Samurai are expected to place romantic love below their obligations to family and clan—but the human heart is not so easily confined. Many samurai who fall in love keep their relationship secret, while others are more overt. The following are suggested narrative effects for a character with a Lover bond:

• A lover seeks to spend time with you, writes letters to you, and is willing to assist you in ways that do not require publicly acknowledging your bond (giving you information key to pursuing a desired goal, encouraging you to pursue your personal interests, helping you to deal with emotions you usually must keep to yourself), and they expect you to do the same.

• Generally, your lover’s allies do not acknowledge your relationship. Some might be favorably disposed to you covertly if you make their ally happy (and unfavorably disposed if you make them unhappy), while others might be jealous of the attention you receive. Your lover’s enemies might target you to attempt to gain leverage over your lover.

• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, a lover is more overt about your relationship, allowing them to assist you more publicly (such as giving you letters of introduction to officials above your status, allowing you to use their name to pursue your goals, and even helping you directly), and they expect the same from you.

“With You, the Storm Subsides” (Bond Ability): At the end of a scene involving your lover or reminders of them, you may call upon your bond to remove additional strife equal to your bond rank.