Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Blog, page 24

FIVE GLASS SLIPPERS update and query

If you are here for the Veiled Rose read-along, it is still posted today . . . just check the post right before this one!

But I want to offer a quick update concerning the Five Glass Slippers creative writing contest.

First . . . is there an Elizabeth Ash or someone writing as Elizabeth Ash out there who could please email me (aestengl@gmail.com)? I received a submission form on time, but I cannot find an email address to go with the name. So if you are she, please email me so I can send this form back to you! I don't want to miss reading your story.

Otherwise, the deadline is finished. There are still a few last-minute submission forms coming in, but as long as they are postmarked on or before Dec. 31, they will still be counted in the contest.

I have been reading submissions like crazy for the last several months, but more than 30 stories showed up right at the very end . . . so I'm going to be at this for a while!

That being said, I am hoping that I and the other editors reviewing these manuscripts will be able to get everything read and the winners selected before the end of this month. Which means that the announcement of the winners will be bumped up to February 1, rather than March 1. If this proves to be the case, there will be an announcement here, and I will also be emailing all of the contenders to let them know. So keep your eyes open!

There have been so many absolutely fantastic stories sent in. I am just in awe. Last night I read one that had me in tears . . . of laughter! So adorable and clever. But there have also been romantic stories, serious dramas, a gripping horror story or two, mini-epics, westerns, contemporaries, mysteries, one that put me in mind of a Shakespearean comedy, a handful of sci fi, several dystopian, a couple of steam punks, one time-travel tale . . . nearly every genre under the sun! And no two stories have been alike. All serving to prove the versatility of this classic fairy tale, not to mention the endless inventiveness of all of you writers.

My job is going to be a tough one. At this point, I really have no idea what the final collection is going to look like. I only know this for certain: it's going to be fantastic!

VEIELD ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 8, Part Four

I'm a bit late posting this morning. So sorry, dear imps! I usually try to have my posts typed up and ready to go a few days in advance. But what with the holidays and company, finding time for blogging has been a  bit difficult.

But here I am now, and I hope to be able to keep up until the end of the read-along . . . which is coming up quite soon now! Only seven more days after today. Then, I plan to host a celebration to wrap everything up. What would all of you say to a facebook chat party, the evening of January 9th? Would that be fun?

In the meanwhile, let's dive into today's chapter . . .


PART FOUR
Chapter 8
The chandeliers: This chapter, I remember vividly, was incredibly difficult to write. Or rather, not to write. To begin. We’re quite late in the story now, and everything is building up to the big crisis-point and climax . . . and at the time of writing, my deadlines were looming ever nearer. My deadline to finish the book. My deadline to get wedding invitations in the mail. My deadline to pick bridesmaids dresses (which I didn’t end up doing . . . there simply was no time! I almost skipped bridesmaids entirely, but ended up having my “sister,” Erin stand up on my side, and Rohan’s sister, Rochelle, stand up on his. And I told both of them to simply pick dresses in pretty colors and show up on the day of! LOL. They picked soft yellow and spring green, and both looked very beautiful . . . thus my load was lightened). Anyway, yes, my deadline to pack up most of my belongings and move them, and the kitties (three at the time), to Rohan’s house. My deadline to pack up the rest of my belongings and move myself from North Carolina up to Wisconsin for four weeks to finish planning the wedding.
All of these deadlines loomed. And I was on Part Four, Chapter 8. And I simply could not make my brain function! I would get up in the mornings, down some tea, wrap myself in a dressing gown (specifically a mulberry silk thing with, of all things, cherubs printed all over it . . . don’t ask me why. It was the Veiled Rose writing outfit), and start trying to write. Trying with all my heart!
And this chapter was so memorably difficult, I still get shudders thinking about it.
The practice in modern writing is to primarily focus on the point of view of one of your main character. The theory is, the character in question is going to have the most dramatic perspective on the scene, and that’s the perspective from which you always want to write. This being Rose Red’s chapter, I kept trying to open the scene with Rose Red on her strange raft, out on the Dark Water, making her way to the shore of the Village of Dragons. But for some reason, no matter what I did, I simply could not create the right level of dramatic tension.
You see, Rose Red couldn’t see clearly what she was coming to. While there is plenty of horror in the unknown, I knew that what she could not experience was some of the most interesting and dynamic stuff . . . and I couldn’t write it from her perspective! It was so frustrating, and the scene kept opening so slowly, so dispassionately.
Thus I sing once more the praises of the omniscient narrative!
Writing in the strict third-person narrative is much easier than omniscient, and while in a rush, I tended to slip into third person along the way. But with this chapter, I finally woke up to the fact that my style is omniscient narrative. I am not limited to my heroine’s point of view. I can use her point of view . . . but I am also free to show the reader other perspectives on the same scene.
So, having scrapped the fifth or sixth version of the chapter opening (and feeling the day lengthen around me . . . another precious writing day that could not be wasted!), I opened instead with the chandeliers.
I focused small, on this one features. This curious feature. This enigmatic and rather creepy feature of the scene. Then, slowly, I expanded the view for my readers. I let them see what stood in the lights cast by the chandeliers. I let them see the dragons moving. Then I expanded further still, and let them see the dragon’s dance.
At last, I introduced Rose Red’s approach, not via her own perspective, but via the perspective of the dragons themselves. And suddenly, this struggling scene began to come together. It possessed the right level of fear and dread and elegance. I could see where Rose Red was going, even if she could not, and I could fear for her much more effectively.
Omniscient narrative is so often disparaged by today’s writers . . . but I will never, ever understand why.
A dragon with rubies in her hair: Readers of Heartless will recognize the woman dragon with the long black hair, the one who adorns herself in rubies. We were introduced to her as the infamous Bane of Corrilond, destroyer of her nation . . . a queen of ages past who was betrayed by the man she loved for a chest full of rubies. The same rubies she now wears.
A creepy and tragic character . . . and one whose story I hope to tell, sometime in the next few years! It’ll be a little while yet, but not terribly long now.
They had never seen this lake before. An interesting little tidbit about the Village of Dragons. In Heartless, there was no black lake to be found near the village. But here in Veiled Rose it appears, and the dragons are very curious, having never seen it before. The Dragon himself shapes this dark world in which they live, and so he has provided a means for Rose Red, though not a dragon herself, to access this hiding place of his fiery children.
And they obey their Father’s every command. They dance to a song that is without music, made up only of strange rhythm.
A certain yellow-eyed dragon. Another character we met in Heartless is glimpsed momentarily in Veiled Rose. The yellow-eyed dragon—once called Diarmid—played a fairly important role in book 1, serving as Una’s guide and Felix’s nemesis. He is, of course, another character with quite an interesting backstory, some of which is revealed in Moonblood.
I am delighted to say that, quite recently, even more of Diarmid’s story came to me. I was discussing various possibilities for book 8 with Rohan, and suddenly that conversation spun off on an unexpected sidetrack . . . a sidetrack with delightful possibilities! And now I have yet another novella I hope to write, possibly next year, 2015. I can’t say too much about that one just now, save that the working title idea is: Bright as Fire.
Reacting to the light: The dragons’ reactions to the light of the Asha Lantern is frightening . . . and tragic. Particularly when you recall (as more clearly explained in Dragonwitch) that Asha itself represents Hope to worlds—hope of the great lights and songs beyond the Final Water.
But the dragons have lost their hope. And they hate even the reminder of it.
Her lantern dimmed: When, in her fear, Rose Red actually takes comfort in the familiar terror of the Dragon compared to the new terror of his children, the lantern light begins to dim.
Rose Red is trusting in something she knows and understands. Something terrible, but something she believes she understands. There is, sometimes, a strange comfort in despair, when it’s a familiar despair. A strange comfort in anger, when it’s a familiar anger. A strange comfort in jealousy, anxiety, avarice . . . all the various sins of our lives that are familiar to us, as close to our beings as our own skins.
Hope is less familiar. In some ways, hope is so unnatural to our mortal perceptions that it can even be frightening. And it is unfamiliar and, therefore, more difficult to trust. Rose Red, tired already from her long and dreadful journey, is beginning to fall back on that which she knows for certain. She knows the Dragon. She knows what he can do to her. And she doesn’t fear him as much as she fears hoping that she can beat him . . . and ending up disappointed.
One of the Veiled Folk. Vahe’s Lost One: In this passage, we catch glimpses of understanding about Rose Red’s heritage and past. We even learn the name of her father (though the text doesn’t overtly refer to Vahe as her father . . . it simply calls her Vahe’s “lost one”). We learn that her people are called the Veiled Folk, though we do not yet know why or what sort of veils they wear.
But the hints are there. And, I hope, the motivation to go on and read the next book . . .
The Night of Moonblood. Ooooh, a reference to the next book as well! How fun. I’m sure a bit frustrating to readers who aren’t aware that this book is part of a series, that these are themes to be developed in a later book . . . but for a series reader, great fun!
“Is she the one you seek?” After all these years (which really mean very little to the Dragon when he’s not incarnate, but which are much longer and more frustrating when he’s wearing an incarnate form), the Dragon is still not certain if Rose Red is the “Beloved of his Enemy” whom he seeks.
But he believes she must be, due to the “protections” around her. Due to the knight set to guard her since the time of her infancy.
The knight who is even now on her way down into the Netherworld, seeking her lost charge . . .
Still searching for Daylily: Despite all the fear and dread surrounding her, Rose Red continues doggedly onward in her search for Lady Daylily. She insists that the Dragon cannot keep Daylily down here in the Netherworld, claiming that he tricked and poisoned her—though the Dragon himself insists that Daylily came of her own free will.
No deals! The Dragon offers a bargain to Rose Red—if she can convince Lady Daylily to return with her, then both may freely go. If not, then both must remain in the Village of Dragons with him.
But when Rose Red insists, “No deals!” the Dragon does not argue the point. Instead, he simply says, “Shall we dance?” And he sweeps Rose Red into a dark, dragon’s dance . . .
Cinderella theme continued. This story is not a retelling of Cinderella, at least not overtly. But there are many strong Cinderella themes to be found throughout. (Proving, yet again, the universal awesomeness of fairy tales, which can be reused and revised and resituated in innumerably wonderful ways!)
Here we see our humble chambermaid Rose Red transformed—temporarily—into a princess. Through magical means, she finds herself wearing a glorious ball gown and dancing at a sort of ball beneath shining chandeliers.
So much more than a friend: All the Dragon’s other transformations and enchantments cannot serve to move our intrepid heroine. The beautiful gown she wears, the dancing, the seductive words . . . none of it makes a difference.
But when Rose Red finds herself dancing with Leo—Leo in an idealized, mature form, which may or may not be an illusion—she finds her resolve faltering.
And when Leo, her childhood companion, her master and defender, tells her that she is “so much more than a friend” to him . . . suddenly Rose Red is “unveiled” more thoroughly than if the very veil on her face were snatched away.
We learn at last for certain: Rose Red is in love—impossibly, hopelessly in love—with Prince Lionheart.
And in that hopeless love, she drops the Asha Lantern.
Cliffhanger: And, of course, the chapter must end on a cliffhanger. Rose Red pulls the veil from her face . . . but we will have to wait to see what she sees!
Questions on the text:
1. The dragons’ reaction to the light of hope is tragic and frightening . . . and yet I find it strangely relatable. Sometimes I have reacted similarly to circumstances, angry at even the idea of hoping for a good outcome to something I once longed for. Have any of you ever felt this way? Can any of you relate to our frightening, pathetic dragons?
 
