Nasrin Al Ahad

> "*If I want the world, then it is rightfully mine.*"
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Zahir

Nasrin bint Saadiq Al Ahad was the seventy-third sultana of Ilstar, second-born child of the previous sultan **Saadiq Al Ahad**. She took on the responsibility of the sultanate herself after the death of her father and, subsequently, older sister, **Jihan bint Saadiq Al Ahad**. With her rule in place, Nasrin formed a harem and started to recruit forces within and beyond Ilstari borders. A decade later, she announced her desire to conquer Bastia once and for all, setting in motion the **First Todosian War**.

## Appearance

Contrary to what some might believe, the Desert Rose epithet was not given to Nasrin coincidentally; after reaching adulthood, Nasrin began cultivated a distinct appearance from her sister, who looked much like her. Wearing desert roses in her hair and outfits, Nasrin accented her silvery hair and dark skin with the lighter flowers to purposely strike an image that would stay in the mind of onlookers.

She was above average height for an Ilstari woman, which likely came from her father. She was more his splitting image than anything, with the gray hair, silver eyes, and dark skin of an Ilstari royal family member. Her body was curvy and lacking in visible muscle, but she was known to be physically strong in her own right. More often than not, her dresses emphasized her womanly assets, despite frequently wearing black fabric as a form of mourning her father. She was also seen with an egregious amount of jewelry, including but not limited to rings, earrings, and necklaces. The sultana was not shy about flaunting her body or her wealth.

## Personality

Being the youngest, and the only child with legitimate lineage to begin with, Nasrin did not hear the word *no* often in her life. While she could deal with it as a sultana, those who deny her are subject to her temperament of the day. She tended to show compassion towards women and young children, but sought only to protect them within their stations and felt no need to dismantle any oppressive institutions. Nasrin was harsh and brutal to subjects and enemies alike, but to describe her as heartless would be untrue. Towards her allies, she was respectful and considerate—a perfect diplomat, by all accounts. Towards her harem, she was loving and prioritized their needs above all else. The sultana did not hate others, for hate was a word too strong to use for those beneath her.

## Biography

#### Birth

Among the dozens of concubines in the sultan's palace, only two children were born that Saadiq Al Ahad recognized and incorporated into the royal line: Jihan, born to a young slave whom the sultan courted for her beauty, and Nasrin, born to a noblewoman given to the sultan as a show of fealty. Sons were killed or abandoned to prevent future internal threats, and daughters were allowed to live in the palace as servants.

By the time Nasrin was brought into the main palace and her mother given the title of Consort, Jihan had been there for four years. The two princesses were not raised together, as their mothers were Consorts competing for the sultan's favor. This separation led Nasrin to view Jihan as a rival, then an obstacle.

As the second child, however, Nasrin inherently was not the sultan's first choice. He began grooming Jihan for the throne when she was old enough to pledge her loyalty without stumbling over the words; Jihan would marry and rule alongside her husband, while Nasrin would be married off to whatever noble she was promised to.

the gist ill write later:

- nasrin learns magic in secret from her father, who forbad his daughters (who were women) to learn such. she is also teaching herself aspects of ruling through her father

- when jihan turns 18, the sultan starts discussing marriage for her. nasrin hears alarm bells and realizes she needs to prove her worth. the sultan also buys the slave brothers imran and zahir as bodyguards for his daughters now that they've become representative of the throne

- wildfire wars happen and the sultan is killed by sibir and elan. when the news reached jihan and nasrin, nasrin realizes this is her chance to take the throne. pretty sure imran is the one who, by nasrin's orders, kills jihan

- with both the sultan and the crown princess (publicly explained as killed by bastian assassins) gone, nasrin claims the throne as sultana and starts her harem with imran and zahir

- then like 12 years pass somehow. laila is recruited into the harem at some point