Ratty Rowley
Question for Roger; we know Em would give up her role as queen to be with Roger, but would he do the same for her ie give up pirating to marry her and be Queen's Consort?
Roger: Of course not. Tarym already has a monarch, what do you expect me to do there? Attend their frivolous social functions and interact with the nobility? I would rather throw myself on my sword.
Besides, it's would never be possible to be her consort. Her country's laws expressly forbid foreign-born consorts.
Dragon Bites
Here's a question for Calypso - why do you have affairs with mortal men, after you have already made your mate in Portunus? Did he do something?
Calypso: Dear girl, it is not so much what he did as much as what he was not willing to do. I find that mortal men are far more appreciative of my gifts than my consort, whom as you said I had made.
I gave him the best gift a god can give, life, and he does not enjoy it. I have never been given one word of thanks in return. If husbands do not give their wives the credit and love they are due, I believe the spurned wife has every right to find happiness and pleasure when her bed cannot provide these.
Toxic-noodle725
We know nothing about [Lady Louise]. I wonder if she's always been timid and passive. My question would be what's the worse thing she's ever done? Anything deep and dark?
Lady Louise: I am very flattered that anyone would consider me as interesting. Thank you.
As for your question, I have never done anything that would prevent me from looking at myself in the mirror. One time, I did steal a piece of dried fruit put on my family's altar dedicated specially to Esculapius, the god of medicine and healing. I was very young when that happened and, admittedly, quite starved, but still, these were no rightful excuses for committing such a sacrilegious act. For an entire week, I was so worried that He would curse me with a disease!
But all gods punish offenders, I ran into a tree while my sisters and I were playing tag in our garden. You see, my family was once farmers before we became merchants, and long before we became a baronial house. We once tended goats. A goat chased me in the garden and I ran for a tree to climb but I ran into its trunk instead. My nose healed crookedly. While I am comely at best, the injury had still devastated me. I made my apologies to Esculapius by doing penance and dedicating my favorite book to His altar.
Keita01 [An online conversation :D]
Keita01: So, other than the pirate series, what other projects have you been working on?
trustnme: nothing really
trustnme: i dont like to focus on different things or else i lose that sense of focus and feeling part of the story
Keita01: How many books are there going to be?
trustnme: 3 officially BUUUUUT for a while now, i'm thinking of making a 4th book that's based solely on roger
trustnme: like an origins story b/c im sooo interested to learn how he got out of Dracon, how he learned how to read and write, how he got his name and ship, etc
trustnme: and im sure LOTS of ppl want to know more about Roger's past
Keita01: Gonna do anything on her parents?
trustnme: i thought about it, but nah
trustnme: but who knows? haha
trustnme: but atm, it's a no b/c im not interested in their story
Keita01: What about the princess? Gonna do anything on her alone?
trustnme: definitely not lol
trustnme: these 3 books are already focused on her enough
trustnme: after the third book is done, i am totally ready to focus on roger haha
Keita01: I'm already mad that Roger is saying "No, we can't be together ever again. You need to rule and I need to be at sea." She could always get someone to rule in her place
trustnme: yeah to be honest, i actually originally wanted that for my ending
trustnme: that she could find someone and then stay with roger but visit once in a while but as i started writing the 2nd book more, i found that impossible for lots of reasons
trustnme: i mean, there's too much instability to leave the throne basically unprotected and roger actually understood this first, weirdly enough
shadows dreamer
If Annalyn had known of Em's wish to stay at sea, would she have been able to be a good queen?
trustnme: Honestly, I don't think so. Even if Annalyn did leave Em alone at sea, she would have been up to her eyeballs in Draconians trying to take over Tarym. Also, she doesn't have ANY experience or knowledge about ruling an entire country.
Remember, Arturus Quiesco favored Em because he wanted her to be queen when he died. That's why he allowed Em to attend all those council meetings, but not Annalyn. As a result, Annalyn mostly went about ruling on her own since the idiots she kept close to her either didn't know about governing or were like Baron Odina (Leo's father) who were only watching out for their own interests, not Tarym's.
Does [Roger] love Callipso more than Em? Why didn't he want his scar healed?
trustnme: Ehh, you could say he is devoted to Calypso. He worships Her. Heh. You can't really call what he has with Calypso love. I mean, spiritually, he loves Her. But physical and emotional love, that's all for Em. :D
As for his scar, I'm sure deep down, he does want to get rid of it, but at the same time, not only does it remind him of who/what he is but also he just can't let the shame of his childhood go.
