7 Ways to deal with an unwanted heir

1-Murder Most Foul

The simplest thing to do is to arrange for the young heir to be foully and quietly murdered and the body hidden, like Richard the Third is said to have done to the Princes in the Tower.  Or just have the heir locked up and starved to death. But if the news leaks out, you will not be looked on at all favourably by your subjects as nobody likes a child killer.

2- Hidden Murder

There are other ways to murder an inconvenient heir without it being obvious. Poison in the food or drink, covert exposure to someone with a deadly disease, a hunting trip that ends up with an arrow hitting the heir, and other such things and if done in the right way, it will just seem unfortunate rather then a child murder, and won’t damage your new royal reputation.

3-Exile

You don’t have to murder or maim the heir if you just send him into exile, and people will admire you for how merciful you are. But it might bite you in the backside decades later when the now adult heir comes back at the head of an army to try and topple you and regain his rightful throne back.

4-Mutilation 

Have the unwanted heir blinded so he is rendered unfit and unable to rule, and castrated so he cannot birth children of his own, and then you don’t have to murder him or lock him up as no one will try and place a blind man on the throne. It will also terrify anyone plotting to oppose you. It won’t gain the love of your subjects however.

5-Gender Change

If you have something like the Staff of the Daughter you can use its magic to change the heir into a daughter. Historically, it was very rare for Queens to hold actual royal power in their own right, and the new princess can be married off to a foreign prince or King to seal an alliance or otherwise gain influence abroad.

6-Lock Him Up

You could simply have the unwanted heir thrown into prison without murdering or mutilating him or starving him to death- but should he later manage to escape or fall into the hands of your political opponents, he will be a living symbol for your political opponents to rally around as the rightful King by blood. At worst, this could cause a Civil War in the long term and you might be overthrown and killed.

7-Adoption 

One ingenious way to deal with an unwanted heir if he is young enough is to adopt him as your heir and bring him up to support you and not get unwelcome ideas about getting his throne back whilst you are still alive. But if you have any legitimate sons, they will be jealous and annoyed that you are choosing him above them, when they are after all your own children. If you have no legitimate sons however, this is a good way of preventing problems.