An Interview With Prince Jory

I sat down to interview Prince Jordan Vance of Darantha from my Elixir Series, who is also a major in the Royal Planet Fleet.

What is your full name? Do you have a nickname (if so, who calls you this)?

My full name Jordan Alexander Vance. My family and close friends call me Jory, except my father, who insists on calling me Jordan, and my mother calls me that when she’s being serious.

Are you generally organized or messy?

(laughs) I’m mostly organized when it comes to RPF (Royal Planet Fleet) stuff. My desk is a bit of a mess, though I can find stuff if no one moves anything.

Who is the person you respect the most, why?

Besides my parents, I respect General Frey the most, though I may not show it all the time. He is fair, straight-forward, kind, and has a lot of experience in dealing with arrogant kids like me.

What do you have in your pockets?

(reaches into his uniform pocket and pulls out…) Two credit coins, a card holder with a credit card and RPF ID card, and a hard piece of candy.

What is your greatest strength?

Loyalty. If I’m on your side, that’s where I’ll stay, but that loyalty has to be earned first.

What is your greatest weakness?

I want to do everything myself, but I’m learning to delegate.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Before I knew that I was destined to be King someday? I wanted to be an actor. I was in a play in Primary school and I just knew that’s what I wanted to be. Then I discovered space and I wanted to be a pilot.

How would you describe your childhood?

I had a good, if somewhat sheltered childhood.

Sheltered how?

I didn’t know that I was royalty until as was about 12 Standard years old. My sister Maryllia and I were taught at the palace until that time. We had friends come over and we were allowed to go over to friends’ homes. What we didn’t know is palace security screened all our friends before we could go over. We had the same toys as the other kids, same computer games, but otherwise we didn’t go out much.

Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.

I think my parents have influenced me quite a bit in their work ethic. My father never missed a day of anything unless he couldn’t get out of bed. The RPF recruiter after my major screw-up with Deyka when I was 16 was a big influence. That was during my rebellious period and I wanted to do something that would anger my father, so I joined the RPF. No one in the royal family had ever served in the military, but I wanted to be a pilot and knew that was the only way I’d get to be one.

Do you care what others think of you? Why or why not?

I really don’t give a damn what people think of me. I’m too old to care. If they don’t like me, well, their loss. (laughs) I’ve ruffled more than a few feathers in the past and we’ve either gotten passed it or moved on in different directions. I can live with that.