Zohra
The woman with two names
Ishtaya was born in Harran, daughter of Isinnāyati and Zabdu-Nannar. She learned early that listening can be more useful than speaking first.
A staged death severed her from her old life. In exile, Cassandane gave her another name — Zohra.
Music, emesal, and a knowledge of temple life open doors for her. Her real gift is recognizing what others wish to conceal.
In Babylon she accepts the protection of Adda Guppi, her great-aunt. She also understands that this makes her a piece in Adda's plans.
Belshassar is her cousin and the man exercising power while Nabonidus is away. Zohra knows how to draw near to him, but she does not mistake closeness for safety.
Beneath a vulnerable appearance is a calculating woman who can guide a conversation without seeming to lead it. Physical violence, however, can still undo her composure.
Ishtaya and Zohra are not a victim who vanishes and a strategist who replaces her. Both inhabit every choice she makes.
The Legacy of Zohra
Ishtaya survived Harran by changing her name. As Zohra, she enters a court where information is worth as much as royal blood.
She is Belshassar's cousin and Adda Guppi's great-niece. Family ties open doors but also expose her to more intimate forms of control.
Intelligent and adept at reading others, Zohra is not invulnerable. Her struggle to retain command of her own life lies at the heart of her story.