Christmas Eve story - Huge question

[Mira]

   Mab didn't ask anything from Maggie for her gift..  No bargain, no obligation..  Harry didn't run
into trouble with his godmother Lea until he asked her to help him with Justin, it was a bargain.  Harry
was a young scared kid at that time, he didn't understand about bargaining with the Fae.  What Harry
needs to do is make sure his daughter is well educated in this matter, then it is up to her.

[nadia.skylark]

Mab didn't ask anything from Maggie for her gift..  No bargain, no obligation..

Two things, one important and one not:

For the important thing, my point is that Mab's gift encouraged Maggie to trust her, like her, and generally see her as someone who would give Maggie things.

For the unimportant thing, there is no scenario in English grammar where ".." is the correct punctuation. It's either "." or "..."

[Mira]

For the important thing, my point is that Mab's gift encouraged Maggie to trust her, like her, and generally see her as someone who would give Maggie things.

   Even if it did?  So what, Maggie should still trust,like,and love her father, so his word/teaching
should mean more to her than the word of Mab.   If it doesn't, well, it still won't make any
difference because the relationship is toast anyway.

[nadia.skylark]

Even if it did?  So what, Maggie should still trust,like,and love her father, so his word/teaching
should mean more to her than the word of Mab.   If it doesn't, well, it still won't make any
difference because the relationship is toast anyway.

Her father's not around 24/7. If something happens (for example, if Mouse gets hurt) and Mab turns up and says "I can fix this"...

[Arjan]

Her father's not around 24/7. If something happens (for example, if Mouse gets hurt) and Mab turns up and says "I can fix this"...

Then Mouse would handle it. Mab has great respect for Mouse. More than for Harry anyway.

[Mira]

Then Mouse would handle it. Mab has great respect for Mouse. More than for Harry anyway.

   I agree,  plus it's values she has to have when Harry isn't around.  Here is a question, what is
the age of consent for bargaining with the Fae?  Now Harry was sixteen when he made his misguided
deal with Lea... However even the Fae must have some rule otherwise they'd go around and make bargains with four year olds..

[Arjan]

   I agree,  plus it's values she has to have when Harry isn't around.  Here is a question, what is
the age of consent for bargaining with the Fae?  Now Harry was sixteen when he made his misguided
deal with Lea... However even the Fae must have some rule otherwise they'd go around and make bargains with four year olds..

Whatever Jim wants but there also was no guardian for Harry at that point in time so nobody else could negotiate for him.

[Mira]

Whatever Jim wants but there also was no guardian for Harry at that point in time so nobody else could negotiate for him.

Very true,  but that is my point,  we know there are some rules the Fae have to abide by.  It is
my guess that Harry was either of age or Lea was an exception to the rule because she was his
appointed godmother...  Being who she is and what she must have known from his mother that Harry was a star born, she simply took advantage of him.

Here is a wild theory, secure your tin hat now....  Harry ultimately gets out of the Winter Knight gig because he was underage when he made his bargain with Lea.  That made it illegal under Fae Law, yet she chose to ignore the fact as well as Mab because she wanted Harry so badly as her Knight.  Molly finds out about it as she prepares to become the Queen of Winter and frees Harry from his obligation..

[Arjan]

Very true,  but that is my point,  we know there are some rules the Fae have to abide by.  It is
my guess that Harry was either of age or Lea was an exception to the rule because she was his
appointed godmother...  Being who she is and what she must have known from his mother that Harry was a star born, she simply took advantage of him.

Here is a wild theory, secure your tin hat now....  Harry ultimately gets out of the Winter Knight gig because he was underage when he made his bargain with Lea.  That made it illegal under Fae Law, yet she chose to ignore the fact as well as Mab because she wanted Harry so badly as her Knight.  Molly finds out about it as she prepares to become the Queen of Winter and frees Harry from his obligation..

I do not think she can ignore fae law.

Age of consent used to be much lower than it is now and the Sidhe are old style, really old style.

[morriswalters]

I think you can leave age of consent out of it.  Mab uses conscript labor.  It would appear that she has no moral or legal qualms about labor law. And Maeve bargained for Harry's firstborn.  She even was going to supply a surrogate.

