On Tue, 25 Jan 2005, Casey Rousseau wrote: @> > She isn't his wife anymore by this point, remember. We're not exactly @> > given a complete rundown of matrimonial customs on Dragaera amongst @> > humans, but their relationship is clearly over after Phoenix. @> > It may be that they'll have some other kind of relationship in the @> > future, but on the other hand, maybe not. @> @> Their marriage may be finito, but their relationship is far from it. Well, let's put it this way: the relationship they had is over. Any other relationship which they may have in the future hasn't started yet. Vlad is not currently attached. @> > So, no, it wouldn't be rude at all. Which isn't to say that @> > the original poster is right, just that that isn't a valid @> > objection. ;) @> @> Oh, I'd say Teldra would still consider it impolite. Certainly, (an @> admittedly younger, callow) Vlad has voiced serious prejudice against such a @> liaison. Does she know this? He didn't say it in her presence. In fact, I don't think he said it to anyone but his faithful parro^h^h^h^h^hjhereg, although I can't prove that. @> One might also wonder just exactly what Teldra knows of VN. She's more than @> capable of withholding that particular bit of knowledge from Vlad. It would @> be impolite of her to inform him and it would, I think, put a damper on any @> romance independent of the small matters of race and previous marriage. @> (Note, my reading of the climax of _Issola_ does not indicate that Vlad @> would necessarily discover this particular secret even if she was aware of @> it.) It would be extraordinary if she weren't aware of it, assuming Cawti has visited Morrolan at least once in Vlad's absence. Whether she would consider that a reason to stay away from him is a bit murkier; why would it be rude to have sex with someone who had a child from a previous marriage?