Relationships and Sexuality

Overview

Eoins view most relationships as contracts that emotion enters into when convenient. Loving relationships are an idea, but in practice, these tend to be more acceptable among the lower classes. A relationship built only on love, in the eyes of nobility, is best left to an affair outside of proper marriage. Arrangements tend to happen for the upper classes in order to ensure proper alliances between families. However, the children involved do have a say in their partners and marriages built on friendship are highly valued. The main exception is the Shiroko Dynasty as the imperial family practices incestuous marriages between siblings and cousins.

Sexuality

Varying sexualities are not necessarily frowned upon within Eoin culture. However, in terms of creating a marriage, all people are expected to have at least a minimum of attraction to the opposite sex. Nobility view heterosexuality as necessary. In order to produce an heir, a male and female must procreate. This does not mean they are against homosexual nobles. Instead, many within the upper classes have affairs with members of the same sex. Sexuality is a utility for the production of an heir. Outside of that, most are unconcerned with what others do.

Affairs

Among the high ranking of the empire, affairs are not infrequent. However, there are certain social rules guiding what affairs are acceptable. Homosexual affairs are seen as more permissible than heterosexual ones as they cannot produce competing offspring (see Bastards below). Affairs, no matter the pairing of partners, must be public and discussed between the spouses, even if this is only an acceptance that the affair exists. This applies in cases of a simple one night stand to perhaps years long relationships.
Both partners do not need to have affairs for a public relationship to be acceptable. If one partner prefers to only be with their spouse while the other engages in affairs, this is permitted as well as each partner engaging. An affair conducted in secret is viewed as cheating on one's spouse and heavily frowned upon. Should such an affair be brought to light, the spouse may obtain an immediate divorce, regardless of whether the affair was homosexual or heterosexual in nature. No loss of honor will be had for the non-cheating spouse, but the cheater and their secret partner will have a significant loss in social status.

Bastards

Children born through a heterosexual affair are treated slightly differently than those born within a marriage. They are raised by the lower ranking partner regardless of the partner's gender. The higher ranking of the two has almost no legal obligations to the child and their involvement varies from couple to couple. While raised in the house of the lower partner, the bastard child is expected to be treated in the same manner as a regular child. The main exception is in inheritance. Only the first true born child inherits the family title even if the bastard is older. Differing treatment of the bastard child aside from this is considered a social taboo and any action that would be a crime against a child born within the marriage is considered a crime against a bastard.

Marriage

In the upper echelons of society, marriages are arranged more often than not. Generally, a person cannot marry more than one rank ahead of themselves. Lateral marriages are the simplest as the lower ranking person must make themselves attractive in some way (economically, socially, financially, etc) to the higher ranking in order to overcome the hierarchy barrier. Most marriages are between only two people. The initially higher ranking person is considered the social face of the relationship, although both partners are legally equal. The single exception to this is the baejan and tsudaeba (emperor/empress and royal consort). In this instance, the ruler is always legally of higher rank than their spouse.
On a technical level, only the originally higher ranking person must consent to bring in another spouse. However, in practice, this is considered a distinct insult to the current partner and both will discuss an addition before another marriage. When the new partner constitutes a heterosexual relationship, the first spouse's oldest child is the heir, regardless as to whether or not the second spouse's child is older. This tends to lead to homosexual partners being second spouses. The second spouse is ranked below the first formally and holds a title one below the primary couple (ex. if the primary couple are a duke and duchess, the second spouse would be vice duke/vice duchess). Such relationships are often how lower nobles rise higher by several ranks.
Harems, situations in which the higher ranking partner has many spouses of lower rank only married to them, are extremely rare. The structure was all but done away with several centuries ago as it was thought to create confusion with heirs and a burden on all involved.
Further information on marriage can be found here