2. The Dragon claims Daylily came to the Netherworld of her own free will. Rose Red insists that it was all a trick and manipulation. Which do you think is true? Or might both be true in a way?
 
3. How many Cinderella themes can you pick out in Veiled Rose? As I said, it’s not a retelling of Cinderella, but there are many familiar themes to be had along the way, adding to the “fairy tale” feel of the whole. Is there a substitute for the glass slipper, lost and found? Is there a substitute for the pumpkin coach, a means of transportation created out of something humble? Is there a substitute for the prince, the ball, the evil stepsister/stepmother? The prince? The fairy godmother? Q&A Catching up on questions from several days past! Sorry about the delay. Do feel free to keep asking your questions, and I will keep up with them to the very best of my ability. Caitlyn wants to know: "Is the door in the cliff on top of the cliff, or is Rose Red looking down to the side?" I picture Rose Red standing at the bottom of a tall cliff, and the door is at the cliff's base. Caitlyn also wants to know: "Can fan art be taken pictures of real places that might resemble things in the book, or does it have to be drawn?" Yes, you can definitely submit pictures of real places if you like! Fan art is much broader than just drawings. Jemma wants to know: "What are the names of the black dogs?" The Black Dogs have Etalpalli names, Yaotl, andEztli, Which mean "war" and "blood" respectively. But I don't believe anyone but the Dragonwitch herself knew those names, and now that she's dead, they are likely long forgotten. Jemma wants to know: "What is the name of the black dog that Imraldera likes?"

No one knows, not even Imraldera. Probably the Black Dog itself doesn't even know its own name . . . only the Dragonwitch knew which was which, and she never said and can no longer say.

Caitlyn also wants to know: "How do you pronounce Ay-Ibunda? Is it Ay as in a or Ay as in I?"

Ay is pronounced "I." Ibunda in pronounced with a soft "d", so that it almost comes out sounding more like "th."

And Caitlyn wants to know: "Is the Silent Lady a person? On page 315 the Sister says, "She won't help you, sweet prince, I will." Will we see her in a later novel?"

Absolutely! Her identity is first revealed in Moonblood, and she is a major character in Starflower . . . but if you haven't read either of those, I don't want to give it away! :)

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 7, Part Four

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I do hope all of you saw the old year out in style and are looking forward eagerly to all the possibilities that 2014 brings. I know I am! I'll be doing a "Doings at Rooglewood" post sometime in the next few days (along with the read-along) to let you know some of the exciting things currently brewing.

But in the meanwhile, we have a read-along to continue . . .


PART FOUR
Chapter 7
The most difficult part: As of this chapter we hit upon the most difficult part of the manuscript to write. Which was particularly tough since it was right near the end of the book, with my deadline swiftly looming. I had absolutely no time to dither, no time to wait for “inspiration,” no time for anything but to just write . . .
But I had to be very careful. Because as of this chapter, we really begin to see Veiled Rose overlapping with Heartless. And while the two stories needed to sync up harmoniously, they also needed to feel like two distinct stories. The last thing I wanted was for readers to feel like they were simply reading the same book twice (though I received plenty of reviews early on claiming that I obviously didn’t have any new ideas, so I just rehashed the old one. Sigh. It’s impossible to win with reviews.)
One thing that did help tremendously with this section of the book was that, in Heartless, I didn’t get into Lionheart’s point-of-view while he was at Oriana Palace. I don’t think he got a point-of-view at all until we encountered him again in Southlands. Thus I could be pretty flexible with his thoughts and impressions as he first arrived at Oriana.
And we finally learn the big question we’ve all been wondering since Heartless . . . what did Lionheart really feel for Princess Una?
King Abundiantus V: Fun to see this name referenced again! This particular king (who is known primarily by one of his other names) is one of the major characters in upcoming novels. But first, I’ll be writing the novel about King Abundiantus I . . .
Glimpse of a princess: Of course, Lionheart doesn’t know it’s a princess he glimpses as he tussles with the gate-guards, attempting to get through to Oriana Palace. He just sees a curious young girl, peering out from behind a bush. She is dressed simply (for all Una is a spoiled princess-type, she doesn’t go in for frills and ruffles. You definitely have to give her points for that!), her hair in a long, messy braid, and her face is round-eyed, sweet, and maybe a little scared. Quite a charming aspect, really! And Lionheart calls out to her for aid . . . but she slips away.
I do like this opportunity to meet Una from a different perspective. I think Una’s popularity suffers mightily in Heartlessbecause we are so deeply and honestly invested in her thoughts and heart. There is no hiding for her, no opportunity to present a gentler, sweeter perspective to her readers. But here, we get to meet her from a whole new point-of-view . . . and we discover that she is actually quite charming!
After all, how many of us would like people to root around in our deepest, most honest thoughts? How many of us would come across particularly better than Una, less selfish, less spoiled? I know I wouldn’t . . .
Sleeping in a Faerie forest: A reader who has spent any time at all pursuing the various Faerie forests of literature will know what a very bad idea it is to take a nap therein. Lionheart is lucky he didn’t end up with a white beard as long as Rip Van Winkle’s!
The Other: Once more the Other mentioned several times previously in the text makes a brief appearance. Singing into Lionheart’s mind, it declares, You know the Princess Varvare.
It also says that she has gone “beyond reach of my voice.” So we know this cannot be the Dragon! No, this is something else entirely, some new dread.
SPOILERS: For those of you who have read Moonblood and know who/what the Other is, you see here how swiftly the unicorn can move through the Wood Between. It has been stalking the Wilderlands, patrolling the boarders of Southlands for years and years (which probably seems like no time at all for such an entity), searching and calling for Princess Varvare, the hidden Faerie child. But the moment it senses Lionheart’s in the Wood—Lionheart’s mind which contains strong memories and feelings for Rose Red, even if he hasn’t consciously thought of her for some while—the unicorn immediately speeds through the Wood to appear before Lionheart. And it leaves him a message, a message that may be a command or may be a prophecy. “When you see her, you will send her to me.”
He had a ring to find: We definitely get a new perspective on Lionheart’s arrival at Oriana now that we know what he seeks. Before, we had no idea that he sought anything but a job. But there was much more going on in Lionheart’s head. He has a very specific task to fulfill . . .
Again, I find it interesting to read former work and to see it in the context of new work—new work that I hadn’t even begun to plan at the time I wrote these early stories. For instance, Lionheart’s seeking of Una’s ring is so much more pertinent to me now that I’ve written Golden Daughter. Because, you see, in Golden Daughterwe are going to learn where exactly that ring came from . . . and what exactly it signified. Originally, it was nothing more than a physical representation of Una’s heart (and a literary nod to George MacDonald’s Princess and the Goblin). Since then, it has become so much more . . .
A Jester’s demise: I enjoyed reading again the scene of Lionheart’s jesterly apology to Una, in which he wins her over with his amusing antics and earns her forgiveness for leaping upon her. This scene as written in Heartlesswas part of the very earliest draft, and I’ve always particularly liked it. Again, it was a challenge to present it again in Veiled Rose, trying to make it both amusing to new readers and not repetitive to old. But it’s fun scene to read, one way or the other.
In love with a stranger: At the sound of the nameless girl’s laugh, Lionheart—for the first time in his life, the text tells us, despite any flirtations and thoughts of marriage with Daylily—falls madly in love.
And now we know. The Lionheart from Heartlesswas a fool, a coward, and a user. But he did love Una. An immature, fragile sort of love to be sure. But love nonetheless.
If anything, that makes what’s coming that much worse . . .
Certainly not as a beautiful: I like this indication that physical beauty isn’t of primary importance to Lionheart. Una is certainly not as beautiful as Lady Daylily, but that doesn’t seem to bother Lionheart for a moment. Credit where it’s do, he does have a slightly better idea of what qualities are important than one might expect!
The picture in the hall: The painting mentioned in this chapter—the three men, two in chains, one in a crown; the weeping woman; the gold stone and the figure lying upon it—we mentioned a few times in Heartless. Here we see it again, and it also gets referenced in Moonblood. So you can bet, with all those references, it’s important to the series, though the specific story has yet to be told!
And one figure of the mix, Lionheart recognizes immediately: the Dragon.
Half as skilled mopping floors: Following Lionheart’s jesterly performance for King Fidel and his family, we learn that our favorite jester has been hired, not only to perform, but also to scrub.
The Crown Prince of Southlands has become a household lackey. Again.
“Lionheart.” Though Lionheart has only given his false name, “Leonard the Lightning Tongue,” suddenly he hears a strange voice calling him by his real name, “Lionheart.” The Prince of Farthestshore, a man he has never before met, speaks to him in the hall. What’s more, this mysterious Prince knows exactly what Lionheart is about. Questions on the Text:
1. Why do you think Lionheart fell in love with Princess Una so suddenly upon their meeting?
2. Lionheart mentions the Siege of Rudiobus. Any of you have a guess what story he might be referring to there?
3. At one point in this chapter, Lionheart looks at himself in a mirror and whispers, “I don’t even know who  I am anymore.” Who of you have felt this way before? When was that? Is it a feeling of the past, or something you’ve worked through?
4. Any guesses as to the story behind the picture in the hall?
5.  The text says that, during his encounter with Prince Aethelbald, Lionhearted “wanted to run, to escape those kind eyes, to never again hear that voice.” Why do you think he feels this way?
6. Any favorite lines?

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 6, Part Four

Due to how busy I am at the moment, I may take a few days to answer questions. But please, don't let that stop you from asking them! I will get to them as soon as may be, and I enjoy the chance to discuss further details about the world and stories with you.

Last day of 2013 already . . . wow! Where did this year go?


