Battle Ground spoilers: Harry’s pairing. What do you think?

[Arjan]

I don't think Mab and Merlin necessarily had a physical relationship.  She could have been a member of Camelot or Merlin's inner circle of wizards, and he cast her out.  I could easily see it being like Harry/Molly, where Mab was in love with Merlin but he kept her at a distance.
I can't see him keeping Thomas locked up past the wedding.  He's going to want him there for it, as will she.  My guess is that we might get two more plots before the wedding.  Wouldn't surprise me if we get Mirror Mirror and the Wrestling Book within the year of the engagement, and then book #20 is the wedding.

But that was not the point. The point is that he is not unconsciously letting his guard down, he is unconsciously guarding himself.

Or maybe he is doing both. That can get complicated.

[Griffyn612]

But that was not the point. The point is that he is not unconsciously letting his guard down, he is unconsciously guarding himself.

Or maybe he is doing both. That can get complicated.

I don't think he can turn it on or off, consciously or unconsciously.  It's a force field around him, or a rose, or a ring, all the time.  The only thing that changes is the hunger in the Wamp, which is on or off.  If the hunger is off, then contact can be made, like between him and Thomas, or him and Lara in White Night.  Only if the Wamp's hunger is always on, like Madeline's in Turn Coat, is the protection a threat to the Wamp.

   "The White Court only get burned when they try to feed on someone touched by true love, right?"
   "It isn't as simple as that," Thomas said quietly. "It's got to do with how much control the hunger has over you when you touch."
   I grunted. "But when they feed, the hunger's in control."
   Thomas nodded slowly.
   "So why'd Madeline try to feed on Justine? She had to know it would hurt her."
   "Same reason I do," Thomas said. "She can't help it. It's reflex."
   I frowned. "I don't get it."
   He was quiet long enough to make me think he wasn't going to say anything, before he finally spoke. "Justine and I were together for years. And she ... means a lot to me. When I'm near her, I can't think about anything else but her. And when I touch her, everything in me wants to be nearer to her."
   "Including your hunger," I said quietly.
   He nodded. "We agree on that point, my demon and I. So I can't touch Justine without it being... close to the surface, I suppose you could call it."
   "And it gets burned," I said.
   He nodded. "Madeline is the other end of the spectrum. She thinks she should get to feed on anyone she wants, anywhere, anytime. She doesn't see other people. She just sees food. Her hunger controls her completely." He smiled a bitter little smile. "So for her it's reflex, just like for me."

This suggests that Lara is either walking around always on, with no control over her hunger, or she's so attracted to Harry that she can't help but be attracted to him, and the hunger feels it too.

[Rigil Kent]

This suggests that Lara is either walking around always on, with no control over her hunger, or she's so attracted to Harry that she can't help but be attracted to him, and the hunger feels it too.

The former doesn't track with her established character as she's generally always "in control."

[BrainFireBob]

I don't think he can turn it on or off, consciously or unconsciously.  It's a force field around him, or a rose, or a ring, all the time.  The only thing that changes is the hunger in the Wamp, which is on or off.  If the hunger is off, then contact can be made, like between him and Thomas, or him and Lara in White Night.  Only if the Wamp's hunger is always on, like Madeline's in Turn Coat, is the protection a threat to the Wamp.

This suggests that Lara is either walking around always on, with no control over her hunger, or she's so attracted to Harry that she can't help but be attracted to him, and the hunger feels it too.

He told her no, more than once- and he's obviously attracted to her, so it's not that she's lost it.

To a certain kind of woman, that's irresistible. It's the only kind of woman Butcher seems to write- Mab feels that way about him as Winter Knight over his defiance.

[Arjan]

I don't think he can turn it on or off, consciously or unconsciously.  It's a force field around him, or a rose, or a ring, all the time.  The only thing that changes is the hunger in the Wamp, which is on or off.  If the hunger is off, then contact can be made, like between him and Thomas, or him and Lara in White Night.  Only if the Wamp's hunger is always on, like Madeline's in Turn Coat, is the protection a threat to the Wamp.

I was not talking about the true love protection.

[Griffyn612]

I was not talking about the true love protection.

I don't think him locking Thomas up had anything to do with Lara at all.  I don't think it crossed his mind in the slightest.  I think he had a singular focus, and that was saving his brother.  He didn't think about anything outside of that.  He only seemed to realize that it wouldn't go over well with Lara when it didn't go over well with Lara. 

[Arjan]

I don't think him locking Thomas up had anything to do with Lara at all.  I don't think it crossed his mind in the slightest.  I think he had a singular focus, and that was saving his brother.  He didn't think about anything outside of that.  He only seemed to realize that it wouldn't go over well with Lara when it didn't go over well with Lara.

But he did recognise that he was unconsciously protecting himself, that was the important point.

[Griffyn612]

But he did recognise that he was unconsciously protecting himself, that was the important point.

I don't know where he acknowledged that he was protecting himself from her by committing the action that would require him to protect himself from her.  Was that in PT?

[Mira]

I don't know where he acknowledged that he was protecting himself from her by committing the action that would require him to protect himself from her.  Was that in PT?

I think you may be a little confused, I believe in Peace Talks Lara brushes against him and gets burnt. Harry says he was happy to find out that he has true love's protection from Lara.. He is also happy about what that says about his and Murphy's relationship as well.

