#( headcanon / the empress ) isodora castigliani.

[cortigiani]

Isodora is young, beautiful, and a woman, and because of these factors, her opponents often imply she is unfit to rule. While the law of Florena allows for a woman to take the throne, it is without actual precedent and men have always been the preferred heirs.

At her ascension to the throne, there was vocal protest by a large group of the nobility of the city state. Instead of ignoring these protest, or reacting harshly, Isodora spoke to these men and listened to their grievances.

Barely three weeks after her coronation, a crisis broke out, as a neighboring city state called Sirra attacked Florena. The cities have been on the verge of war for several decades and they saw the coronation of a new empress as the perfect moment to attempt to destabilise Florena. Isodora acted swiftly, mobilising the army and repelling the attack, even going as far as addressing the troops herself before battle and refusing to return behind the city walls as her people fought. Striking the image of the courageous, patriotic warrior empress in her armor, Isodora earned the respect and love of many of those who first rejected her.

While there are still those who oppose her rule out of principle, Isodora is generally a popular figure both among the working class as well as the nobility.

#( headcanon / the empress ) isodora castigliani.