Karel van Gelre
Hertog van Gelre Karel Willem Johannes den Ouden - van Gelre, VI (a.k.a. Little Duke)
Karel van Gelre is the current holder of the ring of Gelre. Making him the Duke of Gelre in the eyes of the Order of the Bee.
He is the only child of Willem den Ouden - van Gelre whom only had a child at 67 years old, who his mother is, is a mystery. After the death of his father, 8 years later after his birth, Karel was adopted by the Order of the Bee. And grew up at Doorwerth Castle.
Player
Karel being a naturally easy talker, and playing field hockey since he came to live with on Doorwerth castle which gave him the body of a god. Together with the parties at the hockey club which gave him a great opportunity to hone his social skills. Resulted in Karel being able to wrap almost anyone around his finger and talk them anyone into his bed.
He learned he really enjoyed the challenge, the game. And when he was old enough to go clubbing, playing that game was his favourite thing to do. He didn't care about the drinking, and was generally disgusted by the drunk behaviour of others. Karel could randomly pick a girl in the crowd at the beginning of the evening and by the end she'd be drooling over him. Whether or not she went home with him wasn't the point, even. It was all about the conquest, and had often forgotten about them the next day, not forming any emotional connection. This behaviour didn't make him very liked by everyone. And meeting someone again at a next clubbing trip could make things awkward.
Sometimes it happened that his person of conquest's boyfriend or even more annoying their father showed up to complain. But it wasn't like Karel forced anyone. If they turned his attention down, he wasn't the one to push on. So he couldn't be to bothered by the people making threads and what not.
Little Duke
He actually got his nickname from Aleksey who towered over him. Not that Karel was small, but Aleksey was just very big. The friendly giant and Karel quickly became friends, a different kind of friendship then Karel had experienced before, as Aleksey was too naïve to see or care about Karel's reputation. Karel didn't have to make believe in front of his hockey mates, didn't have to be the grateful warden of the Order, or be their poster boy, for when other guests were over. The rough pirate was physically his better and after they picked up wrestling together Karel learned for the first time that loosing was okay.
Rosalind
Karel's life changed when Rose came to Doorwerth castle. He was impressed by her. She had a wild past, which was a mystery. She clearly came from an origin of power, and didn't let the magistrate of the Order run over her, and they frequently clashed. To Karel's amusement.
Rose did go out with him on Saturday nights, but she was unimpressed by his talking, Karel didn't persue it, as he was living with her, and continued to enjoy the game. Some of his hockey mates tried to hit on Rose, but after one ended up with a beer poured over his head, they avoided her. But at the same time they found an opertunity to nagg Karel about it, why he didn't try. He tried to tell them off, saying he didn't want to because they lived together. Same way as he and Sussie lived together. Although Sussie had come to Doorwerth two years after he had, and they were like siblings, both adopted by the Order.
When Rose brought Aleksey to the castle, Karel finally learned a bit more about her history, as Aleksey liked to tell stories. Not soon after, men in suit in cars with blinded windows arrived and Rose was gone for a month. Even Aleksey didn't know where, and the magistrate didn't tell.
That year's Christmas party at Doorwerth saw many people visiting, and Karel was forced to be the Order's billboard again. Somewhere close in the evening, Rose suddenly puled him into a corner. "You are hating this as much as I am, isn't it?". "yes" he agreed, while rolling his eyes. Rose grabbed a bottle of wine from a nearby table. "They won't miss us." and they retreaded up the stairs.
At the new year's reception at the hockey club, he boasted to his mates about his adventures Christmas night, just like they had boasted to each other many times before, thinking nothing off it. Not thinking there would be any consequences, there never were.
Into the woods
But Rose turned out to be different from the other girls. She didn't send her brother to complain, or slapped him in the face. No, how she actually found out about what he had told about their adventures Karel didn't know, but her revenge was hard. Everybody seemed to know at the same time, all his friends did too. And there was actually no way for him to prove it wasn't true. He could deny but they just laughed at him. Karel, angry with himself, and not used to any of what he was feeling, walked away. He was kicking snow piles and trees, shouting at random birds. Until he was lost.
Two days he wandered around the woods, trying to find his way back, cold and miserable. When Aleksey showed up with one of the dogs from the castle. "You are an idiot Little Duke." Was all he had to say about it when he gave Karel a warm jacket. And after they had returned to Doorwerth, he found that Rose had left the castle with all her belongings. Aleksey left the next day. They never came back. And Karel felt miserable.
I like how you've made this character, you managed to make him seem a tiny bit nice. And ok, maybe he was a bit emotionally hurt after Rose spread that rumour :p
Thank you :) tiny bit nice is enough for now :P