WAG: "Queen Mab is dead! Long live Queen..."

[CrusherJen]

I'm not sure I can claim this as a fully original theory, as I probably read some similar comment on the board that sparked this, but I can't remember where or from who right now. But this idea is in my head, and it won't go away, so I'm putting it out there to see if it might be valid.

There's been serious foreshadowing in the last few books that Winter Queen Mab won't survive the series. Mab herself seems to think so; she told Harry to kill Molly if she ascends to the position, as she believes Molly to be incapable of it.

Mab is an incredible chessmaster. She has plans within plans, and prepares alternatives if her main schemes fail. So if she doesn't want Lady Molly to take her crown, she must be looking for another successor.

What does she need in such a candidate? A woman who can plot and plan with the best of them, and come out on top every time. Someone who is skilled in manipulation and power. And someone who has some kind of relationship with the Court, who will spend significant time around at least one member of Winter, in order to be subtly influenced and shaped into a potential vessel for that power.

If there was already someone suitable in Winter, I'd argue that she would have been tapped instead of Molly as the new Lady. So it's likely that Mab is considering another option...

...so at some point later in the series, I expect to hear:

"Queen Mab is dead. Long live Queen Lara!"

Let's face it-- at first look, Lara seems to get a lot more out of an alliance with Winter than Mab does. The White Vamps are a power to be reckoned with, but the Winter Court is much larger and more influential. Many of the most powerful members of the supernatural community agree to abide by Mab's Accords-- that's major power. There's got to be some reason that Mab's willing to publically ally with Lara and her court, and it's got to be substantial enough to justify working with a lesser power. It makes more sense if Mab is using the opportunity to groom her replacement.

We know that the marriage between Winter Knight Harry and White Queen Lara is, in part, a repayment of debts Mab owes to Lara. But it wouldn't be the first time Mab accomplishes more than one thing with a single action. It gives Harry more protection from his enemies now that the Wizard Council's thrown him out... but it also brings Lara into close association with one who wields the powers of Winter, and exposure to that power may well create an affinity that will guide the Mantle of Queen to her once Mab dies.

And who better to rule than a woman who can control the entire White Court, with all its intrigues and squabbling, as the power behind the throne? We know from Thomas that Lara's also been expanding her influence into the mortal sphere. That would make Lara an even more compelling candidate, as it's clear the Masquerade will end soon and dealing with mortals will become a critical issue. (It's hard to say whether or not Mab knows that Lara's a participant in the Oblivion War. I'd argue that it's just another qualification for the job, as Lara's had experience acting behind the scenes to defend reality, as Mab does.)

Of course, Lara isn't human... but if, according to Mab, Thomas is "mortal enough" to become a Winter Knight, Lara should be "mortal enough" to become a Fae Queen. (But not the Winter Lady. I don't think someone who feeds on lust would do well in a job that requires abstinence.)

[LostInTime]

Leanansidhe is another candidate. And Maggie is being groomed to be the Winter Lady.

I think Mab's instruction to not feed on her knight is going to lead Lara to feed on the mantle instead, infusing her with Winter magic, and drawing her closer to fae. All it took for Molly was to be instructed by Leanansidhe. Close association with the fae seems to be the key to making on a suitable vessel for fae power.

Lara has a couple hundred years in the court of a pack of vicious predators. She'd do okay as the Winter Queen. Maybe not the best choice for the BAT, but beggars can't be choosers.

[didymos]

Why does everyone think she can even feed on a mantle?

[CrusherJen]

Why does everyone think she can even feed on a mantle?

I don't think Lara can feed on the Mantle, but just being around Winter energy may make her a magnet for more of it, just as Lea's interactions with Molly helped prepare her for becoming Winter Lady.

I wonder if Harry will figure it out at some point, or if he'll be oblivious to the implications?

(It's Harry, so odds are good he won't catch on.  )

[Con]

My bet is Titania involed.
BG: Titania "you know what this means?"
Mab: "I expect you to do your duty"
Flicker of pain in Titania: "When have I not?"

Titania's either the one to pull the trigger or deal with the fallout. Possibly both. Something to consider as even if that wasn't the case as Summer Queen she would have to balance out whomever succeeds Mab. At the very least send EG as an Emissary to their birthday party .

[Arjan]

I don't think Lara can feed on the Mantle, but just being around Winter energy may make her a magnet for more of it, just as Lea's interactions with Molly helped prepare her for becoming Winter Lady.

I wonder if Harry will figure it out at some point, or if he'll be oblivious to the implications?

(It's Harry, so odds are good he won't catch on.  )

And if Harry catches on, why would he care?

[groinkick]

Great theory.  I suspect you're right in believing Lara is Mab's choice.  I believe Leah is compromised from Nemesis.  Mab has helped her, but she's still vulnerable.  Too big a risk to be Queen.  Mab said Molly isn't ready, and must trust her word on it.  So who else is there?  Lara.  I believe marrying the Winter Knight is a way of bringing her closer to Winter.  Mab is grooming her much like Leah was grooming Molly.

[CrusherJen]

And if Harry catches on, why would he care?

As it is, Harry hates the idea of marrying Lara, and is bound to be looking for a way out of it. If he understands the reasoning behind it, he might be more accepting of it.
(I don't think he'll ever 100% approve, or fall in love with Lara the way he loved Murphy. But maybe he'd agree to accept the political alliance to spare Molly from becoming Winter Queen.)

