Imperial Princess Zviglena

Zviglena in 146 AW

**Imperial Princess Zviglena**, also known as **Princess Zviglena of Toscov** or **Zviglena the Shy**, was a Toscovish princess that fought in the War of the Fifteen Princes after the assassination of Budimiv I. She sided with Ludimik II, joining the Imperial Princes.

## Biography

The tenth child of Budimiv I and Queen Consort Galya, Zviglena grew up in the capital city of Toscov. She studied diplomacy and etiquette, becoming quite an experienced negotiator. Contradictory, however, she also hated contact with other people and would often sneak away from any duties or feasts if given the chance.

Zviglena did not leave the capital after the outbreak of the Sixth Plague of Ihyll. When two of her siblings, Woldar and Zivura, contracted the Plague and became Krighal Vitna, she pleaded with her father to spare their lives. While she managed to convince him, Budimiv still exiled the pair. Budimiv would ultimately meet his end when he was killed by Woldar in 145 AW.

In 146 AW, Princes Durkrin and Zhincis launched a failed coup attempt in Toscov, leading to a brief siege. During the siege, Zviglena publicly supported her brother, Ludimik II, and was quick to disregard the Rebellion as a vanity project of Prince Durkrin. As a result, she is considered one of the Imperial Princes of the War of the Fifteen Princes.

While she had hoped to remain out of the civil war militarily, she was peer pressured into raising her own Warband like the rest of her siblings by Princess Radchava. Zviglena raised an all-female Warband and reluctantly entered the conflict. Hoping to give a gradual start to her military career, Ludimik II tasked Zviglena with securing the small town of Norinov, which had previously fallen to the Rebels.

Zviglena secured the town with relative ease, defeating the small Rebel garrison, before being attacked by Rebel Prince Zelumir. Zelumir had received a proper military education before the outbreak of the war and rapidly defeated his sister. Zviglena's Warband was crushed and scattered to the wind, with the princess becoming Zelumir's prisoner.

Zelumir dragged Zviglena back to his home base of Katovsk to the northeast. An unlikely alliance formed between the Imperial, Golden, Krighal, and even the Free Princes to secure her release, as Zviglena was a builder of bridges and beloved by most of her siblings. However, Katovsk was a heavily fortified Rebel stronghold that would take years before it could be captured, leaving her helpless.

Zviglena was completely at Zelumir's mercy, yet the cruel prince had none to spare. Zelumir raped his sister many times during her imprisonment, eventually leading to her becoming pregnant. In early 147 AW, she gave birth to a boy, who Zelumir named Zharakin.

With Prince Zelumir having had his fun, and with his uses for Zviglena extinguished, he told his sister that he would free her on her birthday. When her birthday came on the 30th of Greenburst, she was instead dragged into the courtyard of Katovsk Castle and beheaded. Her head was sent back to the capital with a series of insults and threats directed at Ludimik.

Zviglena's death was near-universally mourned across the Empire. Her mistreatment and killing caused outrage even amongst the Rebel Princes, and Zelumir rapidly found himself politically isolated with his allies abandoning him in a heartbeat. Krighal Prince Woldar, in particular, made it his mission to hunt down Zelumir due to Zviglena saving his life before the civil war. Zharakin would go on to survive the war after being brought to the capital to be tutored.

## Career

* Golden Empire of Toscov
	+ Princess (127-146 AW)
	+ Imperial Princess (146-147 AW)

## Military Career

* War of the Fifteen Princes
	+ Battle of Norinov - Defeat

## Personality

Simultaneously great with people and terrible with people, Zviglena had a contradicting personality. While she was described as caring, calm, and a masterful diplomat, she was also deadly afraid of actually interacting with strangers. She often remained in the background, though if one could lure the princess out of her shell, she could easily light up the room.

## Relationships

* Galya iz Ozach - A mother shouldn't have a favourite child, but Zviglena was undisputedly Galya's favourite child. The feeling was mutual.
* Prince Deslov - Zviglena idolised Deslov as a hero. She looked up to him.
* Ludimik II - Zviglena was one of the few people who truly liked Ludimik from the bottom of her heart.
* Prince Woldar - Zviglena viewed Woldar as misunderstood, and played a key part in sparing him from execution.

* Prince Zelumir - Zelumir did unspeakable things to Zviglena.
* Prince Zharakin - Zviglena didn't see Zharakin as her son but as an abomination.
* Prince Durkrin - After Durkrin attacked Toscov, Zviglena was left terrified of him.