Ghost Apparent

Hi, I'm Legend, she/ze, and I'm running this show here in the Teashop Between Worlds. Today we welcome Orsiana from Jelena Dunato's Ghost Apparent. This Slavic folklore-inspired fantasy sounds great, but then anything with the line 'lethally tuned verse' is going to pique my interest. So, let's get started!​

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Legend: Welcome! First of all, please introduce yourself. Name, pronouns if you wish, and tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

 

Orsiana: Hello, my name is Orsiana – or if you want me to be formal, that would be Gospa Orsiana of Larion, but I don’t think we need to be formal here. 

 

Legend: I don't think we can be formal here. Sorry. Continue.

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Orsiana: I once started a rebellion by commissioning a murder ballad from a talented poet. If you think rebellions are only started with blades and fists and barricades in the streets, you are greatly mistaken. That’s why I keep my guards close and my poets closer.
 

Legend: You should meet my mate. He composed a ballad to help deceive the Tenebris Queen, start a revolution, and kick her out of a realm. You two would probably get along. Can you tell us a bit about your world?

 

Orsiana: I was born in Abia, a city in the province of Larion, and the biggest port in the Amrian kingdom. My father was the ruler of the city – you see, even though we are a part of the kingdom, the cities don’t really care much about the king. How could one person sitting on a throne hundreds of miles away know what we need? We like to be independent, and endlessly bicker about our rights and privileges, and fight amongst ourselves, because it’s only natural that every citizen knows what’s best for the city. 

 

And what a city it is! A walled wonder, built of stone and sunlight, guarding the deep bay filled with colourful sails. You’d love its narrow streets, teeming docks and ancient palaces. It bristles with pride and insolence, unwilling to reveal its beauty easily, but there are autumn afternoons when the light is soft and golden, when the balconies and gardens smell of oranges and jasmine. There are shadowy squares with fountains, where young men fence out of boredom and girls giggle watching them, houses with heavy wooden shutters and light curtains lifted by the summer wind, there’s salt in the air, and the constant, faraway sound of the waves. 

 

It's forever locked in my heart and I’d die to protect it.
 

Legend: Beautiful to see someone so in love. Let’s a have a quick-fire round of This or That. Try to just answer and not think too hard about it.

 

Orsiana: 

• Countryside or city?

City, always. I’m a city girl. Countryside makes me nervous, although I sometimes like to walk on the beach.

• Fight or negotiate?

Negotiate first, fight if you must.

• Morals or laws?

Lawmakers that strive to be decent human beings.

• Winter or summer?

Summer, but only because of the flowers.

• Olives or sardines?

Sardines on toasted bread, with a splash of olive oil.

• Brain or gut?

One without the other is useless.

• Revenge or justice?

Justice first. Revenge later, slowly. Thoroughly.

• Afterlife or ghost?

I’ve seen both. Equally bad, if you ask me. I’d rather be alive.

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Legend: Who or what is the love of your life?

 

Orsiana: Will my husband see this? No? Then it’s Abia, of course.
 

Legend: We can specifically lock out husbands if they're a pain. I think your true love is clear. If you were in charge of the country, what’s the first thing you would do?

 

Orsiana: Well, I am in charge of a province, and I can tell you there are no “firsts”, the “firsts” are usually bad, impulsive, half-baked ideas that always come back to bite you. Being in charge is a responsibility, not a playground to test your theories. Ruling is a job, not a sequence of impulsive decisions made because someone angered you, or a pretty girl caught your eye, or you’d drunk too much wine last night and now your head aches. (Don’t tell my husband that, if you prefer to keep your head attached to the rest of your body!) No, ruling is a huge responsibility, where you have to sit at your desk every day and do the best you can. You have people to help you, of course, but ultimately, the responsibility is yours. 

 

Am I lecturing? I am, I know. My father always told me I was too serious for such a small person.

 

Legend: Why would being small make you less serious. What an odd place. Not a nice thing to say to you. Have you ever been betrayed? How do you know someone is a true friend?

 

Orsiana: I have been betrayed horribly by very close family members and friends, and for a while, I believed I should trust no one. You can’t live like that, though, because you’ll turn into a paranoid lunatic who thinks everyone’s conspiring against them, and it will become a self-fulfilling prophesy. No, you need the people you can trust in your life. How do you know they’re true? Well, you don’t, that’s why it’s called trust.
 

