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Benedict is a man of contrasts. The greatest warrior Shadow has ever seen, he is also, in his own little way, a landscape gardener and a composer, as well as a violin virtuoso. Benedict is capable of sudden disappearences lasting decades, and of distracted silence that may go on for days while he thinks through some minor problem on his way to perfecting the art of warfare. While his silence is generally ignored, his speech is always to the point. His finest speech is recorded for posterity, both here and engraved on his cigar lighter, and is known to survivors as 'The Zippo Speech'.
Benedict is the oldest surviving son of Oberon, born to his first wife Cymnea. Hence he is technically by old Amberic law the only member of the family allowed to take the title 'Prince Barriman'. Nobody who wishes to maintain a whole skin brings Benedict's parentage into question. He has a filthy temper when angered, and angers easily.
Prince Barriman is the lover of Hazard, who was crowned King despite being female. Benedict was recently arrested, by Rinaldo's order and probably on Julian's instigation, for seducing Hazard. He was found guilty, but spirited away by a fan club to start a rebellion against Rinaldo. He and Hazard, then joint heir to the throne, were railroaded into pushing for power, to prevent Benedict's execution. Benedict has sworn retribution on whoever did it, and as he is known to have put the blood curse on at least one family member, those who heard him shuddered to hear.
At the moment of Crowley's death, when each of the family members who were alive at the time were cursed, Benedict was told: "You, my little bastard boy, by action or inaction, will bring harm to anything you would seek to protect." Now, offered Hobson's Choice, he's rather unsure as to what he should do about life in general. What may be worse is that thanks to those words it is rumoured he is not after all the son of Oberon.