Kaliendra Wacha of the Ahkis clan

*Excerpts taken from the official biography of Queen Kaliendra, from the book "A travel to Abun" written by Xayri Fatar, disciple of Sed the Elder of Issad.*

**Kaliendra Wacha of the Ahkis clan** *(pronounced Kalee-Hendra Was-Ha)* (Enit - 2205) is the current queen of Abun , and the first woman who stepped on the Abunese throne in its 2228 years of history .

She is married to Faad IV Emver of the Unas clan, Prince Consort and Main Ambassador of Abun, and is ruling the country since year 2222, so she is ruling Abun since six years. Kaliendra is known with various nicknames, the most famous being "the barefoot queen" due to her particular habit of being barefoot since she was a child. Her Royal titles are "Hope of the Nation, Beloved by the Gods and Blessed by Say'Rada".

## Early Years

Born in Enit, in year 2205, Kaliendra is the second child of prince Zu II of the Ahkis clan and Farada Rynus of the Ib'Rah clan. Kaliendra grew up in the large family palace in the outskirts of Enit, and since she was a little child, she proved to have a hot-boiled and rebel personality: she always liked to do pranks to the court servants, stole food from the kitchens and always refused to wear sandals, because she didn't like how they looked on her, and indeed, she doesn't wear any kind of footwear since she was 5 years old. One of the court members who immediately befriended her was Ravin, the only child of Sohys Elmash of the Kalit clan, personal scribe of prince Zu. Ravin is four years younger than Kaliendra, and he followed her in all of her antics, developing a deep friendship with her, making her nickname him "his little adoptive brother".

Curiously, the relationship between Kaliendra and her elder brother, prince Ther'Os, has never been explored by Abunese historians, maybe because Ther'Os is a very reserved person and rarely appears in public. Despite that, he works at the Royal Court as the official historian of Queen Kaliendra.

Unlike most of the Enitian nobles of her age, she didn't go to the House of Life, but she was home-schooled by a priest of Quaneth, Nyrah of Xamura, who taught her how to read, write, perform calculations, along with maths, philosophy, history and how to play the harp, the lute and other musical instruments. Every Netur, she gathered all her court, including her parents, to play the harp for them and entertain them with poems. She managed to learn them very quickly an despite her attitude, she was kept in high regard.

Kaliendra proved to be a very intelligent child, learning everything in a very short time and thanks to her father's love for literature, she begun to read books, and it's believed that in a couple of years, she read all the books of the clan library. When she turned 7, her mother Farada, a Wapi warrior, begun to train her with the code of honour of the Wapi warriors, as a way to control her rebellous personality. She learned how to use swords, spears and clubs, along with melee combat, and begun to join the annual Serka Tournaments, where she fought against other Wapi warriors with wooden weapons, in order to prove her skills, and she quickly became famous, since she was one of the youngest fighters in the tournament.

Later, when she turned 8, she was introduced to her future husband, Prince Faad IV Emver of the Unas clan. Faad initially didn't like her because she was a tomboy, and he didn't like her choice to walk barefoot, something that would never happen in his family. But later, the two begun getting in touch and sent letters to eachother. In this period, Kaliendra remained a rebellous girl, but she toned down her jokes and became more calm. Her interest for fighting, along with the one of books kept growing, and she begun to train herself in combat for several hours per day.

Unlike Farada, Prince Zu was a kind and cheerful man and considered the young Kaliendra his "most precious jewel", and he always wrote letters to her when he was away for military reasons. He also bought her a dog, a male Itigahn called Sadama, as a gift for her 14th birthday. In these years, Kaliendra grew up and became a beautiful yet rebel girl, who enjoyed reading a book as well as train herself with the court servants, in order to improve her fighting skills. During her free time, she kept seeing Faad, who moved to Enit to follow his uncle, the ambassador of the Faywar province, during his diplomatic missions and they begun to consider themselves as "Vershat", very close friends.

One year later, Kaliendra officially graduated as a philosopher, and her father attended to the celebrations. This was the last celebration that princess Kaliendra did with her father.

While the relationship with Faad became more and more deep, leading to the transformation of their vershat into something more important, prince Zu suddenly died in year 2221 for an aneurysm, leaving Kaliendra in shock, since she was very attached to him, and left her with a deep void. She was 16 when her father died.

