Emma of Jerovitz
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Emma Karenina (Common: Emma ), regally Emma of Jerovitz, is Queen-Consort of Hanseti-Ruska through her marriage to Sigismund III of Haense in 1836.
Contents
Early life (1818-1838)
Emma Karenina Kortrevich was born to Viscount Rickard and his wife, Lady Erika in the year 1818. Her birth was, in equal part, a time for celebration and mourning. The Viscount fell into a deep coma towards the end of his wife’s pregnancy, leaving the notoriously fierce woman to fend for herself. Emma was born from premature labour, stress-induced, once the news of his ill health was broken.
Being the youngest of five, a significant age gap of twelve separated her from her next youngest sibling. Consequently, Emma spent most of her childhood coddled, dubbed the ‘Lily of Jerovitz’ by her elder sister. Her mother sheltered her within the grounds of their keep on the fringes of the Kingdom, and thus Emma grew up with little idea of what lay beyond Jerovitz’s walls. Her playmates were restricted to the family’s loyal cook and her siblings; if they chose to entertain her games. The nature of this reclusive upbringing led to the development of the girl’s sensitive nature, and would ultimately shape her empathetic style of rule.
Her father passed in 1820, and so the weight of the title of Viscount to support their family landed on the shoulders of her eldest brother, Jan Otto. Her sights turned to him as a fatherly figure. Lady Erika had a soft spot for her youngest and sought to preserve her shelteredness. Their close-knit family meant Emma hardly felt alone - and often was delegated the job of looking after her nieces and nephews. The young Kortrevich was personally tutored by Lady Erika Kortrevich in lessons revolving around the art and literature her mother loved. Under the watchful eye of her brother, Emma’s education befitted a Haeseni noble - enjoying luxuries of music and painting, and often crafted homely presents in the form of scrapbooks and embroidery. This tradition she would continue throughout her life. She took a particular interest in romantic stories. Fairytales and the like were an escape from Jerovitz, and thus she became strongly convinced of the existence of true love.
Notorious for her adventurous spirit, Emma spent much time dragging her sisters on expeditions through Jerovitz’s grounds. Allegedly, her collection of creatures (frogs, crabs, and squirrels, namely) grew with each outing. Her favoured crab, Herman, remained with her throughout most of her life. Emma suffered from a limp through her childhood years, sustained from a bad fall on one of these ill-fated adventures. The teasing she received only cemented her quieter disposition.
The girl found sanctuary working in herbal gardens and the Haeseni clinic, persevering in her devotion to seeing others contented. This endeavour also allowed her to avoid the loud hubbub of Karosgrad she still was growing accustomed to. It was in the medicinal sphere of work that she first formed a friendship with the Princess Royal, Petra Emma, sister of the future King, who would later become her Deputy Surgeon General. Princess Petra, plus Lady Eleanora Baruch, would make up two of her closest friends in these formative years, lasting well into her reign.
Favoured by Queen Annika, and due to her friendship with the Princess Royal and her siblings, Emma met the future King at an early age. Friends for years, a courtship blossomed at the behest of their families. In the year 1832, while travelling alone to a Sutican wedding, the young Emma was accosted by bandits within the city’s walls, stripped of all valuable possessions and threatened to be ransomed - the Haeseni army rode to her aid alongside Prince Sigismund. This event fortified their friendship and early bashful match.
Titles, Styles, and Honors
Titles and Styles
- 1818-1838: Her Ladyship, Emma Karenina Kortrevich
- 1833-1844: Her Ladyship, Surgeon General of Hanseti-Ruska
- 1838-1873: Her Majesty, Queen Emma of Hanseti-Ruska
- 1873-current: Her Majesty, Queen Emma of Hanseti-Ruska, The Queen-Mother
Style as Queen Consort
Her Royal Majesty, Emma of Jerovitz, Queen of Hanseti-Ruska
Issue
Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | |
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Edvard Arjen, Grand Prince of Kusoraev | 1841 | 1841 | Unwed | Firstborn son of Sigismund III and Emma. Died at birth. |
Klara Elizaveta, Duchess of Baranya | 1843 | Alive | Jakob Dimitrey Morovar | Firstborn daughter of Sigismund III and Emma. |
Karl III | 1850 | Alive | Amadea of Susa | Secondborn son of Sigismund III. Twin to Prince Sergei. |
Sergei Aleksandr, Duke of Rothswald | 1850 | Alive | Aloisa Liesl Barclay | Thirdborn son of Sigismund III. Twin to Grand Prince Karl. |
Josef Frederik, Duke of Schattenburg | 1853 | 1869 | Dorothea Isabel Ruthern | Fourthborn son of Sigismund III and Emma. Died due to coma. |
Maya Ceciliya | 1852 | Alive | Dmitry var Ruthern | Secondborn daughter of Sigismund III and Emma. |