Maia

By Kathryn Adara

**Maia Tamarin** A’landi royal taylor. Maia means *“obedient.”*

## Biography

### Pre-Story

Maia the obedient daughter. Her earliest memories were of sitting contentedly with her mother as she worked the spinning wheel, listening to Finlei, Sendo, and Keton playing outside while her father taught her to roll Mama's thread so it wouldn't tangle.

Maia’s heart was for becoming a tailor: learning to thread needles before walking, to make a line of perfect stitches before talking. Loving her needlework and was happy learning Baba's trade instead of going out with her brothers.

Her Baba proudly told her she was born with a needle in one hand, a pair of scissors in the other. That if she hadn't been born a girl, she might have become the greatest tailor in A'landi, sought after by merchants from one coast of the continent to the other.

"A tailor's worth is not measured by his fame, but by the happiness he brings," Mama said, seeing how disappointed Baba's words made me. "You will hold the seams of our family together, Maia. No other tailor in the world can do that."

I remembered beaming at her. Back then, all Maia wanted was for my family to be happy and whole like this-always. Then her mother died, when Maia was seven and had to take care of three growing boys and her father.

They had been living in Gangsun, and Baba was a well-respected tailor, known throughout southern A’landi for his skill at dressmaking. But ill times fell upon them, mother's death opening the first crack in Baba's strong will.

Customers noticed the decline in quality of Baba's sewing and mentioned it to her brothers. Finlei and Sendo never told him; they didn't have the heart. But a few years before the Five Winters' War, when she was ten, Finlei convinced Baba to leave Gangsun and move into a shophouse in Port Kamalan.

Misfortune followed them in their new home, when Maia brothers would never be drafted into the civil war that ravaged A'landi.

Finlei and Sendo were of age, so they were conscripted first. She was young enough then that the idea of going to war was romantic. Having two brothers become soldiers felt honorable.

The day before they left, was the last time they spent together. Finlei had died and Keton went to retrieve his brother. Sendo had died two days before the truce, and Kento returned a month after the truce, but he couldn’t walk.

### Spin the Dawn

Maia’s oldest two brothers die and her youngest brother returned crippled after the Five Winters War. Maia work as a tailor caught the attention and recommended for His Majesty tailor, but it wasn’t her they sought. To become the greatest tailor in A’landi and to restore honor to her family, she dressed as her brother and went to the Summer Palace. Maia had to compete against the best in A’landi. Lady Sarnai made the trials challenging and Maia was receiving Norbu threats. After the competition ended, Maia was revealed to be a girl, having an execution sentence. Her punishment was cut short because Edan told Emperor Khanujin she had a limited amount of magic.

Maia became the imperial tailor and is in charge of making Amana’s dresses for Lady Sarnai’s wedding. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to keep the peace. First Maia and Edan go to the Halakmarat Desert to collect sun light. Second to Rainmarker’s Peak to collected moon light. On their way to the Forgotten Isles Maia and Gen made their relationship, consummates. In the Forgotten Isle Maia got the blood of the stars, and received a mark from Bandur. This caused Edan to make a deal with him to free Maia, and Edan will take his place as guardian of Lapzur.

Maia was angry at Edan because she did want him to be trap in Lapzer. On their way to the Autumn Palace they stop at a temple. Maia forgives Edan realizing Edan truly loves her because love is selfless. They arrive at the Autumn Palace where Maia finishes her dresses. Upon finishing the blood of the stars dress, she puts it on and goes to the temple where she meet Amana. Maia wishes to Amana to free Edan from his oath. Amana warns Maia there will be consequences. Then Maia wakes up presenting the dresses to the emperor. The emperor wanted Maia put one the dress, revealing she is a girl, and to unleash their power. Maia freed Edan and in return Maia’s mark from Bandur is back. Bandur reveals if she doesn’t comeback to the Forgotten Isles she will turn into a demon. Maia goes back home to make her family happy again.

## Abilities

Maia is good at painting, like Master Longhai, but embroidery was her strength, like Master Yindi and Master Taraha.

## Appearance

* Spin the Dawn
* Unravel the Dusk

## Trivia

* Maia used to patch up her brothers. Finlei and Keton were the worst. They'd fight each other over the stupidest things. Then Sendo would try to stop the brawl and end up right in the middle of it. Maia practiced on my brothers, but her father taught her before that. When work was scarce, sometimes the doctor would call him to help-mostly out of charity. Often Maia would go in his place. This is why Maia is good at stitching skin.
* She sleep talks.

## Quotes

* Ask me to spin the finest yarn or thread, and I can do it faster than any man-even with my eyes closed. Yet ask me to tell a lie, and I will stumble and falter to think of one. - Spin the Dawn

## Gallery

By Tran NgunBy Tran NgunBy @renya\_artBy @lynsianBy @doodlingrakaBy @doodlingrakaBy Yoshi Yoshitani