MER AISAVA MER AISAVA! Are you single?? What is your favorite flower?? (｡♥‿♥｡)
Dear Min (?) Anonymous, while we are deeply flattered, and in truth we are not courting anyone at this time, we find ourself - how did Esaran put it - “wedded to the work.” We fear we could not possibly offer a lover anything of real value, with so much of our time and energy already claimed.
We are fond of crocuses - they line the walking-paths in the garden of the Alcethmeret, and the first few brave leaves have already begun to appear, despite the last bit of snowfall. Though it is of course too early to count on it, we hope this once Salezheio will let them bloom before sending another frost.
The Emperor is dangerously thin, no matter how the edocharei try to disguise it. Is he ill? Is he fit to fulfill his duties as Emperor at all, short or long term? We are most concerned.
Mer (Merrem? this seems a motherly bit of correspondence) Anonymous, though we choose to believe your concerns are well-meant, they are entirely unfounded. His Serenity is quite healthy and fit, as Doctor Ushenar confirms with a thorough examination no less than once a month. He naturally tends to be slight, and we are told that the late Chenelo Zhasan was herself quite petite.
Moreover Csethiro Zhasan, Arbelan Zhasanai, Kiru Athmaza, Dachensol Ebremis, and a number of other members of the imperial dav including ourself are - deeply invested in making certain His Serenity does not skip meals, nor pick at them without eating more than a few bites, as is his occasional habit. Any concerns you may have are, we assure you, thoroughly in hand.
We have heard that the First Nohecharei are rather more... Affectionate with the Emperor behind closed doors than is strictly proper. Though we suppose if it assists His Serenity's focus and comfort, it can be overlooked
As we are sure we have said before, many times, what goes on between His Serenity and his household is a matter for His Serenity and his household.
His Serenity, the Captain of the Guard, and the Adremaza are all quite satisfied with the performance of all four nohecharei. And personal loyalty above and beyond sworn duty is hardly a fault. Indeed, Edrehasivar seems to have inspired such loyalty in many at Court.
His Serenity has amazing hair! How long is it? Has he considered cutting it to make it easier to care for?
Mer Anonymous, this letter caused a moment’s scandal in the Tortoise Room!
At first glance we-plural were inclined to take it as an insult to His Serenity, but on closer examination we can see your letter has traveled to us from far beyond the borders of the Ethuveraz! We are honored, although quite curious as to how you got word of this correspondence project?
The rules of cutting and styling one’s hair vary from culture to culture, of course. In some only those of one gender wear their hair long, in others only those of a particular age group. In the Elflands, the custom is that those of high status - or those who wish to appear of high status - wear their hair long and elaborately arranged, for they have the leisure (or, in this day and age, the servants) to care for and style it daily. On the other hand, those who have physically demanding jobs and less leisure may choose to crop their hair short, so it does not require styling and will not interfere with their duties. (Couriers, for the record, fall somewhere between - though they obviously have little leisure and a lot of running about to do, they may find themselves working in very high-status circles indeed, and style themselves accordingly. Also, perhaps, the youth and ambition prevalent in the ranks of our little brothers has something to do with it - young people will want to be pretty and stylish, regardless of practicality.) And of course, one who is disgraced from high status of some kind may have their hair cut short to reflect this.
We beg pardon - Kiru Athmaza wishes us to mention there are also magical reasons to avoid cutting one’s hair, and to be careful with any strands that fall out when combing. Such tokens, she says, can be used to enact dangerous spells on the one they belong to, due to something called “sympathetic magic”. This is the reason mazei wear their hair both long and bound in their signature queue - personal safety.
His Serenity’s hair, when unbound, reaches the small of his back - longer, he informs us, when it is wet and the curls are combed out. His edocharei occasionally trim the very tips of damaged strands - the trimmings are carefully and safely disposed of by his nohechari-mazei - and other than that, he says, it has never been cut in his life.
