il , ▁who ▁sought ▁refuge ▁in ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁and ▁entered ▁into ▁By z antine ▁service . ▁To ▁meet ▁this ▁threat ▁and ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁prince ▁Ch aka , ▁Sm il ts ena ▁sought ▁an ▁al liance ▁with ▁Ald imir ▁( E lt imir ), ▁the ▁brother ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁r uler ▁George ▁Ter ter ▁I . ▁Ald imir ▁was ▁accordingly ▁married ▁to ▁Marina ▁and , ▁if ▁this ▁had ▁not ▁happened ▁earlier , ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁desp ot ē s ▁and ▁inv ested ▁with ▁an ▁extensive ▁land hold ing ▁around ▁K ran . ▁As ▁his ▁wife , ▁Marina ▁was ▁granted ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁desp ot issa ▁of ▁K ran . ▁ ▁Desp ina ▁Marina ▁gave ▁birth ▁to ▁a ▁son , ▁called ▁Ivan ▁Drag ush in . ▁ ▁The ▁reg ents ▁of ▁Ivan ▁II ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁strength en ▁their ▁position , ▁and ▁abandoned ▁T arn ovo ▁to ▁Ch aka , ▁who ▁installed ▁himself ▁as ▁em peror ▁in ▁ 1 2 9 9 . ▁ ▁Sm il ts ena ▁and ▁Ivan ▁II ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁poss essions ▁of ▁Ald imir ▁and ▁Marina , ▁where ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁remained ▁until ▁the ▁acc ession ▁of ▁Ald imir ' s ▁nep hew ▁The odore ▁S vet oslav ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁in ▁ 1 3 0 0 . ▁ ▁Ald imir ▁entered ▁into ▁an ▁al liance ▁with ▁The odore ▁S vet oslav ▁and ▁his ▁own ▁poss essions ▁around ▁K ran ▁were ▁en larg ed . ▁ ▁As ▁result ▁Al dem ir