 If you know someone's fear, you know them. 
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| — Elara to Mare, in Red Queen |
Elara Merandus was the second wife of King Tiberias Calore VI, Queen of Norta, the mother of Maven Calore, and the stepmother of Tiberias Calore VII. She was a Silver Whisper of House Merandus.
Biography[]
Queen Song[]
Elara had hoped to win Queenstrial by using her ability as a Whisper to scare the other contenders, but that didn't happen because Tiberias Calore VI married Coriane of House Jacos in a love match. Elara uses her ability on Coriane during their first meeting, and continues to do so after Coriane married Tiberias VI. It's heavily implied that Elara is the reason for Coriane's nightmares and three miscarriages. Coriane believes she was only able to give birth to her son, Cal, because she kept her fourth pregnancy a secret as long as possible. A year later, Elara drove Coriane to commit suicide. The only person who knew and believed of Elara's cruel actions was Coriane's best friend, Sara Skonos. To keep Sara from being able to tell the truth about what happened, Elara had her tongue cut out.
After Coriane's death, Elara married Tiberias VI because she was the only Queenstrial participant left unmarried. She then gave birth to Maven Calore.
Red Queen[]
With Cal's Queenstrial approaching, Elara and the royal family moved to Summerton. She was on the balcony when Mare Barrow accidentally fell onto the lightning shield. Later on, Elara interviewed Mare by rummaging through Mare's mind, searching for clues about the girl's strange ability. When she found out that Mare had no Silver blood, Elara informed her husband Tiberias about it, who decided that Mare would pretend to be Silver and pose as Mareena Titanos, and marry Maven. For a while, Elara managed Mare's schedule and supervised Mare and Evangeline Samos, Cal's future wife, by sharing breakfast and lunch with them on numerous occasions.
Elara was also present at the Sun Shooting, which occurred when the Scarlet Guard infiltrated the Parting Ball and attempted to kill several Silver nobles. The queen seemed dazed and would have interrogated the prisoners in the morning, had Mare not let them escape the night before.
When Mare and Maven were caught by Cal as members of the Scarlet Guard, they were brought to King Tiberias to receive judgment. Elara stopped Tiberias before he could give out the order to execute them. She trapped both the King and Cal with her ability, forcing Cal to behead his father. When the deed was done, Elara pretended to scream and mourn the loss of her husband for the cameras, while Cal and Mare made their failed escape.
With Maven, as the new King of Norta, Elara stood by to watch their execution at the Bowl of Bones.
Glass Sword[]
Elara Merandus died at the hand of Mare Barrow's lightning, during the battle of Corros Prison. Her body is taken back with Mare and used for propaganda to show the strengh of the rebel cause. She is buried at Tuck island, Alongside her son, Maven Calore.
Personality[]
Elara is unrelenting, ambitious, and ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants. She often used her ability as a whisper to invade people's minds without their knowledge. She whispered her way into Coriane's mind, forcing Coriane to commit suicide. Despite her cold demeanour, she loved Maven, albeit in her own twisted way. She never appears to actually care for Tiberias VI, and only wanted to marry him to become queen. The Silver Elite feared her because of her powerful ability. While she would speak in a sweet tone, what she actually says is almost always nasty and hurtful. Her unhealthy control over Maven is almost singlehandedly responsible for turning him into the monster he became. She deliberately and permanently messed with his mind to do so. Mare describes Elara as "like any wife, she hates her husband for challenging her, and like any queen, she hates the power the king holds over her. A bad combination."[1]
Physical Description[]
Elara has very pale skin, straight ash-blond hair, a pointed smile, and icy, blue eyes framed with long, dark lashes. She had been pruned to court perfection since she was a child and strongly resembles the rest of House Merandus. When she is angry, she looks like a wild, predatory cat. She wore navy and white clothing that was airy and light.
Abilities[]
Elara was an incredibly powerful whisper. She used her ability to read and control the minds of others. She is known for using her ability to her own advantage, regardless of the damage to others.
Trivia[]
- As part of her constant manipulations of Maven's mind, she took away his ability to dream.
- Maven reveals that the whisperings of his mother in his mind after her death are weakened when he is near Silent Stone.