> > > this point. If you haven't read Orca, skip on. > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > [snip] > > >Who enjoys Sethra's warm-despite-the-cold kiss for Vlad at Morrolan's > > banquet > > > > That's an interesting catch. It puts me in mind of our first introduction > > to Kiera in _Jhereg_. Vlad says something along the lines of "She gave me > > a kiss hello and I gave as good as I got." The implication being that > > while Vlad and Kiera aren't neccesarily slipping each other tongue, > > they're on rather better than peck-on-the-cheek terms. > > I dunno. I've known guys who kiss their sisters/mothers on the lips; > Vlad sometimes kisses Noish-pa. Whether or not it's actually > peck-on-the-cheek with Kiera, it functions like one in terms of the > emotion it expresses. (I mean, at scene you mention, he's still > happily married to Cawti.) > > ---- > > Ok, I almost chimed in during the Great Weapon/marriage thread, but now feel > compelled... > > While there has been nothing suggesting multiple wives/husbands that I can > recall in the novels, there has at the same time been nothing saying that > people can't or don't have multiple spouses. > > Even more so, even if they do so legally, that doesn't stop people from > having multiple partners if they really want to, and they can be quite happy > with all of them... And even from them being openly acknowledged by society > (think back to Dangerous Liaisons if you will) > > But even if we're not postulating that Kiera/Sethra and Vlad are 'partners' > that doesn't mean that they didn't a fling at some point prior to his > meeting Cawti and that they still kiss like it... > > I'm sorry, but 'gave as good as I got' does not at all seem like 'peck on > the cheek' to me. > > David > We don't know that much about Dragaeran marriage. None of our major Dragaeran characters in the Vladiad are married. Khavern and his wife are the only couple that we've seen very much of, IIRC. My vague impression was that Dragaerans may choose to marry/co-habilitate for some time, perhaps in order to raise children, but that such wasn't necessarily a permanent thing. Have we ever heard of anything resembling marriage vows or an actual wedding? Is marriage an actual legal institution? Is it something that has a different meaning from House to House? Is that why cross house couples can't (don't?) officially marry? Titles don't seem to be shared between spouses. I do not believe that Khavren has any hold on his wife's land based on their marriage, although I may be wrong. Piro was made Viscount, but what decides that? Was it that the wife decided to hand him a part of her land and chose the appropriate title, or is it that there's some rule, law, or reason behind that? (really wish I could remember the name of the wife, so that I could stop calling her "the wife"...)