PART FOUR
Chapter 6
The Black Dogs: Interestingly enough, in my original notes for these characters, they were going to be black lions. This was back in high school, and they existed only in notes and ideas. But they were definitely going to be a pair of black lions and, like the Black Dogs, they would drag souls to Death’s Realm.
At the time, they were not the Dragonwitch’s children. And then, when the stories developed a little more and they became the Dragonwitch’s children, they weren’t the Wolf Lord’s children . . . though, oddly enough, the Wolf Lord and Dragonwitch connection already existed. So it was a bit of a humbling “ah ha!” moment when I realized that, Oh! They should be the Wolf Lord’s children as well.
About that time, I realized they could not be lions anymore, attached though I was to the Black Lion theme. So they became the Black Dogs instead.
Encountering the Black Dogs: The scene between Rose Red and the Black Dogs was yet another one that my editors did not like. They really wanted me to take out at least one of Rose Red’s encounters out . . . but I felt that threeencounters was a far more literary number than two, so I insisted. I wanted her to encounter three different legends before finally reaching the Dark Water and crossing over into the Village of Dragons. So, again very graciously, my editors allowed this to slide. And I’m very glad they did, since it would have felt odd to me to introduce the Wolf Lord and the Dragonwitch, but not finish off with the Black Dogs!
They’ll not harm you: Though the wood thrush continues to assure Rose Red that she cannot be harmed so long as she holds the gift he gave her—the lantern of Asha—she cannot quite bring herself to believe him. He speaks the truth, but the nearness of these fearful Black Dogs clouds the truth so dreadfully! And, as she says, she does not know her Imaginary Friend anymore. Not as she once did. She has been straying farther and farther from him and his love, and she scarcely knows him to trust him anymore.
Indeed, it is easier to trust the Dragon. Though she knows the Dragon is a liar. But he is a familiar liar, and she though she fears him even more than she fears the Dogs, she also trusts him sooner than she trusts the wood thrush. So though the wood thrush urged her to walk forward in his light and know that she would be safe, Rose Red instead obeys the Dragon and throws the Black Dogs one of her gloves.
The Lake of Endless Blackness: So Rose Red passes by the Black Dogs and proceeds to the edge of the vast black lake, and she recognizes it at once form the games she and Leo played long ago. (Random tidbit: In Faerie language, it would be Brey-el Kron, or Dark Water. I usually just refer to it as the Dark Water when it is referenced in the series. In fact, I don’t believe I have ever referred to it by the Faerie name, and not sure that I ever will.) But Rosie knows that this is the Lake of Endless Blackness, knows it deep in her heart.
As though this evil place has been waiting to draw her in since she was but a little girl . . .
A gold stone: As she sails in the boat of sticks across the Lake of Endless Blackness, Rose Red glimpses a pure gold stone—an altar, she thinks—jutting up from the water.
With a series titled “Goldstone Wood,” you might want to tuck away the memory of that particular gold stone for future reference . . .
“So far I’ve only failed you.” This line of Rose Red’s, whispered in apology to Leo whom she is striving so hard to serve, breaks my heart. After all, she asked only one simple thing of him: that he remember her. That he think of her while he is gone.
His failure is so much greater than hers.
Rose Red sings: It’s interesting to note, I think, that Rose Red sings the same song that Una wrote in her journal back in Heartless. As though the same song is there in their hearts, waiting to be sung, waiting to be released. Rose Red does not trust her Imaginary Friend any more than Una loves Prince Aethelbald of Farthestshore . . . and yet, that song is still there inside them. A seed of truth and longing and love planted deep.
Finally for Beana! At long last, as Rose Red nears the far shore of the Lake of Endless Blackness, the wood thrush calls to Beana, and the gate opens.
Now Beana can pursue her charge. Now we will see whether or not it is too late . . .
Questions on the Text:
1. When Rose Red chooses to listen to the Dragon instead of the wood thrush, my heart just lurches. But how many times have I done the same thing? Do you find yourself relating to Rose Red and her situation? Would you care to share?
2. Why do you think Beana was prevented from following Rose Red for so long? Do you think it was the Dragon preventing her or the wood thrush/Prince? Why do you think this was so?
3. Any favorite lines?

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 5, Part Four

Getting so close to the end of the year! But not quite as close to the end of Veiled Rose, so I hope you will stick with me into early January. There simply wasn't time to double-up chapters as I had hoped. Oh, well!

If you are new and don't know how to get your name entered in the weekly giveaway to win a copy of Veiled Rose, check out the post from November 30, which should enlighten you.

And here we go!

PART FOURChapter 5The same night: Rather than a big time-jump, we pick up with Lionheart once more on the same night as his performance for the emperor of Noorhitam . . . just minutes after his disappointment.And he is given a peacock for his pains.The peacock: This obnoxious bird has proven one of the most popular characters from Veiled Rose, to the point that he featured in not one, but TWO different fan fiction stories in last year’s contest! First was The Peacock of the Prince by S.F. Gorske, and the other was The Peacock of Lunthea Maly by Molly. Click the links to read either or both! They are quite wonderful.This may seem like quite the random little interlude, this whole section with Lionheart and the peacock. But I was obliged to include it because of a line in Heartless when Leonard the Jester told Princess Una that he was given a peacock as a “ceremonial gift” after performing for the emperor. Heartlesswas already in print by the time I was writing this version of Veiled Rose,  so I had to find some way to fit in that dragon-blasted peacock!Random or not, this little slice of storyline is one of the most amusing in the book. And who knows? Perhaps we’ll see more of the peacock (or his brethren) one day . . .French Peacocks: When my family lived in England, I often enjoyed visiting the various castles and estates, not for the historicity of it all . . . oh no. I liked that many of  them kept peacocks on the premises! I always loved the peacocks. After visiting Leeds Castle and admiring all of its peacocks, I used to fantasize about taking one home as a pet. The entire long drive home, I imagined what it would be like to a gorgeous peacock companion, living in my (tiny!) back yard, going for walks with me on the Common and down the street.Sigh . . .Anyway, one thing I always thought particularly charming about peacocks was their cry. If you haven’t heard it, you can click this link. They really do sound like they’re saying, “HELP! HEEEELP!” So, of course, that’s how I wrote about Lionheart’s encounter with his peacock.A couple of years later I received copies of Rose Voilée in the mail. Rose Voilée is the French language edition of Veiled Rose. I was curious . . . do French Peacocks say “Help”?Yes. Yes, they do. Only, they say it, “ à l’aide!”Hmmmm . . . some things maybe get a bit lost in translation.“Like unto the incarnate image of the Mother.” Ooooh, here’s an interesting little tidbit! Turns out that hint of the Duke’s about a possible alternate form for the Dragon’s sister might be more than a rumor. Because, according to this official who showed up at Lionheart’s door, the peacock is, “like unto the incarnate image of the Mother as a Firebird.”Something to watch for in future books . . .The emperor: I find the emperor a particularly interesting character, especially when considered in contrast to Lionheart himself. Lionheart, as we know, tended to get pushed around by authority figures in his life (for better or for worse). The young emperor, by contrast, doesn’t seem terribly concerned with his uncle, Sepertin Naga, or what he would think of Klahan’s determination to do what he believes is right. The emperor demonstrates a strong sense of honor and a certain impressive measure of wisdom, particularly impressive in a nine year old who is as interested in clowns as in his own coronation.This emperor will be an interesting one to watch as he gets older.Ay-Ibunda: The interlude at the Hidden Temple is another interesting little piece of Veiled Rose. One of the more fascinating locals visited in the entire novel, though we only spend part of one chapter there.  It’s a bit funny to me, reading this selection a few years later. At the time when I wrote it, I seriously intended Ay-Ibunda to be no more than an interlude in Lionheart’s adventures. I had no particular intention of writing about it again, dealing with it in the broader context of the series.And now it is one of the most important aspects of the series.Come Golden Daughter, many of the secrets about Ay-Ibunda—it’s origin, it’s purpose, etc.—will become clear. Or clearer, anyway, since it is quite a mystery and not easy to explain all in one go. But there are interesting things to take note of even in Veiled Rose. The gate, for one thing, gives us a strong indication of who this temple was built for: remember the Duke and Captain Sunan mentioning that there are those in Noorhitam who worship the Dragon?The humming, chanting men in black and white are also important. Lionheart scarcely sees them in this book, and they seem to pay absolutely no attention to him whatsoever. Which may at first seem odd. Would not these denizens of the Hidden Temple be concerned with this unexpected intrusion? But, come Golden Daughter, we will understand what exactly it is these men are doing and why . . . which will also explain why they have no attention to give to these intruders.The blindfold: At the time I thought it would be a good idea to blindfold Lionheart as he passed into the temple simply to avoid having to do long detailed descriptions. I am very thankful for that now!  It leaves me with so much more creative flexibility for later books. Golden Daughter deals very little with the actual interior of the Hidden Temple. But I rather hope and expect to write a story about Emperor Klahan one day (and perhaps a certain cabin boy as well, who would be only three years or so older than the emperor). That story would certainly continue to explore the Hidden Temple in more depth, and I like the idea that I can do basically whatever I want with the inside. Because Lionheart didn’t see anything except the chamber of the Mother’s Mouth.Mortally afraid: Even the emperor, proud and intelligent young fellow that he is, is terribly afraid of the Hidden Temple. Again, this hinting storyline leaves us with all sorts exciting possibilities! Possibilities I only just scratched the surface of in Golden Daughter and will really enjoy exploring later on.The pearl for the Mother’s Mouth: Sadly, the significance of the pearl gift for the Mother’s Mouth—aside from the fact that she requires a gift at all—has been lost in recent years. At the time I wrote Veiled Rose, I had been experimenting with a story in which pearls were significant and which tied into situations in Noorhitam. But that story has long since fallen by the wayside. I might play with it again down the road, but have no immediate intentions to. So, sadly, the moment of the Mother’s Mouth taking (and possibly eating) the pearl is not quite so meaningful as it used to be in my head, no longer overtly connects anything to anything else. It is simply creepy, nothing more.Notice that the Mother’s Mouth refers to it as “a gift of the water gods.” Since this November and the publication of Goddess Tithe , there is at least Goldstone Wood story that features one of the “water gods.” And yes, that particular “goddess” was a major force in the story I was originally playing with. So you get a hint of an idea what that peal story was about. Now that I’m writing novellas, I might explore the pearl story again. It didn’t work for the novel I was playing with at the time, but it was an interesting theme. And a short story or novella might suit it quite nicely . . . so we’ll see. (You’ll notice that Klahan’s crown was pearl-studded too, back in the coronation scene. Again, this was a reference to the pearl story I was tentatively exploring at that time . . . and again, it’s no longer significant. I left it in because, hey! What does it hurt?)The tunnel stretched on forever: It is worth speculating (though Lionheart doesn’t see anything, so it’s impossible to know), that the interior Ay-Ibunda is currently in a similar state of being as the interior of the Eldest’s House: existing in two plains of reality at once. This would explain why a distance that should have been quite short stretched on for so long as Lionheart crawls to the chamber of the Mother’s Mouth. Like Rose Red, who both walks in a tunnel and a staircase at the same time, Lionheart seems to be both in a temple and not simultaneously.The Mother’s Mouth: I really don’t think you can get a creepier character anywhere in Goldstone Wood than the Mother’s Mouth. The Dragon might be more dreadful, and the Lady more frightening . . . but neither of them holds a candle to the oracle of Ay-Ibunda when it comes to pure creepiness!This was another character whom I invented purely to interact with Lionheart without really intending to do anything more with or about her in the future. And she is another character who has since sprung into such vivid life and vitality that I cannot imagine the series without her! Again, you will see more of her come Golden Daughter . . .The language she speaks: The Mother’s Mouth speaks in a language Lionheart doesn’t recognize. I will tell you now, that she was probably speaking an old version of Kitar. A good 1500 years old, but still Kitar. Which, since Lionheart isn’t comfortable with any of the Noorhitamin languages anyway, probably sounds that much more foreign!Another indication that Lionheart is no longer in the Near World is the oracle’s ability to make him understand her words. In the Between, language barriers break down. Though the oracle is still speaking the same language, she suddenly speaks it in such a way that Lionheart can understand her. Rather like events that took place the Between with Mouse and Alistair in Dragonwitch. LADY LIFE-IN-DEATH
by Hannah Williams
The Lady of Dreams: Finally, Lionheart interacts with the Lady of Dreams Realized while he is fully conscious and aware. Via the Mother’s Mouth, he is made able to truly communicate with this being that has been haunting his subconscious for years.And at last, he is brought to the crisis point, where he must truly decide what it is he wants. He must answer the Life-in-Death’s question. When brought at last the moment decision, he says, “I will be Eldest of Southlands.”So now the die is truly cast. There is no going back for our poor prince.Notice: Lionheart does not ask the Lady how to kill the Dragon. Though that was always his intention, it’s not what he actually asks. He asks how to “drive the Dragon out of Southlands.”And that is what she tells him.“I must make my way to Oriana Palace in Parumvir.” And now we see the inevitable drawing of Lionheart into Princess Una’s story. So Veiled Roseand Heartless are on a collision course.I began to approach the most difficult passages to write, just as my crazy deadline drew near. But more on that later . . .Questions on the text:1. This one isn’t so much on the text, but . . . I’m curious, did any of you ever dream about owning exotic animals as pets? Anything more outrageous than a pet peacock?2. How many of you were surprised when the emperor showed up on Lionheart’s doorstep? Or did you think Klahan would honor his word all along?3. Are you starting to get intrigued for Golden Daughter? J4. What were your favorite lines?

