July Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ July 15, 2024
Hello my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your sunburnt host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us Prince Marley from the book The Ship, the Keep, and the Kingdom by BelaJane Crilly. BelaJane is an overtired college student/jack of all trades. She is currently studying for two degrees, (neither of which are even writing adjacent,) and is trying desperately to market two books.
Meet Marley
Welcome to Fable Features! Please, sit.
[Patricia motions at an orange suede couch across from her that matches the one she’s currently sitting in.]
[Marley perches on the edge and starts fidgeting with a crease in the fabric.]
It’s beautiful outside today, isn’t it? I love warm, sunny days.
I usually get sunburnt in weather like this.
[Patricia gives a sheepish grin.]
Me too! I still go outside though.
So tell me—what would you do on a free afternoon in the middle of the week?
Well, before all of my adventures, I would have spent it on a dock somewhere, drawing or watching the ships come and go. I still love to do that any time we’re near a port, but now that I have friends, I’m more likely to get roped into an afternoon of horseback riding.
That sounds relaxing! What do you like to draw?
Ships on the river, landscapes, still lifes, that kind of thing. Calm, peaceful things. I usually wind up doing flowers for my sisters. I tried painting at one point, but it was too messy and not so portable. Charcoal is my favorite. I always keep a few sticks of it and some paper wherever I go.
I love that!
What’s your favorite memory?
[Marley blushes furiously]
Definitely when Katjia—I’m sort of betrothed to her, by the way—kissed me that time in the Keep. I mean, she’d kill me if I said anything different, wouldn’t she? Well, I guess you don’t know her, but I assure you, she would.
No wonder it’s your favorite memory! Haha, she sounds like a feisty woman.
They say our living spaces can tell a lot about who we are. What does your home or room look like?
Right now, it looks like a little tent. When I was growing up in the palace, I had a lovely large room, but it was always chock full of ship paintings and models and anything I could stitch together out of old sails. I spent all my time stuck in one spot, dreaming that I could go anywhere at the drop of a hat, and now I can.
You must like ships then! Have you always liked ships?
All my life. The river running through the capital sees a lot of trade since it runs all the way to the sea and is so easily navigable. I remember the nanny showing us the docks when we were very small, my twin sister and I, and I fell in love with the whole thing—sailboats and rowboats and the big passenger ships, and all the hubbub of people loading and unloading. I was a strange child, I guess, since I barely paid attention to all my lessons and playmates but could sit for hours just watching all the commotion on the river.
[Patricia nods and tugs on a lock of hair.]
Yes, I think that makes sense though. We pay attention and sit still for the things that deeply interest us.
[She adjusts one of the couch pillows.]
If you could make one big animal tiny or one tiny animal big, what animal would that be?
I would love to make dragons small. I know they’re majestic creatures, but even the tame ones still frighten me a little. I know it’s silly, especially since I’ve gotten to ride one . . . I just can’t shake the feeling that they could eat me in one bite.
[Patricia nods vehemently.]
I am right there with you. That’s why I own a pseudodragon—a little weasel-sized dragon—and not one of those regular house-sized ones. I like my fingers and toes as they are, thank you very much.
What’s the strangest or scariest situation you ever found yourself in?
Well, If you know anything about the book I had the misfortune to be a character in, you’ll know that it’s got a lot of action and adventure. My whole life was a strange and scary situation for a while. I’m still not sure myself what the worst part was—being caught in a knife fight in the woods was bad, as was being stranded on a dragon-infested island. I’d rather not think about any of it if I don’t have to.
That sounds terrifying! I’m glad you made it through all that. Would you choose to avoid those situations if you gained the power to do so?
Absolutely. I’d be quite happy to never find myself in mortal peril again. I like my adventures to have more sightseeing and fewer desperate dashes through the dark. The only way I’d be convinced to risk my neck again is if someone I love is in danger.
I don’t blame you! And that’s cool to hear you’d risk your life to save someone you love.
[Patricia taps her chin, thinking.]
If you had to pinpoint one person or event who contributed to a major part of forming who you are today, who or what would that be?
Katjia. Did I mention her already? Being with her forced me to be brave and take risks I wouldn’t have if I was alone. Plus, she was the first girl who actually looked at me—and not because I said something wrong!
She seems amazing. It sounds like your union will be wonderful.
[Patricia brushes some hair out of her face.]
What would you say you struggle with the most?
Not seeing my sisters so much anymore. Especially Mayzin, my twin. She’s much more at home being pampered in the palace, I don’t think she’d like my tent. Anyway, I miss being able to bother her whenever, and it makes me sad sometimes. I wish we weren’t such different people, but I suppose that if she was comfortable traveling everywhere without a load of servants and fancy dresses, she wouldn’t be Mayzin.
That’s true! It’s still hard, though, being away from family. My older sister lives overseas, so I don’t get to see her much either.
[Patricia taps her chin, thinking.]
If you could choose to be famous for something, what would it be?
Absolutely nothing. I detest the bit of fame I’ve got for being the prince who got kidnapped by pirates. I very much love to blend into the background and not have anyone recognize me. Anonymity is a blessing, you learn so much more about people when they’re not pretending to be something to impress a prince.
That’s completely fair! Anonymity certainly is a blessing sometimes.
[He stares thoughtfully into the distance for a while.]
I suppose if I had to pick something else, though, assuming I’m not a prince, and nobody on the street would recognize me, I’d be a famous ship designer. The funny thing is, I get seasick when I actually sail, so I wouldn’t be a famous sailor, but I think I could tell other people how to put a nice boat together. That way, I could still be a recluse, people would just get excited when they saw my name on patents and drawings. And I suppose even if somebody did recognize me, they wouldn’t be surprised if the only thing I talked about was ship design.
Speaking of which, did you know that they’re pioneering a new deck layout in . . .
[begins a twenty minute monologue about ship building. Frankly, I’m surprised you kept him on topic for this long.]
[Patricia listens attentively then leans back against the couch cushion as he finishes.]
Wow. You do indeed know quite a bit! If I ever need a ship designed, I will come to you.
[She glances at her wrist.]
Looks like we are out of time, unfortunately. Thank you so much for letting me interview you, Marley! It was a pleasure getting to know you.
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
Follow Prince Marley on his adventures in the Orphans and Dragons series! You can find both books here. Feel free to leave a review as well to help support his author, BelaJane Crilly.
Prince Marley (art by BelaJane)
See Ya Next Time
Aaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, Prince Marley, for letting us get to know you! See y'all next time.
If you would like to submit a character to be interviewed for a future issue of Fable Features, please send an email to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Fable Features.
Please note that erotica and content with excessive vulgar language will not be accepted.
If you have questions you'd like Patricia Parrington to ask in a future interview, please submit them to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Interview Questions.
Comments