Princess Aleka, Grand Duchess of Thasos

Aleka
Grand Duchess of Thasos
Tenure	25 December 2007 – Present
Born	4 May 1977 (age 47) Arcadia, Lihnidos
Spouse	Steffon Perris (m. 1995)
Issue	Tiara Iris
Full name Aleka Ioanna Eileen Mirrita
House	Vasiliou
Father	Priapus of Ithaca
Mother	Teresa of Lihnidos
Religion	Fabrian Catholic

Aleka (Aleka Ioanna Eileen Mirrita, born 4 May 1977) is a Princess of Lihnidos and the Grand Duchess of Thasos. She is the second child and daughter to Teresa of Lihnidos and Priapus of Ithaca. She is currently considered to be fifth-in-line for the throne of Lihnidos in the unofficial line of succession.

Aleka was born at Saint Maria's Hospital in the Lihnidosi capital of Arcadia on 4 May 1977. Born less than half an hour after her sister Stella, she was raised as the third-in-line to the throne. She entered Saint Anna's School for Girls at the age of five and attended the school for primary and secondary education alongside her sister. Upon graduating secondary school she went on to attend Arturion University in Chios. She graduated in 1999 at the age of twenty-two with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Psychology.

Much of Aleka's life following graduation from university was focused on assisting her sister, then the crown princess as of 2 October 2000, in her duties. As the possible successor to her mother, she shared many of the duties of the crown princess and carried the same expectations as her sister did. By the time of her mother's death, Aleka had fallen to fifth-in-line for the throne following the birth of three daughters and one son by her sister.

Aleka married Steffon Perris at the age of eighteen, one of the earliest marriages by age in the Imperial Family for generations. The couple had two children, both daughters. She is a known follower of the Fabrian Catholic Church and attends mass regularly. She has remained outside of the public spotlight for much of the recent past.

Early Life and Education

Aleka was born on 4 May 1977 in room 314 of Saint Maria's Hospital in Arcadia at 3:09 AM BST. She was considered the second child of Crown Princess Teresa of Lihnidos and Daemon of Edacia despite being a twin to her sister Stella and born only twenty-five minutes after her. Her father, who had missed the birth of her sister due to a car accident that prevented his motorcade from reaching the hospital in time, made it to the hospital eighteen minutes before she was born.

Aleka was baptized on 22 May 1977 in the private chapel at the Imperial Palace alongside her sister with only her immediate family in attendance. Her Godfather and Godmother were her aunt and uncle on her father's side of the family, Zenia of Edacia and Timeus Paulos.

By the age of five her mother had had three other children, Astrid, Adrian, and Orrin. At the age of five she was enrolled at Saint Anna's School for Girls in central Arcadia. Saint Anna's, a private Fabrian Catholic school, was one of the most prestigious schools in the city. She attended Saint Anna's throughout her primary education and secondary education. According to her report cards that were released in 2010 she received all As during her time in primary school and only two Bs while in secondary school. While in secondary school she participated in the school's swim team.

After graduating secondary school Aleka applied to and was accepted to Arturion University where she studied for a Bachelors Degree in Political Psychology. She excelled at university and was awarded with several academic achievement awards throughout her time at Arturion. While at university she cared for her daughters Iris and Tiara who had been born in her first and third years. With the assistance of her husband and other family members she was able to keep a balanced life between schooling and caring for her children. She graduated from Artution University in 1999 as valedictorian.

Role as Princess and Grand Duchess

At the time of her birth Aleka was considered to be third-in-line for the throne after her sister and mother. Because of this, Aleka was subjected to many of the same lessons and duties that her sister was. Having been groomed to rule much like her sister, she was expected to carry out and assist her sister in many duties so to ensure both were equally well equipped to ascend to the throne when the time came. Following her graduation from university in 1999, Aleka returned to Arcadia where she lived at the Imperial Palace so she could assume her imperial duties full time.

