History HappilyMarried / Literature

* Penny and Michael Dunbar in ''Literature/TheBridgeOfClay''. It's his second marriage, his first wife left him and he is very wary of getting into another relationship. But Penny manages to heal his wounds and they are happily married, with five sons [[spoiler: until she dies of cancer]].

* [[Literature/{{Discworld}} Commander Sam Vimes and Lady Sybil (neé Ramkin)]] married relatively late in life (at least in their 40's), but grew to love each other very much, and have a child together. It helps that Vimes is a cop that believes that most people deserve a second chance (unless you're irredeemable, or an "I'm automatically better that you" Aristocrat), and Sybil is an old-money Aristocrat that acts as if almost everyone she meets is a "jolly good chap" that just happens to be a friend she hasn't met yet. They also privately believe that the other's job/hobby is a ''bit'' too dangerous -- being a cop (Vimes), or taking care of explosive swamp dragons (Sybil) -- but wouldn't '''dream''' of serious asking their spouse to stop.

* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'': All couples seem to be very happy: Carlisle/Esme, Rosalie/Emmet, Alice/Jasper, Sam/Emily, Renee/Phil. The CanonPairing: Bella/Edward had shown to be very happy the few months they were married in the books and where not in danger of dying. After the conclusion, a return to this is a given. It's also implied that Charlie and Sue are going to become this.

%%** Marmie and Robert

** In history, there was the relationship between Jaehaerys I and Alysanne Targaryen, who is set as the standard on how royal marriages are ''supposed'' to be. They did have a couple of quarrels (because what couple doesn't), but remained together for 51 years. Their children Baelon and Alyssa had an even happier and more passionate marriage (bordering on SickeninglySweethearts, if Maester Gyldayn is to be believed) that was sadly cut short by Alyssa's DeathByChildbirth at age 24.

** Edward "Ned" Stark and Catelyn Tully . An ArrangedMarriage forged for political reasons, the two [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage grow into deep love and affection]], though Ned's rather more reserved about it than Catelyn. In fact, theirs is the only marriage in the series that doesn't directly lead to bloodshed in some way. [[UnluckyChildhoodFriend Probably.]] [[spoiler:Shame what happens to them (though it's a nice way to cram in [[ParentalAbandonment another trope]].)]].

** Kevan Lannister and his wife Dorna, who met when her father didn't pay off debts to his brother Tywin. They fell in love and remained so years after the fact, with four children over their marriage. While Dorna herself did not appear, this was because Kevan was well aware she would not live well in the politics of the series.
%%** Dany and Drogo also get this [[spoiler: until Drogo dies]].
%%** As well as Edmure and Roslin, even if their wedding didn't exactly go off without a hitch.

* Creator/JRRTolkien seems to have had a very strong conviction that this was how relationships are ''supposed'' to work out, and so his works provied [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters a lot of examples]]. Almost all [[UnrequitedLove requited]] love in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' ends in happy marriages: Aragorn and Arwen, Faramir and Éowyn, Sam and Rosie, Celeborn and Galadriel, Beren and Lúthien, Idril and Tuor, Bombadil and Goldberry, etc. etc. There is ''one'' couple that does not marry (Andreth and Aegnor) but were very happy. It helps of course that elves don't have any reason to rush things (when your biological clock is 10,000 years long it might as well not exist at all) and teach their human friends not to rush it either (and not to pressure young people of either gender to marry, something which causes a large number of divorces in real life). However, there are some unhappy relationships in his writings: notably the marriage of Ar-Pharazon and Tar-Míriel, and the marriage of Brodda and Aerin. In both of these cases, [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe the woman did not consent]]: and the marriages are unhappy from the very beginning. Ar-Pharazon and Brodda are both working, wittingly or unwittingly, for the bad guys.

** Vernon and Petunia, whatever else you can say about them, are content in their marriage.

%%** Miracle Max and Valerie. They are in TheMovie as well, but there Max seems to be more of a HenpeckedHusband.

* Creator/JRRTolkien seems to have had a very strong conviction that this was how relationships are ''supposed'' to work out, and so his works provied [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters a lot of examples]]. Almost all [[UnrequitedLove requited]] love in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' ends in happy marriages: Aragorn and Arwen, Faramir and Éowyn, Sam and Rosie, Celeborn and Galadriel, Beren and Lúthien, Idril and Tuor, Bombadil and Goldberry, etc. etc. There is ''one'' couple that does not marry (Andreth and Aegnor) and the three that end up unhappily married ([[AndNowYouMustMarryMe Ar-Pharazôn and Tar-Míriel]], Fëanor and Nerdanel, [[BrotherSisterIncest Túrin and Niënor]]) are that way because Pharazôn is evil, Fëanor heads that way, and Túrin and Niënor are cursed.