Write Away

The Emorian Palace

Entrance to the palace

Do not be offended if you are denied entrance to the Emorian palace. The fact that you have come far enough to be denied that entrance shows that the Emorians' trust in you is high indeed.

The strong manner in which Emor protects its ruler, the Chara, is not evidence that the Chara is weak and frightened. Rather, it is a simple fact that being Chara is the most dangerous job in the Three Lands. Fully four-fifths of the Charas have died before their time, many from assassination. Few Charas live beyond the age of thirty.

(I should explain to any mainlanders who are puzzled at this point that noble peninsulareans have been known to live as long as one hundred years. Even commoner peninsularans often live till they are fifty. If you meet a thirty-year-old, he is not an elder; by peninsularean standards, thirty years old is barely out of one's youth)

Under these circumstances, it is only natural that the Emorians should seek to protect their Chara, giving him the opportunity to live at least long enough to father an heir. By Emorian law, the Chara may not leave his palace, except in wartime. The number of visitors who are allowed past the outer wall of the palace grounds is small. The number of visitors who are allowed past the inner wall of the palace grounds is even smaller. The number of visitors who are allowed inside the palace is very small indeed. And the number of visitors who are allowed inside the East Wing of the palace, where the Chara lives, can be counted without losing your breath.

In practice, this means that the only people who see the Chara are his council, officials from the palace and army, boys who are training to be palace officials, royal messengers, the palace guards, and honored guests, such as ambassadors.

And the servants. Everyone forgets the servants. If you want to see the Chara, I suggest entering into training for high service.

[Translator's note: The perils of living as a Chara can be seen in Empty Dagger Hand.]

I wish I could be more complimentary about Emor's stadium.

As a feat of architecture and engineering, it is on par with the Chara's palace. As a place of entertainment, it is appalling.

Out of all the dismal spectacles that take place here, I can only recommend the chariot races. These can be quite as bloody as the other acts that take place here, but at least they do not involve beasts and prisoners. Charioteers are highly esteemed and highly paid for their skillful work, and they care for their horses tenderly. The chariots – works of art unto themselves – achieve speeds that are said to rival that of royal messengers. I'd recommend keeping your small children and sensitive women away; crashing chariots often result in mangled bodies. But a chariot race is certainly worth witnessing, at least once.

[Translator's note: A chariot race will appear in an upcoming novel, Motley Mayhem.]