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Come, for Life is a Frail Moth Flying (Csevet/Maia | R | 11,194 words): Csevet hires a new undersecretary. This feels like an extension of canon that's focused on Csevet, with all the care for the characters (including original characters) and worldbuilding and sweet romance that I could hope for, all wrapped up with a lovely bit of plot.
Excerpt:
On the third day, she delivers a folder to Mer Aisava while he's meeting with the Emperor. Just outside the door, Rosharo runs into a young woman, goblin-dark and graceful, with delicate features and long eyelashes. Her name is Isheian, Rosharo learns. Despite the time she's spent honing her manners to something which doesn't give away her humble beginnings, Rosharo feels downright ungraceful as she stutters out her own name. Isheian doesn't seem to mind, taking her leave with a sweet smile that crinkles the corners of her eyes.
Curiously, Mer Aisava is blushing when she walks into the dining room, but far more distracting is the Emperor himself. His Serenity is goblin-dark like Rosharo's late half-brother, though his eyes are grey like Rosharo's own. Arrayed in yards upon yards of snowy imperial white, he's practically dripping with jewels. Opals on his fingers, gold and emerald rings in his ears. Amethysts and something red, garnets or rubies, glittering in his hair. His dark curls are braided and arranged in an up-do that almost looks like it shouldn't stay up, but does nonetheless. Rosharo knows little of what the edocharei do, but she decides she admires them then and there. Even the jacket His Serenity is wearing to breakfast is a work of art, silk brocade embroidered in forest green and gold, with stitches so fine the designs almost appear painted.
This is Edrehasivar VII. The Emperor. A living legend.
Still, Rosharo's prepared. She knows the rules of how to behave around the nobility, deferential and silent, and—
And then it feels like all her preparation goes straight out the window. Because instead of treating her like part of the furniture, the Emperor proceeds to do the one thing she didn't expect:
His Serenity smiles and asks Mer Aisava to introduce her.
Excerpt:
On the third day, she delivers a folder to Mer Aisava while he's meeting with the Emperor. Just outside the door, Rosharo runs into a young woman, goblin-dark and graceful, with delicate features and long eyelashes. Her name is Isheian, Rosharo learns. Despite the time she's spent honing her manners to something which doesn't give away her humble beginnings, Rosharo feels downright ungraceful as she stutters out her own name. Isheian doesn't seem to mind, taking her leave with a sweet smile that crinkles the corners of her eyes.
Curiously, Mer Aisava is blushing when she walks into the dining room, but far more distracting is the Emperor himself. His Serenity is goblin-dark like Rosharo's late half-brother, though his eyes are grey like Rosharo's own. Arrayed in yards upon yards of snowy imperial white, he's practically dripping with jewels. Opals on his fingers, gold and emerald rings in his ears. Amethysts and something red, garnets or rubies, glittering in his hair. His dark curls are braided and arranged in an up-do that almost looks like it shouldn't stay up, but does nonetheless. Rosharo knows little of what the edocharei do, but she decides she admires them then and there. Even the jacket His Serenity is wearing to breakfast is a work of art, silk brocade embroidered in forest green and gold, with stitches so fine the designs almost appear painted.
This is Edrehasivar VII. The Emperor. A living legend.
Still, Rosharo's prepared. She knows the rules of how to behave around the nobility, deferential and silent, and—
And then it feels like all her preparation goes straight out the window. Because instead of treating her like part of the furniture, the Emperor proceeds to do the one thing she didn't expect:
His Serenity smiles and asks Mer Aisava to introduce her.