Anabel Lerolan is the former Queen of Norta and the grandmother of Prince Cal and Maven.
Biography
Queen Song
Anabel is a member of House Lerolan and won King Tiberias Calore V's Queenstrial. She has only one son, Tiberias Calore VI, whom she loves dearly. According to her son Tiberias, Anabel does not like flowers or decorations, but she is a great patron of the arts in Archeon, like her husband's royal consort Robert Iral. She is a soldier, sitting in war councils more than her husband.
While there was discontent from the High Houses over the king's open relationship with Robert, Anabel did not disapprove as Robert was a kind man who brought happiness to her husband and friendship to her son. Anabel was ultimately left widowed when her husband died of cancer, leaving her son to become the new king and Coriane Jacos as his queen.
King's Cage
Mare Barrow, while a prisoner of the crown and forced to attend King Maven's wedding to Princess Iris Cygnet of the Lakelands, is summoned before Anabel, who attends the wedding and politely greets Iris. Anabel recognizes Mare is steadily worsening due to exposure to Silent Stone and expresses her wish she had met her during her time masquerading as "Mareena Titanos". Publicly she claims to believe the allegations that Cal murdered his father and betrayed his kingdom, all for Mare. Mare apologizes to Anabel for the loss of her son - while Anabel replies with her belief that Mare helped kill Tiberias VI, Mare senses she is lying for the sake of appearances in the presence of the Royal Court.
Later, when Corvium is successfully captured by the Guard and House Samos declared its independence from Norta and formed its own Kingdom of the Rift, Anabel acts as head of a delegation that travels to Ridge House - as leader of House Lerolan, she speaks for her family and their allies.
Anabel declares she will not support Volo Samos as a king while Cal lives - as Mare suspected, Anabel has not turned her back on her grandson and believes the throne of Norta belongs to him. Anabel had secretly promised House Lerolan's support to House Samos in their bid for independence, in return they would free Mare during a Scarlet Guard attack on the wedding - Cal secretly communicated with his grandmother from the Guard's new stronghold, risking execution by the Guard for doing so without authorization. Anabel agreed to her grandson's desperate request to save the girl he loves.
The former queen intimidates all present and asserts her true belief that her son's murder and grandson's exile are outrageous crimes committed by Elara Merandus, who had corrupted her other grandson Maven and used him to spread false propaganda throughout the kingdom. Further, whatever Cal's actions with the Guard, Anabel knows it was only to survive after everyone had turned on him. The tense situation is diffused when she confirms she will continue her support for House Samos. She then succeeds with gaining the support of House Samos and their allies for the rightful king of Norta to take back his kingdom from Maven, in exchange the Rift stands in sovereignty from Norta after Maven is removed, and Evangeline Samos marries Cal and becomes his queen, solidifying the alliance.
As Cal later explains to Mare, Anabel never came to court in the many years after Elara became queen, electing to remain in Delphie, her house's seat. She despised Elara and felt she could not be near her as she sensed her malevolent nature. Further, she knew Elara and Cal quite well, and so could see through the queen's lies she told to discredit Cal, and understood Maven's role in their father's death.
Anabel brings her assembled forces to Corvium to help defend the fortress from Maven's counterattack. After the battle is won, Anabel is present in the assembled leaders of the Guard, Rift and Montfort. After happily greeting Cal, she watches proudly as he unites them to change the existing social order between Reds and Silvers and defeat his brother. While Cal is against the idea of marrying Evangeline (by this time he and Mare are lovers), Anabel calmly asserts her grandson must become the king he is meant to be.
Anabel declares Cal as the new King of Norta; King Tiberias VII.
Personality
Anabel is a kind and loving person, but possesses a great deal of strength and intelligence. She keeps a lower profile in terms of personality and involvement in the kingdom's affairs unlike many in the High Houses, but has an impressive record of achievements and a sense of honour and dignity. She loves her family greatly, and considers Cal a very talented boy who is good with machines. In turn Cal trusts and cares about his grandmother, who he calls "Nanabel" by force of habit.
Physical description
She is described as an old woman, her hair entirely gray. She has a sturdy frame, with a thick waist and a severe appearance. Her face is lined with age, but has an open, still and patient expression - she is described as "a kindly old woman in everything but the waves of ferocity emanating from her". She has bronze eyes, described as "red-gold", which her grandson Cal inherited. She is much smaller than he grandson.
Abilities and Skills
Anabel is an oblivion who could cause explosions by contact.
Trivia
- According to Victoria Aveyard, Queen Anabel is still alive. She is described as being "not a fan of Elara".