I want my protagonist to be not royalty but the plot relies on their father being a king

[JoshRaed]

It’s important that this character be a king because protecting his empire is his motivation, and that this character is his father because that’s a major part of why the main character is like this and the drama between these characters.

Also it’s kind of important that he has one sibling, and also that their mother is his wife and not a mistress. The protagonist is the kings most important child so a true prince inheritor would get in the way of that.

But I really don’t like the idea that this character is going to be a prince, and act prince like. In no version of him i’ve made has that been a thing, and his initial conception was just as this hero guy who’s dad was abusive, and idolized a king. Then I realized this character had two paternal figures he was motivated by the approval of and combined them. It made a lot of things easier, but it means he’s a prince now instead of just a guy who saves people.

How do I change this?

[VibrantFox]

simply have the character renounce their title

[Leyelle]

You are aware that you can have a character be a prince and act like a "regular" person, right? "royal" or "prince" isn't a personality, it's just a societal status. sometimes it's not even a financial status, if the kingdom is poor, or at war.

that being said, do you want him to have been raised by the king or not? if you just want the king to be his dad he could have been raised by someone else for a number of reasons (his safety, he ran away, he was kidnapped etc.)

But remember that rich is NOT a personality. Both of the main characters of my novel are rich, one was born rich, one became rich - they still have personalities that have 0% to do with being rich. Your social status has nothing to do with who you are. You can be rich and humble, or poor and conceited or proud. Just write the character as you imagine him.

[Aleksei]

He can be a bastard. An unrecognized bastard, or a recognized but without merit for the crown. In Game of Thrones happened a lot that the illegitimate sons of a lord serve the same lord, but has not merit to enter the hereditary titles of the lord. For kings didn't happen the same in Game of Thrones, but its your world. You can make it work like however you want it.

[ThunderChicken]

You could put him a few rungs down on the ladder of ascension as well. If there are a few brothers ahead of him in line to the throne it essentially neuters any royal aspirations

[BoomerZ]

Easily enough done. He's from the king's second wife. Maybe not even the second wife's first born. That way he's way down the line of succession but still feels the responsibility of being part of the kingdom.

[NickRowler]

I met someone who was related to a royal line but didn't have a position. I guess they were too far removed from the royal line that they sort of got booted out. I think that tends to happen with the children of younger siblings or if your parent is a half-sibling. Usually royal lines give priority over the oldest sibling, usually the oldest boy.

I would recommend maybe giving the character older siblings. Or maybe make their mother a mistress or prostitute.

[Kelheor]

Protecting the empire and no prince character? Make his dad the head of a military, king's right hand, easy peasy.

[JoshRaed]

Thank you for the suggestion.

[arogya]

How about you go for the plot in which the protagonist lives with the commoners by changing his identity and a fake prince is positioned at the palace (real prince's knight or subordinate). And that's how real prince saves the people and becomes neighborhood hero.