An interview with the main characters of The Heart of the King (Painted Wind #1)

Rigan North

Many thanks to WhiteFire Publishing's amazing acquisitions editor, Janelle Leonard, for coming up with these interview questions!

Background & Identity

1. Tell us about your life before all this prophecy nonsense. What did a good day look like in the graveyard? I mean, soft dirt is as good as it gets in a graveyard. Not the thick, dense clay that is difficult to dig through and cakes onto everything in sight (have you ever tried to clean mud out of wool?). That, and when a deceased person’s relatives leave food parcels for their grave. Missus Yulish’s baking is easily the best. I mean, someone’s gotta eat it, or the animals will just raid it…and I always put in a good word with the deceased so their ghost won’t haunt the village or something. Not that I believe in that stuff…

2. Do you think being invisible to the world gave you a kind of power? Or just made you lonely? I think I know how my friend Sulay would answer this question for me… I mean, I wasn’t lonely in the graveyard…I had over two hundreds ghosts for company. :D But even loneliness is preferable to being rudely kidnapped and forced from your home against your will because of some mad seer’s prophecy.

3. If someone told you that you were meant for greatness a year ago, what would you have done—laughed, run, or punched them? Ha! Definitely punched them. Or maybe hit them over the head with my shovel.

4. What’s the one thing no one ever bothered to ask you—but they should have? “Do you have enough food, Rigan?” After a hard day digging graves, nobody wants to have to cook. And cooking for one is just…sad. But you don’t see the villagers turning up with food for me. They care more about their dead relatives than the welfare of their resident gravedigger.

   
   

The Prophecy & the Journey

5. When you first heard the prophecy, what was your gut reaction—not the one you said out loud? I mean, that seer was probably a lunatic. And when Corcoran told me the truth, I was just trying not to feel offended that he evidently couldn’t imagine me being capable of capturing the heart of a future king and defeating the monsters plaguing our kingdoms. Of course, he doesn’t think like that nowadays. *winks

6. Is there a part of you that wants it to be true? Or do you just want to survive it? If it’s true, then I have a whole lot of work ahead of me…and there’s a bunch of people after us. So, survival is the main thing on my brain right now.

7. If someone gave you a chance to walk away from this whole mess, never be hunted, and live quietly...would you take it? Depends on which Rigan you’re asking. The Rigan at the end of the first installment of my story…well, that’s a spoiler, now. 😉 

8. What’s more dangerous—what’s in your future, or what’s in your heart? What’s in the future is the thing that’s mostly trying to kill me. Who has time to look into their heart when you’re running for your life?

   
   

On Power, Fear & Monsters

9. Have you ever felt the Shro Khan’s influence up close? What did it feel like? You’ll have to read my story to find out this one. Needless to say, it was not a pleasant experience. And I daresay Corcoran will agree with me.

10. Do you believe people are just as capable of monstrous things as the Khan? Absolutely. Some of the worst monsters I know are human. Prince Radek is one of them.

11. What’s something you fear people might discover about you? You really think I’m going to admit that here? Queen Thora (you’ll meet her in my story) would say I’m afraid of opening up my heart to reveal how deeply I care about things. About people. But opening your heart up equals getting hurt. Why show your most vulnerable places to people who’ll only stab you there?

12. What makes someone strong in your eyes—and do you think you are? Well, not kidnapping people is a start. Standing up to tyrant kings like Morlath is impressive in my eyes. I wouldn’t say I’m strong—just focused. I like to get my own way, and I won’t apologize for that.

    
    

Love & Loyalty

13. Aureus Corcoran. First thought when you met him—and how has that changed? First thought—how dare he confront a woman on her own and try to kidnap her? As to how that’s changed, well, you’ll have to read my story. 😉 

14. What’s more dangerous: a man you hate with a soft heart, or a prince who might one day love you? Why would a prince ever love me? is my first response to that. I’m a gravedigger, remember?

15. Do you think love is a weakness in a world like yours—or the only thing that might save it? Definitely a weakness. Love opens you up to being controlled by others. And being controlled is even worse than being alone.

16. Could you ever forgive someone who once tried to control you... if they also saved you? Well, I don’t know…I guess you’ll have to wait and see. *winks again*

    
    

Quickfire Round

17. Burial or fire? I feel like as a gravedigger, I have to say burial. But there’s something pretty magical about fire.

18. Biggest pet peeve? Insolent kidnappers. Who not only kidnap you from your home, but trash the place in the process. (No, it wasn’t me throwing all that stuff—why do you ask?)

19. What’s something you’re irrationally good at? Shoveling, and also antagonizing Aureus Corcoran.

20. Worst lie you’ve ever told? That Aureus Corcoran means nothing at all to me.

21. Finish this sentence: “I’d rather be caught dead than ________.” “…marry Prince Radek, even for the sake of some accursed prophecy.”

