Nedaö Vechin

Nedaö Vechin is the youngest prima soprano in the history of the Zhaö Opera.

Appearance
When Maia Drazhar first saw her, she was small, "slender, with eyes of an extraordinary jade-pale green, she was perfect, her skin like porcelain over the exquisite fineness of her bones. She was dressed with elegant simplicity in a tulip-hemmed dress of a deep rose color with a long, trailing train. Her moonlight hair, piled and braided, was held with tortoiseshell combs and rose-colored ribbons, and her only jewelry was a series of tiny gold-beaded hoops in her ears.”

Maia described her voice as "rich and pure" and "astonishingly clean." When speaking she had a faint lisp and an unfamiliar accent.

Personality
She was polite and warm to Maia, and seemingly flattered by his praise. She did, however, use Maia's attraction to her to her own advantage, and to gain ground in her affection for Mer Halezh. She was sincere in her apology to both men, though.

Life
Nedaö wanted to sing since she was small, and joined the Zhaö Opera's Children's Choir when she was able. She sang as a tree frog in The Dream of Empress Corivero when she was eleven. When she came of age, she became an apprentice there.

Nedaö came to the Untheileneise Court, where she performed at a party hosted by Nurevis Chavar, which Maia attended. Nurevis later introduced her to Maia. She answered his questions about opera.

Nedaö later attended a number of Nurevis' soirées and informal luncheons. Maia also attended, and Nedaö would smile at him and speak to him when asked. She would even sometimes rescue him from conversations with courtiers where he struggled.

When Nedaö's sister, Avro Halezho, and Nedaö's love interest, Mer Halezh, were unable to get a formal audience with the Corazhas for their project to bridge the Istandaärtha, Nedaö used her influence with Maia to convince Maia to meet with them to talk about it. Afterward, she offered to go with Maia to the Alcethmeret, presumably to sleep with him in exchange for the evening. Maia declined, surprising Nedaö, and possibly off-putting her a bit.

She did a public performance on Maia's 19th birthday.

At some point, Nedaö gained patronage at the Untheileneise Court outside Maia, which allowed her to dress more expensively. She also apologized to Halezh for using the bridge petition to her advantage with him, and he forgave her. She later petitioned for an audience with Maia where she apologized for abusing his interest in her. Maia forgave her, and they remained friends.

Nedaö later returned to Zhaö to begin rehearsals for The Tiger's Bride.

Avro Halezho
Avro and Nedaö appeared to be close and supportive.

Mer Halezh
Nedaö was in love with Halezh.

Maia Drazhar
Nedaö was polite and friendly to Maia, offering him support during public gatherings, but he ultimately felt a bit betrayed by how she abused his affection to get an audience for her sister and love interest, though Maia noted it only made sense, particularly given the apparent expectation that she sleep with him, as he was emperor. When she apologized to him, he felt her sincerity, and they parted as friends.

Trivia

 * Maia guessed she was perhaps three or four years older than him.