April A to Z Characters: Q

Q is for Queen.

I know it probably seems convenient for this whole A to Z challenge, but seriously, she doesn't have a name of her own. Maybe she never will. She's simply known as The Queen in Swan Queen. And no, she's not the Swan Queen.

Mother of Princess Maribella and sister to Kenric, the Queen is ailing. She chastises her procrastinating daughter for delaying in her choosing of a husband. The longer Maribella delays, the more chance Kenric will have time to work his way onto the throne. The wedding must take place. The problem is that Maribella's choices are slim. She can't picture herself with any of the menagerie of men her mother has chosen for her.

When the Queen inconveniently dies shortly after their conversation, Mari finds herself without a kingdom and her people under Kenric's heavy hand. Now she has to live long enough to find a suitable husband and convince Kernic to step down without tossing her country into war.

Thanks for dying, Queen.

Likes: The thought of her her daughter on the throne, servants, being queen,

Dislikes: Her brother, her daughter being so damn indecisive, dying.

See all the A to Z challenge partcipants here.

April A to Z Characters: P

P is for Paul.

Paul is the husband of Marion from Devolution, a short story currently in need of some extensive revision and possible expansion into novella territory. He's a good guy for the most part. He makes sure his wife has a nice home in their Plex. They even have a window. Thanks to all his work, they want for very little. The one thing he can't give his wife is a child. Not that he's unable. She's the one who can't clear the approval process. Mental unstability runs in her family and the last thing their orderly world needs is a drain on resources by caring for those who had no right to be born in the first place.

Paul does his best to get Marion counseling and find something more useful for her baby-craving mind to do. If she doesn't quit with her silly dreams and take her medication, he could loose his job and with it, the apartment with a view. He's not a bad man and she's not a bad woman but if you ask either of them, they'll probably tell you different.

Likes: Variation in his evening meals, a wife who comes to bed with him, and his job

Dislikes: Headstrong women, the uncivilized people who live out in the wilds, the thought of moving from his apartment.

April A to Z Characters: O

O is for Olga.

Olga travels through the land of Not Another Bard's Tale. She wants nothing more than to protect her sister, the chosen of the Sheep God, and to find a man who loves her for who she is.

Her sister got the good looks, but Olga got the brains of her Elven mother and brawn of her Dwarvish father. She also has a big sword and she knows how to use it. Unfortunately, the men in town see her as a more of a friend than a lover. In fact, most of them are scared to death of her. When her father sends her out of the country on a business trip, Olga learns that when the quaking men of her town said it wasn't her, it was them, they just might have been right.

Likes: Men who aren't afraid of a strong woman, supportive yet flattering swordswoman wear, and sharpening her sword.

Dislikes: The knight who deflowered her sister, cowards, and men who don't take her swordsmanship seriously.

April A to Z Characters: N

N is for Nickoli.

Nickoli is the station commander in Trust. He is a long-time friend of one of the MCs and both MCs work to stay on his good side by not bringing the trouble that follows them near everywhere to his station. They both use him for information on the star system where he resides as well as using the location itself for sanctuary when they need to get away from their otherwise hectic lives.

He is the father of teenage twins, which he juggles between managing the station and keeping trade routes open within the star system by making sure his station remains neutural territory. Nickoli offers some tidbits to the MC when he is searching out information on his bosses past that allow him to understand her a little bit better.

Likes: Peace, friends that visit regularly, and a good Verian meal

Dislikes: Anything that endangers his station, dangerous people who hang out with no apparent reason, and information that causes him to worry about his long absent friend.

April A to Z Characters: M

M is for Merkeif.

I seem to have a lot of characters with M names. It was hard to choose which one to feature. Seniority had to be taken into account and, Merkeif, long time character from both Trust and Chain of Gray won.

Merkeif's orginal name, way back in the early versions, was Matt. As the story twisted and grew, that didn't work anymore and he needed something with more flavor. Merkeif is the MC's best friend and co-worker as well as a welcome face from home, Artor.

In Trust, Merkeif offers a sympathetic ear to the MC, watches his back, and mediates for him with their Jalvian co-worker who isn't fond of the MC on any level. Their boss may be the force that keeps the three men from killing one another when things get ugly, but Merkeif is the glue that keeps them together on a day to day basis. He's the guy that everyone trusts.

Then comes Chain of Gray. Merkeif gets to explore his dark side. It was fun getting into his head and seeing just what made this dependable guy crack and how far he would go once he had. It really is the quiet ones that you have to worry about.

Likes: A night out with the guys, finding a woman of his own, everyone to get along.

Dislikes: His family getting killed, his best friend deserting him, and not knowing what the hell is going on.