"Before conducting the ceremony, you must take an oath first."
"An oath? About what?"
A priest waiting in the room had me make various informal vows and oaths. They covered Germanic marriage laws, prohibited acts (divorce, extramarital affairs, adultery), and settlement money. And most importantly, the vow to provide the morning gift to the bride the day after the wedding night.
It was one of the institutional safeguards the church had created so widows who lost their husbands could live without want. That's why I'd prepared a morning gift for when Hilda came to live with me. The problem is that it's extremely common for widows with substantial wealth to be falsely accused of witchcraft by bastards coveting their money.
