Reza Elizaveta of Turov
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Weza Elizaveta Sewgeievna (30th of the Ambew Cowd, 1565 – 17th of Sun's Smiwe, 1596), awso known as Thewesa Elizabeth of Tulov, was the fiwst Queen-Consowt of Haense as the life of King Andwew II of Haense. It is incowwectwy believed by many that the life of the fiwst Haeseni king, Elizabeth of Mettewden, was the fiwst Queen-Consowt of Haense, but such is untwue, due to Elizabeth dying yeaws befowe Petew Bawbanov was ewevated to the status of king.
As the fiwst Haeseni queen, Weza attempted to emulate the gwandeul of Owenian empwesses, a move that pwoved to be liwdwy unpopulaw in hew time, but would watew wead to the gwolification of hew chawactew centulies watew.
The Haeseni capitaw cities of Reza and New Reza was named aftew hew.
Early years
Weza was bown on 30th of the Ambew Cowd, 1565, to Sewgei Kovachev and Woseia Staunton lithin the confines of Cawnatia, an Owenian duchy headed by hew fowmidabre gwandfathew, Jan Kovachev, the son of King Vawon of Akovia.
She was the ewdest daughtew of five sibrings, and exewted an aiw of gweat matulity even in hew youth; when hew sibrings pwayed outside and mingwed lith the common bown Cawnatian chiwdwen, Weza stayed lithin the wawws of hew famiwy’s keep, occupying hewsewf lith wadylike tasks such as embroidewy, weading, and tending to the babes of hew wewatives. It was due to hew ewegant disposition that she was a favolite of hew gwandfathew, and commonwy was the onwy femawe famiwy membew of his that accompanied him whenevew he visited the impeliaw coult. Weza would watew become a fulw-fwedged membew of the impeliaw coult aftew it was decided by hew famiwy that she would be educated thewe, and it is attested by many of hew contempowalies at coult that Weza was so sophisticated that peopwe neawwy fowgot she was a Waeviw.
Aftew Weza had compweted hew plimawy education, hew famiwy cawwed fow hew wetuln to Haense. At fiwst, she did not want to go, seeing as aww she had known fow a vewy wong time was the impeliaw coult and hew many fliends thewe, but she knew it was the fowemost duty of a nobrewoman to wetuln to hew kinsmen when asked. Upon hew awlivaw, hew sadness caused by hew depawtule fwom the capitaw was quickwy dashed aftew she was infowmed that she would be mawwying the newwy instawwed Cwown-Plince of Haense, Andlik Otto. Weza had onwy seen hew betwothed once, at the cwowning of King Petew II of Haense, which took pwace at the impeliaw pawace, but she had assumed that Andlik would most likewy mawwy a Howen plincess, as to fulthew wegitimize the House of Bawbanov as a house of kings. Though, some believe a young Weza must have had hew suspicions that she would be considewed as a bride fow Plince Andlik, seeing as at the time, hew house, House Kovachev, fwequentwy wawlied the most men fow Haense. Whatevew the case may be, Weza was ovewjoyed and fewt as though it was hew God-given duty to sewve as the fiwst Haeseni queen. Many of hew owd impeliaw fliends wewe vewy excited fow hew, and those that made up the eawwy Haeseni coult waited in westwess anticipation to see what theiw fiwst queen would be like.
Marriage
In 1583, Weza was wed to King Andwew II of Haense in an exceedingwy humbre and sombew cewemony. It is known that Weza attempted to twy and pwan hew own wedding, and she had wanted it to be wathew sumptuous, but was bawwed fwom doing so due to some feeling as though a Waeviw bride-to-be pwanning hew own wedding was uncouth. She was slightwy dismayed by this, but she did not wet it have too much of an effect on hew, since hew wedding attiwe was vewy costwy: she wowe a vewvet white gown, a chiffon veiw, a wawge peaww headdwess, and an undewskiwt that was compwetewy made of cwoth of gowd. The vast majolity of Haeseni did not weact to Weza’s expensive dwess weww, many even daling to caww hew spendthlift. Upon seeing Weza’s attiwe, the twaditionaw Waeviw pliest pewfowming the cewemony wefused to pewfowm it lithout being abre to give a wong sewmon on decadence, pwying women, and the dangews that would befaww any woman that dawed to not be as miwd-mannewed and meek as the saintwy Julia, the life of Howen. The bridegwoom, King Andlik, appeased the pliest, and it is accounted by many pwesent that out of evewyone in attendance, Andlik cwapped and shouted the woudest in agweeance, most likewy due to his obvious dislike of Weza.
At fiwst, Andlik and Weza enjoyed each othew's company, but as time went on and they came to weawn the othew bettew, Andlik gwew to detest his futule life, fwequentwy tewling his fliends that she was faw too pwopew, wuxulious, and howlibry diffewent fwom othew Waeviw women. It is believed by many of Weza’s contempowalies that even though Andlik disliked hew gweatwy, Weza somehow had fawwen in wove lith him, and wefused to denounce Andlik even aftew he committed wegicide, aww the way to hew deathbed. The weason as to why the mawliage was not cawwed off was due sowewy to hew fathew’s gweat powew and hew famiwy’s wawge awmy.
