Iris Zira

### Relatives

Kain Zira(father), Unnamed Mother, Salacia Leylo(sister), Atlas Leylo(brother-in-law)

## Physical description

### Hair Color

Dark Brown

Iris Aviva Zira is the main protagonist of Dianthe. She is human girl who is timid and cautious at first. She is often the first to back down when faced with danger, but she is also capable of great compassion and empathy towards others.

She is apart of The Zira Clan, but due to her young age and curiosity, does not want to follow or conform to any of the rules of the clan.

She has a sense of wonder, and is drawn to the world of Dianthe and its mythical creatures, and the mystery that surrounds them. Iris is not only compassionate and empathetic, but she is also very curious, and wants to learn as much as she can about the creatures of Dianthe and herself.

Her curiosity and her desire to help others drives her to take risks and try new things, even when they're scary. Despite all of her doubts and fears, Iris is a strong and resilient girl with a good heart.

## Biography

Iris was born into a rather large, tight-knit human clan by the name of the Zira Clan. Growing up, she was always fascinated by the mythical creatures that lived in the surrounding forests and the stories she heard about them. However, her curiosity was often stifled by the prejudice she saw from her fellow humans and parents towards the mythical creatures.

When she turned 10, her mother passed away, leaving her father, Kain, to lead the Zira clan alone. With no maternal figure, Iris had to learn how to survive in a world that was not only unknown to her, but also often dangerous. She had to learn to hunt and protect herself, while also navigating the complexities of human relationships. Despite all of these challenges, Iris managed to keep her compassion and her sense of wonder alive, even in the face of cruelty and injustice.

Shortly after she turned 16, Iris stumbled upon a hidden path that led to the mystical land of Dianthe while hunting. She was immediately struck by the beauty and wonder of the land, as well as the kindness and wisdom of the fair folk that lived there. However, as she is a human, she was not welcome in Dianthe, and she was forced to keep her distance. Despite this, Iris couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this world than she knew.

The thought of Dianthe kept her up at night. One morning she set out, on free will, toward the hidden path that once led her to Dianthe. However, her older sister Salacia caught her attempting to sneak out into the mythical forest. Salacia warns Iris about the forest leading to Dianthe, the land that notoriously has bad-blood with the Zira Clan. Iris convinces Salacia to let her explore the forest and even gets Salacia to go with her, mentioning the cute boys that resided in Dianthe.

The two gazed upon Dianthe's beauty from the safety of a bush for a while and talk and joked about how it would be nice if they could get closer to the town. While staring at the fine folk that live in Dianthe, Iris spots the land's prince, Antoinette, and is immediately captivated by his appearance and mannerisms. However she is pulled out of her thoughts when Salacia suddenly mentions that they both should head home before training begins as to not risk getting in trouble with their father, Kain.

Iris reluctantly agrees with her sister and leaves with Antoinette being the only subject on her mind.

On that night, Iris had trouble sleeping due to the mere thought of her glance at Antoinette. She felt something that she hadn't before, but she couldn't pin point what that feeling was. All Iris knew was that she needed to see Dianthe again, but this time alone - and earlier in the morning.

### Chapter 2: Dianthe's fierce prince, Antoinette

Once again, Iris had been wandering the edges of Dianthe for a while when she suddenly heard something rustling in the bushes. Hoping to only just see Antoinette's face again, she feared that she was possibly going to be attacked by a mythical creature or animal. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she strained her ears to listen. Suddenly, something came out of the bushes. Frightened, she flinches and stumbles backwards, but before she could run away, the figure spoke to her.

It was Antoinette, he had drawn his sword, threatening to kill Iris at any moment.

Baffled, Iris looked up at him, the man that she had been thinking about all night long was in front of her, with the tip of his sword slightly pressed against her neck.

As Antoinette kept his sword in place, he began to interrogate her. Terrified, Iris attempts to level with Antoinette stating that she was only there to gaze upon Dianthe with no intention to harm anyone. Antoinette is still suspicious of Iris, and in order to protect his land from a possible danger, he orders her to stand still as he inspects her for any small weapons on her person.

As Antoinette inspected her, Iris feared that any member from the Zira clan could come searching for her. She is yet again pulled out of her thoughts by Antoinette's stern voice. He states that Dianthe is no place for a "mere human", ordering her to go back to her home before causing anymore trouble. He also threatens that he won't be so merciful if he catches her sneaking around Dianthe again.

