Marriage or Not?! Walking My Second Path In Life Disscusion
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Fantasy
Cross-dressing
Possible Spoilers
A Fan Theory -
So I discovered a delightful little romance and kind of slice of life story on j-novel. It’s a story about a neglected princesss relegated to a cushy prison in a foreign land. However instead of moping about her life, she escapes to train to become a knight.
If anyone has loved Alanna or Kel novels by Tamora Pierce these books are perfect for you. Now that’s not to say this story doesn’t have plot holes. Number one being if you escape from a prison (sorry pavilion) in the castle, you probably shouldn’t sneak back in there for any reason. If you are going to live by an alias, then you should never ever go back to where you lived before. Not even for comedic effect.
Still the story is quirky. I also love that the author is not afraid to add chapters from other characters’ perspective. It really fleshes out the story.
However there is a fatal flaw in the book that has me banging my head against the wall. Ready for a (potential) spoiler?
...If you are still reading then no complaints about ruining the plot. ;)
So the question that torments me about this story is:
HOW CAN YOU BE MARRIED WITHOUT A WEDDING, A PRIEST, OR SOME DOCUMENT THAT A GIRL SIGNS TO PROVE THEY ENTERED THE MARRAIGE WILLINGLY?!Fie is dragged from her kingdom and never meets another soul right? Roy has never seen her face, which is why she can work for him under his nose. How can you marry a person if you’ve never met them? At least once you’d have to meet in front of a witness, judge, or clergymen. I don’t think Fie is the second queen. I think she actually a princess through marraige, and then a concubine. Which means legally she could marry someone else. (At least that is my hope.)
What do you all think? Do agree? Or disagree?
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Second Path is one of my favorite series on J-Novel, I really wish we could get an idea when the third volume would come out.
I totally understand your questions. It makes little sense to us that she would be legally married to a man she has never "met", much less missing any sort of ceremony or whatever. I'm pretty sure I said something to that effect when it was still being translated.
I wish Fie would just abandon her past life as a princess. She is her own person now.
We still have the hope that King Roy will eventually come to regret his actions when he finally learns Heath's true identity, which I believe was mentioned somewhere in the first volume. -
Legally, there is no need to do those things. Her parents sign the paper, she signs the paper, she's married.
So yes, Fie is married.
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But has she signed anything? Didn’t she try to run away, or at least break her father’s nose in retaliation before she was caught and shipped off? I distinctly remember she said she didn’t meet a soul until arriving at the pavilion.
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She did, but she eventually agreed. Fie herself says she's married to him. I'm not sure why people are trying to get around the fact that by the author's own words in the narration, she's married.
Suffice it to say frankly, in a lot of oldey marriage laws, even SHE not wanting to be married wouldn't make an iota of a difference, just if her father agreed to it. We don't know the specific rules in this setting, but if the author says she's married, with they did...she's married.
Shipping, I guess.
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First, the topic title is what drew me to read your question as a whole, I’ve not read the story, and I have low interest in cross dressing stories unless, well, I have t be really really bored...
That said, you’ve got some false logic going on. You’re also evaluating by “our worlds common sense”.
Imagine a world where a marriage can happen before you meet, (consumption not withstanding). Keeping in mind, if she’s thrown in jail, and he doesn’t have any interest, or not allowed to visit, as long as no one disputes the “arranged marriage” which is semi-constant for royalty, then it’s a done deal.
Specially if the “suitor” isn’t locked in to one partner...
What am I reading?
0) Bookworm-
Seirei Gensouki
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Realist Hero
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Wortenia Senki
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D-Genesis
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Arifureta
Waiting for catchup to fantran -
By The Grace of Gods
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Ideal Sponger Life
Complete
- Fushi no Kami
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@thomask Good analysis. I've only got one thing to add. The suitor did throw her in jail. A very nice one, and not the traditional "highest room of the tallest tower", but still. Big difference is our heroine escaped on her own.
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And yet we are not given what the rules about marrying in this fantasy are. If this a typical period piece I would buy marraige without consent. However Roy’s kingdom allows marraige between classes. Even divorce is an acceptable practice in a marraige between nobles. Plus the whole concubine thing might be how Roy justifies locking Fie up straight away. She has to be investigated before he formally (legally) marries her.
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Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte married Marie Louise of Austria by proxy on March 11, 1810. She was in Vienna, Napoleon was in Paris. The whole thing was coordinated by diplomats and the Catholic Church. She was unaware of the nuptials and only found out who her husband would be a month before the wedding. Her exact words of agreement to be married were, "I wish only what my duty commands me to wish."
I've kicked this one around a bit, reading what is available for subscribers. It seems a weak story premise, but I keep hearing that the heroine does develop so I'll take the plunge to buy the first volume so I can assess for myself.
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@alybird1 I'm going to speculate here a bit. Fie's father forced her inclusion into Fielle's marriage. A package deal, if you will. Given the general ill will towards Fie as an unwanted interloper, I think it's safe to assume that Fie was married to Roy by proxy when he married Fielle.
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Agreed. Why would she break her dad's nose if she actually had some say in the matter?
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@dryurimom Forgot about that, but it sounds like something she would do.
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An even stronger point is Sir Cain who clearly considers Fie to be the "second queen of the kingdom". If anyone would know the true status of someone in relation to King Roy it would be the head Grass Knight.
Oh, I'll add that I am in love with Conrad. Cain is awesome, too. Here's a case where it is male characters that are drawing me in. Like I said in the Maiden's Garden, I'm drawn to well developed characters in stories where women are something more than tropes existing soley for the pleasure of the boys. Fie is fun, but so far just a one-trick pony. Cain is amusing and Conrad is interesting. :-)
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Cain does switch that up though. King Roy is always referred to by his necessary titles. However Fie is sometimes a princess, sometimes the second queen. Also wouldn’t there need to be a ceremony where she was crowned, or at least introduced to the kingdom?
Assuming she isn’t a concubine, but a legal wife shouldn’t she have some sort of Royal duty?
Can I just say that I find Cain absolutely adorable? I love his panic moments.
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@alybird1 Cain is absolutely adorable! I just want hug him when he despairs. :-)
Lynette is a lady in waiting and therefore would know exactly who stands where in what pecking order. She calls Fie the second queen.
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I’ll give you that Lynette is a pretty good measure for how most people think about the second queen. That everyone (and even Fie) believes the marraige is legit. However there should have been some paperwork or ceremony that a Fie would have to be a part of. Which we never see or is mentioned. Plus Roy doesn’t want a wife, let alone a second one under suspicion of hurting another member of royalty.
Why saddle himself to someone he thinks is a potential criminal? All the book says for sure is that she is a part of Fielle’s dowry. If Roy was only thinking politically (even though it’s still a stupid decision) why not accept the girl, but not marry her till after the investigation is complete. After all rumors have already assumed Fie is the worst. Why not have a rumor that there’s a second queen, without the actual paperwork? It’s not like anyone of importance talks to Princess Fie anyway.
Maybe all that Fie really needs is a fantastic lawyer.
