Lara Raith marriage consummation

[Dagroth]

It may be, but unless someone shows me something in text, I will keep my theory until !2 months. Mm, perhaps not even a text would convince me. Not after the trick Jim played us with the Christmas story. 

Which trick do you mean?

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Two versions of Christmas Eve, one released before Battle Ground calling Harry “wizard of the White Council” the later one released with BG calling him “wizard of Chicago”.

One is tempted to consider he may have done something similar with The Law, disinformation corrected on the “official” publication.

[Dina]

Exactly. I was all PT/BG convinced that the vote will be in Harry's favour. It surprised me, so I suppose I have to say "well played", but it made me wary of anything that is not in books.

[LaraBeck]

I may be wrong - but I thought that protection only applied when the two lovers are both alive... Murphy is dead. Susan protected Harry as she was just estranged.

I don't think there's anything in text to support that the protection dies with the lover, no.

The True Love TM protection seems to change a bit from book to book, JB is a bit inconsistent about it, but in general it seems like the True Love TM protection "settles" over the people involved when there is an "exchange" between them, love mutually freely given, they both have to act on said love through sex, it's got a bit of a ritualistic aspect to it. So, it's like the lovers perform their own little ritual and that sets the protection over them. That's why it breaks with the previous person when they perform the ritual with someone else (if they share love too it will settle again, if there's no real love -Luccio- it will wipe the old protection and not create a new one), and why it remains if they don't, even when time passes.

So, I dunno how death would affect it, I tend to think it doesn't. From a writing perspective, why would JB made sure to let us know that Harry did share True Love TM with Murphy and enjoys that protection from it, only to have it disappear with her death? When it's more interesting to make Harry suffer by having him needing to voluntarily give it up in the marriage?

Also, it's an useful tool if he plans to have Harry not succumb to/be protected from the White Court mojo he's probably going to be surrounded by in the next book.

But I'm sure that's one of those things we're going to learn about in the next book.

It'd be interesting to see how that resolves, considering that Thomas pointed out at even objects can be affected by the True Love TM protection.

I do not remember that being said in text. Do you remember if after Karin's death Harry touched Lara?

Some fans will say they have touched at the end of Battle Ground, shaking hands when they agreed to work together to find Justine, don't mind that, they are forgetting that while they shook hands, Lara was wearing gloves. So, no, they haven't had skin to skin contact since that time he burned her in Peace Talks.

[Dina]

Thanks Lara! 
I am not sure Harry is going to have to renounce it. As I said, it is a good excuse to nullify the marriage if needed, and to protect him for all the whampires, including his wife. But we will see.

[LaraBeck]

Thanks Lara! 
I am not sure Harry is going to have to renounce it. As I said, it is a good excuse to nullify the marriage if needed, and to protect him for all the whampires, including his wife. But we will see.

I really really hope he doesn't have to renounce it.

Tbh, I'm a bit baffled by the turn of events and moreso by the reactions of some fans jumping immediately into the "Harry will surely fall for Lara in the next book and they will have a relationship" bandwagon. I mean, it's cool if the ship is interesting to people, and sure there is some chemistry there. But to me, Harry always showed so much will in resisting the White Court mojo, being pretty confident in his assertion that "it wasn't real", that he was very aware that it wasn't more than a trick, a fantasy, that he knew the real deal.

So, honestly I'd find it so unlike Harry if he were to just fall in love with Lara in the next book and willingly pursue a relationship and be okay with the marriage (Murphy aside). It's just too soon IMO, it'd be rushed.

But I have to say the way Harry behaves in PT/BG stripped me of that confidence I had in Harry/the author's writing of him in regards to that relationship. Plus the treatment in general of Murphy in the context of this relationship too (Harry seems, for most of Peace Talks, to have taken a step back from where his mind was at the end of Skin Game -when he even drops the "love" word already- and in the moments when he's alone with Lara there's a lot of stuff going on there and not once one of his thoughts is "wait a second, I shouldn't be drooling over Lara because I also know the real deal and that is my current GF").

But anyway, yeah, I hope we don't have to see him renounce his protection (or Murphy). But I'm not confident, because story/writing-wise, it does create a lot of tension and drama if he goes reluctantly into it and excitement for a part of the fanbase if he does it willingly.

[Dina]

I agree with you about Harry and Lara. That said, I think part of the excitement is because Lara is a good character and one we can see being Harry partner. i mean, not a romantic partner but a comrade. In a way, like Thomas. But with the added interest of Lara being a woman. With Molly being the Lady, which is a totally different thing than human affairs, Susan and Murphy dead and Elaine mostly out of the picture (and not too popular among the fans), Lara is the only "female lead" that appears suitable. And the times that Harry and Lara worked for the same objective, it has been very good. So yes, people supports her. I like to see her, even when I do not want to see Harry falling for her. Lately, Harry seems to be less strict with the bad guys. Marcone is an example, but I can see reasons for that (and frankly, if Harry had been any indication of being bisexual, I would ship Marcone/Harry without doubts  . But Lara? Only because she is somewhat family (the sister of his brother) Harry seems to forget that she is a vampire, a killer, and an unrepentant one.

[Regenbogen]

@Dina
Marcone is a killer, too. And he is a Denarian now.
I too don't want to see Harry fall for Lara, but I agree that he trying to somehow arrange himself with the marriage and probably moments of doubting his own feelings and feeling guilty about Karrin will make the story hurtful but interesting. And also there is potential of funny parts.
I just imagine Harry being obedient to the word, like there is an agreement that he has to wear a black tux at some event and he turns up wearing the tux with pink sneakers, just because there was nothing in the contract about what shoes to wear. Honestly I expect something like that happening.

[Dina]

Oh yes, I'd like to see something like that too.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Harry would turn up in one of those Black Tux t-shirts.

Or if it’s formalwear, his robes from the White Council, complete with a hat which says “Wizzard”

[Regenbogen]

Or now that he's grown up a bit something less obviously noticeable. For example glacier blue socks... What? It's Winter colours!

Edit: on the other hand I think, one should never be too old to provoke some snobs with non conform outfit, even if it is just a tiny detail.

[Mira]

Or now that he's grown up a bit something less obviously noticeable. For example glacier blue socks... What? It's Winter colours!

Edit: on the other hand I think, one should never be too old to provoke some snobs with non conform outfit, even if it is just a tiny detail.

Yeah, even if it is wild underwear, or wearing none at all and only you know!

[Dina]

Harry would turn up in one of those Black Tux t-shirts.

Or if it’s formalwear, his robes from the White Council, complete with a hat which says “Wizzard”

I've been wanting him to wear that hat for ages.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I've been wanting him to wear that hat for ages.

That’s what he needs to wear facing off the White Council.

[Regenbogen]

That’s what he needs to wear facing off the White Council.

Absolutely!