Herina Palaiologina

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Herina Palaiologina (Greek: Ειρηνη Παλαιολογίνα) was the first wife of Emperor Isaac Angelos II and the mother of Euphrosyne Angelina, Irene Angelina, and Alexios Angelos IV. She was a member of the Palaiologos family: a family gifted with hereditary light magic. Herina sacrificed herself to save her husband and children from an assassination attempt.

Personality
Herina was an exuberant child, a trait that stayed with her into adulthood. Though she was raised as a sheltered princess of the House of Palaiologos, Herina constantly found ways to give her handlers the slip and adventure out amongst the common folk. As she grew older, Herina came to accept the role she was born in to and took the responsibilities that came with being a member of the House of Palaiologos seriously. Herina's most notable trait was that she was fiercely loyal to her friends and family.

Appearance
Herina had long, white hair and pink eyes with long eyelashes. As a child she wore her hair much shorter than when she was Empress Consort. She was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the Empire. As Empress Consort she wore long, multilayered dresses with minimal beaded accents.

History
Herina was born into the House of Palaiologos in 1158 in Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. As a member of one of the most powerful noble houses in the Empire, she grew up alongside other noble children including Isaac Angelos who was only two years her elder. Isaac admired the rebellious attitude Herina had and often followed her around. She eventually noticed Isaac tailing her and the two became fast friends.

It was apparent early on that Herina possessed a strong magical aptitude. The Palaiologos elders found that she had an especially strong resonance with the Holy Grail, a relic that the Palaiologos family secretly kept and the source of their magical powers. Herina was often whisked away to hone her magical potential, a practice which she resented.

By his twentieth birthday, Isaac had come of age and it was time for him to pick a bride. He had fallen in love with Herina a long time ago and immediately chose her as his bride. It is unknown how Herina felt about Isaac during this time, but if she didn't love him then, she fell for him not much later. The couple welcomed their first child, Euphrosyne, before 1181 and had two more (Irene and Alexios) by 1182.

Unfortunately, the royal family lived in a time of great turmoil in the Byzantine Empire.