Happy Birthday To YSA!

Edrehasivar the Kind

(there are 21 people in this image other than Maia, can you recognize all of them? c: )

Maomao: Not to worry. I have a permit.

Court lady: This just says, "Maomao can do what she wants" with master Jinshi signature.

“One kiss, and you think the world is upside down.”

“Two kisses,” I say. And I take him by the back of his neck.

—From Chapter 62, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.

He said lamely, "She is very beautiful." "And she has the sense not to frighten you," Dach'osmin Ceredin said, and Maia took a step back, wanting to protest her deduction, but unable to deny its truth. "We should take lessons from her, we see."

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison is one of my favorite books of all time, and within it, one of my favorite scenes is Maia and Csethiro's first real interaction at Nurevis' party! so i drew it. their slow romance is so delicious.

Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Book 1 “Inferno,” Canto 5 [tr. James (2013)]

Maia Drazhar, also known as Edrehasivar Zhas, seventh of that name, the 209th Emperor of the Elflands, would never do this to me

kim dokja's love

(old art!)

A silly, utterly inconsequential thing that caught me in Tomb Of Dragons.

Maia wearing amethysts. Twice.

Does that matter? Means anything? Likely not. And yet, that trifling detail won’t leave me alone.

Doylist explanation: KA didn’t feel like coming up with a different outfit for someone who isn’t the main character in the novel. Completely understandable. However, since when has she balked at meticulous descriptions of different clothes?

So.

In-universe possible explanations.

1) The edocharei have settled on Edrehasivar VII’s Signature Look. Grey and purple go together so maybe amethysts look nice with Maia’s skin.  And a year in they have decided they can safely branch out from Traditional Pearls/Moonstones/Opals/Diamonds/General Whiteness  to embrace other colors than Drazhada Amber.

2.a) Csethiro made a favorable remark once and Maia has seized on a chance to make her happy even in a small way.

2.b) They are a gift (maybe a betrothal one? I can see formal exchanges of gifts preceding a marriage in elven culture) from Csethiro herself and Maia wants to both make her happy and make A Statement that his future wife has his imperial favor.

3) Maia simply likes them.

In my head, in the last case, the edocharei burst in the kitchen/servant hall of the Alcethmeret in tears because: “His Serenity likes amethysts!” “He ACTUALLY SAID so! ‘These look very nice’!”

General bewilderment.

“We swear we’re not joking. His Serenity, entirely unprompted, has expressed a personal preference.”

General chaos, more tears, wild cheering.

“Break out the good wine and send a page to light some candles to Cstheio in thanks, it took a year but we have a second preference beside chamomile tea!”

The problem with rereading the goblin emperor is that I’m gonna finish it at some point and then it’ll be over. Unless of course I reread it, again.