Kaikeyi

Kaikeyi is the main protagonist and narrator of the novel. She is the first born daughter of Raja Ashwapati, twin sister to Yudhajit, and the older sister of six other brothers. However, she spends most of her childhood ignored by her father and longs to prove herself as capable. This leads to her practicing combat techniques with Yudhajit that will later allow her to become a warrior queen when she saves Dasharath’s life. She develops numerous close relationships in the novel, including that with her husband, both of his other wives, and all of their sons. This drives her wish for women to make decisions about their own lives and the eventual creation of the women’s council. While Kaikeyi’s wish to protect both her brother and her family in Ayodhya fails, she does get to see the slow transition for women after years of advocacy...