Character Interview: Elric

Happy Tuesday, readers. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing to yourself Prince Elric, main character of Bethany Baldwin’s currently-in-the-editing stage novel, The Prince’s Quest. 

Living as Crown Prince of Linaeus isn’t so bad. Elric can live with the whispers behind his back, and the obvious dislike the servants hold for him. But, without warning, his situation changes when King Rath decides to test his son’s loyalty, and see if he really can be a great king one day.

Elric is on a quest, a quest he would rather avoid. Someone in the small village of Redge is publishing false information about the king. It’s Elric’s job to find the perpetrator and bring him- and anyone involved- to justice.
The prince is plunged into a moral dilemma as he evades bandits intent on his capture, searches for truth, and meets a girl who could change his view on everything.
Life is filled with choices. The problem is, making the right one.

Hello, Elric (Or should I call you Your Highness?), and welcome to Red Lettering! It’s an honor to have you here. To start with, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Elric: Of course. I enjoy reading. I read all the time. I also like to stroll in the garden and visit my mother. I have a younger brother. I had an older one, but he died many years ago. My father is the king of Linaeus, which makes me Crown Prince, I suppose.

Reading is always good. That makes you the Crown Prince… You suppose? From what I can tell, if your father is the king and you are the oldest child in the family… at the time, you’re the Crown Prince. Speaking of your father… What’s your relationship with your him? (Don’t worry. This is a secret revolutionary pamphlet that will only be passed around rebels. Your father will never see your answer. No, not for real. Don’t give me that look. Your father won’t see it, though.)

Elric: I still don’t know about the rebels. But if it won’t be found out… My father and I have a… strained relationship at best. I feel… I know that I do not measure up to his expectations. He has been known to publicly humiliate me if it is his fancy. So, my relationship with my father? There really isn’t one.

I’m sorry. That must be hard, especially since you’re the royal family and most everything would be public, even when it wasn’t intended to be so. Who do you remember looking up to when you were a little child?

Elric: When I was a child things were different. My father was different. I remember looking at him in wonder. He was hero. He was the king. He was amazing.

Wow. The change, I imagine, would be very strange. I wonder if your father changed, not only in your eyes, but in actuality, because of the death of your older brother? But, we should move on. Who would you die to save?

Elric: This is not an easy question. No one wants to ponder death, but if I were faced with it I would hope to save my mother and her unborn child. Perhaps there are others.

A good choice. Though, I wonder if I could name a few others… *clears throat* Anyway. We’ll come to that later. As a flip-side to the previous question, is there anyone you would die to kill?

Elric: I find killing a heavier matter than death. There is no one I would want to kill purposefully. I hope that anyone can change.

I think you’re on the right track. What was a dream you had as a child, and how has that changed now?

Elric: When I was a child I was interested in knighthood. Swords and horses and fighting seemed interesting. But things change. A trip to the library, and witnessing a foal’s birth changed me. If I could have a dream that is not the one set before me, I would like to teach, or be a physician.

Something of a drastic change,that, though not a bad one. I think I could imagine you as a physician. Could you tell us about the girl you met—Anya?

Elric: Anya. She is a lovely girl. I haven’t met lovelier. And I don’t mean her looks. She is pretty to look at, yes, but there is something special about her that seems to light her up. She glows. She is kind, and makes me feel good inside, as if all the bad things disappear when she is nearby. But that is perhaps too much information. She is merely the daughter of the owner of Two Moons, an Inn.

*clears throat* Merely the daughter of the owner of an inn. Right. I can definitely see how the “merely” belongs in your statement about her, daughter of an inn owner or no. In fact, I do think she might make it to the list of people you would die for. Okay, last question… Do you have a favorite story?

Elric: I’m not certain if you mean favorite story from my life, or favorite story that I’ve read. My favorite story to read is The Captive Song. It is the story of a beautiful girl who is turned into a bird so that she will always sing. But with true love, she becomes human again. I just find it to be such a lovely tale. As far as favorite personal stories go… I cannot tell. It would have to be the night my horse was born. I happened to be near the stables, and heard the news that a foal was being birthed. So I arrived in time to see the miracle take place, and Silver and I have been companions ever since. (Silver is my stallion.

Elric: Thank you for having me today.

The Captive Song sounds like a wonderful story. Maybe if I’m ever in the area, I’ll stop by the palace library…Assuming your father wouldn’t mind, of course. Oh, seeing Silver born must have been amazing. No, no…Thank you for coming! It was a pleasure to have you here.

Bethany Baldwin is an eighteen-year-old  writer working on several novels, and enjoying the life God gave her. The youngest of five siblings, she has plenty of imagination to apply to her writing, and adds to her imagination by reading great books. When not writing or editing, she can be found in the theater, acting with Characterworks, singing and teaching children at church, spending time with friends, poking around the internet, and dreaming big things. Find her online at her blog or like her book page on Facebook, or even follow her on Twitter. Jeremiah 29:11

 

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