Mer Aisava, do you like to read? If so, do you have a favorite book?
We do enjoy reading, but asking us to choose a favorite book is like asking our favorite star in the sky!
In the couriers’ dorms, cheap novels circulated rapidly, of course. Everyone loves a good romance, a thrilling adventure. But we recently embarked upon a new project - reading the full biographies of emperors whose circumstances bore one similarity or another to Edrehasivar’s. We began, of course, with the other six emperors who used that name, and we are now progressing through a list of emperors who were not the firstborn sons or younger brothers of their predecessors.
At the moment we are reading the history of Edretanthiar V, some six hundred years ago. He was born the Archduke Soret, second son of Edretanthiar IV, and received permission to study at Ashedro. Thus he was safe when a vicious plague struck the Court and Cetho some years later.
The epidemic has been studied extensively in the years since. Only one in ten who sickened died from it, but it was highly contagious and extremely fast-moving, and whether that one-in-ten was healthy and strong or not beforehand did not seem to factor in. That both the Emperor and Prince Ansa were among that group was alarming enough, but so were a score of other key members of the government, and hundreds more people throughout the Court and city before a cure was found.
It is three days hard travel overland between the Court and Ashedro, in good weather, and requires crossings at both the Cethora and the Athamara. The courier - unnamed, in this history, and likely lost entirely to time - who told the new Emperor of his father and brother’s deaths did it in less than two.
Of course Ashedro knew already of the plague, but this was an entirely new level of crisis. Edretanthiar’s First Nohecharei volunteered at once - his personal armsman, Lieutenant Benora, and a maza who had been researching at the university at the time, Telera Athmaza. With the help of several other hurriedly-appointed advisors and all the fastest horses that could be found, Edretanthiar V began managing the disaster at Court from a distance, by letter after letter and decree after decree, most written in his own hand and sealed with his archduke’s signet.
It was agreed that the new Emperor could not possibly come to Court until the disease was entirely eradicated, so although he privately swore the ritual oaths to a prelate in Ashedro, he was not officially crowned in the Untheilian until almost six months later. This is the point we have reached, with Edretanthiar beginning to rebuild the government from the survivors.
Mer Aisava, what are your resolutions for the upcoming year, if any?
To answer personal correspondence in a more timely fashion.
We must beg your pardon, Mers and Merrems Anonymous. The new year has brought a new whirlwind of work, and we have scarce had time to breathe, much less write. We have prepared a few answers to your queries to be released shortly, and we most humbly apologize for the delay.
((Mod has been swamped with work and stretched too thin as well - if you enjoy this blog, perhaps consider sending some tea our way?))
Will you be giving His Serenity anything for Winternight/his birthday this year?
His Serenity has announced, officially, that the only thing he wants for his birthday is no assassination attempts. We feel that’s well taken care of.
But of course, simply saying that isn’t going to stop us from giving him gifts of other kinds. The Empress Csethiro and the Archduchess Vedero have arranged a personal visit and tour of Ashedro next month, the Great Avar has sent a flock of colorful finches and a young woman who is an expert in caring for them, the Prince Idra and the young Archduchesses designed and performed their own puppet theater show (with the assistance of Leilis Athmaza and Min Zhavanin).
And we...
Winternight. A night when anything might happen, or so the tales say. The one night a year when anyone may dance with anyone else who consents their hand.
And the Empress Csethiro’s dancing lessons have clearly been worthwhile.
What a difference a year makes - he moves through the ball with a learned ease, and the dais rests empty for a night. He gives his attention freely to partners of every rank, bows as deeply to little Nairan of the pneumatics office as to his Empress. And then a turn around the floor with an off-duty Cala - somewhere, for he is not here tonight, but somewhere Beshelar is apoplectic and has no notion of why.
And when Captain Vizhenka has bowed thanks and taken his leave, and Edrehasivar has sipped a drink, laughed at something with his sister, I gather my courage in both hands and ask.
