Faerie Court "Peace Talks"

[Logistics515]

So, I was rereading the short story "Christmas Eve" last night, and something finally snapped into place regarding the themes of Peace Talks. The book has multiple examples of how family conflicts can spiral out of control. I believe in the resolution of the story in Battle Ground, Harry will be patching up & repairing many of the conflicts that occurred - his strained relations with the White Council, his relationship with his mentor Eb McCoy. His personal hatred of Ghouls. The simmering future conflict with Lara Raith, ect.

But a rather huge thing seems to be hinted at in the short story - the Queens being on speaking terms again.

Cold Days, Chapter 52

"I know exactly what I have done," Maeve snarled. "I have beaten you. This was never about the sleepers, or this accursed isle, or the lives of mortal insects. This was about beating you, you hidebound hag. About using your own games against you. Kill me now, and you risk destroying the balance of Winter and Summer forever, throwing all into chaos."

    Sarissa lay on the ground, moaning.

    "And it was about taking her away from you," Maeve gloated. "How many mortal caterwauls or sporting events will the Winter Queen attend with the Summer Lady? And every time you think of her, you remember her, you will know that I took her from you."

Maeve's plan seems to hinge on the fact that Mab and Titania are chronically estranged, and have apparently been since the Battle of Hastings. But something happens during the events of Battle Ground that changes this drastically...

Christmas Eve - Short Story

“Molly,” I said, smiling.

My former apprentice, now technically also my boss, beamed at me, crossed the floor and promptly gave me an enormous hug, which I returned.

“Merry Christmas, Harry,” she said.

“Merry Christmas, Molls,” I said. “Tell me it wasn’t you who talked to Mab about Maggie’s present.”

“That was Sarissa,” Molly said. “She showed Mab the movie.”

So Mab is now back to interacting with Sarissa - still attending those "mortal caterwauls" and watching Disney movies. I'm very curious if Harry has anything to do with this fortunate turn of events, and if Mab's relatively nice treatment of Harry in the story might not just be on account of the fact that it's Christmas - she might owe him something almost more important to her then reality itself, her family.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I think there is going to be a reconciliation between Mab and Titania, as both will agree for the first time in a millennia over being annoyed by Harry.

[KurtinStGeorge]

Very good catch Logistics515, though I think the ghouls are going to have a problem with Mab, seeing as they were last seen walking out on her accords.  Harry might decide to stop hating them, but that won't protect them from Mab's wrath.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Mab may order Harry to punish the Ghouls for their failure to live up to the Accords.

“The Ghoul was on fire, and it was entirely my pleasure”

[vultur]

I think the kind of hate Harry shows in WN isn't healthy regardless of the object, but I don't think Harry is otherwise wrong about ghouls, in the sense that they have any positive qualities.

They don't seem to be half-humans like Changelings or humans-plus-an-extra-spirit like White Court Vampires, so they presumably don't have free will, so they'd be inevitably enemies of humanity.

I was really surprised to see a ghoul clan on the Accords though; they're usually minions for someone.

[Mira]

   I believe Mab is being "nice" because she knows the sacrifices Harry just made to save them all.
  It isn't in her nature to say thank you or express sympathy openly because she fears it would make
her appear weak, so she did what she did.

Having said that, I do think Titania and Mab will have at least come to an understanding because they had to work together otherwise all would be lost.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Harry killed both their daughters, they will bond over being annoyed by Harry, as Harry will almost certainly do something to demonstrate his independence of Mab at the end of BG, shifting the balance of power between them.

[Bad Alias]

Frozen Release date‎: ‎November 19, 2013
12 ASF, October 31: Cold Days
14 ASF, July: Peace Talks and Battle Ground
14 ASF, December 24th: Christmas Eve, a short story

If the Keeper of Continuity, Priscilla Spencer, is correct, SF takes place in 1999. 14 years later would be 2013. Two theories confirmed? (1. That SF takes place in 99; 2. OP).

[Yuillegan]

Bad Alias, I wondered about that too.

Not to rain on everyone's parade but their is a WOJ that Titania won't be really showing up until book 20 as she is "heavy duty". I'd say that Jim is saving her up for the big stuff - especially considering that was meant to be the Dragon book AND a Denarian book.

So as Priscilla points out, the actual date of Storm Front is flexible to within a year or two or 2000. So if it were 100% the year 2000, then sure. But if it is even a year later... it becomes tricky.

Another thing is that Jim doesn't always research those little things well, like movie release dates, which can mean that while Jim may have meant it was before Cold Days - he didn't account for something making it another continuity error. Or perhaps in Dresdenverse it came out earlier - obviously not everything is the same between our universe and theirs! 

Finally, Maeve might have been wrong. She assumed Mab and Sarissa could never hang out but the Mother's don't seem to have much issue with it.  So even if Sarissa post Cold Days is hanging out with Mab, it doesn't necessarily mean that Titania and Mab have reconciled.

But it's a nice theory none the less.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

We have seen Titania already when Harry went to the Magic Hedge.