I need to talk about Nadias family, and honestly I'm surprised I haven't sooner lol because the topic is genuinely so interesting to discuss. I brought it up briefly in this post, but because I was more focused on Nadias marriage I didn't go into as much detail as I would have liked. So that's probably where I'm going to start, just expand on what I only touched on then go from there. This is mostly going to be headcanon(like, 99%) since we don't really get all that much information about the Satrinava family, but that's what makes it fun. (and it being fun is what also made this so, so incredibly long. like holy shit this baby is BIG big.)
I've said before that I don't think that Nasrin was neglectful, and while I do stand by that opinion, I also believe that it is a lot more complicated then just that. Nasrin is no doubt an incredibly busy woman, being the primary ruler of Prakra and also the mother of seven daughters. That is a lot of work and responsibility for just one person, even with help from her husband. It's inevitable that things are going to slip though the cracks, and those things I believe was time with her family. I don't think it would have been intentional as Nasrin is shown to care deeply about her family and have nothing but their best interest in mind, so I am certain that when she did have the time to spend with them, she took every opportunity to do so. Nobody is perfect though, and good intentions can only go so far. With seven children it's going to be nearly impossible to divide that time equally between them. You're going to have to eventually lump some plans together. Oh, one daughter wants to go visit the beach, and the other wants to go swim? Why not go ahead and grab everyone, make it a family beach day instead. Nadia wants to go horseback riding but Nasmira wants to talk with me too? Well, lets go ahead and invite mira along, we only have an hour until the next meeting and we want to spend as much time with the girls as possible. I could very easily see one-on-one time quickly becoming group activities this way, and that's not even mentioning how often plans where likely canceled or cut short because there was an emergency, or something last minute came up and it needed Nasrins attention now. She is present, she's involved, but its not nearly as much as she or her children would like it to be. Its also not that evenly split either.
Obviously when Nafizah was first born it would have been a lot easier for her to balance her work and family life. Her free time would have been much less divided since she simply would have less people to attend to. Nafizah, being crown princess, would also have likely had priority when it came to her mothers time after her sisters where born. Shes next in line, I have no doubt she is the most involved when it comes to her mothers job. When compared to her younger siblings, maybe with exception of Nasmira and Natiqa(once they're adults), Nafizah is in the unique position where she gets to spend time with her mother both when Nasrin is free to do as she pleases and when shes busy working. They aren't attached to eachother 24/7 but from an outside perspective it can certainly seem that way at times. Especially if you're a jealous younger sister who craves that one-on-one time with mom.
Nafizah was raised more by Nasrin then she was Namar in my opinion (he was still heavily involved tho). Over time I'm sure it would have become rather easy to see her as an extension of her mother in a way, especially if she helped out when it came to raising her sisters as I suspect she very likely had to do. These two would understand each other best out of all her children. Despite her quirks and more distant demeanor, Nafizah probably has the easiest time out of all her siblings when it comes to talking to their mother. They both understand the responsibility that comes with the title of Queen and just how heavy a burden it is to bear at times. I personally headcanon that this experience of being ruler is the first bridge Nadia is able to build with her mother post game that leads to them being able to fix their relationship, though that is a long journey. It puts them on equal footing which goes a long way for Nadia since she very clearly didn't feel as though they had that before she became countess. I will elaborate on that later though.
One thing I would like to clarify that this doesn't mean that Nasrin and Nafizah have a perfect relationship. There is a lot of pressure put on Nafizah from a young age in no doubt large part from her mother because of their relationship and the expectations she'd have given that Nafizah is the next in line. That on top of the idea that she was parentified once her sisters came along only adds to the stress this poor girl was probably feeling. Ultimately though, she comes off as the type to not mind these tensions much anymore, especially when we meet her in game and she seems to have found a balance in her life that leaves her feeling quite content with her situation. (likely bc all her sisters are grown and she doesn't have to worry about raising them anymore lol)
Next I'd like to focus on Nazali, Navra, and Nahara. None of these three really show much if any interest in following in their parents footsteps. I imagine that overall throughout their childhood they where okay with the amount of attention they got from their mother. Sure it wasn't as much as they got from their dad, or as much as Nafizah gets, but its not like they never see her and one overbearing father is enough thank you very much. Like Nadia they are incredibly independent. They are content going off and doing their own thing, carving out their own space rather then try to fit in to an already existing one.
