Nothing is more comforting than The Goblin Emperor. I'm just copying and pasting in the comment I left on yesterday's fanfic_friday:
In times of stress I read Goblin Emperor fanfic, ideally featuring some combination of the following characters:
Maia, the new emperor of the title, who begins shy and traumatized, but grows into his strength over time and whose deep integrity and care for people always carry him
Csevet, Maia's secretary and right-hand elf. Young, came from nothing, almost certainly gay, incredibly loyal, incredibly competent, possibly in love with Maia
Csethiro, Maia's betrothed bride. It's an arranged marriage of political alliance and they hardly met before the proposal, buuuut she's a sharp brilliant badass swordswoman and we're all sure these kids can work it out in the end
And Maia's four nohecharei (bodyguards), two of whom are always there. Um, maybe always, if you see the problem.
Here are several fics I read recently and love:
The Emperor's Blade (2267 words) by pipistrelle Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Csethiro Ceredin/Maia Drazhar Characters: Csethiro Ceredin, Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava, Deret Beshelar, Cala Athmaza Additional Tags: Domestic Fluff, Csethiro's wonderful I love her, Slice of Life, court intrigue, Maia continues his Campaign for Letting Women Do What They Want Summary:
Someone must fight the Emperor's battles. (And make the Empire's history.)
--- Two fics in an AU where young Maia is adopted by his (canonical, but offscreen) lesbian pirate aunt:
The Archduke and the Glorious Dragon (1458 words) by imaginary_golux Chapters: 2/13 Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Shaleän Sevraseched & Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava & Maia Drazhar, Csethiro Ceredin & Vedero Drazhin, Shaleän Sevraseched/Shaleän Sevraseched's Wife Characters: Shaleän Sevraseched, Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava, Csethiro Ceredin, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Vedero Drazhin Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary:
Linked vignettes from an alternate universe in which Maia's aunt Shaleän heard that her only nibling had been "pent at Edonomee" and decided to do something about it.
Beta by my darling Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.
The Pirate Prince (2747 words) by imaginary_golux Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Csethiro Ceredin/Maia Drazhar Characters: Maia Drazhar, Csethiro Ceredin, Ceredel (The Goblin Emperor), Eiru Berenar, Vedero Drazhin Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Arranged Marriage, Minor Character Death, not in the story but mentioned Summary:
Maia Drazhar comes to the Ethuveraz to take his throne. Csethiro, like everyone else at court, is desperately curious about the pirate prince.
Beta by my darling Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.
--- The Unknown and the Perilous (4146 words) by phoenixflight Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Csevet Aisava/Maia Drazhar Characters: Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava, Cala Athmaza, Deret Beshelar Additional Tags: First Time, teaching about sex, formal pronoun play, nohecharei watching, Fluff and Smut, implied poly, Loss of Virginity, Awkwardness, Love Confessions Summary:
The Emperor shifted in his chair like an uncertain child, glancing at his first nohecharei, who had taken their places for night duty hours previously. “It is… a delicate subject,” Maia said.
“If we can assist you in any way,” Csevet began, “Your Serenity knows you need only ask and we are yours to command.”
“No!” Maia exclaimed, so suddenly that everyone but Cala startled. “No,” he repeated, more softly, ears dipping low in embarrassment. “This is not something I - we could command. We could only ask and hope you know you have every right to refuse us.”
Csevet felt his own brow furrowing and smoothed his expression back into impassivity. Edrehasivar’s discomfiture was making his own heart pound in sympathetic nerves. “We understand. In what way might we be of assistance?”
Maia’s ears dipped even lower, and he squared his shoulders as if steeling himself for a fight. “As you know, our wedding is in ten days’ time. We… we have no experience in… carnal acts,” the words were bitten out brutally, “and we do not wish to… to hurt our wife, or offend her, through ignorance. So we would be grateful for any… advice you could offer us.”
--- a burning coal of kindness (4517 words) by egelantier Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Deret Beshelar & Maia Drazhar Characters: Deret Beshelar, Maia Drazhar, Cala Athmaza, Csethiro Ceredin Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Torture, Hostage Situations, Post-Canon Summary:
When Maia is kidnapped by a faction hoping to halt the construction of Wisdom Bridge, Beshelar, gravely injured, is by his side. It might just be their undoing.
