Brandon abandoned this interlude and instead decided to introduce Lift, who he had been building as a character for years, via the Azish emperor situation. Also, the concept of the emperor whose every action was public is something else Brandon had been planning for years, originally for a non-Cosmere novel.

Ikraa, Prime of the Holy Azish empire, awoke to an audience. He knew to expect that. He’d read about it, after all. The prime—the emperor or king, as he’d be known in other realms—belonged to the people, and his every action was public. It was strange nonetheless. He figured he’d grow accustomed to it eventually.

Today was, after all, his first day on the job.

He sat up in the lavish bed, half as wide as the room—and it was a big room, to fit that audience. There must have been at least fifty people over there, standing just off the carpet, crowded along the wall and watching him. All Azish, like Ikraa himself. Modest of height with dark brown skin, those of appropriate rank—men and women who had taken the tests for government service—wore loose coats with wide sleeves, the complex patterns representing their duties, station, and specialties. The caps were representative of family relationships.

Only a half dozen or so of those watching wore the coats. He’d expected more viziers, scions, and arbiters—and if not them, lower functionaries, like clerks and clerics. The majority of his visitors, however, were

He knew every pattern, of course, and could read a wealth of information from each individual.