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* Maia and the elderly noblewoman who looked after him during his mother's funeral. After all the abuse and scorn he endured from most of the noble class, it's nice to see at least one noble who had the decency to be kind to a grieving child. Even more sweet when Maia sees her again to thank her, and the noblewoman remembers him fondly.
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adding examples
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* Maia snaps at an undeserving Csevet and immediately regrets it and apologizes to a shocked Csevet. Csevet points out that the emperor doesn't apologize to his servants, then smiles and thanks Maia for doing so anyway.
** Anytime Maia displays common courtesy to servants, the lower classes, or anyone at all, and they're surprised that the emperor cares.
** Anytime Maia displays common courtesy to servants, the lower classes, or anyone at all, and they're surprised that the emperor cares.
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* One of the main points is that even though Maia has been mistreated most of his life and is now suddenly at the top of the power pyramid, he continues to act with the kindness and consideration he learned from his mother and never abuses his position.
** Perhaps one of clearest moments of this is after the coup attempt, when Maia's statement is being taken and the questioner asks what Maia truly wants.
---> '''Maia:''' In our inmost and secret heart, which you ask us to bare to you, we wish to banish them as we were banished, to a cold and lonely house, in the charge of a man who hated us. And we wish them trapped there as we were trapped.\\
'''Questioner:''' You consider that unjust, Serenity?\\
'''Maia:''' We consider it cruel,' Maia said. 'And we do not think that cruelty is ever just.
** Perhaps one of clearest moments of this is after the coup attempt, when Maia's statement is being taken and the questioner asks what Maia truly wants.
---> '''Maia:''' In our inmost and secret heart, which you ask us to bare to you, we wish to banish them as we were banished, to a cold and lonely house, in the charge of a man who hated us. And we wish them trapped there as we were trapped.\\
'''Questioner:''' You consider that unjust, Serenity?\\
'''Maia:''' We consider it cruel,' Maia said. 'And we do not think that cruelty is ever just.
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* When Celehar tells Maia his tragic backstory, Maia drops the formal pronouns, makes sure no one else is present but Cala, the most sensitive of his guards, and although he's not sure what he personally thinks of same-sex relationships (not having encountered them before and society not having a positive view of them), he sets that aside to focus on caring for Celehar.
** Cala, too, when Celehar says, "You can imagine how ugly the tale sounds when told by...", and Cala finishes gently, "By someone to whom it is nothing more than gossip."
** Cala, too, when Celehar says, "You can imagine how ugly the tale sounds when told by...", and Cala finishes gently, "By someone to whom it is nothing more than gossip."
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* Lord Berenar offering to tutor Maia, which he accepts.
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* Lord Berenar offering to tutor Maia, which simply because he accepts.wishes to help.
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** [[spoiler: Also heartwarming is Idra's love for his sisters. After reflecting on his mother's ambition only having a release through him due to her gender he says he wants better for his sisters and all but asks Maia to try and provide a better alternative when they grow up.]]
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** [[spoiler: Also heartwarming is Idra's love for his sisters. After reflecting on his mother's ambition only having a release through him due to her gender he says he wants better for his sisters and all but asks Maia to try and provide a better alternative when they grow up.]]]]
* Lord Berenar offering to tutor Maia, which he accepts.
* Lord Berenar offering to tutor Maia, which he accepts.
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** [[spoiler: After the assassination attempt, Maia goes to check on the children and reassure them he is safe. Ino and Mireän are so glad to see him that the two girls run up and hug him.]]
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** [[spoiler: After the assassination attempt, Maia goes to check on the children and reassure them he is safe. Ino and Mireän are so glad to see him that the two girls run up and hug him.]]
** [[spoiler: Also heartwarming is Idra's love for his sisters. After reflecting on his mother's ambition only having a release through him due to her gender he says he wants better for his sisters and all but asks Maia to try and provide a better alternative when they grow up.]]
** [[spoiler: Also heartwarming is Idra's love for his sisters. After reflecting on his mother's ambition only having a release through him due to her gender he says he wants better for his sisters and all but asks Maia to try and provide a better alternative when they grow up.]]