After Prince Zu's death, princess Kaliendra's relationship with Faad became more passionate, and in the same year, she confessed her feelings to Faad, telling him she fell in love with him. Faad declared himself as well, he was 20 when he did it, and the two became officially a couple.

## Election

Since a couple of years, the health of the Abunese king, Mudah Elmves VIII of the Iagee clan, was quickly declining: he was old and suffered of several issues on his kidney and lungs. He stopped appearing in public since year 2217, making him choose to give temporary powers to his high counselor, Kearis Halyn of the Minalan clan, to administer the kingdom.

So, while Kearis became the de-facto king of Abun, the conditions of king Mudah worsened, and he died during his sleep in year 2222. The death of king Mudah was sort of expected by his court members, but it arrived before the high priests would gather to nominate the successor. According to the Abunese "Law of the Ancients", the successor of a king must be decided one year to six months before his death, in order to not leave the throne vacant for a long time. This unfortunately didn't happen, since the court physicians believed that with their potions and treatments, the king's health would improve, letting them organize the council in time, but his sudden death left them unorganized, and the physicians were arrested since it was -and it still is- believed that king Mudah died not because of his illness, but because of the wrong treatment performed by them. But that wasn't the sole reason behind the necessity to rush the council: in 2222, there was an ongoing war between the Abunese and the Zonizans, the second Abunese-Zonizan war, and the Abunese needed a new king as soon as possible, in order to secure their victory.

An extraordinary council was arranged two weeks after the king's death, and all the high priests of Abun went to Enit, to discuss about the election of the new Holy King of Abun. This signed the beginning of a fierce "war of succession", although it wasn't technically a war, but more of a political battle between the most important Abunese noble clans, hoping that one of them would receive the privilege to let one of their members claim the Ny'It, the legendary royal tiara worn for the first time by king Xisid, Yaz Buraldkin's great-great grandson.

Many noble clans from all Abun followed the council and met the High Priests, hoping to convince them (and even bribe them) to choose one of them as the new ruling clan of Abun. The Ahkis clan attended the council too, and princess Kaliendra followed it with high interest, since she was curious to see who would be the new king.

Meanwhile, closed behind the heavy doors of the Royal Palace, the high priests discussed about the successor for an entire week. They wanted a young monarch with great ambitions and ideals, who would lead Abun with strenght and courage and improve its economy, that during Mudah's reign, after an initial growth, begun to suffer of stagnation, due to the wars that the Abunese had to fight, first against the Nylusians and then the Issadites, leading to the death of general Kepi of the Ahkis clan, one of the most notable figures of King Mudah's court along with his younger brother, prince Zu II, Kaliendra's father.

So, after one week of talks, the High Priests chose the person that they thought would be the best representative of Abun after the death of king Mudah, and the High Priest of Enit, the 96 Sulhat of Waras-At, year 2222, came out of the great balcony of the Enit Royal Palace, and chanted to the people the following words:

*"NALSUL MOR'ALEI NONTHIN! NALSUL MOR'ALEI NONTHIN!"*

Like the Abunese tradition wants, the High Priests of Enit says a ritual phrase in Abunese language, mentioning the clan name chosen by the priests to become the new Royal Clan of Abun. "Nalsul mor'Alei nonthin" means in Abunese "We got our new Holy Guide" and it's believed to be an ancient formula chanted by the people when Yaz "Buraldkin" was elected king of Abun. After the High Priest chanted that words, he retreated back to the palace and sent a messenger to the Ahkis' palace in Enit, to deliver a personal message to the member chosen to become the new Abunese monarch. [...]

According to the legend, princess Kaliendra was reading a book in her room, when a servant knocked on the door and gave her a small sheet of papyrus, sealed with wax. She looked at the scroll with curiosity and when she broke the seal to check what was written, she let the scroll drop on the floor, and begun to cry. So, her mother Farada, who was walking in the corridor, heared her daughter's cries in her room and she went inside, asking her what happened and what the messenger gave to her. It's in that moment that Kaliendra looked at her in tears, and said:

*"Mother... I am the Queen of the Abunese..."*

[...]

When she was elected, Kaliendra was 17 years old. Two days after her election, she moved to the Royal Palace and took with her many members and servants of her father's court, while part of them attended to the clan's manor. Ravin, the former companion of antics of her childhood, followed her as a court scribe, along with his father, however, Farada preferred to not move to the Royal Palace, focusing herself on managing the Wapi warriors guild, since she was elected Headmaster of the guild.