In 2000 Empress Selena II, Aleka's grandmother, passed away at the age of eighty-two. This increased her position in the line-of-succession as her mother, Teresa, was crowned Empress and her sister was confirmed as the crown princess. The further increase in official duties that her sister took on took a tole on her physically and her emotional state suffered as she was consumed by work. In 2005 Stella took a leave from her duties as crown princess in order to spend more time with her family. During this time, Aleka took over her sister's official duties and exercised her role as the unofficial crown princess until 2007 when their mother passed away and Stella ascended to the throne.

Following Stella's ascension to the throne in 2007, Aleka was granted the title Grand Duchess of Thanasos by her sister. The title had previously had no holder and was only one of three grand duchy titles. The granting of the title was seen as Stella's way of repaying her sister for the work she had done and the assistance she had given her during her childhood and difficult time from 2005 to 2007.

As Grand Duchess of Thanasos, Aleka took a position on the Crown Council. As fourth-in-line for the throne and Grand Duchess of Thanasos, Aleka is still expected to attend almost all royal functions and carry out the traditional duties that all princesses of Lihnidos have.

Personal Life

Marriage and Issue

Aleka married Steffon Perris at the age of eighteen during a private ceremony at the Cathedral of Saint John in Arcadia on 12 August 1995. Having just graduated from secondary school and only a month before beginning her first year at Arturion University the time of the marriage struck many observers as odd. There was speculation at the time that the real reason for the marriage was due to an unplanned pregnancy. The speculation grew when the Imperial Family announced that Aleka was pregnant in late October. The couples first child was born in June of the following year, which would seem to have disproved the earlier speculation that Aleka was pregnant at the time of her marriage. The couple have had two children:

• Princess Iris of Thanasos (born 28 June 1996)
• Princess Tiara of Thanasos (born 22 May 1998)

Perception and Reputation

Having taken an active role in participating in royal duties alongside her sister during her youth, the public were well acquainted with Aleka and were able to watch as she grew. She was kept away from most news media during the first eighteen years of her life, but following her graduation from secondary school and her marriage she became a more public figure. She was praised by her mother and the government during the time that she took over duties for her sister, in which despite only having her sister's duties for a short period of time she appeared in public numerous times. She has refrained from voicing political opinions to the public. however it is believed that she leans in the conservative direction much like her sister does and mother did.

Titles, styles, honors, and arms

Titles and styles

Styles of The Grand Duchess of Thasos
Reference style	Her Imperial Highness
Spoken style	Your Imperial Highness
Alternative style	Your Highness

• 4 May 1977 - 3 July 2007: Her Imperial Highness Princess Aleka of Lihnidos
• 3 July 2007 - present: Her Imperial Highness Princess Aleka, Grand Duchess of Thasos

Honors

• Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the Lihnidosi Empire

Ancestry

Family of Princess Aleka, Grand Duchess of Thasos

16. Cirio Sallas 8. Athamus Sallas 17. Sirena Macri 4. Tymon Sallas 18. Theseus Zerva 9. Tressa Zerva 19. Kirsten Resta 2. Priapus of Ithaca 20. Anastasius Boosalis 10. Anton Boosalis 21. Jacinta Gianakou 5. Grand Duchess Jacinda of Ithaca 22. Cleon Loris 11. Grand Duchess Uriana of Ithaca 23. Grand Duchess Deianira of Ithaca 1. Princess Aleka, Grand Duchess of Thanasos 24. Antilochus Michaelides 12. Klaus Michaelides 25. Katharyn Demopoulou 6. Daemon of Edacia 26. Nilo of Borarta 13. Duchess Cascadia of Edacia 27. Duchess Anthea of Edacia 3. Teresa I of Lihnidos 28. Ajax Kellis 14. Theoclymenus of Messenia 29. Grand Duchess Isaura of Messenia 7. Selene II of Lihnidos 30. Philip Samaras 15. Stella I of Lihnidos 31. Desdemona of Lihnidos

See also

Princess Aleka, Grand Duchess of Thasos House of Vasiliou Born: 4 May 1977
Lines of succession
Preceded by Princess Athanasia of Lihnidos	Succession to the Lihnidosi throne 5th in line	Followed by Princess Tiara of Thasos
Regnal titles
Vacant Title created for Princess Aleka in 2007.	Grand Duchess of Thasos 2007–present	Incumbent Heir: Princess Tiara of Thasos