Or-- he might object even more, if he disapproves of Mab's choice, and try to find and prepare a more suitable candidate on his own... which would be an interesting storyline to pursue, depending on where in the timeline Mab's death occurs. I'm thinking it probably won't happen until just before the three-book finale, or maybe during the trilogy. If that's true, I don't think we'll get a chance to see Harry-as-deliberate-Queenmaker, but it's an interesting idea.

[CrusherJen]

Great theory.  I suspect you're right in believing Lara is Mab's choice.

Awww, thank you! >blush<

I believe Leah is compromised from Nemesis.  Mab has helped her, but she's still vulnerable.  Too big a risk to be Queen.

I didn't consider that, but I think you're right. Lea's a good second-in-command, as long as Mab's still around, but it is risky to fully and permanently grant Lea that much power if she's still vulnerable to Nemesis.   

Mab said Molly isn't ready, and must trust her word on it.

I'm not so sure about that. From Mab's perspective, Molly isn't cold enough to do the job. But Molly's showing a surprising aptitude at using the power without losing herself. In the microfiction the Good People, she made Mab back down and won Santa's respect. It's hard to truly judge Molly's worth in the role since the only point of comparison is Maeve, and everyone who'd know agrees Maeve was negligent. But so far, so good... we'll see.

So who else is there?  Lara.  I believe marrying the Winter Knight is a way of bringing her closer to Winter.  Mab is grooming her much like Leah was grooming Molly.

Exactly. Mab's a schemer-- she leaves nothing to chance. If she doesn't want Molly to be Queen, she's got to be making a contingency plan (beyond asking Harry to kill her, since Mab knows he's bound to resist that.) And of all the mortal female characters we've met so far, Lara is the most cold and calculating, which is something Mab considers essential in a Queen. In theory, another possible candidate could still be introduced in a future novel, but it's kind of late in the game to be bringing in major players. Jim loves foreshadowing, and with that in mind, I can't help but feel like he's building up to this.

I don't assume I'm right on this one. It's rare for me to come up with WAGs like this; I'm more of a go-with-the-flow reader. (I get annoyed when series become too predictable-- I expect authors are/should be better at plot twists than I am as a reader. I like being surprised! ) I'm not even sure if I want it to be true. I'm intrigued to see just how well Molly will do in Winter, even though I'm still not sure if it's the right fit for her. 

But this theory feels solid enough to discuss, and that's unusual enough for me that I want to put it out there... _{just in case I'm right.} And even if I'm wrong, well, it helps pass the time until the next book.

[Arjan]

Mab is wrong. It is all set up by that schemer Uriel. Molly is the winter queen this reality needs. She will save this reality after Mab is killed and then she will have litters of changelings. 

[Mira]

Mab is wrong. It is all set up by that schemer Uriel. Molly is the winter queen this reality needs. She will save this reality after Mab is killed and then she will have litters of changelings. 

 
Or Mab is infected and it is Nemesis talking and not Mab, I doubt that it was set up by Uriel. What says it is Nemesis is both asking Harry to kill Molly and to make him marry Lara would throw monkey wrenches into a lot of things, first off a rift between her and her Knight who is also star born.  Nemesis perhaps cannot get to Harry directly, but it can in directly, thus through Mab telling Harry to kill Molly instead of letting her become Queen..  Things would have to be pretty dire before Harry ever do that, and now marry Lara before Murphy is even cold in her grave..   Also if he does marry Lara, it would widen the already wide gap between Harry and the White Council, more importantly his grandfather.

[Arjan]

 
Or Mab is infected and it is Nemesis talking and not Mab, I doubt that it was set up by Uriel. What says it is Nemesis is both asking Harry to kill Molly and to make him marry Lara would throw monkey wrenches into a lot of things, first off a rift between her and her Knight who is also star born.  Nemesis perhaps cannot get to Harry directly, but it can in directly, thus through Mab telling Harry to kill Molly instead of letting her become Queen..  Things would have to be pretty dire before Harry ever do that, and now marry Lara before Murphy is even cold in her grave..   Also if he does marry Lara, it would widen the already wide gap between Harry and the White Council, more importantly his grandfather.

If Mab was nemfected the outsiders would have attempted something even more spectacular already. The biggest guns are not nemfected because reality would have been lost already.

Uriel tells us he does nothing but for one reason or another everything always turns out well for him. Mab admires his style. He shows how to get maximum results with minimal intervention. Subtle.

[Mira]

If Mab was nemfected the outsiders would have attempted something even more spectacular already. The biggest guns are not nemfected because reality would have been lost already.

Uriel tells us he does nothing but for one reason or another everything always turns out well for him. Mab admires his style. He shows how to get maximum results with minimal intervention. Subtle.

Or the Outsiders are smarter than you think.  That was the whole point of the Knife in the first place, destroy the Winter Court from with in, weaken it so that their job when the time comes will be easier.  What would be Uriel's motive?

[Avernite]

Just throwing it out there - we never heard of Elaine much after she was a Fae emissary, did we? And she did play Harry like a fiddle.

(Obviously Lara is a better Mab back-up, I agree)

[Arjan]

Just throwing it out there - we never heard of Elaine much after she was a Fae emissary, did we? And she did play Harry like a fiddle.

(Obviously Lara is a better Mab back-up, I agree)

Vadderung would disagree.

We also get continuous reminders about how well she functions as a winter lady.