He turns, and smiles at me, and it’s like the dawn’s come hours early.
His hands are warm and soft - like his eyes, like his voice. And of all my time knowing him, this impossible miracle of an Emperor, this is the part that feels most like a wondertale. His hand shifts and tightens on mine and I want - I want - and he -
Winternight, dear Mer Anonymous, is a night when anything might happen.
We have heard that Kiru Athmaza spends much of her off-duty time tending to the ill. It is impressive that she has the energy for that. Does she also have time for activities she enjoys?
When we relayed this question to Kiru Athmaza, she wished us to let you know that “We do enjoy our work, thank you very much, Mer Anonymous.”
The first priority of the nohecharei is and must always be Edrehasivar’s wellbeing, and everyone here understands that. But Kiru Athmaza also took oaths as a cleric, and she sees no conflict in serving as both guard and healer. Indeed it has been argued that His Serenity would be deeply distressed, were his subjects to suffer without hope of treatment.
(Lieutenant Telimezh wishes us to inform you that he makes very certain that his partner takes time to rest, whether she likes it or not.)
Mer Aisava, are you going to participate in this year's festivities celebrating the anniversary of His Serenity's coronation?
Yes.
((mod will not! mod’s life has been a Huge Disoroganized Disaster for the last few weeks, as evidenced by the lapse in answers on this blog, so we entirely missed the application date. but we will gladly pinch hit if necessary!))
We feel that if there is someone in your life you are keeping from expressing your true feelings toward, for fear of offense or any other reason, you should abandon these fears and simply tell this person of these feelings. The time granted all of us by the gods is far too short to hold back such things indefinitely.
(”Serenity-”
“Csevet. Canst call me by name, in this?”
“... Maia, oh Maia, I... I...”)
... no, we could not. Dare not.
We thank you for the correspondence, Mer Anonymous. If you would excuse us, we have quite a bit of actual work to do today.
What is your opinion on the rumor that His Serenity's Empress is secretly conducting an affair with Vedero Drazhin?
Once again, we heartily encourage you and your anonymous brethren to try getting your political news from somewhere other than gossip and bluebacks.
There are always going to be rumors, about everyone at Court, but especially those who don’t fit into the categories others think they ought to. Women with “unfeminine” interests, for example, and we would emphasize the quotation marks. The more scandalous it sounds, the less likely it is to be true, in our experience.
We would be most interested to know whether your opinion of the Emperor has changed since you began to serve him, and if so, how?
We suspected at once that he would be... unconventional, as emperors go. But somehow he still manages to surprise us almost daily, even after all these months.
The empire would probably be better off if Tethimar had succeeded.
Yes, well, in the words of the scholar...
Fortunately for the rest of the Ethuveraz, he did not. The records of the trials are open to the public. We invite you to peruse them. You may notice that your shining hero’s plans for government were as follows: Step one: assassinate the rightful Drazhada emperor and heirs. Step two: assume power, somehow, with no remotely lawful tie to the throne. Step three: ????? Yes, what a paragon of political wisdom and might, and that was when his plan was going well. The witnesses have confirmed, in his attempt at Winternight, he committed suicide by nohecharis.
Aren't you ever tempted to use what you learn from being in Corazhas meetings and privy to most of the Emperor's private conversations and correspondence for political purposes?
Have we - oh, for the love of all the gods and goddesses. Yes, we forgot, we are an idiot with no sense of propriety OR self-preservation.
No, thou - Mer Anonymous. We have not. We thank you.
do you have a certain "uniform" you wear to work? or can you just wear whatever you wish?
While it is not strictly required of us, after our years in the courier service we’ve grown accustomed to wearing some form of uniform every day. Though we do dress up for special occasions.
It seems efficient, to us. Time-saving, and no courtiers ever particularly look at someone in livery, which allows us to go about our duties unobtrusively.
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