Can't Demetri and Leo take Em's place? If she fakes her own death she can stay at sea, Demetri has everything to be a leader and Leo has the blood of the royal family running through his veins...
Leo: Well, not only do I have a traitorous family who'd love the opportunity to have one of their own on the throne, but I just am not mentally capable of dealing with the role as king of Tarym. I have never had any training to govern a kingdom, for Onus's sake! I'd be just as bad as—Okay, well not as bad as Annalyn Draconigena, but trust me, you would not want me sitting on that throne.
To tell you the truth, I don't really give a damn about commoners, which is why my cousin is more suited than I am for the job. Em has a good heart. I also despise court life. Sure, I delight in hunting parties and a few parties and the women at my feet…I digress. I may be born an aristocrat, but I would prefer to spend my days as a soldier.
Demitri: I can't take Em's place. I honestly don't think it would be right for me to take the throne. It should be someone with royal blood ruling. Princess Emelia has a duty to her people and her country that she cannot shirk for personal reasons, and she knows that. I know she does. Besides, being a good leader for a ragtag bunch of rebel fighters is nothing compared to being ruler of a kingdom.
*turns to Leo*
Demitri: Would Emelia ever fake her own death?
Leo, rolling his eyes: She'd be mad to attempt it. Frankly, I don't see how she would be able to pull it off. It's not like there's a magic potion that makes a person seemingly dead when they drink it.
*Leo and Demitri share an ominous look*
Leo: Have you ever heard of one—?
Demitri: No, have you?
Leo: Never.
*A tense moment passes before both men share sighs of relief*
If [Em] died, Leo would take the throne, right?
Leo: Gods almighty that Em should die without an heir. If she does, I indeed would take the throne, but I would prefer not to for everyone's sakes.
How did Leo come to respect Roger? I mean why?
Leo: Believe me, I have never in my wildest dreams ever thought I was capable of respecting anyone of Draconian ilk.
Roger, drawling: How very charming of you to say so.
Leo: Shut up you, or I can just take my words back.
*Roger and Leo glare at each other before the Pirate King rolls his eyes*
Roger: Why don't you be the good aristocrat and answer the lady's question?
*Leo scowls at the pirate before he turns a warm smile to shadows dreamer*
Leo: As mad as it may sound, I respect this barbarian because he is more than what I first pegged him to be—
Roger, sarcastically: A sea murderer?
Leo, snapping: And the most annoying half-Draconian to boot. Now be silent. Anyway, Madam shadows dreamer, I have come to grudgingly respect this brute on two accounts. Firstly, I have seen for myself that he cares for my cousin Emelia. Secondly, he is more noble than any of the pretentious highborn prigs in the Tarymian court. As wild and often immoral many of Dread Robin's methods are, I can trust him to protect Emelia with every fiber of his being.
*turns to Roger and sees a black scowl on his pale face*
Leo: What? Didn't like any of that? It's all true you know!
Roger, scowling: I know. That's the problem.
Leo, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands up in the air: Heaven knows why or how Emelia puts up with you, you ungrateful bugger! I even saved your life that one time! And I heard not one word of tha—
*Roger leaves the room in the middle of Leo's ranting*
How could Em's father marry the pirate queen if there's a law that only allows the royal family to marry among the tarymians?
"our ancient laws, set down by Onus and Helena Themselves, will not allow us to accept a consort of foreign origin"
Cecil: I mentioned this to the Politickan High Council of Representatives before. Amelia Kraven was born a Tarymian in Delta Point province, so she is not a foreigner. However, there was some controversy about her becoming queen since she was a pirate before stepping away from that life. Yet in time, she managed to win over everyone's hearts. Her beauty and her charm certainly made quite a few people forget that she had ever been the Pirate Queen, much less a sea marauder.
How did Amelia Kraven get Callipso's map, and the Mermaid's song? Will you tell her story afterward?
trustnme: Not after "New Horizons." *winks* haha I honestly did contemplate writing about Amelia and Valerus, but that will be a looong time before I take up their story.
Amelia learned the Mermaid's Song from Calypso, and that's all I'll say about that. As for Calypso's map, I honestly don't know how she got her hands on it. Some things a pirate can't reveal, eh? :D
Will the queen really be allowed to stay unmarried? She has the duty to give an heir, doesn't she?
Cecil: Yes, she does have a duty to give an heir, but she is neglecting it in favor of Dread Pirate Robin! You've no idea of how many countless nights I have passed worrying over such an issue. Yet Her Majesty stubbornly dodges the issue every time it comes up in the council meetings. She won't listen to me, General Patraeus, or even her barons. There are even foreign princes and dukes as far as Ayshia asking for her hand, but she evades them just like she does her Tarymian suitors—and there are plenty worthy of taking her hand!
