So I'm reading a fantasy novel about a war between two factions. Of the human characters in the book, there are two main male characters-one on each side of the war. I'll call them Man A and Man B. I'm curious which of the two men has a more indecent love life, in your opinion. The book is an independent novel called Rys Rising, and if you don't want any spoilers for it, you should stop reading now.
Man A: He has two women that he deliberately makes compete for his affection. They both know about each other, and the three of them have had threesomes. The women, especially one of them, would prefer exclusivity, but they tolerate it because they want the guy (because he is powerful- among other things, 'The Overlord' is his title). He cares much more about obeying his orders for the war than either of the women. He does not really love them- he just uses them to satisfy his urges and enjoys seeing them jealous of each other. He is not married to either of them, and he is not interested in marrying either of them (and one of them definitely isn't interested in marrying him). One of the women sees other men, and one remains faithful to him.
Man B: He has a wife, which he only recently married, and there is another woman in a different town who he cheated on his wife with both when he was courting her (resulting in a son) and after he had been recently married. His new wife does not know about the other woman or the baby. He cares much more about the women than obeying his orders for the war. He loves both of them and his son too. He is also wealthy and influential (not in the same way as Man A). He offered to make the woman with the baby his mistress (to bring her to the town he lives in and financially support her), but she refused it. The woman he had the baby with is married to another man that would probably try to kill him if he knew about the affair.
Additionally, both of the men are acting in accord with their societies' customs. Man A's society permits polygamy, and most men with his level of status and power would have a collection of wives instead of just two women that aren't even married to him. Man B's society permits the keeping of a mistress by wealthy men. Neither of the men would be looked down on by society at large for what they are doing (although in Man B's case, some people would be unhappy and would say bad things about the woman who is his mistress).
So who do you think is worse (who has a more indecent love life), Man A or Man B?
Poll to follow.
Man A: He has two women that he deliberately makes compete for his affection. They both know about each other, and the three of them have had threesomes. The women, especially one of them, would prefer exclusivity, but they tolerate it because they want the guy (because he is powerful- among other things, 'The Overlord' is his title). He cares much more about obeying his orders for the war than either of the women. He does not really love them- he just uses them to satisfy his urges and enjoys seeing them jealous of each other. He is not married to either of them, and he is not interested in marrying either of them (and one of them definitely isn't interested in marrying him). One of the women sees other men, and one remains faithful to him.
Man B: He has a wife, which he only recently married, and there is another woman in a different town who he cheated on his wife with both when he was courting her (resulting in a son) and after he had been recently married. His new wife does not know about the other woman or the baby. He cares much more about the women than obeying his orders for the war. He loves both of them and his son too. He is also wealthy and influential (not in the same way as Man A). He offered to make the woman with the baby his mistress (to bring her to the town he lives in and financially support her), but she refused it. The woman he had the baby with is married to another man that would probably try to kill him if he knew about the affair.
Additionally, both of the men are acting in accord with their societies' customs. Man A's society permits polygamy, and most men with his level of status and power would have a collection of wives instead of just two women that aren't even married to him. Man B's society permits the keeping of a mistress by wealthy men. Neither of the men would be looked down on by society at large for what they are doing (although in Man B's case, some people would be unhappy and would say bad things about the woman who is his mistress).
So who do you think is worse (who has a more indecent love life), Man A or Man B?
Poll to follow.