[Mira]

I think you can leave age of consent out of it.  Mab uses conscript labor.  It would appear that she has no moral or legal qualms about labor law. And Maeve bargained for Harry's firstborn.  She even was going to supply a surrogate.

I disagree, Mab follows Fae law to the letter, she also knows every loophole and every bit of microscopic print..  Now Maeve is a different story, she didn't care about the law, that and being
infected got her executed.

[Bad Alias]

Maybe Harry just doesn't tell Maggie that the ring (was it a ring? I haven't read the story in a while) was from Mab?

[morriswalters]

Harry takes the gift, he knows the drill.  He does not give a gift back.  Faeries never do anything without reciprocity. From which I conclude the freight has already been paid for the ring. 

@Bad Alias
He is the relevant section.  I hope the copyright police do not come down the chimney after me.

“I  do,”  Mab  said.    “Yet...”    She  frowned,  as  if  concentrating  to  make  sure  she  repeated the phrase correctly. “It does not do for the boss to spend too much time in the office.”  She paused for a breath and then said, “I have brought your gift.”

I think my jaw bounced off my knee before it landed in the pile of parts. “What?”“You are participating in the holiday this year,”

Mab said.  “I have an obligation to my vassals.”

“What?” I repeated.
 
She took one hand out from behind her back and presented me with a small gift bag of wintry blue, covered with cheerful silver snowflakes.

I eyed the bag.  “Is it going to explode?  Or try to eat me?”

“Do not be tiresome,” Mab sighed.

“Faeries don’t give gifts,” I said.  “What kind of trick is this?”

“The kind that isn’t,” she replied.  “I am not giving you a gift.  I am fulfilling to you an obligation.

”I  felt  a  smile  touch  the  corner  of  my  mouth.  “Obligation,  eh? Suppose  I  don’t accept?”

A pained expression touched her eyes for about a tenth of a second.  “That would be your choice.  As would be the consequences.”

“Well.  That’s the first time I’ve ever been threatened into accepting a Christmas present,” I said.  I took the bag.  Inside was a jewelry box.  Inside the jewelry box was a plain band that probably wouldn’t have fit on my pinky.  It was made from some kind of silvery, opalescent metal.  I brushed a fingertip over it.  It hummed with stored energy.  “Potent,” I said.  “What does it do?”

“It is meant for your daughter,” Mab said.  “And it will give her powers.”

I snapped the box shut and eyed Mab.
 
“Excuse me?”

She made an impatient sound.  “Not like that, wizard,” she said.  “If you give her the ring she will... have a certain amount of influence, until next stroke of noon, over the forces of winter.”  She sighed.  “And it will play music.”

I narrowed my eyes.  “What music?”

Mab leaned over, opened the box, and obligingly touched the ring.  It immediately buzzed and the room filled with a swirl of music, as a woman’s voice sang, “The snow glows white on the mountain tonight...”

I  shut  the  box  on  the  sound  and  eyed  her.    It  was  just  possible  that  I’d  already  heard that song enough to make my teeth itch.
“Now I understand,” I said drily.

“You are welcome,” she replied.

“Just out of curiosity,” I said, “is it going to be possible for her to freeze someone’s heart and turn them into an ice statue?”

Mab looked baffled.  “Those are the powers in the motion picture.  Should I have cheated her?”

I rubbed at the spot between my eyes. “Got it.  We’ll go someplace nice and quiet to play with this gift.”

“Make sure she knows who gave it to her,” Mab said.

Then the fire guttered again.  When it returned to life, it was golden and merry, the way fire is supposed to be—and Mab was gone.

[Arjan]

pretty straightforward. Harry is the winter knight and the vassal is not the only one with obligations. Harry takes part in the winter festivities so he gets a gift.

Kringles gift is more interesting. He is allowed to bring gifts because that is what he does. Apparently that overrules the normal rules.

[nadia.skylark]

Then Mouse would handle it. Mab has great respect for Mouse. More than for Harry anyway.

Oh, not you again. You're doing the same thing with my posts here that you're doing on the Souls and Ghosts thread. Here's a suggestion: please read my posts before responding to them. In this case, the example I specifically gave was Mouse being hurt--so he couldn't handle it.