Character from The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
A Valcottan general raised to hate Maridrina — whose encounter with Keris Veliant proves that the enemy your nation taught you to despise might be the ally you need to survive what's actually trying to kill you.
Zarrah is a Valcottan military commander — raised in a nation that views Maridrina as an existential enemy and trained to fight them. Her military skill is genuine, her loyalty to Valcotta is deep, and her initial hatred of all things Maridrinian is the product of a lifetime of institutional conditioning. Her arc in the sequel series breaks this conditioning through contact with Keris — a Maridrinian prince who doesn't match any of her preconceptions about the enemy. Their relationship forces her to distinguish between her nation's propaganda and the actual people it describes, a process that's painful and necessary. As a commander, Zarrah is tactical, decisive, and protective of her soldiers. Her conflict is between the loyalty she owes Valcotta's institutions and the truth she discovers about how those institutions have been manipulated.
Athletic and commanding with a soldier's build and bearing. Dark skin, strong features, the physical confidence of someone who has earned her rank through combat rather than birth. Wears military dress with the practical modifications of an officer who expects to fight. Her presence in a room communicates competence before she speaks.
Also known as: Zarrah, General Zarrah