Inktober/PoEtober, Day 10: Key
You met Otzan, a Woedican clerk, in the last chapter I’ve posted of Soul and Shield. He and his wife Zaniyah, Violet’s middle sister, pose here for their wedding portrait. They’re wearing their wedding mantles, which are embroidered by their relatives, with the family colors and crest; in the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom exchange these, so Zaniyah is wearing the mantle of Otzan’s clan (Nochehuatl) while he wears the Itzli mantle. He holds a scroll, iconic of his profession; she holds the lockbox and key iconic of her management of the family finances. For the prissy little clerk that Otzan was introduced as (see below), he sure turned out cute here. And Zaniyah appears to be the most elegant and glamorous of Violet’s siblings...
From Chapter 33:
“So who’s this Otzan?” Edér asked as they advanced toward the temple again.
“My brother-in-law,” Violet answered. It was a convenient excuse for them to visit the courts within the temple, but in the hurry to get a team together to escort Lenneth, she hadn’t really explained this part of the plan. “He’s a clerk in one of the courts, a specialist in...contract law.” Her fur ruffled and she barely glanced at Edér. “We’ve talked about calling for a clan council to see if Anselm and I can have our betrothal annulled -- but we haven’t officially called for it, yet. I thought, perhaps, Otzan could help us.”
“A Woedican clerk, helping to break a contract?” Edér looked skeptical.
“Not break it. Ideally, we can convince both clans to withdraw from it. If they won’t...well, Otzan is a Champion of the Letter.”
Aloth snorted. “I’ve had some dealings with them. Specialists in contract law, indeed. Specialists in tying negotiations up in so many revisions of any little bit of paperwork, to be sure nothing at all can be misconstrued, that nothing would ever get done if they had their way.”
Audie chuckled. “Congratulations, you’ve described our brother-in-law as precisely as one of his own contract revisions.”
Violet sighed. “So, if the clans won’t yield...maybe Otzan can find a loophole.”
“Have I met this one?” Edér asked. “Who’s he married to?”
Violet shook her head. “Zaniyah came to Caed Nua without him. He didn’t like the idea of being away from work that long, apparently.”
Edér’s grin widened till his eyes narrowed to only a twinkle. “This Otzan’s married to your sister Zaniyah, huh? Can we call ‘em both Zan for short?”
Audie’s laugh this time was as hearty as the approving slap she now aimed at Edér’s back. “Oh, now we’re going to have to!”
The judge nodded. She addressed the prisoners again, her brow furrowing as her words took on a sterner tone. “Moreover, you are accused of the theft of…” she glanced to an unrolled scroll of parchment in her hands, “numerous items from the kitchens of this temple, intended for the priests’ meals. I do not deem it necessary to enumerate the specific items in the hearing of this court at this time, but,” she glanced to her right, where an orlan with his dusky, reddish hair neatly slicked back into a tight ponytail sat furiously scribbling on a parchment before him, “Otzan, I will provide you this list to be copied to the official record when the proceedings have concluded. See that you leave space for it.” She glared back at the prisoners. “It’s quite long.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” said Otzan, pausing in his scribing only long enough to roll the parchment several turns forward, without even glancing up at the judge.
Many thanks to @grumpy-jedi for suggesting the wedding portrait prompt when I was just going to draw Zaniyah’s portrait alone XD Many, many hours later, here is your latest favorite fluffy ship, ZanZan.