There is nothing in our laws that say she is bound to have a consort, but for the security of her country, she must have a strong man who will be at her side and rule with her. She keeps hope that the one beside her will be Dread Robin, but it is obvious to everyone but her that not only would he be unsuitable for such a responsibility as governing Tarym, but our laws clearly state he, as a foreigner, cannot be her king!
Why did the gods make them fall in love only to separate them afterward?
trustnme: To the first question, only the gods can answer that, and it just so happens, Calypso is still around so I will turn that question over to her! :D
Calypso: My dear, I don't know how you developed this gross misconception. Helena and I did not make Emelia and Roger fall in love with each other. That was all on their own choice. Truly, if it were within my power, my darling favorite would never have fallen for that girl. Then he would still be entirely devoted to me.
Our only intent was to bring them together for the two purposes of saving Emelia from being killed by Annalyn Draconigena and having Emelia aid Roger to find the Mermaid's Tear. That is all.
Will Em be handling a sword again? I love it when she fights! Did she get to prove Leo that she indeed was good?
Em, smiling brightly: Why thank you! I've been taught by only the best, save for my mother. As for your first question, you'll just have to wait for trustnme to get off her lazy arse and write more chapters of "New Horizons."
trustnme: Hey! Tell that to my muse! I am merely a vessel.
Em: I haven't managed to prove to Leo, much less show him, my sword fighting abilities. The occasion has never risen. He knows I can use a bow and arrow and throw daggers, but any time he could have seen me use a sword, it was during an attack on ship, and I'm sure he was much too busy keeping his own skin attached to his body than to observe me fight. But who knows what the future will bring?
*turns to trustnme*
Em: Well?
trustnme, avoiding eye contact: Hey, don't look at me. I am not at liberty to reveal too much. You all will just have to wait like I am. Again, tell that to my muse!
If Callipso created Portunus, how could he be strong enough to defeat her? Did she let him cast that spell on her?
Calypso: He is not strong enough to defeat me, silly mortal girl. I am his creator and as the goddess of the sea, I have much more power. He could not overpower me alone. I would never allow him to imprison me in human flesh. He was given power from that hideous dragon god Dragus to make me a weak mortal.
Doesn't [Portunus] feel the least bit guilty? Does Draco have him under his spell?
Portunus: What guilt? I feel no guilt, for what I did was necessary to humans and myself. For too long the seas have been ruled by a capricious being. At one point in a single mortal day, the waves can rock even a babe to sleep, but in another moment, earsplitting shrieks from the winds fill the sky and those once motherly waves turn into giant tongues of a multiple-headed, hungry monster, eating ships and sailors alike in one gulp.
No, I allied with Dragus. I am under no spell. I am no longer under the disillusionment that Calypso has kept me in since I was born. My alliance with Dragus shows how clear minded I am. And now, I will take my place as god of the seas.
Is Salamus really dead? I think his death was rather short and misterious. It could very well have been someone else killed there. Or he could have made sure to stay alive by fake-stabbing himself...
trustnme: Do not worry, Salamus truly is dead. It was short, but not mysterious at all. He tried to escape and got trapped with Tarymian and Politickan soldiers on all sides. So he decided to stab himself than stand a humiliating trial and eventual execution. Also, I'm sure many Tarymians would have loved to parade him alive in chains throughout Tarym just to humiliate the Draconians even more.
Not only have I seen the body. It had even been paraded throughout Peralta amid jubilation, wine, and all sorts of garbage thrown at the body before it was cremated. The ashes were buried deep into the earth. *winces* Besides, if Salamus had faked his death, his body would have undergone a thorough examination under the royal physician, and if he had still been alive, it would have been obvious to the physician that he was.
Mak Hertz
Amelia / Em's father (who's name I can't remember for some reason): How did you meet? A pirate and a prince seem an odd combination (though I guess Roger and Em met, but those were odd circumstances).
Amelia: Darling, I don't know about you, but meeting a pirate is odd under any circumstance.
Valerus: And terrifying. I was sailing back from a diplomatic trip in Ayshia when my ship was attacked by pirates. When they realized that they had the crown prince of Tarym in their midst, they took me aboard and demanded a prince's ransom to my father, who was acting King Regent while I was away.
Amelia: And that's how I found him. He was beaten an inch of his life, black and blue. I thought he was a slave, so I took him onto my ship, the Raven, after disposing of his captors.