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* When Maia reveals Setheris's abuse of him in the presence of his nohecharei, Cala is quietly supportive, but Beshelar- whose purpose in the story so far has been to be conservative and disapprove of virtually everything Maia does- ''flips his lid'', furiously and creatively castigating the absent Setheris, and when Maia adds that his father the emperor either didn't know or didn't care about his son's abuse- calls it ''monstrous''. Loudly.
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* When Maia reveals Setheris's abuse of him in the presence of his nohecharei, Cala is quietly supportive, but Beshelar- whose Beshelar--whose purpose in the story so far has been to be conservative and disapprove of virtually everything Maia does- ''flips does--''flips his lid'', furiously and creatively castigating the absent Setheris, and when Maia adds that his father the emperor either didn't know or didn't care about his son's abuse- calls abuse--calls it ''monstrous''. Loudly.
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** [[spoiler: Csethiro teaching Maia to dance near the end of the novel, and the two of them happily agreeing to call each other by their first names.]]
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** [[spoiler: Csethiro teaching Maia to dance near the end of the novel, novel and the two of them happily agreeing to call each other by their first names.]]
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** [[spoiler: After the assassination attempt, Maia goes to check on the children and reassure them he is safe. Ino and Mirean are so glad to see him that the two girls run up and hug him.]]
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** [[spoiler: After the assassination attempt, Maia goes to check on the children and reassure them he is safe. Ino and Mirean Mireän are so glad to see him that the two girls run up and hug him.]]
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* When Maia reveals Setheris's abuse of him in the presence of his nohecharei, Cala is quietly supportive, but Beshelar- whose purpose in the story so far has been to be conservative and disapprove of virtually everything Maia does- ''flips his lid'', furiously and creatively castigating the absent Setheris, and when Maia adds that his father the emperor either didn't know or didn't care about his son's abuse- calls it ''monstrous''. Loudly.
to:
* When Maia reveals Setheris's abuse of him in the presence of his nohecharei, Cala is quietly supportive, but Beshelar- whose purpose in the story so far has been to be conservative and disapprove of virtually everything Maia does- ''flips his lid'', furiously and creatively castigating the absent Setheris, and when Maia adds that his father the emperor either didn't know or didn't care about his son's abuse- calls it ''monstrous''. Loudly.Loudly.
** Note that [[spoiler: while Cala is the one who takes down Eshevis Tethimar during the assassination attempt, Beshelar throws himself in front of Maia to protect him from the knife, getting stabbed in the arm in the process.]] UndyingLoyalty, thy name is Beshelar.
* Maia and Csethiro's relationship [[spoiler: gradually developing into what appears to be the beginnings of a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage.]]
** After [[spoiler: the assassination attempt,]] she goes to make sure Maia is all right. Before leaving, [[spoiler: she shows him her dueling sword and angrily tells Maia that, if Cala hadn't already fried him, she would have gutted Eshevis Tethimar for what he tried to do.]]
** [[spoiler: Csethiro's birthday gift to Maia is a very old and rare type of sword owned by her family since before the empire was formed.]] Csevet notes that [[spoiler: Csethiro's great-aunt didn't gift this sword to Maia's father before they were married, which speaks volumes for how much Csethiro's regard for Maia has grown.]]
** [[spoiler: Csethiro teaching Maia to dance near the end of the novel, and the two of them happily agreeing to call each other by their first names.]]
* Maia [[spoiler: doing his best to become a ParentalSubstitute to Idra and his sisters after their mother is arrested and making sure they are treated well.]]
** [[spoiler: After the assassination attempt, Maia goes to check on the children and reassure them he is safe. Ino and Mirean are so glad to see him that the two girls run up and hug him.]]
** Note that [[spoiler: while Cala is the one who takes down Eshevis Tethimar during the assassination attempt, Beshelar throws himself in front of Maia to protect him from the knife, getting stabbed in the arm in the process.]] UndyingLoyalty, thy name is Beshelar.
* Maia and Csethiro's relationship [[spoiler: gradually developing into what appears to be the beginnings of a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage.]]
