Basic Trope: An Arranged Marriage between two families from different nations, tribes, etc. is used as a means to seal a political alliance.
- Straight: In an attempt to make peace with Tropestan, Wikistan gives Princess Alice in marriage to King Bob the Nth
- Exaggerated: King Bob the Nth has an entire Royal Harem of wives and concubines who have been given to him for this reason, from various nations, tribes, etc.
- Downplayed: It's diplomatically useful for King Bob to be publicly courting Princess Alice, but there's no need for them to actually take it as far as marriage.
- Justified: Making the two royal families related by marriage strengthens their alliance to one another (theoretically), and might make King Bob the Nth reluctant to declare war on Wikistan.
- Inverted:
- In order for Tropestan and Wikistan to make peace, King Bob The Nth and Princess Alice must get divorced.
- The marriage starts a war.
- Subverted:
- Princess Alice can refuse the marriage if she wants and Marry for Love instead.
- Princess Alice is not old enough to marry just yet.
- Princess Alice marries King Bob the Nth not because of family pressure, but because she's in love with him.
- At the last minute, Princess Alice suddenly stabs King Bob the Nth. Turns out it was a Trojan Horse gambit.
- Double Subverted:
- But she is under a lot of pressure to accept it.
- But she does deeply love Bob and so goes through with the marriage anyway.
- As soon as she's considered a marriageable adult, she will have her wedding to King Bob the Nth.
- But, it does help their families, so they have no complaints.
- Parodied: Every international issue is solved by marrying country rulers with each other. Illegal Immigrants? Marriage. Global Warming? Marriage. Oil Prices? Marriage.
- Zig Zagged: King Bob the Nth has acquired some of his wives via political alliances, some he married for love, some he married for money, and some he married for other reasons.
- Averted:
- King Bob the Nth is a Celibate Hero.
- Wikistan prefers the school of Gunboat Diplomacy, rather then forcing Princess Alice to marry King Bob.
- Alice and Bob are regular people, not royals or nobles.
- Enforced: Truth in Television
- Lampshaded: "I don't mind so much about taxes being raised because of the grand wedding. It means we finally have peace."
- Invoked: Bob and Alice are in love, but their Feuding Families won't let then marry. So they work together to manipulate the diplomatic scene until their parents have to let them marry to preserve the peace.
- Exploited: Wikistan agrees to give Princess Alice in marriage On One Condition: namely, that every adult male cuts off his middle finger. King Bob the Nth and his subjects agree, lop off their fingers, and then soldiers from Wikistan come in and Kick Them While They Are Down.
- Defied:
- King Bob the Nth refuses to marry Princess Alice just to seal an alliance.
- Child Marriage Veto
- Wikistan does not offer Princess Alice or anyone else to King Bob the Nth.
- Discussed: "When will the war end? Our king will never give up Troperville willingly." "No, but I suppose he'll marry Princess Alice to King Bob and give her Troperville as a dowry."
- Conversed: "There's a lot of drama because Princess Alice whines and doesn't want the marriage. King Bob, at least, thinks of his country's peace."
- Deconstructed: The alliance is created, but the two married may not enjoy it, therefore having an Awful Wedded Life.
- Reconstructed: The two eventually overcome their personal challenges and come to love one another. Or at the very least, they build a successful working relationship for the sake of their respective kingdoms.
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