Chapter XVIII: Love conquers all

May 1108 VTE

April 24th, 1108 has gone down in history as a world changing day and the date has become an Imperial Holiday as well. It was on this date that the royal marriage of the Empress Emylia I Antigoneia and Grand Prince Pomernius Rainpuff-Greifswald, better known as Pomerlane, took place. Their courtship had started 4 years earlier when Emylia was only 15 and Pomerlane was still a warlord trying to conquer what was known as Feeshland then; But had been kept secret by the two first cousins and the Regent of Eliria, Prince-Regent Nicephorus Antigoneia and the Archduchess Pomeria Rainpuff-Greifswald, Emylia's mother.

The match was the idea of the young Empress herself, fearing King Magnus of Selenium and his desire for the Imperial throne would cause him to invade her domain to install a puppet ruler in her place, or force her to marry him. Wise beyond her years, Emylia not only recognized this threat but knew that her best bet for the security of her realm was the marry her first cousin, Pomerlane. He had been like a protective elder brother to her when she was younger, and the two always had a close friendship from a very young age. She knew he would not allow Magnus to have his way, and that his genius as a commander and charisma would benefit her realm in the short and long term. She made the case to Pomerlane, who was in the middle of his Great Siege of Atalanta and managed to convince him that this was the best option for both of their futures.

Emylia had grown into one of the great beauties of her age by the time of their wedding. She stood at 1.45 meters tall and weighed 6 1/2 Stones. She had a beautiful pearl-like complexion that was complimented by her gorgeous curly strawberry blonde locks that came to her shoulders. Her eyes have been described as being amethyst in color and her face had several patches of freckles that covered her nose and rosy cheeks. Her voice was soft and delicate, but she spoke with a refined and poised manner that charmed most she spoke to. Her figure was slim, and she took great pride in both her physique and appearance, spending a lot of time on it to drive the impression of her beauty further. She represented for her generation what the ideal woman should look like, and act like for many.

Intelligent and wise beyond her years, Emylia was arguably the brains behind the couple, especially on diplomatic and administrative matters. As one writer wrote of Emylia "the Empress gives off the impression that she is a naive, aloof, and weak Princess but under that veil lays a strong-willed woman who understands matters of state and government better than any of her peers. She is a lot like her ancestor Demetrius IV in that regard, complemented by her devotion the patronage of the arts."

Though Pomerlane was twice her age and had long considered his younger cousin to be more of his little sister than anything else, the two would develop a budding Romance over the next four years that would become legendary in the future. They would prove to be a perfect match, and their relationship would represent the "ideal marriage" for not only their subjects, but many worldwide. Both deeply loved each other and were devoted to each other in a way that their union made the two of them into one. They understood each other on a near metaphysical level, and it was truly a divine match.

The brilliant, bold and charismatic conqueror and the intelligent, shrewd and clever princess would not long after their wedding prove to be a duo to be reckoned with and not one to be underestimated. King Magnus, the most powerful ruler in all of Ninisani would come shortly to learn this along with his allies. His underestimation of both of them would be his ultimate undoing, but that is another story for another day.