Amira Ikraam, the Lion's Jewel

Character Name: Amira Ikraam.

Name Meaning:
Amira: Feminine form of “commander/prince”.
Ikraam: Honor

Age: 28

Date of Birth: April 21st.

Race: Man, of Near Harad

Residence: Near Harad, in the Harem of Chief Maalik.

Profession: She is currently a high-standing concubine to one of the chieftains of the Haradrim who was a descendant of Herumor.

Appearance: Amira was always known for her poise and grace in a room, which is what brought the chieftan’s attention to begin with. She stands about 5’6”, carries a soft, gentle shape about her. She has ebon hair, and deep olive skin, much like the rest of the Haradrim. However, unlike most of her people, she has smoky, grey eyes. She has mastered the art of turning her full lips into silken smiles.

Looks can be deceiving, though. Rare is it that one can look upon Amira and know precisely what thoughts she keeps.

Personality: She exudes grace, reservation, and poise. This can give her the impression of being cold, even detached, but she has lived a life of pain, hidden behind fair silks and painted lips. She is crafty, her only weapon of use her quick wit and honeyed words.

Yet, deep within, Amira is unhappy. Her halls are gilded, but she is in a cage nonetheless, and the seed of her that recalls what she imagined as a child is grievously stricken by the fact she spends most of her days in a plush, private wing of Maalik’s palace.

She has one joy she considers, and those are her children.

Hala is her world’s greatest light, and though she loves her son as well, Maalik’s influence upon him is pulling him away from the child she knew and nurtured as he grew. There is a thread of darkness to Bahadur now, and it troubles Amira greatly.

She is naturally distrustful of Gondorians, as is common of her people, though within her heart of hearts, Amira also holds distrust for any who claim allegiance to the Lion.




Parents:
Saif Ikraam, 63. Father, and honored soldier of the Haradrim.
Jawahir Ikraam, 45. Mother.

Sibling(s):

Shula, 27, sister.
Basira, 25, sister.

Spouse: While she is unmarried in the way the western men would understand, she was the consort to Chief Maalik Asad, a man who was a descendant of Herumor

Children:

Bahadur Asad, 10. Son.
Hala, 5. Daughter.

History:

Amira was born to Saif, a hero amongst his tribe of the Haradrim. Her father worked with the chief closely, and was known for his ruthlessness in battle and unflinching loyalty to his banner. This earned him great respect, and ultimately earned his family the title of Ikraam. "Honored". Perhaps it was meant to be distinguishing, and to raise the family high in the eyes of the people of Near Harad, but the only benefit was for her father. For Amira, her mother, and her sisters, it was a prison.

She grew into herself around the watchful, lustful eye of the chief and the chief's men. Saif was eager to bestow his daughter with the skills and silks it would take to set her among the desert court—from dancing to sewing, Amira became a woman of refined talents. It was enough to catch the greatest eye in the court, for when Amira turned fifteen, she was chosen by Maalik Asad, the great Lion of her tribe, as a prize to be added to his private collection. She was given the finest silks, the richest perfumes, and a place to live in luxury amongst other prizes the chief had collected, and was meant to wait for Maalik to call on her.

She was delivered to the bedchamber for Maalik’s pleasure that first night by Kadarshi, Al Mahir, a great soldier in the Lion’s army. It was the last time she wore fear open upon her face, and Amira settled as well as she could into her new life in the private wing.
Most of the women welcomed her like family, seeing in her eyes the same fear and discomfort they had carried when they were first added to the harem. Amira was even met by Rashida, Maalik's bride, with welcome. For a while, Amira thought perhaps this life was not so bad.

Her father was proud his eldest daughter was a consort of the chief, as it was deemed an honor, and Amira’s station helped her younger sisters find esteemed husbands that bought them comfortable lives. Maalik even treated her well, and was gentle and kind to her. He called her his Masheudha, “sorceress”, for she had captivated him so completely.

Amira quickly became the chief's favorite for her beauty and grace, and it was not long before the man sought her over even his own wife, and she became the jewel at his arm for all ceremonies and celebrations. Rashida grew jealous, and while the others of the harem did not treat her any differently, Rashida did anything in her power to make the girl uncomfortable. The chief was not deterred from his interest in Amira, however, and for every silk gown his wife destroyed he replaced it with something finer.

When Amira was eighteen, she gave birth to a son. It was not uncommon for the ladies of the harem to do so. However, what was uncommon was Maalik naming the child himself. He declared that Bahadur would be treated as a true son, and the child was raised with the finest tutors, and allowed full leave of the palace as he aged.

This made Rashida, and her own sons, very angry.

The woman went on a rampage, doing everything in her power to make Amira crumble. She tried to get Saif sent to all the most dangerous and risky ventures against the Gondorian forces, and to the frontlines in the battles between the chiefs of Near and Far Harad, often subverting her husband’s direct orders to do so.
It was also during this time that Mordor became active, and the Haradrim began to be approached with offers of alliance. If they banded together, worked as one people rather than tribes, there was a Lord in Mordor that would see them lifted up, and would lead them to glory in battle.

All of the chiefs, including Maalik were intrigued. Maalik even told Amira of the offer and sought her counsel, but Amira was not so certain. “And what do they hope to gain by making the Haradrim great?” She had asked him. “They are not telling you everything, Lord Maalik.”

Maalik listened, for he held Amira yet in high regard, and for a while, he avoided the alliance.

Amira gave birth to a daughter soon after, and the situation in Near Harad seemed to be growing darker. Maalik was being approached by all of the other chieftains, and he heard nothing but great things about Mordor, and how the Lord there was going to crush the west. Despite Amira’s cautionings, Maalik began to wonder if perhaps the alliance was best.

Rashida saw this as an opening, and used it to worm her way back into being her husband’s advisor. “She is a sorcerer,” she had told him. “She seeks to control you.” Maalik was not unwise to the fact that the woman was seeking to have Amira thrown by the wayside, and he had grown to care little for Rashida’s opinion. Nonetheless, Maalik began to entertain the forces from Mordor, and discussions were opened to bring his great forces into the war.

The Lion declared his allegiance to the great lands of Mordor, and things have slowly begun to change about the palace as the Dark Lord’s fingers sink and coil into Haradwaith. Amira has seen the darkness that has begun to seep into Maalik, and in turn through the courts.

Things are changing; she can feel it in the earth.