22. Do you believe in happy endings? Well, I hope so. Especially if it’s my happy ending we’re talking about. I’m quite happy for Prince Radek and King Morlath to not get a happy ending. And that mad seer who started this whole mess…

    
    

    
    

Captain Aureus Corcoran

Duty & Identity

1. You’re the most feared soldier in Calidore. Who were you before that title? Once upon a time, from about eighteen years old until a year ago, I was a devoted member of Captain Sawyer’s band of Calidorian soldiers. Before that, thanks to a pampered upbringing, I was a conceited youth—arrogant and prone to rash decisions. I’m so glad that Sawyer saw through the bluster. He showed me what it is to be a true leader.

2. What does loyalty mean to you? And where does it end? Loyalty is the bond I had with Sawyer, and which I now have with my own men. It ends with our deaths, I guess.

3. What was your first kill? Did it change you? There have been far too many, but yes, I remember the first. Just like me, he was far too young. Something hardened in me after that…if not for Sawyer, I might have lost myself. Sometimes I still think I have.

4. What’s one thing you wish the world would forget about you? My fearsome reputation. I hate it when people look at me with fear in their eyes. 

5. Do you ever wonder what your life would look like if you’d never learned to fight? If I’d never learned to fight, I never would’ve met Sawyer…which would have been a great loss. So I’ve never really considered that question.

   
   

The Prophecy & the Shro Khan

6. You were sent to stop a prophecy. But what scares you more—that it’s true, or that it’s not? Depends on when in the timeline you’re asking me this question 😉 But at the beginning of my story, I guess the truth of it didn’t matter so much to me given I know the man who “delivered” the prophecy. I’m familiar with the seer’s theatrics. He loves a good performance. 

7. You’ve been rumored to speak with the Shro Khan. Do you hear them now? Who told you that? Of course I don’t speak with the Shro Khan. Only the magice can do that.

8. Do you believe the Khan can ever truly be defeated—or only replaced? I don’t know. There’s a monster on the throne of Calidore right now who’s almost as bad as the Shro Khan. And tyrant kings are easily and often replaced. But I’d love to see a day when the Shro Khan no longer terrorize the Twin Kingdoms.

9. What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever thought under their influence? Fortunately, I’ve never been under their influence. For some reason, the Shro Khan keep their distance from me.

10. If they offered you power beyond imagination... what would you ask for? That’s a dangerous question. But…perhaps simply to be safe. Rigan, myself, my men. Jubilee and her family. And others who have come to be important to me.

    
    

Rigan North

11. What was your first honest thought when you saw her? Not the one you said—the truth. I’m ashamed to think of it now, but something along the lines of an internal observation that she wasn’t the woman I’d expected…hardly the kind to capture the heart of a king, anyway. How wrong that thought turned out to be.

12. Why didn’t you kill her when you had the chance? I never wanted to kill her, I promise. King Morlath wanted me to bring her to him alive. I would never kill an innocent woman. Though I’m still mightily ashamed I agreed to kidnap one.

13. She’s unpredictable, disobedient, reckless. Why can’t you walk away? Well, I had to bring her to the king, or he would have killed both me and my men. Otherwise, I might well have left her in her cottage…in the beginning, at least.

14. Is she a weakness—or the only thing keeping you human? Rigan would say she’s both. I’ll leave you to work out my conclusion when you read my story. *winks

15. Would you betray your king to protect her? Again, you’ll have to read my story. No spoilers here! 😉 

    
    

Haunted Past, Hidden Heart

16. What’s your greatest regret—and does anyone know it? I wish that I could have saved Sawyer from death. Every time I see Jubilee and the children, I wish it were me that died that day, and not him. I don’t think anyone knows that, though they’ve probably guessed.

17. Is there someone you failed to save? Does their voice still follow you? You’ve pre-empted me on this one—but yes. Sawyer’s voice will be with me until the day I die.

18. What part of yourself do you fear Rigan might see? Well, I haven’t exactly showed her many good parts, given I kidnapped her on our first meeting.  

19. Do you believe you’re a good man—or just a useful weapon? How can I be a good man after all I’ve done? But if I have things my way, I’ll no longer be just a weapon in the hands of the king. I’ll be my own man. A man who protects rather than hurting others.

20. What scares you more: dying—or being remembered the wrong way? Definitely the latter. I’d hate to be remembered as Lord Slainmore forever.

Quickfire Round

21. Honor or victory? Sawyer would say honor. But too often, I’ve chosen victory.

22. Silence or truth? Sawyer would say truth. But I’m fighting not to keep choosing silence.

23. Who would you take into a battlefield: a prophet, a thief, or a liar? Prophets are useless creatures, the Chief Seer most of all. As for the rest…how about a good, sturdy sword instead? And my favorite rifle?

24. What do you see when you look in a mirror? A shadow of the man that Sawyer was.

25. Finish this sentence: “I was made for ________.” “…better things than I’ve pursued to date.”