Character Interview: Aven
I step into a sitting room in Havaliah castle. Unlike last time, when the elves and humans—with the exception of Aven and Alexis—were having polite conversations, the room was now filled with tension.
Aven and Jay glare at each other, fire simmering in both their eyes. Lyren rubs his eyes, a telltale sign something stressful just happened, most likely involving his son insulting the humans.
“Good luck,” Maddie whispers and returns to her seat next to Jay on the couch.
I may just need luck before this interview is over. Aven is already in a foul mood.
“Aven, it’s your turn,” I say.
He turns to me, his expression remaining hard. “No.”
“Yes. You have to. We agreed to this.”
“I didn’t.”
“I’ve already announced that your interview is today; you have to do it.”
Aven sighs. “Fine.”
I smile. If there is one thing Aven understands, it’s duty.
He follows me to the library with all the enthusiasm of a captured man entering an interrogation room. I sit behind the large desk and glance at my stack of papers containing questions. Aven sits stiffly in a chair across from me.
“I take it your father is the one who talked you into coming today,” I say.
“Yes.”
“You aren’t happy about it.”
“No.”
“You have to give me more than one-word answers.”
He raises a brow.
Great. No word answers.
“Let’s just get started. Care to introduce yourself to our readers?”
“Prince Aven Torrench, eldest and only son of King Lyren Torrench, and heir to the throne of Bysra.”
“Okay. That was… formal.”
At least he’s talking.
“What’s it like being a prince?”
“Both demanding and rewarding. I spend much time with my father as he teaches me how to rule. As per tradition, I serve in the military as all royal sons do. I’ve earned the rank of captain, so when I am not studying or learning from my father, I am training.”
“That doesn’t leave much time for relaxing, does it?”
He shrugs. “I have free time and days off. Elves have greater strength and stamina than humans, but we are not machines.”
“Machines? You learned that word from visitors from earth, no doubt.”
“Yes.” His expression turns harder. “Visitors who shouldn’t be here. The worlds of Exterrah and Earth are in separate dimensions; let us keep them separate.”
“You know that isn’t going to happen.”
Aven’s eyes narrow.
“Why are you so opposed to keeping the Door open?” I ask, using the elves’ term for the portal.
“Because humans are dangerous. They don’t belong here. I will do whatever I must to keep my people safe, and that includes preventing humans from wreaking havoc in our lands.”
“What if the human is nice?”
He barks a laugh. “No human is nice. None can be trusted.”
“Why do you hate humans so much?”
A flicker of pain and grief flashes across his eyes before his expression shutters. “I have my reasons.”
“And you aren’t going to tell us those reasons, are you?”
“Of course not. You have a rule against giving spoilers, remember?”
“Right. But, even without that rule, you wouldn’t talk about why you hate humans.”
“Probably not.”
“Definitely not,” I say. “But let’s move on.”
“Fine by me.”
“You said you’re learning to rule someday. How does the timeline for that work?”
“An heir studies from the time he is old enough to understand and will continue to do so until the day his father dies. Thankfully, my father is far from a two-thousand-year-old elder and has much life left.”
“Two thousand years. Is that the average lifespan of elves?”
“Approximately. It varies, depending on different things—health, accidents, and so on.”
“So it would be very uncommon for a king to be young when taking the throne?”
“It isn’t unheard of, but yes. It is unlikely.” He gives me an odd look. “Why?”
“No reason. By the way, how old are you?”
“One hundred and thirty.”
“That’s…”
“Not old in the least. As aging and maturity go, it is equal to approximately twenty-five years for a human.”
“So you’re, technically, only around four years older than Maddie.”
“Correct.”
“Does that make it easier to get along with her?”
“Get along?” He shakes his head. “I don’t get along with her in the least. She’s human.”
“Other than that, what do you think of her?”
“I never considered it. She’s human. There is no friendship to be had.”
“Eryna is friends with her,” I remind him.
“My sister has much to learn about the world.”
“Pynn is friends with Maddie, too. He’s the same age as you and a captain in the military. He’s not naive.”
Aven hesitates. “True… But Pynn is softhearted. He makes friends with everyone he can.”
“Your father seems to like Maddie.”
Aven doesn’t have an answer for that.
“Maybe you’re the one who has something to learn. Maybe not all humans are bad.” I pause, considering my next words. “And you and Maddie could probably be good friends if you were open to it. Or maybe you just don’t want to be friends with a girl?”
Aven glares in Elvish. “Moving on.”
I chuckle and glance at my papers. “Okay, next question… You’re a warrior. What’s your weapon of choice?”
“Swords.”
“Back to one-word answers, are we?”
“Swords are what I’m most skilled with. I can shoot the bow, but it is not my strongest skill. Eryna can outshoot me.” He smiles for the first time. “She can outshoot just about any man in the kingdom.”
“You’re proud of your sister, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Eryna is naive, but she has a good heart.”
“And aim.”
He chuckles. “Yes, and aim. She’s as common a sight in the archery range as the soldiers.”
“Someone else is also a common sight at the castle. Tell us about Seriah.”
“She’s my mount, whom I’ve been friends with since I was a toddler. She’s one of our best griffins. Personally, I would argue she is the best.”
“So you’ve been riding griffins since you were a kid?”
“Yes. It’s not unusual for royals, especially boys. I’ve spent as much time with Seriah as I have with my family, though Seriah could be said to be just that—family. She’s saved my life a few times.”
“You use griffins for battles, right?”
Aven nods. “They’re the best choice as they can cross distances much faster than a horse and are more than twice as strong.”
“And they talk.”
“Yes, they talk.” He gives me a wry smile. “And are more pleasant than many people.”
That was meant to be an insult; I’m just not sure against whom. Probably humans in general.
“We have time for one more question.” I glance at my papers. “You have downtime, so what do you like to do? Any hobbies?”
“I love music. I play several instruments, but the harp is where my heart is most at rest.” His gaze grows distant. “There is something about a melody that lifts the spirit, giving a moment’s peace before life’s burdens return.”
That was surprisingly… open. “You carry a lot of burdens, don’t you?”
Aven blinks, coming back to the present. “With the shifters tormenting the people and humans darkening my home? Yes, I do.”
And… he’s back to the hardened elf prince. At least it’s clear there is something beneath that shell, something hurting.
“Are we finished here?” he asks.
“Sure. You can go. Would you send Pynn in?”
Aven nods and slips out the door.
Check back Friday for Pynn’s interview. If there is anything you want to know about the dwelf, leave your questions in the comments.
