Character Breakdown - Blood of the Prince: Garret
Monday, January 21, 2019
Garret, the Warden …
A veteran soldier in Denion’s army, Garret was appointed by King Yulin as the Sergeant Warden over his oldest son and heir, Prince Galin. Possessed of a soldier’s single-mindedness and his own practical nature, Garret was a strong influence in the prince’s life.
We know by ‘old man’ Patrin’s diary entries that Garret had a son named Tellen, who drowned sometime after his passing. His grandson, Hefft, fell into Patrin’s care and left with him on his final mission, but was later abandoned in Portis Doha because Patrin didn’t believe he was strong enough to face the challenges ahead. Though, it is possible that Patrin did this in consideration of Hefft’s young son, whom was traveling with them and hadn’t fared well on the long journey south through the Grandwood.
Garret appears to be have been a simple soldier, with nothing notable beyond his skill as a swordsman. It is not know why King Yulin specifically chose him to be Galin’s guardian, but there is some speculation that they were former acquaintances. Because of his age it is possible that Garret was involved in the Second Boar War, but we do not know the dates of his service and in his diary Patrin never provides much detail on Garret’s life prior to meeting him.
During younger Prince Halin’s bid for the throne Garret proved his loyalty to be incorruptible. He was with Galin during the entirety of his exile, and remained with him once they returned in secret to Denion and became a conspirator to place him back on the throne. We have Patrin’s diary notes showing that he was trained by Garret in swordsmanship, and while it’s never implicitly stated it seems obvious that he trained Xadik and others that Galin found useful. He is also a skilled woodsman, often teaching Patrin about surviving in the wilderness.
Author’s note: I’ve always seen Garret as being more moral than Galin, but his devotion to the prince and his loyalty to the now dead King Yulin will always win over his better judgement.