Renala Nareith
Queen Renala Nareith- Lenis (a.k.a. Nirenia Illesa, The Queen of Songs)
“Renala, you have a bright future ahead of you. This I can already feel.” Said her mother.
Renala was born as an only child to the noble family Lenís and later married to the crown prince, Aenryk Nareith. She was mostly known for skipping her royal duties to go out and pretending to be the bard Nirenia Illesa, and the stories about her love life. During her lifetime and a few years after, she was a quite popular queen amongst the common people in her country, though she was not exactly popular amongst the noble. The nobles often called her the Beggar Queen behind her back, since she would often play for money, which she gave to the poor people in her country. She died fairly young while giving birth to her first-born.
Fiction and non-fiction written about her
It was not until recently, scholars found letters from Renala written to the bard, Ieonas, who taught her to play the lute, and was her lover. Until this discovery, there have been written a lot of fiction about her, some closer to the historical findings than others. There seems to be a split understanding of her love life in the fictional stories about her:Renala, the Faithful Wife
These types of fictional stories about her have the understanding that Renala was a faithful wife to king Aenryk. These stories often start at the banquet where her father introduced her to the Society of the Nobles, where she had to play the harp and sing a song. The young prince Aenryk fell in love with her voice and wanted to marry her immediately.During their wedding, the young bard, Ieonas, saw Renala and fell in love. Unable to bear the thought of her marrying another, he tried to court her, but failed since Renala’s heart only belonged to Aenryk, and was a devoted wife to him. After seven years, Ieonas, consumed by desire, wanted to kill the king and take her for his wife. He had not seen Renala had been pregnant, for his advances towards had been stopped a year earlier by the king.
He sneaked into the castle as a servant, poisoning a cup he thought was the king’s, but it was brought to Renala, who was giving birth to the heir. Shortly after she held the newborn prince, she drank from the cup due to thirst, and died while holding the infant. King Aenryk angered and in mourning, wanted revenge. He searched his entire kingdom after Ieonas, and when finding him, he made sure to bury him deep beneath the earth so no light of the Glux could guide him to Irath'las.
Renala, the Wife and Lover
These types have a different understanding of her. Often these stories start before the introduction banquet, where she meets the bard, Ieonas, to learn to play the lute, but her father does not want her to mingle with commoners and lock her up for two years until the introduction banquet. During those two years, she makes her chambermaid bring letters to and from her in order to keep contact, and from these letters, she starts to develop feelings for him.During the introduction banquet, the young prince Aenryk fall in love with her voice, that he immediately asks his father to marry her, which happens two years after. Renala is bound by honour and duty because of her being the only heir of the Lenís, and accepts the marriage, even though her heart belongs to another. Only a year after her marriage, Aenryk becomes king because of his father’s death, and she becomes queen consort. But her heart longs for her true love - Ieonas, and she often skipped her duties to travel incognito to meet him and play music with him, earning money for the poor.
Just seven years after she was crowned, she dies giving birth to king Aenryk’s son. The king mourned her passing, but not long after discovering the love letters written by Ieonas that she had kept closest to her heart. In his fury he hunted down Ieonas, swore they would never reunite again and buried him alive deep under ground.
The differences
Often the audiences for these stories are different. The story of her being the faithful wife is often told amongst the nobles who honour her meekness and faithfulness towards her husband. The other story about her having a lover is often told amongst the common people.
Recent discoveries do indeed confirm that the commoner’s story is closest to her lived life, and that she did indeed pretend to be a bard to collect money for the poor. The closest fictional story I have found would be The Bard, the King, and the Noblewoman written by P. Anther, but even that contains elements of fiction.
My most heartily beloved Ieonas, my Heart burneth of yearning for you. Ye shalt understand I received a Token from you, a token I would heartily welcome, alas I cannot welcome it, for surely my Husband would know. I let you know the Words ye wrote are ingraved in my Heart, and though it pains me to lose the sight of thine Letter and Token so fair. My heart burneth from the ill that happens in Atlasé and the ill that keeps us asunder. Mine love...
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Renala was in a born noble family named Lenís in the country of Atlasé. Her family became rich in the war between Aistana and Estain in 407 AGD, where the demand for iron rose. The Lenis family were the local authorities where miners had made a settlement to a nearby mine, and the family enjoyed a fair part of the outcome, since the exploitation of the mineral-rich subsurface profited them, and the revenue increased.
Her mother and father were unable to produce more siblings for her, leaving Renala to be their only heir.
