Winter and summer relationship

[Tinfoil hat]

This is a long one.
We are told that they hate each other. Ok cool. Then we are shown the ladies have a working relationship. Mab and Titania don’t talk becoz they hate each other. Fine I grant you they could act liasons. Even the US and the Soviets had Ambassadors. But here is where thinks get weird for me. In Cold days the new summer lady is reviewed to be spending to much time with the winter lady. No one in their courts says anything. Even in Summer knights. Maeve and Aurora seem to get along.
Mother Summer says summer job is to protect the rest of you from winter. Cool.
Then BG happens. And bob says that Mab and Titania fight as practice. In the end of the book when Titania shows up it seems she genuinely loves her sister. There could be other reasons why they don’t talk.
My tinfoil hat theory is that its an elaborate hoax. Summer is winter’s testing ground. Mab has a potential starborn she wants to test. Look at that we are going to war. Wants to see if her new toy or strategy works ready made testing ground.
Not sure Mab and Titania are awre of this
Also it could be that its part of the plan. Something from the outside, or someone who works for Outside needs allies naturally trys to recruit winter’s enemy exposing themselves. Just like what Nemesis did.
That’s just a theory a conspiracy theory
Couldn’t resist

[vincentric]

Winter is an army fighting a 24/7/365 hot war to defend to the death the existence of a group of people who have no gratitude and give only an inkling of assistance. Sometimes Mab has to involve the protected and those plans definitely follow the omelets and eggs strategy. Also, when those soldiers get leave they want to run wild. Summer's job is to be the MP's that prevent the worst excesses in both cases.

As far as the love-hate relationships go, they're similar to families with domestic violence issues. They fight like cats and dogs but if a third-party steps in or crosses them, they both turn on them like piranha on a pig. And their relationships run a full spectrum from screaming and hair pulling to friendly professional rivals. There's a reason the Supernatural world developed such an elaborate and formalized etiquette system.

[g33k]

b... Even in Summer knights. Maeve and Aurora seem to get along ...

Lea has already brought the Athame into the heart of the Winter Court.  Maeve is very-likely Nemfected, and Aurora's insane plan is definitely a result of Nemfection.

Later, Maeve cozies up to Lily in order to manipulate her.
 

[Mira]

Lea has already brought the Athame into the heart of the Winter Court.  Maeve is very-likely Nemfected, and Aurora's insane plan is definitely a result of Nemfection.

Later, Maeve cozies up to Lily in order to manipulate her.

  It is my opinion that Elaine brought the infection to the Summer Court.

[g33k]

It is my opinion that Elaine brought the infection to the Summer Court.

I think that's the most-likely thing, yes.
So a couple of Nemfected faerie-queens hanging together is kinda not any sort of evidence that the Summer/Winter oppo is faked.

OTOH, there's a pretty clear piece of evidence not in the OP:  Mother Summer & Mother Winter -- the primal essences of their respective Faerie Realms -- are cohabiting besties.

[Ed0517]

  It is my opinion that Elaine brought the infection to the Summer Court.

Justin was Nemfected and nemfected her? maybe it even was why she COULD flee into the Nevernever. I don't get the impression Harry was that capable even fighting Kravos to jump out of a burning house. Yet Elaine did.

[Mira]

Justin was Nemfected and nemfected her? maybe it even was why she COULD flee into the Nevernever. I don't get the impression Harry was that capable even fighting Kravos to jump out of a burning house. Yet Elaine did.

  I wouldn't be shocked if Justin wasn't working with Nemesis somehow and it all backfired when it turned out that Harry was star born.  Have to go back and reread the section in Ghost Story when young Harry battles HWWB, there may be some hints there.  Supposedly Harry had always thought that it was Justin that sent HWWB after him, but from that conversation when he fights him, not so much.

[g33k]

Justin was Nemfected and nemfected her?
...

Maybe Justin was Nemfected, maybe not.  But I think he was working with Outsiders, summoning them, etc.  I expect one of the vectors for Nemfection is to get a willing summoner to provide a new host for them.

I don't think one Outsider can summon others:  it takes a mortal will (and mortal Free Will) to invite Outsiders across the Threshold of Creation.  But -- much as infernal demons might bargain for souls & True Names -- I suspect Outsiders bargain for new entries into Creation.

Elaine claims she was bound by Justin as a thrall... but what if she was instead subjected to a ritual of Nemfection?  Or both (doesn't have to be either/or).

[apgrey]

Ref:  https://www.paranetonline.com/index.php/topic,53049.msg2318077.html#msg2318077

  The above is a post I made a while back on a similar subject.

  It has been suggested before that perhaps the relationship between Justin DuMorne and He Who Walks Behind is not what Harry thought it was.  It is possible the HWWB was the one in charge.

APG

[Mira]

Elaine claims she was bound by Justin as a thrall... but what if she was instead subjected to a ritual of Nemfection?  Or both (doesn't have to be either/or).

  A very good point, and I believe that Elaine could very well be an innocent victim in this.  1) How would she know since at the time of her enthrallment she had no clue as to what Nemesis was. Does she even know now? Since we learned back when Harry and Titania had their little "conversation," that the name of the enemy was strictly on a need to know basis or something to that effect.  2) Going back to Justine for a moment, did she agree willingly to infection/possession of an Outsider and or Nemesis infection?

Which takes us back to Justin.  From young Harry's conversation with HWWB that he finally remembered in Ghost Story, it sounds like Justin was being used as well. I think it highlights just how dangerous Nemesis really is.  Apparently it has the ability to get in a being's head and manipulate it's weakness to it's advantage though infection.

[Snark Knight]

Then BG happens. And bob says that Mab and Titania fight as practice. In the end of the book when Titania shows up it seems she genuinely loves her sister. There could be other reasons why they don’t talk.

I think there's some real grudge between them, but also Titania was doing a sort of "nobody stabs my sibling except me" thing.

[vincentric]

I think they love but can't stand to be around each other. Some of that's personality and some is the Mantles being opposites. I also think Titania is more standoffish because she feels the hurt of their separation more than Mab and doesn't want to remember it while Mab just soldiers through any pain.

[Mira]

I think they love but can't stand to be around each other. Some of that's personality and some is the Mantles being opposites. I also think Titania is more standoffish because she feels the hurt of their separation more than Mab and doesn't want to remember it while Mab just soldiers through any pain.

  Actually I don't they are much different from Mab's twins, Maeve and Sarissa, in that they have totally different personalities and the resentments that go along with it.  It would be interesting to go back and see what Mab and Titania were like in pre-Mantel days.  Who knows Mab may not have been that much unlike her daughter Maeve back then and grew into the job.

[Ed0517]

  Actually I don't they are much different from Mab's twins, Maeve and Sarissa, in that they have totally different personalities and the resentments that go along with it.  It would be interesting to go back and see what Mab and Titania were like in pre-Mantel days.  Who knows Mab may not have been that much unlike her daughter Maeve back then and grew into the job.

That might be an interesting short story, not really in the plotline, like Luccio riding around the Old West was.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I think Mab hates Disney because Walt did a deal with Titania so that Disneyworld and Disneyland back onto the equivalent of Arctis Tor and Arctis Minora in Summer.

Ron DeSantis beware, you might be crossing a Faerie Queen!