** After [[spoiler: the assassination attempt,]] she goes to make sure Maia is all right. Before leaving, [[spoiler: she shows him her dueling sword and angrily tells Maia that, if Cala hadn't already fried him, she would have gutted Eshevis Tethimar for what he tried to do.]]
** [[spoiler: Csethiro's birthday gift to Maia is a very old and rare type of sword owned by her family since before the empire was formed.]] Csevet notes that [[spoiler: Csethiro's great-aunt didn't gift this sword to Maia's father before they were married, which speaks volumes for how much Csethiro's regard for Maia has grown.]]
** [[spoiler: Csethiro teaching Maia to dance near the end of the novel, and the two of them happily agreeing to call each other by their first names.]]
* Maia [[spoiler: doing his best to become a ParentalSubstitute to Idra and his sisters after their mother is arrested and making sure they are treated well.]]
** [[spoiler: After the assassination attempt, Maia goes to check on the children and reassure them he is safe. Ino and Mirean are so glad to see him that the two girls run up and hug him.]]
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* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. This is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at ''all''. The conversation essentially goes like this:
-> "What are all these?"
-> "They're your birthday presents."
-> "But who sent them?"
-> "Everybody, Serenity."
-> "But what do they want?"
-> "They want you to have a happy birthday."
-> "What are all these?"
-> "They're your birthday presents."
-> "But who sent them?"
-> "Everybody, Serenity."
-> "But what do they want?"
-> "They want you to have a happy birthday."
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* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. This is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at ''all''. The conversation essentially goes like this:\n-> "What are all these?"\n-> "They're your birthday presents."\n-> "But who sent them?"\n-> "Everybody, Serenity."\n-> "But what
--> '''Maia''': We don't understand. What do theywant?"
-> "Theywant?
--> '''Csevet''': They want you to have a happybirthday."birthday.
* When Maia reveals Setheris's abuse of him in the presence of his nohecharei, Cala is quietly supportive, but Beshelar- whose purpose in the story so far has been to be conservative and disapprove of virtually everything Maia does- ''flips his lid'', furiously and creatively castigating the absent Setheris, and when Maia adds that his father the emperor either didn't know or didn't care about his son's abuse- calls it ''monstrous''. Loudly.
--> '''Maia''': We don't understand. What do they
-> "They
--> '''Csevet''': They want you to have a happy
* When Maia reveals Setheris's abuse of him in the presence of his nohecharei, Cala is quietly supportive, but Beshelar- whose purpose in the story so far has been to be conservative and disapprove of virtually everything Maia does- ''flips his lid'', furiously and creatively castigating the absent Setheris, and when Maia adds that his father the emperor either didn't know or didn't care about his son's abuse- calls it ''monstrous''. Loudly.
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adding to Heartwarming scene
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* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. This is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at ''all''.
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* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. This is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at ''all''. The conversation essentially goes like this:
-> "What are all these?"
-> "They're your birthday presents."
-> "But who sent them?"
-> "Everybody, Serenity."
-> "But what do they want?"
-> "They want you to have a happy birthday."
-> "What are all these?"
-> "They're your birthday presents."
-> "But who sent them?"
-> "Everybody, Serenity."
-> "But what do they want?"
-> "They want you to have a happy birthday."
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* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. The kicker is that this is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at all. Gah.
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* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. The kicker is that this This is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at all. Gah.''all''.
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* Maia starts the book with no family except a distant cousin who beats him. By the end, he finds himself with a sister, two nieces and a nephew, an enormous grandfather, several aunts, and a fiancée.
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* Maia starts the book with no family except a distant cousin who beats him. By the end, he finds himself with a sister, two nieces and a nephew, an enormous grandfather, several aunts, and a fiancée.fiancée.
* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. The kicker is that this is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at all. Gah.
* Maia's nineteenth birthday. Besides the usual diplomatic gifts, there's gifts from all the people he's helped by that point in the story. The kicker is that this is the first time in ten years anybody's recognized his birthday at all. Gah.
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* Maia starts the book with no family except a distant cousin who beats him. By the end, he finds himself with a sister, two nieces and a nephew, an enormous grandfather, several aunts, and a fiancée.
