Zélie Adebola

> "*They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise.*"
> ― Zélie Adebola
>
>

**Zélie Adebola** (pronounced Zay-lee Ah-deh-boh-la) is the main character of the Legacy of Orïsha series.

## Personality

Zélie is known as a headstrong, stubborn trouble-maker, with a quick temper and little patience. She is protective of her family and feels as if she is never doing enough to keep them safe. Because of her violent past, Zélie is mistrustful of nobles, like Amari Olúborí and Inan Olúborí. Zélie slowly lets her guard down once she sees that other people truly have good intentions.

Zélie is also guided by her love for her mother and the traditions of magic and faith that bind them together, even after her mother's death.

## Physical Description

[[]]Like all divîners, Zélie has white hair and silvery eyes. She has ebony skin. Her hair originally was "as straight as a blade," but it gradually becomes curlier following the return of magic. After her capture and torture she bears scars on her back that say "maggot," a slur used against the maji.

## History

Zélie was born in the town of Ibadan. Her family moved to the fishing village of Ilorin after the Raid, during which, her mother was violently killed before her eyes. Ever since, Zélie has lived in a state of perpetual fear and anger. She has trained with Mama Agba to use the staff so that she can defend herself and her family against attack. Despite the unfair taxes that King Saran constantly levies against divîners and their families, Zélie works hard to feed her family. However, she frequently ends up in trouble.

Zélie is part of a wider cause to end the oppression of divîners like herself by overthrowing the monarchy and putting power back in the hands of the maji. She works with her brother Tzain, and Amari, to return magic to the kingdom. Harnessing the power of all her ancestors, Zélie succeeds in restoring magic to Orïsha, but at great personal cost.

Zélie takes Baba's death very hard, especially since Baba only died because Inan betrayed Zélie.

## Relationships

### Tzain Adebola

Zélie and Tzain have a very close relationship. Tzain is often exasperated by Zélie, who will sometimes take unnecessary risks or let her anger get the better of her. Frequently Tzain is left to clean up after Zélie's mistakes. His romantic relationship with Amari complicates his close bond with Zélie. At times, Tzain choose to save Amari rather than Zélie from dangerous situations. And though Tzain feels that he protects Amari because Zélie can protect herself, Zélie interprets it as a betrayal. Even when they fight however, the siblings consistently make up and reaffirm their love for and connection to each other.

### Amari Olúborí

Zélie and Amari did not start out as friends when they first met. Zélie believed that Amari was a spoiled princess who couldn't understand the struggles other faced. As the two spent more time together traveling across the kingdom, Zélie gained more respect for Amari, and the two came to see each other as sisters instead of enemies. After the return of magic, and Amari developing powers as a Connector, their relationship fractures as they feel they each believe the other no longer wants the same thing.

### Inan Olúborí

Inan and Zélie originally hate each other and each wants to kill the other. When they meet in person, they fight and discover that they are equally matched in skill. When Amari and Tzain are captured, they slowly start to trust each other as they work to save their sibling. While in the maji camp they start to fall in love. All of this is shattered however when King Saran kills Baba during the trade organized by Inan, leaving Zélie to believe that Inan planned to kill her father all along.

Zélie wants to kill Inan in revenge for Baba's death, but can't bring herself to do it when she has the chance. Inan works to try and convince Zélie that he did not mean for Baba to die and that he still believes in a peaceful Orïsha for both maji and kosidán.

### Mama Agba

Mama Agba is not just Zélie's mentor, but she is also like a second mother to her after the murder of Mama. Mama Agba was stern yet loving towards Zélie, and Zélie grew up respecting her and her knowledge and skills.

### Roën

Though Roën is somewhat slippery and raises Zélie's alarm bells a little bit, he's also extremely attractive, kind, and gentle. While originally just flirtatious with each other, they slowly fall in love. Roën habitually calls Zélie *zïtsōl*, a pet name that he says means various things depending on his mood. When reveals the true meaning of the word is "home," Roën is revealing that Zélie is, for him, his home now.

## Trivia

* Zélie’s name derives from the word Azélie, meaning "solemn" in French.

## Gallery

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DVqbeeqJwwE3s3zs7