Temple Ridge and Gardens
"A specific recommendation is a much harder thing, Belenus," the priestess says. "Now there are two lives I am interfering in, and only one has invited me to do it. There are rules. I am forbidden to give you a name, unless she has also seen us, and asked that I act as matchmaker. Is that a service you wish? We go through our records, and match likely prospects, and then invite them both here. I do not think it would take long, in your case.
"If, on the other hand, you wish to do it yourself, this is what I recommend. Understanding that you seek a wife purely for the social and economic advantages of marriage, you must find a woman who values that as well- and as I said, the best places to look are those where you will find women who do not have happy lives ahead of them. I told you that a slave ship just arrived. Usually, new slaves are on display in cages at the slave market for a few days and then buyers bid on them. I am fairly certain that if you bought any one of them, they would be guaranteed a far better fate than if you did not. Or, if that is not what you prefer, you might head to the poorer quarters of town, and in some shop or alehouse or such, quietly let it be known that you are a man of comfortable wealth and in need of a wife. Tell that to any woman, and within a few days the news will be spread across Masillia. Be honest to any prospects you might meet this way, though. If you are open and truthful about what she is signing up for, then there is no shame, and no guilt on your part.
"Now, about marrying your friend... the Temple of Venus does not care who you marry, as long as it is the free will of two. But Kings and Dukes and Nobles care very much about who is the rightful heir of what, and blood is spilled over disputes. If you own any property, you must beware of the consequences of disputes between heirs. Any children born to a woman that is your wife... even if you are not the father... will be able to make a claim. You must be careful with this, or blood can be spilled long after you are gone."