[X] Antonia Fabius, Daughter of Governor Fabius of Lugdunensis
You are his Majesty Arthur Pendragon and you are surrounded by flowers. There was lavender and primrose. Daisies and echinacea. Chrysanthemum and Violets. It was a lovely garden that once belonged to the Roman Governor of Britannia and now it was yours to use as you chose. And to your left was the most beautiful flower of all, Antonia Fabius.
Antonia's long, flowing blonde hair cascaded halfway down her lovely back. Her white stola clung to her curves as she wandered the grassy path through the garden at your side. A blue limbus added depth to her dress, even if it was little more than an illusion created by some colored cloth sewn into the hem of her stola. She was a beautiful woman dressed in the height of Roman fashion and you appreciated the effort, even if you preferred women in more revealing garments.
She said, "So, your Majesty, my father was curious why you sought a Roman bride given Brittania is now free of Roman politics. Care to comment?"
The smile that followed her comment was as beautiful as the stars. Her eyes were windows to a beautiful soul. Her every move was as graceful as a swan. Her words were music to your ears. If there was ever a perfect specimen of the feminine persuasion, it was her.
You returned her smile and replied, "Rome, for all its faults, has given us much and Roman culture is something I seek to perpetuate even if we are cut off from its source. A proper Roman as my wife would be helpful in that endeavor."
"Oh? Am I just a means to an end then?"
"Hardly, madam. You are a beauty without compare and I would enjoy your company for that alone."
"Ah, so I am just a beautiful face to you? You seem to be digging your grave deeper, Sir."
You chuckle ruefully and reply, "Your wit is beautiful too, if a bit sharp for my taste."
"At least you recognize I am more than a piece of ass, I suppose. And if I was ugly, would you have still considered me due to the value of my father's ports I wonder?"
"I would have madam. The value of free trade with your father's domain is a notable one. However, I would not choose a bride on silver or beauty alone. She needs to have a mind behind those eyes if she is to be of value to me."
"So I am a valuable piece of property to be exploited then?"
"Did you always enjoy being so contrary?"
"I find it forces men to be honest and I do enjoy that. It would be boring to have the same stale conversation a thousand times with a thousand suitors. Every one of them complimenting my beauty, my form, my words. None of them saying more than pleasantries. If, however, I poke them I find their reactions telling."
"Oh, and what do my reactions tell you, lady?"
"That you are a patient man who does not know how to tease a lady back. I could have a worse man for a husband."
"Fair enough, shall we proceed to our luncheon?"
"Certainly."
* * * * *
The spread before you two was common for wealthy Romans. Bread, olives, raisins, almonds, apples, various cheeses, and some hard salami. There was also a salad of lettuce and tomato with a vinaigrette to flavor it. And of course, wine. Plenty of wine.
You partook of Moscato, salami, cheddar cheese, and bread. They were your favorite parts of any meal and were always present at your table. Perhaps not the healthiest of repasts but ancient Romans did not know such things.
She preferred the Moscato and the fruit.
You said, "I see you prefer the sweet things. Perhaps I should have some pastries made for you?"
She flashed you that beautiful smile and replied, "I can wait for dinner."
You shrug and replied, "I see I am not the only one with patience. What do you seek in a husband?"
She frowned slightly and said, "Power. Equality. Love. In that order more or less. My father's position is not as secure as any of us would like and he needs a safe place to retire to. Britain would be beyond the reach of Rome, if my father fell from grace. It would also be secure enough, if you are capable, to be a safe place in which to raise children.
Equality is a rare thing among marriages these days but I would prefer to be treated as an equal partner to chattel. So even if it prevents some options, it is better to be upfront about my expectations.
And Love, would be nice. I can live without it but like any woman I do desire a bit of romance and love."
[X] Allannia Greentree, Niece of the Morrigan
You are his Majesty Arthur Pendragon and you are standing in your library with an attractive woman.
Allannia Greentee's red silk dress clung revealingly to ever curve of her lithe body. Her blue eyes contained the sparkle of intelligence.
It was not your first choice of a date with a pretty lady but she had asked and you could hardly refuse as her host.
She skimmed through the titles of your parchment books as she spoke, "So this is the library I would have access to if I married you. Not a single treatise on magic? Just Roman propaganda and historical accounts of the Governors of Britain."
You shrug and replied, "If I were you take you as my wife, I am sure we could have copies of such works imported from Moridunum. Surely that would suffice?"
"Rehashes of my mother's teachings with the occasional bit of Roman Lore mixed in. I have read all that there is of interest in Moridunum but it would not hurt to re-read some of them, I suppose. Perhaps you could import works from Rome? The Empire may disdain magic but they have quite the collection."
"Certainly. I am a reasonable man and importing texts to keep my wife happy certainly falls under the purview of reasonable requests.
Perhaps I could interest you in something other than books? The grounds have lovely gardens..."
"No, no. I prefer to remain indoors thank you very much. Flowers are of no interest to me. Perhaps an early lunch instead? This library bores me."
"Certainly, this way."
You lead Miss Greentree, a surname that marks her as a bastard despite her relation to the Morrigan, to the covered patio where you take your meals. The place overlooked your beautiful garden.
A view, it seemed, only you would appreciate today. It was unfortunate she was such a direct woman. A little diplomacy would have made your inadequacies as a suitor more pleasant. Even if those inadequacies were resolved by a simple order of books.