[Arjan]

I don't know where he acknowledged that he was protecting himself from her by committing the action that would require him to protect himself from her.  Was that in PT?

In peace talks after Thomas was locked up in demonreach. After Lara attacked him and Harry showed her what he could do with the island they had a chat about what he did and what his motivations were.

[Mira]

In peace talks after Thomas was locked up in demonreach. After Lara attacked him and Harry showed her what he could do with the island they had a chat about what he did and what his motivations were.

That too, but that was a physical attack, she would have been successful any where else, with a big maybe because Harry can fight when he needs to.  What I mentioned was his fear of being fed upon by her..

[Arjan]

That too, but that was a physical attack, she would have been successful any where else, with a big maybe because Harry can fight when he needs to.  What I mentioned was his fear of being fed upon by her..

The physical attack was because what Harry had done. He had basically taken Thomas so Lara has to protect him. As Harry said maybe he was hanging around with Mab too much. It was a general protection measure done unconsciously. That was the point. He is not lowering his guard unconsciously. He takes protective measures without thinking.

[KurtinStGeorge]

From a story standpoint, I thought it was brilliant and funny. 

From Mab's standpoint, an arranged marriage for her Knight to form an alliance makes perfect sense.  Historically, most monarchies in every part of the world used marriages to signal the creation of a new alliance or strengthen an existing one, and Mab is the right age to think the same way as the decision makers of those old monarchies.

For Mab, it's a political move and as Bigdangmoose said, it could be a way to sink her hooks deeper into Harry, Molly and Lara.  Also, Mab might not care if the marriage is ever consummated.  That had to happen to seal the deal when Harry became her Knight, but I'm not certain if a political alliance needs to go that level of commitment.  Obviously, Mab doesn't want Lara to get control of, or devour her Knight, so a sexless marriage might suite Mab just fine.  However, such a marriage would still have all of the negative associations with Harry's current friends and former friends and allies in the White Council.  Would anyone believe that Harry and Lara Raith had a platonic relationship?  Imagine Harry trying to tell Ebenezer that.

My guess is after Mirror Mirror, Lara will be Harry's sidekick in the book that follows, though I doubt this will be a regular occurrence.  That's the book about retired gods; maybe Greek gods, who work as professional wrestlers to keep people; their fans, worshiping them.  Lara will still have a vested interest in protecting Harry because Thomas will still be stuck on Demonreach.  So Harry might work undercover as a professional wrestler while Lara pretends to be his manager.  They will bicker constantly and the people they meet will ask them how long they have been married, while the wedding Mab is planning for them is days away.

Long-term, even if their was some way for the two to consummate their relationship without Lara killing or enslaving Harry, and assuming the love protection is broken so Lara doesn't get burned every time she touches Harry, they don't make a believable match.  For that to happen Lara would have to go through a redemption arc and I'm not seeing that as likely.  Long-term, Molly is the better match for Harry, if Molly can become human again, and that's a big if.



 

[Arjan]

From a story standpoint, I thought it was brilliant and funny. 

From Mab's standpoint, an arranged marriage for her Knight to form an alliance makes perfect sense.  Historically, most monarchies in every part of the world used marriages to signal the creation of a new alliance or strengthen an existing one, and Mab is the right age to think the same way as the decision makers of those old monarchies.

For Mab, it's a political move and as Bigdangmoose said, it could be a way to sink her hooks deeper into Harry, Molly and Lara.  Also, Mab might not care if the marriage is ever consummated.  That had to happen to seal the deal when Harry became her Knight, but I'm not certain if a political alliance needs to go that level of commitment.  Obviously, Mab doesn't want Lara to get control of, or devour her Knight, so a sexless marriage might suite Mab just fine.  However, such a marriage would still have all of the negative associations with Harry's current friends and former friends and allies in the White Council.  Would anyone believe that Harry and Lara Raith had a platonic relationship?  Imagine Harry trying to tell Ebenezer that.

My guess is after Mirror Mirror, Lara will be Harry's sidekick in the book that follows, though I doubt this will be a regular occurrence.  That's the book about retired gods; maybe Greek gods, who work as professional wrestlers to keep people; their fans, worshiping them.  Lara will still have a vested interest in protecting Harry because Thomas will still be stuck on Demonreach.  So Harry might work undercover as a professional wrestler while Lara pretends to be his manager.  They will bicker constantly and the people they meet will ask them how long they have been married, while the wedding Mab is planning for them is days away.

Long-term, even if their was some way for the two to consummate their relationship without Lara killing or enslaving Harry, and assuming the love protection is broken so Lara doesn't get burned every time she touches Harry, they don't make a believable match.  For that to happen Lara would have to go through a redemption arc and I'm not seeing that as likely.  Long-term, Molly is the better match for Harry, if Molly can become human again, and that's a big if.

At some point Mab will die, it is foreshadowed enough times to make that sure. Molly will become Winter Queen. That is also foreshadowed and Harry won't kill her. That will open a can of worms of enourmous magnitude. Jim will enjoy that one.

Of course a happy ever after is possible with Molly giving birth to a lot of winter lady candidates but Molly sacrificing herself at the gates to save our reality is so much more in character.

[Rigil Kent]

For that to happen Lara would have to go through a redemption arc and I'm not seeing that as likely. 

To be fair, Harry managed to redeem the Shadow of a Fallen Angel. A Whampire would seem to be easier to do that to than Lash. Not saying it'll happen, of course, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.