Not wanting to test his patience, Iris quietly apologizes to him and leaves.

### Chapter 3: Iridessa Waterfall

Iris had trouble falling asleep yet again. But this time, it was due to her tiny interaction with Antoinette. She decides to go back to the Enchanted Forest that once led her to Dianthe. While walking, she spots a shimmering blue light that came from the corner of her eye. Intrigued, Iris makes her way over to the mysterious area, only to reveal the beautiful waterfall that sat behind multiple long vines.

While hanging out at the waterfall by herself, she hears voices coming from somewhere in the small area. Panicked, Iris quickly heads out of Iridessa Waterfall, waiting directly outside the magical sanctuary. Her curiosity gets the best of her and she decides to take a peek inside the waterfall. She sees no one until she slowly looks up, only to find a tall male elf, Minerva, staring at her in silence.

Both freeze for a brief moment, then suddenly begin screaming out of shock. The other two elves that waited for Minerva inside of the waterfall run over to him to see what the problem was. Aria frantically asks Minerva what happened, with Minerva muttering "The-The girl! From last time! It's her!"

Determined to protect Dinathe from any humans, both Luka and Aria drag Iris back inside of the waterfall and begin interrogating her. Iris is still in shock and attempts to convince the two elves that she was just about to leave the forest. Luka and Aria are skeptical of Iris, but eventually back down when Minerva steps in and claims that Iris seems to be just a young girl.

Aria asks Iris if she remembers being told to keep a good distance between her and The Land of Dianthe. Iris recalls the advice and assures the elves that she doesn't want to harm anyone, and that her only desire is to explore and see things she's never seen before.

While Luka and Aria have seemingly calmed down, they are still suspicious of Iris and ask what her name is. She tells them her first name only, carefully withholding her last name, knowing that revealing her Zira clan would put her in danger. (Given that her last name is in the name of her clan.)

However, despite the elves' skepticism at first, the four soon got to know each other, and Iris eventually made friends with the three elves. They parted ways, with Luka making Iris promise not to harm any creature from Dianthe. Iris promised, thankful for the chance to have met this group of merciful elves.

From then on, it is stated that the four kept meeting at Iridessa Waterfall during the weekend nights, forming a good relationship with each other.

## Personality

Iris is a curious young girl. She often goes out of her way to explore things that are unknown to her, such as making an effort to slyly sneak on Dianthe and its folk. She is adventurous and a friendly girl who loves to explore new things. She has a strong sense of empathy and kindness towards others, always looking for ways to help and make a difference among her peers. She is highly intelligent and has a natural curiosity about the world around her, and she is always willing to learn new things and take on new challenges.

Despite her adventurous nature, Iris is also sensitive and emotional, often being overwhelmed by her own feelings. She is a complex and layered character, with both strengths and weaknesses, and she is always growing and evolving as she learns more about herself and the world around her.

## Appearance

Iris has a petite, slim figure, her straight, dark brown hair is average in length and her bangs are cut to perfectly frame her face. Her eyes are a light brown, matching her hair.

Sometimes, she wear her hair in a ponytail, showing off her slim, round facial shape and upturned eye shape.

## Relationships

{Kain Zira} - Iris' relationship with her father seems to be strained. While they don't argue, they don't converse as much as they used to and in some parts of the story, Kain mentions how he feels like he doesn't know who Iris is anymore. Throughout the book, they become more distant with each other given Iris' constant absence and continuously growing romance with Antoinette. She loves and respects her father, but wishes that he would be more opened minded about things such a mythical creatures.

{Unnamed Mother/Mrs. Zira} - Iris' relationship with her mother is not deeply explored, but it is his hinted that she had a good relationship with her and misses her dearly.

{Salacia Zira} - As her younger sister, Iris respects and loves Salacia. The two often get along with each other, but as the book expands on the romance between her and Antoinette, the two also grow a bit distant, with Salacia being worried about Iris and the amount of times she wanders off into the forrest that leads to Dianthe. She is aware of Antoinette, but does not approve of Iris' relationship with him, warning her that their father will do horrendous things to Antoinette and the citizens of Dianthe if he ever finds out.

{Antoinette Cleo} - When the two first meet, Antoinette is rightfully untrusting of Iris given the fact that she's a human. He threatens her by saying that he won't be merciful if he catches her around Dianthe again.

## Trivia

1. She is named after the Goddess of Rainbows, Iris.