Csoru Drazharan

Csoru Drazharan was the fifth and last wife and empress of Varenechibel IV, as well as his widow. She was born into House Celehada, and is a kinswoman of Thara Celehar.

Appearance
“The widow empress was a small woman—doll-like as Csevet had called her—with a heart-shaped face and eyes of a remarkable, lush deep blue. She was also no more than three years older than Maia himself.” She was slight-boned.

During her first audience with Maia, she “was overdressed, flaunting her status. . . The silver bullion embroidery of her jacket was coming very close to the imperial white, which she only dubiously had the right to wear. And her hair, piled in an elaborate edifice of buns and twining braids, would have looked better without the adornment of glittering black beads, each as big as Maia’s thumbnail, that looked uncomfortably like beetles.”

Maia noted that Csoru was astonishingly attractive when she "forgot herself."

Personality
Csevet called her somewhat "wild", as well as "spoilt". During Varenechibel IV's reign, she "got her way with tears and tantrums, and when those palled, as they would on a man who was tired and old and had buried three wives, she turned to illnesses--fainting spells, dizziness, nervous prostration. She wished for power, but he was too wise to give her any." Even after his death, she attempted to gain power with Maia.

It's also likely that Csoru spread gossip about Maia due to boredom, petty malice, and/or the joy of scandal: that in private Varenechibel IV said that Chenelo Drazharan "was mad, and that [Maia] had inherited her bad blood."

She never rose from bed before noon unless she had to.

Those in Csoru's circle preferred to wear "elaborate and sophisticated fashion".

Life
Csoru was the only child of Count Celehel and his wife. Csoru's mother passed away, and Celehel refused to remarry. Celehel's heart-brother, Viscount Ceredel, along with Csoru's maternal grandparents and many of Celehel's friends, encouraged him to remarry, but Celehel refused. Celehel and Ceredel decided that their daughters should be heart-sisters (in lieu of neither of them having a son to wed the other man's daughter and to thus unite their houses), and heavily encouraged them to befriend each other. On their first meeting, Csethiro Ceredin (named for Csoru's mother) lasted 10 minutes before hitting Csoru.

When Csoru became betrothed to Varenechibel IV, Ceredel "all but forced" Csethiro to "reconcile" with Csoru, "which Csoru accepted in exactly the same spirit in which [Csethiro] offered it".

She acted like a spoiled child to get her way with Varenechibel IV, and he doted on her and treated her like a doll, but refused to give her what she wanted. Csoru spent some of her time at court making curtsies unfashionable in favor of full prostrations. Female courtiers who were enemies of Csoru (or too old to care) made themselves known by continuing to curtsy.

At some point seemingly prior to Maia's coronation, Thara Celehar was disowned by the Celehada on edict of his Celehadeise grandmother. Csoru was the only family member to defy the edict, likely because she was the empress and refused to have others dictate how the empress was to act. After Thara's lover, Evru Dalar, was executed for murder in Aveio, and Thara gave up his prelacy, Thara went to the Untheileneise Court to live on Csoru's charity.

Cora Drazhar joined Csoru's household just before Varenechibel IV left the Untheileneise Court for the wedding of Orchenis Clunethar and Uleviän Clunetharan in Amalo. Varenechibel IV and his elder sons, Nemolis Drazhar, Nazhira Drazhar, and Ciris Drazhar, were killed in the destruction of the Wisdom of Choharo on their return trip from Amalo.

After Maia came to Court to take up his role as emperor, Csoru sent Cora to him with a letter, telling him that she needed to speak with him regarding Varenechibel IV's wishes, and would receive him that afternoon. She identified herself as the reigning empress, despite her husband and sole claim to any throne being dead. Maia responded, rejecting her invitation, and invited her to an audience the following day, referring to her as a widow rather than a reigning empress (let alone Maia's wife), and unexpectedly used the opportunity to reply for the first time under his imperial name: Edrehasivar VII, which he chose while writing the letter. In a response letter, Csoru was patronizing, cast aspersions on Maia's character, and persisted in not calling Maia by his imperial name, and in calling herself empress, rather than a widow empress.