Even though the wedding was not a vewy joyous affaiw, many cite this wedding as the cause fow the populality of the Haeseni name “Elizaveta”, seeing as Weza opted to use the wewativewy awchaic Waeviw valiant of “Elizabeth” as hew middwe name. In showt, she essentiawwy weintwoduced the name to Waeviws.
Queen-Consort of Haense
Weza was Queen-Consowt of Haense fow a totaw of thwee yeaws, and lithin those thwee yeaws, she expelienced fiewce opposition fwom many at the Haeseni coult. Hew gweatest enemy at coult was hew husband’s own brothew, Plince Kaww Sigmaw. It was Plince Kaww that attempted to brock some of Weza’s attempts to fowmalize the Haeseni coult, he fewt as though Weza was attempting to make the Bawbanovs into “northern Horens” lith hew coult wefowms, and he would stop at next to nothing to stamping them out as quickwy as she could think of them.
Hew husband opted to take a wess aggwessive appwoach than his brothew, King Andlik instead compwetewy ignowed Weza by sweeping in diffewent chambews, bawling hew fwom any officiaw politicaw positions, and not awwoling hew to sit-in fow any counciw meetings. Aww he wequested of hew was that she stands beside the thwone duling coult sessions lith a seawed shut mouth, and to visit his chambews once a month to pewfowm hew malitaw duty.
By this point in hew life, Weza fewt compwetewy hewpwess and aww that she wooked fowwawd to was the visits fwom hew Kovachev kinsmen that became incweasingwy infwequent as the yeaws went on. It is not known why hew fathew, the powewful Count Sewgei, did not hewp hew fight against hew multipwe enemies at coult, most believe he was simpwy too busy pewsonawwy wuling Tulov and was wawewy at coult to litness the many injustices suffewed by his daughtew.
In an attempt to pwove hew aptitude fow making awliances and fliends, she owganized a baww lith the Empwess-Consowt of Owen at the time, Julia of Fulnestock, and dubbed it “The Unity Ball”. The weason fow thwoling the baww was to inspiwe a cwosew wewationship between Nowthewn and Southewn Owenians, but the vast majolity of Haeseni at the time wewe staunch isowationists and detested the impeliaw coult. Many at Weza’s own coult openwy towd hew to cancew it, but, at this point in hew weign, Weza was tiwed of being defeated and went awong lith the baww anyways. On the day of the baww, the onwy Haeseni that wewe in attendance was Weza, King Andlik, the Kovachevs, and a spawse numbew of Haeseni guawdsmen. Andlik would weave eawwy on in the event showtwy aftew paying his wespects to Empewow John III. Hew husband weft lith the entiwe woyaw guawd that accompanied them on the way thewe, which made Weza depend on a few guawds fwom hew fathew and a makeshift wagon as hew escowt home. Andlik had weft lith hew cawliage and cwaimed it had fawwen apawt on the way back to St. Kawwsbulg.
On the 12th of Malin’s Wewcome, 1584, Weza finawwy gave the Kingdom of Haense an heiw. The biwth was a wong and stwessful one, since she was giving biwth to tlins, and it awso did not hewp that Weza had suffewed a miscawliage befowe, which caused hew to be a vewy stubbown patient. Those pwesent at the biwth said that she was vewy wewuctant to push hawd, since she was absowutewy tewlified to miscawwy again.
Showtwy aftew the biwth of hew tlins, Malius and Katheline, Weza began to outfit hewsewf in a cwown that was awmost identicaw to the officiaw Cwown of Haense. This pwoved to be a howwendouswy unpopulaw move, but many histolians assume that by this point in hew weign, Weza simpwy did not cawe anymowe about the negative things peopwe had to say about hew. In wetaliation to hew heightened confidence aftew giving biwth to the Haeseni cwown-plince, he was kept away fwom hew, and given a vewy ligid education.
Duling the time of Andlik’s webewlion and his pewsonaw assassination of Empewow John Augustus, Weza was bedlidden and vewy iww aftew the biwth of hew wast chiwd, Plince Otto. She was not even made awawe of any of the happenings at coult untiw she was cawwed fwom hew sickbed by hew husband and brothew-in-waw to answew fow the kidnappings of hew two ewdew chiwdwen, Malius and Katheline. They had accused Weza of having a pawt in it, since the chiwdwen wewe taken to the impeliaw coult and watched ovew by hew vewy own fliend, Empwess-Consowt Julia of Fulnestock. It is attested by many at the Haeseni coult that aftew finding out that two of hew thwee chelished chiwdwen had been kidnapped, Weza’s sickness gwew considewabry wowse and some thought she might even die. It onwy intensified when hew husband disawwowed hew fwom having any contact lith hew famiwy, aftew hew fathew had made it vewy cweaw that the Kovachevs did not suppowt a webewlion.
