Opening post by Weathervane · #1
On the morning the banners changed, I was already facing the right way. For a betrothal, write the offer plainly: name the pair, the promised lands or coin, and the date by which each side must answer. Put the bride’s dowry in a separate line, because a warm promise becomes cold mud when nobody can find its measure.
Name two witnesses who can still reach the hall if the road turns bad, then have each sign beneath the terms. I prefer one household officer and one neutral lord, with the witnesses stating that both parties heard the offer and accepted it freely, not merely that they saw a seal click, click.
Seal the agreement only after every condition is read aloud, then post the final wording where the court can find it. You should record who holds each seal and what happens if either side delays, like checking a horse’s breathing before trusting it to carry you past the next ditch—unless the road…