At Csoru's first meeting with Maia, she was overdressed and rude, and acted like a spoiled child. Maia patiently out-waited her games, and then told her that she was not the empress, and without a child, could not hope to be, unless she was pregnant and hadn't told anyone. Csoru insisted she was the wife of the emperor, and Maia replied that she was Varenechibel IV's widow, and without a child, must forfeit her title as empress. When Csoru noted that Maia had no empress, Maia replied, “That does not mean the position is yours for the taking. . . Be content, merrem, to style yourself Zhasanai. For such you are. And we are Edrehasivar Zhas and will have that honor from you if you intend to remain at the Untheileneise Court.” This made Csoru recalculate things, and she became meeker, and asked for forgiveness in her grief. Maia cautioned her against behaving in embarrassing ways, and suggested that if Csoru was overset, she might retire to a country manor for a time. This scared Csoru, and she made a relatively hasty exit.

Csoru attended Maia's coronation, where she was annoyed at Arbelan Drazharan's presence. Csoru later gave Maia her oath of loyalty.

When Maia wished for his own investigator into the destruction of the Wisdom of Choharo, Csevet suggested Thara. Maia accepted, and invited Thara to ask if he would take on the task. Thara accepted. Thara lied to Csoru that Maia had taken him as Maia's chaplain, in the hope that she would not tell Maia the truth about why Thara renounced his prelacy. Csoru later sent Maia a letter demanding to know what right Maia had to take her kinsman as his chaplain, why then Maia hadn't added Thara to the rolls of Maia's household, and why Maia hadn't told her of his intentions. Maia summoned Thara to explain, and Thara did, noting that he had lied to Csoru, as well as why he renounced his prelacy, to avoid Csoru having to tell Maia with her own scandal-happy framing. Maia noted that he could not take Thara into his household, to avoid prejudice in Thara's investigation, but offered to speak to Csoru if Thara wished. Thara requested Maia only assure Csoru that Maia commanded him.

When Thara had a dream of Ulis, he sent a note to Maia, had Neraiis pack a back for him, and then headed to Thu-Athamar. Csoru was furious that Thara hadn't asked for her permission to leave before going, and sent a letter to Maia accusing him of causing Thara's disappearance. Maia checked his correspondence, and learned of Thara's reasoning. Maia was also busy, and Cora came up with the idea that he would tell Csoru that Thara wrote to Maia and was sorry to leave without speaking to Csoru, but did not wish to wake her.

After Sheveän Drazharan's failed attempted coup, Csoru sent Maia a letter “that intemperately mingled self-exculpation with condemnation of Maia’s treatment of Sheveän”.

During the Winternight Ball, the Marquess Lanthevel danced with Csoru. After Eshevis Tethimar failed to assassinate Maia, and Cala Athmaza killed him, Csoru made a belated scream.

The next day, Csoru threw Thara out of her household.

Arbelan Drazharan
Csoru seemed offended by Arbelan's presence. Arbelan ignored her, and possibly found her antics amusing.

Cora Drazhar
Cora was loyal to Csoru, and enjoyed his service to her.

Csethiro Ceredin
Csethiro and Csoru did not get along, but Csethiro bore her at times for her father's sake. Csethiro noted that in adulthood, Csethiro could abide Csoru "for nearly an hour."

Loran Duchenin
Loran was a rival of Csoru's.

Maia Drazhar
Maia tolerated Csoru. Csoru disdained him, and hated him for coming between her and being empress.

Sheveän Drazharan
Sheveän seemed to dislike Csoru.

Thara Celehar
Thara and Csoru always disliked each other, even prior to his being disowned, and Thara reasoned that Csoru likely only stood up to the Celehadeise edict to disown Thara because Csoru was empress and would not be bossed around by anyone.

Varenechibel IV
Varenechibel IV doted on Csoru, but did not fall for her tricks.

Quotations

 * Thara to Iäna Pel-Thenhior on being at the Untheileneise Court: “being a member of my cousin Csoru’s household would sour anyone on court life.”

Trivia

 * Csoru never resided in the Alcethmeret.