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 4, Part Four

And we area already finishing up our fourth week of this read-along. I don't know about you, but the time has simply flown by for me! And we're getting pretty near the end of the book, though we'll be continuing into January for a little bit afterwards.

Our winner for this last week's giveaway was . . . .
RUTH

Congratulations! Send me your mailing address (aestengl@gmail.com), and I will get your winnings in the mail promptly . . . just in time for the new year. :)

And now, we will continue on with our story.

PART FOURChapter 4
Poor Beana: Poor Beana continues to wait at the gate of the Eldest’s House, surrounded by thick dragon poison. You can see that she is beginning to despair . . . though she has not given into despair just yet! But how hard it is to accomplish this one task that her Lord has set for her: to wait.

Sometimes waiting is the hardest task of all.
Portrait of the Panther Master: It’s interesting to catch this glimpse of the man who was Maid Starflower’s father. I had fun slipping in a little hint about him, since he was another character I had written about long before tackling Veiled Rose. He featured as a major character in the short story version of Starflower I wrote back during my college days, so I knew pretty well who he was and what his role would be.
Rose Red likes his portrait, which also gives the reader an indication of what sort of character the Panther Master will play in his later story. Notice, though, how historically inaccurate the painting is! This certainly wasn’t painted during his lifetime, and is nothing more than a fanciful envisioning of who he might have been. But there is still some truth in the image. The scars under his robes, for instance, scars revealed in the light of Asha.
His gaze shifted: The text says that, while it may have been a play of the light, it seemed as though the painting of the Panther Master turned and looked right at Rose Red. I wonder . . . since she is in the Netherworld as well as the Eldest’s House, is it not possible that the real Panther Master may have looked at her through the painting? A chilling thought, but not beyond the realm of possibility in this realm so full of eerie possibilities . . .
“Why are you coming for me?” After traveling across many leagues of terrifying Netherworld (while simultaneously never leaving the Eldest’s House), Rose Red finally catches a glimpse of Lady Daylily, whom she’s been pursuing.
But Lady Daylily does not want to be pursued. “You should let me die, goat girl,” she says (p. 277). “I would if I were you.”
Daylily has breathed in so much more dragon poison than anyone else we have yet seen. More even than Una breathed, I think, since Una did not travel down into the Netherworld and the heart of the Dragon’s country. Daylily has lost her desire even to live.
Dare I say, Daylily may have lost her sanity. And if she has, who could blame her? Who could even be surprised?
She also gives Rose Red the cryptic warning: “If you should succeed, you will one day wish you had not.” (p. 277)
I think Daylily knows something dreadful is happening inside her, in her very spirit. And she doesn’t want to hurt anyone. But if she is rescued, she knows that she will hurt people, Rose Red specifically. Perhaps her plea for Rose Red to leave is not a suicidal one. Perhaps, somehow, she thinks she is protecting Rose Red . . .
The lingering smell of a dragon’s dead carcass. This is the first hint of the next person Rose Red will meet on her journey. As I said, I gave her three “tests” as it were before she could reach the Village of Dragons. Three figures out of Southland’s history who have been mentioned before, who would be known and vivid sources of terror to young Rose Red.
She is about to meet one more awful by far than the Wolf Lord himself.
The appearance of the Dragonwitch: Writing this scene was an interesting moment for me. While I had been creating story ideas about the Dragonwitch—detailed notes, lines of poetry, references in other stories—for quite a number of years, this was the very first scene I wrote where she actually appearedon the page, as a speaking character.
It was a bit intimidating!
I mean, this character is vitally important to the series. She is even referenced in Moonblood (which, technically, was written before this version of Veiled Rose) when Vahe compares the Bane of Corrilond to the Dragonwitch. I hoped to someday write a full novel about her. But how to present her in such a way that does not reveal too much of her backstory but simultaneously sticks in the reader’s mind?
It was a bit of a challenge. But one I enjoyed.
I started out by focusing on the Dragonwitch’s appearance. I knew already how she would die, for the scene of her death was the first idea I ever had about this character. I knew she had drowned, but that she had drowned while in the midst of one of her very greatest flaming moments. I also knew that she was a dragon who could no longer take dragon form, who could no longer fly.
So writing her appearance was fairly easy. But the rest was a little more difficult. I had to feel my way along carefully throughout the dialogue so as not to give away anything too important. Nothing about Etanun. Nothing about Etalpalli. Only a hint about the Wolf Lord, father of her sons.
The Dragonwitch’s sons: Do you know, I had forgotten that the Dragonwitch referred to them as her sons in this story? I was thinking about them recently and wondering if they might be a boy and a girl, since they are described as basically sexless in Starflower. But now I’ll need to remember . . . they are sons, definitely sons.
A suffering ghost: The Dragonwitch still smolders from her final fire, her hair burning away only to be replaced by more burning hair. But it is not the actual Dragonwitch who burns . . . this is only her ghostly form. Like the Wolf Lord a few chapters before, she suffers from wounds which can never be healed.
“We can be strong, can’t we child?” Oddly, the Dragonwitch seems to feel a kind of kinship, a kind of sympathy with Rose Red. A frightening thought!
“But you were forgotten.” At the time I wrote this story, I had not actually come up with any other name for the Dragonwitch beyond her title. So this moment between Rose Red and the Dragonwitch was a very easy and honest one to write. Whoever she had been before no longer existed at all.
And it took some digging on my part to discover who she had been, for even I have difficulty seeing her as anything but the Dragonwitch.
Questions on the text:
1. Why do you think the Dragonwitch seems to feel a sort of kinship to Rose Red?  (Readers of Moonblood, consider Rose Red’s future role . . . do you think the Dragonwitch might recognize something in Rose Red that is very similar to herself?)
2. If you’re familiar with the Dragonwitch’s full story from Starflowerand Dragonwitch, what similarities do Rose Red and the Dragonwitch share?
3. Why do you think the Dragonwitch calls devotion “evil stuff”? What is it about devotion that is enslaving?
4. Who do you find more frightening, the Wolf Lord or the Dragonwitch?
5. Any favorite lines?

Q&A

Allison wants to know: "My question is... what originally caused or inspired you to create the tale of Etanun, Akilun, Halisa, and Asha?"

You know, I don't fully remember. If I remember correctly, the first story I told about them was inspired by one of Norse legend of Yggdrasil, the world tree. In that story, Yggdrasil was suffering because a dragon was poisoning it from below. (Though I cannot for the life of me remember more specifics about that legend just now!) Anyway, I loved the idea, and started developing my own thoughts . . . which include two brave brothers, venturing down in to the Realm of the Dead to put a stop to a sly dragon who was poisoning the world (or some important piece of the world which I no longer remember) from below. Those two brothers were Etanun and Akilun, and they bore the Asha Lantern and the sword, Halisa. I did a pretty large colored-pencil illustration of the scene back in high school.

My "little" brother, Peter, modeling to show size proportion.In the picture, you see a dark cavern with a river rushing through it (an early version of the Final Water, I think). The two brothers, one golden-haired and carrying the lantern, the other raven-haired and brandishing the sword, approach the river . . . and across the rushing water looms a red dragon, peering out of a cavern. The heat of its breath turns the rock and river beneath its mouth flame-colored.

And the dragon looks a bit like a rooster. Sadly, most of my dragons for many years there tended to look like roosters. My father used to tease as I worked so hard to develop fierce-looking dragons and they always--always--looked like roosters!

But anyway, that was the first story I began to write about the Brothers Ashiun, but they've developed a great deal since then.

Anonymous wants to know: "In Moonblood (SPOILER) Lionheart is talking about paths and quests, and Eanrin says, "That is a quest. Not a path. Don't confuse the two." Or something like that. It also says he looked sad or something while saying that. That was also right after Sun Eagle's phantom wafted past them and gave Lionheart the rope. Please tell me, with all the hints your dropping, was that foreshadowing for Shadow Hand, or some other book?"

