Desmond

Desmond was the king of Bern during the time of Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken and the father of Zephiel and Guinevere.

Role in Rekka no Ken and Fūin no Tsurugi
He was married to Hellene of Eturia, Zephiel's mother, but this marriage was for political reasons and he cared more for his unnamed mistress, Guinevere's mother. Described as a man of average skill and intellect, as well as a tyrant, he was jealous of the gifted and well liked Zephiel, despite Zephiel only wanting to make his father proud at this point, as well as his relationship with his favored daughter Guinevere and actively tried to tear them apart (such attempts seemed to verge on cruel, such as ordering the death of Guinevere's pet fox because it was given to her by Zephiel). This jealously would lead him to declare that Guinevere's husband would be the next king of Bern, but when Zephiel did not mind this, the calls of the common people following would cuase Desmond to turn to another method, assassination. He would make a deal with Nergal's morph Sonia, that in return for use of the Fire Emblem, the Black Fang would kill Zephiel. The plan failed, and some years later Desmond would resort to poisoning Zephiel's drink, causing him to seemingly die. He had planned to blame Zephiel's greatest supporters, Zephiel's mother Hellene and his tutor Murdock, for the murder and exile them from Bern, however Zephiel and Murdock conceited a plan of their own, resulting in Zephiel killing Desmond at the prince's "funeral". Desmond's actions would inspire Zephiel's ideals that humans were an evil race and did not deserve to live on Elibe, thus causing the events of Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi.