Bernadotte

## Profile

The latest in a lineage of knights sworn to Valm and its royalty, Bernadotte is Valerie's retainer and adoptive father figure following the death of both her parents, Prince Rudal and Princess Penelope, as well as her grandfather, Emperor Walhart. Having known the late emperor since the two were young men and peers of nobility, Bernadotte had always been an earnest and trusted confidant for Walhart, and as such was the natural choice to raise Valerie in secret on Novis island while Valm was at war with the Halidom of Ylisse.

An outwardly gentle yet scrupulous man, Bernadotte is of course the backbone of Valerie's army and as such serves many duties both on the battlefield and off it. His roles include (but are not limited to) cooking, the inspection and training of troops, counsel to Valerie and the overseer of the army's convoy during transit.

## Past

While Bernadotte shares little of his past with people other than Valerie, he is fond of reminiscing about his days spent with Walhart, when the two were known across their hometown as dashing young tearaways, in no rush to take up the stations that their noble heritages decreed to be their birthright. However, as the two became more scholarly as young men, particularly regarding the conflicts of old, their worldviews began to take shape. Being a few years younger than Walhart, Bernadotte naturally became enamoured with his ideals on the place of man in a world overseen by decadent and negligent gods, leading to him enthusiastically embracing Walhart's goals during Valm's attempted conquest of its neighbours. While Bernadotte respected Walhart for his unwavering resolve and rigorous principles, he was in turn respected by Walhart for his integrity and ability to command authority over his peers with calm words and a cool head rather than war cries of burning passion.

Besides Walhart, there was one other figure who was crucial to Bernadotte's growth as a young man, being his first and only love. Studying as a scholar alongside Walhart and Bernadotte, Emmeline was already doted on by much of her hometown for radiant beauty and serene demeanour, but caught the eye and heart of Bernadotte due to her smarts and strength. While groomed from an early age to be a lady of the highest breeding, Emmeline's childhood passion was for fencing, and could give both her besotted and his friend stiff competition in a sparring match, even when the two men opted to use a lance. After Emmeline fell for Bernadotte due to his chivalrous nature and keen sense of justice, the two became engaged much to the enthusiasm of Walhart, who promised Emmeline a place as one of his courtiers and magistrates when he ascended to Valm's throne.

Unfortunately, Emmeline would be stolen from Bernadotte and the world before Walhart became emperor due to a rare but deadly illness contracted through unknown means. Although the two were able to hastily marry and even consumate their union before the affliction became too debilitating, Emmeline was ultimately unable to bear a child and passed away only a few years afterwards, with Bernadotte swearing to her on her deathbed to never remarry, staying true to the woman he loved more than anyone else in the world.

## Present

Following news of the late emperor’s death almost 18 years ago, Bernadotte has been training Valerie and some of the friends she had made on Novis in secret from the rest of the world in preparation for her to retake the Valmese throne and put an end to the civil war raging across the continent. While it has been several years since he revealed the truth of Valerie’s heritage to her (having acted as her grandfather during her formative years, albeit somewhat contentiously), he is still often affectionately referred to by Valerie as “gramps” due to his love and treatment of Valerie as if she were one of his own, despite his station and the formalities he feels he must maintain.

After it is decided that Valerie’s training is complete and she is ready to reveal herself to the world as Valm’s rightful empress, Bernadotte continues to serve and accompany Valerie on her journey to unify the land, acting as Valerie’s second in command and an irreplacable pillar in the Liberation. As events unfold and revelations are made, Bernadotte has to overcome his struggles of reconciling his beliefs that humanity must rise above and reject the gods with the reality that Valm can only become whole again through the restoration of its covenant with the Divine Dragons, as well as acknowledging the hurt and trauma his erstwhile friend had caused the continent in his quest to unite the world against the Fell Dragon, Grima.

## Personality

Bernadotte is best described as a kindly but committed lieutennant. While he is very rigorous in his training of both himself and other soldiers, often working others to exhaustion in training exercises when the campaign allows him to, he is always encouraging to those around him and will never turn away those in genuine need, regardless of whether the problem is one’s technique with a blade or the matters of the heart. Respecting service and integrity above all else, Bernadotte strives to raise the next generation ever higher, but most importantly to ensure that Valerie’s goal is met and her life kept safe at all times.

However, Bernadotte is not infallible. Having spent most of his life admiring Walhart from his side, Bernadotte became blind to the Conqueror’s flaws and more opposed to any kind of criticism of the man or his bloodline. During Walhart’s life, there were often times where Bernadotte would offer comfort to a victim of Walhart’s forceful philosophies, only to tell them that the emeperor’s actions were necessary for the salvation of the world, even if the world could not see it yet. After Walhart’s death, Bernadotte’s blind admiration only intensified due to his grief, becoming susceptible to indignant outbursts directed at those who so much as questioned Walhart’s legacy.

While Bernadotte had raised Valerie on tales of her grandfather’s greatness, it was ultimately Valerie who helped Bernadotte accept Walhart’s legacy in its entirety, as their journey across Valm allowed them to witness the strife Walhart caused those who resisted him firsthand. However, while Bernadotte eventually had to accept Walhart’s legacy was far from perfect, he also found vindication and solace in hearing the tales of those who saw the courage and resolve in Walhart‘s ambition, as well as those who had faithfully served him. After years of grieving, Bernadotte was ultimately able to find peace and an even deeper respect for the man who was willing to turn the world against him in order to save it.

## Supports

Due to his commitment to his deceased beloved, Emmeline, Bernadotte is unable to achieve an S rank with any of his Support partners. However, when an A+ rank is achieved with Valerie, Bernadotte gains access to the Skogul class. This class is exclusive to Bernadotte.

* Valerie

## Personal Skill

Seasoned Fighter - When unit does not possess weapon triangle advantage, Hit, Crit and Avoid are increased by 10%.

## Roster Entry

A mild-mannered but strictly focused and efficient veteran knight whose advanced age is hidden behind a remarkably healthy complexion. Having known Emperor Walhart since their youth, he was the natural selection for Valerie’s retainer. The earliest riser. Born on January 10th.

## Possible Endings

Bernadotte - Guardian Knight

Following the war’s end and Valerie’s ascension to the throne, Bernadotte continued serving as Valerie’s retainer and counsel, even becoming a retainer to her children. Living to a grand old age, it is said that Bernadotte’s years were never reflected in his unchanging face, no matter his health.