The Courtly Love Meme

[gynoids]

The Courtly Love Meme

That's COURTLY LOVE. Not COURTNEY LOVE. Courtly love or domnei was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife. The "courtly love" relationship is modeled on the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege lord. The knight serves his courtly lady (love service) with the same obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege lord. She is in complete control of the love relationship, while he owes her obedience and submission.The knight's love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor. Thus "courtly love" was originally construed as an ennobling force whether or not it was consummated, and even whether or not the lady knew about the knight's love or loved him in return. The "courtly love" relationship typically was not between husband and wife, not because the poets and the audience were inherently immoral, but because it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of "real life" medieval marriages. In the middle ages, marriages amongst the nobility were typically based on practical and dynastic concerns rather than on love. The idea that a marriage could be based on love was a radical notion. But the audience for romance was perfectly aware that these romances were fictions, not models for actual behavior. The adulterous aspect that bothers many 20th-century readers was somewhat beside the point, which was to explore the potential influence of love on human behavior. The behavior of the knight and lady in love was drawn partly from troubadour poetry and partly from a set of literary conventions derived from the Latin poet Ovid, who described the "symptoms" of love as if it were a sickness. The "lovesick" knight became a conventional figure in medieval romance. Typical symptoms: sighing, turning pale, turning red, fever, inability to sleep, eat or drink. Romances often contained long interior monologues in which the lovers describe their feelings. tl;dr characters are in a fantasy/medieval setting and having a courtly romance. How to Play - Comment with your character, preferences, etc. Also, be sure to include what "role" your character will be taking on in this little affair. Lord/lady Knight (gender neutral, of course) Prince/princess Bard or poet Servant Commoner (for the ultimate "forbidden romance") -Comment to others, using the RNG to determine your fate. Prompts When I First Saw Your Face: You are meeting your liege or your knight for the first time. What you see takes your breath away. Lovesick: Your pining for your beloved has made you ill! You can't eat, you can't sleep, you're in loves throes. Playing Hard to Get: If you're of nobility, you at least have to pretend you're not interested. You're So Coy: The art of flirtation is just getting started, but you have to be subtle about it. In Your Honor: Be it a jousting match or a battle, you're going to win this for your lord/lady's name! A Token: You must give your knight something for good luck. A Gift: This is the reverse of the above. You must give your love something. Keep a Secret: Kisses behind columns, holding hands under the table. You must sneak away little moments together, but you have to keep others in the dark. Back from War: Your knight has been away in combat, and now they've returned. You want to shower them with affection. Consumate: Believe it or not, courtly love could have a physical angle, as well. Sometimes physical afairs happened. To Defend Your Honor: Someone has insulted your fair lady or lord. You know what that means! DUEL. I'll Protect You: The lands are under an attack, and you must protect the person you love! Breaking the Rules: You've decided to abandon the pretense of courtly love and actually be with this person, even if that means running away. WILDCARD

Comments

clara oswin oswald ▽ doctor who

[bustled]

[ servant or commoner. ]

Nadia Asturias | Pacific Rim OC | F/M

[twilightstampede]

[Princess please]

Mordred | Arthurian Legend | OTA | Knight

[cadcamlan]

Caspian X | Chronicles of Narnia | ota | Prince/King

[adexuate]

[fight_my_fate]

[ooc: Would you mind if I tossed this lady in here?]

[adexuate]

[ooc; Please do; she looks lovely! Anything particular in mind?]

[fight_my_fate]

[ooc: Thank you! I'm so pleased to see a Caspian out and about, too. I'm pretty good with anything at all, and I do so love to be surprised. :0D]

[adexuate]

[ooc; Rolled a 6. Good with assuming he's come to visit her kingdom and been invited to joust with the knights or some such along that lines?]

[fight_my_fate]

[ooc: Totally good with that.]

Running with it. Let me know if it needs tweaking. o/

[adexuate]

Someday, he'll be King.

Someday, Caspian will take his father's place--the place currently held by his uncle--and form the Tenth link in an imperial chain. Someday, he'll be able to stay properly among his people, spend his days focused on how to lead them better, learn more deeply what it is to love everyone in a nation at once.

But for now, he's simply a prince. He's in charge of nothing but a piece of reputation and a smile he's able to force to keep in place while he travels for good will in their neighboring kingdoms. He's gotten better at being alert and focused without Drinian nudging him between the ribs; at living the role of statesman instead of the quiet daydreamer he's always been on the inside.

It's a little easier when there's a prince or princess his own age to chat with--although he'll admit, Princess Margaret is a bit on the sharp side of things, which isn't so much bad as interesting to keep abreast of. It's much easier when there's something to do with himself beyond sitting and drinking--and really, jousts are a world of fun to be invited to.

He's certain she won't agree to it, but he's also certain he ought to ask on the evening before the tournament. "Milady, are you in the tradition of giving favours to your knights?"

