You could just tell why. They wanted strong and powerful women like my daughters to enhance their bloodlines. These men did not actually want to treat their wives as a honestly equal partner in their relationship. I taught the girls all about feminist ideals and bodily autonomy as children. Consent was a must. Johna and Holly were experienced enough by going to the academy to know how men and women in their age range thought of the matter. It was not like my household at all. I modeled my teachings in the way I lived my life. I absolutely cherished Grissell. She was my wife and I made sure that I publicly showed affection, supported her in what she liked to do and made sure she was respected as the manager of the household members. Bonnie was my mistress and I also treated her kindly. Bonnie did not have as much of a say, but I always made sure to compliment her and include her in things that we were doing as a big family. Her opinions were also respected. Neither Johna nor Holly wanted to accept less. They would ask those things. It made the girls hard to please.
Zipping around from young man to young man, the men left when they saw that the girls wanted more rights and autonomy than the suitors were willing to grant. One such right was the right to refuse sex with her husband. The current understanding was that one of a wife's duties was to be a sexual partner. The husband was expected to take his wife when he pleased. It was not something Holly or Johna would accept. I always respected the consent of the women in my life. If Grissell was not in the mood, I would not bother her. Bonnie was always in the mood during a heat. I would eat her out and finger her until she was satisfied. I did not fuck her because I did not want her to get pregnant again. According to Betan, the common thinking was that women could not achieve orgasm and therefore sex was only the domain of men. I debunked it. Grissell taught them about it. We could not afford more kids. Another right was to determine where they lived. Neither wanted to leave Mansfield. Johna had an actual job at our court. Suitors from abroad expected to pick them up and take them home.
As these standards were largely unheard of for this kingdom, it made them a really hard bargain when it came to marriage. That was fine with me. As long as they found someone that they loved, I would be happy. Holly came to me in particular. She looked really determined for some reason. "Father. I need to speak to you. I won't be sent away until you hear me." she said. I nodded my head. "Do we need to speak in my study? If you want privacy, we can go right now." I told her. We then went there. The feeling was tense when I sat down in my chair. "Father, you need to grant me permission to keep the family name after marriage. This is crucial for the family." she said, leaning over my desk. "Okay. You do realize that no noble will go for that though, right? This means you will marry a commoner. Are you okay with that?" I asked. She blinked. "So, it's okay!?" she asked in shock. "Of course. I'm the founder of this new family. I love all of my sons, but they are all with my mistress. You are legitimate. You can carry the name to a new generation." I said. She was not expecting this to be easy.
