Lord Blayne Phoenix

"*Whatever. I'm heading to Karhar City. Have fun moping over your dead husband!*" - The Feeble King (I)

**Lord Blayne Phoenix** is the eldest son of Lord Sigmund Phoenix, the ex-lover of Queen Cynder Von Bohnenrotte, and possibly the real father of Prince Godwin Koopa. He is a member of the Phoenix House during the late 15th century. At the start of the series, Blayne is heir to his father's dukedom and is set to become the future head of the House of Phoenix, which he does following his father's execution during the Battle of Whomp City. He first appeared in the first part of Wars of Frozen Flames, "The Feeble King". His main defining traits are that he is arrogant, selfish and rude, not so different from his father.

Blayne is based on Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset.

## History

### Backstory

Blayne's backstory is, for the most part, unknown. He was born as the first child of Lord Sigmund Phoenix and Lady Maria Windwaker, and over the course of time, he gained access to the Royal Cabinet, where he met Queen Cynder Von Bohnenrotte, who was unhappy with her marriage with King John Koopa VI because he would always ignore her due to his childish distaste for women and thus seduced other men in the Cabinet looking for the love John never gave her, and eventually settled on Blayne. He and Cynder started a secret relationship behind John's back. Cynder was in love with Blayne, but it is shown that Blayne didn't appreciate her the same way she did and merely seduced her in order to make his father avoid punishment for deserting his own troops in the middle of an important battle and grant himself various titles.

When Alfred De La Korde, King John's King Claw, was murdered by a group of peasants during an anarchist revolt, Blayne seduced Cynder into convincing John to give Sigmund the position of King's Claw and further avoid punishment for not taking responsibility for his actions, which would in turn benefit Blayne as well.

### The Feeble King

#### Parts I and II

Blayne is first introduced visiting Queen Cynder while she's watching a deadly tournament by herself. Cynder proceeds to explain Blayne her dissatisfaction with John and his incompetence, after which Blayne thanks her for convincing John into making his father Sigmund King's Claw over Lord Richard Koopa. Cynder starts flirting with Blayne, telling him that they have a strong romantic bond and that no one will ever get in their way. They both then kiss and share an intimate moment. It's implied that Prince Godwin was conceived at this moment and that Blayne is actually his father and not John.

Later on in the episode, Blayne is named Captain of Karhar City by King John Koopa VI, to which Blayne promises not to fail him. Just as he's leaving, he comes across his cousin Lady Jane Phoenix, who is taking her newborn son James to the castle so that the king can meet him. Blayne insults Jane's son, telling her that he looks unhealthy and that he will probably not last long, and when she gets defensive, Blayne insults her too and mocks her over her recently deceased husband, after which he departs for Karhar City.

Blayne shows up yet again during the Loveday feast, where he approaches Cynder after he overhears Sir Theodrick Solberg talking about the king having trouble producing an heir. He later unveils his sword after his father threatens Lord Richard with death once again, causing a fight to almost break out, which is then interrupted by Parakarry delivering a letter announcing that Oho Oasis, and thus their last possession in the Bohnenkraut Kingdom has fallen, which causes King John to suffer a mental breakdown.

Following the arrest and deposition of Lord Sigmund by Lord Richard, Blayne immediately flees the Koopa Kingdom alongside his brothers, abandoning Cynder and the unhatched Godwin. Cynder is shown to be disenchanted after she is informed of Blayne abandoning her.

#### Part III

Blayne and his brothers return to the Koopa Kingdom one year later, in 1477. Upon his return, Blayne is informed of the things Lord Richard Koopa had done in his and his father's absence, and is ordered by Queen Cynder to capture and imprison Tobias and Rickon, Richard's youngest sons. A few days later, Blayne pays a visit to Queen Cynder, seemingly in an attempt to restart their affair, but Cynder slaps him instead, being angry at him for abandoning her for one year and leaving her with no political allies. Blayne excuses himself by saying that he left in order to ensure the safety of his brothers, whom he refers to as incompetent, and that he always thought about Cynder while he was away. Cynder then forgives Blayne, as long as he promises not to abandon her ever again, to which Blayne agrees.

On the day of the preparations for the war against the Kayenne and Sherbet Koopas, Sir Blayne, along with Queen Cynder, Sir Theodrick and Sir Rodrick Solberg, and his father Lord Sigmund are preparing King John Koopa VI for the upcoming battle. In that moment, Lord Gerald Garnet arrives at the castle alongside his baseborn brothers, claiming he is there to show his support to King John VI, but they are all sceptical of him, as he is supposed to be allied with Lord Richard Koopa following his marriage to his daughter Lady Anna Koopa. Garnet, in order to prove his loyalty, reveals that he betrayed and kidnapped Anna, handing her over to Queen Cynder to serve as her personal slave, an act that impresses Sigmund, Blayne and Cynder, but horrifies Rodrick and Theodrick.

The next day, after a series of failed negotiations, the Battle of Whomp City takes place. Blayne fights for the Kayenne forces, being the head of the army in place of his father Sigmund, who hides inside a cottage during the whole conflict. Blayne in particular is the responsible for the negation of the peace negotiations with the Sherbet forces, refusing to hand his father over to Richard and his army, being fully determined to either have Richard killed or imprisoned alongside Tobias, Rickon and Anna. Blayne puts up a significant fight during the whole conflict, but is knocked out when Lord Ghaston Thornton's men strike him and his other allies with arrows by surprise. Ultimately the battle is won by the Sherbet forces, who capture King John Koopa VI and execute Blayne's father.

## Appearance

Blayne is a large Koopa with maroon-red skin, a yellow snout, which is slightly bigger than that of an average Koopa, a red head with two maroon-red horns, green eyes, and long orange hair. He wears a red shell with maroon-red spikes, orange cuffs with red jewels on each arm, as well as an orange necklace.

## Personality

Blayne's personality is fairly similar to that of his father Sigmund. They are both self-centered and unpleasant individuals who badmouth those they perceive as inferior to them. Blayne also shares his father's cowardness, as he immediately fled the kingdom after he heard the news of his father being arrested and deposed of his position as regent. Blayne is probably even more arrogant than Sigmund, as shown by him insulting Jane's son and mocking her over her husband's death, and seducing Cynder so that he and his father could use her to gain power and influence on the cabinet. Is highly likely that Blayne never genuinely loved Cynder either, as he didn't think twice before abandoning the Koopa Kingdom and leaving both her and the egg she had laid behind.