Nazali is a traveling doctor, rarely ever home unless it happens to be on the way to where they're going or an event is being hosted (like the family reunion in Lost in Prakra). The twins is probably where the time divide started to become difficult to manage, so Nazali probably had a similar experience to Nafizah, just less involved with her mothers work. Which they didn't have an interest in anyways. I could see them being a pretty easy going child, fairly independent and found themselves pretty fast. They don't seem to have much in common with either of their parents when it comes to things like interests and hobbies, but they definitely inherited their mothers calmer more level-headed demeanor alongside their fathers whimsy (for lack of a better word). I actually love that they are like the only Satrinava with no fashion sense lol, keeping it purely practical over here much to the distress of everyone else involved. Especially Namar. They walk into the function with that waist pouch everyone calls hideous and it nearly gives that man a heart attack. I feel like that's a pretty good way to describe their relationship with their family actually. They are there to help when its needed, reliable in that way, but when the world isn't ending they're off doing their own thing. Very easygoing and chill, content to go with the flow and unburdened by what anyone else thinks. They're the most down to earth of the Satrinava siblings, their travels having granted them a perspective they wouldn't have had otherwise. Nahara is a close second, shes just more intense. It really depends on what situation they are in.
Navra and Nahara are twins, which I imagine was a big surprise. You know that one photo of the man who fainted when he met his triplets for the first time? Yeah that was Namar. What do you mean he gets TWO babies? Overjoyed king, we love him. Navra and Nahara themselves though where definitely a handful. They're both confident and seem to possess the same thirst for adventure, though in different ways. They absolutely ran around the palace giving people heart attacks with their antics. Baby Navra is trying to climb the curtains(and succeeding) while Nahara is sneaking into the royal guards training yard to practice with real swords she's far too young to be wielding. Handfuls and menaces, the both of them. They do mellow out a bit once they're older though.
Navra is shown to be very spiritual, she talks about how she can see the MCs aura, she's interested in art, she has multiple studios where she practices silk dancing/aerial silks and hosts yoga classes. She's a crystal girly 100%. She comes off playful when we dance, if a bit protective (she was absolutely testing the MC when they first met, she was circling them like a shark, gave them a light version of the whole "I'm glad she found someone, but I'm keeping my eye on you :)" talk). Also a bit of a match maker? Both encouraging MC in their relationship with Nadia during the practice dance and trying to set MC up with Nahara in the Out and About tale. Navra also seems to enjoy getting to fully submerge themself within the chaos of being in a new environment, Nahara saying in her tale that Navra likes being lost. She also acknowledges this herself in that same scene when she says she could spend weeks in the market. Overall though she is a free-spirit and social butterfly. She's also described as valuing her privacy though, something she and Nadia have in common. It seems like it might even be something the two have bonded over, or at the very least recognized within each other, by the time she visits in Lost in Prakra. One difference is that while Nadia anguished in the fact that her mother was busy and she couldn't spend much time with her, contributing to her feeling brushed off and forgotten, Navra probably relished in it. Their circumstances where different, Navra had more freedom to take advantage of then Nadia had and certainly felt a lot less restricted when it came to finding out who she was. She found peace in solitude while still maintaining a healthy relationship with it. Unlike Nadia who ended up using isolation as a shield to hide away from her problems.
These two actually have a lot in common I think, they both have moved out and are living their own lives separate from being Prakran royalty, though those lives do look very different from each other. Its also implied that Navra actually lives at her studio in Nopal, rather then back home in Prakra, which if that is the case that means they both are living far from their home country and rest of their family. Navra visits Prakra fairly frequently though. Nafizah, Nasmira, and Natiqa still live in Prakra with (or at least close to) their parents, meanwhile Nazali and Nahara lead a much more nomadic life traveling all over the world. Its really only Navra and Nadia who have settled down in a new location, I think they'd bond over that fact. I also like to imagine that once Nadia starts repairing her relationship with her family more she gets visits from Navra the most, since they live the closest to each other. Vacations to Nopal become much more frequent for Nadia and the MC too.
