Free The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey Page A

We have to be logical in our marriages, and although politics is very far from logical, you still can’t give free vent to your emotions when you deal with political matters. Courtly Love allows us to give our hearts freedom without compromising our duty or our honor.”
    â€œUnless you have the poor taste to follow Lancelot’s example,” Siegfried snickered. “Bad luck for you, then.”
    â€œYou’re not supposed to follow Lancelot’s example,” Benno countered, flushing.
    â€œWell, what are the women supposed to do?” Wolfgang persisted. “Collect young knights like so many pretty baubles?”
    Benno sputtered at that, but Siegfried, who didn’t take the rules of this newly-fashionable Courtly Love so seriously, nodded agreement. “More or less, the beautiful ones, anyway. It isn’t done to be in love with your husband, but then, most beauties have been shackled to a drooling old man anyway, so there’s no fear of being in love with someone like that. If you’re a beauty, I gather the idea is to inspire as many handsome fellows as possible to be in love with you. You’re supposed to be gracious, kind, accomplished, and learned, so you can properly appreciate all the songs that are made for you, you can hold your own in conversation, and you can understand the privilege of having someone fighting in tournaments in your honor. But you’re also supposed to be distant, a little cool, so that you don’t encourage them to do something stupid—like Lancelot.”
    â€œAnd are women supposed to have a single distant—or maybe not-so-distant—love as well?” Wolfgang mocked. “After all, as the peasants say, sauce for the gander should serve for the goose.”
    â€œActually, I’m rather curious about that myself,” Siegfried admitted, turning to Benno. “You hadn’t said anything about the women picking out someone particular.”
    â€œWell—” Benno frowned. “Yes and no. One school of thought says that she should remain aloof from all that; another that she should secretly pick one of her admirers to fall in love with, but never allow him to know for certain that he is her chosen. That’s the ideal, of course, but women have been known to take a carnal lover . . . the Church says that they’re more fleshly and carnal than men, after all, so it’s not surprising.”
    â€œThe Greek philosophers would say that since a woman’s soul is so much simpler than a man’s, what she feels could not be love as you are describing in any case,” Wolfgang replied ponderously. “The Romans would agree that woman’s primary instincts are so primitive that they couldn’t even imagine something as sophisticated as this Courtly Love—”
    â€œOh, hang your Greek and Roman philosophers!” Benno snapped, offended at Wolfgang’s tone. “What could they have to say that was relevant here? They’re old and dead, and when they were alive, they were as stuffy as an unaired closet!”
    Wolfgang bridled, and sat straight up, his face going red with fury. Siegfried decided to put an end to the debate.
    â€œHere now, none of that!” he ordered sharply. “Benno, you’re drunk.”
    â€œSo are you!” Benno retorted. “And so is he!”
    Siegfried laughed. “Yes, I am, but I know it, and I’m not picking quarrels. You are drunk and trying to pretend you’re not—when you know you’ll be very sorry for some of the things you said tomorrow. Apologize to Wolfgang. When you sober up, you’ll be glad you did.”
    Benno growled an apology, but had the grace to look embarrassed at his behavior.
    Siegfried wasn’t letting his tutor off, either. “As for you, my tutor, the Greek and Roman philosophers don’t even agree with each other, so don’t say things you know will prick Benno to snap at