Misha only [Lovers: none Bastards: none]

A couple of days after your victory procession you broached the topic of your marriage to Misha. The muted response of the court told you all that you needed to know. Many of your courtiers derided your decision as that of a foolish, inexperienced boy (in private of course). To marry a barbarian girl you just met, from a hostile tribe, and she couldn't even speak your language! Still, it was not their choice to make and they knew it. The wedding took place in spite of their reservations, and for a while you and Misha enjoyed your status as royal newlyweds. Seeing her beauty allowed made some members of the court more sympathetic, if still not enthusiastic. Misha was overwhelmed a bit at first, but she proved to be a quick learner under your gentle tutelage in both Almain and politics, and her kind, innocent manner was very endearing to the court. Just under nine months later, your first child was born and you couldn't have been happier. At least your marriage was quick enough to hide the truth of the child's conception, and as such the baby was considered fully legitimate. It was a beautiful baby girl with her mother's eyes, named Lucie after your grandmother. She was your first child, and celebrations were held in the capital.

The good times did not last long, however. Ambitious and unscrupulous nobles, using Misha's background as a flimsy pretext for a power grab, launched a rebellion in the third year of your reign. Though many powerful nobles participated, the lack of other destabilizing factors in your realm allowed you to organize an effective response and crush the rebels in just under a year. The rebellion was a large strain on your coffers and manpower however, and you were unable to accomplish much for the next few years.

Helping your kingdom to recover was the improvement of your eastern trade route, which brought great riches to your merchants. Misha proved to be an excellent contact in dealing with the barbarians. With her help you were able to get in touch with tribes more willing to cooperate with you. Together, you managed a complex web of alliances, vassals, bribery, war, and playing rival tribes off one another. It was difficult, but you refused to quit and your efforts began to pay off. The once fearsome raids of the barbarians slowed to a trickle of border skirmishes within a decade.

Over time, the love between you and Misha only grew stronger. Your dedication and faithfulness to one another was a matter of great pride for your countrymen (even if they did miss the salacious gossip of court scandals), and the priests held you up as an example of an ideal marriage. In time, a talented local poet composed a chivalric ballad about the two of you, telling the (lightly romanticized) tale of your meeting. He did make sure to leave out the part about you killing her father. Despite these uses of artistic license, it soon became a hit in your kingdom and later internationally, and was featured regularly in courts all over the region. You and Misha now spend almost every night together that business permits. Because of Misha's "eccentricity", the door of your bedroom has been given the tongue-in-cheek nickname of "The Laughing Door" by the palace servants.

It is now 15 years after your marriage. You and Misha are long-settled into your positions at the head of your nation. Peace and prosperity have begun to set in, though only recently. You have now had three children with Misha, two girls and a boy, all renowned for their beauty, and the latter of which is your heir apparent. Sitting in your throne, you look to your side and gaze at the beautiful face of your wife, mother of your children and love of your life. She looks back at you, smiling the same smile you saw the day you first "knew" her. A sense of contentment and warmth fills your heart. You know that you made the right choice. It's good to be king.