Marriage Amongst Nobility
Mar 6, 2013 1:51:02 GMT -5
Post by Grandmaster on Mar 6, 2013 1:51:02 GMT -5
Love... is a many splendored thing indeed.
Demeria, like so many realms surrounding it, faces a painful and pointed truth - love is for the peasants and the merchants. It has little to no place amongst the nobility, and it certainly has no place in marriage if you are born into a noble family. Love is, alas, a luxury the nobility can ill afford, thus they do not strive for it.
That does not mean, however, that love - whether falling in love or being in love - cannot happen in the exalted ranks of Demeria's nobility. Rather, that kind of love is a rare and precious gift, meant to be cherished if one is so blessed as to obtain it in the marriage to which one is assigned.
Marriage in Demeria exists for one or more of the following reasons:
- Alliance - No House can do without allies and friends. One of the easiest and most popular methods of securing an alliance is to seal the bonds of friendship with a marriage.
- Land Expansion - Everyone needs and wants more land. Often, a young woman's dowry was not paid in coin but in land. Want the land? Marry the girl.
- Resolution of Feud - in an effort to end bloodshed and seal the breach between warring houses, a marriage was often arranged.
- Trade Agreements - particularly in houses where money is tight but the trade agreements are solid, a marriage was arranged.
- Money in Exchange for Title - Those who have money but no title are looking to move up; they often seek out an impoverished, titled noble and offer marriage. In exchange for wedding into that title, the noble then receives a sizable infusion of cash to repair their fortunes.
- Power/Influence - Ambitious men and women choose spouses based on who has the most power and/or influence in the Court, who has the ear of the King, who holds popularity at court.
There are other reasons, but those listed above are the most typical reasons for marriage between nobles. Marriages are often arranged at an early age, even birth, between nobles, and are subject to approval depending on the rank of those involved, but almost never are they formed for love. The best most nobles could hope for in a marriage was companionship, a measure of respect and friendship. Anything more was a bonus.
This is the grim reality of marriage during the time.
Demeria, like so many realms surrounding it, faces a painful and pointed truth - love is for the peasants and the merchants. It has little to no place amongst the nobility, and it certainly has no place in marriage if you are born into a noble family. Love is, alas, a luxury the nobility can ill afford, thus they do not strive for it.
That does not mean, however, that love - whether falling in love or being in love - cannot happen in the exalted ranks of Demeria's nobility. Rather, that kind of love is a rare and precious gift, meant to be cherished if one is so blessed as to obtain it in the marriage to which one is assigned.
Marriage in Demeria exists for one or more of the following reasons:
- Alliance - No House can do without allies and friends. One of the easiest and most popular methods of securing an alliance is to seal the bonds of friendship with a marriage.
- Land Expansion - Everyone needs and wants more land. Often, a young woman's dowry was not paid in coin but in land. Want the land? Marry the girl.
- Resolution of Feud - in an effort to end bloodshed and seal the breach between warring houses, a marriage was often arranged.
- Trade Agreements - particularly in houses where money is tight but the trade agreements are solid, a marriage was arranged.
- Money in Exchange for Title - Those who have money but no title are looking to move up; they often seek out an impoverished, titled noble and offer marriage. In exchange for wedding into that title, the noble then receives a sizable infusion of cash to repair their fortunes.
- Power/Influence - Ambitious men and women choose spouses based on who has the most power and/or influence in the Court, who has the ear of the King, who holds popularity at court.
There are other reasons, but those listed above are the most typical reasons for marriage between nobles. Marriages are often arranged at an early age, even birth, between nobles, and are subject to approval depending on the rank of those involved, but almost never are they formed for love. The best most nobles could hope for in a marriage was companionship, a measure of respect and friendship. Anything more was a bonus.
This is the grim reality of marriage during the time.