I don't know if Eanrin's comment about paths and quests is necessarily a foreshadowing for Shadow Hand . . . though Faerie Paths and their dangers are a significant facet of that novel, for sure! However, the look Eanrin gives Sun Eagle . . . and the encounter as a whole in which the phantom presses the beads into Lionheart's hands and urges him to give them to Starflower . . . oh, yes. All of that is heavy foreshadowing of things to come in Shadow Hand.

Caitlyn wants to know: "What would you name the Parts of the book if you could?"

Oh, I don't know. I never thought about it! I suppose "The Hunt," "The Monster," "The Dragon," "The Journey," "The Aftermath." Or something like that. I probably would put more thought into it if I was serious about giving Part-names, but those are what I pulled off the top of my head! :)

Caitlyn also wants to know: "In Chapter 1 of Part 4 it says the Duchy of Shippening, is this a typo?"

No. The Duke of Shippening governs the Duchy of Shippening. A duchy is a territory governed by a duke or duchess, also known as a dukedom.

Caitlyn also wants to know: "What colors do you see Daylily wearing? Redheads tend to wear colors that match their hair."

I picture her wearing a lot of greens, rich browns, and pale blues. And golds, I believe I describe her as wearing golds in one of the books. Possibly Moonblood during her betrothal feast?

Furthermore, Caitlyn wants to know: "The sylph granted a wish to Leo, but never gave one. Will we see the sylph and Leo's wish in another book?"

Absolutely! You may or may not be seeing the answer to this question in a very near book . . . ;)

Caitlyn also wants to know: "In the last post you said something about the Duke of Shippening's guest. Did you mean the two characters met before? Does this book take place before Heartless, even though there is a crossover?"

If you're referring to Captain Sunan and the Duke, yes, they probably did meet upon other occasions. Sunan is a respected merchant traveling to and from Shippening on a regular basis. He probably has dined with the duke before.

Much of this book does take place before Heartless. The scene at the duke's table is approximately four years before Heartless. It catches up with Heartless quite late in the story.

Caitlyn also wonders: "How did you come up with Fireword for a sword name?"

I wanted a name that could stand in for a Southland's version of "Truth," without actually having the word "truth" in it, since that struck me as cheesy. Fireword fitted the bill. Of course, the sword's real name is Halisa, but it has come to be called Fireword in the Near World and even among Faerie folk as time goes on.

Heather wants to know: "Have you ever seen Tammy and the Bachelor? (It's an old movie) I saw the movie again recently and it reminded me of a few characters from Veiled Rose. Pete reminded me of Leo, Tammy of Rosie, and Barbara of Daylily. Tammy even had a goat! And lived by herself with her grandfather!"

Oh, what a funny connection! You know, I have seen that movie, though it's been quite a long while. Maybe there was an unconscious influence???

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 3, Part Four

Last day to get your name entered in this week's giveaway! If you're not certain how, be sure to check out the November 30 post for giveaway rules. It's very simple.

This is a busy time of year for everyone, so I know it's tough  to find time to participate in something like this read-along. However, if you find you have time to go back and read several older posts, your answers to questions will be counted still, even if they were articles from a week or more before! So even if you miss a few days, don't feel like you have to drop out entirely. We still want you! :)

Now on with the story . . .

PART FOURChapter 3
Captain Sunan: As I believe I have stated previously, I am getting such a kick out of seeing Captain Sunan in this setting. For one thing, it’s interesting to remember how incidental he was at first.

And how thoroughly he refused to stay that way.

Captain Sunan did not feature in the original (rejected) version of Veiled Rose that I sent to my publisher. As you will recall, in that versio Lionheart traveled with a troupe of minstrels and clowns, and there was none of this stowaway business. The troupe was hired for a gig out east, and thus Lionheart had the opportunity to travel and discover the secret he so needed.

But when my publishers insisted I remove the clown troupe, I was left with coming up with other means of getting Lionheart from point A to point B. So Captain Sunan and the Kulap Kanya(a name which, interestingly enough, means “Rose Girl”) were invented.

I hadn’t really intended to do much with the captain. In fact, while writing this scene I didn’t have any more specific plan in mind beyond simply getting Lionheart safe passage. But as I wrote, Captain Sunan sprang into life with such a vivid, dynamic quality that I really couldn’t repress him. He obviously had an intriguing backstory, a history with Faerie and the fey, an understanding of the worlds that Lionheart cannot hope to match. But how did he come by this understanding? And why would a man so apparently profound end up the captain of a humble merchant ship?

I wrote the scene without any clear answer to these questions, figuring that, if he wanted to, Captain Sunan would reveal more in time. And following this selection, I moved on with the story and didn’t really think too much more about him. For a while.

But the character was there and he wanted more of my time and attention. Over the next few years, while working on other stories, I turned back to Sunan now and then, wondering about him. One day, I was going through some notes I had made for another book (that which will be Book 8) and happened upon a certain, roughed-out idea for a character. And I realized that that character was actually meant to be Sunan.

This startled me. I mean, how could Sunan—Noorhitamin sea captain that he was—possibly end up in this Book 8? This book which is set primarily in Parumvir many hundreds of years before Veiled Rose!

But the notion wouldn’t leave me be. So I began to explore the possibilities of Captain Sunan. And I learned that he had, quite possibly, one of the most fascinating plot arcs in the whole of the Goldstone Wood series. I also learned that his story truly began beforeBook 8.

His story began with Golden Daughter.

With this in mind, I was that much more eager to write my first novella, Goddess Tithe , which features the captain as a main character. Goddess Tithe gave me a chance to play with the themes initiated in this chapter of Veiled Rose, but which I simply didn’t have room to embellish within the novel.

So, if you’re curious to learn a little more about Captain Sunan and the events of Lionheart’s voyage to Noorhitam, you should certainly pick up Goddess Tithe . . . which is currently just .99 on Kindle and only $8 in paperback. And there are illustrations! J

Word of a Pen-Chan: We learn in this selection about the first of the three major people-groups that make up the Noorhitam empire. Captain Sunan calls himself a Pen-Chan, and says the word of a Pen-Chan is “word you may trust.”

The actual word “Pen-Chan” means “full moon” in Thai. This is subtly important in ways that become apparent in Golden Daughter.
Currently, the Pen-Chans are the ruling people of Noorhitam, having taken over from the Kitar not long before, who, in turn, took over from Chhayans several centuries before that. All of these people-groups live together in Noorhitam, layered on top of each other like sediment in the city of Lunthea Maly, where the Chhayans are the lowest class, the Pen-Chans the highest, and the angry Kitar stuck somewhere between.
I had a blast developing the empire of Noorhitam, even just the little bit that I did for Veiled Rose. Noorhitam only features in a precious few chapters in this novel, but some of my most interesting research and development was focused on this nation and the various peoples living therein. I found it incredibly inspiring and intriguing.
Alas, my publishers didn’t like it. Indeed, they would have been happy for me to write it entirely out of the story.
But I insisted, and once more they were gracious. And I’m very glad that they were! If not, I should not have had the opportunity to dive into the history of Noorhitam and explore it as I did this last year while drafting Golden Daughter . . . discovering, as I did so, possibly the most wonderful and fascinating country I have yet had the pleasure to write about!
Ay-Ibunda: When Lionheart makes mention of the name “Ay-Ibunda,” the temple the sylph directed him to find wherein he might discover answers to his questions, Captain Sunan reacts . . . strangely. One would not expect the dignified captain to show any glimpse of fear, and yet Lionheart sees “a flash of fear, or dread” across his face. Captain Sunan knows about this temple. He knows things he is unwilling to communicate to Lionheart.
He knows things about the Mother’s Mouth, the oracle whom Lionheart seeks.
It’s interesting to me now realizing that when I wrote all of this selection I had absolutely no idea that the novel Golden Daughter would ever exist. I had made no plans for it whatsoever. And yet, knowing what I do about that novel now (having just written it this last year), I cannot believe that it hadn’t been in the plan from the beginning. Reading Sunan’s reactions . . . it’s as though Sunan has existed as a character with his complete history since long before I came along to write that history down. I wrote what I observed of him at the time without any idea what his full story might be, but the full story was still there.
This is why I love creative writing and can’t imagine ever loving any occupation more!
No one knows: When Lionheart asks after the location of the Hidden Temple, Sunan informs him that no one but the emperor himself knows where it may be found. And the emperor is not about to tell just anyone.
The emperor’s name: It’s something of a mouthful! Molthisok-Khemkhaeng Niran. Try saying that three times, fast! The way this world works, his actual “first name” so to speak, would be “Niran,” and “Khemkhaeng” would be his father’s name, and “Molthisok” his grandfather’s. This is the naming pattern for emperors, but interestingly enough, not the naming pattern for the other great houses of the Pen-Chan. But I won’t go into that now.
Leonard the Jester/Leonard the Fool: The captain warns Lionheart that, should he find the Mother’s Mouth, she will give him the answer he seeks . . . but the price at which that answer is given will be dreadful. Lionheart insists that this is what he must do, however.
And so this selection closes with Lionheart introducing himself as “Leonard” for the first time. Leonard the Jester. “You are Leonard the Fool,” the captain replies, with much more insight than poor Lionheart possesses at this moment.
And here I had to close this most interesting dialogue and dive forward in time and the story, never thinking to see Captain Sunan again. But it didn’t matter what I thought. This conversation was too intriguing, Captain Sunan’s reactions and words too specific. There was bound to be more story to come . . .
First Goddess Tithe. Later Golden Daughter. And after that . . . Well, you’ll have to wait a little while yet to learn Book 8's title. (But I’ll tell you this: Rohan figured out the perfect title for that book, and I can hardly wait to introduce it to you!)
“You shall find it as a jester.” Visiting his dreams once more, the Lady asks Lionheart to tell her what he wants. In a moment of surprising honesty, Lionheart admits that he wants to be a jester. He will not say whether or not this is the truest wish of his heart . . . but even so, the Lady promises that he will find the Hidden Temple, find the oracle, and find them as a jester.
The young emperor: I was obliged to do quite a large, three-year time jump in Lionheart’s story. To help ease over the suddenness of that jump, I decided to open up his time in Noorhitam from a completely different perspective. I chose to introduce the emperor.
The thing is, by the time Lionheart makes it to Noorhitam, the emperor is no longer Molthisok-Khemkhaeng Niran. That emperor has died, leaving his thrown to his young male heir, Khemkhaeng-Niran Klahan . . . who is nine.
So we are introduced to all manner of potentially interesting political intrigue, tangled up in the fresh young emperor and his “supportive” uncle, Sepertin Naga. A Kitar uncle, though I don’t think the text tells as much. But Sepertin Naga is a Kitar name, so I (with my super-powerful insider’s view) can tell you that the Pen-Chan emperor’s uncle is Kitar and probably has an agenda for his people that goes far beyond the well-being of his nephew.
There is lots of potential of storyline here! But it’s all still just potential . . . so we’ll see where it eventually leads us.
Butchering the language: Some people have a gift for picking up languages. It is a convenient gift in a fantasy story, enabling writers to create a sense of authenticity without actually having to invent a whole new language (which none of her/his readers will understand anyway!).
But I am not one who has a gift for languages. And I didn’t see Lionheart being so blessed either.
Another great advantage to writing in the omniscient narrative as I do is the opportunity to show both sides of a language barrier. We, the reader, get to hear what both sides are saying and enjoy the hilarity that ensues! You can’t do this with the third-person or first-person narratives.
“My name is Leonard of the Tongue of Lightning. What is your name?” I like that Lionheart actually knows this basic phrase and is able to answer. But he adds the “What is your name?” at the end, which sounds just like something you would learn to do when first studying a language.
I wonder if Munny taught him how to say this line?
 Lionheart and Klahan: Lionheart feels a pang of sympathy for the boy emperor. After all, Lionheart too was born into a ruling family, expected to lead an entire kingdom one day. And Southlands is nowhere near so enormous as the vast and complex Noorhitam Empire! Emperor Klahan is younger even than Leo was as the start of this book, and yet he is already the nation’s “Sacred Father.”
And yet, Klahan is still present, sitting on his father’s throne. While Lionheart is far, far, far away from his own nation.
Still, Lionheart continues to insist that his motives are pure. After all, he must find some way to kill the Dragon!
Lionheart’s performance: Lionheart’s success as a clown depends much more on his inability to correctly speak the Noorhitamin language than any real wit upon his part. He is hilariously mad in the eyes of the court, and he certainly entertains the young emperor (who is used to clowns who always present a moral of some sort and aren’t really funny at all).
But, for the first time in his life, Lionheart truly succeeds at something: He makes the Emperor of Noorhitam laugh!
Part of the inspiration for this scene with Lionheart came from a day back in a college French class. This was only my second semester studying French, and I certainly was not gifted, though I did enjoy the work. The teacher was going around the table, asking the students to name the parts of the face and head as he pointed to them. When he got to me, he pointed to his hair:
“Cheveux,” I said. “Les cheveux.”
And my teacher started laughing so hard he almost couldn’t speak. I blinked, surprised. I was quite certain that I’d got it right, and I had no idea what he was going on about!
Then he said, “No, Annelise, I do not have horses on my head!”
Yeah. Though I knew the word I was tryingto say, my pronunciation was so bad, it came out sounding more like, “Cheval,” not “Cheveux.”
Pronunciation is key, people.
So that’s where Lionheart’s language difficulties came from. He is actually saying words in the language. And he probably knows quite well what he is trying to say. But his pronunciation is so bad, it all comes out mangled. Poor Lionheart. I wish both you and I had that magical gift for languages!
A gift from the emperor: Klahan is so pleased with Lionheart’s performance, that he offers to give him a gift, “anything within his power to give.” And Lionheart, to the horror of all assembled, asks to be taken to Ay-Ibunda.
This is such a sacrilege, such a breach of all etiquette and protocol, that Lionheart probably came within a hair’s breadth of being tossed into a dungeon and lost forever. Instead, the young emperor simply says, “No.”
But the emperor is not one to swiftly forget a promise made . . .
Questions on the Text:
1. What are your impressions of Captain Sunan? If you’ve read Goddess Tithe, have your impressions changed since first encountering the captain in Veiled Rose?
2. What are your impressions of Emperor Klahan after this first meeting? Like him? Dislike him? Think he has a shot at successfully ruling the empire?
3. Have you ever had any embarrassing experiences with language barriers that you’d like to share?
4. Favorite lines of the selection?

