How will Summer react to Winter’s alliance with the White Court or…

[KurtinStGeorge]

Will Summer react at all?

My guess is they will react because Summer and Winter always seem act in opposition to one another.  However, perhaps Winter’s alliance might not matter until it’s formalized or publicly announced.

That last argument seems a little thin to me, so here’s two ways that I think Summer might react.  One way would be to try to kill Harry.  First, Lara is off limits because Summer doesn’t want to risk starting a war with the White Court. 

I don’t think Titania would send the Gruffs after Harry because it is too overt now that Harry is the Winter Knight.  I suspect Summer / Titania would be covert.  She might hire a mercenary to do her dirty work.  Not directly of course, there would be a go between, a cut out.  This has been hinted at; in a backwards manner, by Jim Butcher himself.  In a recent interview Jim mentioned that Harry will get his own Valkyrie bodyguard inTwelve Months.  My guess; and it’s not a real hard guess, is that Lara hires the Valkyrie to protect Harry because she needs Harry alive tot get Thomas out of Demonreach and to protect the alliance with Winter.

The second way Summer could move to balance the scales with Winter is to form an alliance of their own.  I suppose Summer could align with some faction we haven’t met yet, but I doubt that will happen.  I think the most likely partner for Summer is the Svartalfs.  Wizards and the Fae don’t really trust one another so I don’t think the White Council would make a good candidate, though I’ve been wrong before.  The Swartalfs probably suspect that Lara Raith had something to do with Thomas Raith’s escape from the dungeon in what was formerly Marcone’s castle and of course they are right about that.  The Svartalfs still have a score to settle with Thomas and they may suspect that Harry has found a magical way to shield Thomas.  The Swaretalfs are normally a very insular people but circumstances might make them rethink their normal policy of remaining aloof.

What do you think?

[vincentric]

I don't think that Summer will react at all. The marriage between Harry and Lara is more about bringing the White Court under Mab's control than threatening Summer.

Titania knows about the coming Stars and Stones. She has to know that Mab will be pulling in everything she can to strengthen Winter for the battle against the Outsiders. As we saw in BG, if it comes to it, Summer will take the field beside Winter against a common foe.

Plus, the strengths of the White Court largely don't apply such a conflict. The White Court is too divided to send large numbers of fighters against Summer without a major provocation which Titania is too smart to order. Neither faerie court has enough assets outside the Never Never for the White Court's influence to make much of an attack upon.

[Mira]

  I think Summer will take a wait and see attitude.  Why? Because even though Mab and Titania have their differences, ultimately they are on the same side, and can work together as we saw in Battleground. 

[LordDresden2]

The second way Summer could move to balance the scales with Winter is to form an alliance of their own.  I suppose Summer could align with some faction we haven’t met yet, but I doubt that will happen. 

Titania could also try to balance it by forming an alliance with some other faction of the White Court.  They're very factional, after all.

Or...would a polyandrous option work for Accords purposes?  Could Lara have two husbands?  Titania might try that option too, if it is an option.

[g33k]

...  Could Lara have two husbands?  Titania might try that option too, if it is an option.

"Prince Consort" would be the title(s), I think.
Jim could write that, just to further annoy Harry.

[Avernite]

Building alliances into the coming apocalypse does seem sensible. We've seen both Wodan/Odan/Kringle/Monoc and Mab act on it, we've seen the Nickelheads try, the White Council has allies and is dysfunctional... but Summer's seemed a bit passive.

So yes, Titania needs to get going.

The Svartalves could work, maybe, but the White Court and Winter are really a much closer philosophical match. Of course we don't really know the Summer philosophy too well, honorable and defensive could be near enough with the Svartalves... But the Svartalves seem a bit isolationist.

Another option would be the River People. They're quite naturalistic, they have come out looking for connections, and apart from the Harry-likes-one there's not much against it.

[Snark Knight]

I think the most likely partner for Summer is the Svartalfs.  Wizards and the Fae don’t really trust one another so I don’t think the White Council would make a good candidate, though I’ve been wrong before.  The Swartalfs probably suspect that Lara Raith had something to do with Thomas Raith’s escape from the dungeon in what was formerly Marcone’s castle and of course they are right about that.  The Svartalfs still have a score to settle with Thomas and they may suspect that Harry has found a magical way to shield Thomas.  The Swaretalfs are normally a very insular people but circumstances might make them rethink their normal policy of remaining aloof.

