Basil IV (Basileios Stephanos Ioannes Konstantinos; born 16 July 1988) has been Despot of Aretias since 2 October 2015. 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 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 Academia Militaris Olympia.

Basil has ruled Aretias as an absolute monarch since his ascension to the throne in 2015. The government has curbed the rights of religious minorities, especially among the Yen community, and alleged extrajudicial killings performed by [military unit]. His personal life has led to diplomatic and dynastic disputes with neighboring Perateia. The divorce of his first wife, Margarita Pinaria, led to fears of a possible invasion, and has resulted in a minor military build-up and increase military presence throughout the country.

Early life and education

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

He was christened on 30 August 1988, by Ecumenical Patriarch Gennadios IV, at Hagia Euergetou in Leonople, Perateia. He was named Basilios for his grandfather, King 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 Byzennos (his father's brother); and PLACEHOLDER (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]. As a result of his education in Garima and upbringing, Basil is fluent in Gariman. Following the completion of his secondary education in 2006, Basil was enrolled at Academia Militaris Olympia where he underwent military and officer training, and studied political science and economics; however, he eventually dropped the economics focus. He participated in the Transvectio Equitum each year during his time at Olympia. He also participated in [thing] to fulfill his mandatory extracurricular activities requirement.

Heir apparent

Reign

Relationships and marriages

Marriage to Margarita Pinaria

In late 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 for her first husband hadn't ended and concerns about the position of her son. 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 Dionysios of Perateia.

By late summer, Basil and his parents visited Margarita at the Pinaria family's ancestral estate outside of Cularo, Latium. A courtship was eventually announced on 19 February 2013. Basil primarily resided in Latium throughout the courtship and visited court with relatively frequency. However, his lack of appearances with Margarita in Aretias prompted concern among the local nobility.

Basil's engagement to Margarita was announced on 18 July 2013 with plans for the wedding to take place in late 2013. The marriage contract stipulated a prominent place at court for Margarita's son from her previous marriage, and allowed for him to live with her in Basilakia. Margarita continued to reside in Latium with her son 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 Leonople. The ceremony was presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Leon X.

They had four children over the course of their short marriage. Their first child, Zenobia, was born on 7 October 2014. Zenobia was born alongside a twin brother who did not survive. On 1 August 2015, the couple had their second child, Basilia, known as Beatrice. And their third, Constantia, was born on 30 October 2016, followed by their fourth and final child Anna, on 9 June 2018.

Separation and divorce

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. In early 2016, Basil banned Margarita's son Andreas of Perateia from court and the country. Margarita regularly visited her son in nearby Leonople causing greater issues in the relationship until August 2016 when her visits ceased.

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. While the reports of an illegitimate child were later proved to be unfounded, the woman was reported to be X, a lady-in-waiting to Margarita that was dismissed in March. Margarita subsequently disappeared from public life in February 2017. She was not seen again in public until she was reported in Leonople on 8 October 2017. Basil issued a missive to Emperor Constantine, where Basil accused Constantine of abduction, and demanded the return of Margarita and their children.

Margarita retained legal counsel who then announced that a divorce petition 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 public support to her, most notably Turenese electoral family. Fearing the potential backlash, Basil was convinced to enter into negotiations with Margarita and her family regarding a divorce. The terms of the divorce and allegations are not known. The divorce was granted on 2 September 2018, 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 and Crown Princess.

Marriage to TBD

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
- 17 July 2010 – 2 June 2016: His Apostolic and Royal Highness The Crown Prince
2 June 2016 – present: His Majesty The King

Honors

Issue

Name	Birth	Notes
By Margarita Pinaria (married Hagia Euergetou 2 June 2013); divorced 2 September 2018
Sebastokratorissa Zenobia	(2014-10-07) 7 October 2014 (age 10)
Unnamed son	(2014-10-07)7 October 2014
Princess Beatrice	(2015-09-01) 1 September 2015 (age 9)	Birth name is Basilia
Princess Constantia	(2016-10-30) 30 October 2016 (age 8)
Princess Anna	(2018-03-09) 9 March 2018 (age 6)
By Lydia Kaisarina (mistress)
Theodosia Byzenne	(2015-10-04) 4 October 2015 (age 9)

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

Lydia Kaisarina

Lydia Kaisarina
Λυδια Καισαρινα
Lydia Kaisarina; Λυδια Καισαρινα
	Kaisarina in 2020
Born	Lydia Simonis Ioanno Orontina Klaudina; 2 March 1993 (age 31); Philopation, Leonople, Perateia
Citizenship	Latin; Peratene;
Education	Pandidakterion; College of Legal Studies, Castellum (L.D.)
Partner(s)	Basil IV of Aretias (2015–present)
Children	3
Parents	Jason VI Claudius (father); Anna Orontina (mother);

Full name
	Basileios Stephanos Ioannes Konstantinos

Basil IV
Basil IV
Basileus
King of Aretias
Reign	2 October 2015 – present
Coronation	9 January 2016
Predecessor	Andronikos III
Heir presumptive	Zenobia, Crown Princess of Aretias
Born	16 July 1988 (age 36); Amberd, Basilakia, Aretias
Spouse	Margarita Pinaria; (m. 2013; div. 2018); TBD (m. 2021);
Issue; Among others	Zenobia, Crown Princess of Aretias; Princess Beatrice; Princess Constantia; Princess Anna;
Full name
Full name
	Basileios Stephanos Ioannes Konstantinos
House	Byzennos
Father	Andronikos III of Aretias
Mother	Irene of Nyrundy
Religion	Ecumenical Church
Education	[some Gariman boarding school]; Academia Militaris Olympia;