Are you a morning person, or more of a night owl?
Although I appreciate the discipline of early rising, I’m better able to find peace and quiet in my estate at night.
What’s the first thing you notice about a person when you meet them?
How someone moves tells me what kind of strife their body is under: where their ki is blocked and how I would soothe it.
You see a huge spider in your room, what do you do?
It’s safer here than most other places, but only until my father finds it. If I can, I’ll find a way to smuggle it somewhere safe.
If you could go back and change one decision you made in the past, what would you change?
It’s a futile question. I can’t change the past, and I can’t know what would happen if I did. I prefer the present.Tell me about your first kiss.
Not possible, I’m afraid.
Do you give people second chances?
No.
Are you a cat person or a dog person?
They’re both on paths that aren’t mine. I respect them both, intellectually and spiritually. My father has viscerally put me off dogs.
Do you think you’re attractive?
Rugged, but I’m sure the physique makes up for a lot.
What’s your worst habit?
Pissing off my father.
When was the last time you cried?
When I first managed to make a spiritual connection to my ki, I think I cried for over an hour. Usually I work through my emotions by meditating or exercising instead.
Are you a good liar?
No.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Aggression.
Have you ever had your heart broken?
Only as a child.
Are you more likely to use your fists or your words in an argument?
Is that a trick question?
What’s something you’re naturally good at?
Standing my ground. Even my father struggles to shift me when it comes down to it.
What’s something you had to work hard to be good at?
Patience, and the spiritual awareness that it allows.
Can you tell when someone is flirting with you?
If I’m paying attention.
Do you think money can buy happiness?
It certainly didn’t for me.
Do you believe in destiny?
I don’t believe it matters either way.
Are you a good cook?
No, not really. I’ve tried cooking for myself since I became a vegetarian, but I’m slow and inexpert. These days I have an arrangement with the kitchen staff.
What do you think happens after you die?
I neither know nor wish to.
Did you have to grow up fast?
It was that or become another weapon of my father’s.
Who do you look up to?
When I first discovered what turned out to be called ki, I looked up everything I could find about it. There used to be a whole order dedicated to tending to the flow of ki between all living things, guiding creatures and individuals and civilisation peacefully towards the Garden Beyond the Stars. The Order of the Garden doesn’t exist any more, but a lot of their scrolls are still around.
When you go to a tavern, what do you order?
Ale if it’s late. Water if it’s early.
What do you like most about yourself?
That I haven’t become my father.
What do you like least about yourself?
That I haven’t been much help against him either.
Do you want kids someday?
Perhaps, but not any time soon.
Are you a planner or more spontaneous?
I like to keep to a disciplined regimen. It’s one of the few ways I fit in with my family.
Can you keep a secret?
No. My siblings know better than to ask.
Do you like being the centre of attention?
Not in this place.
If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
Probably go AWOL and find somewhere to meditate where my father wouldn’t find me.
Do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?
There’s something infuriating about the artificial extravagance of court clothes. So no.
Where do you feel safe?
I’ve worked to make myself a safe place. Nowhere else was going to be.
Do you love or hate being alone?
Peace at last. I’ll take it.
What’s the last nightmare you remember having?
They’re always about my father hurting the rest of my family. Most recently it’s been my mother.
Do you admit to mistakes when you make them?
I suppose. Not to everyone.
Do you want to grow up to be like your parents?
Blood and iron.
How do you deal with being sick? Are you stoic or super whiney?
It will pass. Usually quickly.
What did your parents expect from you when you were born?
Violence. Unending, bloody violence.
Do you have a strong sense of style?
I suppose so. I’m the only person at court who dresses like this, anyway. There’s an elven plantweaver a little further down whom I contract as a tailor. I showed him some of the old Gardener images on the Order of the Garden scrolls.
Would you rather camp outdoors or stay the night in an inn?
The one and only thing I will give my father is that he’s right about camping, although he does it for the wrong reasons.
Is there a food that most people like but you absolutely hate?
I’m the only one of my family that doesn’t care for meat, although it’s more an ethical disgust than a matter of taste.
Are you more of a hoarder or a minimalist?
I find minimalism simpler.
Are you superstitious?
No. I tried it as a kid, but it didn’t work. My father was still the same.
Are you the kind of person who remembers people’s birthdays and pet’s names and stuff?
I appreciate the mental exercise, and there isn’t much else to practise on around here that isn’t unpleasant to think about.
What do you do to feel better when you’re sad?
Meditation. Pull-ups. Meditation while doing pull-ups.
Is it hard for you to trust someone?
Almost impossible.
Are you susceptible to peer pressure?
Look from me to my family and then ask me that again.
If you decided to stop adventuring and settle down, what kind of job would you take?
Something physical, that didn’t require talking to people. Gardener, maybe.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Impossible to hurt. We all did, in our own ways.
