Aravis Tarkheena

"I am the the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Rishti Tarkaan, the son of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Illsombreh Tisroc, the son of Ardeeb Tisroc who was decended in a right line from the god Tash."

- Aravis

Aravis was a Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling class of Calormen, and is one of the main characters in The Horse and His Boy.

The only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, Aravis spent her youth in the heart of Calormen. When she is first met in the books, her mother and older brother have both died and her father recently married an unkind woman, who made no attempt to disguise her dislike for Aravis. Aravis's already difficult home life was rendered impossible when her father announced her engagement to Ahoshta Tarkaan, an ugly, loathsome man whom she despised. Feeling she had no other option, she decided to commit suicide. However her attempt on her own life was interrupted when her horse Hwin began to speak, saying this "Oh my mistress do not by any means destroy yourself for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike!"

- Hwin

Taken aback on hearing the horse's pleas, Aravis thought she was now suffering delusions due her fear of death. Ashamed, she attempted to stab herself again, only to have Hwin rebuke her once more, placing her own head between the girl and the dagger, and this time Aravis was so curious that she forgot about killing herself. Hwin then revealed that she was no common mare, but a talking horse of Narnia, kidnapped in her youth. Upon hearing about Narnia, Aravis was determined to go there and, decieving her family and would-of-been husband, she and Hwin set out escaping from Calormen. During their journey they were met by Shasta and Bree, fugitives also making their way to Narnia. This journey, and her friendship with Shasta is the main plot of The Horse and his Boy. Marrying Shasta (who turns out to be Prince Cor), she became the queen of Archenland, and mother of King Ram the Great. She is one of the characters seen in Aslan's Country at the end of The Last Battle.

Character
To her credit, she was brave and intensely loyal. However, she was also very arrogant (a possible side effect of her upbringing she was a Tarkheena after all) and at times, very manipulative. Throughout the story we see her grow and change to become less like a ruthless Calormene, and more like a Narnian or an Archenlander. It is likely that  C. S. Lewis meant to metaphorically represent the Christian notion that though one's social status may be greay, we are all as commoners before God, in the contrast between this character and Shasta; and though one be a commoner (as the character Shasta was before discovering his true identity) we are also royalty in God's eyes.