Legend: *Shouts toward the open door at the back of the store.* Did you hear that, Will? 'You'll turn into a paranoid lunatic.' Sound familiar?

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Will: *Shouting back from upstairs.* You're three hundred years too late!

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Legend: Well, he trusted me in the end. Which might've been a mistake. Too early to tell. Anyway. Something fun. What superpower would you choose?

 

Orsiana: I wish I could read minds, it would be very useful. I’m pretty good at guessing what people think – it’s a skill you develop when people lie to you often, but it would help me to know what they think precisely. 

 

Although, as a shy, introverted person, I can’t think of many things worse than your private thoughts being read. So perhaps, it would be nice if mind-reading was something I could turn on only when I needed it, and turn it off in private situations.

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Legend: I know a couple of empaths who struggle, and they can't even hear thoughts. Being able to turn it off seems wise. So, I guess you've partially answered the next question. How do you feel about social situations? Do you throw yourself into it or are you the person rehearsing every conversation in their head a million times?

 

Orsiana: I’m not a naturally social person, I prefer to sit beside a window and read, but I am aware that social gatherings are a part of my duty and I tend to prepare for them. I learn something about my guests in advance, I prepare questions, rehearse conversations. If they have a favourite dish, or favourite music, I try to indulge them. I aim to be pleasant and friendly, nodding in encouragement while they speak about themselves. 

 

I don’t like to be watched, but I’ve learnt that masking is more efficient than hiding. I can do things with my hair, with my jewellery, with my gowns that will ensure no one looks at my face, and I’ll be able to move through the crowd, all eyes on me, without being seen.
 

Legend: A useful skill indeed. What’s your biggest achievement?

 

Orsiana: Winning Abia back from my treacherous uncle. I was alone, I had barely any friends left and gods were playing tricks on me. But you see, although I don’t look impressive – I have no particular beauty nor strength nor charm – I am very, very stubborn. If you try to take something I love, I will come back for it, and I will fight you, and I will win.

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Legend: I like you. Let's move on to something a bit more ephemeral. Do you dream? What's the weirdest dream you've had?

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​Orsiana: I dream of my mother sometimes. I lost her when I was very young. When I’m awake, I can’t recall her face, all I see is the marble portrait on her tomb. But when I dream, she comes to me perfectly clear – her sweet smile, her melodious voice – she often sang to me, her soft, cool touch, her smell – lily of the valley. 

 

We talk sometimes, like two grown women, about marriage, husbands, little disappointments and joys of life. She’s always the same age, you see, she was twenty-five when she died, and she’ll forever be twenty-five. But I age in my dreams, and one day, if I live that long, I’ll be older than her, and that will be extremely weird.
 

Legend: I always think of my mother as frozen at twenty-something too. I'm over five hundred, so it is a bit weird. Last but not least, what would be the best date/romantic outing/friend date outing someone could take you on? If you've been on it already, tell us about it. If not, is there someone you want to take?

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Orsiana: My husband likes to go out sometimes and pretend he’s a regular person – he pilfers the clothes from the poor guards and makes a complete fool out of himself because – of course – everybody recognizes him, but they’re too afraid to spoil his fun. I find it self-indulgent and silly. I’ve walked around Abia my whole life with my father, if I want to go out, I go out and talk with people and nobody finds it strange. 

 

But once we were visiting someone, and went for a ride along the coast, alone – again, my husband’s idea – and we chanced upon a fishing village. They were celebrating, so we tied our horses and walked there to see. They didn’t know who we were; I suppose they didn’t travel much. So we stayed with them, ate mussels and fried fish, drank their wine, and danced. And then we took a walk on the beach. He spread his cloak on the sand and we lay there watching the stars, listening to the endless song of the waves. When he kissed me, it was like the first time, like we were two people without a care in the world. No featherbed had ever been softer than that sand.

 

The fishermen woke us at dawn. I gave them all the coins I found in my pocket. Riding back to Abia, myself once again, I was grateful that, for one night, I was allowed to forget about the rest of the world.
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Legend: That is a rare chance indeed and a lovely way to conclude our interview! Thank you for joining me today and best wishes for your upcoming book release!