Alexander III is a former King of Ravka. He was succeeded by his second son Nikolai.
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Appearance and Personality
The king is described as a middle aged man with watery blue eyes, a weak chin, and broken blood vessels in his nose. He is often insulted by his court members, since he is naive and easy to manipulate.
History
Shadow and Bone
Alina Starkov, a newly discovered Sun Summoner, is taken to the Grand Palace to be presented to the king. She hears rumors that Genya, the Royal Tailor, services not only the Queen, but the king as well.
Siege and Storm
King and Queen both survive the battle at Os Alta and escape with the help of their second son, Nikolai.
Ruin and Rising
When Alina and her Grisha arrive at the Spinning Wheel, Alina and her friends try to wrap Genya's identity up in secrecy, knowing that the King wants revenge for Genya's attempt to poison him. But Sergei mentions Genya's real name and it comes to an open confrontation involving Genya, Alina, Nikolai, and the King.
The King wants Genya to be beheaded for high treason and murder, while it becomes clear that he raped her. Genya confesses that she poisoned her own skin, so that the king would consume it when he kissed and touched her. During the confrontation, the King loses his composure and calls Alina a witch, Genya a whore, and Nikolai a bastard. Deeply shocked, Nikolai ends up forcing his parents to abdicate and go into exile to the Southern Colonies, threatening them with an indictment of rape.
