Roland Rafa Holfort

Roland Rafa Holfort is the King of Holfart. As a young prince he was groomed and married into the kingdom's matriarchal court and has spent his reign quietly learning how to survive it. He is publicly genial, privately bitter, and has a fine ear for finding the precise piece of work that is too unpleasant to refuse.

Once he realises Leon Fou Bartfort is far more capable — and far more leverageable — than his official rank suggests, Roland makes a hobby of dumping the kingdom's most thankless missions on him. Diplomatic incidents abroad, internal coup attempts, military emergencies: each one ends with Leon storming back into court swearing at the king, and the king nodding pleasantly.

Their relationship is one of the running comic engines of the series: a king who has at last found a subordinate he can offload everything onto, and a vassal who can't decide whether to assassinate him or laugh.