Mab and Lara

[TrueMonk]

Harry was pretty badass too pre winter knight. It seems likely that at some point Lara will need more power and winter can give it to her. Maybe she needs more power because Mab dies and if she does not take it outsiders will destroy reality including her. That could be a good motivation I think.

[Mira]

  Or is it possible that Mab just blew it?  She is a great four dimensional chess player for sure, but totally disregarding human emotions her latest gambit is doomed to failure?  Lara wants a closer alliance, maybe more power, but even she doesn't seem thrilled with Mab's proposal.  We know Harry isn't thrilled by it, even if Murphy hadn't just been killed.  Ditto on Molly's part.  What I think is what Mab really fears is the team of Molly/Harry, she sees them as a threat to her.  So this marriage proposal is her way of clearing the board, but I think it is going to backfire big time.

[vincentric]

It's pretty straightforward.

Both Mab and Lara want the additional power that an alliance gives them. It was just settling the terms of how the alliance would be formalized that was shocking.

Mab acts out of harsh necessity. And she's been doing it so long that she just snaps off orders that she expects her retainers to instantly obey. Indeed most of them literally can't disobey. She thus has no patience for questions, gives no thought to emotion and sees no need for tact. Harry frustrates her mainly because he insists that she explain and justify her orders and he's the only person she employs that does so. But Harry gets results, she doesn't have to hold his hand or leash all the time and after his experience with the Banner, he understands the burden she carries. She respects him and even likes him.

Lara is a cold calculating monster but she does have limits.  Her given word can be trusted and she will go to the wall for loyal family.  She wants the alliance because if you're in with Mab, then Mab is all in with you assuming you aren't betraying her. Harry is the seal on the alliance and he's loyal to family also. And Lara has expressed her attraction for Harry on multiple occasions, usually as a temptation but with some underlying honesty. She may have wanted the marriage with Harry as the seal on the alliance, but I'm pretty sure she wanted some time to arrange things.

So Mab gave the shotgun wedding order with her usual lack of tact and consideration. Harry and Lara both nearly rebelled to the point of open defiance and Mab relented slightly(but not openly) to the one year deal. Molly, being someone who can't disobey, was just left to suck it ip.

[Mira]

So Mab gave the shotgun wedding order with her usual lack of tact and consideration. Harry and Lara both nearly rebelled to the point of open defiance and Mab relented slightly(but not openly) to the one year deal. Molly, being someone who can't disobey, was just left to suck it ip.

I wouldn't be so sure about Molly though.  She told Harry in the limo after all this went down on the way to her parent's house.

"You're my Knight as well, Harry.  And I owe you a great deal.  I am on your side. When you are ready to act, I'll be there.  And until then, I'll be here."

She also had Harry's back when he confronted Marcone and Mab at the end of Skin Game.  It is also clear that there is no love lost between her and Lara..  So no, it may not work out, but look for Molly to do more than "just suck it up."

[Bad Alias]

Harry was pretty badass too pre winter knight. It seems likely that at some point Lara will need more power and winter can give it to her. Maybe she needs more power because Mab dies and if she does not take it outsiders will destroy reality including her. That could be a good motivation I think.

And you have to remember how easily Eb handled her in TC. If a wizard wants to kill a wamp, there's not a whole lot the wamp can do to stop it.

More importantly, when have we seen anyone choose to be a Lady? Never. It's never been a choice.

Both Mab and Lara want the additional power that an alliance gives them. It was just settling the terms of how the alliance would be formalized that was shocking.

Yeah. Lara probably wouldn't have considered marriage at all. Her people don't marry according to Connie Barrowill.

[morriswalters]

Reality check. If Harry has sex with Lara there is a chance of a child. And if he cohabits with her what does he do with Maggie?

[Arjan]

Reality check. If Harry has sex with Lara there is a chance of a child. And if he cohabits with her what does he do with Maggie?

Why would he cohabit with her? He has his own castle to run. Both Harry and Lara would like to run their own affairs without the other one interfering too much. Lara would like to use Harry yes but having him continuously with her would be too much.

A child however would make everything more complicated for Harry. He would not be able to desert the child as his mother did and Lara would like to have one because it could potentially increase her power.

