Q & A with Elaine

Well, it was a close race, but welcome, Elaine Beck! Readers have picked you for the interview! We're all so excited to have you on Shades of Art for—

Heavens, yes! Thank you so much. You have no idea how excited I was when you dropped by and asked. What kind of questions do I need to answer? And, Gandil, I hate to say this, but I can't be here for too long. Adriane needs me to wash the windows as soon as possible.

Alright, we'll move quickly, but there's actually quite a bit that our readers want to know. Could you share a picture of yourself?

Yes, of course I can. Father had both Adriane and me painted just a month or so ago! He said it was for Adriane's 18th birthday, and that he didn't want me to be left out. I think it's an incredible picture, and it makes me happy when Father keeps it by his bed at night. (Can you imagine being able to paint someone so that it looks like them? Sounds like a lot of work to me.)

this is me!

Thank you for sharing, Elaine!

Of course, my pleasure. So, what kind of questions do you have for me today? I stayed up late last night, practicing answering all the ones I could think of.

We've got quite a few. You're not nervous are you?

Don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm not! Fire away.

1. How do you like being the youngest in your family?

I like being the youngest for sure, though it is hard luck being the one that killed your mother. When---well---I guess you should know my mother died giving birth to me. I don't miss her, because I never knew her, but I guess that's what I get for being the youngest. I guess there's less work for me at the inn because I'm younger than Adriane is, but it's also harder figuring out how to do what I'm supposed to. Adriane doesn't always tell me, and Father's very busy. Having less responsibility gives me free time, though! I can talk with all the guests and find out what's going on in the town!

2. What are your hobbies?

Do you mean What am I good at, or What do I enjoy doing? Because I'm good at things like scrubbing floors, washing windows and making beds...and I hate doing them. But I enjoy fishing and trying to hang out with Adriane. I'm not good at either, but that doesn't make it boring. I want to learn to ride horses one day, too. There are only a couple of horses in our town, but one day, I'm going to find one as spirited as me, and away we'll go.

3. Are you in school?

I finished school a long time ago. I know how to read, write and do my figures. My biggest challenge is learning how to cook. Ask Adriane. Compared to her, my skills are pathetic. I'd rather learn how to do figures all over again than learn how to cook. Father says me learning to cook is important for when Adriane gets married and moves out, and for when I get married and have a family. I told him I'm never getting married or having a family; babies can be so annoying.

I haven't figured out how to explain away his other point though. Adriane's 18, by the way. I guess it's inevitable that she'll find someone soon, but I'm going to miss her. I can't even imagine filling her shoes.

4. How long does it take you to style your hair every morning?

Ah! My kind of question, but mostly because I get to answer it in a way no one expects. It takes me about three minutes to put my hair in braids. Sometimes, if I know a day is going to be especially busy, I braid it the night before. I don't think it's ever turned out very nicely the next morning, but it gets the job done!

5. What is your biggest dream in life?

You know, I've never really had much of a chance to dream. If I could have anything I wanted, though, it would be never to have to work at the inn again. And for Adriane to be happy. Maybe Father, she and I could get a little cottage outside of a big city (so there could still be adventures) find a horse and live together without having to worry about work or money ever again. And maybe Adriane would be happy without having to go get married.

6. What was your first impression of Armatrod when you met him?

I thought what a clumsy idiot he was. I'm sorry to say so, but it's true. I was walking down the street, carrying milk to a neighbour, and I walked smack! straight into him. He wasn't looking where he was going, and he paid for it. Half of the milk in my bucket ended up in his boots.

I guess that doesn't sound very polite, now that I look it, but it's honest. After that, I grew to like him a whole lot. If I'd had an older brother, I would have wanted him. He's easy to talk to (or maybe he just lets me talk), and he gives me great advice about my relationship with Adriane.

7. Are you rooting for Armatrod + Adriane?

Gandil, yes. Father always said I could see things that other people couldn't, and I wonder sometimes if I'm the only one who knows that they should get together. Adriane needs Armatrod more than anything, I think. And like I said earlier, Armatrod would make a great older brother. And besides, when I clean his room, I see the gold coins he keeps on the table. He must be rich; Adriane wouldn't have to work! And then I wouldn't have to wash anymore windows! I'm so unbelievably tired of filling buckets from the well.

