Arete

Arete (シェンメイ, Shenmei in the Japanese version) is a non playable character and the secondary antagonist in the Revelation route in Fire Emblem Fates. She is voiced by Yuka Keicho in the Japanese version.

Profile
Azura's biological mother, Mikoto's older sister, the Avatar's aunt and the second wife of King Garon of Nohr. Arete is the second queen consort of Nohr; therefore, none of the royal siblings are her actual children with the exception of Azura. Arete was once the queen consort of the previous king of Valla, with Azura as the product of that relationship. Arete has deep connections to the Valla Kingdom.

Revelation
She was once the Valla Kingdom's queen before being forced to flee alongside her younger sister Mikoto after the insane half of Mikoto's lover Anankos usurped the previous ruler. Arete and little Azura then arrived in Nohr, where she became King Garon's second wife and his second queen consort after he fell in love with her singing voice. She later gave her life to save Nohr and her daughter, apparently by openly speaking about Valla despite the Kingdom's curse that kills anyone who talks about it outside its limits.

Years later, Arete is revived by Anankos without her memories as one of his minions. This logically troubles Azura, since she remembers Arete as a kind mother who would never attack anyone if not needed. After her defeat, Arete's memories return and she speaks one last time with her daughter before dying, with Azura bursting into tears. This strengthens the Avatar's resolve to defeat Anankos even further, and decides to make him pay for his unforgivable actions of reviving and brainwashing Arete as a minion of Anankos.

Revelation Chapter 18 - Veiled Kingdom

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Revelation Chapter 22 - Memories

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Revelation Chapter 23 - Arete Undone

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Xenologue 8 - Hidden Truths 2

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Pre-Battle
"On behalf of my king, I welcome you to our hidden kingdom."

- Pre-Battle quote as ???.

Defeated
"So...you are capable of more than I thought..."

- Defeat quote as ???.

Pre-Battle Quote
"Everything that I do, I do in the name of the great Anankos."

- Arete's pre-battle quote.

Vs. Azura

 * Arete: "King Anankos will see you destroyed."
 * Azura: "..."

Defeated
"You seem...stronger than before. I should have accounted for that..."

- Arete's defeat quote.

Etymology
"Arete", in Greek, means either "excellence" or "moral virtue". In its earliest appearance in Greek, this notion of excellence was ultimately bound up with the notion of the fulfillment of purpose or function: the act of living up to one's full potential. This name may be an allusion to Queen Arete's knowledge about the Valla Kingdom, which she passed to Azura. It's also similar in meaning to Mikoto.

Also, In Greek mythology Arete was the much-loved wife and queen of King Alcinous of Scheria. Both were descendants of the sea god, Poseidon, which may be a possible allusion to Azura, the Avatar, and Valla's water motif.