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Basil IV
Basileus
Despot of Aretias
Reign	7 June 2016 – present
Coronation	9 January 2017
Predecessor	Zenobios II
Heir presumptive	Princess Zenobia
Born	(1988-07-16) 16 July 1988 Amberd, Basilakia, Aretias
Spouse	Margarita Pinaria (m. 2013; ann. 2017)
Issue Among others	Zenobia, Sebastokratorissa of Aretias Princess Andrea Princess Constantia
Full name Basileios Stephanos Ioannes Konstantinos
House	Xanthios
Father	Andronikos III of Aretias
Mother	Irene of Mysia & Nyrundy
Religion	Ecumenical Church

Basil IV (Basileios Stephanos Ioannes Konstantinos; born 16 July 1988) has been Despot of Aretias since 2 June 2016. He became Despot following the death of his father Despot Andronikos III.

Basil is the second child and eldest son of Despot Andronikos III and Irene of Mysia & Nyrundy. He became heir apparent in 2010, and was granted the title of Sebastokrator.

Basil was educated in Aretias and Garima, and later earned a degree and military officer training at [school].

Early life and education

Basil was born on the morning of 16 July 1988, at Amberd, in Basilakia, the oldest son and second eldest child of then Sebastokrator Zenobios and Irene of Mysia and Nyrundy. He has one older sister and two younger sisters, Stephania, Gregoria, and Xene, and one younger brother Robert. At the time of his birth, Basil was second in line to the throne, displacing his older sister.

He was christened on 30 August 1988, by Ecumenical Patriarch Gennadios IV, at Hagia Euergetou in Leonopolis, Perateia. He was named Basilios for his grandfather, Despot Basil III. He was given the middle names Stephanos in memory of his great-grandfather Stephen V, Elector of Nyrundy, who was also King Stephen I of Mysia, and Konstantinos after his great-great grandfather Despot Constantine II. Basil's godparents are Archduke Otto of Nyrundy (his mother's brother); Alberta of Kostritz (Otto's wife); Prince Constantine Xanthios (his father's brother); and (Constantine's wife).

Education

Basil was attended to by various private tutors in lieu of formal education until the age of 10 when he was enrolled at [elite Gariman school], in [Gariman city].

Relationships and marriages

Marriage to Margarita Pinaria

In early 2012, the Aretian royal household first contacted the Pinaria family to discuss a courtship and possible marriage negotiation between Basil and Margarita Pinaria. Margarita reportedly outright refused to entertain the possibility as her mourning period hadn't ended and concerns about her two young sons. However, those close to Margarita felt that she instead wished to marry the recently ascended Nathan IV of Ghant, whom Margarita courted some time before her marriage to David Philes.

By late summer, Basil and his parents visited Margarita at her family's ancestral estate outside of Cularo, Latium. A courtship was eventually announced on 19 October 2012. Margarita visited Aretias on three occasions during the courtship, which prompted complaints from the local nobility. However, Basil primarily resided in Latium throughout the courtship and visited court with relatively frequency.

Basil's engagement to Margarita was announced on 18 February 2013 with plans for the wedding to take place in the summer. The marriage contract stipulated a prominent place at court for Margarita's two sons from her previous marriage, and allowed for them to live with her in Basilakia. Margarita continued to reside in Latium with her sons until late May before she relocated to Aretias. The Pinaria family arranged for the wedding to take place at Hagia Euergetou, the traditional site for Imperial Peratene marriages and coronations.

Basil and Margarita married on 2 June 2013, at Hagia Euergetou, in Leonopolis. The ceremony was presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Leon X.

They had three children over the course of their short marriage. Their first child, Zenobia, was born on 7 February 2014. Zenobia was born alongside a twin brother who did not survive. On 12 January 2016, the couple had their second child, Basilia who now goes by the name Andrea. Their third and final child, Constantia, was born on 30 July 2017.

Separation and annulment

Rumors of a breakdown in Basil and Margarita's relationship first arose following the birth of Zenobia. According to first hand accounts, Basil was displeased at the death of their son during childbirth and blamed both Margarita and Zenobia. Later that year, as Basil became Despot, Margarita later accused him of purposefully selecting the coronation date on her oldest son's birthday out of spite. At the coronation ball later that night, Basil was prominently seen accompanied by a number of other women and left the ball without Margarita.

