Wouldn't the best companion be the one willing to guile and deceive themselves above the rest for her hand?

No. The best is the one who can win her heart, look inside oneself, and know that they are there by the powers of their self-determination, hard work, and awesomeness to sustain this connection permanently, not machiavellian "image-management", back-stabbing, or self-serving deception. The best relationships are based on trust (a somewhat universal truth overarching most religions or ethical theories), and trustworthiness is not built upon practicing sabotage.