Nahara on the other hand strikes me as more introverted then her twin. While I can see Navra walking into a bar and making conversation with the first person she likes the vibe of, Nahara seems more the type to wait for someone to approach her. She's not shy by any means, if she wanted she could walk up to anyone and have a very pleasant conversation, she just prefers to people watch instead. She's grounded and a bit quiet, and where Navra is only a little protective, Nahara is ready to crank that up to 100. She's subtle about it though(most of the time). I mean we see in her tale how quickly she goes from chilling to "ready to kick ass" when the drunkards try to harass MC. She's a fighter at heart and is not going to just stand by as the people she cares about are pushed around. She's not here to start a fight but she sure as hell will finish one. Speaking of fighting, I imagine(it's pretty much outright stated) that's why she travels, along with just a general interest in other cultures. Nahara has learned all there is to learn about Prakra and its fighting styles, but she wants to learn more, she wants to be a better martial artist and to do that she needs to know more then just the style from her home. It also gives her the opportunity to experience the different customs of the places she visits, see the "local color" as she put it. She's stern, but caring, and we love her for it. Also the image of baby Nadia demanding Nahara teach her how to fight is very cute imo, absolutely something they both have fonder memories of.
Then there's Nasmira and Natiqa. Both of them are on the younger side of the family, being the third and second youngest respectively. Namar was absolutely their primary caregiver while Nasrin was busy focusing on her job and elder children, particularly Nafizah as she would have been older(probably late teens/young adult) at this point and even more involved. These two I feel would have craved that maternal attention a lot more then their elder sisters as they have had less of a chance to actually get that quality time with her in the same way they did. They both coped with this in similar yet different ways, both becoming socialites and really working to involve themselves in the same circles as their parents, investing time into learning a lot of the same things Nafizah is so they could have a better understanding of everything beyond the basic stuff they had already been learning because they are royalty. This reflects in the fact that later in life they both ended up working for their parents, Nasmira as an ambassador and voice for the people, and Natiqa as Prakras chief diplomat.
Nasmira differs from Natiqa in the fact that she is much softer with how she presents herself. She's no pushover by any means but she doesn't have that same mischievous cocky attitude that Natiqa has. She's naturally very charismatic, enjoys getting to be involved, and has a easy time making friends. She's approachable, a people magnet. Nasmira is also shown to be quite caring, she wants to help if at all she can, working frequently with humanitarian aid programs and animal sanctuaries. She was also the kid who brought wild animals into the house to try and keep as pets, I feel it in my soul. She owns a wildlife refuge and resort. That's the dream of every kid who brought bullfrogs and snakes into the house for dinner parties. I believe that she does have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to helping her family though, having a slight tendency to overstep. We see it pretty blatantly when she's introduced in Nadias route. Most obviously when she takes over the conversation with Vlastomil at his estate, now her people skills do end up helping but she is very clearly overstepping a boundary. She hasn't had contact with Nadia since she took up the mantle of Countess, they haven't even had a proper conversation yet, and Nasmira is already jumping in to try and help with Nadia's court. After nine years of no contact, nearly a decade of not talking, immediately inserting ones self into this kind of conflict is a baffling choice. That being said I genuinely don't think Nasmira meant anything malicious by it, it being more of a domino effect of her being so excited to see her youngest sister again after so long that she just couldn't wait at the palace for her. Which that in it of itself was already pushing things. She got so wrapped up in the excitement of seeing Nadia again and the chaos of what she arrived to at Vlastomils that she didn't see how what she was doing is inappropriate. Based off how Nadia describes Nasmira we can also guess that this is far from the first time shes done something like this too.
Nadia does not have a favorable opinion of anyone in her family at this point in the story, and Nasmira paints the picture of why excellently in her introduction. Obviously the reason is far more complex then we could ever get from just one book, but it's a small glimpse into a dynamic that shows us a lot. During the chat with Vlastomil Nasmira is quick to end things when she feels they've gotten too intense. To be fair, Vlastomil did low key kinda imply that Nadia was going to be murdered, but ending the conversation still wasn't her call to make. Then during the carriage ride back to the palace Nasmira suggests that Nadia move back to Prakra with the MC. She doesn't even say it to Nadia directly at first, she mentions it by trying to tempt the MC with mentions of the amenities and a magic academy they could study at. It's easy to see why Nadia, who's had many a friend taken by Nasmira when they where kids, would think she was trying to steal the MC from her. Then when Nasmira clarifies it only serves to offend Nadia further, her seeing it as her sister not having any faith in her ability to lead. Sure, Vesuvia is a mess right now, but she's got it handled! She has a plan! Nadia is insecure when it comes to her family and Nasmiras sudden arrival really strikes a nerve. It scares her too. Nadia cares a lot for the MC, she highly values their company and their opinion, they are far more then just a friend to her at this point and Nadia depends on them a lot more then she ever has anyone else in the past. Seeing Nasmira suddenly swoop in and instantly gain favor with Vlastomil, then immediately try turn that charm onto MC forces her to have to consider something she probably hadn't before then, and that is what if the MC decides to leave her? The thought obviously scares Nadia based off how quickly she is to put her walls back up. She doesn’t want to lose MC but she also can’t(and wouldn’t) stop them from leaving. She has no control over that. Thankfully they are able to move past it quickly, but her initial reaction says a lot. There is still a ton I could say about this book, and the bath scene especially, but I will save that for another time, this post is already long and there is still more to talk about.
