il ts ena ▁Pal ai olog ina . ▁ ▁Family ▁The ▁date ▁and ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁Marina ' s ▁birth ▁are ▁unknown , ▁but ▁she ▁was ▁born ▁before ▁her ▁father ' s ▁asc ension ▁on ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁throne ▁in ▁ 1 2 9 2 , ▁maybe ▁in ▁his ▁official ▁residence ▁in ▁K ran . ▁Her ▁mother ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁se bas to cr ator ▁Const antine ▁Pal ai olog os ▁and ▁nie ce ▁of ▁Michael ▁VIII ▁Pal ai olog os . ▁In ▁the ▁histor ies ▁she ▁was ▁called ▁just ▁Sm il ts ena ▁( B ul gar ian : ▁С ми л цена ; ▁the ▁wife ▁of ▁Sm ile ts ), ▁without ▁a ▁name ▁being ▁given . ▁Marina ▁was ▁the ▁elder ▁sister ▁of ▁ts ar ▁Ivan ▁II ▁of ▁Bulg aria ▁and ▁The od ora , ▁queen - cons ort ▁of ▁Ser bia . ▁Marina ▁Sm ile ts ▁was ▁mat ernal ▁a unt ▁of ▁King ▁- ▁and ▁later , ▁Emperor ▁- ▁Stefan ▁U ro š ▁IV ▁Du š an ▁of ▁Ser bia . ▁ ▁Desp ot issa ▁of ▁K ran ▁Ts ar ▁Sm ile ts ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 2 9 8 ▁and ▁Ivan ▁II ▁of ▁Bulg aria ▁succeeded ▁him ▁as ▁em peror ▁in ▁T arn ovo . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁ts ar ▁was ▁a ▁child , ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁wid owed ▁em press ▁Sm il ts ena . ▁Marina ' s ▁mother ▁apparently ▁defeated ▁Sm ile ts ' ▁brothers ▁R ados lav ▁and ▁Vo ys