Matthew Interview

Today, I'm interviewing Matthew, my favorite character from Twisted Dreams. Let's get started.

"How has being the second prince, the “spare heir” affected you?" I ask Matthew once we're seated in my imagination.

“I’ve never felt like the ‘spare heir.’ I’m the one who can be freeeeee!” Matthew flings his arms wide.
I grin and shake my head. What have I asked?
He goes on. “Will always had all these things to learn to prepare him to rule someday, and he trained for the military as well, so he could lead it. I didn’t have near as intense of lessons.” He shrugs.
“It got lonely sometimes, but I always had a lot more free time than he did. Maybe because I wouldn’t have stood for having less.” Matthew grins impishly. “Once Will is king, I’ll still get to do whatever I want. I guess if something ever happens to Will, I’ll be all Hanover has, but I’m hoping that never happens.”

I nod. "Okay, do you think you would be different if you were the firstborn?"

“If Will and I switched birth order, wow, that’d be something," he says, eyes widening. "I’d probably be more rebellious. As the second born, no one cares if I’m crazy, but if I was the heir, I’d have to do all the things Will does. I don’t think I could handle it. I’d abdicate.” He says this as if it’s a perfectly normal and acceptable option.

"You’re known as a bit of a prankster. Any particularly memorable pranks?" I try to hide my grin, knowing what I've asked.

“When I was eight, I put one of my pet mice in Mother’s dressing table drawer," he begins, and his eyes gleam mischievously. "Mother screamed, the maid screamed, and when the mouse got out onto the floor, Mother ended up on top of the dressing table screaming. The whole palace could hear her.”
"Really?" I ask him, laughing out loud.
Matthew chuckles with me. “Well, maybe not literally, but it sure seemed like it, as many people as came running. A footman caught my mouse and took it outside. Never saw that particular one again, though I had plenty others. Once Mother calmed down, though, she wasn’t mad. She gave me a good talking to about the way you treat ladies, but she wasn’t mad. I’m glad because it was only the next week she was killed in an accident. I’d hate for the last big incident that happened between us to have ended badly.”
He looks uncharacteristically sad for a moment, then shakes himself and puts on a goofy smile again. “That screaming, though. You’d have thought the mouse was going to kill them.”

"Do you ever get in trouble for your pranks?" I ask, quickly changing the subject.

Matthew snorts. “Of course I do. I may be a prince, but princes have to be taught to behave just as much as ordinary people. It doesn’t happen so much now I’m seventeen, but I don’t want to tell how many privileges I had taken away as a kid. Sometimes I think they just gave up fixing me, though. I don’t think I’ve really been fixed. I’m still just as crazy as ever. But somebody has to be. It would be far too dull and serious around Hanover palace otherwise.”
"Probably," I agree. "Well, thanks for talking. I'll see you in your book."
He starts to disappear, still talking. "Technically, it's Will and Liesel's book, but if you want to suggest that to Morgan, I've got no objections!"
His wide smile fades, and I shake my head at where he use to be.

Personally, I don't think Matthew's suggestion has value. (Hint, hint, Morgan.) But for now, we'll just have to visit him in Twisted Dreams.

And if you click this link, you'll head to an awesome giveaway!

RhoXie

P.S. So there's also a bit of a contest going on. The person to leave the most comments on the blog tour gets to read an early version of Kendra's Snow White retelling, The Seven Drawers. And yes, you read that correctly. Drawers.

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