So, the 98th Netur of Waras-At, the high priest of Enit led the Coronation Ceremony to Kaliendra at the Royal Palace, and the new Queen was seen by the people for the first time: a young Tokaya teenager of 17 years old with green skin, long black curly hair with an almost dark-blue shade and chestnut brown eyes was the new maximum authority of the kingdom, the figure who would lead Abun to a new age of growth, prosperity and hegemony. While the Ahkis clan already made in the past some of its members step on the Abunese throne, it was the first time that a woman has ever been elected Queen, and Kaliendra's election became one of the most discussed things among the people.

Kaliendra was dressed with the traditional colours of the Abunese nobles: a red vest with golden borders, decorated by coloured feathers and golden jewels. Her face was painted with the markings of her clan, while the high priest of Enit put the Ny'It on her forehead, blessed her by halitating on her and then he bowed to the new queen, along with the rest of the people who attended the ceremony. She was 17 years old at the time of her election.

According to the people who attended to the event, Kaliendra's eyes were wet and she kept her eyes low during the ceremony, probably thinking about all the things that she would have to face. When she wore the Ny'It, she told to the people:

*"I am honoured to be the Supreme Guide of our motherland, and mostly important, the mother of the Abunese."*

One month later, the 20th of Ankdan-At, Queen Kaliendra and Prince Faad officially married at the Great Temple of Say'Rada in Enit. With the marriage, Faad was elected Prince Consort and ambassador of Abun. The celebrations lasted for one week, and then Kaliendra begun to deal with the first issue of her political life: the second Abunese-Zonizan war.

## The Queen goes at War

Unlike Abun, the hexarcate of Zoniza is located on a mountain region that has very few fields, so they have to import most of the food and the crops from Abun and the other kingdoms. Plus, the grain that comes from Rishdel, one of the major exporters of grains to Abun, must pass through the Zonizan territory.

This, together with the lack of cultivable lands and the wish to establish a Zonizan hegemony on the south, was the reason that led the six kings of Zoniza (called "Hexarchs") to declare war to Rishdel. Since Rishdel is an ally of Abun, the Abunese army would intervene to defend the Rishdelian, and this would've let the Zonizan to defeat them and establish their egemony on the southern region, conquering both the countries.

The first war seen the Zonizans and the Tet'Honite, who are in good terms with the Zonizans, against the Abunese and the Rishdelian, and ended with a truce, signed between the Abunese, the Rishdelian and the six Zonizan hexarchs. The Rishdelian gave a concession to the Zonizans that allowed them to buy food and crops from them at a lower price than the other kingdoms, but while the Zonizan hexarchs were satisfied by the agreements done with the Rishdelian, they still wanted to establish their hegemony on the south, and they wanted the Abunese natural resources, that would allow them to set up a long-term plan to establish their hegemony on the South, and set the bases for a Zonizan Empire, something that the Hexarchs want since a long time.

So, after 40 years of truce, in 2223, the Zonizan army changed strategy, and instead of invading Rishdel, they chose to invade the northern regions of Abun, including the province of Faza, and began to attack villages, towns and cities, destroying whatever they had in front of them.

Kaliendra moved the army in the Fazan province, in order to establish a border that would protect the rest of the provinces from the Zonizans. Despite her young age (Kaliendra was still underage in 2223, since she was 18), she insisted to follow her army and fought the Zonizans together with them, and after five months of battle, the Zonizans were defeated, and the young Tokaya queen earned the respect of the Zonizan hexarchs, who used to mock her for being a woman.

The second Abunese-Zonizan war is the first success of the new Queen, and the people were surprised to hear that she followed her army in the battlefield, fighting against the Zonizans by herself. She was also injuried by a sword on her tail, but she proved her courage to her enemies, showing them that a woman can do the same thing that a man can do, even on the battlefield.

Thanks to the Abunese victory, now there's stable, although tense relationship between Abun and Zoniza. Kaliendra later followed her army in various skirmishes against the Ge'Za, a nomadic tribe that lives on the eastern border between Abun and Zoniza. In one of those battles she was injuried by a Ge'Zan arrow on her shoulder, but she quickly recovered and managed to kill Akula, an important Ge'Zan chief, leading them to retreat.

