[ maia turns the chair he'd claimed earlier, settling in it and gently placing the books in his arms down atop the others. he gathers the notes he was making--despite his spotty education when growing up, his handwriting is surprisingly beautiful--gently sorting them in a stack and setting them atop the books. ] Our mother was a goblin. [ it seems strange to have to say it, when at home it's so very obvious. his glance lifts, drazhada gray, and he has to force his ears not to flatten back again. ] She was the daughter of the Great Avar of the Barizhan Empire, and our father's fourth wife.

[ fourth and greatly unloved, as his son by her had been unloved. he still thinks of his mother often-- she'd deserved so, so much better in life.

his fingers return to the oath-ring on his thumb, and he twists it thoughtfully. ] .. Unbound is.. immodest. A single braid is only suitable for bed. Simple braids may be pinned and adorned, but we prefer to wear as little jewelry as we may. More elaborate braids may be their own adornment, but our hands are not so skilled.

[ he trails off a little helplessly. he doesn't know how better to explain the politicking that goes into even dressing the emperor's hair-- his edocharei can sometimes spend hours debating the merits of a set of jewels or the placement of a braid.

after a moment, then, almost as an afterthought: ] We are nineteen. [ young even by his people's standards. ]