"It's far more common for the heads of noble houses or even the emperor to abdicate and have their successor take over while they're still alive, rather than hold on to it as long as they could. The few who do that, have a tendency to be removed rather violently from their spots by their own successors." - Matthius Serin, retired member of the Elmaiyan Senate, circa 100 VA.

Veros Family Mansion

Western Elmaiya

Third Elmaiya Empire

7th day, 1st week, 9th month, year 104 VA.

Nearly a decade later, Aideen once again found herself in Artair's ancestral home. This time the reason for her presence was less formal, and more personal. As part of the family by marriage, she was there to witness the succession of the Erstgertsog title held by the family.

Artair's father had decided to hand the title - equivalent to an archduke - to his eldest son Grigori, which would allow him to concentrate on his own duties as the empire's minister of war. It was a move long expected, so everyone familiar with the family was not the slightest bit surprised.

For a succession ceremony of a noble practically just below the emperor in influence, the event was a modest, private one. It was held in open fields, under broad daylight, near the family mansion, and what guests attended were either family or close acquaintances.

Aideen counted the emperor himself with his granddaughter - Lucea had grown quite a bit over the decade, and was now almost as tall as her grandfather -, the prime minister, two therians in what looked to be formal tribal outfits - Artair recognized them as the family of his first and second mothers - as well as a tall, sturdy man with a thick beard and heroic build, dressed in the liveries of a Jarl from the east.

Other than the emperor and the prime minister, and their small retinues, most everyone who gathered were either family, or old friends. Aideen also saw all three of the governors she met in their previous stay. All of them had pleased looks in their countenances.

The ceremony itself was simple. Grigori knelt before his father, who sat cross-legged on a particularly smooth large stone in the mansion's yard. Aideen learned from Artair that the stone was supposedly where the first head of the family, back then a pioneer leading a group of colonists to settle the region, made a historic speech.

There, Illyvich recited a litany of ceremonial questions, to be answered by Grigori according to tradition. It was not a long event, ten minutes or so at most, before Illyvich lowered himself from the stone and stood tall before his son, his outstretched right hand holding the scepter that symbolized his office horizontally.

Grigori accepted the scepted with both hands, and swore an oath to the deities - Vitalis and Pesca were the most commonly worshiped ones in the empire - that he will tend to his duties as the new lord with his very best, to the utmost of his abilities.

After the oath was spoken, Illyvich helped his son rise, and placed his hands on both of his son's shoulders, before he turned around. He lifted Grigori in the process and placed him atop the stone, where the younger man assumed the cross-legged pose his father had taken earlier, and now took once more as he seated himself on the soil across from his son.

With a mutual nod that bordered on a bow from both father and son, the succession ceremony came to an end, and Illyvich pulled his eldest son into a fatherly embrace, pride evident on his features.

The rest of the guests, led by the emperor himself, congratulated Grigori, the new Erstgertsog, in turn, before they gave way to the rest of the extended family. They in turn congratulated him with more intimate hugs, and some good-natured ribbing, as Aideen noted a blush forming on his features.

She naturally joined in on the ribbing herself, of course, and joked along with the others, before they all retired to inside the mansion, where a feast awaited them. The main dining room had been set up for the occasion, and many plates of steaming hot dishes were already on the tables as they entered.

Much like most events in the empire, a ceremony like this was not considered complete if it did not include a feast for the guests. The Veros household naturally lacked not in this regard, and a truly lavish feast was prepared by the family's chefs, for the guests to partake.

Delicacies from both the land and the sea were served in abundance, often in dishes so richly flavored it was a bit overwhelming to Aideen. She ate it with good grace, however, as she had learned long ago that mostly carnivorous breeds of therians like Artair tend to have less sensitive taste receptors.

For that exact reason, the favored cuisine of those therians were ones that are heavily spiced and strongly flavored, as those were more satisfactory to their tongues. The chefs naturally also considered the other guests, of course, and there were also many milder dishes on offer.

Fortunately, Ptolodecca itself had many traditional, fermented foodstuffs that were often characterized with strong flavors and often overwhelming scents, so Aideen was quite used to such offerings. Her willingness to enjoy foods that many foreigners balked at also allowed her to quickly grow close to many of the therians present.

One of the therians in tribal outfit - judging from his lithe form and features someone related to Artair's second mother and Tatyana - toasted her with a flagon of ale, and cheers went up the table when she drank the contents of her flagon in one long breathless gulp.

The feast lasted until well after midnight, as flagons of strong ale were constantly refilled from large barrels and everybody just enjoyed themselves. There, for that night, there were no distinction between their statuses, no lords and subjects, just an extended group of family and friends gathered together to eat, drink, and have fun.