Bardelys the Magnificent

A charismatic, impulsive noble famed for his womanizing, Bardelys wagers his estate to win Roxalanne's hand. He impersonates René de Lesperon by taking his papers, risking treason and execution. As romance blossoms, he fights to protect Roxalanne while choosing honest desire over deceit, ultimately forfeiting the wager to confess his feelings.

A spirited noblewoman from the rebellious Lavedan family, she is initially wary of Bardelys' deception and the wager. She grows to love him as they share secret moments at the estate, but is torn by loyalty to her family and social expectations. Ultimately, she marries Chatellerault to secure Bardelys's safety, remaining conflicted between love and duty.

A calculating noble who leverages the public wager to bend Roxalanne's fate and control Bardelys. He presides over Bardelys's trial and seeks to humiliate him, using power and manipulation to serve his own interests. His pride and schemes lead to a tragic end, as he ultimately dies by suicide rather than face arrest.

The monarch who forbids Bardelys from pursuing a marriage with Roxalanne and who later intervenes to save him, embodying the crown's authority and occasional mercy. He represents the ultimate arbiter of honor and order within courtly politics.

A presumed lover whose papers Bardelys steals; a traitor whose name places Bardelys in danger. He dies from injuries before revealing Roxalanne's name, his existence catalyzing the central deception and the peril surrounding Bardelys.

Head of the Lavedan family, a stern patriarch who anchors the estate and its social circle. He embodies the aristocratic code and the pressure of family honor within the royal court's intrigues.

A noblewoman of the Lavedan household, she supports Roxalanne and navigates the court's gossip and expectations. Her presence underscores the domestic side of aristocratic ambition and affection within the family.