Contracts, Schmontracts

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 26th September 2010

Characters: Parale, Ioven, Sidlin
Description: Ioven and Parale meet with the harper to discuss the marriage contract and the ceremony.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 21 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Briata

Ioven checked the number again. This looked right. "All right, girls,
now remember, you just read your books while Parale and I talk to the
harper, all right? We have important things to talk about." Looking at
his intended, he asked. "Ready?"

She nodded, ready to get it done and over with so they could get to the
important part. Parale was not one for contracts and writing and all of
those things.

The harper opened the door at the sound of the knock and greeted them
all with a smile. "You must be Journeyman Ioven and his intended.
Welcome! And who are these?"

"My daughters," Ioven said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Well, I'm Master Sidlin. Please, come in." He pointed to a small sofa
in the corner. "Would you girls like to sit over there while we talk?
I have a book or two somewhere for when my grandchildren come to visit."

"We brought some," Venrys assured him as she made her way to the corner
with Syren in toe.

"This is Parale," he said as he pulled out a chair for her.

"Good day to you Master and thank you for helping us on such short
notice," she replied before sitting.

"I love weddings, and I rarely get to perform them," the master smiled
as he took his seat opposite the couple. "Now Ioven, you said that
there were some legal matters that you would like to have contracted
before you are wed concerning the children?"

"Yes, sir, that's right," Ioven nodded, looking over at Parale for
confirmation.

"And Parale, are there any concerns you would like to have addressed in
the contract?" the harper asked, turning towards the younger woman.

"Just the standard things about what to do in event of death or
otherwise with belongings." Her father dying had taught Parale how
important it was for women to get those things in writing.

"All right. Ioven, any thoughts on that?" the harper asked, turning to
him.

"Well, as far as death, I think it should be the standard marriage
contract. I can sit down with the harper back at Sun Stone and make out
a proper will." He looked over at Parale to see if she might disagree
with that idea.

She shrugged, not minding as long as it was taken care of at some point.

"And what about if your marriage should be dissolved?" the harper asked,
bringing up the subject in a rather practical tone of voice. He found
getting straight to the point was much more effective than dancing
around the issue.

"Depends on whose choice it was," Parale offered since they both had
different conditions.

"All right, Ioven, what are your views on it?" the harper asked, turning
to the smith first.

"Well, as I said to Parale before, I think that should she be the one to
end it, she should have no further rights to the children I had with my
late wife. But if I were to end it, or if she ended it because she had
proof that I had been unfaithful, then she'd get rights to them same as
if they'd been born to her." He thought it was only fair since they
both would have something to lose if they were the one to want out.

The harper nodded, taking down a few notes. "And what are your
thoughts, Parale?"

"We've already agreed to that. My question is the distribution of actual
property. In other words, if he left me, where would I live and all of
that?"

Ioven wasn't quite sure. "Where do you _want_ to live?"

"Well I don't know yet really..but I need to know I'd be provided for if
I was left. Isn't that how it's usually done?" She looked to the harper
to provide guidance on that.

"Of course, you would be provided for. In either case you are entitled
to some of the property acquired after the marriage. The sale of that
property is expected to help provide for your needs, since of course you
would not be turned out of the Hold just because you would not be
sharing the same quarters as your late husband. However, since you do
not have family in the area, you might like to write into the contract
something about transportation back to your family's home on top of, or
instead of, the property." He looked at Ioven to see what he thought.

"If I dissolve the marriage, I would offer to pay for her own
transportation back to her family, though I am not prepared to promise
transportation for any children we may have at this time." That could
be negotiated when the time came.

That last bit made her pause for thought. She wouldn't leave her
children behind, especially if their father had proven to be a faithless
idiot, but there was no point in arguing over that now. "I don't have
anything else to add really as long as those things are taken care of."

"That sounds pretty straight-forward then," Master Sidlin nodded, making
a final note. "So I guess now we can talk about the ceremony itself.
The first obvious question is when will it be? I know you're in a
rush."

She looked at him, then made her own offer. "I can be ready in two days'
time." Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about a feast or anything
like that at the Weyr. It was just the problem about the dress.

"You decide," Ioven said with an encouraging nod. He had a feeling it
meant much more to her than it did to him.

"Two days is fine with me if everyone else can do it then?" She already
knew that Briata could do it in two days.

"Morning, afternoon, or evening?" the harper asked as he flipped open
his schedule.

"Afternoon would be nice." The girls wouldn't be disrupted that way, she
thought.

"That's fine for me," Ioven quickly affirmed.

"That's easy, then," Sidlin smiled. "I'm free until the seventeenth
candlemark, so why don't we say the 14th?"

"We could do it right after midday meal that way so it works out."
Parale would eat at noon, get ready, and then it would be time.

"I think that's fine," the harper nodded, looking at Ioven who had no
objections. "Any ideas as far as the ceremony itself? Any requests?"

Parale knew what a traditional holder ceremony would look like, but she
wasn't going to have one of those. "We're going to exchange..tokens
right?" There wasn't time to get bands made, she didn't think.

"Yes," Ioven nodded, figuring they didn't need anything fancy just yet.
That could wait until they were settled. "I can prepare it if you
like."

"Please." Her father wasn't alive to give her away, so there wasn't
anything else Parale really wanted.

"Do either of you need help with your remarks?" the harper asked,
referring to the small speech they were expected to make to their
betrothed in the ceremony.

"I might," Parale admitted. She had gotten the obligatory lessons, but
she wanted it to be so good.

"I might, too," Ioven said with a slight blush. It really shouldn't be
so hard to think of what to say. In his first wedding the words had
just seemed to flow. But he had felt completely sincere in his
feelings.

"Not a problem at all," Sidlin assured them. "I can schedule separate
appointments for you tomorrow. Would the morning be all right?"

"That should be fine," Ioven said, speaking for both of them. He turned
to explain his lack of consulting her. "I think that would give you the
whole day to prepare. If you go first, I can watch the girls after
that."

"I understand." Unbeknownst to even herself, Parale was developing a
habit of not speaking much in public. The harper didn't intimidate her.
Instead, she was busily thinking about all the things she needed to do.

"Then I think that's all we have to do for today," the harper said with
a smile, casting a quick look over at the girls quietly flipping through
a book on his sofa. "You know, I almost forgot they were there! Such
well behaved girls. I'm sure they'll give you no trouble," he said with
a kind smile towards their soon-to-be stepmother.

Last updated on the October 1st 2010

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Contracts, Schmontracts