The relationship continued to deteriorate into 2015 when Latin media outlets first reported on a number of affairs. Issues also arose following the birth of their daughter Andrea, as Basil wasn't present for the birth. In early 2016, Basil ordered Margarita's sons away from court and forced them to Latium immediately. Instead, the boys relocated to Leonopolis with their maternal uncle Sergius Pinarius, and at the court of then junior Emperor Constantine XX Claudius. Margarita regularly visited her sons in Leonopolis until August 2016, causing greater issues in the relationship.

In early 2016, yet another affair involving Basil was reported on by Perateian media, as were reports that an illegitimate child was born to Basil by an unnamed mistress, later revealed to be Margarita's lady-in-waiting, XXXX. Margarita subsequently disappeared from public life in August 2016. On 8 October 2016, Margarita was seen entering Heraion, in Leonopolis, after midnight. Basil issued a missive to Emperor Constantine, where Basil implicitly accused Constantine of abduction, and demanded the return of Margarita and their children.

Margarita retained legal counsel who then announced that a petition for annulment to was submitted to Ecumenical Patriarch Georgios X, as the marriage was performed by the Ecumenical Patriarch. Basil formally objected to Georgios X holding any authority to grant an annulment, but the process was expedited at the apparent request of Emperor Constantine, who had recently overseen the Patriarch's installation a year prior. Basil subsequently accused Constantine of attempting to force an annulment so he could marry Margarita himself; however, Constantine's imperial office issued a statement explaining that the "Emperor [] is ensuring the safety and well-being of a Latin citizen in need, as is the duty of the true Christian Emperor."

Despite the public battle surrounding an annulment, a number of other monarchies issued their displeasure at Margarita's treatment and offered their support, most notably Vannoisian imperial family and nobility. Fearing the potential backlash, Basil was convinced to enter into negotiations with Margarita and her family regarding the annulment. The petition was later amended and presented one alleged nullity – breach of future condition in which Basil agreed to allow Margarita the ability to keep her two sons from a prior marriage with her at court without interference. There was no nullity submitted on the basis of infidelity. The annulment was granted on 2 September 2017, and was followed by a royal decree that recognized Basil and Margarita's eldest daughter Zenobia as the continued heir to the Aretian throne, and granted her the style of Apostolic Highness and the traditional title of the heir apparent Sebastokratorissa.

Styles, titles, honors, and arms

Titles and styles

• 16 July 1988 – 17 July 2010: His Royal Highness Prince Basil of Aretias
• 17 July 2010 – 2 June 2016: His Apostolic and Royal Highness The Sebastokrator
• 2 June 2016 – present: His Majesty The Despot

Issue

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
By Margarita Pinaria (married Hagia Anthemia 2 June 2013); annulled 2 September 2018
Zenobia, Sebastokratorissa of Aretias	(2014-02-07) 7 February 2014
Unnamed son	(2014-02-07)7 February 2014
Princess Andrea	(2016-01-12) 12 January 2016
Princess Constantia	(2017-07-30) 30 July 2017
By TBD (mistress)
Child	(2017-04-30) 30 April 2017

Ancestry

Ancestors of Latium/Sandbox3

16. Zenobios II of Aretias 8. Constantine II of Aretias 17. PLACEHOLDER 4. Basil III of Aretias 18. John X Anicius 9. Princess Marcia of Latium 19. Joanna I Anicia 2. Andronikos III of Aretias 20. PLACEHOLDER 10. PLACEHOLDER 21. 5. PLACEHOLDER 22. PLACEHOLDER 11. PLACEHOLDER 23. 1. Basil IV of Aretias 24. John VII, Elector of Nyrundy 12. Stephen V & I of Mysia and Nyrundy 25. Irene I of Mysia 6. George VII & III of Mysia and Nyrundy 26. Prince Theophylactus, Duke of Ravenna 13. Princess Silvia of Ravenna 27. Princess Amelia of Ghant 3. Irene of Mysia & Nyrundy 28. Robert, Crown Prince of Ghant 14. Michael I of Ghant 29. Princess Lucia of Alba 7. Princess Anna of Ghant 30. Alan V of Gelonia 15. Princess Beladore of Gelonia 31. Sara Courcouia