Again I don't think Nasmira means any of what she does the way Nadia interprets it. She's clearly very concerned for her sister, and who can blame her? Nadia goes no contact for six years, then falls into a coma for another three. None of them knew if she would ever wake up, or if they would ever get the chance to make things right and have a relationship again, that is a scary reality to have to confront. Then she finally wakes up and invites the whole family over, only to not remember inviting them? Is she having memory issues? is her baby sister okay?? And what was up with Vlastomil, a member of Nadias court, implying that Nadia is next when they tried to talk about her husbands murder? That is very concerning. Vesuvia has a bad reputation, and living there has obviously not been the kindest to Nadia. From where Nasmira is standing, the only real good thing Nadia has going for her is right now the MC, it probably would be in her best interest for her to move back home, where she'll have more help, less stress, and better medical care just in case. She can even bring MC! Nadia has always struggled to make friends so its great she finally found someone. Surely both of them would be happier back home in Prakra. Nasmira just doesn't want to risk losing Nadia again, an idea I'm sure the whole Satrinava family can agree is terrifying. She's not trying to be condescending, or undermine Nadias ability, she is just a worried woman acting in the way she thinks is best for a struggling family member.
Natiqa is a different story though. I don't have as much to say about her as aside from Nafizah she's probably the sister we see the least of. Natiqa is a very open person, blunt but not cruel. She's incredibly good at socializing and very charismatic much like Nasmira. This woman is chief diplomat for a reason. She's fun to be around, easy to listen to and understand, with a dry whit and charming personality. She's a little mischievous too, definitely the prankster of the family. She likes to tease, and maybe pull a few stunts, but its all in good fun! In Lost in Prakra she essentially 7 minuets in heavened Nadia and the MC by whisking them away to the observatory for some "alone time" before the nights events got started, and that's very funny to me. The thing I think is most interesting about Natiqa is that of Nadias sisters, she seems to understand her need to prove herself the best. Maybe it's because they're the closest in age, or maybe it's because she can relate to that need to exceed the expectations set for her, but regardless she gets it. Natiqa was probably babied the same way Nadia was before Nadia was born, she understands what its like having that many people hovering over you and making such a big fuss over every little thing you do while simultaneously making you feel disregarded and brushed to the side. Does that mean she was a perfect sister? No lol. She's confident in Nadia and seems to baby her the least of their family, but I'm sure she had her moments, and when she did they where probably just as dreadful. Natiqa is a deeply un-serious person with how she conducts herself, and I'm sure that only served to contribute to Nadia not feeling as though her family took her seriously. Even in adulthood she's showing up to Nadia's party late and not taking the appropriate accountability for that action, I can only imagine what that was like when they where kids and Nadia took stuff like that much more to heart. She doesn't need to beg and grovel but a more genuine apology without throwing her older sister under the bus would be appreciated. Overall though she clearly respects her younger sister's ambition, and I'm sure that is quite the breath of fresh air.
Nadia herself and her relationship to her family is an extremely complicated and ever changing subject. It could be a post of its own, and probably should be at this point given I have the most to say about her out of all the Satrinavas. Still, it would be a disservice not to start with my thoughts here. As I said before, Nadia is an incredibly complex, flawed character. She’s amazingly talented, incredibly smart, with an insane intuition and uncanny ability to read people. She is also insecure, overly stubborn, a little childish, and quick to jump to conclusions. It takes a lot to drag those traits out of her though, even at the beginning of the story before she has gone through her development. She has incredibly tough skin and is very levelheaded. It’s not just anyone who can get a rise out of her, and dear god do they try. But her parents, her sisters, they aren’t just anyone. They are some of, if not the most, important and influential people in her life. Rather she wants to admit it or not, she values their opinions above everyone else’s (aside from maybe the MC, they’re probably at the same level).
