Their Royal Highnesses, Artan and Aziza, have asked me to serve as Steward of the Royal Household, to oversee training and coordination of attendants for the next several months.

Discretion, confidentiality and good judgment are important for those attending upon royalty. Some things you read should not be shared. Some are fine. If you're unsure, ask.

Until current schedules and information are up, here are some things you might want to read and begin to consider:

Policies for Attendants in the Reign of Artan VI and Aziza
Some people have seen an older or abbreviated version; please do review this a time or two as the reign progresses.

Humility and Formality
If you don't want to read the whole thing, please read sections 2 and 3.

The Concept of "Presence" and You
Sometimes you enter the royal presence. Sometimes you're minding your own business, and royalty comes right toward you. How should you act?

Introductions in the Society
More about formality and courtesy.

Forms of address
Beyond simplifications...

It's hard for some people to understand, but in some circumstances "My Lord" is the highest and most formal way a king could be addressed by one of his own liegemen. A knight can say "thank you, m'lord" to someone who has just helped him set up the lists field, and then kneel in front of the king and say, "My lord, the field is prepared." It's kind of like the difference between an army corporal saying "yes sir" politely to a parking lot attendant and then saying "yes, Sir" to the president or to a general. The difference is that in the more formal situation it's said with feeling, with meaning. It needs to be accompanied by the proper gestures and facial expressions, and it's in awareness of things like this that we can begin to become our medieval selves. Without making conscious decisions about how and why to address people, we're just repeating phrases as from a script.

The Authority of Kings
Creating the mystique while understanding the realities

Becoming the Source
With apologies to those who didn't know, or who might be too new to be backstage...