Letters of Matrimonial Agreement Between the House of Helvets and the House of Aldersberg

[MCVDK 2830]

L E T T E R S 

o f 

M A T R I M O N I A L   A G R E E M E N T

 

 

 

TO ALL THESE WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING.

 

e it known and proclaimed before God Almighty, before the Crowns of the several realms, and before all peoples who honor the customs of lineage and the solemn duties of noble estate, that the House of Helvet sand the House of Aldersberg, each venerable in antiquity and steadfast in service, have resolved by common conviction and mutual goodwill to bind themselves in a covenant of marriage, uniting their blood and their posterity for generations to come.

 

Whereas it hath pleased Providence to place within these two Houses heirs of upright character and virtuous promise, namely Lord Adrian Alexander Helvets, son of the Helvetian line, and Lady Susanna Augusta Aldersberg, daughter of the Aldersberg line; and whereas both families, discerning the advantage of harmony, the strengthening of kin, and the peaceable ordering of their estates, have judged it fitting, honorable, and beneficial that the said Lord and Lady should be joined in lawful matrimony; therefore let it be declared that this engagement and assurance of wedlock is made with the full consent of both Houses, under no compulsion save that of affection and good intention.

 

The Lord Adrian Alexander Helvets, descended from those industrious forebears who raised Owynsburg from humble pasture to renown and substance, represents in his person the steadiness, labor, and contemplative virtue for which his House is known. The Lady Susanna Augusta Aldersberg, sprung from a lineage of Earls and statesmen who have for centuries upheld the honor and governance of Dover, embodies that grace, discernment, and constancy befitting the future mistress of a noble household. Thus, by their persons as well as their pedigrees, the promise of union is made all the more proper, all the more fruitful, and all the more worthy of public recognition and divine favor.

 

It is agreed by both Houses that the said Lord and Lady shall enter into engagement, to continue until such time as the heads of their families appoint for the solemnization of marriage, provided that both parties stand willing before the altar, and receive the blessing of Holy Church. During this period of engagement, both Houses bind themselves to mutual goodwill, the avoiding of discord, and the fostering of affection and respect between the betrothed, that the marriage may be founded not upon convenience alone but upon concord of mind and virtue of character.

 

 

UPON THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE, the House of Aldersberg shall bestow upon its daughter a dowry fitting her dignity, the particulars of which shall be entered separately and appended to this instrument. The House of Helvets, receiving her as Lady Consort within its hall, shall secure to her all rights, honors, and dignities proper to her station, providing for her welfare, her habitation, and her continued esteem in the eyes of all. The children born of this union shall, by the laws and customs of the realm, inherit the name and dignities belonging to the Helvetian line, save where other statutes may direct, and shall likewise partake in any properties or privileges descending from the Aldersberg estate insofar as such may be lawfully conveyed.

 

Let it also be known that any lands, rights, or goods that may, through this marriage, come into joint possession shall be held in trust for the descendants of both Houses and shall not be alienated without the shared assent of both bloodlines, lest the fruits of this union be dissipated by folly or divided by contention. Both Houses pledge themselves to the protection of this concord, to the encouragement of the young couple in virtue and prudence, and to the amicable settlement of all disputes that may arise, whether between themselves or among their servants and dependents, so that the peace of this union may remain unbroken.

 

When the day appointed for marriage shall arrive, the vows of the Lord Adrian and the Lady Susanna shall be exchanged beneath the blessing of the Church, in the presence of family, friends, and witnesses of rank, and these Letters shall be read aloud before the assembly, that all may hear and acknowledge the legitimacy and solemnity of the covenant hereby formed. Thereafter a copy, sealed by both Houses, shall be conveyed to the Imperial Chancery, that it may be entered into the genealogical and noble rolls of the realm, enduring as a testimony for ages to come.

 

And we do finally declare that this union, made in peace, shall be guarded by divine grace and earthly ordinance; that no malice, deceit, or vanity shall sunder it; that it shall stand as a bond of fellowship, an instrument of prosperity, and a witness to the enduring belief that the marriages of noble Houses, rightly ordered, serve not only the families themselves but the good ordering of the wider realm. So may the names of Helvets and Aldersberg be joined in mutual honor, and may their branches, once separate, flourish together in strength and virtue.

 

In witness whereof, we, the undersigned heads of our Houses, have set our hands and seals to this instrument, executed at Owynsburg and affirmed before chosen witnesses, in the year appointed by Providence.

 

Signed:

Adrian Alexander Helvets, Baron of Owynsburg, for the House of Helvets

George Arthur Aldersberg, Earl of Dover, for the House of Aldersberg

 

In the presence of witnesses:

Susanna Augusta Aldersberg

 

God preserve this union and the fruit thereof.

[MunaZaldrizoti 8037]

Susanna Augusta sat within her private study, nestled within the upper hall of Montfort Manor, and bid her gaze look out over the borough of Welles as her hand fell upon that inked agreement. The stained glass cast a reddened hue upon the parchment, which spoke of an arranged marriage to a Baron she had only spoken a few sentences to. It had been the day of that mayoral debate, when she had come upon the Helvets heir and her father amid their conspiracy so soon after that previous embarrassment with the Baron of Artois. For all of her acumen and the clear reliance upon her that her father held to, it seemed that was not enough to save her from the fate of all ladies in Alba during this new age of Man. "You shall remain in Alba," The Earl of Dover had said - making evident that even her marriage would not end whatever ambitions he had for her future.

So, silently, she submitted to her fate. She could only pray this Baron of Owynsburg was kind - or atleast paid her little attention. The Maid of Dover would be content with that.

[Phoebe202 1057]

The Dowager Countess of Dover signed the Lorraine oer herself upon hearing the news. Thusly, did she declare: "Oh, Mio Dio, How time has passed!" 

Soon after, she made preparations to return home to her surviving kin...