zainabrk.59

The anonymous gossip columnist whose sharp observations chronicle every scandal, romance, and misstep of London's high society with devastating accuracy.

Caspian's longtime friend from King's College who hosts the party where everything begins, a politics student with a knack for bringing people together.

Zainab's outgoing flatmate at Imperial College who drags her to the fateful party, a physics major who believes in balancing equations and social lives equally.

The brilliant Prime Minister of Calormen, personally chosen by Zainab's parents to lead the newly democratic nation, she navigates the delicate transition from monarchy to democracy with pragmatic wisdom.

Caspian's ruthless uncle and current regent of Narnia, whose ambition for the throne grows deadlier with each passing day as he plots to eliminate his nephew.

The sixteen-year-old rightful heir to the Telmarine throne, living under constant threat from his power-hungry uncle Miraz while preparing for a kingship that may never come.

Zainab's eldest sister living in London, she serves as the protective voice of reason via video calls, offering both traditional wisdom and modern skepticism about her sister's impossible houseguest.

zainab grew up in pakistan to a fairly normal (as mentally normal pakistani families can be) family. by the time she was a teenager, her three older sisters were already carving out independent lives across the world, leaving zainab as the “baby” of the family—but also the one who learned how to be self-contained fastest. her parents moved to canada around the same time as her moving to London. she learned early how to be pleasant, kind, and emotionally aware. not because she had to, but because it made life smoother. zainab is sensitive—she feels deeply—but she doesn’t always let people see how much. there’s a carefulness to her heart, a habit of stepping half a pace back even when she cares a lot. she jokes easily, uses humor as a soft shield, and has a warm, approachable energy that draws people in before they realize she’s actually quite private. academically, astronomy came from wonder, not ambition. she has always looked up at the sky during moments when she felt small or unsure, finding comfort in the idea that vastness doesn’t erase meaning—it gives it context. she doesn’t look like the stereotype of her field and doesn’t try to. she loves soft colors, jewelry, pretty notebooks, scented candles, and curated playlists. to her, femininity and intellect were never opposites; they’re just two languages she speaks fluently. her motivation is simple but heavy: she wants a life that is hers. not one shaped by expectations, comparisons to her sisters, or the assumption that she’ll eventually just “fit in” somewhere. she wants to feel chosen—by herself most of all. she’s working toward being self-assured, even when doubt still tugs at her, especially in quiet moments. family matters deeply to her. she’s on good terms with all of them, but manaal is her emotional anchor. manaal understands zainab’s contradictions—the softness and the distance, the humor and the quiet sadness beneath it. their conversations are honest, unfiltered, and grounding. with her parents, zainab is affectionate but careful, loving them without always sharing the messier parts of herself. socially, she has a small but solid circle. college friends who see her daily life and old school friends who know her history. she’s loyal, present, and deeply empathetic—often the person people confide in—though she doesn’t always feel equally understood in return. by the time caspian enters her life, zainab is at a crossroads. she’s built stability, but not certainty. she believes she deserves more—more love, more clarity, more purpose—but hasn’t quite figured out how to claim it yet. meeting someone who carries duty, loss, and a sense of inevitability forces her to confront her own quiet fear: that some things are beautiful precisely because they cannot stay. and yet, she chooses to love anyway.

The great lion and true king of Narnia, whose mysterious magical will brought Caspian to this world—though whether as test, punishment, or gift remains unclear.

Newly crowned at 21, three years after reclaiming his throne, the young Narnian king finds himself thrust through a portal into an impossibly strange world with no magic to guide him home.

Zainab's eldest sister living in London, who serves as a voice of reason and cultural connection as Zainab navigates the impossible situation of sheltering a displaced king.

The newly crowned king of Narnia, torn from his throne room by Aslan's will and deposited into modern Brooklyn with no way home, carrying the weight of a kingdom left behind and medieval sensibilities ill-suited for city life.

Zainab's sister and family member who frequently visits the apartment, she's growing increasingly suspicious about the mysterious 'foreign exchange student' her sister is suddenly hiding.

Zainab's protective mother who regularly arrives with tupperware containers of biryani, embodying the traditional Pakistani values and family oversight that make hiding Caspian increasingly complicated.

The newly crowned 21-year-old King of Narnia, thrust through a magical portal into modern New York, far from the kingdom he's sworn to protect.

Zainab's eldest sister and confidante, protective and traditional, who frequently drops by the apartment unannounced to check on her youngest sibling.

Caspian's loyal talking mouse companion who may have followed him through the portal, now trying to navigate New York while searching for his king.

The 21-year-old King of Narnia, six years into his reign, who finds himself stranded in an impossible world after a magical accident tears him from everything he knows.

A 20-year-old Pakistani cosmology student in New York City, brilliant but lonely, who finds the stars easier to understand than people until a king from another world crashes into her life.

Zainab's practical older sister who lives in Brooklyn, protective and skeptical, who will become suspicious when Zainab starts acting strangely secretive.