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 2, Part Four

Rules for getting your name entered in the weekly giveaways are here. We're getting near the end of the week, so be certain to get your name entered for a chance to win Veiled Rose!

And now, moving on into Rose Red's unfolding adventure . . .

PART FOURChapter 2
A whole year: This part of the book (Part Four) begins a stage of the story that deals with some CRAZY time-jumps! Because I had established in Heartlessthan Lionheart’s exile lasted five years, I had to find a way to cover that significant a period of time without letting the story drag. Thus one of the main reasons I decided on Rose Red’s journey into the Netherworld. This provided me with a method in which I could have Rose Red’s story be continuous while Lionheart’s jumped in time.

In the original draft, Rose Red did not journey into the Netherworld but remained in the Near World through the whole five years, dealing with the Dragon. This meant bothstorylines—Lionheart’s and Rose Red’s—had to keep jumping forward by pretty hefty chunks. One of the reasons, I think, that draft didn’t work so well.

This method is a bit odd unless readers realize that there is no linear flow of Time in the Netherworld (or any of the Between, for that matter). There is some sort of Time, but it doesn’t work the same way as it does in the mortal world. Thus, Rose Red’s adventure doesn’t seem to her to take five years. Indeed, within the Eldest’s House is a timelessness that keeps alive the Eldest, Foxbrush, and the other captured household members, even though they are all but immobile through the whole of the Occupation.

Remember the Name: Poor, faithful Beana has not yet found a way through into the Dragon’s occupied territory. And though she pleads with her Master to come and deliver these people, he remains strangely silent. She must continue being faithful, even in the face of despair. She must continue struggling against impossible odds.

But Beana is no coward, and she is not one to give in easily. Nor is she one to doubt her Lord, even if he doesn’t work on a timetable she finds convenient . . . All she asks is that he give Rose Red what she needs.

Info on the Paths: In this chapter, we  get a little bit more information about the various Faerie Paths.  This is good information to tuck away in your head as you continue reading more Goldstone Wood stories. The Faerie Paths are very important . . . and very dangerous.

We’re going to learn just how disastrously dangerous they can be, come Shadow Hand . . .

The Path to Death’s world: Notice that a Faerie Path does not necessarily have to be in the same place each time it is encountered. Rose Red walked Death’s Path up in the mountains. Now she encounters it again in the Eldest’s House. It is the same path, yet found in two very different locations.

It’s hard to put hard-and-fast rules on the workings of Faerie! One thing I always strive for in my stores is to create a sense of extreme otherness for my Faerie folk and their ways and their rules. Even the rules that govern their worlds. I don’t want my Faeries to seem like humans with wings or other odd features. They are supposed to be different, and their worlds are supposed to be different. Sometimes, that’s led me some crazy directions, like these oddly-mobile Faerie Paths! But that is so much what I love about writing fantasy . . . J

Two Places at Once: In this scene, we find that Rose Red is actually traveling through two places at once. She has stepped into the Netherworld, but the Netherworld is also now fitting into the Eldest’s House. She walks simultaneously in a cave and up a stairway.

Shiver.

I really enjoyed bringing this part of the story to life, this splicing of two worlds together. I had toyed around with the concept a few years before in an (unsuccessful) attempt at a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. The thing I liked most about that story was the concept of two worlds crammed into one, so I borrowed it. If you steal from yourself, does it still count as stealing?

The Dragon’s voice: As she walks, Rosie begins to see a light ahead. Immediately, the Dragon appears in her mind, his voice urging her to avoid the light, to go a different way. He tells her she’ll regret it, that she’ll find only sorrow.

The thing is, our Rose Red is a stubborn sort. And she doesn’t like the Dragon. The more he tries to persuade her, the more stubbornly she pursues the light. This isn’t perhaps the most virtuous motivation in all the world . . . but it works pretty well for Rosie!

The Brothers again: It’s interesting hearing more about the Brothers Ashiun from the Dragon’s perspective. Because his perspective is certainly very different from Leo’s!

I enjoy reading passages like this too, seeing once more how these characters have slipped into my world and stories here and there. I am currently beginning a new novella that prominently features Akilun as a main character (Etanun’s there too, but not as prominent). It’s interesting writing about them during their lifetime and back in the days of which the Dragon is now speaking . . . and then reading about them as they became later known in history.The lantern from the story: And so, in this scene, we see the fulfillment of the foreshadowing hinted at early on during Leo’s tale of the Brothers Ashiun.In the first draft of this version of Veiled Rose (the version I pounded out in the two months before getting married!), I didn’t have Leo’s story about the Brothers Ashiun early on in the book. So this scene with the Asha lantern came a bit out of nowhere. I find it much more satisfying to read about  now that I went back and added in Leo’s version of the story. Proper foreshadowing can make all the difference in the presentation of a theme!Conversation with the Wood Thrush: I think this conversation between Rose Red and her Imaginary friend, short though it is, is the very heart of this novel. Here we clearly see what is at stake for our heroine, the questions she must face that go so far beyond all the mystery of her face and parentage. To whom will she give her loyalty? Because, one way or the other, her loyalty will be given. She cannot, as she asks, simply not give anyone anything at all.A Gift: Though Beana doesn’t know it, her prayers have been answered. She begged that her Lord would give Rose Red what she needed in order to survive, in order to walk his Path through Death’s Realm. And so, here, Rose Red is given the gift of hope. She is given the gift of Asha to light her way.It’s hard for Beana—who is still existing within time, you’ll remember—not knowing what is happening as the years creep slowly by. But she trusts that her Lord is working and caring for the girl even while she cannot be there to see the results. And ultimately, her trust is proven well founded.Yet again, Beana is the most admirable character in this whole story! A true heroine.The Dragon’s Eye: It becomes apparent as Rose Red’s journey progresses, that the Dragon is not bound to his incarnate body. He can move disembodied throughout his own vast realm. We see this in the terrifying moment when the sun rises and it is no sun, but is instead the Dragon’s own eye.And he cries out for someone to “Take it from her! Destroy that light!” We don’t know yet to whom the Dragon speaks, but we can bet that he has many terrible servants dwelling within this realm . . .There is a lot of Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came feel to this selection, I think. That poem has always been one of my favorites, and I used to have most of it memorized (though trying to recite it now, I find all but the first few stanzas have slipped away from me). I know I turned to it many times over while writing this book and crafting Rose Red’s journey in particular. I think this is one of those passages (though not the sun as an eye itself, simply the landscape around and the mood created). I definitely recommend that poem to those of you who may not have yet encountered it!She stood on a mountain: I half wonder if the Dragon sent her this mountain where she finds herself. She was on a plain when she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, here she is on a mountainside. I really do wonder if the Dragon intended for her to encounter the dark entity she meets here . . . for this entity is one she would recognize from ancient stories and fear, perhaps even more than she fears the Dragon himself.“Have you no compassion?” It makes me laugh a little as I read this scene again. I had such a time with my publishers over this one little section of the story! They could not understand the Wolf Lord’s dialogue. Over and over they told me that he didn’t “sound like a monster.” Why would a monster say something like, “Have you no compassion?” That’s just not what monsters say!Of course, I would argue that this is what makes him so terrible in this scene. He is seductive and manipulative and . . . pathetic. He is so pathetic. Terrifying and pathetic.After all, he’s no longer the powerful Faerie lord who made a demesne for himself out of mortal lands. He is a ghost. A sad, dead spirit, trapped forever in the Netherworld, afraid to venture down to the Final Water.So no, perhaps he doesn’t sound like a monster. But I think he sounds far, far more dreadful.I don’t know if I ever convinced my publishers to understand what I was going for. But they, being gracious people, allowed me to get away with it even though they didn’t like it. And I hope all of your find it as satisfyingly creepy as I do!“They tore into me!” The Wolf Lord goes on to give the reader hints of his story (which is told in full in my fourth novel, Starflower). Again, he makes sad case for himself, monster though he is.And provides me with a fun opportunity to introduce storyline, later revealed in Starflower.The story of the Wolf Lord and Maid Starflower had been brewing in my head for much, much longer than most of the other stories in this series. And Wolf Lord’s death by “his own” has always been a major part of that story. So, though I had not yet written Starflower, I was eager to begin introducing some of those storylines, hinting at what was to come. This scene with the Wolf Lord might possibly be the scene I most enjoyed writing in the entire book!Mending Wounds: We see Rose Red behaving very like herself when she actually attempts to sew up the Wolf Lord’s wounds. But it is no use. Despite her best efforts, she cannot make his ghostly flesh mend. She cannot fix or cure the evil fate that has befallen this evil soul.But she tried. She always tries, even when she cannot succeed.And, despite the Wolf Lord’s cohesions and manipulations, she insists on continuing to try rescuing Lady Daylily. But even that is a hopeless endeavor . . .Slowly uncovered: This journey of Rose Red’s is all about her unveiling. Slowly but surely, her layers are stripped away, and she eventually must come face to face with the truth of who she is and what she is becoming. She must even face the secret truth deep in her heart . . . but we’ll get to that in a few chapters!Questions on the Text:1. For those of you who have read on in the series, who is another character who, while walking in the Netherworld, also found the Asha Lantern? What other similarities do you see between Rose Red and that character?2. Considering that this journey is all about Rose Red’s ultimate unveiling, what do you think Rose Red’s encounter with the Wolf Lord reveals about her? Is it a good, bad, or frightening revelation?3. Did you find the scene with the Wolf Lord frightening? Sad? Or both?4. What were your favorite lines?