[Dina]

That is why I hope the protection is important. If Lara can't have sex with him, they won't have a child.
And if they marry I am pretty sure that they are expect to cohabit. Which is one reason I don't want the wedding to happen. They are much more interesting each one on her own castle and with her own family (Lara with her sisters, Harry with Maggie, Mouse and Mister).

[Arjan]

That is why I hope the protection is important. If Lara can't have sex with him, they won't have a child.
And if they marry I am pretty sure that they are expect to cohabit. Which is one reason I don't want the wedding to happen. They are much more interesting each one on her own castle and with her own family (Lara with her sisters, Harry with Maggie, Mouse and Mister).

Cohabitation? With Harry making continuous comments about Lara’s feeding habits? Him walking around trying to save people, or just Lara afraid he will try to save people? Allowing him to see the real white court or having to put up a continuous effort to hide it?

Or Lara walking around in Harry’s castle trying not to eat all the vulnerable prey under Harry’s protection there? Like a new bunch of children just brought by Grey?

Even if they marry Harry can visit and spend some time there but they both have their separate homes. I think Harry will spend more time in Michaels home than Lara’s.

And Lara might even encourage Harry to have someone extra. It could break the protection and it is in line with white court thinking. She won’t stop her feeding habits.

[Dina]

Lara will "encourage" whatever she wants, but Harry is a stubborn man and he is still inlove of Murphy. Do you think he will agree to sleep with anyone else, just to please Lara? As I said in other place, yes, Mab herself can force him to break the protection, but if she does that, Harry will be a sort of hostile hostage, a much less useful WK. I don't think any of them risks force Harry to do something like that.

And, as I said before, I think the whole reason for the sex with Murphy is giving Harry the protection. JB won't write it only to have a moment of Lara's bow burning while rescuing Thomas, so protections has an important part to play in the future. Perhaps even to protect Harry of other wampires.

[Arjan]

Lara will "encourage" whatever she wants, but Harry is a stubborn man and he is still inlove of Murphy. Do you think he will agree to sleep with anyone else, just to please Lara?

Of course not. Her encouragement will only stop him even more.

But it was meant more as an illustration about how their relationship would be in marriage. I don’t expect them to cohabit.

As I said in other place, yes, Mab herself can force him to break the protection, but if she does that, Harry will be a sort of hostile hostage, a much less useful WK. I don't think any of them risks force Harry to do something like that.

Mab expects Harry to solve his own problems. The alliance is what is important to her and she expects Molly, Lara and Harry to sort it out.

But no problem. Molly kills Lara and Mab marries Thomas, the new white king.

And, as I said before, I think the whole reason for the sex with Murphy is giving Harry the protection. JB won't write it only to have a moment of Lara's bow burning while rescuing Thomas, so protections has an important part to play in the future. Perhaps even to protect Harry of other wampires.

It will certainly protect him and it will result in complications.

[Dina]

Just to be clear, I don't see them cohabiting either. I just say that I hope that the wedding won't happen, because if it happens, they would need to cohabit.

[Arjan]

Just to be clear, I don't see them cohabiting either. I just say that I hope that the wedding won't happen, because if it happens, they would need to cohabit.

I understand but I do not think a marriage will force them to cohabit either.  A marriage is a contract that can be negotiated and implemented in a lot of ways.

[Regenbogen]

I understand but I do not think a marriage will force them to cohabit either.  A marriage is a contract that can be negotiated and implemented in a lot of ways.

Agreed.
The marriage was planned by Mab. Mab wants an alliance with the White Court. Marrying her Knight off to the White Queen does that. She doesn't need a child conceived in this marriage, so she doesn't care, if Harry and Lara had sex at all or if they live together or apart. What counts is the contract and the duties and rights contained in it.

Maybe Lara would want a child, but there are ways to prevent that, apart from not having sex. I'm sure not only muggle ways but also magical ones.

I can imagine Mab giving Harry some fae charm to protect him from being fed upon by WCVs as a wedding gift. This would be in her own interest to keep her knight intact and functioning for her own purposes as long as possible.
And as Lara said so herself: sex doesn't equal feeding.

The matter of cohabiting: a lot of real world couples live apart, so Harry and Lara don't need to live together to count as a married couple. Maybe there will be a compromise for the sake of appearances. For example once a week they alternate spending one night at the other's home. What they do there is private. They could simply go to bed in separate bedrooms.  No witnesses.

[Arjan]

Cohabitation would be comedy gold though. More in style for another series.