Welcome to the forum Angel.
I have no doubt that the original and generally understood version is correct and the behavior can be excused by accepting that it was the norm for the time for prophets to be married to young virgins, and even to be allowed to consummate the marriage. There is plenty of evidence in all pre-modern history for girls having been used as political pawns, some royals married their daughters off even as young as under a year. Mary Queen of Scots is a case in point. She was sent to the French Court as a young child to be raised as the wife of the Dauphin. Our modern thinking finds this reprehensible,and as I said earlier, I like to think that I would've been revolted by the idea of being married off to an old man at 15 even in ancient times. But, as was pointed out to me, I can't imagine what I would have felt had I grown up in a different culture, even today. Who knows, if I'd been raised in the Middle East and married off at 13/14/15, I might have just accepted it, even in the second half of the 20th century.
The point is that the behavior shouldn't be held up as being the rule to be followed, today. We should be outraged at the thought of children being forced into marriage, even if the partner is one of their own choice, and their own age. Children should be encouraged to enjoy as much of their youth as possible before committing to a long term relationship of any sort, even the one that will ultimately be their career path.
A mind without instruction can no more bear fruit than can a field, however fertile, without cultivation. - Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE - 43 BCE)
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