Trapped in Ink

Alora’s life has been a series of magical mishaps, which could be considered very unfair as she has never been able to work magic herself. Sandwiched between two brothers who have rotten aims–especially when wielding magic–she has grown up with a deep personal appreciation for the quiet and the mundane.

Her second cousins, Ranissia and Hald, grew up with Alora and her siblings in their run down manor in Greenshaven. Ranissia and Alora were particularly close as they both had to deal with two budding mages who had no compunction when it came to experimenting with magic. Generally, the girls gave as good as they got, even though their methods of revenge usually involved ordinary things like spices, herbs, and white wash.

Despite her brothers’ efforts to protect her from the barbed tongues at court–which resulted in her growing ostrich legs right before she was officially presented to the king–she still managed to garner enough attention that warranted a betrothal to the crown prince of a neighboring country.

She ended up marrying the prince, but the path from betrothed to married was one that involved a few transmogrifications, a magical disguise, a daring rescue, and the most mysteriousl creature in the world: the firebird.

How Alora got the Author's attention:

I sat percolating in my Author’s subconscious for close to a year, gathering strength and waiting for that magical moment when I would first reach out to her.

She was staring at the ceiling, trying to convince her stomach that morning sickness didn’t necessarily have to be a part of either of their lives. It was then, when her conscious and her sub-conscious were beginning to merge in mutual torment, that I found my chance. And thanks to my brothers, I had the perfect image to get her attention.

It was me, right after Eadric had turned me into a goose. (Turns out it was really a swan, but that’s a story for another time.) I was staring at my reflection in all its birdly glory, horrified. It was bad enough that I might have to marry a total stranger, but doing so as a bird made everything a thousand times worse.

But horrible situations often have a silver lining if you look hard enough. And, sure enough, it got her attention.

Alora's thoughts on the plot:

I have often wished that the plot for Goose Feathers contained less magic. Life would have been so much easier that way. Even the only mention of my past involved me achieving the height of embarrassment due to my brothers and their tendency to wreck even the simplest of spells–all with the best of intentions, of course.

I think I should have liked to have met Breren as myself, as a human. There were so many misunderstandings because of my being a bird, so many difficulties that I could have avoided if magic had been securely penned. But I do have to wonder, if Breren had seen me as a human girl first, would he have fallen in love with me at all, or would I have simply been a pretty face he was compelled to marry? It was because of my bird form that he was forced to get to know me better than he would have otherwise.

And then there is the situation with Mara and the firebird. I suppose that if magic had been shelved, then so too would they. If that had happened, my life would have been more pleasant, but less happy. Without those two, I would have never met Breren, nor seen the world in a single fiery feather. I would have never met myself, or a part of myself, that seemed so wispy and thin, but proved to be stronger than iron or steel. And I never would have had the satisfaction of seeing that smug, superior look wiped off of Myles face as he beheld the firebird in all its flaming glory.

So rather than doing without the magic, I think I can safely say that I could have definitely done without all of the mortification that came with it. Because without magic, life loses that vivid spark that makes reality so beautiful.