8. Who is your best friend?

I wish I had a best friend. There are a couple girls in the town that I hang out with sometimes, but we seem so different somehow. They all have a mother; I don't. They can't wait to get married; I can. Most of them love making house; I hate it. But we all like to talk, and I guess that's what keeps us coming back together.

9. Do you ever feel neglected/overlooked by your parents?

I guess because none of my family members are reading this, I'll answer it honestly. Armatrod would say that it's none of your business, that I could talk about myself all I wanted, but leave them out of it. However, he's not here, is he? Adriane is my stand-in mother and my sister, and yes, sometimes...well...a lot of times, I feel very overlooked by her. She's so busy, and so unhappy. She doesn't tell me how I can help, so I don't know what to do. Adriane's too young to be a mother, so I guess that isn't fair. She should still be a daughter and sister.

Father is very busy too, and I know he can't help that. He wants to give me and Adriane a good life, and you have to have money to do that. I'm thankful, of course, but I wouldn't mind not having to scrub floors, not having as much money and having more time with him and Adriane.

10. What's your favourite wildflower?

Finally! Something that my poor 13-year-old brain doesn't have to slave over to figure out. (I'm jesting; I can ramble on with the best of my kind.) I love daisies. There are always so many of them around our town, and they make me smile when I look at them. They always look so happy.

11. If you could change one thing about your life, or add something to it, what would that be?

I would move Fordron (my town) a million miles away from the field and river where it sits. I would move it to a big city in the middle of one of the large kingdoms south of us. Then I could see more people, go places and explore. It's the worst thing in the world living in a tiny little town that civilization forgot. I don't know how our town got here, but living in between a mountain range and the sea is about as lonely as it gets.

12. What do you do for fun?

Talk. You should have put this question at the beginning of the interview, Autumn! Then I could have proved it throughout the interview. But maybe you did that on purpose? Because in the effort of trying to prove it, I might have talked a little...erm...too much.

Anyway, I like talking to my father's guests and the people in town when I can step out of the inn for a short while.

13. What is your relationship with your sister?

I wish I could say it was wonderful. But it isn't, and that hurts. I guess I might as well give you the facts. Adriane wants to be married and starting a family. After all, my mother married when she was 16, and Adriane already missed that...two years ago. But instead, she's stuck at the inn, helping my father because I'm not good enough to take her place. She's not happy where she is, and sometimes I think she thinks I was a poor exchange for my mother. I know I'm not as pretty as my mother was, or as helpful, but I do try. It's just hard to learn when someone doesn't teach you—she just does everything herself to get it just right, all the while wishing she didn't have to be doing it at all.

But as I said earlier, Adriane isn't a mother yet, so it's not her fault. It wasn't fair that she's had to raise me since the time she was 5.

14. What is your favourite memory, and why is it your favourite?

This question makes me smile and close my eyes. I can smell the fresh warm bread that Adriane baked and the sweet smell of the summer grass. She took me for a picnic when I turned 8 years old. She got all her chores done early, packed a lunch, took me by the hand and walked out of the dust of Fordron. She brought my mother's quilt, and we spread it in the fields. It was one of the happiest times of my life, I think.

15. Do you think you'd like living in a castle?

Ooh, good one! I think I would. I've always had a passion for exploring and going on adventures, and I think there'd be a lot of that in a castle, don't you? Just imagine all the turrets and hallways! And the idea of sneaking around at night and looking behind drapes and locked doors gives me thrills.

And that wraps up the questions we had for you, Elaine! Thank you so much for being here. We've enjoyed having you!

Oh yes, thank you! I enjoyed being here. It was a nice break from the drill of life. And if you ever need me again, I'll be more than —oh bother. I hear Adriane calling me. It must be time to go. But before I do, I'll just tell you a secret. I've been holding my breath.

Things are changing; I can feel it. I feel like it has something to do with Armatrod's appearance in our town. Things are revolving around him. Important things. I can't wait to see how my life changes.

And I'll keep crossing my fingers for Armatrod and Adriane. :)

What did you think? I loved doing this character interview. Thank you so much for making it possible, dear readers. I got some great questions; it was hard choosing some of them!

Let me know what you think about Elaine Beck and her answers!