Editing Mariage in Rokugan (section)

===Part 3 – After the Wedding=== 


After the wedding, it’s usual that one of the spouses takes charge of the household while the partner assumes responsibilities beyond. For example, the husband might continue to serve his clan as an officer in the armies while the wife takes charge of problems that arise in the home village and coordinates the family’s finances. Which spouse assumes which responsibility varies depending on the clan, family, and individuals involved. In some cases, both spouses might continue an active life as bushi or even courtiers and leave underlings to maintain their household. 



<b>Marriage & Mistresses</b> 
Love is an important force in rokugan, but seeing that so many marriages are little more than cold business contracts, it’s no surprise that most of them are loveless. For that reason, it’s not considered badly seen if the spouses take lovers outside the wedlock. Most samurai who are wealthy enough have a geisha as a kept mistress – or seek the company of the ladies of the willow district, choosing one or more favorites to shower with gifts and attention. Mind you, geishas are NOT prostitutes – please refer to the Geisha chapter of this guide. Hence, it is not uncommon for a samurai to have concubines – his wife is always of samurai caste, and that gives her a position that none of the concubines will ever reach, but the concubines can be samurai or not. Of course, only a very wealthy man can actually afford concubines, seeing that are not expected to “work” for the household. 
If you do not wish your husband to have multiple wives, you must arrange that as part of the prenuptial agreement. Unfortunately, women are not allowed to have multiple husbands. 

Seeing that most Rokuganese see love as a curse, not a blessing, (a samurai’s loyalty to his lord has to be absolute, and love for someone else is a distraction and a failure of duty) a loveless marriage is the rule rather than the exception. 

:OOC Hint: That’s why “True Love” is a Disadvantage, not and Advantage, as most would think. 

However, most couples strive to get along well and keep an appearance of harmony and understanding between the spouses. That includes making a blind eye to lovers that either spouse might have. And yes, as long as the affairs are kept away from public eye (and mouth), it is common for the spouses to politely ignore the “other woman” (or other man). As they say, if there is no love, there is no jealousy.