Fantasy Guide to Arranging Marriages
Marriages in fantasy, just like in history usually are dynastic and political moves that could make or break the future of the people getting married. As the writer, it is up to you to decide whether who marries who within your kingdom.
One thing I found to match this process easier, is to make a list of the noble families in my kingdom or abroad including royals. List ages, gender and names of those unmarried in your kingdom. Make sure you plan with a meticulous plan before writing present weddings. Go back and see which lords married who and who has married the king, princes or princesses before the story begins as it can help with forming the political structure of your world.
Is it desire? No, business
Weddings are made for cementing alliances within kingdoms or with abroad. Each family wants something from the other they marry into, whether it be an heir, wealth or power. Let’s look at some examples
Margaret Beaufort, cousin and heir to the House of Lancaster, was married to Edmund Tudor, half brother of the king, in an effort to sire an heir. They were successful and Henry Tudor was born, becoming Henry VII after taking the throne of Richard III.
In Shakespeare in Love, Viola is married to Lord Wessex, only because she is rich and his family is impoverished. He is a gold digger basically.
Henry VII of England married Elizabeth of York to cement his power. A clever move as his claim on the throne was tremulous at best and could be easily waved off. Married to the eldest living child of the penultimate king, Edward IV, he boosted his power, merging York and Lancaster together.
All is fair in weddings and war
Wartime is a good time for marriages to be performed. The factions will strengthen their bonds by marriage. If one king fights another, he may turn to a third for aid offering to wed his son to a daughter of that king. This would unit them in the effort to win the war and remain friends afterwards.
During the Wars of the Roses, Isabel Neville, daughter to Warwick the Kingmaker, was married to the king’s brother George of Clarence in her father’s effort to dethrone Edward IV, a king he had already made, and crown George, making Isabel the Queen. This plot failed.
The Kingmaker would try a second time, this time marrying his daughter Anne to Edward of Westminster, the Lancastrian Prince of Wales who was the rival and enemy of York. This wedding bond two old enemies together and together they aimed to take the throne. It failed. Guess Warwick’s first king was made a little too well.
We’re all in this together, just on opposite sides tho
If a family has more than one heir, bank on the fact that they will marry into multiple other families. One sister could marry into a family and her brother could marry a bride from the rivals of that family. If all comes to all, the siblings could be going to war with one another. This can create a wealth of bad blood and fear between a family not to mention tear a kingdom apart.
Step by Step, get to that altar
So you have your list of eligible bachelors and desired brides. Now it is time to decide where we are going with them. There are 3 steps in the arranged marriage process. Talks, betrothal, wedding.
Talks is when the heads of the two factions meet to discuss the marriage. They could argue about dowries and lands or when to wed their heirs. This can be a drawn out process mind so just because they are talking about marriages in the first chapter don’t expect the wedding to happen soon depending on the delicacy of the marriage or the temperament of your families.
The betrothal is the engagement period. Once betrothed you are considered to be almost married up to actual ceremony. This period can last years or months depending on age or events that are happening. It can be broken off at any time due to a breakdown in alliances or death of a participant.
Wedding is when the deal is sealed. You need to, ahem, make things official in the bedroom before it is considered binding. Marriages can be put aside due to lack of consummation.