Elisa II of Pius

Elisa II (Elisa Pius; 27 May 2798 - 7 September 2840) was the second-ever Queen-regnant in Rockfield's history and the only monarch to not be a direct blood descendent of King Philip the Great. Elisa II's reign is often considered the darkest period in Rockfield's history, often being referred to as The Mad Queen, Elisa the Mad and Paranoia-Regina. Usually, Elisa II is referred to as Elisa of Pius and her tyrannical reign is referred to as the Pius Revolution.

Elisa was born in 2798 to Lord Stephen Pius. Throughout much of Rockfield's history, the House of Pius was traditionally the richest and most affluent house - besides that of the reigning House. Lord Pius, therefor, was a synonym for the treasury with many heads of the House of Pius becoming chief economic advisors and leaders during the reigns of the early Martell-Kings. In 2798, just months after her birth, Elisa Pius was betrothed to the nephew of the King. The King at the time, King Oberon, was a well-known celibate and so the throne was expected to pass to his brother, Antony Edmund I. Already of advanced age, Antony Edmund's son was expected to ascend to the throne quickly. This happened in 2804 when he ascended to the throne as Charles IV. At the age of 52, Charles VI married Elisa Pius in 2804. Elisa was only 6 years old. This was a shocking timeline of events, with many referring to the marriage as "shameful" and "sinful". Elisa became the youngest Queen-consort in Rockfield's history. However, the marriage did signify a large financial investment into the increasingly indebted House Martell.

Elisa's time as consort was cut short, however, when in 2805 (only six months after ascending to the throne), Charles IV died and the throne passed to his brother, Maximilian. In order to maintain the alliance, Maximilian was forced to commit to marrying the widowed child Elisa. Maximilian, believing marriage to a child was wrong, agreed only with the condition that the marriage take place when she came of age. The delay left many concerned over the future of the monarchy and the line of succession. However, these concerns were put to bed when Elisa married King Maximilian in 2813 (Elisa was aged 15 and King Maximilian aged 58). Elisa became immediately pregnant and, over the course of the next four years, gave birth to three daughters. Her first daughter, Anne, was born 10 months after her wedding. Her next two daughters, Catherine and Matilda were born in 2814 and 2817 respectively. Many expected this to be the full extent of their issue; most in court were aware of King Maximilian's distain for procreating with such a young woman. However, in 2820, Elisa gave birth to a son, John. John became the heir apparent.

The next year, 2821, became known as the Annus horribilis because of a plague that ravaged the royal household. The plague killed the King's three daughters and then later the King himself. King Maximilian died and John ascended to the throne as John, King of Rockfield. John became the youngest ever monarch in Rockfield's history at only one-year old. Elisa, as Dowager Queen and Queen Mother, became Queen Regent and ruled the country for much of his reign. His reign only lasted 8-years, in which time he had little to do with the running of the country due to his age. The biggest contention during his reign was the succession. Most did not expect King John to survive adolescence and so preparations were made for his cousin, Antony Edmund, to become the heir presumptive. Such a move infuriated Elisa, causing her to brand Antony Edmund a traitor on charge for the attempted assassination of the boy-King. When the King died in 2829, Antony Edmund was forced to flee the country as Elisa called for Antony Edmund's head. With divided support, Elisa had herself crowned Queen Elisa II.

Despite a significant protest from the Pontifical Church in Ecclesia, Elisa II's reign started. At this point, most historians agree she descended quickly into madness. The rebellion that brought her to power, known as the Pius Revolution, began executing noble lords and ordinary citizens alike. During her decade-long reign, it is estimated that 6,000 people were put to death. Throughout the 2830s, Rockfield became an oppressive and tyrannical state where the paranoid Queen would rule out of fear of being overthrown. Quality of life plummeted and she became known as Elisa the Mad.

Her reign would not last forever, however. Antony Edmund, who had fled to Ecclesia, convinced Pontifex Ivanov II to grant approval for a crusade to take back the throne at the Iberian Palace. With his approval, the largest crusade in centuries took place as a large invasion force crossed the Newton River to take Rockfield. The conquest took several days, with bloody fighting capturing the streets of Rockfield. The largest and most significant battle of this period, the Battle of the Grain, saw Pontifical forces capture the coastal New Barcelona Community. Surrounded on all sides, Elisa II committed suicide on 7 September 2840. Antony Edmund, immediately upon hearing the news, had himself crowned the rightful King of Rockfield.

Titles and styles

27 May 2798 - 14 December 2804: Her Grace Lady Elisa of Pius
14 September 2804 - 13 January 2805: Her Majesty The Queen
13 January 2805 - 19 August 2813: Her Majesty The Dowager-Queen
19 August 2813 - 26 November 2821: Her Majesty The Queen
26 November 2821 - 20 October 2829: Her Majesty Queen Elisa The Queen Mother
20 October 2829 - 7 September 2840: Her Majesty The Queen

As Queen-regnant of Rockfield, Elisa II's full title was:

Elisa of the House Pius, second of her name, by Grace of God, Queen of Rockfield and Regina of the Highest, Lady of the Iberian Palace and Defender of the Faith

The title "Defender of the Faith" was contested. Traditionally, the title is granted by the Pontifical Church and the incumbent Pontifex refused to recognize Elisa II's rule. However, she was styled with it during her reign within Rockfield on her own orders, despite it not being technically legal.

Issue


Name	Birth	Marriage
Princess Anne	8 June 2814	N/A
Princess Catherine	5 July 2815	N/A
Princess Matilda	2 March 2817	N/A
John, King of Rockfield	8 May 2820	N/A