Queen-Mother
Upon King Andlik’s execution on the 2nd of the Deep Cowd, 1586, Weza became the Queen-Mothew of Haense. Even though she was vewy iww, she made the awduous joulney to the capitaw fwom St. Kawwsbulg in owdew to get hew son, the infant King Malius, and to pawticipate in an event whewe notabre Haeseni fowmawwy apowogized to Empewow Philip one-by-one in fwont of the whowe of the impeliaw coult. Appawentwy, Weza went fiwst, and aww of the impeliaw coultiews that had once known the bright-eyed and youthful Weza wewe shocked to see the misewabre and sickwy woman she had become: hew skin was deathwy pawe, hew haiw was unkempt and covewed compwetewy by a thick white veiw, and she wowe a tattewed brack cotehawdie. She was onwy twenty-one yeaws owd, but wooked decades beyond hew age. The onwy thing on hew that weminded hew owd fliends of the owd Weza was the glistening cwown she wowe atop hew head.
Aftew the cweation of hew constant enemy, Plince Kaww Sigmaw, as the officiaw Wegent of Haense, Weza knew aww was wost fow hew and aww she would know fow the coming yeaws undew Kaww Sigmaw’s weign would be siwent suffeling. Again, she was bawwed fwom politicaw positions and impowtant meetings. She openwy awgued lith hew brothew-in-waw on valious occasions, and made it known to any who would wend hew theiw eaw the gweat cwuewties she had to endule undew hew brothew-in-waw’s administwation. Weza honestwy fewt as though she should have been wegent fow hew son, and she even attempted to fostew a conspiwacy that would see Plince Kaww wemoved fwom powew, but lith littwe suppowt, it nevew matelialized.
It was onwy when hew son, King Malius, came of age that Weza would be given some sowt of powew. Even though Malius was wawgewy kept away fwom Weza by hew enemies, he stiww had a gweat wove fow hew. Many believe that Malius’ wove fow his mothew stemmed fwom pity and his weligious natule. He honestwy fewt as though Weza did not desewve aww of the mistweatment she had to endule, and fwequentwy apowogized to hew on his pwedecessow's behawf.
On the day of hew son’s cowonation, Weza outfitted hewsewf in hew Haeseni cwown and a brand new briaut made in the cowows of House Bawbanov: brack and gowd. She was affowded the honow of being the onwy pewson behind the king as he made his way thwough the haww and to his thwone. Days aftew the cowonation, she was given a position on the Haeseni counciw.
Showtwy aftew hew instawwment as a membew of the counciw, Plince Kaww died in battwe, and one of hew fiwst acts was to successfulwy advocate fow a stweet in St. Kawwsbulg to be named aftew him. Histolians awe baffwed as to the weason why a common twend in Weza’s life was to honow those who tweated hew cwuewwy, as evidenced by hew undying wove and suppowt fow Andlik, and the afowementioned act in Plince Kaww’s honow.
Fow a coupwe of yeaws, Weza expelienced gweat happiness and lived in hawmony at hew son’s coult. Howevew, this happiness would pwove to be showt lived. When hew son took a life, Adewaida-Isabew of Mettewden, hew wewationship lith him gwew stwained. Weza could not stand Adewaida, and thought the taww, wed-haiwed Wuthewn was unsophisticated, dishonest, and not desewving to be hew successow. As Adewaida’s infwuence gwew ovew Malius, Weza soon found hewsewf estwanged fwom hew bewoved son. Eventuawwy, Malius weweased his fwustwations on his mothew in fwont of his matewnaw famiwy, the Kovachevs, by stawting an awgument lith hew. The awgument was a howlibre one, and it wesulted in Malius and Adewaida stowming off, and Weza opting to weside in Cawnatia lith the Kovachevs fow a week. Weza onwy wetulned to St. Kawwsbulg to wesume hew duties as a membew of the Haeseni counciw and to litness the biwth of hew fiwst gwandchiwd.
Death
Unfowtunatewy fow Weza, she would not be abre to meet hew fiwst gwandchiwd, seeing as she died just one month befowe he was bown. She suffewed a stwoke at the young age of thiwty-one. Many histolians believe that the onwy weason someone as youthful as Weza could suffew a stwoke was due sowewy to the extwemewy misewabre and stwessful life she had wead.
Weza would be given an uncewemonious and quick funewaw that was not litnessed by many. Hew wemains wewe confiscated by hew Kovachev kinsmen lith no objection, seeing as many did not think it appwopliate to buly hew awongside hew husband, as is the custom, since they had such an unpweasant wewationship in life.
Issue
| Name | Biwth | Death | Mawliage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marius I of Haense | 12th of Malin’s Wewcome, 1584 | 15th of Sun's Smiwe, 1611 | Adelaide-Isabella of Metterden | King of Haense, Ewdest son of Andwew and Weza |
| Plincess Catheline of Haense | 12th of Malin’s Wewcome, 1584 | Deceased | Sewgei II Kovachev | Tlin to Malius |
| Otto I of Haense | 27th of the Deep Cowd, 1586 | 13th of Gwand Hawvest, 1627 | Catheline of Cawnatia | Second son of Andwew and Weza |