*turns to trustnme*
Amelia: Are we allowed to say more?
trustnme: Nope because there isn't more. You just explained how you two met. :D
Cicero: What was your logic behind joining Annalyn's side? Power, I suppose, so in the end that must've been more important than your love for Em. Or did you think she'd forgive you for joining the opposite side when she reappeared (though I imagine you figured she wouldn't).
Cicero: I never intended to go so far on Annalyn's side. It's as if after I did what Goddess Helena wanted me to do (kidnapping Em in order to save her from Annalyn's rise to power), She left me to the wolves. I prayed and prayed for guidance, but like my father and like Emelia, Helena forgot about me. I did what I had to do to survive because I had no one to help me. My father was assisted by the Hawks. Emelia had Dread Robin. I had no one.
I cannot plead complete innocence. Never. I was selfish. I wanted power as well. Annalyn fed my weakness. She made me her closest advisor. When Salamus returned to Dracon, it was I who oversaw every aspect of the military. To cement me to her side, Annalyn promised to not harm Emelia if she should ever fall into Annalyn's hands. And it was not like I would have allowed Emelia to be so close to Annalyn and the Draconians. I had wanted to escape Tarym with Emelia, but that never happened.
I was never allowed the chance to show Emelia that I had not completely turned over to the enemy's side. I can only content myself with the knowledge that I saved her life that one last time from Annalyn's dagger. I can only hope that Onus will judge me fairly.
Lady Louise: (Since you're my favorite lady-in-waiting) What's your opinion on Roger and Em? Do you think there's more to them than they're publicly admitting?
Lady Louise: I am honored by such attention being paid to me today! It is quite overwhelming.
trustnme: Cry later. Answer the question now.
Lady Louise, surreptitiously dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief: Of course. *clears throat* I believe there is more to My Queen and Dread Robin than they're publicly admitting. Everyone carries two faces: who they truly are and who they decide to show to the public. I think My Queen and Dread Robin are very interesting because I am one of few who have been able to catch them when their guard is down. You see, not many people pay attention to underlings they deem unimportant.
I can see for my naked eyes that My Queen cares deeply for Dread Robin, and in his own roundabout (and at times rough) way he also reciprocates her concerns for him. Yet he's a very private man and a ruthless pirate, so it's easily understandable that he would try to contain himself from displaying a softer side. All men do that, really.
However, there's something about Dread Robin that I can't put my finger on. There's something amiss that I can't seem to find.
Amelia: How did you lose the title of Pirate Queen or did you "resign"? Did you just pass the title on to someone else? What was the reaction of the pirates? What did they think about you marrying a prince? For that matter, what did the people of Tarym think about your marrying the prince (or did they not know you were a pirate)?
Amelia: You can say that I…resigned, was it how you phrased the question? I just walked away from my life as a pirate once I accepted Valerus's marriage proposal.
One cannot just "hand over" the title to a successor. The title of Pirate King or Queen is literally earned. As to the reaction of the pirates, would the beginning of The Pirate Wars that lasted for nearly fourteen years until Dread Pirate Robin was bestowed the title be considered a very strong reaction to my disappearance?
I thought marrying a prince was preposterous. Do you know what it means to marry a bloody prince? All the obligations that come with being a princess? If I weren't so in love with Valerus, I would have rejected his marriage proposal. Lo and behold the transformative power of love, eh?
And I didn't give a rat's arse about what his people thought about him marrying me. I'm sure they knew I was a pirate, the Pirate Queen, no less, but as Cecil tells me, I won them all over in time. It does help that I gave Tarym a legitimate heir, not the bastard half-Draconian that Valerus sired before he met me.
How does one get the title. I understand you can gain it by killing the current king/queen, but other than that... is there some way?
trustnme: There is. That's how Roger came to be Pirate King. The entire premise of inheriting the title is to kill, and that's what he did. Because he was so good at defeating his enemies, all the pirates branded him as the most powerful pirate in their midst. Hence why he was unwillingly given the title of Pirate King. Everyone just acknowledged him as it.
How he became Pirate King is something I would love to explore after The Pirate's Legacy series is over. *winks suggestively* :D
Roger: I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you. Will you marry me? I'll leave my husband behind, you can leave Em behind and we'll live at sea forever (though I've never really been overly fond of boats and I'd prefer a pool to the ocean, but I'm willing to work with you on that).
Roger: …
*the room is suddenly filled with the sounds of a door slamming hard*
trustnme: Heh. Yeah, I'd take his leaving as a resounding no. ^_^;; Gotta give him credit; it means he never intends to abandon Em! Heh…