Character Interview: Ramir General

Welcome, welcome to the first ever character interview! (What's going on? Check out yesterday's post.)

For this interview, I chose Ramir General of Cosia. Here's a quick summary of the story he comes from and his part in it:

"When Ivolet's father, the king of Ellan, is treacherously murdered on a peaceful visit to Cosia, her life hangs on the whim of Cosia's sultan. However, Ramir General pities her and adopts her. He raises her as his own child, but things become tense as the identity she doesn't remember threatens to take her life."

M: So, welcome Ramir General. Please sit down. First off, I need to know why you made me delete a comma up there. Shouldn't it be Ramir, General of Cosia?

R: Actually, no. In Cosia we put titles after our names. It's a glitch in translation, I think, and it just sounds weird to you.

M: Okay, cool. I see you have a wedding band on your finger...wait, you have a lot of rings. Are you married?

R: *laughs self-consciously* Yes, I'm married. The rest of the rings mean different things. *leans forward, ready to teach* This one means I'm a soldier in the service of the sultan, and this one, here, shows that I'm the general. There's only one of those rings, and I'll be buried with mine. A new one will be made for the next general upon my death.

M: So you never get retirement?

R: *chuckles, then turns serious* No.

M: Ouch. *sympathetic pause* But I want to hear more about your wife. How did you meet?

R: Well, that's quite a story I don't think we have time for! I guess most people don't know that she's actually one of the sultan's younger half-sisters. She was at one of the dances... *his frown creases in remembrance* Actually, I think it was the dance in celebration of my becoming general. The sultan wanted me to meet her, but I had no intentions of marrying. Most generals never marry.

M: *aghast* What? Why?

R: Too busy, and the post isn't hereditary. But all my inner vows disappeared when I met Merice. We were married after only a couple of months, and I've never regretted it.


M: Any kids?

R: *smiles, though there's pain in the smile* Just Ivolet. She's our joy, all we'd ever need. Merice can't have children, and adopting Ivolet was one of the best decisions of my life. She's like my own daughter. Sometimes - many times - I forget that we aren't blood kin.


M: She sounds delightful. I can't wait to meet her! *shuffles notes* Okay, I have one more question. How did you become the general?

R: I grew up in the palace since my father was a high-ranking official in the army. The sultan and I were close friends as children, but we went in different directions as we grew older. I entered the military, and he began training to rule Cosia. When he became the sultan, I guess it just seemed natural to him to appoint me as the general. I was young, maybe too young...

M: Young you may have been, but together you two have taken more territory more than his father and grandfather combined! Everyone's talking about y'all!

R: *looks down bashfully*


M: *laughs* Okay, I've embarrassed you long enough! Thank you so much for coming in and answering these questions! I really appreciate it.

Whew, that was fun! And a little harder than I expected. (How did Ramir become general??? Idk!) Ramir is a supporting character that I've grown to love. It was actually quite lovely to get to sit down and talk to him.

What'd you think? Want more? Nah - that was boring? Melody, you can do your own but my characters are not allowed over here?

Actually, it was so fun and helpful I may do it again at no set time even if it doesn't become a regular thing.

Picture is of Brendan Coyle, whom I watch on Lark Rise to Candleford every week. If I got to cast my book, it'd be a close tie between him and Russell Crowe for the part of Ramir.