I want to focus on with her relationship with her parents first, this poor woman wants their approval so badly. She wants to impress them, to prove that she is worth their acknowledgment, to be seen as something more than just “the baby”. She loathes being viewed as a child, to the point where she’s developed a complex about it so intense that she fully stopped crying at the age of nine because she thought it as childish. This probably started in part because she seen how much more respect her eldest sisters got. They were treated as adults, they got adult responsibilities and respect, they were taken seriously. Meanwhile she’s just the baby. She wants to be seen for who she is, not how young she is, and she didn't feel as though she got that. She seems like she was more of a daddy's girl when she was little, they both share a passion for fashion and I think that's adorable. Baby Nadia at like 6 years old running her fashion show with the intensity of a war general meanwhile Namar is just overjoyed to finally have a daughter who's as into this stuff as he is. They both adore getting to dress the people they love in the finest clothes designed by only the best(them). She probably had the best relationship with her father out of everyone in her family, but the babying certainly started to get old quickly for her.
I think she would have started pulling away from him in her teens and while he did his best to try and respect it, it was no secret how much that broke his heart. She was self described as a very sulky teen, angry at the world. She'd go hide away in the observatory and watch the stars, yearning to leave for somewhere far away. Somewhere she would be appreciated. Her family went on vacation to Nevivion and instead of taking the chance to explore and have fun with everyone else she sulked in the back of the carriage the whole time because she had a project she was working on. She was scared to have any partners because her family treated her like doll, no one could ever be good enough for their darling baby sister! Any concern anyone showed for her was seen as them "not trusting her abilities" or them not liking how independent she was.
What Nadia really wanted was Nasrins acknowledgement. She never did get that though, not from her perspective at least. From her point of view her mother never truly recognized her, not unless she was getting in trouble, and that burns. Sure, they spend some time together, but not nearly as much as she wanted. Their moments alone where always being cut short or interrupted by either some task that was deemed more important or another family member intruding and taking over her alone time with mom. Everyone else always seemed to come first. She was forever lost in her sisters shadows.
I'm sure she got the biggest earful from both her parents the day she wondered off while horseback riding with her sisters. While she was enjoying getting her first real taste of freedom, her family where at home panicking because their nine year old daughter went missing in the woods and nobody could find her. Nadias sisters likely got chewed out too, they where supposed to be responsible for her after all, but Nadia wouldn't get to see that scolding. She didn't come home until it was dark, they probably had search parties out looking for her, she had been missing all day, of course they where going to seem angry when she came back. That kind of fear, the idea of losing such a young child, it is like no other. It can often come out/off as anger, especially if that child doesn't realize why what they did was scary or wrong. Which Nadia very clearly didn't. I think this day made a very large impression on Nadia, I think it was they day that cemented the idea in her head that her family does not trust her, that they will forever view her as nothing more then "the baby". It might even be the day that made her decide that she never wants to be seen as "childish", the night she vowed to never cry again, never do anything that could get her slapped with that label. Unfortunately for her it would take her quite a long time still to mature.
Its clear she deeply resents her siblings for how they smothered her when she was growing up. Not to mention the horse riding again, but I'm going to mention the horse riding again. When she would go with her sisters she describes them as constantly treating her like a child, which she was a child, but speaking from experience as an older sister you never really stop seeing your younger siblings as the little kid who you grew up with. Yeah sure you might be a full grown adult now but you're actually just five years old and still need mom to help get you dressed in the morning. Nadia had six older siblings who seen her that way, I know they where insufferable once she started actually growing up. They never realized it, but they had taken the "Nadia's the baby" thing too far. It wasn't their intent but they had been pushing her away with that for a very long time, and sure some of it was irrational on Nadia's part, but a lot of it was not. To go back to Nasmira suggesting Nadia move back to Prakra, no the babying isn't as intense as Nadia made it out to be, and yes she does have some very valid concerns, but she is still babying her. She doesn't think Nadia can handle rebuilding Vesuvia after the plague and her coma, she wants her to return to an environment where she doesn't have that kind of responsibility anymore because of that. She is underestimating her because she's still seeing the Nadia who left on what she thought was an impulse after a shotgun wedding 9 years ago.
I'm sure that's why it was a shock to everyone once they finally got to sit down with her again and realize that no, she isn't that same woman anymore. She has matured and grown a ton, she knows how and when to ask for help, and that doing so is okay. She has friends now, a stable partner she can rely on, a genuine support system who are proving in real time that they will be there to help her when she needs it most. She isn't being impulsive and reckless, she isn't hiding away from her responsibilities. She is a strong, competent leader, and she is no longer afraid.
