Navani Kholin

Navani Kholin is the queen mother of Alethkar in The Way of Kings, mother of King Elhokar and of the scholar Jasnah Kholin. She is a scholar in her own right, an engineer and researcher of fabrials, and she is as adept in a political room as she is at her instruments. She is a stately woman in her early sixties who looks younger, with black hair braided intricately and streaked with grey, gemstones woven through it, light violet eyes, red painted lips, and a preference for a fragrance with spice in it rather than the florals other women wear. She is counted among the most beautiful women in Alethkar. Professional and strong minded, she keeps a clear head in a crisis, has little patience for demureness, and challenges Alethi protocol freely. One does not reprove Navani Kholin, even if one is king.