A novice appeared in Cala's field of vision. The girl was clearly flustered.
"Yes, Zhalet?" he said, blinking to readjust his eyes, reluctantly setting aside the book he was reading and glancing at the window. "What's the clock, anyway?"
"It's past the evening meal. We're all nearly off to bed. Cala, the Adremaza has summoned all of the Mazan'theileian to the meeting hall. Did you not hear the bell? I was sent to look for thee, in particular."
"Late, are we?" he asked, cheeky in his use of the plural second person.
"Yes, Cala," she answered in poorly veiled exasperation.
"Best not keep everyone waiting, then." He rose and followed the girl out, long legs making good time across the tiles.
~.~.~
The news was a tragedy and a shock. The sadness was what lingered most poignantly—two dachenmazei lost in the course of their duties as nohecherei. They had been, of course, well known and respected in the Athmaz'are. Cala had looked up to them, worked with them on various projects, and had even interviewed them about their duties in the eventual reality that one of them would retire and the emperor would require a replacement maza-nohecheris.
Cala now had all his expectations utterly dashed. Varenechibel IV had been a stern man, commanding, playing long-term games to shape the court towards his vision. About his plans, he rarely consulted anyone except his eldest son, and that only occasionally. Cala had been prepared to observe these maneuverings as a nohecheris in the hopes that perhaps it would inform his practice of maz. It was, after all, just a different kind of power the emperor wielded. But now…this was a reality for which he had no preparation. Nobody had.
Maia Drazhar, the only surviving and least favored son of the late emperor, had never been to court aside from his mother's funeral when he was a child. He had not even interacted with anyone at court since that time, having been isolated so completely at Edonomee all these years. The only source of information was rumor, most often spread by Csoru Zhasan…now Zhasanai, he supposed. And anyone with even a fraction of training—like Cala had—on identifying reliable sources of information, would know instantly that those rumors were just as accurate a portrayal of reality as the Zhasanai's lacquer was truly the color of her nails.
"Cala," Sehalis said, bringing the attention of all the assembled Mazan'theileian to him and breaking through his thoughts. "Art still willing to serve as nohecheris?"
"I am, Adremaza," he said decisively. After all, an entirely new object of study was not so objectionable. He could only hope, indeed, that the new emperor would prove not to be an objectionable object of study.
"The archduke will not know anyone at court," Sehalis said. "This presents a safety concern that prior nohecherei rarely had to contend with. For while he has not had the opportunity to make enemies, he has had even less of a chance to earn the loyalty due him, from anyone. Art prepared?"
"Yes, Sehalis. Needst not worry—I have thoroughly studied and I am prepared to undertake all the duties expected of a nohecheris."
Sehalis looked thoughtful, but was wise enough to realize there was no other choice but to take him at his word, especially given Cala's success in all the other projects he had previously undertaken.
"Very well," said the Adremaza with a bow of his head. He surveyed the rest of the mournful faces before him. "It is late. I will ask no more of you now. But to the dachenmazei, I lay the charge to consider who will be our new emperor's second maza-nohecheris."
"I have already offered my services, Sehalis," broke in Kiru Athmaza with carefully veiled frustration.
The Adremaza sighed mournfully. "My thanks, Kiru, but as I've said before, I do not believe a female will be accepted at court as easily as we accept them in the Athmaz'are."
"When would the second nohecheris be needed?" asked another as Kiru sat back, resigned.
"I do not yet know," Sehalis said. "The courier informing the archduke of events has only now been dispatched, and will not come to Edonomee for a few hours yet. Travel by coach from there to the Alcethmeret will take a few days. We must await the Lord Chancellor's summons once his grace arrives."
Distracted murmurs rose amid the following silence. But Cala was deep in his own thoughts again. It was not difficult to recall his own arrival at court long ago, having no friends, family, or even acquaintances here. At that time, he had just barely discovered his mazeise powers—something about himself that was, though not a bad thing, still quite terrifying in its newness and enormous consequence. It was something that would determine the course of the rest of his life. It was not at all unlike suddenly discovering that one was, for example, to be crowned Emperor of the Ethuveraz.
Cala had been received with ready acceptance and kindness from all quarters when he came to court. The Athmaz'are had become a family to him. He knew, however, that the new emperor would have no such luxury. But Cala could make himself such a one, he thought. Some kindness would cost him nothing, providing it did not fall outside the scope of his duties as nohecheris. Yes, he thought, he would be the first in the emperor's new household to welcome the young ruler with an offer of kindness.
He realized Sehalis had dismissed everyone. Some of his colleagues stopped by on their way to their own chambers, briefly swallowing their grief to wish him luck or to congratulate him on the honor of becoming first nohecheris to the emperor. Cala accepted graciously. Then he spent a full hour in the Mazan'theileian's temples, praying to all of the gods that Maia Drazhar would be worthy of his good intentions.
