Isabella Frementia
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Empress Isabella the Maternal, Dutchess of Nordeou (December 3rd, 1736 - June 11th, 1798) was the first Imperial Power in the Empire of Ileou. She, not a soldier but a noblewoman, was an apt speaker
and helped steer the Ileousan Colonists to Revolution and Independence. She held her place in Ileou's Imperial Palace for four short years, without opposition, until pneumonia caused her early demise.
Early Life
Isabella Del Francia was born to a large noble family, the second of eight children. Her elder brother passed away before Isabella was 10 and the lack of another male heir put her in place to succeed her parents in the Duchy of Nordeou. In such a position, Isabella was in a place to choose any suitor she pleased.
For much of her early life, Isabella was content not having a husband and instead reading philosophy and listening to Colonial Legislatures. Even when her parents passed away in the 1760's, Isabella simply ruled as a virgin Dutchess.
Marriage and Revolution
Theodore Frementia was a nobleman of lesser esteem than she. He was a long way off from inheriting any title of honor. Instead, Theodore was a lawyer and ardent uspporter of Ileousan independence. The two met in 1782 and greeted each other with harsh words. Theodore was by all means a heretic, he wanted independence and defended the rights of all men. Isabella preferred a peaceful existence with the mother country. Within the year, they married and Isabella had converted to thoughts more reflecting those of her husband.
When the revolution broke out, the Frementias were the binding glue that held together the Colonial Legislature. Duke Frementia often introduced the most radical ideas and Dutchess Frementia was the one who through reason and conviction, showed the Legislature that it could work.
The Frementias orchestrated the convergence of the three Colonial Legislatures into the Revolutionary Legislature and from there, led the Legislature in directing the war.
When Port Retrea was burned by the Royalist forces, the Legislature moved far north to the city of Norde (Present day Frementia Imperia).
Treaty of Valuus
On October 29th, 1794, the Treaty of Valuus was signed and the Empire of Ileou gained its independence. With a narrow margin of victory over her own husband, the Revolutionary Legislature and the Nobles of Ileou selected Isabella to be Empress of Ileou until she died. Isabella accepted and named Theodore as her successor.
Reign, Death
While her husband's rule would be full of precedence and history, Isabella was faced with debt, a weak government, and no constitution. In her short reign, Isabella went a long way to solving Ileou's financial debts and commissioned the Trustees of the Imperial Constitution. This group of men, including her husband, would be the ones to become famous for writing Ileou's Consitution.
Her death was sudden and tragic. The Newly crowned Emperor Theodore I refused to bury her in Retrea. Instead, her body was placed in a tomb beneath the Popular Senate building. Every deceased Emperor/Empress now lies there.
Legacy
Though achieving little in her reign, Isabella Frementia is one of the most honored figures in all of Ileousan History and accepted by global historians as the Mother of Ileou. Ileousan Dimes, Half Counts, and 10 Count Bills all have her portrait adorning them.
Isabella was a public christian but her son later revealed that both her and Theodore I were Atheists. The public, instead of denouncing them, embraced it and the percentage of Atheists steadily grew. She is one of the reasons as to why Ileou is such a secular nation, with taxes on religion and no clergy being allowed to set foot in either the Capitol Palace, the General Staff offices, or Paranfell Palace.
