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The jewellers of the Untheileneise Court attend the Emperor and his House, but, as with signet-maker Dachensol Habrobar, the Emperor goes to them.
Maia has been looking forward to the occasion, and not only because wearing the rings and earrings of his father and perhaps countless other Emperors before does not sit well with him. Having jewels made to his preference is of course as absurdly over-indulgent as anything Maia can imagine. He thinks of his single pair of his mother's earrings, a pearl apiece; once they were the sum of his worldly riches. He will admit that Varenechibel's severity ill-suits him. Something softer, lighter, easier for wear day-to-day- that is all he hopes for.
But, entering the craft hall of the Forgers of the Splendid Serene Raiment, flanked by Kiru and Telimezh with Csevet dancing attendance, he thinks that the trip will have been worth it no matter what they make him.
A craftswoman takes his measurements- fingers, brow, ear length and the distance from lobe to shoulder- and chats amiably, pleasantly with him. He gets the feeling that the jewellers, despite their entirely formal guild name, have little concept of the polite distance rank usually enforces. She asks him questions- his favourite colours, the jewels he favours now, how long his hair is and how many tashin sticks he usually requires. Does he like pearls or diamonds better? Does he favour transparent stones or opaque? Silver or gold? It is thorough, but it is not grueling, it is not tiring. It is, actually, altogether interesting. She makes notes the entire way, and little sketches Maia wishes he could examine in greater detail.
Finally, when she smiles and stands to excuse herself, Maia steels himself and asks what he has been thinking all along- might she have the time to show him the rest of the hall? He has heard sawing noises, steam escaping, curses and laughs drifting in from other rooms, and he burns with curiosity. She is, of course, happy to indulge the Emperor, or at least says she is, and she leads Maia through the building. He regards it all with wonder; to him it is as if jewel-work is a maza's talent, and springs unpredicted and fully-formed from the void. He wishes, in all earnesty, that he had had a trade.
But at least he has the chance to see it. He watches the craftsmen pour molten silver into massive spinning blocks, holds his breath as a woman sets a glittering stone with the tiniest hammer he had ever seen, observes another drawing a gold ingot into shining wire, pulling it through a cunning plate full of holes of various shapes. He leaves entranced, fascinated by the dirt and work that go into such a clean and lovely result. Every person in the building was filthy, covered in soot and smoke and silver dust, but the completed pieces were flawless.
He does not have much time to dwell on it, through the upcoming weeks, for there are trade agreements to hammer through the council and an ambassador to welcome and a host of dinners to attend. But a few weeks later, his craftswoman- Irino, he believes?- arrives, heavily guarded and as clean as she can get, bringing a package swathed in white silk.
Maia unwraps it eagerly, and is stunned by the result. He had, truly, expected essentially what his father had worn, the heavy, gem-crusted pieces that showed off his height and wide shoulders to such effect. But the pieces within are delicate, so much so that Maia fears to crush them before he feels the strength of the unbending wire. Two light crowns, woven wire like vines, that seem to weigh nothing at all, dominate the package, but there are rings and necklaces, bracelets and combs... All are delicate, fanciful pieces like flowering plants; he thinks Chenelo would have treasured them for their beauty alone. Once he gets through the awe, the relief takes him. He thanks the jeweller more than he probably should.
And the next morning, after he is bathed and dressed, his edocharei outfit him in his new jewels, and Maia moves his hand and head, with their delicate flowers of diamond and moonstone, with all the freedom he would have without them.