guard. Paschal soon found himself serving both Queen and King, and was King Aleron's personal physician by the battle at Marlas.

 Before the battle, Langren was excited and went on and on about "a better future" for him and Paschal. He talked about change, and a life of luxury and comfort for the both of them and their family. Paschal does not understand. At Marlas, King Aleron and Crown Prince Auguste died and Aleron's brother became the Regent of Vere. Langren disappears, and Paschal finds out several days later that he was killed in a village in Sanpelier.

The King's household disbanded after his death, Paschal seeks out a place as the Regent's physician, and serves him for several years.

Six years after Marlas, Nicaise, the Regent's pet, seeks him out and gives him a letter for safekeeping. Nicaise is rattled and scared; the letter was stolen, and its contents brought everything into a new light.

It is, in fact, a letter from Langren to Paschal, though Nicaise was not aware of this. In the letter, Langren confesses to having killed King Aleron at Marlas at the Regent's orders. He says the Regent had promised him the better life he had talked about, but instead, Langren fleed the battle and was killed. Before this, he wrote a confession letter, which was taken by Govart, the Regent's man who killed Langren, and years later stolen by Nicaise.

## Appearance

Paschal is described as having grey hair, wearing floor-length physician's robes and a hat like a loaf of bread atop his head.

## Relationships

### Family

Paschal's only family, that we are aware of, is his brother, Langren. It is unknown which one is older or if they are twins. They were seemingly rather close and worked together at Arles for the many years that they lived there. Langren's last recorded words were to Paschal, and before his death he wanted a better future for both of them together.

### Employers

Paschal was, as far as we are made aware, first made a part of Queen Hennike's household as her personal physician for the first years he was at Arles. He was a trusted servant, and eventually served both the Queen and King Aleron. He was Aleron's personal physician by the battle of Marlas.

After Marlas, Paschal serves the Regent (and his pets), although he is trusted by Prince Laurent and the only physician Laurent brings with him when they leave Arles in Prince's Gambit. He is the one who was sent to heal Damen's back after the events at the cross in Captive Prince, presumably as a way to keep it as low on the Regent's radar as possible.

### Prince's Guard

Although it isn't shown that Paschal is close to the men of the Prince's Guard, there is a sense of familiarity between them, most prominently towards the end of Prince's Gambit.

Damen sees Paschal rather often over the course of the three books -- at first to heal his back in Captive Prince, although then he is merely known as "the physician", then to apply daily salves to it in Prince's Gambit, so it won't scar or hurt so badly in the future. Damen helps him tend to victims of the Akielon attack at Breteau. Throughout the series, they develop a sort of friendship.

## Plot

### Captive Prince

In Captive Prince, Paschal is known merely as "the physician" who heals Damen's back after the whipping (Chapter 3). Damen compares Paschal and the Veretian physicians to Akielon physicians as being overly fussy. He is seen in the last chapter when they are preparing to leave Arles in the courtyard, dressed in riding clothes with the rest of Laurent's retinue.

### Prince's Gambit

Paschal is much more present in Prince's Gambit. We learn his name in the very first chapter when Damen is sent to the physician's tent to have salves applied to his back. Paschal explains that it will make it hurt less in the future ("so that you will be better able to swing a sword around, killing a great many people" (Pacat 10)). Damen sees him daily for at least the first week of the book, and they develop a sort of friendship. They eventually talk about Laurent and Auguste, and how Laurent worshipped his brother.

In Ravenel, after the Akielon retaliation attack on Breteau, Damen is sent to help Paschal heal victims -- ironically, since Damen is Akielon. Paschal puts him to work despite this, until a woman hears his Akielon accent and starts crying, hitting Damen on the cheek. A man spits at his feet as the woman is carried out.

After Damen and Laurent come back from being captured by Vaskian raiders, Damen comes to see Paschal, and makes a joke about the rumors the men have been spreading about the adventure -- a show of the friendship they've developed. Paschal tells him he appreciates Damen standing by Laurent.

### Kings Rising

Paschal is not present in the first handful of chapters in this book since Damen is now removed from the Prince's men and rejoined with his own people as the unofficial King of Akielos. He makes his first appearance in Chapter 6, when Damen asks him about Laurent's health after a Veretian boy is violated in the Akielon camp. They have a brief conversation about the future.

He is largely absent from the middle section of the book as well, with the exception of a number brief passing mentions.

Finally, Paschal plays his largest role in the series towards the end of the book, where he steps up to present evidence in accusing the Regent of regicide for organizing King Aleron's death. He tells the story of his brother, the archer Langren, who was coerced by the Regent into killing the King, and was later himself killed by Govart, the Regent's man -- not before writing a confession letter addressed to Paschal himself, which was stolen by Govart and held over the Regent's head for six years before Nicaise stole the letter and gave it to Paschal for safekeeping, before being killed by the Regent for attempting to confront him about it.

## References

1. ↑ Prince's Gambit (*Captive Prince #2*), Chapter 1
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kings Rising (*Captive Prince #3*), Chapter 18