Renala was a genius since she was very little and her parents hired tutors to make her the perfect heir to the family and a perfect bride to a future husband. She was also very musical from a young age and learned to play the harp and singing, but her thirst for knowledge often led her to sneak out and befriend commoners.
When she turned twelve, she heard of a wandering bard, named Ieonas, and sought him out to learn how to play the lute. At first he was not interested, but she stole the attention of the audience with her voice, and they had a small song battle, which led them to be friends. She often helped him earn money until one day her father discovered what she was doing and locked her up.
Until the day of her introduction banquet, she would only be allowed to associate with a few selected friends, her family, and her tutors. On the day of her introduction ball, she performed a song, which supposedly made the young crown prince of Atlasé fall in love with her.
The rest of her known personal history is almost identical to the commoner’s version of the story.
Her mother and father were unable to produce more siblings for her, leaving Renala to be their only heir.
Renala was a genius since she was very little and her parents hired tutors to make her the perfect heir to the family and a perfect bride to a future husband. She was also very musical from a young age and learned to play the harp and singing, but her thirst for knowledge often led her to sneak out and befriend commoners.
When she turned twelve, she heard of a wandering bard, named Ieonas, and sought him out to learn how to play the lute. At first he was not interested, but she stole the attention of the audience with her voice, and they had a small song battle, which led them to be friends. She often helped him earn money until one day her father discovered what she was doing and locked her up.
Until the day of her introduction banquet, she would only be allowed to associate with a few selected friends, her family, and her tutors. On the day of her introduction ball, she performed a song, which supposedly made the young crown prince of Atlasé fall in love with her.
The rest of her known personal history is almost identical to the commoner’s version of the story.
Education
From a very young age, Renala was trained to be absolutely perfect in everything. She was a fast learner, and within five years she learned 4 languages, amongst these, the old language Divendus.
Math, philosophy, history, and literature was also tutored to her, because her parents needed her to manage the Lenís castle and mine while her father was at war.
Math, philosophy, history, and literature was also tutored to her, because her parents needed her to manage the Lenís castle and mine while her father was at war.
“Fine, I shall try not to steal the audience's attention from you. At least for now.” She answered with a bright smile.
Social
Reign
Queen Renala’s reign only lasted seven years until her death in 429. She became queen when Aenryk’s father died in a hunting accident just a year after her marriage with Aenryk. Aenryk wanted to continue the war against Bainoil in order to gain more territory. Stories and letters tell us that when meetings about the war effort took place, she would defy expectations and skipped them to pretend to be the bard.
At that time, it was frowned upon by the nobles and royals alike, but in the recent years she is considered to be a peacekeeper at heart, and her kind heart towards the poor in her country has made charity more popular.
At that time, it was frowned upon by the nobles and royals alike, but in the recent years she is considered to be a peacekeeper at heart, and her kind heart towards the poor in her country has made charity more popular.
Religious Views
While raised an Irathian, she converted in secret to Tynelusian. Her letters to Ieonas suggest it was he who persuaded her to walk this road. In her letters, she describes Irathians to “be blinded by past glories”, and with the Tynelusian belief, she was free to find her own balance in life.
Whilst in recent years there has been a discussion amongst the Irathian priests to make her a Hailan for her kind heart and charity to set an example to the followers of Irath, they could not do this because of her belief in Tynelusism.
Whilst in recent years there has been a discussion amongst the Irathian priests to make her a Hailan for her kind heart and charity to set an example to the followers of Irath, they could not do this because of her belief in Tynelusism.
Relationships
Species
Ethnicity
Life
404 AGD
429 AGD
25 years old
Circumstances of Death
Died giving birth to a son.
Birthplace
Castle Lenís, Atlasé
Place of Death
Anmordrén, Atlasé
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Gender
Female
Eyes
Dark blue
Hair
Dark brown
Belief/Deity
Publicly Irathian, but in secret Tynelusism
Aligned Organization
Queen Renala ruled Atlasé,
often went out on a bard quest.
All the townsfolk came to hear,
her voice was simply the best.
In Anmodren Queen Renala rests
Ieonas obsessed indeed he was,
he wanted the queen for himself.
Poisoned a cup meant for the King,
he placed it on the shelf.
In Anmodren Queen Renala rests.
After the birth, her throat was dry,
she took a sip from the cup.
Queen Renala died in the King's arms,
and the King's tears could not be stopped.
In Anmodren Queen Renala rests.
I moan for her. I hope she had a good life with Ieonas as long as she could and that her husband was a good husband and not another one who treats women not very gentlemen-like. Rest in Peace, my Beggar Queen. PS: Being buried alive is so damn cruel.