On an unrelated note, the Downs' activity is doing me a lot of good.
Form's CbC posts inspired an out-of-order LOTR reread, now this thread inspired a COH reread. I haven't read any First Age stuff for years, it's high time! And
Form, if you're reading this, thanks for taking us through in CbC style. It inspired some great discussion and rereads. I would rep you, but apparently I repped everyone who is currently active on the Downs too recently.
On another unrelated note, as I read the first pages of COH I realized that the Houses of Men married highborn people from other Houses. How much of it do you think is marriage for love, and how much is an obligation to marry into a certain status? Does politics have a role in the making of the marriages?