Prince Geric

Character Analysis

When we (and Ani) first meet Geric, he's no prince. In fact, he's purposely posing as a guard so he doesn't have to get in to the whole royal thing. (Sound familiar? It should—and if it doesn't, then be sure to check out Ani's analysis elsewhere in this section.) Needless to say, then, it's a huge surprise to Ani—and us—when it turns out the guy she's been crushing on this whole time is actually her prince charming that she is slated to marry.

Ani can hardly believe it when her buddy from the pasture turns out to be the prince, but once it sinks in, Ani is pretty stoked. Instead of being forced to marry some humdrum dude who she has nothing in common with, the Kildenree princess is instead going to spend her life with a prince who shares her fondness for ditching royal entourages to chill alone sometimes, and also loves reading and chatting—just like Ani. Phew.

But just because Geric shares Ani's fondness for slipping away from all the fanfare of royal life doesn't mean that he—like Ani—won't step up to the plate when needed. So when Ani shows up at the castle claiming to be royalty, Geric's the one who convinces his dad—the king—to hide with him and listen in on Ani's conversation with Selia and Ungolad. And it's a good thing too, because by doing so, Selia exposes herself as a fraud, and order is returned to Bayern's future. As Geric says to Ani:

"I never imagined that I could marry a girl who was all those things and knew Bayern's needs better than I, who would truly be a partner on the throne. What this kingdom sorely misses is a queen, and you are exactly what they, and I, what we all need." (22.102)

Aw—now that's a charming prince.