Golden Age Courtship Rites

The Golden Age is often romanticized for intricate and highly complex courtship routines.

Process

A couple would first meet in a public setting, usually at a formal event. These were held across all socioeconomic classes, with each done according to their own wealth. The lower-class citizens emulated as best they could the traditions and routines of the upper-class. If a young man saw a young woman he was interested in, he would first establish a cordial platonic relationship with her, meeting at events and getting to know her.

The man would then contract the services of a matchmaker, who would determine for him if the woman was already seriously courting anyone and also if they were likely to be a good fit. Most matchmakers were older women, but some large-scale professional matchmaking services did exist. The matchmaker would determine if the girl had any other serious suitors while also estimating the likelihood of the two individuals being a good match. Professional matchmakers were said to be quite skilled. Many romantic novels from the era, center around a young male protagonist who is presented as arrogant and egotistical. His matchmaker is stern and withholding, and forces him to learn to be a gentle soul before he can court the woman he loves.

Once the matchmaker has determined that the request for courtship is likely to be well-received, the young man must then approach the girl's father and request permission to court. The father could then deny the request at this point, though this was most common in upper-class societies where politics and inter-family dynamics played a role. It was also important for the father to like and respect the boy, so he could reject him on those grounds. Typically, however, the young man will have been couched in the finer points of social interaction by the matchmaker. If the father is not in the picture, permission must be granted by the young lady's legal guardian. Traditionally, if the young lady is being cared for by her mother, the mother will appoint a trusted male relative or familial friend to give her permission by proxy. Tradition dictates that the request must be passed and permission given by men; even if the actual decision makers are women. If the father or proxy grants the request, the man must then ask the woman, who can again deny it if she so chooses.

Formal courtships most often begin the late teens. Part of the process was for young people to learn how to communicate with adults. Once permission to court had been granted, the two would continue to meet at public events to begin their relationship. A very complex code was developed around the Regalia colors of the Slayer Dragons with single and dual combinations able to propose a wide variety of communications.

Courting couples and sometimes single friends would then gather for special activities of their own, usually without oversight. Mostly these were simply visits to the entertainment of the era. More infamously were the secretive "petting parties" in which groups of youths would gather together in seclusion and engaging in petting routines. The theory was that if they did this as a group, no one would go "too far" and that they would be able to police each other. Practice did not hold up these theories.

When it came time to propose, the man was expected to ask the woman. He did not need to request permission again from her father or guardian, as the initial request to court assumed the possibility of a proposal. It is then solely up to the woman to accept or deny the request.