--- Light A Mourner's Candle (1859 words) by Beatrice_Otter Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Maia Drazhar, Teru Tethimar, Original Characters, Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Religion, Canon-Typical References to Past Abuse, Comfort/Angst, Podfic Welcome, Don't copy to another site Summary:
no subject
In times of stress I read Goblin Emperor fanfic, ideally featuring some combination of the following characters:
Maia, the new emperor of the title, who begins shy and traumatized, but grows into his strength over time and whose deep integrity and care for people always carry him
Csevet, Maia's secretary and right-hand elf. Young, came from nothing, almost certainly gay, incredibly loyal, incredibly competent, possibly in love with Maia
Csethiro, Maia's betrothed bride. It's an arranged marriage of political alliance and they hardly met before the proposal, buuuut she's a sharp brilliant badass swordswoman and we're all sure these kids can work it out in the end
And Maia's four nohecharei (bodyguards), two of whom are always there. Um, maybe always, if you see the problem.
Here are several fics I read recently and love:
The Emperor's Blade (2267 words) by pipistrelle
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Csethiro Ceredin/Maia Drazhar
Characters: Csethiro Ceredin, Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava, Deret Beshelar, Cala Athmaza
Additional Tags: Domestic Fluff, Csethiro's wonderful I love her, Slice of Life, court intrigue, Maia continues his Campaign for Letting Women Do What They Want
Summary:
Someone must fight the Emperor's battles. (And make the Empire's history.)
---
Two fics in an AU where young Maia is adopted by his (canonical, but offscreen) lesbian pirate aunt:
The Archduke and the Glorious Dragon (1458 words) by imaginary_golux
Chapters: 2/13
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shaleän Sevraseched & Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava & Maia Drazhar, Csethiro Ceredin & Vedero Drazhin, Shaleän Sevraseched/Shaleän Sevraseched's Wife
Characters: Shaleän Sevraseched, Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava, Csethiro Ceredin, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Vedero Drazhin
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary:
Linked vignettes from an alternate universe in which Maia's aunt Shaleän heard that her only nibling had been "pent at Edonomee" and decided to do something about it.
Beta by my darling Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.
The Pirate Prince (2747 words) by imaginary_golux
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Csethiro Ceredin/Maia Drazhar
Characters: Maia Drazhar, Csethiro Ceredin, Ceredel (The Goblin Emperor), Eiru Berenar, Vedero Drazhin
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Arranged Marriage, Minor Character Death, not in the story but mentioned
Summary:
Maia Drazhar comes to the Ethuveraz to take his throne. Csethiro, like everyone else at court, is desperately curious about the pirate prince.
Beta by my darling Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.
---
The Unknown and the Perilous (4146 words) by phoenixflight
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Csevet Aisava/Maia Drazhar
Characters: Maia Drazhar, Csevet Aisava, Cala Athmaza, Deret Beshelar
Additional Tags: First Time, teaching about sex, formal pronoun play, nohecharei watching, Fluff and Smut, implied poly, Loss of Virginity, Awkwardness, Love Confessions
Summary:
The Emperor shifted in his chair like an uncertain child, glancing at his first nohecharei, who had taken their places for night duty hours previously. “It is… a delicate subject,” Maia said.
“If we can assist you in any way,” Csevet began, “Your Serenity knows you need only ask and we are yours to command.”
“No!” Maia exclaimed, so suddenly that everyone but Cala startled. “No,” he repeated, more softly, ears dipping low in embarrassment. “This is not something I - we could command. We could only ask and hope you know you have every right to refuse us.”
Csevet felt his own brow furrowing and smoothed his expression back into impassivity. Edrehasivar’s discomfiture was making his own heart pound in sympathetic nerves. “We understand. In what way might we be of assistance?”
Maia’s ears dipped even lower, and he squared his shoulders as if steeling himself for a fight. “As you know, our wedding is in ten days’ time. We… we have no experience in… carnal acts,” the words were bitten out brutally, “and we do not wish to… to hurt our wife, or offend her, through ignorance. So we would be grateful for any… advice you could offer us.”
---
a burning coal of kindness (4517 words) by egelantier
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Deret Beshelar & Maia Drazhar
Characters: Deret Beshelar, Maia Drazhar, Cala Athmaza, Csethiro Ceredin
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Torture, Hostage Situations, Post-Canon
Summary:
When Maia is kidnapped by a faction hoping to halt the construction of Wisdom Bridge, Beshelar, gravely injured, is by his side. It might just be their undoing.
---
Light A Mourner's Candle (1859 words) by Beatrice_Otter
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Maia Drazhar, Teru Tethimar, Original Characters, Original Male Character(s)
Additional Tags: Religion, Canon-Typical References to Past Abuse, Comfort/Angst, Podfic Welcome, Don't copy to another site
Summary:
The Archprelate finds a chaplain for Maia.