Sonia Nevermind | Super Dangan Ronpa 2 | M/F

[princesspool]

[princess]

Sollux Captor | Homestuck | OTA | Commoner, Servant or Knight

[apocalypticduality]

_{[Really it's up to whoever tags what position he's in.]}

[fyreflye]

[ The kingdom of Saturn is a strange one, far away on a distant planet. The people there are reserved, cautious, and known for their stoicism; perhaps all of this comes from being from a place far from the sun. Yet despite all the flaws seemingly inbred into this culture, the rulers are wise. They choose their knights and guards for intelligence, not strength, and they are willing to comb other kingdoms for the best and brightest. Then, the knights are not sent off to die needlessly. There is a comfort in their life, a duty but a reward.

Such a reward comes in different ways.

Still, the nobleborn are used to leaving the knights to their own devices...all except for one. The princess of Saturn, when she can sneak away - which is often, because of her quiet and unassuming nature - has a vested interest in coming to see at least one of those keeps her home safe.

Saturn doesn't speak for a moment, watching Sollux work before she feels it only decent to make her presence known. ]

Hello, Sollux. [ As usual, her voice is soft and her tone thoughtful. ] If you are busy, I can return later.

[apocalypticduality]

<sub>[At first, Sollux doesn't seem to be paying much attention to anything in general, though this is no strange thing; his abilities and the training thereof had been deemed of great importance by the rulers of this world, and he was always finding some way to hone the psionic abilities. At this moment, he was sitting in his spacious personal quarters, holding up several objects of varying weight and shape, turning them all in a widening circle as he kept account of all of their sizes, weights and shapes. He was a natural at such juggling acts by now and because of the energy he was exerting, the air around him held an electric quality, red and blue sparks climbing along his body and over the outer edges of the airborne objects.

At the voice, he had to intensify his concentration, or else drop everything, resulting in broken belongings and the possibility of a concussion. He took a moment to put everything back in their places before he stood and faced the princess, his hands at his sides. He didn't speak up, preferring to keep his lip buttoned so that she wouldn't have to try and understand him around his lisp. Instead, he nodded to her in greeting then, thinking better of it thought for a moment. He could circumvent 's' sounds, at least.]</sub>

II'm not anymore. What do you need?

[fyreflye]

I need nothing.

[The royals were known for having no sense of humor to speak of, the princess least of all; to be fair, however, this was "known" by the general populace, which was not exceedingly jolly, either. But for all intents and purposes, they seemed to be right. Hotaru was fairly placid most of the time, preferring to take in than anything else. Still, "humorless" was not a completely apt term. She could be wry, she could be amused.

She could certainly smile, as she did now. She often did that around him, for many reason, though the most obvious was that she enjoyed watching his powers. His usage of them always came with a sort of beauty, only reflecting what she found so intriguing within. There were many things she found intriguing about him, to be sure, though those many things are often sadly suppressed...including his voice.]

I only desire your presence, but that is not a need.

*casually tagged in the other meme too*

[apocalypticduality]

<sub>[Likewise, Sollux wasn't exactly cold, as the knights protecting their world were reputed to be. In private, he could be scathing, sarcastic and generally very snarky, though he was careful about who he let know this. He preferred to be left alone the majority of the time, but he'd never once turned down the company of the princess. In fact, more often than not, he tended to enjoy the quiet banter between the two of them.

Extending a hand, a dull flash of energy lifted a dried flower that had been standing in a vase off on the corner of his mostly empty dresser. He passed it to her with the quiet warning that it was quite fragile, the scent faded but not entirely gone, musky and sweet and delicate as the petals themselves were.]</sub>

Alriight then. Would you liike to walk?

[fyreflye]

[Saturn needed no warning that his gift was one that required care, as she was the sort of person who was naturally gentle with all things. The flower rested in her hand with near-reverence and, for a mere fleeting moment, her face showed an uncommon kind of...something. Joy? Pride at receiving such a token? Whatever it was, it was much lighter than her usual sober expression, one expected of a person with lofty duties.

It was only here, in his chambers where she knew that only they stood - no knights, no emissaries - that she could allow herself to show anything like that. And it was the only place where she could step closer to him (not too close, never too close, because she was who she was and she'd been raised how she'd been raised) and reach up to close his hand.]

I would like that very much. [A beat, and a hint, a shadow, of the smile before.] And I believe I would need a chaperone for that.

[No one would question them.]

Yunica Tovah | Ys Origin

[found_strength]

[ Young lady Knight, open for any pairing or prompt! ]

Annabelle / Swan Princess | OUAT OC | Het

[andtheswan]

[ooc: Princess / Hiding out as a commoner]

Amelia Atwater | OC | OTA

[good_at_heart]

[ooc: Impoverished lady.]

Matthew, a Prince | OC | OTA

[into_days]

[ooc: Prince/Knight.]

Arthur | OC

[thegoodking]

[Prince]

Kenshin Himura || Rurouni Kenshin || OTA

[rurouni]

[[Knight, Servant, Commoner]]

Margaret, a Princess | OC | Het

[fight_my_fate]

[ooc: Princess/Knight]

Gwendolyn | Odin Sphere | gen ota

[ragnanivalkyrie]

[princess | knight/warrior | lady ]