Q&A

Caitlyn wants to know: "All that remained of the Starflower statue was the wood thrush. Is this symbolic, foreshadowing?"

Absolutely! But I leave it up to the reader to decide exactly how . . .

Allison wants to know: "I was wondering how old Daylily is compared to Leo and Rose Red. She strikes me as older, but I don't know if that's just because she never had a childhood. Also, does Rosy mature at a rate similar to mortals?"

Daylily is a year younger than Leo and a year older than Rose Red (approximately). She seems older partly because she is better educated than Rose Red and naturally more mature than Leo (girls tend to mature faster than boys . . . generally). And yes, Rose Red matures at a similar rate to mortals, though this is possibly to do with the fact that she lives among mortals. If she lived among her own kind, she might mature at a different rate . . . probably faster.

Fan Art:

THE DUKE'S JESTER
Hannah WilliamsAbove we have a lovely fan art by Hannah! She has depicted Captain Sunan and the Duke of Shippening sitting together at table. On a stage before the table sands the sad, albino jester in clown's motley. Off to one side, we see Lionheart with his hair slicked down, serving drinks and looking very sad for the jester.

This is, I believe, the very first fan art depiction of both Captain Sunan and the Duke of Shippening!

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 1, Part Four

Happy day after Christmas! I hope many of you are still very much in the holiday spirit, enjoying lots of time with your loved ones. My sister-in-law, Kristen, is up visiting Rooglewood this Christmas, and we are having a blast, cooking, baking . . . and working on a super-awesome project that I will be eventually sharing with all of you!

But in the meanwhile, we have a lot more of Veiled Rose still to cover, so let's take the plunge into Part Four. What has Lionheart been up to since his escape from Southlands?

PART FOURChapter 1
A kennel boy: As the beginning of this part, we learn that Lionheart only made it as far as Capaneus City in the first year since his exile began. So much for his grand adventure! So much for freedom. He may have believed that it was being a prince that held him back, but in reality, being a prince gave Lionheart much more freedom then most other people enjoy. Because people have to eat. People have to have shelter.

Lionheart, in the humiliating position of kennel boy for the duke, is swiftly learning that true freedom—at least as he perceives it—is much more elusive than he ever imagined.

The Duke: Readers of Heartless should immediately recognize the name of Duke Shippening—the most loathsome character in all of Book 1 (and that’s including the Dragon!). The Duke is a character to whom I didn’t bother to give any virtues. In no way did I try to make him sympathetic or conflicted. He is nothing but awful. Pure awful.

I don’t usually go for caricatures in my work anymore. I try to go for a little more subtly. But I have to admit, I do rather enjoy the duke, extreme though he may be.

An interesting connection: It is also interesting for readers of Heartless to note that two Una’s suitors met each other many years before either made their way to Parumvir. Small world?

The sylph: One of the most intriguing and enigmatic characters in the whole novel is the character of the Duke’s Fool—later revealed to be a sylph, captured in a human-ish form. I had a lot of fun with this character

Sylphs are beings from Western mythology, invisible creatures of the air. When doing research on various fairy tales, I encountered sylphs and thought they would be fun to play around with at some point. So when it came time to introduce the Duke’s Fool—whom I wanted to be a Faerie of some sort—sylphs came to mind.

Of course there was the whole issue of traditional sylphs being invisible and airy. So how would that work for a slave? Thus I made use of the classic Faerie aversion to iron and I had the sylph wearing an iron collar. While wearing this, he is bound to a body, very similar to that of a mortal man (though not quite! He is albino, which made sense to me since he used to be invisible, and pigments wouldn’t  probably stick to him very well. He’s also got those strange extra joints to his fingers).

(SPOILERS) We will get to meet this sylph again in Shadow Hand, and there we will learn a little more of the how and the why of his capture and enslavement to the duke. We’ll also see wild and free sylphs in their natural habitat . . . who are not very much like this sad fellow at all! But you’ll have to wait to learn more.

Faerie language: When Lionheart approaches the sylph, he hears it speaking strange words in a strange language. Here you get a little more of a glimpse of my half-invented Faerie language. We hear the translation on the next page, and those of you who have read Moonblood will recognize Hymlumé’s Hymn. The phrases he utters in Faerie are specifically, “If I but knew my fault!” and “I blessed your name!”

Trying to remember: Didn’t Wamba the fool in Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoewear an iron collar around his neck too? I think he did. It’s been a while since I read that book, but I’m pretty sure there is some literary precedent for Fools and iron collars. So I’m going to claim it as a literary allusion, possibly intentional back when I wrote it! Though I’m a little fuzzy on the details now . . .

“She has you in her hand.” The sylph, with a single look at Lionheart, recognizes the dark mistress to whom Lionheart belongs. He may be mad and he may be a Fool. But he’s possessed of some powerful intuition and insight! And he pities our poor prince . . . this sad, bound slave pities Lionheart.

Observing from a distance: It’s interesting to me seeing the sylph in this scene, so sad and so tragic. When I wrote of him most recently, he is in a very different state of being, and his manner and even speech are not much like we see him here. It makes me a bit melancholy . . . I need to go pick up my draft of Shadow Hand! But I’ll say no more since none of you have read it yet.

Master of the Six Towers: I had forgotten about this reference! Made me smile to see it. I have written stories about the Master of the Six Towers and his sons back in the day. Stories which I someday hope to include in future novels. I’ll let you in on a little secret: one of the sons was named Melesio and the other Capaneus. I used to be a little bit in love with Melesio . . . but I haven’t written about him in a looooong time. I wonder if he’ll be much the same when I pick him up again, or if I’ll find him dramatically altered? I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

The eastern merchant: Those of you who have read my novella, Goddess Tithe, will be pleased to glimpse Captain Sunan again! Because the duke’s guest is none other than the brave captain of that little tale. He only had a small role in Veiled Rose, but he stood out to me as I wrote him, and I became intrigued. Over the last few years I’ve explored his story a little more deeply and found him to be quite a wonderful fellow with quite an interesting backstory! So I was pleased to give him a featured role in Goddess Tithe.

And I look forward to beginning to tell you more of his history come Book 7, Golden Daughter.

In the meanwhile, it’s interesting to see him here in his first introduction. And what a contrast he makes to the loathsome Duke of Shippening!

Fear in his eyes: It says in the text that Captain Sunan observes the duke with a certain measure of fear in his eyes. This might be surprising to those of you who have read Goddess Tithe! Why would our brave sea captain fear someone like the Duke?

I would venture to suggest that it is not the duke whom Captain Sunan fears. Rather, it is the one with whom the duke associates. And that one is possibly the only being who can truly strike terror into Sunan’s heart.

Worshiping the Dragon: An interesting little tidbit about the Noorhitam empire is dropped in the duke and captain’s conversation. Turns out there are those among Sunan’s people who worship he Dragon and his Sister.

Now wouldn’t that be something worth exploring? Perhaps even in . . . the seventh novel??? J

Some firebird: Note that the duke says something about a “firebird” to the merchant when trying to peg what his people worship. At this point, we have never seen the Lady of Dreams take any other form than that of a woman. But perhaps she has more forms available to her than we yet know . . .

The merchant’s reaction: Captain Sunan is quite shocked to see the duke’s Fool appear in the room. He immediately recognizes it for what it is . . . not a man, but a Faerie creature. Not even Lionheart has realized that, even while conversing with the Fool!

Yet another indication that this merchant is much more than he seems.

The Fool’s Song: This song is one I wrote back in my freshman year of college. I remember it was inspired by a lovely, classical guitar piece that I happened to hear on my roommate’s Pandora radio one day. It was so lovely, and as I lay listening to it (can’t remember the name to save my life now!), the images from this poem came into my head. I’m not much of a one for poetry, as I’ve mentioned before, but now and then inspiration will strike. I really like how this piece turned out. It’s been tweaked since that original version I wrote in college, but it is pretty much the same piece.

You’ll notice that it mentions “Aiven.” And you might also recall that the Dragon previously called Beana “the Lady of Aiven.” So it’s not too big of a stretch to think this song might actually be referring to her.

I’m here to tell you now that, yes, this song is very much about Beana and her ever-so-dramatic backstory.

