Winter Lady Restrictions

[Mira]

The problem with any binding agreement is that it can mean something totally different to what you expect. Think of those young artists who sign away the rights to their works. Harry agreed to do 3 favours to Mab of his choose. Mab made it so harry had to choose to do it. Harry wasnt aware of how little choose he did have.

I think it is more that Harry wasn't aware that his contract with his god mother could be traded or sold or taken over by another more powerful Fae, i.e. Mab.  You are right when the holder of the Fae contract demanded payment, he a mere mortal, had no choice.  That's the rule that even Mab cannot violate, she owes a favor, she has to pay up, though she can manipulate how she does it.  We saw that in Skin Game, she owed Nic a favor, when he demanded payment, she was obligated to pay, however she paid it in her own way, thus she and Marcone got their revenge and the Artifacts/Weapons came into the hands of her Knight.

[LostInTime]

Sorry if this rambles a bit.

I've been pondering Battle Ground and Peace Talks.

When Molly launches into the explanation of why she can't step outside the circle in PT, it's also a clue for later on. Her mantle is more invasive than Harry's. Shedding her mantle the wrong way would damage her. And Harry's can inflict pain if he goes against Mab's word. Which probably means that Molly can't go against Mab's word. But as we see in The Good People, she can do as she pleases provided she doesn't.

She has some free will, but nowhere near what she had as a mortal. But, there's no way Uriel would stand for a total loss of free will or the loss of an immortal soul. So, we can assume that she's still mortal, but under a geas and a glamor. Jim has said that the mantle is changing the bearer's DNA, but that could be explained by Molly and Sarissa looking like twins now.

So, she's got to behave as a fae would, equalizing scales, hoarding knowledge, vulnerable to iron.

She also appears more fae when she's leaning into the mantle, like when she was coordinating communication for the fae and addressed Harry as Mab would, with eyes and ears totally fae. Was that because her mortal mind was occupied and left the mantle to answer Harry? Because, coming from a tripartite entity like Hecate, you have to assume three or all six queens have some sort of hive mind, at some level.

The final point I want to bring up is during the limo ride to the Carpenter's house, Molly leans into Harry's hand and tells him, "You're my knight too, Harry." I don't think that was the Winter Lady speaking. She made sure that they were isolated with no outside observers. And the Winter Lady has never given the knight an order. In fact, everything we've seen about Winter Law argues against it. Winter Law is whatever Mab says it is. Never Molly, Maeve or even Mother.

[Ed0517]

Of course the mantle is more integral to Molly -  the Lady is Fae royalty - the knight is a Fae AGENT. (BTW, Harry, that is the word you were looking for to describe your relationship to Mab. She is not your Queen. She is your employer, your patron, your client. You are a hireling, an agent. )

Mab runs Winter's day-to-day ops. She's CEO. But The Knight, IIRC serves WINTER, not just Mab. So senior staff (read, Molly) can require things. And, should she ever want to step up, Mother is Chairman of the board/majority stockholder. She can override Mab.