She was a natural daughter soon legitimized like almost all his progeny,--a product of his free harem, in which were mingled Saracen beauties and Italian marchionesses.

And the poor young girl married to "Vatacio the heretic," by a father in need of political alliances had lived long years in the Orient as a _basilisa_ or empress, arrayed in garments of stiff embroidery representing scenes from the holy books, shod with buskins laced with purple which bore on their soles eagles of gold,--the highest symbol of the majesty of Rome.
At first she had reigned in Nicaea, refuge of the Greek Emperors while Constantinople was in the power of the Crusaders, founders of a Latin dynasty; then, when Vatacio died, the audacious Miguel Paleologo reconquered Constantinople, and the imperial widow found herself courted by this victorious adventurer.

For many years she resisted his pretensions, finally maneuvering that her brother Manfred should return her to her own country, where she arrived just in time to receive news of her brother's death in battle, and to follow the flight of her sister-in-law and nephews.

They all took refuge in a castle defended by Saracens in the service of Frederick, the only ones faithful to his memory.
The castle fell into the power of the warriors of the Church, and Manfred's wife was conducted to a prison where her life was shortly after extinguished.

Obscurity swallowed up the last remnants of the family accursed by Rome.