The sword that will slay dragons: As the sylph sings, Lionheart sees the words as powerful images in his mind. And he knows that the sword of which the sylphs tell—the fearsome Fireword—is the sword that will slay dragons.

But how can he find a sword like that?

Fireword, you may remember from Lionheart’s earlier story about the Brothers Ashiun, is also known as Halisa. The swords of legends and myth.

The duke’s fury: The duke is outraged to hear the Fool sing of Fireword. (SPOILERS) I think this has to do with the alliance the duke has made with the Dragon . . . and the Dragon’s coming doom (which those of you who have read Heartless know all about). As the series progresses, we learn more and more about prophecies that have been in place concerning the Dragon, the Prince of Farthestshore, and Fireword. Beana herself in this book speaks of a prophecy she declared on the shores of the Final Water. (p.214) I think the duke is aware of those prophecies himself, and thus he punishes the sylph for speaking of this sword.

Perhaps the sylph himself realizes the coming end of the Dragon, and that’s why he chose that song.

But the duke, in his cruelty, orders the poor creature to be beaten with iron bars.

THE SYLPH
By Hannah WilliamsA whirlwind! Lionheart liberates the sylph from his iron collar—and immediately, the sylph transforms into its natural, windling form! It catches up Lionheart and bears him from the duke’s house before Lionheart even has time to think.

Quite a dramatic transition! But hey, it moves Lionheart along his way, since he is now on the docks of Capaneus, ready to begin his next adventure far from the Duke of Shippening.

A gift. The sylph wants to  grant Lionheart a wish, but cannot. So instead, he tells him to travel to the far away city of Lunthea Maly and to seek out the Hidden Temple, Ay-Ibunda. There he will meet an oracle who can tell him what he wants to know: how to drive the Dragon from Southlands.

But Lunthea Maly is far away in the Noorhitam empire. Lionheart’s journey has scarcely begun.

And in the meanwhile, because the sylph has not granted Lionheart a wish, he remains in Lionheart’s debt . . .

Questions on the text:

1. So given the song the Fool sings and the little hints the Dragon gave us earlier, what guesses might you have concerning Beana and her backstory?

2. Have you encountered sylphs in other stories before? If so, do tell. I know Alexander Pope mentioned them in his poem The Rape of the Lock, but otherwise I haven’t seen them around much. But I understand they enjoy relative popularity among fantasy novelists, so I’d be curious to know of other sylphs!

3.  What were your favorite lines?

VEILED ROSE Read-Along: Chapter 7, Part Three

And it's Christmas Day! Merry Christmas, dear imps. I hope you are having a wonderful day, all of you, spent with your favorite people. All the season's blessings to each and every one of you!

This is quite a dark chapter to cover on such a merry day . . . but we'll proceed into it as per the schedule, finishing up the last of Part Three as we go. And tomorrow, we'll dive into Part Four!

Remember to look over the November 30 post if you have any questions on how to get your name entered in the weekly giveaways for a chance to win a signed copy of Veiled Rose.

And now, on to our chapter.

PART THREEChapter 7
A strange contrast: The Dragon in this scene is a strange contrast of overtly creepy and weirdly seductive. His appearance is quite gruesome, but his words are honeyed poison. Normally, one would expect a seductive villain to be equally appealing to the eye. But this monster is truly monstrous.

I wonder if to an eye less discerning than our stubborn, down-to-earth Rose Red the Dragon may have appeared fairer?

Bared face: Even as Rose Red unveiled herself before the Dream back upon on the mountain, now the Dream unveils her in this scene. She is always made vulnerable before him. She is always laid bare, unable to hide.

Courageous . . . or simply stubborn? Our Rosie continues to impress with her stubborn refusal to act afraid of the Dragon. I’m sure she is actually quite overwhelmingly terrified, but her reaction is to put up a courageous front. And you know how it is: sometimes if we pretend hard enough that we feel one way, we can actually make ourselves believe it.

The Touch of a Dragon: When Rose Red slaps the Dragon, the barest touch burns her down to the bone. And remember, Rose Red has a pretty tough hide! So this Dragon must be searingly hot.

I liked the opportunity I had with this character to really fall back on the ancient terror that dragons once were in western mythology (not eastern, so much). Modern fiction tends to prefer friendlier dragons which can either be tamed as pets, or befriended, or which serve as wise mentors. But the old dragons—Beowulf’s foe, Fafnir, Tiamat, St. George’s dragon, and of course the biblical allusions to dragons—they were all terrifying. And I do miss that in my modern fiction. I miss the real foe that a dragon used to me. Though there are several novelists  who have done frightening dragons in more contemporary YA fiction. Gail Carson Levine’s wonderful Vollys from The Two Princesses of Bamarre, and Robin McKinley’s unforgettable Maur from The Hero and the Crown. Those were some excellent dragons!

Some folks have complained that I don’t have any good dragons in my series (perhaps you are one of those folks!). And I do try to be sympathetic. But you know, there are plenty of good dragons out there. But in my opinion, there simply aren’t enough badones. And I love how literarily symbolic a dragon is by nature, how much fictional history there is to draw upon. So I decided at quite a young age that I would never write a story about a gooddragon. A dragon protagonist sure—Una is that, Hri Sora could be considered something of an anti-heroine, and in my upcoming Book 8 we will have another dragon hero whom I hope you will all learn to love, even in his dragon form—but never a good dragon.

Thus my Father of Dragons is burning to the touch, his breath is poisonous, insanity-inducing, and his motives are wicked. He is the Death of Dreams, the Destroyer. And he is quite satisfyingly as wicked of a dragon as I could invent!

Pain shot through her arm, up her neck, and into her head. Have you ever noticed this sensation of pain when you touch something too hot? I remember it from as far back as my early childhood—four or five years old, maybe younger. We lived in England at the time, and one of the lovely features cold, rainy England provides its denizens is heated towel racks. These are electric racks mounted on the wall of a bathroom, and you hang your towels on them, pull a cord (at least in our house it was a cord), and can warm your towel while you bathe.

Oddly enough, our towel rack was in the bathroom without a shower.

Quirky. We’ll call it quirky.

Anyway, because of its location, we never used the towel warmer, so it was almost always quite cold to the touch. But sometimes, somehow, it would get turned on, heating up to quite appalling temperatures. And an unsuspecting little hand might reach out to grab it while sitting . . . um . . . certain places. And YEOUCH!

My memories of that towel warmer are so vivid to this day that just thinking about it sends shivering synapses running up my arm and into my head, telling me to move my hand. I’m not kidding you. I feel it right now as I type!

So when I described Rose Red striking the Dragon, I feel I can sympathize with her completely. She has her dragon . . . I have my towel warmer. Pretty much the same thing.

“I know who the real mountain monster was all along.” Rose Red accuses the Dragon here of being the mountain monster, the one who caused all the fear among the villagers, the reason for her isolation. I wonder though . . . is this truly accurate? Or is he simply her mountain monster?

Because I don’t think the mystery of the monster is quite so easily explained . . .

The Name: Once more, Rose Red feels the Name Beana gave her resting on her tongue, but chooses not to speak. Nevertheless, she feels comfort. And the Dragon leaves.

This is a Name that wields whether or not Rose Red speaks. This is a Name that is not dependent upon the one who calls upon it, though it is ever ready to be called upon.

The poison: So far, Rose Red has appeared to be impervious to the Dragon’s poison. Unlike Daylily, Foxbrush, and all the others in the house, she has not been reduced to a near catatonic state or a mad frenzy.

This is due—I believe—to her nature, which is not mortal. Mortals react very strongly to the Dragon’s poisons. They are much more susceptible. Rose Red is a much tougher nut to crack simply because her nature is not that of a mortal. I think she is still susceptible, ultimately, but it’s going to be a much slower process in her. Besides, she’s been interacting with the Dragon since she was a child. Perhaps she’s built up something of an immunity.

She knew he would: Rose Red continues her work, trying to relieve the suffering of those within the house, all the while comforting herself with the belief that Leo will return. The he will kill the Dragon.

She does seem to have quite the faith in our intrepid young Leo. Perhaps more faith than he deserves . . .

Foxbrush staring: Rose Red discovers Daylily’s disappearance because of the direction Foxbrush is staring. I wonder if Foxbrush wanted to follow, wanted to prevent Daylily from pursuing her mad wandering. But he couldn’t, not with all the poison he has breathed. How helpless all these mortals have become under the Dragon’s influence!

Remember, those of you who have read Heartless, these people have been breathing in the poison much longer than Una did. If I remember correctly, Una only dealt with the poison for three days at the most, possibly not even that long (once more, my copy of Heartless isn’t on hand for reference!). But these people have endured much longer than that, and will continue to endure more.

The door that leads to . . . Here at the end of the chapter we discover the secret behind the door before which Rose Red found Foxbrush and Daylily standing in the previous chapter. We learn that it is  Death’s own door.

A door that leads, like the cave of the mountain monster, into the depths of the Dragon’s own realm. Into the depths of the Netherworld.

As I believe I have said in one of my answers to an earlier question, the original Veiled Rose manuscript did not include Rose Red’s journey to the Netherworld. She returned to the Eldest’s House to care for Lionheart’s parents (I don’t honestly remember if Daylily was there or not), and all of her adventures took place in the mortal world as she interacted with the Dragon over the course of five years (the term of Lionheart’s exile).

As I searched for new ideas of how to approach the novel, revising to make it more exciting, one story kept coming to mind: The tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. In that classic story, Orpheus makes his fateful journey to the underworld to reclaim his dead wife, Eurydice. The idea of a journey into Death’s own realm was very intriguing.

But I thought how much more intriguing it would be if, rather than going to rescue someone she loved, my heroine instead went to rescue someone she did not love. Her rival, even. Naturally, we would see Rose Red doing this for the sake of Leo, probably even for Beana.

But can she truly risk all for the sake of the distinctly unlovable Lady Daylily? Lady Daylily who, as far as Rose Red knows, is Leo’s intended bride?

Now there was some drama worth exploring. I also decided to classically give Rose Red three tests along her way before she makes it to the heart of the Dragon’s realm. But more on that as we go . . .

And we have not reached the end of Part Three!

Questions on the text:

1. For those of you who have read Heartless, what do you think of the contrast between Una’s reactions to the Dragon to Rose Red’s? How are the two heroines similar? How are they different?

2.  What do you think of Rose Red’s declaration that the Dragon is the true mountain monster? Is she right? Is she wrong? Is she partially right but not completely?

3. What do you think Rose Red’s bare face whenever she’s in the Dragon’s presence might mean? Similarly, what do you think he sees when she is unveiled before him?

4. Are any of you familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice? Do you see some similarities between that story and this? Do you see some interesting differences?

5. Any favorite lines?