## Kaliendra's Appearance

Kaliendra is a green-skinned Tokaya girl. She has a pair of large horns on her forehead, and a pair of smaller ones just below them, and a pair of three small horns on her cheeks. Her hair have a particular shade of black and blue and are curly. Due to having been trained as a warrior, Kaliendra has a skinny and muscular body, but thanks to her flexibility, she can dance very sensually. She has a religious tattoo on her belly, the "Mark of Say'Rada", made when she was 14, after her parents asked the goddess to protect her during the rest of her life.

She's quite tall too: 1.80 metres, making her one of the tallest women in the Abunese Royal court. Such heights in Abun are uncommon, since the average height of an Abunese is 1.70 metres for men, 1.65 metres for women.

Due to the hot climate of Abun, Kaliendra usually wears a simple linen outfit made by a sheet wrapped around her breasts, and a long skirt tied on her hips. Under the skirt she wears a pair of light linen panties. Since she was a child, Kaliendra never wanted to wear sandals, because she found them a nuisance, since her parents always wanted her to wear them. Nowadays, she's still perpetually barefoot and she never wears any kind of shoes, except for linen footwraps around her soles. She wears the Ny'It, the famous Abunese royal tiara, two bracelets made with solid gold on both her wrists and an anklet on her right ankle. She also has a piercing on her belly button, and a rattle on her tail, which makes noise everytime she moves her tail.

## Kaliendra's Personality

Kaliendra likes to meditate, dance and improving her fighting skills. She also enjoys hot baths, relaxing in the garden, sunbathing and enjoys a good swim at the Adir river. Like her father, Prince Zu II of the Ahkis clan, she likes spiced food. She's totally devout to her husband, Prince Faad, and she's deeply in love with him. She also has a special eye of regard towards her personal servant, Nahara, who treats her in a motherly way.

Kaliendra has a strong sense of honour, and doesn't like people who don't keep their promise. She also has a grief towards the Zonizans, due to the previous wars that the Abunese fought against them. Despite her warrior nature, Kaliendra dislikes wars and she declares them only if her Kingdom is attacked. She is allergic to nickel-based items and is intolerant to milk, so she can't eat dairy products.

[...] Most of the people who met her say that Queen Kaliendra retained part of her rebel personality, and she is a sort of tomboy, although she can be fragile in some situations. She loves challenges and never says no to them.

She's aware of her beauty too, and her sexual promiscuity is part of her attitude. She is a polite and laid-back girl, and almost never gets out of control. She's deeply in love with her husband, Prince Faad, and would do everything for him. One of the most particular things I have noticed of Kaliendra, is that she introduced in Abun a custom that is widely adopted in the rest of Nakti: the usage of sex as a political tool.

[...] She is a very beautiful girl, and she is known for her beauty. Many men wanted to marry her before she would've been romantically involved with Prince Faad, and being aware of her beauty, she later used her charm to turn adverse situations to her advantage. Indeed, Kaliendra uses sex, either using her servants or herself, as a form of persuasion, to convince statesmen to follow her conditions. It's thanks to what I'd call "pleasure policy" that the Abunese economy is rapidly growing under Kaliendra's reign, and she's managing to make alliances with countries that had little or none contacts with Abun until the recent past. While our Deldran kings have massively used this kind of negotiating strategy since millenia, the Abunese have used it very few times, and it became a regular practice only under Kaliendra's reign.

She's also loved by her people, mostly due to the direct and almost motherly way she uses to talk to them, during her public appearances. She also goes out of the palace, riding her horse and talking directly to the people, no matter if they are nobles or just commoners, and her curious choice to be barefoot made the foreign monarchs dub her "the barefoot queen of Abun", and we know that in Abun, being barefoot is one of the most common things found in paupers and low-class people, who usually cannot afford a pair of sandals. This is one of the things that make Kaliendra not just a queen, but someone who's very close to the people, making her one of the people herself.

Another sign of her sober style is the choice to wear just a simple white dress, consisting of a linen top tied behind her shoulders and a long-skirt open on the right side and tied on her hip, with a pair of linen underpants. The outfit doesn't have decorations nor any kind of embellishment, just a simple piece of white linen cloth, and the only things that ornate her body are just her solid gold jewels.