The svartalfs didn't seem like they held any grudge against Harry for Thomas' extrication at the conference at the end of BG.  Their high lady word-gamed some support for Harry's play to claim the castle from Marcone when she didn't particularly have to.  They're smart, they must have figured out in retrospect that Harry and Lara being out of the conference room when Thomas was taken was a Clue - I'd guess they figured that any help Harry gave was probably owed under an obligation.

Titania and Langtry do have hating Harry's guts in common, though, and Langtry isn't so rigidly honorable as the svartalfs.  That teamup therefore seems like a good way for Jim to torment his protagonist.

[Mira]

The svartalfs didn't seem like they held any grudge against Harry for Thomas' extrication at the conference at the end of BG.  Their high lady word-gamed some support for Harry's play to claim the castle from Marcone when she didn't particularly have to.  They're smart, they must have figured out in retrospect that Harry and Lara being out of the conference room when Thomas was taken was a Clue - I'd guess they figured that any help Harry gave was probably owed under an obligation.

Titania and Langtry do have hating Harry's guts in common, though, and Langtry isn't so rigidly honorable as the svartalfs.  That teamup therefore seems like a good way for Jim to torment his protagonist.

Yeah, I think the  svartalfs are well aware of where Thomas is, that he is secure and in a prison. 

[RobReece]

Titania could also try to balance it by forming an alliance with some other faction of the White Court. 

Given that Harry is becoming the link between Winter and the White Court,  I could see Summer seeking an alliance with the White Council,  especially since Harry's already on their shit list.

[g33k]

  ... I could see Summer seeking an alliance with the White Council,  especially since Harry's already on their shit list.

Yeah, I could see that alliance giving Harry worse chills than Winter does ...

[Mira]

Given that Harry is becoming the link between Winter and the White Court,  I could see Summer seeking an alliance with the White Council,  especially since Harry's already on their shit list.

The problem is, at some point star born Harry is going to have to unite all these factions otherwise they won't have a chance against Nemesis and the Outsiders.

Just a thought, Mab's intentions for the marriage might be a stronger alliance between Winter and the White Court.  However as many of you pointed out, that alliance might make uniting everyone against Nemesis/Outsiders in the coming BAT a whole lot harder because of infighting between the allied factions.. Hmmm... I wonder if this will be an instance where Mab is totally wrong in her planning?  If she is, will she openly admit it? 

[Avernite]

The problem is, at some point star born Harry is going to have to unite all these factions otherwise they won't have a chance against Nemesis and the Outsiders.

Just a thought, Mab's intentions for the marriage might be a stronger alliance between Winter and the White Court.  However as many of you pointed out, that alliance might make uniting everyone against Nemesis/Outsiders in the coming BAT a whole lot harder because of infighting between the allied factions.. Hmmm... I wonder if this will be an instance where Mab is totally wrong in her planning?  If she is, will she openly admit it?

Alternatively, Mab intends it to blow up because she believes the White Court is fundamentally compromised thanks to Papa Raith's connections. She did also blow up Nicky and the Nickelheads, despite the now-proven value of Infernal power against some dangerous artifacts.

Alternatively Alternatively, the library has weapons so valuable, it's going to upgrade Harry's growing armory more than any downsides.

[g33k]

Alternatively, Mab intends it to blow up because she believes the White Court is fundamentally compromised ...

Alternatively Alternatively, the library has weapons so valuable, it's going to upgrade Harry's growing armory more than any downsides.

<insert "Why Not Both?" GIF here>

Seriously.

I'm pretty sure Mab is inserting her Knight -- the brawny wizard with Starborn power & twin talents for (a) poking his nose into uncomfortable places, & (b) seriously wrecking shit -- into the White Court for very good reason... such as to seriously wreck the White Court (or at least the Nemfection therein).

And, I'm pretty sure Papa Raith's private library has some Outsider-oriented materials that Harry will find both highly-interesting and highly-useful... and Mab wants her Knight to be a better Outsider-fighter !