The spread before you two was common for wealthy Romans. Bread, olives, raisins, almonds, apples, various cheeses, and some hard salami. There was also a salad of lettuce and tomato with a vinaigrette to flavor it. And of course, wine. Plenty of wine.
You partook of Moscato, salami, cheddar cheese, and bread as was your custom for the midday meal. Why eat things you did not enjoy? The science of health was a foreign thing to Romans and many of the wealthy were a trace on the heavy side.
She selected a sampling of everything, clearly preferring the variety to any specific food. It was nice to have someone eat the things you avoided, even if their presence was virtually mandatory with a guest. Such a waste if the guest skipped them, well, not entirely since the servants took what you and your guest did not.
She said, "At least your kitchens have a proper variety. Do you eat like this every meal I wonder?"
You shrug and reply, "No, madam. This is the standard Roman fare that we deploy in the event of guests. I normally only have the Moscato, salmi, cheddar, and proper Roman bread.
I need little else and a more complex meal is meant for dinner."
She smiles, "I suspect as much. Much like your library, you prefer a limited variety of things to the greater variety that is available."
You are not sure if she just called you simple or if she was just really, really bad at getting her point across. Her behavior grated on you a bit but through her came powerful magic.
Sure, you could rely on others to provide you with magic or take a concubine and legitimize the bastards. But the ideal situation was a wife who could work magic was it not?
So you tolerated her and she tolerated you. Worse political alliances could be made.
Note: Half of your consort's stats are added to your own for Strategic/Turn actions.
Heirs will have 3 inherited traits. If you fail the rolls for the mother's trait, you get a random trait. These traits can be anything from a massive penalty to a massive boon. Random traits have a 60% chance of being positive, 20% chance of being neutral (cosmetic), 20% of being negative. I'll probably need to make a table for them at some point although if someone wants to make a large "CK2 trait table" for me I'd appreciate it. If not, I'll spend time on it once you have an heir to roll traits for. The trait table will be 100 traits. So 60/20/20 basically on a d100. So, if you are holding out hope for something like Magical Genius it is a 1% chance.
Example Random Traits:
Imbecile: -6 to all Stats
Weak: -3 to Martial
Brunette: Cosmetic, no bonus/penalty.
Strong: +3 to Martial
Magical Genius: +6 to Sorcery, can learn two Major Lores.
[ ] Antonia Fabius, Daughter of Governor Fabius of Lugdunensis
Dueling: +0
Diplomacy: +28
Martial: +2
Intrigue: +22
Stewardship: +22
Sorcery: +2
Traits:
Legendary Beauty (50% Inheritable): +5 to Diplomacy, +5 to dominant partner's Diplomacy rolls.
Patient (50% Inheritable): +3 to all Stats
Easily Bored (50% Inheritable): -1 to all Stats.
Tall (100% Inheritable): No stat modification
Blonde (100% Inheritable): No stat modification.
Slim (100% Inheritable): No stat modification.
Blue Eyes (100% Inheritable): No stat modification
Advantages:
A Proven Womb: Antonia's husband died in the fighting in Aquitania but she bore him a strong son who might make a suitable heir for the time being.
A Legendary Beauty: Antonia is a once-in-a-generation beauty that impresses any man who looks upon her. While it may lead to people coveting your wife, there are diplomatic advantages to using one's wife as an effective distraction. (+5 to Diplomacy rolls as foreign Diplomats are paying more attention to your wife than you)
The River of Silver: Fabius will facilitate trade with the rest of the Roman Empire and this will cut the decay rate of your trade with the Empire in half. (From -50 to -25)
Roman Legions: You can hire Roman Legions as mercenaries, for a reasonable fee of course.
Marriage Alliance: +5 to the Relationship with Lugdunensis.
Disadvantages:
Inevitable Fall: Honorius has surrendered Aquitania to the Visigoths and with the Sack of Rome it is only a matter of time before the rest of Roman Gaul falls as well. Lugdunensis will fall in 430 CE, or roughly 80 turns from now.
[X] Allannia Greentree, Niece of the Morrigan
Dueling: +0
Diplomacy: +2
Martial: +2
Intrigue: +22
Stewardship: +22
Sorcery: +22
Genetic Traits:
Elven Bloodline (80% Inheritable): Guarantees Major Lore / Sorcerer development options for heirs when inherited.
Bookworm (50% Inheritable): +5 Sorcery and -5 Diplomacy.
Gifted (50% Inheritable): +1 to all Stats
Redhead (100% Inheritable): No stat modification
Short (100% Inheritable): No stat modification
Lithe (100% Inheritable): No stat modification
Blue Eyes (100% Inheritable): No stat modification
Advantages:
Marriage Alliance: Marrying a blood relation of the Morrigan will certainly improve relations between your two factions. (+5 to the Relationship with Moridunum)
Elven Blood: You currently lack any skill at sorcery but a combining of the bloodlines would likely result in a magical heir. An heir who will need every advantage in the wars to come. (80% chance of an Heir with a Major Lore development option.)
Sorceress: While she may not have the skill to practice a Major Lore, she is a sorceress in her own right and is as capable as any of your hedge wizards. ( Substantial assassination resistance due to your wife being able to cure poisons and other ailments. She is also more likely to notice the effects of such before a court physician would. )
Disadvantages:
Interracial Marriage: Elves and humans do not get along as well as they should and the net result is it will strain your marriage. This will lead to domestic and diplomatic complications depending on how racist the people you are dealing with are. It is not as bad as it would be in Moridunum, but it will be noticeable.
